Thanksgiving

A few years ago, the Independent Florida Alligator (UF's student newspaper) published an editorial/commentary before Thanksgiving, praising it as "our favorite non-religious holiday".  I wrote a letter to the editor, which was not published, asking whom they were thanking at Thanksgiving, and what indication from the historical beginnings of the holiday led them to the conclusion that it was "non-religious".

If you have any doubts that we have lost contact with our Christian heritage in America just consider what has happened to Thanksgiving. Now it's just a bump on the retail-driven speedway that begins at Halloween and ends at Christmas. There's too much food, too much football and very little thankfulness. 

Today's most quoted online reference source - Wikipedia - gives this definition of the holiday:

Thanksgiving Day is a harvest festival. Traditionally, it is a time to give thanks for the harvest and express gratitude in general. It is a holiday celebrated primarily in Canada and the United States. While perhaps religious in origin, Thanksgiving is now primarily identified as a secular holiday. 

Was it "gratitude in general" being expressed by the Pilgrims at Plymouth in 1621 at the first recorded Thanksgiving feast, or by the members of our first Congress who issued this proclamation in 1777?

IN CONGRESS
November 1, 1777 

FORASMUCH as it is the indispensable Duty of all Men to adore the superintending Providence of Almighty God; to acknowledge with Gratitude their Obligation to him for Benefits received, and to implore such farther Blessings as they stand in Need of….

 

Can you imagine our current Congress issuing such a statement? Here is the beginning of the first Thanksgiving proclamation issued by President George Washington:

THANKSGIVING DAY 1789
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - A PROCLAMATION


Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor - and Whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me "to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness."
Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be…

 

Does that sound like a President or a nation confused about the meaning of Thanksgiving?

It was President Abraham Lincoln who began the yearly celebration of Thanksgiving in 1863. Here is an excerpt of his proclamation:

 

No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.
It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently, and gratefully acknowledged, as with one heart and one voice, by the whole American people. I do therefore invite my fellow-citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next as a day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens.

 

I highly recommend reading the full text of these and other Thanksgiving proclamations issued by Congress and the Presidents over the years. They can be found at - http://www.pilgrimhall.org/ThanxProc.htm

 

I'd also encourage you to start a new Thanksgiving tradition at your house. Read an excerpt of one of these early Presidential proclamations as part of the prayer time before the meal. I'm sure your children will be surprised that the government that now seems intent on removing all traces of religion from public life once felt the need to thank God for our blessings. I can assure you they won't learn it in their history class.

 

Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.  Psalm 33:12

America's best idea?

PBS has begun another Ken Burns documentary series called:  National Parks: America's Best Idea.

While I enjoy visiting the national parks, and admire the foresight that has preserved the wonders of God's creation, I still believe that America's best idea is - 

"All men are created equal, and endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness".

No other nation is founded on such a basic Christian principle - the sanctity of life. Yet we now battle the culture of death, promoted by those who hold the humanist worldview that currently controls our schools and our government.  The Worldview conference with Gary DeMar last weekend highlighted for me just how far our country has drifted from its Christian foundation. Ever since the Roe v. Wade decision legalized abortion in this nation we have been under God's judgement. Healing can only begin when Christians believe the Bible and recognize God as the giver and taker of life - just as the Declaration of Independence does.

 The "legal" justification for abortion rests on the idea that the fetus is not a person, and is therefore not protected by the Constitution.A new pro-life movement has begun. It's called Personhood, and it rests on the biblically and biologically correct idea that you are a person at the moment of conception - entitled to all the rights guaranteed by the Constitution. The Personhood movement seeks to amend by petition those state constitutions that allow it, to define the fetus as a "person" under the law, which would make abortion murder. 

I believe this movement has the potential to energize the pro-life movement and change the culture of death in this county. Eventually it will result in a national amendment, but change must begin from the bottom not the top. Please visit their website - http://personhoodfl.com/ - and look for further updates from the Community Issues committee. The first step is to gather enough petitions to get the Personhood amendment on the Florida ballot in 2012. Just like the Yes 2 Marriage amendment protected the sanctity of God's plan for the family, the Personhood amendment will protect the sanctity of God's gift of life.

