For ye are bought with a price:
therefore glorify God in your body,
and in your spirit, which are God's
I Corinthians 6:20
Today, my heart is heavy...
therefore glorify God in your body,
and in your spirit, which are God's
I Corinthians 6:20
Today, my heart is heavy...
My spirit is groaning with a pain that only someone who loves Jesus Christ can or will understand. There is sin in the camp. There is wickedness being practiced, yes, even in the Lord's house. And this is now the case, but it is being delicately yet aggressively dealt with.
I cannot sidestep the matter. Recently two men in the congregation, nominal Christians at best, but still members who attend chapel services regularly, were caught by another inmate in a sex act. One of the offenders has a reputation for doing this. He's been caught before. Now it has happened again. And I am very sad.
Therefore, the matter had to be addressed. With my chaplain on vacation for two weeks, and because he placed me in charge to oversee things in his absence, it was my responsibility to confront the issue. So today I decided to speak to the church in love about this. But I also spoke in the authority of the Holy Spirit, and in the Word of God - the holy Bible. It was not an issue to take lightly because sin kills. It kills bodies, and it kills testimonies. Sin will ruin the reputation of both men and the church. If not properly dealt with, sin can and will destroy a congregation, leaving the sheep (God's people) scattered and disillusioned.
It was an issue I wish I never had to address. Nevertheless, with sorrow of heart, I read from various passages in the Bible. I began with I Corinthians 6:9-11. I then went to I Corinthians 6:18-20, how that we, the church, are God's property having been purchased with the precious blood of Jesus Christ. I then read a few other passages as well.
I carefully explained to the men that it is the Holy Spirit's job to bring conviction upon sinners. How that sin separates us from God, and even from each other. I said that if sin is allowed to continue unchecked, it will eventually result in destruction.
I went still further in elaborating on the effects of sin. That it causes grief, pain and suffering even for those who may not be directly involved with it. The church, I told them, has already been brought into disgrace. We're being mocked by the world. It's happening now, I said, because unfortunately, the inmate who happened to catch these two men in a homosexual embrace is not a Christian. He used the opportunity to bring slander upon us. As a gossiper, he went about the prison telling everyone he could about what he had seen. And while this incident took place far away from the chapel area, damage is being done to the church because their sin was discovered.
Thus, the matter had to be dealt with, and today was the time to do it. While, beforehand, I had to ask myself the popular question, "What would Jesus do?" I did ask, and I believe the Lord wanted me to do what was done this morning at church. Now I am leaving the results up to God.
D.B.
I cannot sidestep the matter. Recently two men in the congregation, nominal Christians at best, but still members who attend chapel services regularly, were caught by another inmate in a sex act. One of the offenders has a reputation for doing this. He's been caught before. Now it has happened again. And I am very sad.
Therefore, the matter had to be addressed. With my chaplain on vacation for two weeks, and because he placed me in charge to oversee things in his absence, it was my responsibility to confront the issue. So today I decided to speak to the church in love about this. But I also spoke in the authority of the Holy Spirit, and in the Word of God - the holy Bible. It was not an issue to take lightly because sin kills. It kills bodies, and it kills testimonies. Sin will ruin the reputation of both men and the church. If not properly dealt with, sin can and will destroy a congregation, leaving the sheep (God's people) scattered and disillusioned.
It was an issue I wish I never had to address. Nevertheless, with sorrow of heart, I read from various passages in the Bible. I began with I Corinthians 6:9-11. I then went to I Corinthians 6:18-20, how that we, the church, are God's property having been purchased with the precious blood of Jesus Christ. I then read a few other passages as well.
I carefully explained to the men that it is the Holy Spirit's job to bring conviction upon sinners. How that sin separates us from God, and even from each other. I said that if sin is allowed to continue unchecked, it will eventually result in destruction.
I went still further in elaborating on the effects of sin. That it causes grief, pain and suffering even for those who may not be directly involved with it. The church, I told them, has already been brought into disgrace. We're being mocked by the world. It's happening now, I said, because unfortunately, the inmate who happened to catch these two men in a homosexual embrace is not a Christian. He used the opportunity to bring slander upon us. As a gossiper, he went about the prison telling everyone he could about what he had seen. And while this incident took place far away from the chapel area, damage is being done to the church because their sin was discovered.
Thus, the matter had to be dealt with, and today was the time to do it. While, beforehand, I had to ask myself the popular question, "What would Jesus do?" I did ask, and I believe the Lord wanted me to do what was done this morning at church. Now I am leaving the results up to God.
D.B.
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