Culture Continues to Fall under Transgender Laws

by Barbara Latta

We have again as a society come to the place where a minority of the population is

New laws are forced on society.

controlling what the rest of us are required to tolerate. Because the gay, lesbian and transgender population want something and they scream the loudest the government caves because of fear. This time because of bathrooms.

The rest of us are forced to endure something whether we agree with it or not and we don’t stand against it; again because of fear.

Fear of retribution, fear of the ACLU, or fear of being called intolerant or homophobe.

Where does this stop?

Are we going to have to start caving to the demands of the pedophile because he says, “I was born this way and I can’t help it so I have the right to abuse your children?”

What about the thief? If he or she wants something that is not theirs, do they have the right to take it while the rest of society is forced to look the other way?

The lifestyle of homosexuals is clearly against God's design. It is sin the same way stealing, adultery,

Jesus came to save life.

lying, drug addiction, prostitution, and pedophilia are sins (Leviticus 20:13, I Timothy 3:1, Revelation 21:8). The penalty for these sins was death in the Old Testament, but because Jesus has now made the way for fellowship with God to be restored, we can be set free from sin. Jesus died in our place.

God condemns these actions because they destroy people’s lives. Jesus came to save life, not to destroy it.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believe in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved” (John 3:16-17).

We are all born with a sin nature and thus we have a propensity to commit sins. When a temptation comes and we give in to that voice over and over it becomes a stronghold in a person’s life. The reason someone says they were born gay or lesbian is because at some point in their life a demonic spirit drew them to a behavior and they gave in to it. Willpower will not overcome this lifestyle, so they do think they can’t help it.

Sin becomes a stronghold.

But God wouldn’t call something sin if there was no remedy for it. The blood of Jesus washes away every sin and makes someone a new person (2 Corinthians 5:17). This is the only way to turn away from any sin whether it is homosexuality, stealing, lying, gossip, or gluttony, etc.

God loves people. That is why He sent His Son to pay for the sins of the whole world. There is nothing that can’t be changed by Him.

God is calling people to come to Him for life. He is not against sinners. He is against what the sin does to individual’s lives.

“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” ( 2 Peter 3:9).

Will you receive His gift?

Images courtesy of Pixabay.com.

Determining the Difference Between Godly Anger and Destructive Anger

by Barbara Latta

Anger can be destructive.

The airwaves reverberate with news accounts of killing rampages in schools, parking lots, movie theatres, and homes. Interviewed witnesses react in surprise at the actions of the

perpetrator because problems are not evident to citizens. Authorities overlook warning signs that could have averted a disaster. Anger simmering under the surface went unnoticed until it was too late.

In other cases, the violence is evident in a person’s life and deeds, but nothing is done to subvert the results.

Godly Anger

When Jesus cleansed the temple of the moneychangers by driving them out with a whip, He was angry at the way His Father’s house was being treated. Greed was the motive behind the selling of animals, not the requirement of the sacrificial law. His anger was justified because He was not thinking of Himself; He was honoring His father.  He knew the corrupt hearts of those doing the selling. When Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:26, “In your anger, do not

sin,” this is the type of anger he was talking about. We need to keep a holy anger against sin, but not against the sinner.

Anger at injustice is godly if the anger is diverted into a good cause to fight the wrong. MADD, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, is an organization formed by parents who lost their children to drunk drivers. Rather than seek revenge, they sought to prevent others from experiencing the same hurt by making the public aware of the frequency of these tragedies and by seeking to keep intoxicated drivers off the road.

The Root

Whenever we feel anger it is because something inside us was triggered by an event or

Ungodly anger can grow into our soul.

spoken word which may have started out small, but over time escalates into volcanic reactions.

It’s hard to admit, but we become angry because something invaded self. Why is it such a

big deal to us when we get cut off in traffic? Because we are made less than valuable by a stranger who thought his or her right to our space on the pavement was theirs.  We feel unimportant and anger surges against the violator.

When children and youth are bullied at school they want vengeance against their tormentors. Crude comments and threats form feelings of unworthiness when they are compared to the offender. When the victim doesn’t value themselves, hurtful comments take root and become truth to their mind. Hurt people spend the rest of their lives becoming defensive as a way to protect from further pain. Angry outbursts and actions are the result.

The Solution

The solution is to recognize anger as a fruit growing from a deeper root and cut the connection off by knowing who we are in Christ.

If we know we are loved, and know we have been made worthy by the blood of Christ, then the root is not allowed to grow. Instead, the fruit of the Spirit can come out of us instead of the fruit of the flesh. The key here is to have divine revelation through spending time with the Father who loves us more than we can ever comprehend. The Holy Spirit teaches us

who we are in Christ and what our inheritance is. We are made valuable by the blood He shed and no matter how someone else treats us; another’s actions do not lessen our worth to Him.   Feelings of anger can still rise up, but learning we are not inadequate, unloved, or unworthy can override the emotions.

Peace comes when God controls us.

Realizing the actions of others are caused because they themselves do not feel valued can shine a new light on the situation. The responsibility of hurtful actions is not eliminated, but they can be understood. It is up to each one of us to become aware of our position in Christ and not determine our value by other’s opinions, treatment, or the circumstances of life.  But when we direct rage at someone because of what they did to us, it is really selfishness because we feel our rights have been violated in some way. The tragedies we hear about today happen because a seed of anger was allowed to grow in a person’s life for a period of time.

No matter how big or small the circumstance is, recognizing and replacing the source of anger with God’s opinion will disintegrate the root before it can grow.

“Do not hasten in your spirit to be angry, for anger rests in the bosom of fools” (Ecclesiastes 7:9 NKJV).

What are some ways you can share that help to control the wrong kind of anger? Have you had an incidence where you have used godly anger to right a wrong? Share your thoughts.

5 Habits That Can Change Your Life

by Barbara Latta

Have you ever wondered what makes successful people able to reach goals and become the top achievers in their fields?

Napoleon Hill once interviewed 500 of the wealthiest people in America to determine if there were common factors in their success. One of the traits all these people had in common was decisiveness. They learned to make decisions promptly. An important decision we can make is to start now establishing habits that will bring change to our lives.