The Rising Plague of Married Men and Adultery: Why the Internet Is NOT to Blame for Men Cashing in on Lust!

 

I literally hate having to write this article knowing that it could trigger pain in some people, and also create fear, which I do NOT want to do. This article comes out of my weariness of finding out and dealing with what appears to be the rising number of Bible-believing men opening doors to immorality—not just porn, but live, active adultery—sex-for-money or secret mistresses. My focus in this article is dealing with married men committing adultery. I know women commit adultery, too. But of all the cases of adultery I have dealt with recently among Christians, the majority are men.

I will say, also, here at the beginning of this article, that I have seen many men, and many marriages restored after the trauma of adultery.

A friend of mine, I’ll call Renny, called me recently because a close friend of his went down the self-centered path that so many married men these days are trekking—adultery. He got caught. There is a major problem with active adulterers—they always lie. Always. They are strategic, convincing liars. Lying and adultery are in bed together. Always. Remorseful adulterers continue to lie, but repentant, transformed adulterers come clean. Remorse is a convincing counterfeit of the real thing—a repentant brokenness.

Renny was asking for advice on what to say to his friend who had reached out to him for help after being caught,. His friend was a typical scenario of men who cheat. They get caught. They cry. Say I’m sorry. This one, like the many Ruthie and I have worked with in our marriage counseling, is a repeat offender. Never got to the roots the first time.

I didn’t know the couple, but I agreed to do a phone counsel with the victim—the wife. In her pain she vented to me all the things wives vent when they find out that their covenant husband gave to another woman, or women, the precious things that belonged only to her. Were there levels of pain and violation? Many! And a wife’s loss of trust and respect in the one who was commanded to nurture and love her as Christ loved the church is often irreparable. Abused wives are going to vent their anger. I can’t remember the words Rennie’s friend’s wife called her guilty husband, but it was on the line of, you’re a mealy mouse of a man! Almost equal to the pain of the sexual violations were the strategic lies he told to cover his butt.

Renny’s friend’s sexual sin is only a symptom of what’s out of line in his heart. Renny is now taking his friend through my book To Kill a Lion:Transforming Your Life Through Sexual Freedom. I wrote it because I became disillusioned by the behavior modification approach to counseling sexually-dependent men. I replaced the cheap surface teaching with heart transformation as the principle to access victory over lust. Sexual addiction, adultery, or any other addiction or vice is only a fruit of a root. Many contemporary “sexual-restoration” programs deal with recovery from the fruits when they should be more focused on the roots. When I’m dealing with an offender I tell them, “It matters less what you did; it matter more the carnality inside your heart that allowed you to do it!”

What Renny Said to Me

Toward the end of our initial phone conversation, Renny lamented, saying something on the order of, “Today with all the lust on the internet, it’s a horrible trap for so many men.”

I paused, then offered a different perspective, “Renny, a man’s commitment to purity can’t be dependent on the level of temptation in the culture he lives in. Every culture advertises lust. No source of temptation, no matter how prevalent, is to blame. Men of God must discover a pathway to develop a heart of hatred for lust. They need tenacity to resist every trigger point, and a value system of love and integrity so that no matter how bad the world is, no matter how society throws lust their way, no matter how sexually insensitive they think their wife is, they remain stedfast to the commandments of Christ. They must learn to love purity more than lust, and destroy the tendency to use lust when they need an emotional fix.”

Renny fully agreed with me. It’s so easy to think that the intensity and availability to sin is the blame for people sinning, but that is not so.

Two days after Renny’s phone call I had a phone conversation with a pastor who sadly told me about a well-known, influential pastor—his friend—who got caught in adultery. The full verdict was not out yet. In some of today’s church culture, as we have witnessed with recent pastor-sexual scandals, the incident may be covered up to protect the guilty only to possibly re-emerge later.

Immorality Rebellion to God

I taught on I Thessalonians 5 recently at church. Verse six is a scary verse. After Paul’s warning about immorality, he concludes, “…because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified.”

Adultery is an act of selfishness. Adulterers have a sexual problem only because they are self-centered, self-focused, and usually have some level of narcissism. Renny was heart-broken to hear about his friend. I was familiar with the feeling. Ruthie and I, as pastors and counselors, are often privy to the unfortunate antics of adulterers. We, too, feel the combination of grief and anger. We’re often stunned and astonished finding out men we never suspected who have been found guilty.

