Daily Encounter: A Week-day Devotional by a staff of ACTS International.

Thursday, May 14, 2009

"Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. Do everything in love."¹

Gary Bauer of Campaign for Christian Families wrote, "On April 29, the United States House of Representatives passed the so-called 'hate crimes' bill, adding sexual orientation and gender identity to the federal hate crimes law...."

"The legislation also represents a threat to religious liberty. The Washington Post recently noted, "[F]aith organizations and individuals who view homosexuality as sinful and refuse to provide services to gay people are losing a growing number of legal battles that they say are costing them their religious freedom...."

Note, too, that, "In 2004, a pastor in Sweden was sentenced to one month in jail for preaching a sermon on the biblical view of human sexuality."²

In Tuesday's issue of BreakPoint, Chuck Colson in his article, "Same-Sex 'Marriage' and Religious Liberty ... Why They Can't Coexist," wrote about the following:

Two women in New Jersey wanted to hold their civil union ceremony in a camp building owned by a Methodist group who didn't allow them to do so. The women filed a discrimination complaint against the church group and won. The camp lost their tax exemption—"a move that cost them $20,000."

Christian physicians refused to provide in vitro fertilization treatment to a woman in a lesbian relationship. The doctors were sued—and lost.

In Massachusetts, a Catholic charity was ordered to accept homosexual couples in their adoption services or get out of the adoption business. They got out of the adoption business.

A counselor in Mississippi was fired for refusing to provide therapy for a woman wanting to improve her lesbian relationship.

In New York in 2001 a Jewish college of medicine was forced by the New York State Supreme Court to allow same-sex couples to live in married student housing which was against the school's orthodox Jewish teachings.

"In Albuquerque, a same-sex couple asked a Christian wedding photographer to film their commitment ceremony—and sued the photographer when she declined."³

I urge you to read both Gary Bauer and Chuck Colson's articles. The links are in the footnotes below. We are heading for major challenges.

Regardless of what we think about the Miss America Pageant, when Carrie Prejean was asked what she thought about gay marriage, she simply stated her belief that marriage was between a man and a woman. She was attacked mercilessly as a result.

According to a report on the Fox News website, "The slew of attacks against Miss California USA, Carrie Prejean, who answered a question about gay marriage during the Miss USA pageant two weeks ago, have been nothing short of a systematic 'character assassination,' her supporters say.

"They're really going after her," Focus on the Family President Jim Daley said of Prejean, whose critics have gone so far as to compare her to a Nazi war criminal."⁴

Because of the ever increasing anti-God, anti-Bible, and anti-Christian attitude here in North America, we can be sure that attacks against Christians, Christian beliefs, the Christian church and God's Word, the Bible, are going to increase dramatically in the days ahead. We who stand for God's Truth may begin to suffer persecution as Christians have in other lands for so long. Our faith may be tested as never before.

If we are going to "stand firm" in our Christian faith as God's Word instructs us to do, we need to make certain that we are true Christians and truly committed to Jesus Christ. For help read "How to Be Sure You're a Real Christian" at: www.actsweb.org/christian or to renew your commitment read the last prayer on this article at the end of page 2.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, in this day of ever increasing attacks against Christians, against your Church, your Word and your laws, please help me to stand firm in my faith in you knowing that the day is coming when your Son, Jesus Christ, will come again to earth and rule and reign supremely and deal with all evil and all sin and all unrepentant sinners. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus' name, amen."

1 Corinthians 16:13-14, (NIV).
2. Gary Bauer, Campaign for Working Families, April 29, 2009,  http://capwiz.com/cwf/issues/alert/?alertid=13295416
3. Chuck Colson, "Same-Sex 'Marriage' and Religious liberty ... Why They Can't Coexist" May 12, 2009, http://www.informz.net/pfm/archives/archive_779848.html .
4. Fox News, Monday, May 11, 2009, http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,519796,00.html.

<:))))><

2. To Know God and be sure you're a real
    Christian click on:

3. Donate: To help send Daily Encounter
    without charge to people around the world
    click on:

4. To send today's Daily Encounter to a friend
    click on:

5. To share your faith in a simple, attractive
    way with a friend click on:

6. For today's featured article click on:

7. This week's chuckle as seen "On the Lighter
    Side"  on Weekend Encounter click on:

8. Change Address of your subscription to
    Daily Encounter click on: