Billy Graham Endorses NC Marriage Amendment Before State Vote

Wish there was a like option hehe

Thank you Mr. Graham!

Thank you brother Greg for posting this. I needed to see it. The article goes on to say that Graham usually doesn't get involved in the political arena but as one baptist associate point out that they believe the reason why He did this time was because He saw this as a moral issue and He felt He needed to take a biblical stand for God's standard.

Brother I usually avoid politics and never bring it up in my local church but I believe their comes a time when God's people need to vote for biblical principles when they are being destroyed right before our eyes.

The media fueled by "the haters of God's morals" are always trying to portray christian people as haters because we believe in God's standard of right and wrong. They accuse many God fearing Christians who actually love all people and desire to see them saved and live a holy pleasing life unto the Lord, as hating homosexuals, because we are against their sin. They accuse us of hating them when actually they are really hating us because we strive to honor God in the clear teachings of the bible.

True Christians don't hate homosexuals but desire for them to be saved and experience God's love and holiness. I feel that we must desire to see God's institution of marriage between a man and a woman stay that way, for a society of people, for our children's sake, and most of all for morality sake in honoring our creator who is a holy God.

Blessings...from brother rbanks

rbanks..Brother I usually avoid politics and never bring it up in my local church.

This is why this Country is in the shape it's in morally, no one wants to get involved anymore. The Gays and the Government has created a snowball effect, that is only going to get larger.

This is not picking on your at all personally, this is just a general statement.

You know there are just some things in the Bible that are supposed to happen according to God's word in the end times, things that we as Christians condemn. Are we just suppose to let these things happen if there in Gods plan? or, are we supposed to fight back with prayer, and will prayer even work if these things are in Gods ultimate plan for the end times? I have always wondered if anything is in God's plan for the end times, no matter how much we condemn them, is our Prayers in vain? I know God answers our Prayer, if of course we are walking the correct path in life, but how would he answer a Prayer against something that he has destined for the end times?

This is why this Country is in the shape it's in morally, no one wants to get involved anymore.

I agree however, not with the involvement as far as it goes for your destination. Involvement in what? I think that is of great importance. Your next statement seems to me as it were, well, wrong?

The Gays and the Government has created a snowball effect, that is only going to get larger.

Can we justly finger point and blame others when I believe it is the believers in Christ who have bowed their knee to the world and because of that God's judgement has come. Do we rightfully judge the world or do we judge one another inside the body?

You know there are just some things in the Bible that are supposed to happen according to God's word in the end times, things that we as Christians condemn. Are we just suppose to let these things happen if there in Gods plan? or, are we supposed to fight back with prayer, and will prayer even work if these things are in Gods ultimate plan for the end times? I have always wondered if anything is in God's plan for the end times, no matter how much we condemn them, is our Prayers in vain? I know God answers our Prayer, if of course we are walking the correct path in life, but how would he answer a Prayer against something that he has destined for the end times?

I wonder the same exact thing.
edit: Wanting to just express my point and say that I don't want to come off harsh or judgmental. Perhaps I have misunderstood you and in that case please forgive me. It seems that for some of us we look at the judgments of God and place them on unbelievers when it is very clear that He deals with those He has called with consequences, either good or bad, based on the called out one's response to Him.

Brother Bill I disagree and agree with you also brother.

Jesus never got involved with the political systems of this world because His kingdom is not of this world.

I believe God judges each individual according to the light that they reject and also the light they refuse to walk in regardless of the end times prophecy of the scriptures.

Each person in the final analysis will get to decide which side He will choose to remain on whether it is God's or the devil's. The world is going toward hell and destruction along with all the religious systems of the world but the decisions we make is according to the light we receive not according to prophecy of the scripture or someone's understanding of end times prophecy.

Blessings...from brother rbanks

Jesus never got involved with the political systems of this world because His kingdom is not of this world.

While it's true that His kingdom is not of this world it is also true that "The earth is the LORD'S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein." All the nations are the Lord's and we need to get out of the world's mindset that puts a separation between the sacred and the secular. We need to speak boldly in the public forum and declare the living God as the only solution to man's predicament just like Paul did on Mars' Hill.

We are not of the world but neither must we be indifferent to it. If the "Epicureans and Stoicks" of our day are found in the political public forum then let us declare the "unknown" God unto them in word and deed.

In Christ,

Ron

Amen and Amen brother Ron!

I believe in doing this without being involved in any political system of this world.

We need men and women full of the Holy Ghost, not holding signs or picketing places just be filled with the Holy Ghost and proclaim Jesus Christ to a lost and dying world.

Blessings...from brother rbanks

by rbanks on 2012/5/5 9:46:39
Amen and Amen brother Ron!

Isaiah 9:6
For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

Now I've asked a few leaders in the church I attend, it was a prayer meeting amongst the ushers, if the government rested on Christ's shoulders and to my amazement they said no, one I think didn't quite answer at all. I believe God Almighty is in full control!

All the nations are the Lord's and we need to get out of the world's mindset that puts a separation between the sacred and the secular.

Which is what Jesus was saying when he said, "Render to Caesar's the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." We can't divide the sacred from the secular, or separate the church from the state. To do so is a deadly theological trap.