In tears one time in a counseling room, a man who committed adultery was fearing the loss of his amazing wife—after she lovingly took him back after the first time. He slobbered, “But I love her so much!” I came unglued! I rebuked him up one side and down the other! Brutal verbiage! I said, “Don’t you tell me you love your wife. Agape love, the love Jesus taught, can’t be divorced from how you treat another person. You made a choice to give away your covenant with your wife, and then a second time, you sabotaged her identity, because she may never feel “enough” again, you opened a legal place for Satan to come in and kill, steal, and destroy your children, and you tell me you LOVE HER? Agape is action-defined not feeling-defined!”

I could write more, but my conclusion is a challenge to all the men who are reading this. Get off yourself! Have enough self-respect to protect yourself from making cheap choices. I challenge all men, love yourself enough, love your wife enough, love God enough, love the girls on the screen or in the brothel enough to walk in sexual honor. Don’t give any part of the one life you’ve been given, to something that is far below the dignity of Kingdom manhood!

And if this article caught you too late, God is a merciful God–a redeeming God. But He is also not a cheap-fix God. 

Prophecy of Coming Move of God to Amish and Mennonites

 

While Ruthie and I were in a season of seeking the Lord, I felt compelled to write something God was saying. As I began writing, more came, and then more. The best I am able, I have attempted to put the proper words to what God showed me in the Spirit.

I am careful to say that this prophetic word is NOT a stereotyping of all Ana-baptist-based people or groups, because I am aware that many people and leaders in many such circles walk in and understand the ways of the Spirit, or are learning them more fully. With this understanding please read the following: 

Prophecy for the Mennonites and Amish, and Related Conservative Churches

It is time for many ancient pathways to be replaced by the pathways inhabited and anointed by God.

Many of the old pathways do not lead to the new wine of My Spirit. It is time for an increased infiltration of My Spirit among the Mennonites and those groups that emerged from the Mennonites [the Amish included].

The former ways—those ways without the fullness of the power of the Spirit—will not prevail over the new move—the old wineskins are discarded. This fresh movement cannot be stopped. Also, many who resist the move of the Spirit at its onset will end up being the apostles promoting it.

Many of the Mennonites, [and these other related churches,] hate worldly humanism, but they have embraced humanism by attempting to fit My power into their understanding and control—and by embracing a form of godliness but denying the power. They have judged the ways of God by human reasoning—man has taken control.

But now it is time to break forth. There will be a new season of learning more fully the ways of the Spirit—and those who judge this wind now by their own familiar models will be in opposition to what I will do. But again, many who oppose at first will become captives to the Truth that they opposed. I will do this great work.

I also sensed that the Lord is doing this to break down an unholy fear of God. The fear that I sensed is not the holy fear as in “fear God,” but an unholy fear as described in I John 4:18, “Fear has torment…there is no fear in love.” And because of fear, “man” has controlled, in opposition to the Spirit. The Lord is saying, “It is time to break free from unholy fear and learn that there is no need to fear what I will do and the things of the Spirit,” but the temptation is to choose that which is safe and comfortable instead of that which is holy.

I saw “Holy Spirit Conferences” where Mennonites [and related churches] would receive impartations of gifts of power—gifts of healings, and revelation gifts—Not just ministers, but all of God’s people.

I also perceived that this new move is NOT for those who want to make peace between those who desire the “demonstration of the spirit and power” and those who do not (children of the law vs. children of the Spirit)—but it is for those who want all of God—at any cost—and are willing to embrace “the sufferings of Christ” –that their eyes would be single, and their hearts would be intent on eating His flesh and drinking His blood without compromise. [John 6]

Those who oppose, and those who embrace this move of God cannot walk together in their pursuit of God.

I did not necessarily see that Amish or Mennonites would become UN-Amish or UN-Mennonite, but simply would embrace the habitation of God.

Also, I perceived that this move is not just a visitation of the Lord destined to end, but is a beginning to that which will not end.

In addition, I felt the Lord impressed me strongly that, although there will be help from those outside the Mennonite circles, from those who understand the ways of the Lord, He has already prepared MANY within the Mennonites (etc.) circles who will be vessels through whom God will bring this awakening, and will receive the wisdom and power, and the anointed words to preach. These have a hunger for the truth, but they will be called, and commissioned, and equipped by God to gather His people to the Truth. God will use their strong foundation of truth to quickly prepare them to be used in a new way.

Ultimately, this move will lift up Jesus, and will draw people to their Father and to His love.

