Thank you so much for the opportunity to serve you should pray in Jesus precious. Holy name. Amen. I said this world is really getting crazy Stole this morning So verified it by looking on the internet, which is very dependable Not necessarily but sometimes you can't find news bulletins that are on the internet that you can fairly safely depend upon But anyhow, this morning I was told that France had made the decision to make it legal for same-sex marriages. The entire nation of France has now put it in their constitution to allow for same-sex marriage. And the article that I was reading was that the opposition are sore losers. And that they were upset because the vote had went through to allow that in their country. And the polls that they report is that the majority of the people in France were for this change in our constitution. I kind of wonder if that was an accurate poll or not. Just like the movement out in our country, here in the United States, in California, the movement to make it legal in that state. for same-sex marriages, the battle that's been going on there against the will of the majority of the people. It sometimes makes you wonder who's making the decisions, whether it's really the voting public or whether it's just a few that are within power in offices that are doing things the way they want to, regardless of the desires of the people. Because we do live in a republic, not a democracy like many people would have you think or believe. This is not a democratic country. This is a republic, a representative republic country. Which means we are represented by our politicians. Our politicians are supposed to speak for us in these elections and things that are coming up. All the different votes that are to be voted upon in Congress and so forth. Our politicians are supposed to represent the will of the majority of the people. Too many times they do not because they yield to pressures by the most vocal of the groups, or by the ones that line their pockets the most. So, it's not, you know, a perfect setup by no means. But we as Christians have a responsibility to spread the gospel, to teach the truth that's found in the Word of God. And there's a movement in this country to silence Christians, because they take the Christian values, and if you, as a Christian, start to proclaim Christian values, or to present Christian values, or to preach Christian values, they're trying to say that that is hatred, that is intolerant, that that is hate speech. But is it hate speech? Some of the demonstrations that you see and some of the reactions of some of the people that have good intentions but are misaligned on the way they present their good intentions, sometimes it can appear to be hateful. To actually have a hatred towards someone who is ungodly. But we as Christians need to understand that we need to proclaim the truth that's found in the Word of God, but in, as it says over and over in the Scriptures, with meekness and fear. That meekness is power under control. And fear is that reverent fear to God for accountability for the way that you are living a life as a Christian and the way that you are presenting the truth to others. Because you can have the truth, you can have the gospel, and you can go out here and present it in an improper way and actually turn someone away from God instead of bringing them in to God. It's like we've made references to taking a Bible and beating it over somebody's head, or do you present it to them? Do you corral people in, or do you gently lead people? So it's a very fine line between being filled with the truth and love and concern for others, or stepping off onto the wrong side there, taking the truth and using it as a weapon that's actually going to wind up hurting Christianity. So we've got to be careful with that in the way that we go out and spread the gospel and try to reach this world that is spiraling down the drain. And this country is on that pathway. If we do not step up as Christians and start doing the kind of work that we need to do in this country, we might be hearing a constitutional change in this country to follow the pathway that France did and make such things as same-sex marriage legal throughout the entire country. There are now... France becomes the 14th country. I was shocked when I read that. I didn't know there were that many countries that already had given in to the pressures of the homosexual movement. But there are now 14 countries in the world that have accepted same-sex marriage. It is contrary to the Scriptures. It is anti-Christ. It is not godly. But we have to remember that we have to love all those that are out there, even those that are ungodly, because the Lord tells us to do that, to have that compassion for others that are on their way to hell for eternity if they do not change their ways, if they do not accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. So we have that responsibility. So we've got to be careful how we react to things like the news about France making this vote, and how we react to folks that come to us that maybe do have that problem of the sinful behavior of homosexuality. We're given it clear and simple in the Scriptures that it is an abomination to God. And as we spoke before, that this movement has even gotten their own biblical translation, their own Bible that they now have, that they've went in and they've deleted everything to do with anything that would suggest or directly command against same-sex marriage or the homosexual lifestyle. And they've made their own translation. So now they can present that as their Bible, as their doctrine. Because you even see churches. There are churches here in this valley that are actually led by lesbian pastors in the Roanoke Valley. So that's shocking that that would even be considered. We have entire denominations that are now permitting homosexual men to be pastors of their churches and saying that it's fine. They are throwing the scriptures right out the window. They are misinterpreting the truth that is within the Word of God. They are, as we've been studying in the book of Genesis, throwing Genesis right out the window as well. Because it establishes the way marriage