 For you created my inmost being; 
       you knit me together in my mother's womb. Ps.139:13

Coming events

I'm convinced that one of the greatest challenges of our generation is focusing on what's important in an environment where distractions are everywhere. I've just learned that one of the most important events of the year at Westside - Gary DeMar's Worldview conference - is in conflict with (gasp) a Gator game!   That's right, the conference begins at 6pm Saturday, Sept.26. The Gators game with Kentucky has been re-scheduled by ESPN for telecast at the same time. Talk about conflicting worldviews - here's your first test. I know you know the right answer. Grab the game on your DVR, or VCR and come hear one of the country's most influential authors talk about how Christians can influence our increasingly hostile culture for Christ. Tim Tebow would be the first to tell you that there are more important things than football. This is one of them.

That same day is the Eric Yerman 5K Walk/Run at Westside Park, starting at 8am (fortunately). Proceeds benefit the effort to build a Baptist Children's home here in Gainesville - a worth cause and a good time. Registration is $20 and can be done in the lobby on Sunday or the day of the run at 7am. Plan to be there.

Finally, I'd like to offer some food for thought on the local political scene. Gainesville city elections are coming again this spring. Last spring we saw the effort to remove the Gender Identity ordinance fail. One of the prime supporters of that ordinance - Craig Lowe - is now running for mayor. If you are one who is concerned about the direction of our city, county, state and nation; it's time to start encouraging and supporting Christian candidates for public office. It may even be time to consider running yourself. The qualifying deadline in Gainesville is Jan. 29, 2010. 

Remember the words of Edmund Burke - "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."  
Those words have never been more true than they are today.

God Bless

What's the Rush?

A favorite columnist of mine is Thomas Sowell. His column yesterday is worth saving.

Listening to a Liar
Thomas Sowell
Tuesday, September 08, 2009

The most important thing about what anyone says are not the words themselves but the credibility of the person who says them. 
The words of convicted swindler Bernie Madoff were apparently quite convincing to many people who were regarded as knowledgeable and sophisticated. If you go by words, you can be led into anything. 
No doubt millions of people will be listening to the words of President Barack Obama Wednesday night when he makes a televised address to a joint session of Congress on his medical care plans. But, if they think that the words he says are what matters, they can be led into something much worse than being swindled out of their money. 

One plain fact should outweigh all the words of Barack Obama and all the impressive trappings of the setting in which he says them: He tried to rush Congress into passing a massive government takeover of the nation's medical care before the August recess-- for a program that would not take effect until 2013! 
Whatever President Obama is, he is not stupid. If the urgency to pass the medical care legislation was to deal with a problem immediately, then why postpone the date when the legislation goes into effect for years-- more specifically, until the year after the next Presidential election? 
If this is such an urgently needed program, why wait for years to put it into effect? And if the public is going to benefit from this, why not let them experience those benefits before the next Presidential election? 
If it is not urgent that the legislation goes into effect immediately, then why don't we have time to go through the normal process of holding Congressional hearings on the pros and cons, accompanied by public discussions of its innumerable provisions? What sense does it make to "hurry up and wait" on something that is literally a matter of life and death? 
If we do not believe that the President is stupid, then what do we believe? The only reasonable alternative seems to be that he wanted to get this massive government takeover of medical care passed into law before the public understood what was in it. 
Moreover, he wanted to get re-elected in 2012 before the public experienced what its actual consequences would be. 
Unfortunately, this way of doing things is all too typical of the way this administration has acted on a wide range of issues. 
Consider the "stimulus" legislation. Here the administration was successful in rushing a massive spending bill through Congress in just two days-- after which it sat on the President's desk for three days, while he was away on vacation. But, like the medical care legislation, the "stimulus" legislation takes effect slowly. 
The Congressional Budget Office estimates that it will be September 2010 before even three-quarters of the money will be spent. Some economists expect that it will not all be spent by the end of 2010. 
What was the rush to pass it, then? It was not to get that money out into the economy as fast as possible. It was to get that money-- and the power that goes with it-- into the hands of the government. Power is what politics is all about. 
The worst thing that could happen, from the standpoint of those seeking more government power over the economy, would be for the economy to begin recovering on its own while months were being spent debating the need for a "stimulus" bill. As the President's chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, said, you can't let a crisis "go to waste" when "it's an opportunity to do things you could not do before." 
There are lots of people in the Obama administration who want to do things that have not been done before-- and to do them before the public realizes what is happening. 
The proliferation of White House "czars" in charge of everything from financial issues to media issues is more of the same circumvention of the public and of the Constitution. Czars don't have to be confirmed by the Senate, the way Cabinet members must be, even though czars may wield more power, so you may never know what these people are like, until it is too late. 
What Barack Obama says Wednesday night is not nearly as important as what he has been doing-- and how he has been doing it.

