Jacob's Dozen: Reuben and his Tribe

Genealogy: The 12 sons of Jacob (Israel), The 12 Tribes of Israel.

In order of birth: Reuben, Simeon, Levi. Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph and Benjamin.

Genesis Ch. 29

Laban (Laban is the Brother of Rebekah, Jacob's Mother), had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel.
Now Jacob loved Rachel; so he said, “I will serve you seven years for Rachel your younger daughter.”
And Laban said, “It is better that I give her to you than that I should give her to another man. Stay with me.”
So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed only a few days to him because of the love he had for her.
Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in to her.”
And Laban gathered together all the men of the place and made a feast. 
Now it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter and brought her to Jacob; and he went in to her. So it came to pass in the morning, that behold, it was Leah. And he said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? Was it not for Rachel that I served you? Why then have you deceived me?”
And Laban said, “It must not be done so in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn.  Fulfill her week, and we will give you this one also for the service which you will serve with me still another seven years.”
Then Jacob did so and fulfilled her week. So he gave him his daughter Rachel as wife also. Then Jacob also went in to Rachel, and he also loved Rachel more than Leah. And he served with Laban still another seven years.

Laban gave his maid Zilpah to his daughter Leah as a maid & gave his maid Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as a maid.

The Children of Jacob (By Leah):

When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren.  So Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben; for she said, “The Lord has surely looked on my affliction. Now therefore, my husband will love me.” 
Then she conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Because the Lord has heard that I am unloved, He has therefore given me this son also.”
And she called his name Simeon.
She conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Now this time my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.”
Therefore his name was called Levi.
And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Now I will praise the Lord.” Therefore she called his name Judah. Then she stopped bearing.
Jacob’s Last Words to His Sons Reuben, Simeon, Levi and Judah (Son's of Leah):

Reuben "See, a Son" or Reuben in Hebrew:

So Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben; for she said, “The Lord has surely looked on my affliction. Now therefore, my husband will love me.” Genesis 29:32

Genesis 49:3-4

“Reuben, you are my firstborn,
My might and the beginning of my strength,
The excellency of dignity and the excellency of power.
Unstable as water (would characterize his descendants), you shall not excel,
Because you went up to your father’s bed;
Then you defiled it—
He went up to my couch."

Deuteronomy 21:17
But he shall acknowledge the son of the unloved wife as the firstborn by giving him a double portion of all that he has, for he is the beginning of his strength; the right of the firstborn is his.

Jacob had 12 Son's, he divided his inheritance into 13 parts, the firstborn received twice the amount received by each of his brothers. By right, Reuben's (Jacob's Firstborn Son), inheritance was double but, he did not receive that which should have been his. The Firstborn Son in Ancient Israel was to be the natural leader of his brothers.
Reuben (along with Ishmael and Esau), received neither the double inheritance nor the leadership role.

"Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel—he was indeed the firstborn, but because he defiled his father’s bed, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph, the son of Israel, so that the genealogy is not listed according to the birthright..." 1 Chronicles 5:1

Genesis 35:22 "And it happened, when Israel dwelt in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father’s concubine; and Israel heard about it."

Bilhah (Maidservant of Rachel, Jacob's 2nd Wife): These were the sons born to Jacob by Bilhah, whom Laban had given to his daughter Rachel, Dan and Naphtali (Genesis 46).

The Blessing, Privileges and/or Responsibilities earned by right (birthright), of Firstborn Status was withheld, the refuse to give that which was due to the following:

*Reuben, the firstborn of Israel—he was indeed the firstborn, but because he defiled his father’s bed his birthright was given to the Sons of Joseph (Ephraim and Manasseh).

*Esau (Edom), the firstborn of Isaac—he was indeed the firstborn, but because he sold His Birthright (for some Stew), and despised his birthright, Jacob Took Esau’s Blessing (Genesis 25:29-34, Chapter 27).

*Ishmael, the firstborn of Abraham—he was indeed the firstborn, but because he was born according to the flesh (by the slave woman), and Isaac was born because of the promise (by the free woman), the child of the promise was regarded as offspring.
(Romans 9:8; Galatians 4:23).