My additional thoughts: Recently I have written two articles which are on my website BruceLengeman.com. One is about the difference between peacekeeping (a poison) and peacemaking (a virtue). Many mix these two up. But this move of God will not be pioneered by peacekeepers, but by the violent that take it by force—not physical violence, but contending in the Spirit with a determination to redeem people out of religion and into the Father’s fullness. The second article is what God showed me about much of contemporary churchianity as I sought a deeper revelation of the Letter to the Ephesian Church in Revelation 2:1.

The Message in Revelation to the Church in Ephesus

The Message in Revelation to the Church in Ephesus

A Deeper Look Into This Letter & a Stern Warning to Present-Day Churchianity 

“I knew there was much more to this letter to Ephesus than what appears on the surface, but I didn’t know what it was. It didn’t make sense—what He said to this epic church—until the Holy Spirit began opening my understanding. Now I’m greatly concerned for much of what I see in Christianity today!”

 

My Intro to the Letter to Ephesus

The older I get, the less I’m prone to judge churches, ministries, preachers. But the older I get, the more I understand the need to discern for my own self, and for those I shepherd, what I believe to be right or wrong, healthy or unhealthy, good or bad. One of the things that confused me earlier in life is how so many Christian endeavors, ministries, and churches flourished, yet I perceived practices that built their success seemed contrary to God’s principles, incongruous to Biblical wisdom, and driven by human effort. Yet these endeavors worked. Good things emerged…and so forth. The people of these practices would testify that “God lead us to do this,” or “God paved the way for this success supernaturally!” Yes, for a long time this confused me. But I believe I am a bit wiser now, and that’s where this letter to Ephesus provides a good example of God’s heart in the midst of people succeeding, doing what is right in their own eyes.

I was groomed as a pastor under the subtle message that the wider and higher your influence, the better. A big church is always a sign of God’s blessing more than a small church. Earlier in my pastoring I attended a seminar on how to break the 200 barrier. It included amazing tips, techniques, programs, and ways to take a church past the 200-attendee mark. I left the seminar questioning how much of the information shared was God’s way to build His church. But I still continually felt this pressure in my heart that more for me was also more for God.

I don’t believe that anymore. I have realized a massive chasm exists between what is good and what is God, between right and righteous, between healthy and holy. I am not against greater influence, I desire to influence more, and God gives me regular and wonderful opportunities to influence big. But if big influence becomes my goal more than simple obedience, I will have departed from the heart of God, and I will miss what is BIG to Him. I value productivity, but when productivity becomes a machine in my life, I will have ceased to be productive in the Spirit, and I will be a candidate for Jesus saying to me what He said to the church in Ephesus. Though I am careful not to rip up the tares with the wheat, I know in general, lots of what is successful in the name of Jesus and the Kingdom doesn’t merit God’s respect. Lots and lots and lots!

I won’t take the space here to bore you with my full learning curve, so I’ll skip to the conclusion before getting into the letter to Ephesus in Revelation, but I have seen how our American-faith culture commonly equates success with God-ordained. If it works, and good things are happening, it must have God’s blessing is on it. Bigger influence is better influence. Growing churches are better than churches that don’t grow. More is usually always superior to less.

No more.

I have learned that God doesn’t need big, though often He uses it. I have also learned that no matter how successful a ministry or spiritual endeavor is, if God is not its Author and Finisher, it will be judged as wood, hay, and stubble. I have spent much of my life working for the productivity machine. I’ve changed. I’m no less productive than before. In fact, I’m much, much, more productive.
 

But my definition of productivity has radically changed!

I’m not big enough to judge ministries, movements, and momentum—I have no clue what, or who, God is using or not using. But I’m not as easily impressed with those things that work, but seemingly defy what I know to be the pure “ways of God” and the values of the Kingdom of God.

The letter to the church in Ephesus beginning in Revelation 2:1, illustrates what I’ve just vented to you about.
 

God’s View of Ephesus Confused Me

What Jesus said to the church in Ephesus stumped me! It didn’t make total sense. Oh, I’ve heard the sermons on it. But many of them, to me, missed the impact of what Jesus was really saying to this church. I wanted to understand more about what believers today really need to carry away from our Lord’s challenge/rebuke/severe warning to this church. Had it not been for Jesus rebuking them, one may have come to the conclusion that the church in Ephesus was an epic example of a community of faith. They persevered in persecution, they opposed false teaching, they labored hard for the Kingdom of God. They even hated evil.

