Podcast appearances and mentions of Alan Chambers

What happens when the face of the world's largest “ex-gay” ministry completely reverses course… and decades later is arrested in a shocking underage sex sting investigation? In this explosive episode, Pastor Tim Hatch examines the tragic rise and fall of Alan Chambers, former president of Exodus International — once the most influential Christian organization promoting “conversion therapy” and freedom from homosexuality through faith. From his childhood gender confusion… to becoming the national spokesperson for the ex-gay movement… to publicly abandoning core biblical convictions on sexuality… marching in Pride parades… apologizing for conversion therapy… and now facing criminal charges involving the alleged solicitation of a minor — this story raises massive questions about identity, temptation, truth, repentance, theology, and spiritual deception. Was this simply hypocrisy? A cautionary tale? Or a deeper warning to the modern Church? This episode explores: • The rise and collapse of Exodus International • Alan Chambers' dramatic theological shift on homosexuality • The debate over “conversion therapy” • LGBTQ ideology and Christianity • Same-sex attraction and identity struggles • Gender confusion in childhood • Progressive Christianity and compromise • Biblical truth vs cultural acceptance • The danger of abandoning God's Word • Spiritual deception, temptation, and hidden sin • The shocking 2026 criminal allegations against Alan Chambers • What Christians should learn from this story