 

 

 

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." – Edmund Burke
"It does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority keen to set brush fires in people's minds." – Samuel Adams
"The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not." – Thomas Jefferson
"When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty." – Thomas Jefferson 
"In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem." – Ronald Reagan
"The trouble with socialism is that you finally run out of other people's money." – Margaret Thatcher
"So everyone who hears these words of Mine & acts upon them shall be like a wise man that built his house upon the rock." – Matt 7:24

School Prayer

If you need any additional proof that our school system has become anti-Christian, just read the story in the latest edition of the Florida Baptist Witness, which recounts the arrest of the principal and coach of Pace High School in Milton for praying at a school function - http://www.floridabaptistwitness.com/10646.article

Please be praying for the arrested men, and the Liberty Counsel lawyers to stand strong and hold the line against the ACLU in upcoming court hearings. 

In just two generations, we have gone from a country where the Bible was used as a textbook, to being told that even silent prayers in school are against the law. If that doesn't provoke a sense of outrage, I don't know what will.  
Students of history know that both the Nazi's and the Communists placed special emphasis on publicly-funded, state-controlled public schools. They knew that controlling the minds of the younger generation is the key in taking over society.  This is why the Bible places the responsibility for education in the hands of parents, not the government. 

The secular humanists that control our school system are determined to remove all traces of religious expression from our schools. How long will we stand by silently and watch? 

Why Get Involved?

Westside Baptist Church

Community Issues Newsletter

Summer 2009

 

 

Why get involved?

 

This is the first newsletter from the Westside Baptist Community Issues committee. Future editions will highlight and focus on specific issues, which you can impact with your involvement. We want to begin, however, by answering the question that many Christians ask first – Why get involved?

 

Jesus expects it  - His example is clear throughout the Gospels. Jesus engaged the culture of His day, including the religious and political leaders, at every opportunity. He also preached about compassion for our "neighbors" in the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37), and concern for the physical needs of others in the parable of the sheep and goats (Matt 25: 31-46). As Christians, striving to follow Christ's example, we should be moved toward involvement by compassion for the lost and hurting, and outrage when our laws and our leaders deny and contradict the truth of God's word.

 

Our children's future is at stake – Anyone with children and/or grandchildren has to be alarmed at the direction in which our society is headed. Unless Christians make their voice heard, and their votes count, the next generation will live in a society that is not just post-Christian, but anti-Christian. Last springs Gainesville city election is an example. 73% of registered voters stayed home and allowed a coalition of gay student groups and hired gay activists to defeat the amendment to overturn the Gender Identity ordinance, exposing our children to the threat of sexual predators using the law as cover for lurking in public restrooms. When Christians unite and stand up, as they did in the "Yes 2 Marriage" amendment vote last fall, traditional biblical values are preserved. Our public school system is another area where the prevailing attitude is hostile to Christian belief and expression. As Christian parents we must get involved or risk losing the hearts and minds of our children to a humanist education system.

 

God ordained government – When Jesus told us to "render to Caesar that which is Caesar's"(Mark 12:13-17) it goes beyond paying taxes. In a democratic society each of us is Caesar. We enjoy the benefits of government laws and services. We are also obligated to ensure that government works well and that its laws are not contrary to God's law. 1 Timothy 2:1-4 provides the rationale for God's interest in good government. Only in an atmosphere of order and peace can the gospel spread. God's primary desire is that all people have the chance to repent and be saved. Our Christian obligation to government in a democratic republic is to participate with our vote and our voice.