Who could ask for anything more? It seemed that way to me.

So I asked God to give me understanding of something deeper that I knew was in this passage in Revelation. Indeed, there had to be more in this passage than a common, surface interpretation, and I wanted to go deeper. The message to Ephesus was a rebuke, but more than that it was an invitation.
 

Where This Journey Began

This journey all started when Ruthie and I decided to study Revelation 2-3 in preparation for our trip to Turkey to teach the principles of marriage to ex-Muslim-Syrian pastors and wives on the front lines (a small group). While there we visited Ephesus, located in Turkey. It was a fascinating cultural experience to see the excavated ruins of the city, and walk the same streets on the same paths as did Paul and John, observing the heathen atmosphere the Ephesian church was opposing, recorded in ACTS 19.

But I got stuck on the letter to Ephesus in Revelation, and that’s why I asked Jesus to give me insight and wisdom into the deeper meaning of this harsh and scary warning to a church that seemingly was alive and well. It seemed obvious to me that this warning to Ephesus was critically relevant to present-day churchianity, and I wanted to know how.

In Revelation 2:4-5, after listing all the great things they were doing Jesus said to Ephesus, “Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lamp-stand from its place—unless you repent.”

A couple of things stood out to me in this passage—For one, Jesus does not want to commune with fluffy, lifeless churches surrounding a routine service on Sunday. Also, I believe this passage reveals our Lord’s lack of affirmation to churches that are successfully doing amazing things for the Kingdom of God, even promoting the gospel—while a certain kind of motivation—love—is absent from their labors.
 

But what does “first love” refer to?

Before answering this question, one must first answer…

What in John’s day did the word church mean to believers? Church was something totally different to them than what it is to present-day Christianity. We cannot uncover what first love means if we don’t know what the early church believed about church, and it’s purpose.

The Biblical Greek word for church is ekklesia. At the time of Revelation, churches didn’t have building, budgets, bylaws. They had no salaried professionals. There was only one church. Church was people—people living in community. It was NOT an organization like most churches are today. What I believe is the best translation, as translated in most version, is “to…the church IN Ephesus,” not “to…the church OF Ephesus.” John’s writings were not directed to different churches such as we have today, but to one church in different locations. Also, ekklesia didn’t center around Sunday-morning services filled with worship and a sermon. Though they probably had corporate get-togethers possibly on the Sabbath (Saturday), or maybe Sunday or mid-week, the emphasis of ekklesia centered around spiritual family and committed relationships, specifically koinonea—another critical Greek word.
 

The Glory of Koinonea

Embellishing in the concept of ekklesia is the concept of koinonea. Koinonea is a key to what Jesus meant when He accused Ephesus of leaving their first love. Koinonea is often translated fellowship in English translations because English has no exact word for the concept of koinonea, but it is far more than just fellowship. It is intimate, interpersonal, spiritual connecting. Koinonea and ekklesia are best understood through the many one-anothers of the New Testament—encourage one another, provoke one another to love and good works, speaking among yourselves in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, bear one another’s burdens, accept one another, don’t bite, devour and consume one another, confess your sins to one another, serve one another, tolerate one another, be devoted to one another, give preference to one another, treat one another as more important than yourself, submit yourself to one another, don’t judge one another, pray for one another, and many, many more! (Oh, yes, and, “Greet one another with a holy kiss. Ha!)

I Corinthians 10:16 may give you a better understanding of koinonea, “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?” The word communion in this verse—the word for partaking of the body and blood of Jesus, is the word koinonea. This reveals a deep, intimate, understanding of the heart of koinonea. And, again, the early church was focused on koinonea with God and koinonea with each other, as expressed in these two verses:

II Corinthians 13:14, “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion (koinonea) of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.”

I John 1:3, That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship (koinonea) with us: and truly our fellowship (koinonea) is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.

Without koinonea there was no ekklesia.
 

The Real Meaning of Agape

Also, to understand what Jesus was saying to Ephesus, you MUST understand what the church in Ephesus understood by the word love. It is NOT what the mainline church of today understands. Our western, American culture perceives the word love as a feeling of attraction to something or someone. Countless spiritual tragedies occur because of how our culture perceives love. For example, somebody in our present-day culture can be mistreating somebody—a spouse, a leader, a child, and simultaneously confess that they love them. A man could be frequenting pornography, and simultaneously say he loves his wife. That’s because we all have been groomed in the idea that love is a feeling. But this is NOT how the early church perceived love, and that is not how the Bible speaks of love.