This week on The FratChat Podcast, we're diving into the absolute insanity of the Wildest Memorial Day Weekend Stories. From Seaside Heights descending into total chaos with riots, stabbings, and mass arrests, Drake's mansion party turning into a backyard WWE event, we break down the craziest Memorial Day disasters, scandals, and public meltdowns we could find. Because somehow every year this holiday becomes equal parts patriotism, alcohol, traffic, and absolute societal collapse. Plus, we hit another round of Emails From the Listeners, break down the latest chaos in The News, including the administration drama surrounding Kilmar Garcia and Tulsi Gabbard's resignation, and return with another edition of Not the Drag Queens, this time covering the arrest of former “pray the gay away” ministry leader Alan Chambers in an undercover sting operation. It's beach riots, political chaos, listener disasters, and enough bad decisions to power the entire Jersey Shore economy. It's the FratChat Podcast! We've got nostalgia, comedy, and a little backstage insight all in one episode. It's the FratChat Podcast! Got a question, comment or topic for us to cover? Let us know! Send us an email at fratchatpodcast@gmail.com or follow us on all social media: Instagram: http://Instagram.com/FratChatPodcast Facebook: http://Facebook.com/FratChatPodcast Twitter: http://Twitter.com/FratChatPodcast YouTube: http://YouTube.com/@fratchatpodcast Follow Carlos and CMO on social media! Carlos:  IG: http://Instagram.com/CarlosDoesTheWorld YouTube: http://YouTube.com/@carlosdoestheworld TikTok: http://TikTok.com/@carlosdoestheworld Twitter: http://Twitter.com/CarlosDoesWorld Threads: http://threads.net/carlosdoestheworld Website: http://carlosgarciacomedy.com Chris ‘CMO' Moore:  IG: http://Instagram.com/Chris.Moore.Comedy TikTok: http://TikTok.com/@chris.moore.comedy Twitter: http://Twitter.com/cmoorecomedy Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Marriage, Divorce and Fornication (1) (audio) David Eells, 5/24/26   Scriptural Marriage and Divorce David Eells I know this can be a real can of worms and such a touchy subject when dealing with people who love each other, but we owe it to the brethren to speak the truth concerning their eternal life. We must consider scripture rather than human reasoning, which has gotten a lot of people in trouble and they don't know why they are there. Here are some basic things the Lord has shown from scripture on divorce and remarriage: Jesus' commands superseded the Jews' permission for divorce by His statements, so we cannot go to the law to justify divorce. (Mat.19:8) He said to them, Because of your hardness of heart Moses permitted you to divorce your wives; but from the beginning it has not been this way. Once again religion is wrong. Hardened hearts cannot be turned easily but in respecting scripture there is safety. There is only one reason for divorce. (9) And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for fornication (Numeric) and marries another woman commits adultery.” If a spouse commits fornication, whether outside of the first marriage or by illegal remarriage, the other is free to remarry because the first spouse broke the marriage bond. Being legally able to remarry does not mean this is God's will for you. God loves to restore. If your mate repents and asks your forgiveness, then forgive as Christ forgave you. Also, spiritual fornication of the heart is not an excuse, for the scripture speaks of physical fornication of the body. You may be concerned, thinking, “What can I do if I got married before I came to the Lord?” Don't worry about that, because everything we did before we came to the Lord was sin, and we can't go back and do anything about it. After you're saved, you are now a new creation in the Lord, and your sins are washed clean by the blood of Christ. The disciples admitted this was a hard statement, and many think so today, but it is better to obey than to bring yourselves under a curse that many endure. (Mat.19:10) The disciples said to Him, “If the relationship of the man with his wife is like this, it is better not to marry.” Even in the Old Testament, it was fornication for a believer to be married to an unbeliever but hear me out... (Ezr.9:2) For they have taken of their daughters for themselves and for their sons, so that the holy seed have mingled themselves with the peoples of the lands: yea, the hand of the princes and rulers hath been chief in this trespass. ... (Ezr.10:10) And Ezra the priest stood up, and said unto them, Ye have trespassed, and have married foreign women, to increase the guilt of Israel. (11) Now therefore make confession unto Jehovah, the God of your fathers, and do his pleasure; and separate yourselves from the peoples of the land, and from the foreign women. Don't act here without reading on. And so it is in the New Covenant: (1Co.7:39) A wife is bound for so long time as her husband liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is free to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord. Notice we are to marry “only in the Lord”. (1Co.9:5) Have we no right to lead about a wife that is a believer. Notice the condition, the wife must be a believer.. (2Co.6:14) Be not unequally yoked with unbelievers: for what fellowship have righteousness and iniquity? or what communion hath light with darkness? (15) And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what portion hath a believer with an unbeliever? (If one becomes one with an unbeliever to some extent they are leavening themselves.)(16) And what agreement hath a temple of God with idols? for we are a temple of the living God; even as God said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. (17) Wherefore Come ye out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, And touch no unclean thing; And I will receive you. Better not even to date an unbeliever, saints. You don't want to go there because it will bring you a lot of heartache and curses in the future. However, God makes a concession in the New Testament when a person comes to the Lord with an unbelieving spouse because the unbelieving spouse might eventually be saved through their faith. (1Co.7:12) But to the rest say I, not the Lord: If any brother hath an unbelieving wife, and she is content to dwell with him, let him not leave her. (13) And the woman that hath an unbelieving husband, and he is content to dwell with her, let her not leave her husband. (14) For the unbelieving husband is sanctified in the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified in the brother: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy. If that spouse, as an unbeliever, departs, you can remarry. (15) Yet if the unbelieving departeth, let him depart: the brother or the sister is not under bondage in such [cases]... Even if you are remarried illegally many times before coming to the Lord, the commands are to Christians and are not retroactive to the old life, for we are a new creation, cleansed of all past sins. Also, Christians can do things in ignorance that are under the blood, for knowledge precedes sin in the New Testament, as before the Law. (Rom.5:13) for until the law sin was in the world; but sin is not imputed when there is no law. (Rom.7:8)... for apart from the law sin [is] dead. (Jas.4:17) To him therefore that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin. (Joh.15:22) If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no excuse for their sin. This is not an excuse for someone to falsely claim ignorance because God looks on the heart and knows all; He knows what you understand and what you do not. Judgment is sure for fornicators and adulterers. (1Co.6:9) Or know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators (Basically illegal sexual actions), nor idolaters, nor adulterers (Sometimes this is marrying someone who is already married and not scripturally divorced), nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with men, (10) nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. (Rev.21:7) He that overcometh shall inherit these things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. (8) But for the fearful, and unbelieving, and abominable, and murderers, and fornicators, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, their part [shall be] in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone; which is the second death. Marriage and divorce can be a very convoluted problem. If, after diligently searching into all that the New Covenant teaches on this subject and asking elders with no satisfaction, remember what Moses did. (Exo.18:25) And Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people, rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. (26) And they judged the people at all seasons: the hard causes they brought unto Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves. God told Moses that he would be as God to Israel. For some things, we need to get a word from our Lord. But be careful that you don't receive a flesh pleasing answer from your own mind. Samson kept choosing women for looks rather than staying with scripture and it got him killed. Let's look at what Paul wrote to the Corinthians about marriage. (1Co.7:1) Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote: It is good for a man not to touch a woman. (2) But, because of fornications, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband. (3) Let the husband render unto the wife her due: and likewise also the wife unto the husband. (4) The wife hath not power over her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power over his own body, but the wife. (5) Defraud ye not one the other, except it be by consent for a season, that ye may give yourselves unto prayer, and may be together again, that Satan tempt you not because of your incontinency. (6) But this I say by way of concession, not of commandment. (7) Yet I would that all men were even as I myself. Howbeit each man hath his own gift from God, one after this manner, and another after that. (If you're not married, then you won't be distracted, but not everybody has this gift to be celibate, and we're told, (Pro.18:22) Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, And obtaineth favor of the Lord.) (8) But I say to the unmarried and to widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I. (9) But if they have not continency, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn. (10) But unto the married I give charge, [yea] not I, but the Lord, That the wife depart not from her husband (11) (but should she depart, let her remain unmarried, or else be reconciled to her husband); and that the husband leave not his wife.  (I know there are circumstances where a believing or unbelieving husband can be very obnoxious, very overbearing, very sinful, and that's very crucifying to the wife, but that's not an excuse to leave. In most cases, unless he is asking the wife to willfully sin, there can be submission on her part. However, no one should stay in a situation where their life or the lives of their children are in physical danger. We have permission in such a case to flee (Matthew 24:16; Luke 21:21; etc.). (12) But to the rest say I, not the Lord: If any brother hath an unbelieving wife, and she is content to dwell with him, let him not leave her. (13) And the woman that hath an unbelieving husband, and he is content to dwell with her, let her not leave her husband. (14) For the unbelieving husband is sanctified in the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified in the brother: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy. Sanctified here means that the influence of you Christian life can save them and also your faith can stand in for them. (15) Yet if the unbelieving departeth, let him depart: the brother or the sister is not under bondage in such [cases]: but God hath called us in peace. (Just know that in the New Testament, being married to an unbeliever is not grounds to leave them; again, only if they leave you, are you free. In the Old Testament, however, if a believer married a non-believer, they demanded a divorce over that because for Jews to be married to non-Jews was fornication (Nehemiah 13:23-30; Ezra chapters 9 and 10). (Neh.13:26) Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? yet among many nations was there no king like him, and he was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Israel: nevertheless even him did foreign women cause to sin. (27) Shall we then hearken unto you to do all this great evil, to trespass against our God in marrying foreign women? Back to (1Cor.7:16) For how knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? Or how knowest thou, O husband, whether thou shalt save thy wife? …(25) Now concerning virgins I have no commandment of the Lord: but I give my judgment, as one that hath obtained mercy of the Lord to be trustworthy. (26) I think therefore that this is good by reason of the distress that is upon us, [namely,] that it is good for a man to be as he is. (27) Art thou bound unto a wife? Seek not to be loosed. Art thou loosed from a wife? Seek not a wife. (28) But shouldest thou marry, thou hast not sinned; and if a virgin marry, she hath not sinned. Yet such shall have tribulation in the flesh: and I would spare you. (29) But this I say, brethren, the time is shortened, that henceforth both those that have wives may be as though they had none; (In other words don't let this distract from your service to God.) (30) and those that weep, as though they wept not; and those that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and those that buy, as though they possessed not; (31) and those that use the world, as not using it to the full: for the fashion of this world passeth away. (32) But I would have you to be free from cares. He that is unmarried is careful for the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord; (In other words, they're not divided in their attention. However, people don't have to be divided in their attention; they can be celibate or they can always put the Lord first.) (33) but he that is married is careful for the things of the world, how he may please his wife, (Well, if a man is married, it's necessary for him to please his wife, but not to the extent that he lets her be the head of the house; that's bad, very bad. That's like Jezebel and Ahab  and I'll share more on that later.) (34) and is divided. [So] also the woman that is unmarried and the virgin is careful for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: but she that is married is careful for the things of the world, how she may please her husband. (Is this a bad thing? No, it's commanded, as a matter of fact. It's not a bad thing; it's just that your ability to have your total attention on the Lord without being distracted by family situations is going to be limited. God created the family, so He's not against families. He's against families where they're not married, obviously. What Paul is saying is that if a woman is married, she has to please her husband.) (35) And this I say for your own profit; not that I may cast a snare upon you, but for that which is seemly, and that ye may attend upon the Lord without distraction. (36) But if any man thinketh that he behaveth himself unseemly toward his virgin [daughter], if she be past the flower of her age, and if need so requireth, let him do what he will; he sinneth not; let them marry. (You have to understand that a woman was under the authority of her father until she married.)(37) But he that standeth stedfast in his heart, having no necessity, but hath power as touching in his own heart, to keep his own virgin [daughter], shall do well. (38) So then both he that giveth his own virgin [daughter] in marriage doeth well; and he that giveth her not in marriage shall do better. (39) A wife is bound for so long time as her husband liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is free to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord. (40) But she is happier if she abide as she is, after my judgment: and I think that I also have the Spirit of God.   Polygamy in the Church? Question from a sister: Someone told me that polygamy is allowed by God! I don't believe this, but I had no way to refute this claim. I tried finding some scriptures, but to no avail. When I looked this subject up on the internet, I actually found a “Christian” website promoting polygamy. What will they think of next? Can you share some scriptures that refute this claim? My answer: Under the Law, they were permitted to have more than one wife and divorce their wives because of their “hardness of heart” but under grace, there is no such permission. Jesus said a man could have one wife and “the two shall become one flesh.” (Mat.19:5-8) and said, For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and the two shall become one flesh? So that they are no more two, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. They say unto him, Why then did Moses command to give a bill of divorcement, and to put [her] away? He saith unto them, Moses for your hardness of heart suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it hath not been so. From the beginning, God gave Adam, the Son of God, one wife. It appears his righteous seed through Seth were monogamous also. Cain's evil descendant, Lamech, was the first to take two wives. (Gen.4:19) And Lamech took unto him two wives. In order that a line of Israel not be extinct, the next of kin was permitted to raise up seed to a dead man's wife. But the seed of New Testament spiritual Israel is passed on through the Word (seed or sperma) of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the spirit is spirit. Although they disobeyed God, the Kings of Israel were forbidden to multiply wives. (Deu.17:17-19) Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold. And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book, out of [that which is] before the priests the Levites: and it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life; that he may learn to fear Jehovah his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them. The Apostles had one wife. (1Co.9:5) Have we no right to lead about a wife that is a believer, even as the rest of the apostles, and the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas? All of God's people must be upright, but Paul required elders to be “without reproach” and “blameless” in that they were to be the “husband of one wife.” This is definitely one wife at a time because fornication is a legal ground for divorce and remarriage (1 Corinthians 7), and the death of a spouse is a legal ground to remarry. (1Ti.3:2) The bishop therefore must be without reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, orderly, given to hospitality, apt to teach. (12) Let deacons be husbands of one wife, ruling [their] children and their own houses well. (Tit.1:6,7) if any man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having children that believe, who are not accused of riot or unruly. For the bishop must be blameless, as God's steward... If the elders or the mature in the Lord need to be upright in having one wife, all need to be this way to be mature. The husband is the head of one wife as Christ is the head of one church. (Eph.5:23-33) For the husband is the head of the wife (not wives), as Christ also is the head of the church, [being] himself the saviour of the body. (24) But as the church is subject to Christ, so [let] the wives also [be] to their husbands in everything. (25) Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself up for it; (26) that he might sanctify it, having cleansed it by the washing of water with the word, (27) that he might present the church to himself a glorious [church], not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. (28) Even so ought husbands also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his own wife loveth himself: (29) for no man ever hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as Christ also the church; (30) because we are members of his body. (31) For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife (not wives); and the two shall become one flesh. (32) This mystery is great: but I speak in regard of Christ and of the church. (33) Nevertheless do ye also severally love each one his own wife even as himself; and [let] the wife [see] that she fear her husband. Now, I want to share this, too. Men, do not appease a Jezebel spirit; it's going to seduce you and lead you astray. This is our command from God. (Eph.5:22) Wives, [be in subjection] unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. (The Lord, not I, said this, but those who have a Jezebel spirit will still get angry, although this is the truth. We have to obey God's Word, or we can't call ourselves “disciples.”) (23) For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, (Just as much as Jesus is Head of the Church, the husband is the head of the wife.), [being] himself the saviour of the body. (If a wife does not obey her husband, she is not going to get saved.) (24) But as the church is subject to Christ, so [let] the wives also [be] to their husbands in everything. (To make this possible for the wife, we are then told,) (25) Husbands, love your wives (Feeling unloved isn't an excuse for a wife to disobey her husband, but love makes it easier for the wife to obey her husband.), even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself up for it. Men, loving your wife does not include giving in to a Jezebel spirit. Giving in means you are putting yourself under a demon spirit and taking yourself and your family out from under God. If you do that, you will pay the price. On the other hand, do not judge the lost wife. God insists on Christ the Word being your Head. Don't judge her, but don't allow her to be your Head. If Jesus is not your Head, then you are following a false god. It's very plain. (Mat.12:30) He that is not with me is against me… If, because of your stand for Christ, your wife leaves you, then suffer for Christ's sake. We all have to suffer in one way or another, but do not follow a false god. The Bible says, (1Co.7:15) Yet if the unbelieving departeth, let him depart: the brother or the sister is not under bondage in such [cases:] but God hath called us in peace If your spouse leaves because you follow Jesus, then so be it. You are not bound in such a case; God never really wants you to be married to an unbeliever anyway. He says to stay married to them only if they are content to dwell with you, because they can be saved through your witness. Amen! The wife who has an unbelieving husband should obey him up to, but not including, moral sin. (1Pe.3:1) In like manner, ye wives, [be] in subjection to your own husbands; that, even if any obey not the word, they may without the word be gained by the behavior of their wives. (Read our book on our site, Word Woman and Authority.) If you want to be a disciple of Jesus, you have to follow the Word. If you want to be a “Christian” and not be a disciple of Jesus, you are not going to be saved. It's that simple. The word “Christian” is a very loose term in our day, meaning almost nothing. In the early days, people were called “Christians” because they followed Christ Jesus and did His works. Today, the word “Christian” should mean more, but, sadly, it doesn't mean much to people. Jesus told us, (Mat.10:34) Think not that I came to send peace on the earth (You might think, “Peace between me and my wife is the most important. I have to do whatever I have to do.” No, you don't. Jesus did not come to send peace on the earth.): I came not to send peace, but a sword. (And that “sword” is to divide those who are loyal to God's Word from those who are not.) (35) For I came to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law (Now, there are many more relationships. He's just making a point.): (36) and a man's foes [shall be] they of his own household. When you come to God, and they have not, you have no communion there. The Bible says, (2Co.6:14) Be not unequally yoked with unbelievers: for what fellowship have righteousness and iniquity? or what communion hath light with darkness? If you follow the Lord, they can be converted by your witness. If you don't follow the Lord, you have no favor from God, and in that event, don't expect your family to be saved. For your family to be saved, the most important thing for you to do is follow the Lord as a disciple of Jesus Christ and have favor from God. He will save your family if you believe Him for it. (Mat.10:37) He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. You can love people more than you love the Word. The Lord and Word are the same. If you love someone or something more than the Word, you are going to be deceived. It's possible to pity demon-possessed people and then, through demons manipulating that pity, to be deceived and fall right into their situation. Don't believe that all those who call themselves “Christian” are going to be saved, because (Mat.10:38) And he that doth not take his cross and follow after me, is not worthy of me. (We are to die on our “cross” in order to gain our higher life, the life of the born-again man.) (39) He that findeth his life (This is the old psuche life.) shall lose it; (39) and he that loseth his life (Again, this is the old psuche life, the carnal self.) for my sake shall find it. Let me share with you a testimony we have on our site called:   Marriage Lost and Found William and Jamie Leek - 02/09/2010 My wife and I have been separated and near divorce twice since the year 2000 because we loved “our sin”, plain and simple. The first separation was in 2002 and 2003. This separation wasn't as bad as the second, but there were a lot of lies and deceit practiced by both parties during the first separation. We got back together in 2003, where our “Mother in the Lord” renewed our vows. The only problem with this is that we were still mocking God in our walks with Him and still “playing church.” We had made a “confession” of Jesus Christ, but we were not being taught the “whole counsel of God,” so we thought the Lord forgave our sin at the cross, and we were “Covered in the Blood.” According to Matthew 12:43-45, when we confessed Christ and His blood cleansed us from our sin and the curse, we allowed that sin to remain in our lives. The demons, which plagued us, brought seven more back with them, stronger than the first. Thus, we were worse off than ever before. We thank the Lord for His mercy, grace, and long-suffering with us. In 2004 came the second separation. This time, the Lord had given us both over to the desires of our very own wicked hearts and allowed us to sink to levels of darkness that we never knew we had in us. During our second separation, the Lord allowed us to see just how sick the human heart, will, and emotions really are (Jeremiah 17:9). During this time of separation, we both fled at top speed back into the world, and we returned to our old ways. I began to smoke pot again (all day EVERYDAY), and she began to drink more than she ever did. We both began to sleep around with other people outside of our marriage. We were separated for nine months, and the combined number of people the two of us slept with was 16. The Lord really allowed us to fall to the bottom of the depths of the sea of sin, which our lives had become. We were going to a little Pentecostal church at the time when these separations took place. It was here we met a woman I considered to be like a mother in the Lord. She loved my wife and family with all her heart. She took time to come to our home and share the scriptures with us once a week for an extended period of time. She believed with her whole heart that we were “called” to the ministry. She would call me in the middle of the night and say, “I woke up in tears, praying in tongues because I just had such a burden for your family.” The Lord would end up using this mighty woman of God and her fervent prayer life to reconcile our marriage and heal our family. She also told me during the 2004 separation that the Lord gave her a dream where He showed her my family living together in a home happier than we had ever been. This, of course, did not matter to me at the time because my heart was full of rage and hatred. I don't believe in accidents; I believe in the sovereign God written about in the scriptures. In January of 2005, I took a trip to Florida with a woman with whom I had been committing adultery. We drove down together, but for some reason at the end of the trip I made her get on a plane, and I drove home alone. On the trip home, my wife and I started to talk again. The Lord also began to really convict me of my sin. Even though, at the time, I did not understand the meaning of “conviction of sin.” All I knew was that I had an overwhelming feeling of guilt for what I was doing. I knew that a change had to come. In April of 2005, my wife and I really started to talk again on a regular basis. At the beginning of May, we had been together for the entire weekend when we received a phone call from a lady with whom we had gone to church. This lady had news that would shake my wife and me to the very core of our being. She told me that my Mother in the Lord, Shirley Summers, was dying of cancer. Well, this is where we know the Lord began to heal our marriage. When the woman shared this news with me on the phone, I began to weep. With tears streaming down my face, I shared the news with my wife, and we shared tears together. She looked at me and said, “I am going to my parents' house, and I'm getting my things, and I am coming home.” That was on May 4, 2005. The next day, my mom called me on the phone and told me that Shirley had gone on to glory. The reason this stands out as one of the most important events in our marriage is that this woman prayed for us fervently (James 5:16). She never stopped believing in our call to the ministry, and she stood in faith for our marriage when we couldn't. Also, the number “5” in the scriptures signifies “GRACE,” and we didn't realize that until a year later, that our Mother in the Lord had died on 5/05/05, a number and day of GRACE. The Lord was very long-suffering with my wife and me. It was not until after we reconciled that we ran across a website where we began to hear the “full Gospel” being preached. We had never heard all the important doctrines taught throughout the scriptures. We had not been taught about repentance, obedience, holiness, or real Bible faith. We also realized that neither one of us was truly saved, as spoken of in the Bible. The scariest thing of all is that we realized that if the Lord would have called our numbers, we would have gone to HELL! It has been a long journey for both of us, as we got rid of the leaven in our lives after leaving the organized church. Over the years, we have had to learn what it means to repent and to truly come to the Lord, believing who He is and that He rewards those who diligently seek Him. We thank the Lord for UBM for standing for the “TRUE GOSPEL”! Deuteronomy 4:30 When you are in tribulation, and all these things come upon you in the latter days, you will return to the Lord your God and obey his voice. Matthew 3:3 For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Now, what about common law marriage? Is that biblical? Most states in America have abolished common law marriage, and only a few states recognize it as a legal marriage between two people who have not purchased a marriage license or had their marriage solemnized by a ceremony. The few states that do recognize it have conditional statutes. Scripture is clear that marriage is a binding commitment before witnesses and God; a public, covenantal relationship. It is a commitment agreement until death. When Christians marry, they commit to loving each other just as Christ loved the church. If you are not married, you are living in fornication.   