"The older will serve the younger." Genesis 25

Cross References:

Matthew 19:30
But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.
Mark 10:31
But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first."
Luke 13:30
And indeed, some who are last will be first, and some who are first will be last."

“And brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents, and cause them to be put to death." Mt. 10:21

Persecutors are worse than beasts, in that they prey upon those of their own kind. The strongest bonds of love and duty, have often been broken through from enmity against Christ. Sufferings from friends and relations are very grievous; nothing cuts more. It appears plainly, that all who will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution; and we must expect to enter into the kingdom of God through many tribulations. -Matthew Henry

Reconciled Relationships:

Esau & Jacob:
Esau held a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing his father had given him. (Genesis 27)

Jacob Prepares to Meet Esau. Jacob Prays, "Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid he will come and attack me." (Genesis 32)

Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his arms around his neck and kissed him. And they wept. (Genesis 33)

Joseph & his Brothers:
Joseph was sold into slavery because his brothers hated him because their father loved him more than the rest of them. Joseph had a dream, and when he told his brothers about it, they hated him more than ever. (Genesis 37)

Joseph Makes Himself Known (God made Joseph Ruler of all Egypt). Joseph kissed all his brothers and wept over them. When Joseph appeared before his father, he threw his arms around him and wept for a long time. (Genesis 45-46)

The Death of Jacob, results in Joseph Reassuring His Brothers, Afraid Joseph will hold a grudge against them and pay them back for all the wrongs they did to him. He reassures them, “Don’t be afraid... You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.” And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them. (Genesis 49-50)

The Tribe of Rueben: Jacob's Prophecy Foretold, Reuben "Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel"

*Korah’s Rebellion Numbers 16; Jude 11):

This group questioned the leadership of Moses and Aaron, and God's judgment upon them was swift and sure---

Now Korah a Levite (the son of Izhar, son of Kohath, son of Levi), and Dathan and Abiram  Reubenites (the sons of Eliab, and On the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben), took men. And they rose up before Moses, with a number of the people of Israel, 250 chiefs of the congregation, chosen from the assembly, well-known men. They assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron...

As he finished speaking all these words, the ground that was under them split open... (Numbers 16)

Woe to them! For they walked in the way of Cain and abandoned themselves for the sake of gain to Balaam’s error and perished in Korah’s rebellion. (Jude 11)

MacArthur Bible Commentary:

Woe. Is declaring ultimate spiritual judgment on apostates. Jude followed the example of the prophets  (Isa. 5:8-23), and of Christ (Mt. 23:13, 15-16, 23, 25, 27, 29). The severest judgment of all (Hebrews  10:26), will come on apostates because they, too, followed Balaam, and Korah.

Way of Cain. Cain opening rebelled against God's revealed will regarding sacrifice.

*Reuben joins Gad and half of Manasseh (The Transjordan Tribes) Numbers 32:

The tribes of Reuben and Gad desired to live in the land already conquered because they possessed many herds of livestock and the land was good for grazing. Moses gave them, along with the half tribe of Manasseh, portions of the land only on the condition that they would fully participate in the conquest of Canaan. 

*Moses Blesses the Tribes:

Here is a the prayer that this tribe would survive in large numbers (Numbers 1:21; 2:11). 

By the time Moses blessed the tribes before he died, Reuben may have been in danger of extinction, since Moses prayed, "Let Reuben live, and not die; and let not his men be few." Dt. 33:6 

"Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand."
Rev. 7:5

MacArthur Bible Commentary:

Rev. 7:4 One hundred and forty-four thousand.
Redeemed Jews who are instrumental in the salvation of many Jews and Gentiles during The Tribulation (Rev. 7:9-17).
They will be the first fruits of a new redeemed Israel Rev. 7:4; Zech. 12:10).
Finally, Israel  will be the witness nation she refused to be in the OT (Romans 11:25-27).

All the Tribes of the children of Israel.
By sovereign election, God will seal 12,000 from each of the 12 Tribes, promising His protection while they accomplish their mission.

Reuben produced not one single Prophet, Military Leader, Judge, or important person in the history of Israel. "Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel." Reuben lost his birthright and leadership position because of his instability.

