A Note to Christians in the LGBT Community

A note to Christians in the LGBT community

Authors Preface
I know when it comes to the word ‘sin’ with respect to the LGBT community, especially when it comes from a ‘Christian’ it raises very big red flags.
With many, particularly in the evangelical community centering out homosexuality as a so called ‘special sin’. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Remember Paul wrote, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” That all means everyone. From Billy Graham, to the pope, to the woman and man on the street. “All have sinned”.
What I have written here are what Christians believe. What defines a Christian. If you believe it and have prayed and asked Jesus to come into your life then by any Christians definition you are saved. You are a Christian.

A Christian believes John 14:7

  “ Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. 

No one comes to the Father except through me.” 

                                                                                             John 14:7
A Christian believes Romans 3:23-26

“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 

 and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 

 God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, 

through faith in his blood. 

He did this to demonstrate his justice,

 because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished

 he did it to demonstrate  his justice at the present time, 

so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.”

                                                                                                  Romans 3:23-26

A Christiana believes that we were once slaves to sin. And that sin leads to separation for ever from God.
A Christian believes that the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus.
A Christian believes Ephesians 2:8-10

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--

and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--  

not by works, so that no one can boast. 

For we are God's workmanship, 

created in Christ Jesus to do good works,

 which God prepared in advance for us to do."

                                                                                       Ephesians 2:8-10
A Christian believes that it is by faith we are saved it is a gift of God. That we cannot work our way heaven.
That once we accept Christ by faith he comes into our lives and transforms us to his ways.
That if we truly have accepted Christ, we will want to do what he wishes and that the change in our life will be evident to those around us.

A Christian believes and obeys Jesus when He said,

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged.  

For in the same way you judge others, 

you will be judged, 

and with the measure you use, 

it will be measured to you.”

                                                                             Matthew 7:1,2
Christians are not the judges of the world.

Christians are the presenters of salvation to the world. Matthew 28: 18-20 clearly states this.
 “Then Jesus came to them and said,

 "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, 

baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

  and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.

 And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Becoming a Christian is a conscious choice. One we must make when we fully understand what we are doing.
It is not incumbent on if our parents were Christian. It has nothing to do with the lifestyle we live.
It is all about a decision we as an individual must make, be we from the LGBT community or the heterosexual community.
I am certain there are as many heterosexual people, including many pastors and evangelist that will find themselves in hell much to their surprise.
Contrary to what many,... most, of my friends in the evangelical community think, I believe there are lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered Christians.
After all becoming a Christian is simply believing what I have quoted above and saying a simple prayer asking Christ into ones life. A prayer like this.

Dear Heavenly Father
I recognize that Jesus is your one and only Son that he came to earth to die a sacrificial death for the sins of all mankind.
I admit that I am a sinner as are all people. I therefore accept Jesus as my Lord and his sacrificial death for my sins.
Please Lord Jesus come into my heart and life this day. Direct my path from this day forward.
Amen.
If you have believed all I have written above and have prayed this prayer they Jesus will come into your life and if you let Him will direct your path in life.
If you already are a Christian let your light shine to those around you. Point people to Christ both in word and in deed.

Give Thanks

“Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. 

Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. 

Know that the LORD is God. 

It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. 

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; 

give thanks to him and praise his name. 

For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;

 his faithfulness continues through all generations.” 

                                                                                          Psalm 100

As I write this it is thanksgiving morning in Canada. A time when we can reflect and give thanks to God for all we have.
I am not a Canadian I am simply a landed emigrant although I’ve spent most of my life here.
As a result I have been blessed richly by this country.
Thanks to the freedom of worship in this land I was introduced to my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
I was through serving the Lord introduced to my wife whom I have been with for thirty-four years.
As a result we have two wonderful children both of whom are serving the Lord in various capacities.
While there have been difficulties from time to time life has still been good to me and my family.
We know God will not forsake us. We know he loves us and will take us safely through even the worst storm. Which he has.
My oldest son when he was eight was hit by a car and lay in a coma for a week. With the doctors telling us every day he was in the coma meant that he may not recover fully.
After much prayer, God answered us and he today is in his mid thirties perfectly normal and planning his wedding.
My younger son just recently fell twelve feet from a ladder in Kenya and broke both bones in his lower leg.
He just happened to be near one of the best hospitals in Africa and there just happened to be one of the best bone specialist from England available to fix his leg.
He did an excellent job according to the Canadian doctors my son went to upon returning to Canada.
That to me is God.
Over the last two years both my wife and I have had to have life saving surgery after being rushed to hospital.
Surgery we came through with out any problems.
Not only that thanks to the Canadian health care system we didn’t have any medical bills.
The God I serve is a great and mighty God and I for one am thankful for all he has done for me and my family.
Above all I am thankful that God sent his one and only Son Jesus Christ to die for my sins. That I upon accepting Him into my life am assured of my salvation and a place in heaven.
Dear reader do you have that assurance.
Do you know for certain that if you were to die to day that you would get to heaven?
Jesus said “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6. 
The apostle John wrote, “If we confess our sins, he (Jesus) is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9.
All we have to do is pray a simple prayer and ask Jesus into our lives a prayer like this,
Dear Heavenly Father
I recognize that I am a sinner. That I have done things wrong in my life and fall short of what you want for my life.
I recognize that Jesus Christ is your one and only Son who came to this earth to die for my sins. To save me and show me the way to heaven.
I accept Him as my Lord and Saviour.
Please dear Jesus come into my life today. Cleanse me from my sins.
I give you permission to work within my life conforming my life to your ways.
Amen.
If you prayed that prayer and truly mean it then you can be assured of getting into heaven. It really is that easy.
Now I would urge you to get a Bible and read it. Also pray and ask God to lead you to a bible believing Church. One that believes you are saved by faith according to Ephesians which states, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—   not by works, so that no one can boast.” 
Ephesians 2:8,9
And may God bless you.

What Jesus said about Himself

"Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” 

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."  John 14:5,6

Jesus makes it clear in the above statement. There is only one way to haven, through him.
You hear people all over the world today stating that there are many ways to heaven. But Jesus clearly states there is not.
The only way to heaven is through him. There is no middle ground. He states “No one comes to the Father except through me.” it couldn’t be any clearer.
This is an incredible claim yet it is the base of what Christians believe. We cannot deny or modify it as it is a clear statement of the author and finisher of our faith.
Getting into heaven is an act of faith in Jesus Christ it is not an act of works. In Christian thought no one can be good enough to work their way to heaven. They always fall short even if it’s in the smallest of ways.
The apostle Paul writes, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.”
                                                                                                          Ephesians 2:8,9
God however is an inclusive God. He does not care who you are, what lifestyle you live, your ethnic origin or your status in life.
He cares only for you.
My challenge for you the reader is to read the new Testament and see what God through his Son Jesus Christ has to offer you.