Heterosexual and Homosexual Fornication Letter from a friend:  Hi! I have a neighbor friend with whom I've been having sort of an ongoing “discussion/argument” about whether sex outside of marriage is OK, according to the Bible. I know in my heart it is not, but he wants me to prove it to him with scripture. I haven't studied it extensively, but what I've read doesn't say it precisely enough to prove my point. There is one passage about two unwed people being found in the act and having to marry. Since the Ten Commandments do not say, thou shalt not have sex outside of marriage, he thinks it is ok. (LOL) Of course, the real issue is that he's not a born-again believer. But he asked me to prove it to him, so I'm going to try to do it. I don't know much about the Hebrew meanings of the words, etc. Can you help when you have time? :-) Thanks! My reply:  Fornication is the broad term that covers all sex outside of heterosexual marriage. Adultery, homosexuality, whoremonger, bestiality, and masturbation all fall under this category. The Greek word for fornication is “porneia”, from which we get pornography. Many commit fornication with pornography in print or on any visual screen, TV, social media sites, movies, etc. (Mat.5:28) but I say unto you, that every one that looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. The same is true for any other illicit sexual desire. Repentance and faith deliver from these sins.   Heterosexual Fornication Everyone who has sex out of marriage is a fornicator. (1Co.7:1) Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote: It is good for a man not to touch a woman. (7:2) But, because of fornications, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband. All fornicators must repent or face eternal damnation. (1Co.6:9) Or know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with men, (10) nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. (11) And such were some of you: but ye were washed, but ye were sanctified, but ye were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit of our God. (15) Know ye not that your bodies are members of Christ? shall I then take away the members of Christ, and make them members of a harlot? God forbid. (16) Or know ye not that he that is joined to a harlot is one body? for, The twain, saith he, shall become one flesh. (17) But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. (18) Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. (1Co.10:8) Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. (Gal.5:19) Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are [these]: fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness (License to “go beyond the things that are written”), (21) envyings, drunkenness, revellings, and such like; of which I forewarn you, even as I did forewarn you, that they who practise such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. (Rev.21:7) He that overcometh shall inherit these things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. (8) But for the fearful, and unbelieving, and abominable, and murderers, and fornicators, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, their part [shall be] in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone; which is the second death. (Rev.22:14) Blessed are they that wash their robes, that they may have the right [to come] to the tree of life, and my enter in by the gates into the city (the bride). (15) Without are the dogs, and the sorcerers, and the fornicators, and the murderers, and the idolaters, and every one that loveth and maketh a lie. (1Co.7:9) But if they have not continency (self-control of sexual appetites), let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn. (1Ti.5:14) I desire therefore that the younger [widows] marry, bear children, rule the household, give no occasion to the adversary for reviling: (15) for already some are turned aside after Satan. (Job.31:1) I made a covenant with mine eyes; How then should I look upon a virgin? (9) If my heart hath been enticed unto a woman, And I have laid wait at my neighbor's door; (10) Then let my wife grind unto another, And let others bow down upon her. (11) For that were a heinous crime; Yea, it were an iniquity to be punished by the judges: (12) For it is a fire that consumeth unto Destruction, And would root out all mine increase. (Pro.2:16) To deliver thee from the strange woman, Even from the foreigner that flattereth with her words; (17) That forsaketh the friend of her youth, And forgetteth the covenant of her God: (18) For her house inclineth unto death, And her paths unto the dead; (19) None that go unto her return again, Neither do they attain unto the paths of life: (Exo.22:16) And if a man entice a virgin that is not betrothed, and lie with her, he shall surely pay a dowry for her to be his wife. (17) If her father utterly refuse to give her unto him, he shall pay money according to the dowry of virgins. (Deu.22:28) If a man find a damsel that is a virgin, that is not betrothed, and lay hold on her, and lie with her, and they be found; (29) then the man that lay with her shall give unto the damsel's father fifty [shekels] of silver, and she shall be his wife, because he hath humbled her; he may not put her away all his days. Do you believe that because you are “saved” that you can get away with this willful disobedience? (Jer.7:9) Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods that ye have not known, (10) and come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, We are delivered; that ye may do all these abominations? (11) Is this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, I, even I, have seen it, saith Jehovah. (12) But go ye now unto my place which was in Shiloh, where I caused my name to dwell at the first, and see what I did to it for the wickedness of my people Israel. (13) And now, because ye have done all these works, saith Jehovah, and I spake unto you, rising up early and speaking, but ye heard not; and I called you, but ye answered not: (14) therefore will I do unto the house which is called by my name, wherein ye trust, and unto the place which I gave to you and to your fathers, as I did to Shiloh. (15) And I will cast you out of my sight, as I have cast out all your brethren, even the whole seed of Ephraim. That is just the Old Testament, you say? In any place that we are willfully disobedient, we need the fear of God. Sins of ignorance (Rom.5:13; 7:8,9) and sins of failure (Rom.7:19-25) are under the blood when we repent. However, we cannot claim the sacrificial benefits if we willfully walk in premeditated sin. (Heb.10:26) For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more a sacrifice for sins, (27) but a certain fearful expectation of judgment... Jesus bore all sin; He also bore the penalty for all sin, except willful disobedience. Notice that there is “no more a sacrifice” for that sin. We would have “a certain fearful expectation of judgment.” Many of us have been lied to about the cleansing of the blood. (1Jn.1:7) But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanseth us from all sin. The blood cleanses the one who walks in the light of the Word, not in the darkness of willful disobedience. For willful disobedience, we are promised certain judgment. We pay the penalty for this sin here and now, as in the following verses: (Mat.18:34) And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors (demons), till he should pay all that was due. (35) So shall also my heavenly Father do unto you, if ye forgive not every one his brother from your hearts. God will use the demons to make us pay for a sin of the will. (Mat.5:25) Agree with thine adversary quickly, while thou art with him in the way; lest haply the adversary deliver thee to the judge (God), and the judge deliver thee to the officer (demon), and thou be cast into prison. (26) Verily I say unto thee, thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou have paid the last farthing. The prison here is spiritual bondage to sin and the curse, administered by the demons. Jesus came “...to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening [of the prison] to them that are bound” (Isa.61:1). Willful disobedience throws us back into the prison that Jesus delivered us from. David sinned willfully with Bathsheba. When he repented, Nathan the prophet said, “The Lord also hath put away thy sin”, but he also said, “The sword shall never depart from thy house.” In other words, I forgive you, but you will have to pay the penalty. This proved true, for David lost three sons and many people. His own son Absalom won the sympathy of the people and usurped the kingdom. David had to flee for his life. As parents we do not spank our children for failure or mistakes, but for willful disobedience. Paul said, “For the good which I would I do not: but the evil which I would not (willed not), that I practice. But if what I would not (willed not), that I do, it is no more I that do it, but sin which dwelleth in me” (Rom.7:19,20). Paul was failing God in a sin that his will was against. Notice that he hated the sin and was not accounted guilty; the old sin nature was guilty. When we are against the sin, God takes our side against the sin. He takes the side of the spiritual man against the old man. In this state, Paul cried out to the Lord. (24) Wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me out of the body of this death? Then he accepted God's promise of deliverance by faith. (25) I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Jesus bore the curse of the sin for a person who, like Paul, is repentant. The curse of death is upon the one who will not save themselves for marriage. (Deu.22:13) If any man take a wife, and go in unto her, and hate her,(14) and lay shameful things to her charge, and bring up an evil name upon her, and say, I took this woman, and when I came nigh to her, I found not in her the tokens of virginity; …(20) But if this thing be true, that the tokens of virginity were not found in the damsel; (21) then they shall bring out the damsel to the door of her father's house, and the men of her city shall stone her to death with stones, because she hath wrought folly in Israel, to play the harlot in her father's house: so shalt thou put away the evil from the midst of thee. Only repentance and faith in the sacrifice of Jesus removes this curse. (22) If a man be found lying with a woman married to a husband,(Adultery) then they shall both of them die, the man that lay with the woman, and the woman: so shalt thou put away the evil from Israel. (23) If there be a damsel that is a virgin betrothed unto a husband, and a man find her in the city, and lie with her; (24) then ye shall bring them both out unto the gate of that city, and ye shall stone them to death with stones; the damsel, because she cried not, being in the city; and the man, because he hath humbled his neighbor's wife: so thou shalt put away the evil from the midst of thee. (25) But if the man find the damsel that is betrothed in the field, and the man force her, and lie with her; then the man only that lay with her shall die: (26) but unto the damsel thou shalt do nothing; there is in the damsel no sin worthy of death: for as when a man riseth against his neighbor, and slayeth him, even so is this matter; (27) for he found her in the field, the betrothed damsel cried, and there was none to save her.   Homosexual Fornication (Jude 1:7) Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them, having in like manner with these given themselves over to fornication and gone after strange flesh (Men with men/women with women), are set forth as an example, suffering the punishment of eternal fire. (2Pe.2:6) and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, having made them an example unto those that should live ungodly; (7) and delivered righteous Lot, sore distressed by the lascivious life of the wicked (8) (for that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed [his] righteous soul from day to day with [their] lawless deeds): (9) the Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment unto the day of judgment; (10) but chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of defilement, and despise dominion. We have seen many people who fell into faction and ultimately into fornication of many kinds, and God reprobated them. Let me share a portion of a dream from Reynaldo Portela: In this dream, an angel put me in a room where a group of men was practicing homosexuality, and the angel told me, “The man who has sex with another man is going to regret it. God hates the practice of that sin.” (David: In the spiritual, we are reborn with Christ's spirit. Therefore, we should only sow Christ's spirit in our soul, which is our mind, will, and emotions. If we receive the spiritual seed of “men”, we often lose our first love and become reprobate.) (Rom.1:24) Wherefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts unto uncleanness, that their bodies should be dishonored among themselves: (25) for that they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. (26) For this cause God gave them up unto vile passions: for their women changed the natural use into that which is against nature: (27) and likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another, men with men working unseemliness, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was due. (28) And even as they refused to have God in [their] knowledge, God gave them up unto a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not fitting (32) who, knowing the ordinance of God, that they that practise such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but also consent with them that practise them. In an open vision, I, David, saw a factious group, and one of them that I knew left them and went behind a wall. The Lord said, “Follow him,” so I did. What I saw behind the wall was this man committing sodomy on 3 of his friends. Over the next day or two, I went to this man and told him my vision, and his eyes widened, and Michael and I both saw he was guilty. He didn't deny it, but later he threatened me. The factious leader told me about three times that he spoke with them during a certain time period, when he was supposed to be with us, and then he fell away three times. I told him he could not associate with them according to the Word. Eve Brast had a dream where they had captured her, and they were bisexual. Other factious leaders had the same problem and were also bisexual. They all have sexual perversion. Satan demands perversion from his servants. The DS are satanists also and are bisexual. They have the same spirits. God is always willing to deliver anyone like this if there is repentance. (Gal.5:19) Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are [these]: fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, (21) ...they who practise such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. (1Co.6:9) Or know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with men, (10) ... shall inherit the kingdom of God. (11) And such were some of you: but ye were washed, but ye were sanctified, but ye were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit of our God. (Deu.23:17) There shall be no prostitute of the daughters of Israel, neither shall there be a sodomite of the sons of Israel. (18) Thou shalt not bring the hire of a harlot, or the wages of a dog, into the house of Jehovah thy God for any vow: for even both these are an abomination unto Jehovah thy God. (Rev.21:7) He that overcometh shall inherit these things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. (8) But for the fearful, and unbelieving, and abominable, and murderers, and fornicators, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, their part [shall be] in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone; which is the second death. (Rev.22:14) Blessed are they that wash their robes, that they may have the right [to come] to the tree of life, and my enter in by the gates into the city. (15) Without are the dogs, and the sorcerers, and the fornicators, and the murderers, and the idolaters, and every one that loveth and maketh a lie. Sodomite Crossdressers -(1Ki.14:24) and there were also sodomites in the land: they did according to all the abominations of the nations which Jehovah drove out before the children of Israel. (1Ki.15:11) And Asa did that which was right in the eyes of Jehovah, as did David his father. (12) And he put away the sodomites out of the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made. (Deu.22:5) A woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment; for whosoever doeth these things is an abomination unto Jehovah thy God. (Lev.18:22) Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination. (Lev.20:13) And if a man lie with mankind, as with womankind, both of them have committed abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.   Bestiality (Exo.22:19) Whosoever lieth with a beast shall surely be put to death. (Lev.18:23) And thou shalt not lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith; neither shall any woman stand before a beast, to lie down thereto: it is confusion. (Lev.20:15) And if a man lie with a beast, he shall surely be put to death: and ye shall slay the beast. (16) And if a woman approach unto any beast, and lie down thereto, thou shalt kill the woman, and the beast: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them. (Deu.27:21) Cursed be he that lieth with any manner of beast. And all the people shall say, Amen.   Masturbation (Gen.38:8) And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother's wife, and perform the duty of a husband's brother unto her, and raise up seed to thy brother. (9) And Onan knew that the seed would not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother's wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest he should give seed to his brother. (10) And the thing which he did was evil in the sight of Jehovah: and he slew him also. Remember I said that through repentance and faith in Jesus and His sacrifice for us, there is deliverance from these sins and its curses. Now God knows that you did not necessarily choose this life, and some of you think you had this from birth, which is not true. A lot of you already know that you were molested at some point in your life, and you became a sinner. Well, these demons entered in then. Now the Good News of the Gospel is that Jesus Christ bore this sin upon Himself for you, and He is offering you grace to repent and be delivered from it so you will never have these wrong desires and emotions again. He took away the sin nature of homosexuality and any sin of fornication. He wants you to repent and surrender your life to Him. Confess your sins as the Bible says in 1Jo.1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. God will give you a new, clean spirit and a new nature, this free gift of His salvation! Let's pray. Father, we thank You, and we ask You, Lord, to reach out and touch the people out there who are in bondage to sin, homosexual, heterosexual, or any kind of sin, and we ask You, Lord, to reach out and touch them with Your convicting power. Father, we ask You to show them that Your word is true. We ask You to reveal Yourself to them, and to show them the Real True Good News that Jesus has already delivered them from this; He's already borne their sin on the cross, and they don't have to bear it any longer. Father, we ask it in the name of Jesus that You go forth right now and deliver those who are listening to us who believe what's been shared here. Please, Lord, go forth and deliver them now in the name of Jesus. We rebuke these demons from your life in the name of Jesus Christ! O Lord, we thank You for Your mighty power going forth to restore those that You have loved from the foundation of the world. Thank you, Father.  Now, friends, if you agreed and prayed this with us, you need to go and start reading your New Testament and believe what it says and know that the Lord is working in you both to will and do of His good pleasure. It's not by your works, it's His working in you! Now, I want to share a published article on a study done that proves there is freedom from homosexuality.   'Groundbreaking' study shows 'gays' can change  Posted: September 15, 2007 1:00 a.m. Eastern © 2007 WorldNetDaily.com In the first longitudinal, peer-reviewed, scientific study of its kind, researchers have concluded that some homosexuals can change their “orientation” through religiously mediated guidance. Researchers Stanton L. Jones and Mark A. Yarhouse released the results of a three-year study on Thursday during an address at the American Association of Christian Counselors World Conference. Their conclusions contradict the claims of the American Psychological Association and the American Psychiatric Association, which contend that such a change in sexual orientation is impossible and attempting to pursue it likely will cause depression, anxiety, or self-destructive behavior. The new study concluded such changes do not cause psychological harm to the patient. Nicholas A. Cummings, former American Psychological Association president, praised the research. “This study has broken new ground in its adherence to objectivity and a scientific precision that can be replicated and expanded, and it opens new horizons for investigation”, he said. Exodus International, the world's largest Christian ministry to homosexuals, said it funded the research because of the absence of any scientific, peer-reviewed research on the topic. The major findings are reported in a book to be released by the evangelical Christian publisher InterVarsity Press, “Ex-Gays? A Longitudinal Study of Religiously Mediated Change in Sexual Orientation.” A homosexual-activist group called Truth Wins Out warned news organizations “to be highly skeptical of a biased 'ex-gay' sham study.” The homosexual group said, “Caution should be taken in prematurely critiquing the study until the full methodology is available. However, based on unconfirmed reports, there is great concern that these notorious anti-gay researchers did little more than professional ex-gay lobbyists and ministers from Exodus International, and ask them if they had 'changed.'” Alan Chambers, president of Exodus International and a former homosexual, said, “Finally, there is now scientific evidence to prove what we as former homosexuals have known all along - that those who struggle with unwanted same-sex attraction can experience freedom from it.” “For years, opponents of choice have said otherwise, and this body of research is critical in advancing the national dialogue on this issue”, he said. Chambers said, “the life-changing process of leaving homosexuality behind” is not easy, but “for thousands of us, the journey has been well worth it, and we are grateful that these study findings give credence to our existence as men and women whose lives have been transformed by Jesus Christ.” Jones, a provost and professor at Wheaton College, an evangelical school in Wheaton, Ill., told CitizenLink magazine in an interview he was prompted to do the study because of the “ever-increasing pessimism expressed in the professional world that sexual orientation could ever be changed.” “This was in contrast to the fact that I occasionally met individuals in Christian circles who claim to have experienced precisely such change”, he said. “When the mental-health field actually began to say that change is impossible - that sexual orientation cannot be changed - it formed the perfect scientific hypothesis to be able to conduct a study.” Jones noted there have been dozens of studies conducted suggesting change is possible for some people, but “the research is not of the highest quality and has been deeply and highly criticized.” After studying the criticisms of those studies, Jones and Yarhouse concluded the proper methodology would need to be both “prospective and longitudinal.” “Prospective means that you catch people before they begin the change process and follow them through the process, while longitudinal means that you're actually following people over time to see if the change is stable”, Jones explained to CitizenLink. “The scientific characteristics of the study are unique, in that no one has ever started early and then followed people over a long period of time like we did.” Jones said they found that, by following the subjects over time, “not everyone is successful, not even a majority is successful, but a very substantial group of people report fairly dramatic change.” “We found that 15 percent of our sample of about 100 claimed to actually have changed from homosexuality to heterosexuality”, he said. “These people experienced significant enough change that they really felt like they had left one sexual orientation to shift into another.” He acknowledged “life is still complicated for these people, and some still have some residuals of their homosexual attractions.” “However, they are people who report being able to function as heterosexuals, they're happy with their marriages, and they feel that their lives have changed dramatically”, he said. The other type of success he found - in almost a quarter of the subjects - was “people who left the homosexual lifestyle and experienced very substantial reductions in homosexual attraction by embracing the Christian discipline of chastity, not acting on their sexual impulses.” “These were people who felt like they were free now to orient their lives not on their sexual, erotic desires and needs, but on their relationship with God and on healthy, nonsexual intimacy with other people”, Jones said. The two groups together, those who converted and those who experienced chastity, made up about 38 percent of the sample. “We feel these changes observed over this substantial period of time provide a clear indication that the opinions of the secular mental-health field that change is impossible are simply wrong”, Jones said. The second area of the research focused on the secular mental-health community's claims that the attempt to change is harmful. Jones and Yarhouse administered a standard psychological inventory that measures psychological distress to subjects at every point along the way. “We found that there was essentially no change in their psychological distress over time”, Jones said. “On that basis, we feel that there is no evidence that the change attempt is harmful, and we found evidence that change is possible for some people.” He added, however, the research does not prove that anybody can change or that no one has ever been harmed from the attempt to change. “It just suggests that the forceful way in which the secular mental-health community is saying change is impossible and harmful is just not well-advised”, he said. Jones pointed out that the American Psychological Association has a blue-ribbon panel right now examining the question of how it should formulate its policies on the subject of attempts to change sexual orientation. Certain members, Jones noted, have already said publicly that change is impossible and harmful. Jones said he hopes “there will be enough of an open mind on the part of the secular mental-health community that they will not continue the movement towards banning these kinds of attempts to change sexual orientation, harassing them out of existence and labeling as unethical any professional person who cooperates with them.” “There is a need to respect the autonomy of individuals who are distressed about what they have experienced sexually and for religious or moral reasons want to try the attempt to change”, Jones told CitizenLink. “Those people first need to be fully informed about just how complex and difficult that process is, and then they should have the right as individuals, as an exercise of personal and religious freedom, to seek support in their attempt to change sexual orientation.”   Printer-friendly version