James 1:8 " he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways."

MacArthur Bible Commentary:

Double-Minded man. A literal translation of the Greek expression that denotes having one's mind or soul divided between God and the world.

William Varner says, "He later saved Joseph's life from the murderous plot of the other jealous brothers."

“Here comes that dreamer!” they said to each other. “Come now, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him. Then we’ll see what comes of his dreams.” When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue him from their hands. "Let’s not take his life,” he said. “Don’t shed any blood. Throw him into this cistern here in the wilderness, but don’t lay a hand on him.” Reuben said this to rescue him from them and take him back to his father. (Genesis 37)

The good deed would not right his wrongs... "But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul."

To be continued...

Simeon and Levi (Partners in crime).

Introduction to Father Abraham (Father Abraham had many sons...)

Introduction to Father Abraham:


The Generations of Noah:

INCREASING CORRUPTION ON EARTH
GENESIS 6:1-8

6-8
And the Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart.
So the Lord said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.”
But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.

NOAH AND THE FLOOD
GENESIS 6:9-8:22

6:9-10
These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God. And Noah had three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

The Great Flood:
7:1, 3, 7, 9, 13, (14), 15-16, 23

Then the Lord said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and all your household, for I have seen that you are righteous before me in this generation.
And Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives with him went into the ark to escape the waters of the flood.
...male and female, to keep their offspring alive on the face of all the earth.

As Male and Female, we resume our reproductive roles, just as God designed in the beginning
(Gen. 1:26-28). In an echo of Genesis 1:28, we read that in Genesis 9:1 that “God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.’”
This command is repeated again just five verses later: “And as for you, be fruitful and multiply; populate the earth abundantly and multiply in it (Gen. 9:6).

two and two, male and female, went into the ark with Noah, as God had commanded Noah.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
There went in two and two—Doubtless they were led by a divine impulse.

...Noah and his sons, Shem and Ham and Japheth, and Noah’s wife and the three wives of his sons with them entered the ark...

v. 14 "They"
http://biblehub.com/genesis/7-14.htm

They went into the ark with Noah, two and two of all flesh in which there was the breath of life.
And those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him.
And the Lord shut him in.

"And the Lord shut him in."
"No small event is spared in the telling of this episode, although the details are sparse."
-John MacArthur

He blotted out every living thing that was on the face of the ground, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens. They were blotted out from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those who were with him in the ark.

400 years between Noah and Abraham, Genesis 11:10-32

Approximately four hundred years elapsed from the death of Noah to the call of Abraham.

Noah 950 Years
Genesis 9:29

The History of Noah's Descendants
Genesis 9:18-29

The Generations of Shem, Ham & Japheth
Genesis 10:1-11:9

Answers in Genesis (Further Resources)

After The Great Flood
(The Generations of Shem)

Genealogy from Shem to Terah
(Genesis 11:10-26)

Shem 600 Years
(Genesis 11:10-11)

The Generations of Terah
(Genesis 11:27-25:11)

(Continued in Father Abraham)

Resource:
http://www.colsoncenter.org/the-center/columns/indepth/14979-the-covenants-with-noah-and-abraham

Homosexuality: Exchanged The Truth of God for a lie (Confront them with The Truth of Scripture)

"We must become educated and learn to think critically, rather than simply accepting what the enemy wants us to believe."


Without such biblical clarity, We have no context for the cross and no ongoing awareness of our need for Grace and Mercy. Without a robust perspective on sin, the very notion of what it means to KNOW GOD is profoundly weakened. The sober Truth is that without Full disclosure on sin, the Gospel of Grace becomes impertinent, unnecessary and finally uninteresting. And whatever we try to do in our own strength does not have as it's goal the glory of God and does not get its life from the fountain of the gospel.

When I met my fiance, I wasn't a Christian.
I was a Professing Catholic who was not practicing Catholicism.
I was very open, I told him, "I do dudes and date chicks."

His words cut deep when he told me, "you don't know God."
At the time it seemed absurd, how could someone "know God."
My response was me mocking him...
But he was right, I didn't know God.

That was the very 1st time someone ever said that to me, And I never forgot it. And after Salvation took place, I knew, I knew God... Now I can say, "I know God!"