The Greek word for love in this passage is agape. I would never deny that feelings are a part of agape, but agape is not based on how you feel. Otherwise how would we agape our enemies in obedience to the command of Jesus. Agape has literally nothing to do with feelings. I love (agape) Ruthie with a passion, but my love (agape) for her is not gauged on how strong my feelings are for her, but by how I treat her. Agape is actions, words, and influences that build up another. Agape is your life imparting goodness to somebody else. Though feelings can follow and even motivate agape, agape is only gauged by how my life affects somebody else’s life. How did Jesus qualify love for Him?

John 14:15 Jesus said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.”

John writes in I John 5:2-3, By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments.”
 

What Jesus Did NOT Say to Ephesus!

The applications of losing your first love that I often heard in sermons indicated that the meaning was, You left your first love FOR ME? Though that may be accurate in many senses, Jesus simply said, You left your first love (agape). He basically said, You have replaced the primary motivation for everything in the Kingdom of God with a sterile package of do-good behaviors. Jesus commended Ephesus on all the good that they were doing, but somewhere in their journey they learned how to DO all the right things, but the virtue that drives ekklesia—agape, had waned in favor of doing good ON THE OUTSIDE. They adopted a form of doing the right things without the passion of agape, and therefore they were missing the point.
 

I Corinthians 13

I personally think I Corinthians 13 is the most important chapter in the Bible. It reveals something about the church of Ephesus. This chapter clearly says that, If I have the glorious gift of tongues, if I give everything I own to feed the poor, if I have faith—enough to move a literal mountain, but it is done without the motivating power of agape, it is not what God is after (“I am nothing!”) Isn’t it something that people can do amazing things, outwardly associated with love, but without love?

I Corinthians 13, obviously, was an indictment to the church in Ephesus. They knew how to do the right things, but their original passion had waned in favor of “doing.” The one-anothers—the core of what ekklesia-church means—what love for one another means—was lowered in priority in favor of outward, obligational good works.

Jesus didn’t say, that if they don’t repent he will destroy their church, he said that he would remove their lamp. He would write Ichabodthe glory has departed—over this church. They would continue to do all the good things they were doing, but their light would be quenched. His light, the light of Jesus, would depart from the church, and they probably wouldn’t even notice, as in the profound but sad quote by A.W. Tozer, If the Holy Spirit was withdrawn from the church today, 95 percent of what we do would go on, and no one would know the difference. Ouch!
 

Acts 19 Reveals a Huge Part of the First Love of Ephesus

We cannot fail to mention in our interpretation of this letter in Revelation 2, what the Bible tells us about the first love of Ephesus in Acts 19 and 20. In Ephesus, Paul encountered 12 men who had only experienced the baptism of John. He baptized them in the name of Jesus and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. He stayed there, in Ephesus, and taught passionately hungry disciples for two years, and during that time there was a spirit among these disciples that set an atmosphere for the power of God to move mightily among them, especially through Paul’s ministry: “Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them” (v. 11).

You can read the in-between parts of this chapter, but the passion of the believers in Ephesus was evident: “…many who had believed came confessing and telling their deeds. Also, many of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted up the value of them, and it totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver. So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed” (v. 18-20).

Read Paul’s discourse to the Ephesian elders in chapter 20: 28-35, “Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears. So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified… I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”

It was through the passion of the church in Ephesus that the gospel spread throughout the world. But decades later they had lost this passion of love—reduced to doing the right outward stuff, but neglecting that in between the lines is always and only the power of agape, and without it, nothing else much matters. 
 

A Few Questions for You to Ponder?

In your church, how is ekklesia going? How about koinonea, and the main focus of the scores of one-anothers that define ekklesia? Remember, if you don’t have koinonea, you don’t have ekklesia! Does church revolve around Sunday-morning services? Is the intimate community absent, failing to bond with each other, neglecting to lift up one another? Is your church indicted by II Timothy 3:5, describing the latter-day churches as “…having a form of godliness, but denying the power?” If this describes you, then you are not actively believing God for miracles, prophetic revelations, healings, and the moving of the Spirit in your midst. Is your ekklesia-culture marked by believers challenging and encouraging fellow believers to be the fulness of a new creation in Christ Jesus. Leaders, are you dedicated to helping the sheep you shepherd to be the best they can be? Or is their assignment to serve you and perpetuate your vision? Are there opportunities for you to use your gifts among your community, or is your value quenched by the common practice of a professional hierarchy who does almost everything, (which is basically the gist of the Nicolaitans—authority that quenches people?)