We've taken a step back with podcast production as Tom has been refocusing his efforts and part-time hours on the YOB community. With more podcasts recently recorded and coming soon, Tom also takes some time to process the Alan Chambers arrest, following the former Exodus International president's alleged solicitation of a minor. We encourage you to feel your feelings; please reach out to us anytime. We're with you. LINKS FROM THIS EPISODE YOF General Giving YOB Membership YOS Membership YOF Newsletter Signup Follow YOF Facebook Instagram TikTok YouTube Follow YOB Facebook Instagram TikTok Follow YOS Facebook Instagram TikTok Email Tom: tom@yourotherfamily.org Email Erin: erin@yourotherfamily.org you are not alone; even the sparrow finds a home

Alan Chambers — former president of Exodus International — was recently arrested in what authorities describe as a child enticement sting operation. In this video, we respond to the news with both truth and grace, discussing sin, compromise, repentance, and the importance of gospel hope.This conversation also addresses how stories like this are often used in broader cultural debates surrounding sexuality, faith, and transformation in Christ. Rather than celebrating someone's downfall, Christians are called to pray, remain vigilant against sin, and point people toward the redeeming power of Jesus.Topics covered:-The history of Exodus International-Alan Chambers' theological shift over the years-The destructive nature of unrepentant sin-How Christians should respond biblically-Why gospel hope still matters-Ministries and testimonies of transformation in ChristJoin us weekly as we strive help people embrace God's standard for sexuality! Other ways to listen:https://linktr.ee/calibrateconversations#Christianity #Repentance #Truth

Vanilla is a very familiar flavor for most of us. It's so ubiquitous, in fact, that the word is used as a pejorative for anything that is commonplace and mundane. But that's not being fair to this fascinating tropical spice, which can display a wide range of expressive aromas and flavors, and can be used in unique ways throughout world cuisine. In North America and Europe, vanilla is mostly associated with desserts, pastries, and other sweet treats, to the point that vanilla is often taken to be sweet on its own. That assumption is turned upside down in many other global food traditions however, in which vanilla can be used in savory or spicy dishes. Its heady but gentle profile allows it to work in support of a way variety of others flavors. And it's of interest to this podcast because vanilla is used so extensively in craft chocolate and, often, in craft beer as well. In this episode we explore the flavors and agronomy of vanilla. We talk with Dr. Alan Chambers from the University of Florida Tropical Research and Education Center. He works with tropical fruit crops to better support growers in southern Florida, and he quickly gained interest and expertise in the science and cultivation of vanilla after taking the position in 2016. He is now a foremost expert in all things vanilla.We also talk with Sean Buchan, the founder and head brewer at Denver's Cerebral Brewing. Sean works with a variety of single origin vanillas in his beers to highlight their variety. Here we talk about beers like Vanilla Rye Here Be Monsters and others that serve as liquid tributes to the amazing vanilla orchid.I hope this episode helps you appreciate how unique and varied vanilla really is. Far from being an avatar for homogeneity, vanilla is a fascinating and diverse spice with a wide range of expressions that reward attention. In this episode, Sean mentioned working with Ethereal to source cacao for some beers. We interviewed Michael Ervin and Marisa Allen from Ethereal back in Episode 08, which you can listen to it here. Follow Bean to Barstool on social media!InstagramTwitterFacebookPinterestTikTokSign up for host David Nilsen's newsletter to get regular updates!

We discuss the deeply flawed practice of trying to change someone's sexual orientation. Related Episodes: 8. Paul, Gay Marriage and Gender Pronouns 11. Why Young Christians Are Leaving the Church and Some Are Committing Suicide 12. The Problems with Purity 13. When Is Sex Between Two Unmarried People God Honoring? (Seven rules for sex between unmarried people) 21. A Trans Christian's Quest for Authenticity Movies Referenced: Boy Erased: https://www.netflix.com/title/80240538 Review quoted from The Jesuit Post: https://thejesuitpost.org/2018/11/boy-erased-conversion-therapy-and-the-catholic-church/ Pray Away: https://www.netflix.com/title/81040370 Review quoted from Conscience Magazine: https://www.catholicsforchoice.org/resource-library/netflixs-pray-away-exposes-conversion-therapy-fraud/ Articles and Websites Quoted: The American Psychological Association (APA): https://www.apa.org/pi/lgbt/resources/just-the-facts The New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/21/us/group-that-promoted-curing-gays-ceases-operations.html Time magazine: https://time.com/3065495/9-ex-leaders-of-the-gay-conversion-therapy-movement-apologize/ The AMA calls for ban: https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/american-medical-association-backs-nationwide-conversion-therapy-ban-n1088731 Statistics quoted: Alan Chambers quote, “99.9% have not experienced a change in their orientation” from: https://wthrockmorton.com/2012/01/09/alan-chambers-99-9-have-not-experienced-a-change-in-their-orientation/ or https://www.npr.org/2013/06/20/193965227/group-that-claimed-to-cure-gays-disbands-leader-apologizes Post conversion therapy suicide ideation rate of 28% from Statista https://www.statista.com/statistics/1053024/lgbtq-youth-in-us-attempted-suicide-conversion-therapy-experience/ Trans children exposed to conversion therapy at a young age are four times more likely to report lifetime suicide attempts: https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/transgender-conversion-therapy-associated-severe-psychological-distress-n1052416 Finding Affirming, Sex-Positive Counselors Who Do NOT Believe in Conversion Therapy: https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/therapy-for-lgbt#organizations https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/california?category=gay (Find the LGBTQ Affirming pull-down or edit the URL and replace “California” with “Texas” or whatever state you're in) https://www.choosingtherapy.com/finding-an-lgbtq-therapist/ https://allintherapyclinic.com/how-to-find-an-lgbt-affirming-therapist/ https://directory.choosingtherapy.com/ https://lgbtqhealthcaredirectory.org/ On-line therapy: https://www.choosingtherapy.com/best-lgbtq-online-therapy-options/ https://www.talkspace.com/online-therapy/lgbtqia Benefits of Church Attendance for Adults and Children: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/press-releases/regularly-attending-religious-services-associated-with-lower-risk-of-deaths-of-despair/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11302358/ https://academic.oup.com/ije/article/49/6/2030/5892419 Additional References and Resources https://www.huffpost.com/entry/queer-youth-religion-suicide-study_n_5ad4f7b3e4b077c89ceb9774 https://www.thetrevorproject.org/ending-conversion-therapy/ https://glaad.org/conversiontherapy/ https://www.hrc.org/resources/the-lies-and-dangers-of-reparative-therapy https://www.huffpost.com/entry/faith-leaders-lgbtq-conversion-therapy-ban_n_5fda6074c5b650b99ad93787 https://www.newportacademy.com/resources/mental-health/conversion-therapy-pray-away/ https://www.bbc.com/news/explainers-56496423 https://web.archive.org/web/20230405193059/https://exodusinternational.org/2013/06/i-am-sorry/ https://youtu.be/Ea10c6VXVx8?si=VebC4DTN9m37bkwD&t=197 https://www.aacap.org/AACAP/Policy_Statements/2018/Conversion_Therapy.aspx https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conversion_therapy All quotes edited for clarity and brevity, and red by descript not the original authors.

Dr. Sharp's expansive book, The Other Evangelicals, dials back the clock to the early days of evangelicalism. Isaac identifies a significant collection of high-profile, self-identified "evangelical" Christians who just do not fit the current stereotype. Some were liberal, others black or progressive or feminist even gay. What these believers have in common is that they were ultimately rejected as "evangelicals" by the self-appointed gatekeepers of the movement. In this PART II of this series, Ken and Dr. Sharp begin with a discussion of the Bible - as the inerrant and infallible authority over the movement as argued by Harold Lindsell in his Battle for the Bible. It's not just the book itself, but the sectarian interpretation of the book that for many becomes non-negotiable for many. Women like Letha Scanzoni, Nancy Hardesty and Virginia Mollenkott engaged feminism as part of their biblical faith. Dr. David Gushee (Sharp's academic advisor turned literary colleague) challenges evangelicalism's condemnation of the LGBTQ+ community. They talk about Dr. Ralph Blair, an ardent biblical Christian psychologist, and his critique of "pray-it-away" reparative therapy.  The Exodus International, promoted by Rev. Jerry Falwell, represented itself as a biblical ministry that existed to "cure" homosexuality. But it was ceremoniously shut down by founder Alan Chambers. Lawsuits, abuse and documented psychological harm overwhelmed the operation and led to its demise.  John R. W. Stott and Tony Campolo challenged evangelical assumptions, but their advice went unheeded. In the era of Trumpism, evangelicals virtually eliminated these non-conformists from their exclusive tribe. In spite of the efforts of these biblical voices, evangelicalism has become the domain of white, conservative Republicanism.  SHOW NOTESBecome a Patron: www.patreon.com/beachedwhitemaleSupport the show

Are you feeling highly resilient? Do you have the mental and financial resilience to effortlessly achieve all your endeavours or are you like so many feeling a degree of overwhelm in these strange times? My guests know all about building mental and financial resilience. Alan Chambers MBE is a Former Royal Marine, celebrated adventurer and leadership expert who successfully led the first team to walk from Canada to the Geographic North Pole without any support services. A 70-day walk across ice combined with near starvation, low fuel supplies and the worst weather recorded in the polar region in 100 years. His wisdom has even been called upon by the England Rugby Team and England Cricket team with major success following. David Howell's 36 year career in financial services has overseen investment and regulatory changes in the UK and internationally and he also has a taste for charitable expeditions and a passion for the field of wellbeing. Join us as we discuss their wisdom and methodologies that are today successfully helping organizations and individuals to elevate their resilience to new levels.