“For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.

God's condemnation of homosexuality is abundantly clear--He opposes it in every age.

- In the patriarchs (Genesis 19:1-28)

- In the Law of Moses (Leviticus 18:22; 20:13)

- In the Prophets (Ezekiel 16:46-50)

- In the New Testament (Romans 1:18-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Jude 7-8)
 

Homosexuality in the Old Testament/The Jewish Scriptures

Proverbs 16:4
The Lord has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble.

Leviticus 18:22
You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; IT IS AN ABOMINATION.

20:13
If a man lies with a male as with a woman, BOTH of them HAVE COMMITTED AN ABOMINATION; they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them (RECEIVING IN THEMSELVES THE DUE PENALTY FOR THEIR ERROR).

Homosexuality in the New Testament

1 Corinthians 6:9-11
Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?
DO NOT BE DECEIVED: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, NOR MEN WHO PRACTICE HOMOSEXUALITY, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
AND SUCH WERE SOME OF YOU. BUT YOU WERE WASHED, YOU WERE SANCTIFIED, YOU WERE JUSTIFIED IN THE NAME OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST AND BY THE SPIRIT OF OUR GOD (This makes it personal for myself, because such WAS I).

There were former homosexuals in the Corinthian church back in Paul's day, just as there are many former homosexuals today in my church and in faithful churches around the country. With regenerated hearts, they sit in biblical churches throughout the country praising their Savior, along with former fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, thieves, coveters, drunkards, revilers, and swindlers. Remember, such were some of you too.

First Corinthians 6 is very clear about the eternal consequence for those who practice homosexuality--but there's good news. No matter what the sin is, whether homosexuality or anything else, God has provided forgiveness, salvation, and the hope of eternal life to those who repent and embrace the gospel.

Why does God condemn homosexuality?

Because it overturns God's fundamental design for human relationships--a design that pictures the complementary relationship between a man and a woman (Genesis 2:18-25; Matthew 19:4-6; Ephesians 5:22-33).

1 Corinthians 7:2
But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife (wife/guné: a woman; a woman, wife, my lady) and each woman her own husband (husband/anér: a man; a male human being).


2 Corinthians 12:21
...I may have to mourn over many of those who sinned earlier and have NOT REPENTED of the impurity, sexual immorality, and sensuality that they have PRACTICED.

sexual immorality

porneia: fornication

Original Word: πορνεία, ας, ἡ
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: porneia
Phonetic Spelling: (por-ni'-ah)
Short Definition: fornication, idolatry
Definition: fornication, whoredom; met: idolatry.

4202 porneía (the root of the English terms "pornography, pornographic"; cf. 4205 /pórnos) which is derived from pernaō, "to sell off") – properly, a selling off (surrendering) of sexual purity; promiscuity of any (every) type. 

They habitually seek happiness (Gay used to mean happy, but I can assure you, homosexuals are not happy people...) by following after destructive pleasures (they do not follow Christ, they follow after destructive pleasures).

There is a reason Romans 1:26 calls homosexual desire a "degrading passion." It is a lust that destroys the physical body, ruins relationships, and brings perpetual suffering to the soul--and its ultimate end is death (Romans 7:5). Homosexuals are experiencing the judgment of God (Romans 1:24, 26, 28).

Romans 1:26-28

For this reason God gave them up to DISHONORABLE passions.
For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are CONTRARY to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing SHAMELESS acts with men and RECEIVING IN THEMSELVES THE DUE PENALTY FOR THEIR ERROR. And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a DEBASED MIND TO DO WHAT OUGHT NOT TO BE DONE.


1:32
Though they know God's decree (Basically I'm holding you accountable, because you say you're a Christian, and you name The name of Christ), that those who practice such things deserve to die, THEY NOT ONLY DO THEM but GIVE APPROVAL (to those who practice them).

I'm just as guilty if I don't say Anything... Because I'm either on the fence (I wanna be a peacemaker, don't wanna ruffle any feathers, might offend someone) or I'm ashamed to speak up and I AM NOT ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL!