I could ask many questions that may affirm or accuse your experience, but I am not aiming to judge or discourage. My purpose in this is to encourage you to understand what Jesus said to the church in Ephesus, and look inside your hearts. If repentance is needed, turn back and begin doing what God deserves. If not, then continue abiding in your first love.

Jesus severely challenged the church in Ephesus, but then gave a merciful, loving, opportunity to simply change their motive, and return to the heart of the gospel, and the spiritual motivation behind His ekklesia.
 

A Powerful Passage

I’ll close this writing with a passage from the Bible that applies to what Jesus said to Ephesus. When I Googled Matthew 25: 31-46 to copy and paste the NKJV version of the passage into this document, up came the parable of the sheep and goats. This passage is NOT a parable. Jesus used the metaphor of sheep and goats to foretell exactly what is going to happen some day in the future. That’s not a parable!

 I’ll sign off now, but as you read these closing verses, think about the heart of God and the passion for true agape that He requires for His one, true church. This is just one passage. The story of the Good Samaritan is another. The parable of the ten virgins, also in Matthew 25. There are many more. I’ll leave it up to your to search out. May God grant you a heart that is glued to agape in everything you do.

31 “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. 33 And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; 36 I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’

37 “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? 38 When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 39 Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ 40 And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’

41 “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: 42 for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; 43 I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’

44 “Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ 45 Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ 46 And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Truth or Lie? The Church Has Done a Horrible Job With the LGBT Community!

When somebody in a group has done something wrong, and people stereotype the whole group, making everyone guilty of what somebody else did—that qualifies as a LIE. Such is the case with the subject of this article. I want to bring clarity to one accusation commonly used against believers.

Recently a sincere, good-hearted young counselor called on me for advice surrounding conversations she was having with a group exploring the Church vs. LGBT. She asked me, “How do believers address this issue knowing that the church has done a terrible job with it.”

I paused, then said, “You just made an absolute statement that is inaccurate and unfounded when you stated that “the church has done a terrible job with it.” In my travels, and in almost all of the circles of faith I am associated with, I would say that the churches I know have done a fantastic job. I’ve heard this accusation against the church many times. It is just not true enough to make a stereotypical assertion. It stereotypes the whole church into what only part of the church is guilty of. And I agree that many of God’s people ARE guilty of being insensitive, unkind, and hateful in this matter. But,” I continued, “let me share with you some reasons I’ve discovered that people falsely accuse the church of being insensitive in cases where they are not.”  

No matter what the issue is, some churches, some believers, are going to miss the mark and misrepresent the heart of God on issues such as this. But I perceive that multitudes of evangelical, Bible-believing churches are doing a great job, and I am in relationship with many.

Thoughts on the Church’s Posture Toward the LGBT Community

As in every issue, you have black-and-white-truth people and you have mercy people. Every wholesome team ought to have both. Each side needs the other side. (Welcome to marriage!) Where much of the condemnation against the church arises is that the LGBT community doesn’t like the church proclaiming the truth. When you call out sin, the way Jesus did, or define destructive behavior, even when you do it with a heart of compassion and love, you may be accused of “judging,” (one of the most misused terms in the world), or insensitivity.

  • Has the church done a terrible job simply because they oppose same-sex marriage?
  • Has the church done a terrible job because they teach that same-sex attraction is almost always a result of a father/mother wound, sexual abuse, or other sexual trauma in ones life? It is not politically correct to say that there can be an emotional issue driving same-sex attraction, a mentality that hides healing from those who need it.
  • Are the people of God the bad-guys and gals because they proclaim that it is impossible to change your sex—an overwhelmingly proven scientific and biological fact. (XX or XY is inscribed on every cell of your body, according to one of the leading pioneers of genetics in the world.) Are we wrong when we warn people that trans people have a whopping 20% higher suicide rate, that sexual abuse is behind a large percentage of reasons why people want to change their sex, that the lie that changing your sex will help you to be happier is what drives many if not most of them into a far deeper chasm of depression, that when they change sex at a young age, and then grow up and realize what they’ve done, or that they will never be able to have children, that they will severely regret their choice, and likely blame the poor parents that allowed or encouraged it. (You want to hear stats on this? Go to sexchangeregret.com for astounding truth that won’t make it to the news or social media outlets.)
  • Is the church to be condemned because they believe that human sex is binary—there are only two genders, not 5, 10, or 22.