Are you feeling highly resilient? Do you have the mental and financial resilience to effortlessly achieve all your endeavours or are you like so many feeling a degree of overwhelm in these strange times? My guests know all about building mental and financial resilience. Alan Chambers MBE is a Former Royal Marine, celebrated adventurer and leadership expert who successfully led the first team to walk from Canada to the Geographic North Pole without any support services. A 70-day walk across ice combined with near starvation, low fuel supplies and the worst weather recorded in the polar region in 100 years. His wisdom has even been called upon by the England Rugby Team and England Cricket team with major success following. David Howell's 36 year career in financial services has overseen investment and regulatory changes in the UK and internationally and he also has a taste for charitable expeditions and a passion for the field of wellbeing. Join us as we discuss their wisdom and methodologies that are today successfully helping organizations and individuals to elevate their resilience to new levels.

Ken Fong has just returned from Alaska and his photo tour. The two Kens discuss the Netflix Film, Pray Away, the story of the rise and fall of Exodus International. Ken Fong has had discussions and interviews with some of the cast members and producers including Alan Chambers and Julies Rogers. They review Ken Kemp's interview with Andy Wells, author of "Tried to be Straight." They discuss the upcoming documentary 1946 that exposes the decisions of the translation committee of the Revised Standard Version of the Bible. Nadia Bolz-Weber has a powerful and insightful interview with Josh Harris who recanted his best-selling book which became must-reading in the purity culture. Ken Fong ends with the challenge to be courageous enough to take risks.BECOME A PATRON of the BWM Podcast | Chat with KenSupport the show (http://thebeachedwhitemale.com)

Welcome back to the Extreme Leaders podcast series.In this episode Alan Chambers talks to Trystan Williams. Trystan is the Executive Lead, Primary and Specialist Academies, at the Venturers Trust where he oversees six Primary Schools and a Special School, which has two sites. Trystan has chaired national conferences and led on many ground-breaking initiatives such as “The Extreme Classroom” and been the subject of numerous documentaries filmed and aired by the BBC, both nationally and globally. He has also achieved recognition at government level as a National Leader of Education, for his commitment to the highest standards of care and education for vulnerable young people.In a really interesting discussion, they cover subjects including the effects Covid-19 has had on children and staff, their mental health and their emotional well-being, and Trystan’s thoughts on the Government’s advice for schools during lockdown. ~ For more info about Trystan Williams : www.venturersacademy.org ~ www.theextremeleaders.com ~ Podcast Production by www.visualmonkeys.co.uk ~

Welcome back - In this episode Wayne Hoyle and Alan Chambers bring you an Extreme Leaders special.In a wide ranging discussion they are joined by Jason Fox or 'Foxy', who as many of you know features as an instructor on Channel 4’s SAS: Who Dares Wins.This week the team also welcome Sean Taylor to the pod.As a Royal Marine commando, Sean Taylor has leapt from planes, trekked through jungles and fought in Afghanistan. After 22 years in the military Sergeant Taylor retired in 2005.He came up with an idea to entice adrenaline junkies like himself: Zip World, an adventure playground for grown-ups in North Wales with zip wires to take them downhill at speeds of up to 120 mph.“It is the closest you can get to skydiving without jumping from a plane.” ~ https://www.zipworld.co.uk/ ~ https://theextremeleaders.com/ ~ Podcast production by www.visualmonkeys.co.uk

In this episode Extreme Leader Alan Chambers talks to former England rugby captain Lewis Moody who was part of the 2003 World Cup winning side.In this wide ranging discussion he talks about his playing days, the challenges since leaving the rugby pitch and his approach to leadership. With 71 caps for his country Moody has a host of accolades to his name including two Six Nations titles, seven Premiership triumphs and two Heineken Cup wins; the former England Captain is a true world rugby legend.Moody was known for the enthusiasm with which he played the game, his willingness to chase down opponents and his ability to compete for possession at restarts, earning him the nickname "Mad Dog" from teammates and supportersIn May 2014, Lewis and his wife Annie set up The Lewis Moody Foundation, inspired by rugby fan Joss Rowley Stark, to fund ground breaking research to improve the diagnosis and treatment of brain tumours and gives families a day out of the ordinary to lift spirits and create special memories.Since retiring Lewis’ public profile in the UK and world-wide, both in sport and more widely in business, continues to grow.For more information: ~ www.thelewismoodyfoundation.org/ ~ www.theextremeleaders.com/ ~ Podcast Production by www.visualmonkeys.co.uk

In this episode Neil Counihan hosts an Extreme Leaders lockdown special.Responding to Covid 19 the team discuss methods to assist Managers, Business Leaders, and Team Leaders to embrace ‘the new normal’ helping them get back to work.Alan Chambers and Wayne Hoyle of The Extreme Leaders talked with Martin Fairn and Bede Brosnahan of Gazing Performance about Leadership in uncertain times.For more information:http://theextremeleaders.com/ www.gazing.com

Welcome back to The Extreme Leaders podcast.This time, Extreme Leader Alan Chambers talks to his good friend and polar explorer Ann Daniels.Ann is one of the first women in history to reach the North and South Poles as part of an all women team. Described by The Daily Telegraph as one of the top 20 Great British Adventurers of all times. Ann is regularly asked to speak on leadership, motivation and overcoming challenges in an ever changing world. As a Polar guide and leader of 4 major scientific Arctic surveys, she is living proof that good leadership, teamwork and a positive mental attitude does make a difference to the success of a team.Alan Chambers is a former Royal Marine, polar adventurer and co-founder of The Extreme Leaders - for more information please take a look at the website: http://theextremeleaders.com/ Produced and edited by Pete Roach - VisualMonkeys

Welcome to The Extreme Leaders podcast. In each episode an inspirational leader will be put under the spotlight by one of our very own Extreme Leaders. All the guests have a common thread and that is ‘authenticity’, whether in a business place, a sporting arena, the medical world or even on the battlefield - all of them have ‘led’ things and not just ‘read’ things.In our first episode polar adventurer, Extreme Leader and former Royal Marine Alan Chambers MBE talks to Dr. Ed Coats who is an Obstetrician, Gynaecologist and fertility doctor as well as a part-time adventurer when the opportunity arises.Ed was thrust into the limelight, when he was chosen to join James Cracknell and Ben Fogle on their epic race to the South Pole. The race was the first of its kind since Captain Scott was beaten by Norwegian Amundsen and the trip was was filmed for a BBC documentary series.The Extreme Leaders experience brings true transformation to your people and your business through support and leadership programmes driven by world class leaders. Our tailored solutions deliver impact at an individual, team and organisational level.Please subscribe to the podcast to get it delivered straight to your device. http://theextremeleaders.com/

In her new book Scripture, Ethics, and the Possibility of Same-Sex Relationships, author Karen Keen takes a scholarly look at how church history, theology, and Bible interpretation impact people’s views on same-sex marriage and relationships. This week, she joins me on the show to talk about her findings and discuss her thoughts on a previous show I recorded with Alan Chambers. For more: http://geekyjustin.com Support this podcast: http://patreon.com/geekyjustin

For decades, Exodus International claimed "change is possible," leading many to believe that gay people could become straight. But in this interview, former Exodus president Alan Chambers admits that attempts to "pray away the gay" never worked, and explains why he now opposes conversion therapy. For more: http://geekyjustin.com Support this podcast: http://patreon.com/geekyjustin

There is a vanilla crisis.  The familiar flavor agent is a mixture of chemicals from an orchid- and there’s not enough being produced to satisfy demand.  But Dr. Alan Chambers knows that crisis and opportunity [...]

Alan Chambers 

Alan Chambers, former long-time Director of Exodus International, speaks in this episode about his struggle with his own sexual orientation, a love-hate relationship with church and his eventual closure of the once-notorious “Conversion Therapy” organization. Chambers headed the Christian-based conversion group for years, having gone through the program himself. But after much prayerful contemplation and… Read more about Alan Chamber’s Exodus from Religious Slavery

On this week’s podcast I have the privilege of talking to the former President of Exodus International, Alan Chambers. I picked up a copy of his book, My Exodus, and couldn’t put it down. Three years ago during Alan’s keynote speech at the annual Exodus conference he announced that Exodus was closing its... The post Episode 39 Alan Chambers appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

Stephen Black has been the Executive Director of First Stone Ministries since 2000. Stephen has worked in full-time Christian ministry and in leadership with First Stone Ministries since 1993. He was ordained with International Ministerial Fellowship in October  of 1994 after ten years of ministry preparation.  Stephen is an author of many articles, teaching aids and is a teacher in the Church and public speaker on the issues of sexual and relational brokenness. He was a part of the forming committee for the newly formed Biblically sound and orthodox network of ministries: Restored Hope Network .  RHN was formed in June of 2012 as a result of the Exodus International implosion and later closure.  Stephen serves as Vice-Chairman on the Board of Directors for the Restored Hope Network. Visit Stephen's websites at http://www.stephenblack.org and http://www.firststone.org

Alan Chambers, and his wife Leslie, share their very public story of Alan's leadership of Exodus International, his struggle with same sex attraction, and their journey together from fear to grace and learning to love well, no matter the cost. SUBSCRIBE or Leave Rating/Review--> SUBSCRIBE/Review HERE  Take the SURVEY--> HERE Join Facebook group --> Mud Stories Gathering HERE Shownotes--> HERE

Best of Show Replaying interviews with Alan Chambers, former president of Exodus International, an organization that promoted solutions and treatment of homosexuality or ex-gay therapy, on his book, "My Exodus: From Fear to Grace". Marianne Duddy-Burke, Executive Director of DignityUSA, on the Pope's visit and his endorsement of Kim Davis' agenda.

Alan Chambers, former president of Exodus International, an organization that promoted solutions and treatment of homosexuality or ex-gay therapy, on his book, "My Exodus: From Fear to Grace". Marianne Duddy-Burke, Executive Director of DignityUSA, on the Pope's visit and his endorsement of Kim Davis' agenda.

The GXW crew are joined by Alan Chambers again to fill in for Anil. They discuss a new round of movies that some should truly feel guilty about.Also on this episode: "What Excited You?" where we discuss: Amiibos, Angry Birds, Daredevil and Star Wars Card Trading. Rob also gives out another "Malibu Stacy Hat Award". What are your guilty pleasures? Should we truly feel guilty about films that we enjoy?Let us know at: Twitter: https://twitter.com/Genxwing Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/generationxwingpodcast 5 star us and subscribe on iTunes, stiitcher or Libsyn! Visit our website at www.generationxwing.com  You can also hit the Amazon link if you are thinking of buying on-line. This really supports our show and doesn't cost you anything. We're saving up to buy Josh another set of tickets to Vietnam to see that puppet show he missed out on (It'll make sense when you hear the episode). Beginning Song: Edie Brickell - "What I am" End Song: Spice Girls - "Spice Up Your Life"   GXW theme song by Arim Ahmet at Sound_Escape. ***The Generation X-Wing Podcast is not associated with Lucasfilm LTD, Disney, and its opinions and conversations do not represent those of Lucasfilm LTD or Disney. Generation X-Wing Podcast is created entirely for entertainment & educational purposes only. All media resources produced by Generation X-Wing Podcast are used in Fair Use and not for profit. No Bothans were harmed in the making of this podcast.***

Rob and Josh are joined once again by Alan Chambers as well as Jamie Bell from the System Addicts. In Part 2 we talk Lucas Arts and Star Wars games. From Atari to PS4 we discuss which games stand the test of time and which ones we would like to forget?   Which Star Wars games are your favorite? Let us know at: Twitter: https://twitter.com/Genxwing Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/generationxwingpodcast 5 star us and subscribe on iTunes, stiitcher or Libsyn! Visit our website at www.generationxwing.com You can also hit the Amazon link if you are thinking of buying on-line. This really supports our show and doesn't cost you anything. We're saving up to create our own Star Wars video game based on Force Friday.You must battle your way through eBay hounds, fanboys and children to collect action figures and lego. We call it "Force Friday: The Nerd Awakens" (working title). Beginning Song: Blaster Proof - Star Wars Kinect End song: Im Han Solo - Star Wars Kinect GXW theme song by Arim Ahmet at Sound_Escape.  ***The Generation X-Wing Podcast is not associated with Lucasfilm LTD, Disney, and its opinions and conversations do not represent those of Lucasfilm LTD or Disney. Generation X-Wing Podcast is created entirely for entertainment & educational purposes only. All media resources produced by Generation X-Wing Podcast are used in Fair Use and not for profit. No Bothans were harmed in the making of this podcast.***