is supposed to be right from the very beginning in books. And it lays it out for us. But yet, Satan would fool people and twist things around. I mean, they're going around with this bag over their eye. They're pretending. They take on a form of godliness. Because they want to be in that position to where they feel good and make other people feel good in their sins. So that they can feel like their sin is being accepted. Why is the movement to attack things like marriage? Because that's one of the few things left in the Christian lifestyle that was really solid and clear and very easily understood that marriage was a man and a woman. And it was established by God. So Satan is attacking that. And this country here is moving in another direction, where you see the homosexual movement eager to go out and get married, and you see the heterosexual, those that are man and woman, resisting marriage. Just living with someone is on a tremendous increase. When it's just man and woman, they just, well, let's just live together. Let's just try things out. Let's just do that. But then the homosexuals, they're eagerly, oh, we've got to get married, we've got to get married. Because they want public acceptance of their behavior. Because deep inside, they know that they are sinning. That they are an abomination to God. And they want the recognition from the world to say, oh, you're okay. Go ahead and do what you want to do. You'll be fine. So they get into that so that they can feel okay in their sins. We see that through the Scriptures so many times, the references to that. And there's also in here a warning about people that would support people that do those behaviors. That you can wind up being accountable for saying, okay, just do whatever you want. Then that sin comes upon you as well. So we cannot approve of those kind of behaviors and get away with it. It isn't just do whatever feels good, like the movement back in the 60s and 70s, because that will wind you up in hell. And we've got to understand, again, as I say over and over, that we have a responsibility as Christians to be able to present the gospel in a way that it is clear that we do not hate people that are sinners. That we have a deep concern for their immortal soul. That's why we press on them to change their ways so they can come and be a Christian. So that they can become part of the family of God. So that they can spend eternity with Jesus Christ in heaven. Not spend eternity in hell with Satan. So we've got to be very careful in the way that we approach these issues that come about. And how we even talk to people because other folks are watching us, listening to us, you know, are we going to turn around, oh, they're aggravating, you know, just grumble, grumble, gripe, gripe, and turn it into I hate that kind of bunch, I hate that kind of lifestyle, I hate, hate, hate, you know, and then they say, well, that is hate speech. But if you say these folks are, you know, pitiful, it is sad, it is heartbreaking to see this kind of movement going on because they are going down the wrong pathway. We've got to have a compassion for them. We've got to have a love for them so great that we're willing to go into areas that we know are homosexual, such as the entire nation of France now, and spread the gospel and help them to give up a ungodly lifestyle, help them accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior so that they can have salvation. So it must be love speech, not hate speech. So when we're out here, no one can actually say that, yeah, he's just spouting all kinds of anti-tolerant, anti-homosexual, anti-gay, whatever name you want to use it from the pulpit, and he needs to be silenced. Because that's the next step they're trying to do. They're trying to silence Christians. They're trying to silence Christians from the pulpit. They're trying to silence Christians from the radio. They've been working on that for quite some time with a lot of resistance, thankfully. Right now, that's probably the closest thing that we're going to lose as a Christian nation is the ability to freely preach the gospel from the radio. the true gospel. If you say something against a particular subject, you'll be considered spouting out hate speech, and you will be fined for that. Trying to muzzle truth. That's Satan working. And then they're coming after the preachers in the pulpit, doing the same thing, trying to silence them to be able to keep that quiet so that people won't feel offended. Oh, they'll get offended because you told them that they're living in sin and they're going to go to hell for eternity. That's so twisted. Turn it all the way around. Why would we care whether they go to hell or not? Unless we really truly love them. We love them. We don't want them to go to hell. If we hated them, we wouldn't say anything against what they're doing. Because we in our hearts know that what they're doing is going to send them to hell. That would be hate speech. To be silent is hate speech. The lack of spreading the truth, that is true hatred. So we have a responsibility to spread the truth, and truth can only be found in the Word of God. So we have to do that as Christians, especially now. I mean, things are, like I said, spiraling closer and closer down the drain. And this country is on that pathway. So we have a responsibility as Christians to spread the Gospel. As we know from the Scriptures, Truth is Jesus Christ. Truth is His Word. In John 14, verse 6, Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the Father but by me. If you do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you're not going to heaven. You're not coming to the Father. You're not directly in communication with the Father. And you've got to have that reconciliation. And it only comes by way of Jesus Christ. That is the truth. You cannot find truth anywhere else in this world other than through Jesus Christ. Not through any of these other false gods that you hear about so often. Any of these false gods, any of these deities that they've put together because they've altered it and molded it into the kind of God that they wanted to worship, that permitted them to do things that they wanted to do