I realize that the way many believers have treated same-sex people has been LESS than the heart of God. I addressed this non-compassionate approach when I, at my church, taught on “The Lies of the Same-Sex Agenda.” In it I pointed out the hypocrisy of heterosexuals who have “normal” biologically-aligned sexuality, and can’t kick the porno habit. I say, “You have a normal sexuality and can’t control it, yet you condemn somebody that has a MIS-aligned sexuality and can’t control it. Based on that fact alone, I think the same-sex-er may qualify for more mercy than thou!” The majority of same-sex people didn’t choose the way their sexual physiology operates.

I have worked as a counselor for decades with people who have same-sex attractions. The people I have worked with hate with a passion their own sexuality. I fight with God on why so many sincere-hearted people don’t get free no matter how many times they’ve been to an altar at a church. But then again, I had to realize this it is no different from the drug addict who never seems to shake his addiction. No different from the guy or gal that struggles all their life to shake shame or rejection. I don’t have all those answers., but I have and do see people getting free of these issues in a massive way—even same-sex attraction.

But I have seen…

What I have seen, though, in the church are two things that seem to oppose each other, but they don’t—they support each other. The two things are compassion for the people, and not compromising the truth. The LGBT community at large (not all of them) expects the compassion for the people, but condemns the necessary not compromising the truth.

In Conclusion

I believe believers need to love and accept people who have same-sex attraction. Having same-sex attraction is different from acting out ones same-sex attraction. There are people in my church that are tempted by alcoholism, drugs, or porn. But they fight victoriously. There are gay people who fight their desires every day. But they fight victoriously.

Have compassion, have consistency, have truth, proclaim principles that heal, and seek redemption for all!

Ten Principles of Successful Servanthood

The following points are to help you become responsible, efficient, diligent, and trustworthy, thus helping you to be successful in every arena of life. Learn this and you will bless your children with the same.

1. DO NOT DELAY your work assignment. When given an assignment, the servant is responsible for following through on that assignment either at the time designated, or the first available opportunity.

When you delay, you may find yourself being distracted later and then say, “I couldn’t perform the command, for it rained.” I will answer you, “You were not diligent when the job could have been done, before the rain.” Remember, “Slow obedience is no obedience.” A task is to be completed ON TIME. If you are told to be home in an hour, do not come home in an hour and one minute. If you are told to do this by Thursday, don’t do it on Friday. Every morning does not mean every afternoon.

2. NEVER SAY, I forgot, rather say, your command was not important enough to remember.

In life, forgetting duties is always irresponsible. Should you have a problem remembering, write yourself a note.

3. PERFORM the assignment as instructed. Listen closely to each instruction and detail as it is given. Ask questions if in doubt, for the job is not to be done according to your way, but according to the way of the one who assigned the job.

Do each assignment according to the heart of your authority, and not according to the technicality of the words. Again, if in doubt, ask questions.

4. DO YOUR BEST to overcome all obstacles that hinder completion of the job you are assigned.

If a tool breaks, fix it if you can. If another need beckons, return as soon as possible to finish the job. If the paint runs out, find, borrow, or buy more. Try diligently to resolve problems—not weak, half-hearted attempts. You will learn the most when you apply wisdom and determination to overcome a difficulty.

5. A CHORE is not completed until every last detail of the job is done.

If cleaning dishes, clean out the sink before you quit. If fixing something, put away all the tools where and how they belong. Never do a chore 99%, but 100%.

6. CERTAIN RESPONSIBILITIES are permanent and need not to be re-assigned.

When I say, keep your room clean, I will also say, this is for all times, forever, never to change. Or I will say, Do not EVER let your possessions lay around the house after you are finished using them, for it is never your mother’s or father’s duty to pick up after you. Do not think that because a regular responsibility is not checked upon or inspected that you have been freed from that responsibility, such as, Keep your dresser drawers neat–at all times.

7. A TASK IS NOT acceptably completed unless it is performed well.

Synonyms for well are neat, clean, good, best, thorough, exact, wholehearted, excellent, proper. Silly excuses for poor work will be disregarded.

8. DON’T QUIT a task before you complete it because of an “acceptable obstacle” without telling your authority for permission.

Perhaps your authority may be able to help you find more time to assist you in finishing the task.