 

I'll close with one issue that requires immediate attention. The Federal Hate Crime Bill is another expression of the homosexual legislative agenda being pushed by the current administration that seeks to criminalize thought, and will have the effect of making anyone who speaks against homosexuality, e.g., your pastor, a criminal.  This has already happened in other countries with similar laws. A Senate vote (S.909) is expected soon. If it passes it will be signed by the President. For more information and ways to contact our Senators, visit the Family Research Council's website – www.frc.org

                                                               In His Service – Frank Ahern, CIC chairman

 

Contact Information

Contact Information

To follow up on Pastor Gary's message Sunday, on the importance of the Christian community making its voice heard on policy issues, here is some information that will make it easier for you to contact your national, state and local officials.  The best website I have found is the Family Research Council, which is affiliated with James Dobson's Focus on the Family. Their link to contact your officials is:  http://www.frc.org/contact-elected-officials     

We are also alerted to the possible expansion of gambling in Florida, as a short-sighted answer to the budget crisis. Please contact our representative and Speaker of the House Larry Cretul to give your input on this decision - larry.cretul@myfloridahouse.gov

I recommend that you use your own words and not relay some form letter. They are easily recognized and usually ignored.

Please continue to pray for our elected officials, that they will seek God's wisdom and truth for the many difficult decisions they will be making in the coming months.

"Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God."  Romans 13:1

Bible Bee

Bible Bee coming soon!

"Governed by a biblical worldview…" is how the Community Issues Committee begins its mission statement.

All too often, the Church tends to fall short of the role our Creator intends for us because we simply haven't invested enough time in His Word.  As a result, we do not have a sufficiently clear biblical worldview from which to direct our leadership, guide our purposes, and conduct our lives.

As adults, we have some catching up to do.  Westside has received commitments from hundreds of members to read thru the Bible in 2009… what a blessing.

For our children, we'd like to make everyone aware of a new and exciting way to advance their learning of the Bible this year – it is the "National Bible Bee" competition.

This competition is happening nationwide but there is a Local Bible Bee Contest happening September 12^th to qualify for the national competition on November 5^th-6^th.

To enter the contest, you must enroll your child by the registration deadline of APRIL 30^th.

To enroll in the course or to find out how to help with the Local Bible Bee Contest in Gainesville, contact Steve Westbrooks at (385) 559-3173 or biblebeegainesvillefl@yahoo.com.

You'll need to receive a code from him to enter on the www.biblebee.org website which just informs the National Bible Bee folks that the contestant has been approved for the local contest by the local representative.

Just imagine the lifelong benefits to your children of truly studying the bible this summer instead of watching a few more hours of tv each week. Steve's hoping to have 120 contestants in the local contest… let's show him he should have aimed even higher! 

 Stan Higginbotham

 

Point of View

Point of View

In thinking back on the Amendment One campaign it struck me how the same words can mean something entirely different to different people depending on your point of view.  Case in point:  the word discrimination. The anti-amendment forces used the word like a club, conjuring up images of people being driven from their homes and losing their jobs due to their sexual orientation. Their goal is to eliminate discrimination.

Yet, as Christians, we are called to constantly discriminate between right and wrong, good and evil. In Isaiah 5:20 it says "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil".   The Bible is the standard of truth that we use to discern what is right and wrong. The Gender Identity ordinance is clearly wrong on many levels and it is our duty as "discriminating" Christians to oppose it.

That brings us to another heavily coded word - tolerance. As Pastor Gary said recently - "We will have what we will tolerate".  He didn't mean that in a positive way. The Old Testament Jews tried to tolerate the pagan nations that inhabited the Promised Land instead of driving them out as God commanded, and incurred God's wrath as a result. The secular humanist worldview that pervades Gainesville today would also like us to tolerate everyone and everything. If we do, the results will be the same.

Have you ever stopped to think that, if you really believe Jesus' words "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, and no one comes to the Father, except through Me" (Jn 14:6) - tolerance is just a way for Satan to reap a huge harvest of souls.  If he can just get us to "live and let live",  don't rock the boat, and keep the gospel to ourselves;  fewer people will be won for Christ.  That's always Satan's plan. 