"None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free. The truth has been kept from the depth of their minds by masters who rule them with lies. They feed them on falsehoods till wrong looks like right in their eyes." - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe


Homosexuals stand in defiant rebellion against the will of their Creator who from the beginning "made them male and female" (Matthew 19:4).

 1 Timothy 1:10, 11
The sexually immoral, men WHO PRACTICE HOMOSEXUALITY, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is CONTRARY TO SOUND DOCTRINE
in accordance with the gospel of the glory of the blessed God (with which I have been entrusted).

Jude 1:4
For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, UNGODLY PEOPLE, WHO PERVERT THE GRACE OF OUR GOD INTO SENSUALITY and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

Jude 1:7
Just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which LIKEWISE INDULGED IN SEXUAL IMMORALITY and PURSUED UNNATURAL DESIRE, serve as an example by undergoing a PUNISHMENT OF ETERNAL FIRE.

Does Homosexuality imitate God?

Therefore be imitators of God...

...sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness MUST NOT EVEN BE NAMED AMONG YOU, as is proper among SAINTS.

For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), HAS NO INHERITANCE IN THE KINGDOM OF CHRIST AND GOD.

Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
Therefore do not become partners with them;
Eph. 5:1, 3, 5-7


1 Thessalonians 4:2
For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus.
FOR THIS IS THE WILL OF GOD, YOUR SANCTIFICATION: that you ABSTAIN from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in HOLINESS and HONOR, NOT IN THE PASSION OF LUST LIKE THE GENTILES WHO DO NOT KNOW GOD.

What should be your response to the homosexual?

Make it a gospel response--confront them with the truth of Scripture that condemns them as a sinner, and point them to the hope of salvation through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. Stay faithful to the Lord as you respond to homosexuality by honoring His Word, and leave the results to Him.

They don't need healing--homosexuality is not a disease.

They don't need therapy--homosexuality is not a psychological condition.

Homosexuals need forgiveness, because homosexuality is a sin.

Homosexuals need salvation.

As you interact with homosexuals and their sympathizers, you must affirm the Bible's condemnation. You are not trying to bring damnation on the head of homosexuals, you are trying to bring conviction so that they can turn from that sin and embrace the only hope of salvation for all of us sinners--and that's through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

What should be your response to the homosexual agenda?

To proudly proclaim acceptance of unrepentant, gross & heinous sin is to embrace the folly of the church at Corinth. And utterly unloving.

Make it a biblical response--confront it with the truth of Scripture that condemns homosexuality and promises eternal damnation for all who practice it.

Don't allow yourself to be intimidated by homosexual advocates and their futile reasoning--their arguments are without substance. Homosexuals, and those who advocate that sin, are fundamentally committed to overturning the lordship of Christ in this world. But their rebellion is useless, for the Holy Spirit says, "Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Corinthians 6:9-10; cf. Galatians 5:19-21).


As a Christian, you must not compromise what the Bible says about homosexuality--ever. This is why We (Christians), have the authority to say something, because We are ambassadors for Christ (we represent Him)!
Acts 5:29 “We must obey GOD rather than men."


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

http://www.gty.org/Resources/Articles/A170

 "A nation can survive its fools, and even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within. An enemy at the gates is less formidable, for he is known and he carries his banners openly. But the traitor moves among those within the gate freely, his sly whispers rustling through all the alleys, heard in the very halls of government itself. For the traitor appears not traitor, he speaks in the accents familiar to his victims, and he wears their face and their garments, and he appeals to the baseness that lies deep in the hearts of all men. He rots the soul of a nation, he works secretly and unknown in the night to undermine the pillars of a city, he infects the body politic so that it can no longer resist. A murderer is less to be feared."
- Cicero, 42 B.C.

The New World Order:

President Dwight D. Eisenhower warned us in his farewell address to the nation on Jan. 17, 1961 about the New World Order. He spoke of the importance of guarding against the potential influence of the "military industrial complex", the dangers of massive deficit spending, government influence on scholars, and a "scientific technoligical elite".

Months later after taking office, President John F. Kennedy explained that he, too, recognized the New World Order; how it worked, who was behind it, and its dangers. He spoke about it in a speech on April 27, 1961.

He said, "For we are opposed around the world by a monolithic and ruthless conspiracy that relies on covert means for expanding its sphere of influence--on infiltration instead of invasion, on subversion instead of elections, on intimidation instead of free choice, on guerrillas by night instead of armies by day. It is a system which has conscripted vast human and material resources into the building of a tightly knit, highly efficient machine that combines military, diplomatic, intelligence, economic, scientific and political operations. Its preparations are concealed, not published. Its mistakes are buried not headlined. Its dissenters are silenced, not praised. No expenditure is questioned, no rumor is printed, no secret is revealed."

The public disclosure of the New World Order was silenced on Nov. 22, 1963 when President Kennedy was cut down by an assassins bullet.

Subsequent Presidents Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, and Reagan got the message and little was heard about a New World Order. Instead, the infrastructure of the New World Order were quietly developed while the world succumbed to what Eisenhower called, "the impulse to live only for today, plundering, for our own ease and convenience, the precious resources of tomorrow."

http://www.jeremiahproject.com/newworldorder/

If you've been watching the headlines over the last couple years, you may have noticed the incredible surge of interest in affirming homosexuality. Whether it's at the heart of a religious scandal, political corruption, radical legislation, or the redefinition of marriage, homosexual interests have come to characterize America. That's an indication of the success of the gay agenda. And some Christians, including somenational church leaders, have wavered on the issue even recently.
But sadly, when people refuse to acknowledge the sinfulness of homosexuality--calling evil good and good evil (Isaiah 5:20)--they do so at the expense of many souls.

-John MacArthur

Some Christians, including somenational church leaders, have wavered on the issue even recently:

We must each resist their efforts to divide us by taking personal responsibility for all the aforementioned suggestions and connect with other "like-minded" Christian patriots who can encourage and build us up.
Instead of seeking ways to water down our principles and our traditions to the point where they can be accepted by and merged with those of the majority of the rest of the world, we should be striving actually to improve and upgrade our way of life even beyond present standards, and then let the rest of the world follow our example, if they so wish.

Today the professed church is attempting to flee from its responsibility to be part of the political process when in fact God is the one who gave government (Exodus 18:21). The church is to overcome evil with good. And as our forefathers rightly stated, “Resistance to tyrants is obedience to God.”

Paraphrase

2 Timothy 4:3
For the time is coming (The sin of apostasy) when PEOPLE (The Lukewarm Church Revelation 3:14-22), WILL NOT ENDURE SOUND TEACHING (the abandonment of Christian doctrine and conduct), but having itching ears "they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions (Defection from the faith, an act of unpardonable rebellion against God and his truth)."


"At conservative church, once-shunned gays fuel growth"

Minister Cynthia Andrews-Looper (a former standup comedian), she is a lesbian. She started a Bible study with a handful of other gay Christians in July 1996, which eventually led to starting Holy Trinity, affiliated with the United Church of Christ denomination.
Andrews-Looper used conservative theology combined with a progressive view of sexual orientation to grow the congregation to 600, making it one of the largest gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender congregations in the Southeast.
Scott Thumma, a sociologist of religion at Hartford Seminary in Connecticut, has studied gay churches for decades. He said that many churches that welcome and affirm gay Christians belong to mainline denominations such as the Episcopal Church or the Presbyterian Church (USA), and those churches tend to be more liberal.
Holy Trinity teaches members to believe in the Trinity, the virgin birth and the Resurrection. Church members say they have a high view of the authority of the Bible but don't believe that it teaches that homosexuality is a sin.

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/religion/story/2011-10-19/gay-church-tennessee/50831694/1



Why am I seeing "professing Christians" PhotoShop'n their profile photos with a "rainbow" showing their support of LGBT's?
I get the lost/unsaved doing it, but "professing Christians" you ought to be ashamed of yourselves!


http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-33313807?ocid=socialflow_facebook



The ruling overturns any state bans against gay marriage.
Previously, gay couples were permitted to marry in 37 states and the District of Columbia.

According to a Washington Post-ABC poll, national attitudes are changing, as 61 percent of Americans said they supported same-sex marriage.

