Free Sermonspice Coupon

Seeing how I’m on a tight budget…., I’m posting how I’ve used Sermonspice to get videos, and in return, I’ll get a $20 gift certificate for my next Sermonspice purchase.

All you have to do is write a short blog like this one, and then send Sermonspice (info@sermonspice.com) the link to your post. And they’ll send you the certificate.

Coming This Sunday!

Week Three Opener of our Sermon Series called “The Unknown”

A Call to Action

An Open Letter on the Homosexual Attack on Mount Hope Church in Lansing, Michigan

Jamie Hope, Legislative Liaison, Concerned Women for America of Michigan

We as a Christian community in America are responding as a unified Body of Christ to the outrageous assault on Mount Hope Church in Lansing, Michigan, last Sunday, November 9, 2008, by a group of radical self-avowed anarchist gay and lesbian individuals known as “Bash Back.”  We are addressing our American Christian community, law enforcement, the media and the groups responsible for and associated with this assault on our civil liberties.

For those in our nation that have not heard of this incident, below is a clip from an article by worldnetdaily.com that best describes the attack on this church:

“‘Jesus was gay,’ they shouted among other profanities and blasphemies as they rushed the platform. Some forced their way through rows of women and kids to try to hang a profane banner from the balcony while others began tossing fliers into the air. Two women made their way to the pulpit and began to kiss,” he wrote.

He cited the Bash Back organization’s own announcement of other items members brought into the church, including “a megaphone, noise makers, condoms, glitter by the bucket load, confetti, pink fabric …”

According to the alternative Lansing City Pulse – which reported it was notified of the protest ahead of time and sent a reporter along instead of warning the church – the protesters also screamed at parishioners and pulled the church facility’s fire alarm.  Printed material protesters distributed said, “We specialize in confronting homophobia, transphobia and every and all other forms of oppression.”

For the full article go to:  http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.printable&pageId=80743

We as a Christian community in America would first like to address the group “Bash Back.”  While what you did was vile, especially in the presence of children, we forgive you.  However, it is unfortunate that you have taken the message of a church and their Biblical beliefs and twisted them into a lie to benefit your cause.  First and foremost, Mount Hope Church, and any true Christian church, does not preach hate.  Yes, we preach the word of God that states homosexuality is a sin.  Mount Hope Church upholds this belief.  However, Pastor Dave Williams along with his associate pastors have stated many times that homosexuality is no more a sin than drunkenness, gossip, cohabiting heterosexuals, etc.  Mount Hope Church is also very clear that we as Christians are to love one another Christian and non-Christian in spite of our differing views and beliefs.  To promote this church as a “hate church” is a satanically-inspired lie to justify crude and lawless behavior.  In fact we challenge you to buy or download Pastor Dave’s sermons and find one time where he preaches and promotes hate for homosexuals as people.  You will find he condemns the sin not the person.  And for any other church in this country that does preach hate, including for homosexuals, they are not of our flock, and we do not count them as Christians.  They are counterfeits.  Oh and on a side note, we are not a phobic group of individuals.  Phobia is a fear.  We are not homophobic; we are Bible believing Christians.

We as a Christian community in America would also like to address the media.  Your slanted coverage and liberal bias toward our community is coming to an end.  We are taking back our rights, our country and standing up for our God.  The fact that the only local news coverage (other than the internet) was the Lansing State Journal is a sad testament to your journalistic integrity.  The four local news stations, WILX TV 10, WLNS TV 6, WLAJ 3, WSYM 47 failed miserably in their ability to accurately report the news in their community.  The fact that a supposed journalist from Lansing City Pulse was aware that this attack was going to happen in a church where children were present shows the selfish ambition and corrupt morals of people who look out for their own interests ahead of the safety of children.  This was a heinous assault on a group of innocent church attendees by a radical self-avowed lawless group and not one station bothered to even report this story.  If this were a group of church people that stormed a gay and lesbian rally with terrorist style clothing and defaced their property and told them they were going to hell for being gay, this would not only make local news but their would be a public cry from CNN, MSNBC, NBC, CBS, ABC, etc.  There would be protests and riots in the streets.  But because you have shown especially through the election that you are biased and liberal and no longer “just report the news” but push your personal agendas, we are firing you.  You are fully discredited until you begin reporting unbiased news.