Jesus never tolerated sin, but He did tolerate sinners, with the goal of bringing them to repentance. We can all thank God for that, and follow His example.

The reason I am continuing to harp on this subject is the battle is not over.  The Alachua county Equal Opportunity Commission is also considering a Gender Identity ordinace, and will discuss the status of their work during their next meeting on April 15. You can rest assured that I and the other members of Citizens for Good Public Policy will be watching closely. 

We should also be watching closely the end of the Florida Legislative session. There are many bad bills under consideration each year. Thankfully, most do not get passed, but sometimes its necessary to contact your local representative or Senator to make your voice heard.

An excellent organization is the Florida Family Research Council - http://www.flfamily.org/index.php - which is affiliated with Dr. James Dobson's Focus on the Family organization. Go to their website and click on Legislative Updates, and you will get a good picture of what is happening in Tallahassee at this critical time of year.

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."    Edmund Burke 

Round 1

It's disappointing, but not surprising that the 27% of Gainesville voters who went to the polls Tuesday defeated Amendment One and upheld the Gender Identity ordinance. Gainesville has already cemented its position as the most liberal city in Florida. The Yes 2 Marriage Amendment last fall would have failed if the rest of the state voted like Gainesville did. This election was swayed by an influx of money from gay advocacy groups around the country, and a surge of political interest from UF students - mobilized by the LGBT student union - who turned out in bus loads during early voting.

The fact that 27% is considered a good turnout for a city election is a shame in itself. I still believe that if a majority of the registered voters in Gainesville had voted, the outcome would have been different. The anti-One side succeeded in convincing some people that gay, lesbian and transgender individuals would be subject to Jim Crow-like discrimination if the amendment was passed - without any evidence that such discrimination existed before the ordinance was enacted! 

Once again I must emphasize that we did not oppose the Gender Identity ordinance out of hatred for homosexuals or transgendered people. Our concern is that a poorly drawn law designed to protect a small group that has virtually no demonstrated history of being discriminated against, has literally opened the door to allow sexual predators into our public restrooms - and that has been demonstrated. 

Most local political observers think it is only a matter of time until Alachua county commissioners decide they want to be seen as "progressive" and pass a similar law. Then it will be time for county residents to decide where they stand. Round 1 of this culture clash is over, but Round 2 may not be far away.

My hope is that we will be able to look back and say this was the beginning of a movement by God's people to work together to bring back a society based on eternal truth and not the "cause of the month". My prayer is that it doesn't take a tragedy to wake us up.

I'll close with a little personal vignette:  last week, while driving my kids to school, we heard one of the frequently-repeated radio ads for the anti-One side. One of my boys asked me why I was against the Gender Identity ordinance. While I was trying to think of a scholarly and scripturally accurate answer, my 10 year old daughter said ..."because if God says its wrong, we can't say it's right".     That sums up a Christian worldview better than any book I've read to date.

Finally, I'll end with this verse, which popped into my head while reading the results of the election Wednesday morning.

"There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death."  Prov. 14:12

Time to Vote!

Time to Vote! - Yes on 1

Every spring in Gainesville we talk about March Madness. This year its not about basketball, but the city election on March 24. The madness is the city ordinance, passed last year,  that allows someone - based on an "inner sense" of his/her gender - to decide which restroom facility they will use.  Those who think this is a harmless accommodation to the homosexual community need to read this article from the Gainesville Sun on March 5th  - http://www.gainesville.com/article/20090305/ARTICLES/903051023

Citizens for Good Public Policy - www.citizensforgoodpublicpolicy.org -has been leading the charge to repeal this ordinance and change the city charter permanently, so that the city commission won't replace common sense with "inner sense"  again.

If you are a registered voter in Gainesville its is critical that you vote YES ON Amendment 1.  If you know someone who is a Gainesville voter, call them and urge them to vote. Our opponents are vocal and well-financed. The Chamber of Commerce, the Gainesville Sun and other secular organizations have registered their opposition. It's time for the Christian community to stand and make its voice heard. 

The Community Issues committee wants to help you join the fight for Amendment One.   We will have information tables staffed after each service this Sunday, March 15, to give you opportunities to show your support, by taking a sign for your yard or volunteering to hold a sign at busy intersections in town next week. We also encourage you to financially support the CGPP, if you can, by making an online donation at their website.