9. BE BRISK with your work; do not be sluggish.

The diligent man does in one hour what a sloth does in four. Overview your work at the beginning and organize it to be executed in the most efficient way possible. Do not take unnecessary breaks or be distracted foolishly.

10. BE A WORTHY servant. A worthy servant is twofold, doing more than what was instructed, and going the extra mile to do what you were not asked to do.

Do not expect extra privileges for obedience but earn privileges by being a worthy servant. Develop a lifestyle of going the extra mile to serve, help, and labor.

God Master vs God Father/Servant–Video Message

Even in Bible-believing contemporary Christianity God is still promoted as a Master, though those who promote it might deny that they do. In this video Bruce uncovers the difference between a Master God, a Master leader, a Master husband, a Master parent, and the heart of God–a Father/servant. Bruce touches on how women have been shut down, silenced, and taught unholy submission by the Master Mentality. This video touches all areas of leadership, and especially defines God’s heart for leadership.

Noah was a Conspiracy Theorist: How the Left Sucks People Into Lies

A primary brainwashing technique that has been used since the beginning of time to promote an agenda is to misuse, distort or villianize terminology. When people want to manipulate the way people believe and act, and market their specific ideas, they start with perverting accurate definitions. (Villianize means to attach a negative connotation to a term which has positive applications, or a positive connotation to a negative concept. )

Accurate terminology is essential for healthy understanding—in any arena of life. Terminology enables you to use the concept. Inaccurate terminology corrupts the concept. Like never before, and I mean like NEVER-EVER before, an agenda group, the political left, is successfully promoting their agenda by redefining and demonizing a host of virtues, values, and principles, simply by changing the terms. I realize that the left is not the only group guilty of such tactics. The left, the right, the center, the neutrals, etc. are all guilty at times of slandering terminology and promoting false agendas. But regarding the present onslaught against Kingdom truth, I could make a huge list of terms that have changed due to leftist political correctness. Example: An illegal immigrant is now upgraded to an “undocumented” or “unauthorized” immigrant. Example: Though LGBT is not a word, it is a group of letters defining a concept. LGBT is a royal manipulation in that, there ARE people who have same sex attraction (LGB), but there is no such thing as transgender. Lumping the T in with the LGB is mind-bending deceit—a fine example of how the left defines science through an agenda—instead of the reverse. Social justice is a grandiose term used to influence people to think their antics are noble, while justifying IN-justice against those who oppose their corrupt “social-justice” agenda. Social justice perverts the term justice.

But the manipulated term I want to focus on in this article is conspiracy theory. No matter what happens anywhere there is a likelihood of somebody, somewhere, smelling a rat in the mix. I could list a plethora of ridiculous conspiracy theories that people actually believed or believe.

But the truth is that conspiracy theories often are proven to be true. History is full of people who opposed what the status quo believed and were laughed to scorn, and some ended up burned at stake for what they believed, only to be proven true too late to redeem the theorist.

Such is the case today. BUT, the left has warped the definition of conspiracy theory to mean, that 100% of the time a conspiracy theory is an opinion that is irrational, insane, absurd, illogical, stupid. Then, anybody who opposes their antics, operations, or agendas are demeaned and disregarded by calling them conspiracy theorists—par with calling somebody a jerk. Take, for example, the 2020 Presidential election fraud. Take for example, unethical aspects of the worldwide Covid insanity and the research and knowledge that was quenched and erased—labeled conspiracy theories. Now, more than a year later, mainstream science is recognizing that a host of those conspiracy theories are actually true (of course, without giving credit or apology to those who were right in the first place!)

The greatest truths in history have been uncovered by people who today would be reduced to a conspiracy theorist. Yes, there are multitudes of conspiracy theorists who are nincompoops, but, thank God, there are conspiracy theorists that accurately smell REAL rats in the mix, and call them out. Multitudes of conspiracy theories have brought to life the truth and exposed deception, and in time, the status-quo-ers become the nincompoops.

In our world today, in many ways every follower of Christ must identify with being a conspiracy theorist in our opposition to the madness being promoted as truth by socialist dimwits. The reality is—we are conspiracy EXPOSERS! So when you hear an idea being demeaned as a conspiracy theory, NO MATTER WHAT GROUP PROPOGATES IT, recognize that it may be irrational, illogical, or insane, but conversely, it may be brilliant, accurate, and verifiable. And be aware that in the present political distress, any opinion that opposes the leftist agenda may end up disregarded on the basis of conspiracy theory.

Noah was a CONSPIRACY THEORIST…

until it rained.