and get away with it. Because God instills in every one of us the knowledge and understanding that we are accountable for our actions. So as a response, man will create a God that will allow them to do as they please. Such as that translation I was telling you about, that they've come out with. That's a cross that's got a big rainbow going across it. Because rainbow is a representation of their tolerance or diversity to them. Not realizing that that rainbow is a symbol of God, a promise from God that He will not destroy this planet again with water. A reminder of a worldwide judgment for a sinful world. Isn't that ironic that Satan would use a symbol of God to represent a sinful behavior? That's how twisted this whole movement is. Jump to chapter 14. Let's look at verses 16 and 17 here. And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him, but ye know Him, for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. You as a Christian have the truth within you. So we've got to understand that only us Christians, only the truly born again have the Holy Ghost within them and have the truth. So when you're out here trying to talk to somebody that does not have the Holy Ghost, they will not know, they will not acknowledge, they will not understand the truth. Because it says right here, even a spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive, they cannot receive the truth. Because it, it being the world, seeth him not, him the Holy Ghost, neither knoweth him, but ye know him, for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. So have that in mind when you're out there dealing with the ungodly that are in their sins and dabbling in it, and those that are supporting sinful behavior. They are blinded by Satan. They do not have the truth. They cannot see the truth. Even if you clearly place it right in front of their face, clearly with love present it to them, they are deaf and blind to the truth. until they accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. So you say, well, how can they if they will not believe the truth? The Holy Ghost pulls everyone in. Only by that will they come to the Lord. No matter how much effort you put toward that, it is not going to work unless the Holy Ghost is involved in it. You have a responsibility as Christians to spread the gospel, just like we were mentioning earlier about handing out Bible tracts. You have a responsibility to spread the gospel in whatever way the Lord has led you to do. But don't think that it is totally dependent upon your effort to bring in the fold because the Holy Ghost, that's His job. He's the one that's beckoning people in. They all have that call to come in to the Lord. It is our job. It is our responsibility. It is our privilege to be able to be a part of that and be able to hand out Bible tracts, talk to people, be a good witness, have a good testimony, be able to spread the gospel. We get rewards for that. It's awesome that He offers us rewards as well above our salvation for doing the work that He has laid out for us to take opportunity to do. Because He wants to bless us that much more. It's so awesome. Because we're dealing with things far more than just the act of homosexuality and lesbianism and all the other sexual abominations that are mentioned. One other thing that's coming up is a vote. The American Boy Scouts have been bombarded with lawsuits, with protests and everything because the Boy Scouts will not allow homosexuals to teach their children. They're boys. Why would homosexuals desire to come and teach little boys? It's pretty clear they want to be around them little boys. So, it would make pretty good sense not to let them do that. But yet the world out here is saying, oh, you're hateful because you won't let them have that position. It just shows you the craziness that's going on right now. So be praying for the Boy Scouts to make the right decision. They're going to be having a vote next week, from what I understand, or the week after. to determine whether they're going to allow homosexuals to teach their children or not. It will destroy the Boy Scouts and everything that it stands on if that happens. And that's what Satan wants to do. They do not want to have a national organization that teaches Christian morals. They want to destroy that. How can they destroy that? By infiltrating it with sinful people. By putting homosexuals to teach them children. So that's what's happening. At one time in this country, they would not allow homosexual behavior as a teacher in any form in any of the public schools. You had to be a teacher back 50 years ago, 100 years ago. To be a teacher was like being a preacher or pastor. You had to really walk the straight and narrow. You had to be one of the finest citizens in the community to be a teacher. Now look at some of the teachers. I mean it's not a month goes by that you don't hear about some horrible event that some teacher has molested some child. I did some construction work a few years back for a lesbian. What was her career? She was a teacher. What did she choose? To teach the girls phys ed classes. Where you've got girls in the shower rooms and everything. That lesbian wanted, oh that sounds like a job I want. And the schools knew her behavior. She lived with a woman. So Satan puts these people in positions where they can do the most harm. And that's what's happening in this country. In Romans chapter 1, let's look at verse 16. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. The gospel of Christ tells us the truth. Don't be ashamed to go out there and proclaim the truth to those that are following the lies. For it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith as it is written, that just shall live by faith. We've got to have faith in God. We've got to have faith in What we understand through His Spirit is within us that reveals truth to us by His Word. In verse 18, now it gets into some of the details here. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold a truth in unrighteousness. They're trying to say that the truth is unrighteous. They aren't trying to say that good is evil. But yet God has revealed Himself to everyone, revealed what is right and wrong, but yet the world, under the influence of Satan, turns it completely over. It continues in verse 19 here, because that which may be known of God is manifest, which means to be revealed, in them. God has manifest and revealed himself to all mankind. For God hath showed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse. God's creation proclaims His existence all the way so clearly, even to the point of the Godhead. What is the Godhead? That is the Holy Trinity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. His creation, the things that may be seen, as it says here, the wondrous skies that we have, the beautiful universe that we can see, all the wonderful things that we have, even here on this cursed earth, still proclaim the existence of God, still proclaim the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. to all mankind. For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen. They willingly will close their eyes, even though it is clearly seen. Being understood by the things that are made, means all of creation, even His eternal power in Godhead, that is revealed, even that. so that they are without excuse. So judgment day, when they come up here and they're standing before the Lord, they cannot say, nobody gave me a Bible tract, nobody witnessed to me, nobody preached to me, I've never been to church, no one introduced me to you, so I should get a free pass. My behavior was accepted by my country, so I should get a free pass. It was okay in society to live the way that I am. It is the new normal. as they're saying now on this new TV show that they got, was a total abomination. They can't stand up there and say that because they are without excuse. God has manifested Himself to everyone. The truth has been revealed to all mankind. We have this movement, especially by the preachers and the missionaries, to make people think that if they do not have their job, if they do not do their work, that people are going to go to hell because they fail to do their job. Then that would provide an excuse for everybody that they did not go out there and spread the gospel to stand there before the Lord and say, hey, no missionary came to talk to me, so I should get a free pass. Don't work that way. These scriptures here clearly tell us that God will manifest Himself to all mankind, whether we get the opportunity to do it ourselves or not. The reason that we have missionaries, the reason we have preachers and pastors is to encourage Christians, it's to help people come in and have a clearer understanding of the Word of God, to encourage people, to lift them up, to continue to spread the Gospel, and to get a blessing for doing that work of the Lord. You have an opportunity to do that. But don't go around with the guilt falling on your head thinking that if your next door neighbor goes to hell, it's because you didn't give them a Bible track. Your next door neighbor goes to hell because that person decides not to accept Jesus Christ their Lord and Savior. That falls upon them, falls upon themselves, not on you. That is not your burden. Now you will be answerable to the fact that you did not do the work that He has provided for you, laid out right for you. How will you be accountable for that? You'll lose a reward that you could have had. You'll lose a blessing that you could have had. So if you want to have a wondrous life here and a beautiful life for eternity with all the extra rewards, do the work the Lord has laid out for you. And it's an awesome opportunity. He'll lift you up here and for eternity. Because it talks about how He will glorify those that have worked for Him. So those are the opportunities that we have. But at the same time, don't take on... This is something that I keep talking about, because I hear preachers talk about this all the time. Oh, that whole nation is going to hell because we haven't sent missionaries out to them. Send me some money so I can go out there to see them. You know, they're trying to throw a big guilt trip on you. The Lord God is so powerful, so almighty, and the power of the Holy Ghost will see to it that a work is done, whether we take the opportunity to be a part of it or not. So we got an opportunity. Let's get on board and be a part of it, and get the blessings now and for eternity. And one of those things is to go out here and tell the world that, hey, this activity that you guys are wanting to vote in, to make acceptable, to make perfectly fine, is wrong. It's an abomination to God. We will be blessed for doing that kind of work. We will help folks come to a better understanding of God and a better understanding of how they're supposed to behave. And it's because we love them and care for them and we want to serve the Lord. It's not because we're full of hatred and resentment and intolerance as they would have people to believe. It's gotten to the point where they silenced Christians because, well, I better not say nothing about that gay worker over there in the office because then I would be pointed out as being intolerant and evil speech, hate speech. No, you truly care for them and love them and want to help them come to a knowledge of Jesus Christ your Lord and Savior so they can live in paradise forever. So take the right attitude and the right thoughts when you go deal with somebody that is like that. so that you can let them understand and know that you truly love them and care for them and want them to come out of that dark area and get that bag off of their head so that they can see the truth that can be found in the Word of God that can come from the Holy Ghost that is within a Christian and become part of the light instead of the darkness. Let's pray. Lord Jesus, Heavenly Father, we thank you so much for your word. It contains so much. It contains things that we need to know so that we can go out here in the world and spread the gospel in a way that you want us to. Help us to always do that very thing. Help us to spread it throughout the entire world. It seems to be spiraling down deeper and deeper. Thank you so much for the opportunity to be a Christian. Thank you for the opportunity to be able to serve you. We pray in Jesus' precious holy name. Amen.