The decision will be met with criticism by many faith leaders across the country. Christian Today reports over 50,000 Christian leaders have signed a pledge of support for biblical marriage. The signers said that the U.S. Supreme Court “has no authority to redefine marriage.”

Previous to the Court’s ruling, many pastors vowed to refuse to officiate gay marriages, regardless of the outcome.


http://www.christianheadlines.com/blog/supreme-court-rules-same-sex-couples-have-right-to-marry.html

President Barack Obama is pushing a change in policy that will force faith-based charities to hire members of the LGBT community — despite their religious objections — if they want to remain eligible for federal funding.

The Obama administration is now making sure that faith groups slipping between the cracks can no longer evade hiring homosexuals against their sincerely held religious beliefs.

Faith-based organizations reliant on federal grants are now operating on borrowed time before they will either be forced to hire LGBT individuals or to look for new ways to help fund their humanitarian aid — or shut their doors for good.

Much pressure is being administered by the Left to make sure the homosexual agenda trumps religious freedom.

 This pro-LGBT maneuvering is just the latest attempt by the president to make sure the rights of the homosexual community trump religious freedoms.

“Last July, President Obama’s executive order prohibiting federal contractors from discriminating in the hiring of persons identifying as lesbian, gays, bisexuals and transgender — did not exempt religious organizations,” Ruse recounted. “At the time of the announcement, two Bishop-Chairmen with the U.S. Catholic Bishop’s conference immediately rebuked the order stating it was ‘unprecedented and extreme and should be opposed.’”

“Christian organizations cannot offer biblical counseling and, at the same time, hire people who do not follow the Bible and their doctrinal positions on human sexuality,” Liberty Counsel contends.

http://www.onenewsnow.com/politics-govt/2015/06/07/obama-orders-faith-based-org%E2%80%99s-to-hire-gays

Men's or Women's? OSHA: Permit Workers to Use Restroom of Their 'Gender Identity'

 It's come to this: On Monday, June 1, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration published a guide telling employers which restrooms their workers may use. Basically, it's up to them.

"For example, a person who identifies as a man should be permitted to use men’s restrooms, and a person who identifies as a woman should be permitted to use women’s restrooms. The employee should determine the most appropriate and safest option for him- or herself."

If co-workers don't like it, tough: OSHA points to an April 2015 Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ruling, which said "a transgender employee cannot be denied access to the common restrooms used by other employees of the same gender identity, regardless of whether that employee has had any medical procedure or whether other employees’ may have negative reactions to allowing the employee to do so."
And finally, OSHA's "best practices" guide on restroom use contains the hint of a threat: "Employers should be aware of specific laws, rules, or regulations regarding restroom access in their states and/or municipalities, as well as the potential application of federal antidiscrimination laws."
OSHA places respect for transgender employees above all: "Regardless of the physical layout of a worksite, all employers need to find solutions that are safe and convenient and respect transgender employees," it says.

It continues: "Restricting employees to using only restrooms that are not consistent with their gender identity, or segregating them from other workers by requiring them to use gender-neutral or other specific restrooms, singles those employees out and may make them fear for their physical safety. Bathroom restrictions can result in employees avoiding using restrooms entirely while at work, which can lead to potentially serious physical injury or illness."

http://cnsnews.com/news/article/susan-jones/mens-or-womens-osha-permit-workers-use-restroom-their-gender-identity

Debating Homosexuality Understanding Two Views

Activists pushing for a "gay rights" political agenda have become increasingly aggressive in their attacks upon their opponents. They misunderstand (or misrepresent) the views of social conservatives, in part because of conflicting paradigms for understanding homosexuality.
The "gay identity" paradigm includes the belief that being gay is an innate characteristic which cannot change. Yet the empirical case for the "gay identity" paradigm is weak-science has not found that homosexuality is determined by biological or genetic factors, and there is an abundance of evidence that sexual orientation can change.
Of the three aspects of "sexual orientation"-attractions, conduct, and self-identification-social conservatives view homosexual conduct as the most important, and thus operate from a "homosexual conduct" paradigm. We believe homosexual conduct is harmful, and therefore oppose demands that homosexual conduct and relationships be protected, affirmed, and celebrated. The harms associated with homosexuality include serious physical and mental health problems.
Pro-homosexual activists have begun to demand that no debate on the issue of homosexuality be permitted. Yet there are legitimate grounds for debate on the origin, nature, and consequences of homosexuality. That debate should continue, with a respect for honest research and for freedom of thought, speech, and religion.
 