Rob and josh are holding the fort down today, but they are not alone. Joining them are Alan Chambers (from last weeks Superman episode) and Jamie Bell from the System Addicts. In Part 1 of our two part series on Video Games with the System Addicts we discuss old school games. We look back at some of the games that had a major influence on our youth and how it has grown and developed to what we see today.Also on this episode: "What excites you?": Mega Man movie, Super Mario Maker, podcats shout outs, and Force Friday! how have games influenced you? Let us know at: Twitter: https://twitter.com/Genxwing Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/generationxwingpodcast 5 star us and subscribe on iTunes, stiitcher or Libsyn! Visit our website at www.generationxwing.com You can also hit the Amazon link if you are thinking of buying on-line. This really supports our show and doesn't cost you anything. We're saving up to create our own Force Friday video game involving Black Series super combos, awesome fight mechanics and fatalities in aisle 4. End song: Marble Madness Overcloked Remix - Palpable GXW theme song by Arim Ahmet at Sound_Escape.  ***The Generation X-Wing Podcast is not associated with Lucasfilm LTD, Disney, and its opinions and conversations do not represent those of Lucasfilm LTD or Disney. Generation X-Wing Podcast is created entirely for entertainment & educational purposes only. All media resources produced by Generation X-Wing Podcast are used in Fair Use and not for profit. No Bothans were harmed in the making of this podcast.***

It's up, up and away with the GXW crew. While Anil is in Ireland we decided to bring in special guest Alan Chambers to discuss the greatest super hero of all time: SUPERMAN. From Kirk Alyn to Henry Cavill, we look back at the great actors who played him on TV and on the silver screen and immortalized the Son of Krypton.Also on this episode: "What are you reading?": "Superman: Earth One", "Devil in the White City", "You're Never Weird on the Internet" and the Tommy Westphall theory.Who was your favorite Superman or Superman movie? Let us know at: Twitter: https://twitter.com/Genxwing Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/generationxwingpodcast 5 star us and subscribe on iTunes, stiitcher or Libsyn! Visit our website at www.generationxwing.com You can also hit the Amazon link if you are thinking of buying on-line. This really supports our show and doesn't cost you anything. We're saving up to create our own informative book: "Kryptonite from around the world" GXW theme song by Arim Ahmet at Sound_Escape.  ***The Generation X-Wing Podcast is not associated with Lucasfilm LTD, Disney, and its opinions and conversations do not represent those of Lucasfilm LTD or Disney. Generation X-Wing Podcast is created entirely for entertainment & educational purposes only. All media resources produced by Generation X-Wing Podcast are used in Fair Use and not for profit. No Bothans were harmed in the making of this podcast.***

This week we talk to Alan Chambers, the former president of Exodus International, the ex-gay Christian organization that closed down last June. Alan is a fascinating individual and he sat down with Eddie to talk through the complexities of his story and why he shut Exodus down. (You can read our feature on Alan here, listen to the full interview below, and watch all the videos of our conversation--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/relevant-podcast/messageSupport this podcast: https://anchor.fm/relevant-podcast/support See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week we talk to Alan Chambers, the former president of Exodus International, the ex-gay Christian organization that closed down last June. Alan is a fascinating individual and he sat down with Eddie to talk through the complexities of his story and why he shut Exodus down. (You can read our feature on Alan here, listen to the full interview below, and watch all the videos of our conversation

This week the CultureCast Crew Gets both timely and topical  when they welcome Alan Chambers, director of the organization Exodus International has been making headlines past few weeks.  Chambers talks through his public apology Christian, explains why he says he is still proud of the work the organization has done, talks about the planned closure… Read more about Exodus International’s Alan Chambers, Edward Snowden and Pussy Riot

Exodus has closed it's doors. They now say you cannot "Pray the Gay Away," but can Jesus Christ really change a life. Alan Chambers the ex-president of Exodus was well served by closing the doors.Listen to his interview with Anderson Cooper.

Exodus has closed it's doors. They now say you cannot "Pray the Gay Away," but can Jesus Christ really change a life.Alan Chambers the ex-president of Exodus was well served by closing the doors.Listen to his interview with Anderson Cooper.

On June 19th, Exodus International (a Christian “Gay Therapy” organization well known for their “Pray The Gay Away” strategies) announced that they were closing up shop. This announcement was came by way of Alan Chambers, president of Exodus International with a blog post simply titles “I Am Sorry.” Chambers then announced a day later at […]

On June 19th, Exodus International (a Christian “Gay Therapy” organization well known for their “Pray The Gay Away” strategies) announced that they were closing up shop. This announcement was came by way of Alan Chambers, president of Exodus International with a blog post simply titles “I Am Sorry.” Chambers then announced a day later at […]

Premio Paulo Coelho: El Pastor William Hernández de Puerto Rico por decir que “una partícula no define a Dios”, refiriéndose al bosón de Higgs. (Artículo aquí) Un chico de 12 años de Pittsburgh, PA por quemarse una cruz en ala espalda. (Noticia aquí) Francesco Shetinno el capitán del Costa Concordia por decir que el día del naufragio que causó 30 muertos fue “guiado por la mano de dios”. (Noticia aquí) Alan Chambers y Exodus International por decir que su método de curar la homosexualidad no funciona luego de 36 años de operacion. (Noticia aquí) La Representante Valerie Hodges (R – Louisiana) por decir que no sabía que los boletos para estudiar en escuelas privadas en el estado de Louisiana incluiría escuelas musulmanas. (Noticia aquí y aquí) Los creadores de “Jesús toma el volante” por invitar a las personas a soltar el volante de sus automóviles por 5 minutos el 31 de marzo de 2013. (Noticia aquí y evento de Facebook aquí) Noticias: La transformación de Jesucristo Hombre. (Noticia aquí) La creencia en dios aumenta los asesinatos? (Noticia aquí) La corte Suprema de los Estados Unidos verá un caso de “libertad de cátedra” en la clase de ciencia para enseñar creacionismo. (Noticia aquí) Sanal Edamaruku sigue huyendo en Finlandia de las autoridades indias. (Noticia aquí) Referencias: http://www.skepdic.com/crypto.html https://sites.google.com/site/apuntesdecriptozoologia/ http://www.skepdic.com/ticrypto.html http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criptozoolog%C3%ADa http://elname.com/2008/12/pantera-no-aparece-el-vampiro-de-moca-y.html Cita de cierre: “Estoy en contra de la religión porque nos enseña a estar satisfechos con no entender el mundo”. - Richard Dawkins Participan en el podcast: @celipr10 y @manolomatos. Puedes bajar el podcast o subscribirte al RSS aquí: http://www.ivoox.com/podcast-podcast-ateorizar_fg_f120851_filtro_1.xml Este es el último episodio de la segunda temporada de Ateorizar. Regresamos en Octubre. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ateorizar/message