Law enforcement, where were you?  You were at the church, but did you do your job?  Why were there no arrests?  We would like answers.  From the story reported, it appears this group has already labeled themselves as not conforming to the laws of our society (anarchy).  They assaulted a church, defaced property, disturbed the peace, potentially emotionally abused children for exposing them to a threatening environment and yet, no arrests.  We as a Christian community are calling upon local law enforcement and the Attorney General to investigate this incident, arrest those responsible and charge them with the appropriate crimes.  Just because we are a forgiving people does not mean these individuals should not face the consequences of their actions.  We need to hold people accountable for their actions when they break the law.  By your silence and lack of urgency in this matter you have sent a very clear and powerful message to radical groups and to every Christian in America.

For the true Christian church and not those counterfeit Christians who preach hate and false doctrine, it is time for us to unite with one another and separate ourselves from the counterfeits.  We may vary in our denominations, but we all believe Jesus is the Son of God and the only way to heaven.  For those churches and organizations that espouse these beliefs, we need to work together and come together to show the rest of America that we are a voice in this country, we are a community in this country and we deserve to enjoy our freedoms in this country without fear of persecution.  It is a common characteristic for Christians to love their enemy, pray for their enemy and forgive.  But do not let us forget the teachings of Jesus himself in John 2:13-17, Matthew 21:12-13, Mark 11:15-18 and Luke 19:45-46.  When it was time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple courts he found men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the moneychangers and overturned their tables. To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father’s house into a market!”

Jesus was outraged.  He did not walk into the temple and tell those people who were desecrating the temple, “I will pray for you brother; it’s okay.”  No, he acted and destroyed what was an abomination in the eyes of God.  He defended God and drove out all those that were discrediting God by their corrupt actions.

We as a Christian community in America no longer can afford to stay within our churches and act as “Sunday” Christians.  We who are good are now being called evil, and those who are evil are now being called good.  Some of this is due to our own inaction.  It is time we revive our Christian beliefs and act as a unified Body of Christ.  Speak out, act out, call your representatives, senators, news stations and write to your papers that this will no longer be tolerated among the Body of Christ.

Jamie Hope

Legislative Liaison

Concerned Women for America

Thoughts about the protest at Mount Hope Church

There are a lot of people talking right now about what happened at Mount Hope Church this past Sunday. If you missed it read this article by the Lansing State Journal. Basically a group of gay activists interrupted the service and began throwing pamphlets encouraging exploration of homosexuality. (I read the pamphlet). What you may not of heard is that two individuals went up front and started making out in front of the congregation. So today I would like some honest feedback what do you think about what happened.

Some ground rules if you break them I will delete your comments

• “No Profanity”
• No verbal attacks against another
• Please no thus saith the Lord statements, you can quote the bible but no the Lord told me this in a dream stuff. That may be for you in private but not on a public forum.

Ok Let the dialogue begin.

 

 

What if?

• What if we preached the message of Jesus Christ with love and compassion?
• What if we spent as much energy and time on winning the lost to Christ as we do with standing for political views and agendas?
• What if we wrote and blogged and had radio broadcasts that proclaimed Gods message of “I love you and want to have a relationship with you- Jesus” more than talking about politics and agendas?
• What if we stood for life and against homosexual marriage but yet showed Christ’s love at the same time by reaching out to those who see it differently and saying Christ loves you and so do I?
• What if Christ were walking this earth what would his message be?