http://www.frc.org/get.cfm?i=BC11H01&f=PG13H01

The Top Ten Myths about Homosexuality

The homosexual activist movement is now over forty years old. Conservatives sometimes refer to the array of goals this movement has pursued--hate crime laws, employment "non-discrimination" laws, same-sex "marriage," etc.--as "the homosexual agenda."

Occasionally, we are mocked for the use of this term, as though we are suggesting that this movement represents some sinister and shadowy conspiracy. However, the term "agenda" is a perfectly neutral one. We in the pro-family movement certainly have our own "agenda." Its elements include: protecting the safety and dignity of human life from the moment of conception to the moment of natural death; encouraging the practice of sexuality only within the context of marriage between one man and one woman; and promoting the natural family, headed by a married, biological mother and father, as the ideal setting for raising children. We are proud of this "agenda," and will continue to vigorously pursue it.
By the same token, homosexual activists have a clear agenda as well. It is an agenda that demands the universal acceptance of homosexual acts and relationships--morally, socially, legally, religiously, politically and financially. Indeed, itcalls for not only acceptance, but affirmation and celebration of this behavior as normal, natural, and even as desirable for those who desire it. There is nothing shadowy or secretive about this agenda--in fact, it has become nearly impossible to avoid encountering it.

http://www.frc.org/get.cfm?i=BC10E01&f=PG13H01



The year is 1976. Transgender Americans are, for the first time, having a moment. And then interest subsides. The caravan moves on. And the moment is over. How did it take 39 years for us to get all the way back to the starting line?
This time, transgender issues were handled with more knowledge and sensitivity than they were in the 1970s.
But there’s reason to hope that TV’s sudden interest in trans people is not just the brief flare that portends a quick flameout, but a necessary step toward more enduring inclusiveness. One thing that pop culture has always done very well is to get very interested in something all at once. And no medium does that more effectively than television. The delivery system itself is about reliability, familiarity, and predictability. And when the TV hive mind decides to invest in something – as it did in gay characters 20 years ago – it will do its best to make sure you get invested too. That’s what’s happening right now for, and to, Americans who identify as trans.
But it’s an important breakthrough that there are now a handful of people in positions of power with a deep and personal investment in making sure TV gets this right. Four decades ago, we got off to a false start. Now, better late than never, we’re off to a good one.

http://www.ew.com/article/2015/06/12/transition-will-be-televised



Honor Roles: Our 50 Favorite Fictional LGBT Characters


http://vonderfully.tumblr.com/post/121367138457/honor-roles-our-50-favorite-fictional-lgbt

Film 'Limited Partnership' Premieres on PBS's INDEPENDENT LENS Tonight

In 1975, A county clerk in Boulder, Colorado, Richard and Tony were one of the first same sex couples to be legally married in the world. Richard immediately filed for a green card for Tony based on their marriage. But unlike most heterosexual married couples who easily obtain legal status for their spouses, Richard received a denial letter (THE DUE PENALTY FOR THEIR ERROR) from the Immigration and Naturalization Service stating, "You have failed to establish that a bona fide marital relationship can exist BETWEEN two faggots."

Note: This statement "faggots" is a harsh and cruel description, they are Homosexuals.

...the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing SHAMELESS acts with men and RECEIVING IN THEMSELVES THE DUE PENALTY FOR THEIR ERROR (Richard received a denial letter from the Immigration and Naturalization Service) And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a DEBASED MIND TO DO WHAT OUGHT NOT TO BE DONE.

Romans 1:27-28

Outraged at the tone, tenor, and politics of the letter, and to prevent Tony's impending deportation, the couple decided to sue the U.S. government, initiating the first federal lawsuit seeking equal treatment for a same sex marriage in U.S. history.

http://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwmovies/article/Film-Limited-Partnership-Premieres-on-PBSs-INDEPENDENT-LENS-615-20150612#