The Blood of the Martyrs is Seed for the Church So toward the end of his ministry on earth, Jesus was thinking as he thought every day, but as he was nearing the end of his life, he thought more and more about his death on the cross, what he was about to do. And in John's gospel in John 12:24 he said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains by itself a single seed, but if it dies, it brings forth much fruit." And in giving us this, he was speaking not only of his own death and all of the eternal fruit that would come from it, but also giving to his church, a lasting pattern of the advance of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is by following the same principle, that the church has advanced for 2,000 years as individual brothers and sisters, did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death but were willing to deny themselves, and take up their crosses and follow Jesus and to bear much fruit, and in each of those fruits that are born are more seeds. And so the process just continues on and on of self-denial and death for life, just patterned after Jesus. And as I come to this text today Hebrews 11:35B-38 as we try to understand this movement from success to suffering, my prayer for all of us has been to come face-to-face with this issue of persecution to try to understand it, to celebrate what was suffered for us, so that we would have the Gospel to believe, to understand; the scripture to read in our own language, to cherish the history, the chain of events, the chain of brothers and sisters that brought all these good things to us and thank God for their sacrifices and rejoice in them, but also that we would lay down our lives for the gospel too, that we would be willing to die when the time comes. Maybe physically though, the percentages are small but certainly spiritually that we would be willing to die to ourselves for the benefit of others. That's what my desire is here. About three centuries after Jesus said that, about three centuries after Jesus was put to death by Pontius Pilate on a Roman cross, against all odds, if we could even use that language, the Roman Emperor declared himself to be a Christian. Constantine declared himself to be a Christian, and in the 300 plus years that intervened, there was a trail of blood of brothers and sisters that literally died for the faith, that suffered for the Gospel of Christ. Christian apologist Tertullian said, "The blood of martyrs is seed for the church. It's defending the Christian church." And that trail of blood continued through the centuries, as Satan persecuted the true church as he persecuted people who are standing up for Jesus and made them pay for their testimony with their blood. I went through the time of the reformation, and the staff, we've been studying various biographies in the series, "Men of whom the world was not worthy," taken right from the text we're looking at today. Studying biographies of great servants of God and we studied William Tyndale, who was a Bible translator during the same time as Martin Luther lived. He lived during the era of Henry VIII. He was English and his one passion in life, his one desire... "he was a singer of one note," someone said. Every time you talk to him, all you got was that one note, "Oh God, give my people the Bible in their own language." Yearning to have the Bible in English so we could just simply read it. But there were violent forces against him including the King himself, King Henry VIII. So he fled for his life, he was in Holland. In May 1531, a messenger was sent from the King saying that he was in a gracious and merciful frame of mind but that was Henry VIII, who knew it would continue the rest of that day, but he was willing to be merciful. And so, this messenger came. He was, Tyndale was hiding in Holland. The King was saying, "I'm willing to be merciful to you." Tyndale responded back in effect these words saying, "I will promise you, if you O king would consent to have the Bible published in English and spread throughout the realm without any explanatory notes, nothing. Just the text of the Bible in English. I will promise first, never to write another word." Henry didn't like his writings. "I promise I will never write another word. I promise that I will surrender myself immediately and within days I will throw myself at the feet of the King and I will gladly suffer any tortures and even death if you would just make that commitment. Get the Bible into the hands of the people in their own language." The king refused. I'm not so interested in the king's refusal. I'm interested in Tyndale's willingness to die for this. His willingness to die so that we could read these words. And he did die for that. He died by strangulation right before he was burned at the stake. Right before he died, he said famously, "Lord, open the King of England's eyes." his dying prayer. 1563, John Foxe, wrote his famous acts and monuments of the Christian church commonly known as Foxe's Book of Martyrs goes back to the beginning of history and talks about the martyrs, those who are willing to shed their blood for Christ, tracing out that river of blood that's brought the gospel right up there. By the time he was writing, it was Queen Elizabeth's reign, the reign of Bloody Mary, was over, but Protestants had paid for their witness with their blood. And it travels right up to this present day, many of us following the suffering of pastor Youcef Nadarkhani in Iran. I received, I think, a faulty message that he had been hanged for his faith. This is a man who never embraced the Muslim faith. I spoke about him a number of weeks ago, from this pulpit, never was a Muslim, is a Christian. The logic of the Iranian court, is that he has because he is Iranian, and had Muslim parents, he has renounced the faith and is under the death penalty, not so he said "I'd never embraced Islam" but in their logic, it's impossible. Muslim parents must have Muslim children. And so he's on trial, he's under the death sentence. And he's referred to at least his commitment is referred to in the text, others were tortured and refused to be released. My understanding of his case at least early on, was he would be released if all he would say is that Muhammad was a prophet of God, if he would just make that confession, they would have released him to his family. "That I cannot do" he said. No, he's a Christian, cannot make that confession. And so the text says, others were tortured and refused to be released so that they might gain a better resurrection, goes on right to this present day, cover story of World magazine showed one of our brothers from the country of Nigeria, having been blooded by some Muslim fanatic, bandaged up in a very rough way, right there in the cover of World magazine. Talking about the sufferings of our brothers and sisters in Nigeria, reading about an orphanage in Bangladesh. Nathan is in Bangladesh, we prayed for him, in January of this year, they surrounded this orphanage and were chanting and demonstrating against it because they assumed that this Christian orphanage were stealing Muslim babies and trafficking in babies and doing wicked things. These were children that no one was caring for before this ministry started, and one of the workers there was bashed in the head and nobody died, but there was this kind of hatred going on in Bangladesh. And so as we come to this text, today we come to somewhat of a, I don't know, a continental divide in the flow of the chapter, we've been following success stories for the most part. I mean, Moses was willing to suffer, with God's people. But for the most part, it's just been one success after another and definitely right immediately before this verse, if you look at verses 32 through 35 as the author is trying to describe very plainly the life of faith, he's telling us what faith is, what faith does, how the life of faith works out in every day life, how it has in the Bible times and he's listing out these figures from the scripture. "Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets, [we talked about them last week] who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, gained what was promised to shut the mouths of lions. Quenched the fury of the flames, escaped the edge of the sword, whose weakness was turned into strength. And who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead, raised to life again…" just a series of successes, right up until halfway through verse 35. I. The “Continental Divide” of Hebrews 11 Then suddenly it turns like a continental divide, you know what that is? We're on a mountain ridge and all the water on one side flows to the Pacific and all the water on the other side flows to the Atlantic, that kind of thing, that's a divide. And so we just come right in the middle of verse 35, and you go from success to suffering and we're still in the faith chapter, so it's by faith they suffered. That's what the author is telling us, is because of their faith. And this is a vital message for us. Now to set the context in general, here in Hebrews, the author is writing this letter to first century Jewish people who had made an outward profession of faith in Christ. But who are under pressure from their neighbors, and family and religious authorities and governmental authorities to forsake Jesus and go back to Old Covenant Judaism, to turn their backs on Jesus. And so this whole epistle has been an epistle of warning and of exhortation, and encouragement to people facing persecution that they would not turn their backs on Jesus. And so, in chapter 10, if you just go back a little bit to chapter 10 and verse 32, and following, just to set up the chapter. It's all about persecution. Remember those earlier days when after you'd received the light, when you stood your ground in a great contest in the face of suffering sometimes you were publicly exposed to insults and persecution, at other times, you stood side by side with those who were so treated. "You sympathize with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property. Because you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and a lasting one. So do not throw away your confidence, it will be richly rewarded, you need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised for in just a very little while he who is coming will come. And will not delay, but my righteous one will live by faith and if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him, but we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed but of those who believe and are saved." Now, Hebrews 11:1, "Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." Right on into that, do you see it? It's in the seedbed of persecution and suffering, the author is giving us this whole chapter. And now we come to this point in the middle of the verse 35. It's not always going to be success, dear friends. Heroic Achievements of Faith vs. Heroic Suffering for the Faith Sometimes it's going to be suffering. And so we have the movement here, the movement of sanctification, of helping us to grow up out of babyhood, helping us to grow up out of being little children in the faith, so that we can face, what really is happening, why Jesus was a man of sorrows and acquainted with suffering, why Jesus faced constant opposition from sinful men, wicked men, why he faced constant opposition from the true power behind that throne and that's Satan. That we would grow up into that and be no longer babies, but be grown up and move from needing all the time, success and seeing how it all works and cause and effect and all that, that everything's going really great, to being willing to suffer for Jesus. Now in verse 35, we do have the mention of these women who received back their dead raised to life again, story of... Clearly, I think Elijah and Elisha, great stories, very similar to one another. In both cases, a woman who had a son... In one of the cases, in Elisha's case, she didn't ask for a son, she wasn't looking for that, and God blessed her with a son and then some time later, he had a severe headache and died in her lap, tremendous suffering and a great deal of pain and the same thing with Elijah, in her case, both of them upbraided the prophet. The widow of Zarephath saying "Did you come to remind me of my sin and kill my son?" Now, my son has died and you remember how he prayed and stretched himself out on the boy three times and cried out to the Lord, and God gave him life. This is the first recorded resurrection, in the Bible. I know that Isaac was figuratively resurrected and Abraham was ready for it, but it didn't need to happen, you know that. So, here's the story of God's power over death. God can raise the dead, the same thing with Elisha, same kind of thing. And so Hebrews 11 gives us a faith that conquers death. I don't need to fear death, our God raised Jesus from the dead, what's there to be afraid of? Death is a portal, a doorway into eternity and that eternity is infinitely better than this. There's nothing to be afraid of. Jesus has destroyed him, who held the power of death, and freed us from fear of death, he said in Hebrews Chapter two. And so God calls his people into Christ's sufferings, to fellowship with Jesus in his suffering, to become like him in his death, in the language of Philippians. To share with his sufferings. Or to fill up what is still lacking, in regard to the afflictions of Christ, a mysterious expression in Colossians. It doesn't mean anything lacking for atonement, but just Jesus has more suffering to go through because he's connected to his people and we have to suffer, too. So God calls faith-filled people. There's nothing wrong with them, there's no hidden sins, there's none of that, they're just serving God and he calls them to suffer greatly because of their faith. We have to grow up and face that and embrace it. And why does he do it? Well, we can think of many reasons, biblical reasons why God would do it. To put the character and courage of the faith-filled hero or heroine on display. No one lights a lamp and puts it under a bowl, they put it up on a stand and sometimes the stand is persecution and even martyrdom. And even more than that, to put the truth of the gospel on display, to give the Gospel a chance to shine with such a great setting that the gospel can shine in the mouth of the ones' suffering and the strength in the faith of weaker Christians, as weaker Christians watch the faith-filled brother and sister suffer, then others get stronger. Paul talks about that in Philippians 1, "Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged, to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly. And because of this I rejoice." And to give evidence of the sufferings that Christ endured. To remind us of the sufferings that Christ endured, more on that at the end of the sermon. Also to help the church understand the ultimate sufferings of hell that we must realize that there is no pain on earth that remotely compares to the pains of hell and all of this suffering is good suffering because it's delivering people from Hell as the Gospel advances. So those are various reasons why. And you may struggle with this. Some people theologically struggle with this. I'm thinking of the prosperity gospel people. People who think that the more faith you have, the better your life on earth will be. Your best life now, dear friends, I'm promising you, your best life now and your most favorite parking place in every crowded parking lot. What will happen is, as you pull in, that car will pull out and make way for you, if you have enough faith. Really? How do you explain that to our brothers and sisters in the Muslim countries and in China and other places? It's all about getting the best parking place? Maybe you need a little more exercise. The best parking place for you is a mile away from the door. Maybe that's what you need. That is your best place now. Because you're going in there to go to the food court, that's why you're going. And you need to walk it off, a little before you get there and afterwards. It's ridiculous. Do you see it? It's un-Christian. It's a false gospel, the prosperity gospel and I know that God makes lavish promises in Deuteronomy 28: 1-6. You'll be blessed when you sit and blessed when you rise, you'd be blessed when you go out and when you come in and the fruit of your womb will be blessed. You crops will be blessed. Everything would be blessed, all the time blessed, Deuteronomy 28:6, if you only, if you'll only fully obey the Lord and carefully follow all his commands. Well, what about when that doesn't happen, what do you do if you're arrested for your faith, you're getting beaten, how does the prosperity gospel help you then? It doesn't, it kills you, it hurts you, makes you think you didn't have enough faith. It's a lie from Satan. It's not true. But the question does remain "Why isn't God blessing all of his people in this world with those kind of Deuteronomy 28 blessings?? II. The Pinnacle of Faith: Suffering Because of Christ I think there are two reasons why God would do it, negatively he withholds blessings to discipline us from our sins, so sometimes it's because we have sinned, and so we are disciplined and so some blessings are withheld but the press of this sermon is another aspect, that God withholds blessing sometimes to put faith and the gospel on display, and to show other worldly people who are not living for this world but they're living for Heaven and they could just see it and they're living for it, and there's nothing you can give them here that remotely compares. They're kind of already there by faith. He wants to put that on display and so this is the pinnacle of faith, suffering because of Christ, it's the greatest trial that Satan can bring on you. We are wired for self-preservation. It's not a bad thing. We look both ways before we cross the street, when we're hungry, we eat, when we're in pain, we try to alleviate the pain that's normal, it's normal, normal, normal. It's normal life. The Satan uses that to push us to forsake Christ and that's what we're dealing with here, that's the nature of the press of persecution, that's what he's about. He's trying to get people to denigrate Christ and to look on him as not sufficient and not glorious, and not attractive, he's not enough. I got to have my freedom, I've got to have enough to eat, a comfortable home, and some pleasures and if I don't have that, I'm going to turn my back on Jesus. And God is saying in effect over those martyrs, those suffering ones, "Have you considered my servant so and so, they're living for heaven, they're living for me, they're not living for the things that you would have me take from them." So, it's a terrible trial. Two good things pitted against each other, the health and comfort of your body and your faith in Jesus, two precious things and you're being forced to choose, and that's a tough trial. And again, with these afflictions I'm not talking about general sufferings that are common to all, I'm not. I'm not talking about the afflictions of medical sufferings, that's not what this sermon's about, there are other passages, I can talk about. That's not what we're talking about here. Disease and pain and accidents, things like that. And I'm not talking about financial troubles, like layoffs and unemployment and bankruptcy and things like that. That's not the press here, not talking about natural disasters either earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, and all of the damage and destruction that comes from that, that's suffering but that's not what I'm talking about today. I'm not talking about every day providential accidents and suffering that come upon us. Neither am I talking about Islamic martyrdom. People who'll strap bombs in their bodies because of their commitment to Allah and blow themselves up and other people on a bus to bits. I'm not talking about that either. I'm talking about suffering that comes specifically because of our faith in Jesus, at the hands of human persecutors. That's what we're talking about here. That's what's in view. Faith’s Greatest Triumph And this is faith's greatest triumph, it's not just Satan's greatest trial, it's the pinnacle of faith, as I've said, this is the greatest triumph of faith. This is how these people know that they're Christians. Remember in the parable, they're seeding the soils, the farmer goes out to sow his seed and as he scatters it falls on different types of soil. The path comes, the bird comes and eat up and then you have that rocky soil, you remember that? Shallow soil, springs up quickly, but when the sun comes up, remember the sun, withers them and they die because they have no root, then Jesus interprets this, the one that fell on the rocky soil, is the one who hears the word and not once receives it with joy. But since he has no root he last only a short time when trouble or persecution, that's the sun beating down on it, comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. Alright, well, what happens then to turn it around is when you don't quickly fall away despite the fact the world is beating on you, there's a joy and a hope that comes in the middle of that. I'm real, I'm genuine, I'm really a Christian, it's all true, and the Spirit of glory and of grace rests on those people and God pours resources into them and their faith, just get stronger and you get that beautiful cycle in Romans 5:3-4, "not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint." So real hope, they're going to heaven. It's genuine. I'm a real Christian. I didn't give up when I got beaten on, when I got rejected, or insulted. I'm still here. I love Jesus and it's all real. I'm not a stony ground here. Praise God. And so faith is vindicated. And so, as I said, these faith-filled people in the midst of suffering, they're almost already gone. Like Stephen's the best example of this, you know, he finishes his "How To Win Friends and Influence People" speech. "You stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears, you're just like your forefathers, you always resist the Holy Spirit. Was there ever a prophet your forefathers did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous one. And now you have betrayed and murdered him. You, who received the law that was put into effect by angels but have not obeyed it." Well, they didn't like that. I wasn't their favorite sermon and they were extremely angry, but Stephen knew he was on his way out, and at that moment he had a theophany, a revelation of God and of Jesus Christ, heaven was open and the people were already coming at him. But he said, "Look. I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of the God." And they couldn't hear that and they blocked their ears and they drag him out of the city and they stone him to death, and he's already gone. But he's still alive, because he's talking and he's saying things. "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." So Christ-like. And then again, Christ-like, "Lord, don't hold this sin against them." But let me get specific. "Would you please forgive Saul of Tarsus for consenting to my death, would you forgive him?" "Yes, I'll forgive him, I'll take all of his sins away. Not just that one, all of them." It's an awesome thing. The blood of martyrs seed for the church. And so by this, the perspective of Hebrews 11 is most clearly put on display. Heaven... Earth is not my home Heaven is my home, I'm moving through here. This is a corridor, I'm not going to sit down cross-legged and just eat my dinner in a corridor in a hotel. It's weird, it's a passageway to the place I'm getting, it's all it is, it's a corridor, it's weird to sit cross-legged in a corridor and it's weird for us to settle down here. And so these people knew that, they were just by faith, they just were moving on, they just weren't there yet. The world was beating on them and causing them to bleed and they thought like this. This is how they reckoned, how they weighed things, how they considered things. "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us." Romans 8:18. 