All the nations are the Lord's and we need to get out of the world's mindset that puts a separation between the sacred and the secular.

by KingJimmy Which is what Jesus was saying when he said, "Render to Caesar's the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." We can't divide the sacred from the secular, or separate the church from the state. To do so is a deadly theological trap.

This is hard for me to grasp, and to put into action. Can you explain how this plays out in a Christian's life? Through prayers only or?

None of this however has anything to do with being part of the state as far as these verses teach. Voting, or involving oneself in politics,

"Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's and unto God the things that are God's" is a more than just Jesus coming up with a clever way to tell people trying to trap him to pay their taxes. Indeed, this instruction was given to a people who were trying so hard to not involve themselves with the government of Rome, that they were considering measures as radical as not paying their taxes. After all, they just wanted to be a holy people of God, and wanted nothing to do with their Roman oppressors, who forced them to use money that paid worship to Caesar upon it.

Far from being a clever saying to get His would be persecutors off His back, Jesus was attempting to give them a new perspective. For their perspective was one that created one common to many of us in America. And it is quite a worldly perspective. It is a perspective that separates the sacred from the secular, and the church from the state. It creates a fragmented world. And such a perspective, when taken to its extremes, creates Amish communities in one hand, and Communist nations in the other.

This is hard for me to grasp, and to put into action. Can you explain how this plays out in a Christian's life? Through prayers only or?

I believe this plays out in very practical ways, say for example in a town meeting, where the Christian can declare that our present problems just might be related to how our society has been insincere in regard to the question of God.

Our society is happy to allow us to have our Sunday meeting and our conferences and such, but when it comes to secular matters, the church is no longer consulted or even considered a valid voice. The sacred and the secular have been separated and the church has capitulated.

We need to present the truth that if God is God then it is better to hope in His solution than to trust in the power of men that historically has ended in disaster. The world's problems are clearly beyond a secular solution and it's time to speak up. Let people scoff but let God's word be heard.

America doesn't have to go the way of European nations if the church will intercede and get her voice again.

should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead? To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. (Isaiah 8:19-20)

In Christ,

Ron

I think that there have been some great points raised. I was discussing the issue of "gay marriage" with a Christian guy that I knew during college. He said, "If it doesn't bother me, why should I care?"

I explained that the state redefining the concept of "marriage" is just one goal of homosexual activists. They also want to outlaw what they would call "discrimination." They define this as speaking against homosexuality, refusing to hire a homosexual or refusing to extend certain benefits to the homosexual or his/her spouse.

While most states offer a "clear conscience" clause to churches, the same would not be extended to other organizations. If you are own your own plumbing business, what would happen if a transvestite wanted to work for you? If you didn't hire him -- because you present your business as "Christ-centered" -- you could be sued for discrimination. If a ministry runs a small non-profit Christian bookstore or coffee house, you could be sued for "discrimination" for refusing to hire a homosexual or for refusing to extend benefits to the "spouse" of some person who "came out of the closet" after already being employed there.

In other words, these things WILL affect all people living in this world. Some people -- particular those on the political Left -- constantly argue against any religious or spiritual influence in government. Yet most of those same individuals are either silent or encourage other views or morality to be pushed upon society.

Like it or not, we live in the earthly land where we dwell. While we maintain a citizenship in Heaven that takes preeminence over an earthly "natural" citizenship, we still live in this land until the time for which we pass to the realm of Eternity. Until the last few centuries, individuals did not have an opportunity to choose those who would govern or have any say in the laws of the land. Yet, even those who practice "physical and spiritual separatism" like the Pilgrims, Amish and others have a form of community government in which the people either form or consent to the laws/rules. That consent is demonstrated by remaining in the community to which the governance is accepted.

None of us are hermits in a spiritual or physical sense. We live in a nation on this fallen world. Most modern nations are governed by "consent" or the collective voice of the people. Voting in elections or in regard to "propositions" is merely an indication of that "voice." When Jimmy spoke of an inability to refrain from "participation" in a different thread, I think that this is what he might have meant. Silence is a form of participation in a society that is governed by "consent." It is literally "consenting" to the status quo by simply refusing to get "involved." Yet, involvement is not necessarily "political" (in the modern connotation of the term). It is simply sharing what you think in an official capacity.

In this instance, I agree with what Billy Graham said. I never thought that homosexual activists would become such a vocal movement that they would be able to impose their view of morality upon society and force society to not only recognize their depravity -- but to accept it legally. There are individuals who would love nothing more than to impose their sexuality on churches and treat believers as if they are the "radical" ones. This is why many of them also hope that those who disagree with them -- especially Christians -- refrain from sharing that voice in elections and when laws (such as propositions or amendments) are put up to an official vote.

Well said Ron. If we are to truly go into the nations and teach them to observe all that Christ has commanded, then that means we need to stand up and tell them what thus saith the Lord. And we should expect them to respond. And they should respond and govern in light of what is said.

Exactly Chris. We are a society whose government consists of the consent of the people. And where we deliberately refuse to participate in voicing our perspective as Christians, our lack of participation is participation, even if by means of passivity and omission.

And even in countries that are totalitarian and communist, the church still has a responsibility to speak up, and declare God's will to the rulers of her land. I mean, look at the apostle Paul. When he was a prisoner on board of a prison ship, he spoke up on several occasions, and told the captain of the ship how he ought to direct his ship. And he did that as a prisoner!!! He didn't do it as somebody who even had the right to voice his opinion on that ship.