  Would he be going around saying take your stand for what you believe in or would he be saying love your neighbor and teach them about me. Christ message was not about the policies of the time even though many wanted them to be. They wanted him to be their earthly ruler. They wanted a new king. Christ came so that they could experience fullest of life through a relationship with Him. You see when you experience Christ your agendas and morals change. Think about Zacchaeus the tax collector, when he encountered Christ his life was changed. Think about Saul on the road to Damascus.

  What will change people are not amendments to the constitution or laws; it is an encounter with the power of Christ. It is the Holy Spirit being activated in the lives of believers.

  Yes, we must take a stand. Stand for Christ and His message, love those who persecute you. Be Christ with skin; show righteous living through example not just what we stand against. May people know we are Christians by how we live not just what we stand against? May people see Christ through us, may we spend just as much energy and time promoting Christ as we do a particular candidate or issue.

• What if the body of Christ showed Gods love and spoke a message of compassion and forgiveness?

  The Answer is see this nation changed and the rights of the unborn protected, marriage protected, the economy turn around, and see people given hope and a place in Heaven.

Post Election Thoughts

So Now What?

So now what? The election is over; many are happy and many are disappointed. No matter where you find yourself understand that as followers of Christ we are given a responsibility and privilege to pray for our leaders.

The choice has been made you and I can do nothing to change it. But we have a choice to make; we can choose to pray for Barack Obama and the leaders of this state and country. Or we can choose to ignore it and go and bury our head in the sand and pray that God comes back quickly.

My commitment is to pray that God would change their hearts to be more like Christ. That they would value life and that God would give them wisdom in how to deal with the economy and the issues at hand. That they would have a Paul on the road to Damascus experiences. My prayer is that they will experience Christ in the way that I and many others have. I want to see them turn to God like the King of Nineveh did when Jonah delivered the message of Gods coming destruction. Jonah 3: 6-10

When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust. Then he issued a proclamation in Nineveh:
“By the decree of the king and his nobles:
Do not let any man or beast, herd or flock, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.”

When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened.

So now the baton has been passed to us,

Pray for our leaders or
Do Nothing.

You and I have a choice. I pray that you choose to pray for our leaders. Pray that God would flood this country with His Spirit and change us. That He would turn the hearts of the wicked towards God. That the evil ways of man would be crushed and that God would be lifted up. God is doing something amazing in the spiritual realm. May we be ones who God uses as a spiritual conduit to reach our nation with Loving God, Loving People, Loving Life.

Don’t Miss It

Don’t miss tomorrow gathering here at Journey Life Church at 10:00 am. We are starting a new series called “The Unknown”. It will be sweet; I am really excited about this series as we look at spiritual warfare. What you see… is not all there is. The Bible says, “We are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world…” (Eph. 6:12). Together, as we study spiritual warfare, angels, demons and the Holy Spirit, we will discover the Unknown.

See Ya there. It will be the best hour of your week.

It’s Almost Here- Election Day

We will have voter’s guides for you tomorrow at Journey Life Church. There are a non-partisan guide and do not endorse any one candidate but it does show where the candidates stand on family issues and issues of justice and our economy.

This election is the most important election in the History of the United States I believe. I have not spoken much about this election because I have actually been disgusted with the politics of this time. But the time is now and we must take a stand and hold firm to our core beliefs and be a voice for the unborn and for our children. What will be taught and allowed to happen hangs on whom we place in office this Tuesday.

Will you join me in prayer and fasting (if you can) this Monday and ask God to give us wisdom and guidance I trust that you will join me in intercessory prayer for our nation, and then go to the polls on November 4th and vote for those candidates who will best give us a just government, a government that freely acknowledges that we are one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all including the unborn.

Billy Graham once said, “To get nations back on our feet we must gets nations back on their knees.” This Monday and Tuesday may the people of God fall to their knees and cry out to God for wisdom and guidance. May we take a stand for our children and for our right to worship God freely.

You may not agree with all of the policies of those running but my question is what issues would God stand up for? When you discover those vote for whom you feel best meets those values and convictions.

Your vote does matter and you can make a difference. Vote this Tuesday Novemeber 4th.

Every Vote Counts