2 Corinthians 4:17. "For this light and momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal glory beyond all comparison." Just as I weigh the suffering and the beatings and the blood and all that, as I weigh that with heaven, it's just not even close. They don't even compare. And so, it's light and momentary. Spoken by the 2 Corinthians 12 guy who got beaten, or 11, beaten and shipwrecked and beaten with rods and flogged and all that. They have come to that conclusion. And my yearning is that we would too. I would like to live for Heaven more than I do. I would like to be bolder in my faith. I would like you to be bolder in your faith. That's why I'm preaching today, that's my purpose. III. Specific Sufferings Listed And so, he lists these sufferings here. There are two categories, those who are killed for their faith, by various means, and then those who fleeing from death suffered deprivations in deserts and caves and all that. So you've got people who were killed and tortured and all that, and then those who fled from all of that so that they wouldn't have to go through it, but lost other things like security and homes and things like that. And so, tortured. What does torture mean? I think there is no more miserable, earthly circumstance than to be held by a wicked human who is thinking today how to hurt you, I think it's worse than cancer, AIDS, it's worse than... It's a horrible situation; to have some demonic twisted individual, think of ways to inflict pain on you that won't kill you, and you're dragged out of some cell and tortured, some more. These people are tortured and it says that they refused to be released. They refused release, are they crazy? They insane, well the price tag was too high. They had to renounce Jesus. They had to turn their backs on Christ and they wouldn't do it. And so, pastor Youcef will not do that. He's not going to confess that Muhammad is the prophet of Allah, he's not going to say that, he's not going to confess Muhammad. So he refuses to be released. I don't know, if it's even an option for him at this point. I think about John Bunyan, he's a good example of this refusal. He wrote Pilgrim's Progress, he was a non-conformist preacher, which meant in his day, he was an illegal preacher, he did not have the certificate of preaching from the Anglican church, therefore he was not allowed to preach. And so he preached at illegal conventicles, they were called, gatherings, congregations. He was basically a congregational or even Baptist pastor probably one of the most gifted preachers of all church history, just an astonishing gift with language, and a passion for Christ, and just an awesome thing. He was arrested and put in the Bedford jail and he was told... Because this is right toward the end of England's active persecution for religion. After this, they stopped entirely, they never did it again, but toward the end. So it's already tapering off. They said, "You can go free, all you have to do is promise never to preach again." So the whole time, I think it was 13 years, he was in the Bedford jail on and off, whole time, he had the key right there in his pocket to get out. Every day, every hour, morning, noon, night, just pledge "I will not preach again." What did he say instead, he said, "if you release me, today, I will preach tomorrow." You're not getting out with that confession. And he said "the separation from my wife and my blind daughter and my other children has been to me as the plucking of the flesh from my bones," but he refused to be released, it was a choice he made. I was reading about another pastor, a communist... During the communist era in Romania, pastor Vasile. He had been in prison several times, every time he was there, he had a vibrant fruitful ministry to other believers. Strengthening them, sustaining them and evangelistic as well. At this point in the story, he was free, he and his wife prayed, every day, something like this, "Lord if You know some prisoner being held right now, who needs my help, please send me back to jail." And so God answered that prayer and he got arrested and sent back to jail and he would go continue his ministry there. Another story from, again, from Romania. A man who consistently took the beatings of other prisoners. What would happen is they would just have weekly beatings, just to tell everyone "we beat people here in this prison" and keep everyone in line. And so, some infraction would happened on a Thursday, beating day was Monday, this guy would stand up and take that person's beating because the guards didn't know who it was, they didn't care, it was just to keep everyone in line anyway, so again and again, this Christian man took non-Christian people's beatings and then would lead them to Christ. And obviously his health was getting broken, he was bleeding, he was suffering, he was dying. And another believer said, "Very soon, you'll be free from all this, and you'll go to heaven." he said "actually, if I could, I would rather stay here because in Heaven, though I have everything I could ever want, I could not, cannot suffer for anyone else and I'd rather stay here." They were mocked. They were flogged. Just imagine these things, they were chained, and in prison, they lost their freedom, they were stoned to death. Sawed in two. Apparently that was Isaiah, the prophet put inside some hollow log. That's a slow way to die. It's horrible if you think about it, so maybe you shouldn't think about it or maybe you should, it's listed here, "put to death with the sword" Apostle Paul, apparently, decapitated." That's how they did it, because he was a Roman citizen, they wouldn't crucify him as they did Peter according to the tradition, so they just beheaded him with a sword. They wandered about, that phrase has been on my mind wandering around, toward the end it says they were in deserts, mountains, caves and holes in the ground. So, that's homelessness, they're fleeing from their homes, they're not able to go home, they're running for their lives, they don't know where they're going to sleep that night. Like Jesus said, "Son of man has no place to lay his head" and so that's what they're like. Their life was like that, they were homeless. And they were in poverty, because it mentions that they were in sheep skins and goat skins, so, that's pointing toward poverty, they lost material benefits persecuted, destitute, persecuted, mistreated. And all of it because of their faith. By faith, these things happen, you say, "Well where is the power of God? Why won't God intervene? Can't God do something? Can't God stop it?" yes, he can stop it any time, by various means, he can just change their minds, he has that power. He can keep people from thinking certain things. Genesis Chapter 20 verse 6, you remember the story about Abraham and Abimelech? You remember that? Abimelech thought, "Here's a good-looking woman" and all that, took Sarah, hadn't done anything to her yet. Planning to. And God came to Abimelech in a dream. Remember that? "You're a dead man" "What did I do? What did I do? I'm innocent. I didn't know." he said "Sister, I didn't what... What did I do." Listen to this. Genesis 20:6. "yes I know you did this with a clear conscience. And so, listen, I have kept you from sinning against me." Ponder that one dear friends. "I stopped you from sinning against me." Can God do that with a persecutor? Oh yes. This is coming from God, this is God doing it. Do you not see that? This is God not stopping the persecutor, when he can easily do so. He could cause the persecutor to drop dead mid-persecution. Look what happened to King Herod, when he wouldn't give the glory to God, you remember? He was immediately struck down by an angel and eaten by worms and died. God could do that. The problem with that, you need to know is that some of those persecutors are elect, they just hadn't come to faith yet. Like Saul of Tarsus, right? But God could do that, he could strike them dead and not all... God knows the difference who, say, "Well just take out the non-elect ones", [chuckle] but God could do that. Reading stories in Bangladesh, again, there was an assassin hired by the Muslims, to take out a fruitful evangelist, he hunted the guy down, found him, raised the gun but couldn't pull the trigger, physically couldn't do it, and the guy was frustrated and having trouble, finally he runs away. The evangelist later that day, gets a phone call from the assassin saying, "I have a problem." I'm putting this in every day language, but "I have a problem." But he identified himself. "Okay, what's your problem?" "I can't move my arm, I can't move it at all. And I want you to pray for me." he didn't just pray for him, he led him to Christ, God stopped the man from pulling the trigger. God doesn't always do that, you see. That's what I'm saying. He doesn't always do that, sometimes he allows the assassin to pull the trigger. In Laos, there was a pastor who was arrested and they were beating on him, trying to get him to divulge other Christians names and all that, just torturing him, and suddenly tragedy struck the police. The officer who was conducting it, he had two sons, one of them had both their legs broken, in a serious accident and the other one fell seriously ill with a severe fever, on the same day. Also on that day, another officer that was directly doing the persecuting died in the middle of it, by a heart attack, they released the pastor later that day. They connected the dots. And you look at that and you say, "Well God, why don't you do that?" And we pray, don't we? "God do that, kind of thing, set them free." Sometimes God hears the prayers and says "No, it's my will to cause them to suffer for a while, and then bring them home." IV. Reason Given: Seeking the Better Resurrection (vs. 35) The reason given here in this text is these people were seeking a better resurrection. What does that mean, that they were seeking a better resurrection? One of two possibilities, they were seeking the resurrection of the righteous, as a believer in Jesus or they were seeking greater rewards on Judgment Day. Hey, you pick and choose. Either one is okay with me. Both of them valid, both of them fine. I'm going with the first because in the context here, he's saying, "We are not of those who shrink back to the destruction of our souls. We are those who finish the race to the salvation of our souls and we want the better resurrection." Better than what? Well, better than the resurrection of the wicked. What happens at the resurrection of the wicked? They go to hell. We want the better resurrection, going to Heaven. That's fine, or you could say better resurrection means better rewards. Blessed are you as Ashok read when people insult you, persecute you, mistreat you, rejoice and be glad because great is your award in heaven for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. V. Assessment: The World was Not Worthy of them (vs. 38) The final assessment of these, the world was not worthy of them. World didn't deserve them. This wicked world. This persecuting world, this Christ-hating world didn't deserve these people. And if you read in the Book of Revelation, when God is pouring out wrath on the Earth, one of the things he consistently remembers as he speaks and the angels talk about is, is how they treated his people, and so when the angel is pouring out his bowl and all the water is turned to blood, the angel says, "You are right to do this, oh Lord because you have so judged, because they killed your people and they shed their blood and you have given them blood to drink as they deserve." The world wasn't worthy of them, didn't deserve them, instead they got Stephen falling to his knees and praying, "God don't count this sin against them. Lord, open the King of England's eyes." That's what the world got. World didn't deserve them. VI. Applications Application. First Christ, aren't you glad that Christ refused to be released so that you could gain a better resurrection. In the garden he faced it, he embraced it, he said, "I'll drink it right to the bottom, I will not run away, I will drink their wrath." he's the real hero of Hebrews 11, all of 'em would say so. These people are just imitating Jesus. Jesus, the Son of God, came into the world to save sinners like you and me, and by his blood, by the blood of Jesus shed on the cross we are saved, all you have to do is believe in him. You don't have to do anything. And let me tell you something, you don't have to be a hero in time of persecution either, you're not saved by how heroically you handle persecution. It's not, you have to go accumulate a certain amount of persecution, then they let you into heaven. We are justified by faith in Jesus, it's because Jesus suffered on the cross. It's so important that you understand that. Because now I want to face this one question that's plagued me, it's been working on me. "Alright, God I see, I know the history, I love history, been reading it, been reading Extreme Devotion. Jesus Freaks and the devotions that come from it, all of those testimonies. I read Voice of the Martyrs, I read these things and I'm convicted by it. I'm encouraged but also convicted. I look at my life and say, "Lord I don't really suffer like that, I don't." Some of us can feel guilty. It's like the survivor's guilt, to some degree or something, I don't know, but then there's some genuine conviction that could be mixed in there, "God, am I really living openly for you like I should. Maybe I would have more persecution in my life if I were just bolder in evangelism and bold in standing up for unpopular issues of justice in this age." So I faced it and I just want to ask, okay, these verbs don't seem to apply to us. Flogged, sawed in two, even imprisoned. I'm talking about us, here, the ones who are here, you guys, me. So you've got these verbs and we face it. What do I do with that? Alright, I came up with some answers. Bear with me, I just want to give them to you quickly. First, understand every generation of Christians has been tempted to shrink back and not face the persecution. It's true of everyone, they're not super men and super women that we're talking about here. They faced it too. God helped them. He will help you. These Hebrew Christians faced the same things I do in shrinking back. They faced it. And the author is again and again... Hebrews 12:4, "In your struggle against sin, you've not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.” Don't get discouraged, keep running. Jesus suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood. Let us go out to him and bear the disgrace he bore. He's exhorting them to live and don't be afraid. So every generation has faced it. Second, some American Christians are persecuted for their faith very openly. Think about athletes or movie stars or other people who are Evangelical Christians and who speak up, boldly for their faith, and then just find out what the world thinks about them in the internet. Just read the comments, friends. Tim Tebow, Adrian Gonzalez. He got pounded for saying that it was God's will that the Red Sox not make the playoffs. He got pounded for it. But what I don't understand about Adrian Gonzalez as he wrote Psalm 27:1, "The Lord is my light and my salvation" on his bat. Everything he does he does for Jesus and he said it openly. So there are some Christians being persecuted. World Magazine every year does a Daniel of the Year, Daniel in the lions' den, that kind of thing. And these are men and women who stand firm in very tough situations. This year's Daniel of the Year is Alan Chambers who does Exodus International Ministry to homosexuals, very unpopular, persecuted. 2009, Stephen C. Meyer, Director of Discovery Institute, Center for Science and Culture, asserting that DNA evidence in itself proves there's a creator. Not very popular in the academic world. Wanda Cone, pregnancy care center in 2007. She was the Daniel of the Year then, and again, pro-life, standing firm for the rights of the pre-born to life. So that doesn't mean that I've been persecuted though. They have been persecuted. So persecution does happen here in America, it does happen. Thirdly, I think we should give thanks for religious freedom. We shouldn't feel guilty that we live in a country where other people suffered so greatly, whether soldiers or political scientists or Baptists or others that said, separation of church and state, make no law respecting religion, we're not going to have government forcing us to worship in a way, we don't want, as you have in a Muslim country. Definitely there. Okay? We're not going to have that here. Praise God for it, thank God, for it. We don't have to feel guilty, we should thank God for it and cherish it because it might not be around forever. Because some people think Freedom for Religion means freedom from religion and as we Evangelicals keep preaching the Gospel, we're going to start getting persecuted. And they might even start making laws and so it may end up morphing on us. Fourth, recognize smaller ways that normal Christians are persecuted. Jesus mentioned insults. Even in this list, there's mocking. Insults are not nothing. Family struggles because of Christ. Jesus said in Matthew 10 that he has come to turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law, a man's enemies will be the members of his own household. All of you who have come to faith in Christ, and you don't have nothing but non-Christian parents and brothers and sisters, I'm sure you've been persecuted at some level. You've been shunned or excluded or spoken against by your own siblings and by your own parents, perhaps, or children. But let's be realistic about that. Our cost has been far less than these people's cost. Greater love has no one than this, that a man lays down his life for his friends, we haven't had to lay down our life for Jesus. Fifth, be willing to evangelize more boldly, be willing to stand for unpopular causes more boldly. You will be persecuted. And you know it. And so face up to as Ashok was talking about, face up to ways that you have shrunk back from being a witness for Jesus and repent, and be willing to step up with brothers and sisters who have paid the price to share the gospel. You'll pay a less price here in the US at least, at this present time, and stand up for unpopular things, like the marriage protection amendment that's coming in this state, May 8th. I'll tell you what, if you get really, really active in that you will be persecuted, you will be persecuted. I'm wondering where all that's heading with the whole weird definitions of marriage. Will we be able to marry ourselves? I mean that's weird. Can we marry a pet? I mean, do we have any lasting definition of marriage? Yes, we do. It's in the Bible, one man one woman for life. "For this reason, a man will leave his father and mother, and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." There's a definition. If you get away from the Bible, you have no definition, and it just gets weird. So I think if you stand up for the marriage protection amendment, you will get persecuted. You should at least be involved at some level in that issue and find out more. Ask Andy when there's others that are getting involved in that. I'm seeing signs all around the street, another family against the Amendment, another family against the Amendment, it's interesting. It's not just interesting, it's a call to action for us. Now, of course, desiring to be persecuted is not a good motive for evangelism, you know that, alright. I'm here to get my daily quotient of persecution. You're the top choice on my list. Okay. So I'm going to share with you until you finally do something mean to me. That's terrible. It's just a by-product of love because you love them and you love Jesus, they're going to hurt you. Sixth, be aware of Christians around the world who are being persecuted, pray for them and do what you can to aid them. Read Persecution Project, read Voice of the Martyrs, pray for them, act as if you were in prison with them. We'll talk about that when we get to that text, just send money, just be aware and educate yourself, pray for them. Paul said, "join with me in my struggle by praying to God for me." And then finally, prepare yourselves for the future. What's it going to look like in the US in 50 years? Is there going to be a religious freedom in this country? So get yourself, your children and your grandchildren ready for the coming antichrist. When the price of salvation will be martyrdom, beheading, shedding of blood, horrible, it's coming, read about it in Revelation 20:4, Revelation 12:11, "They overcame him by the blood of the lamb, by the word of their testimony, they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death." Learn, prepare, grow and may it be said of you, the world was not worthy of them. Close with me in prayer.