Early voting starts Monday March 16, at the Supervisor of Elections office in downtown Gainesville.  Help us end the madness and restore common sense to our government.

Vote Yes on Amendment 1

CIC Blog 1

Hello and welcome to the first edition of the Community Issues blog of Westside Baptist Church.  I'm Frank Ahern, chairman of the committee, and I'm delighted that you have taken the time to check it out and I hope you'll come back often for future updates.

 

Since this is the beginning point, I'd like to take a minute to explain our purpose and mission. The committee was formed last fall to help focus the church's response to a couple of issues – the Gainesville Gender Identity Ordinance petition drive and the Yes to Marriage Amendment to the Florida constitution.

Both were successful,  but Pastor Gary and the committee realize that the assaults on family, sanctity of life and other core Christian values will continue from a culture that is hostile to God's biblically revealed truth.

 

Our purpose now is to provide a place where you can be informed and encouraged as you try to stand up for what you believe, at a time when our nation is drifting farther and farther away from its Christian heritage.

 

The top thing on our agenda right now is the vote on the Gainesville Gender Identity Ordinance. The amendment to the city charter that will repeal the ordinance, and prevent any similar laws in the future, will be on the ballot in Gainesville on March 24.  

 

If you are a resident of Gainesville, it is critical that you vote.

If there is any reason to think you won't be available that day, please get an absentee ballot. The request forms are available at the website of the Citizens for Good Public Policy: http://www.citizensforgoodpublicpolicy.org/ and at the church office. Read the Frequently Asked Questions section of the CGPP website for a good summary of the issues from a public safety perspective. 

 

When Christians oppose the "gay rights" agenda they are often accused of hating homosexuals. What we are really doing is believing the Bible and being obedient to the command of Jesus:

 

Matt 5: 13-15   "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.  14"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house."

 

Here's a quote from Christian counselor Joe Dallas:

 

"The Church's role in society as Salt and Light requires that we both love and resist the homosexual activist community. We're called to love them by showing respect to them even as we disagree; by refusing to resort to name calling or aspersions when we refer to them; by co-existing with them peacefully whenever possible; and by sharing the gospel with them at every opportunity. But our call to love them does not negate our responsibility to oppose their goal of legitimizing homosexuality, and their tendency to silence all voices of those who disagree. Herein we have the challenge to exhibit grace and truth—the challenge to be truly Christ-like in our response to gay militancy."

 

And another from Mike Goeke, of Exodus International - http://www.exodus.to , a ministry focused on helping people leave the homosexual lifestyle.

 

"If we, as Christians, truly believe that Jesus Christ can change a life, then the ultimate form of love we can show is to minister the Gospel of Jesus Christ to everyone in need of salvation, healing, or change. Hate speech is speech designed to hurt. God's Word is truth designed to heal. There is nothing hateful about that!"

 

Westside is one of several local churches that have partnered with Forgiven and Free Ministries - http://forgivenandfreeministries.com - which reaches out to those struggling with same-sex attraction by offering counseling and local support groups.  Share this with anyone you know that is dealing with this issue.

 

At the state level, the Florida Family Assocation - http://www.floridafamily.org/ - is an organization that fights pornography and those who support it by advertising.  They also advocate for Christian candidates for office. Right now they are seeking your help in petitioning Governor Crist to appoint  C. Ted Lawson to the Florida Supreme Court.

Click on the Active Issues link on their website to find out how to send your petition to the Governor.

 

On the national scene, a good overview of the issues can be obtained from Richard Land, head of the Southern Baptist's Ethics and Religious Liberty commission, found at: http://erlc.com   As you have undoubtedly seen, things are changing quickly in Washington, and many of the changes are not in line with Christian values. Dr. Land has been a government watchdog for the past 20 years and provides a valuable service.

 

These are, of course, just a few of the organizations and ministries that are out there on the front lines, defending Christian values. Let me know of others you have found that are worthy of our support and I'll try to pass them on in future posts on this site.

 

Thanks for your time and attention.

 

Proverbs 14:34  "Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people."