June 14, 2019 WWJWMTD by Steve, the son of John

Spiritual Radar & Useless Thoughts

Do you have any ‘spiritual radar’? I have noticed over the years that some people can recognize God doing something immediately. They seem to have a magic connection to what God wants and what He wants to do. While other individuals are always blindsided by God’s activity; people who never have any peace because the world keeps them upset.

I am reminded in Scripture what Jesus had to say about God’s activity: “Jesus spoke to the crowds, ‘But to what will I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to one another, ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we wailed, and you did not mourn.’ For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon’; the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds’." Matthew 11: 16-19

We need to exercise our senses (as the Apostle Paul said) to determine what the will of God is. It is a trial and error learning behavior. Paul, like you and me, need to first want God’s will to be done, be willing to do and perform His will, and be open to allowing God to move us to His will. This is the wisdom of God—know what is good from bad, what is right from wrong, and what God is doing and what man is doing.

We must exercise our senses (both spiritual and natural) to recognize the activity of God. Religious people in Jesus day failed to see God’s purposes in the ministry of John the Baptist and in Jesus ministry. Here again is wisdom—knowing the will of God and recognizing the works of the Holy Spirit.

Too often we flood ourselves with useless thoughts of the day and get involved in the political activity at every level of our society. We become passionate with what is happening on the state or national level in our capitals but fail to get involved and recognize what God is doing on earth regarding the Kingdom of God (righteousness, joy and peace in the Holy Spirit).

We are so involved and turn our attention to political things that God’s will is drowned out with the passion of our thoughts for what man is doing. We fail to see the wisdom of God and what God is wanting us to do because our mind, soul, spirit, and strength (and time) are filled with useless events, issues, and cultural issues of the day.

Our spiritual radar must be active all the time, so we do not ‘give place to the devil’. Satan will dominate everything you do through subtle ways and emotional events just so you do not recognize the will of God or see what the Holy Spirit is doing. It is time to pray for Spiritual Radar!

WWJWMTD

What would Jesus want me to do?

Dr. Steven J. Wentland www.wwjwmtd.com

This e-mail, including attachments, may include confidential and/or proprietary information, and may be used only by the person or entity to which it is addressed. If the reader of this e-mail is not the intended recipient or his or her authorized agent, the reader is hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution, or copying of this e-mail is prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, please notify the sender by replying to this message and delete this e-mail immediately.

July 13, 2019 WWJWMTD by Steve, the son of John

Who Killed Jesus

Who killed Jesus? You did! Oh, you were not there but that does not matter. No, you did not place the nails in His body or drove them into His hands and feet. You did not even beat him until He passed out, but you killed him just the same.

Our sin killed Him. No man or any type of persecution could ever have killed Him. If Jesus did not choose to be hung on a cross, He would be alive today. He could not die. It was impossible for Him to die by the hands of human beings.

We think our sin is not alive or powerful, nor does it matter very much. But our sin is what destroys all that is good, right, and perfect. It is our sin and only our sin that Jesus came to rid the world of.

Sin, as I have said often, is complicated and all pervasive. Sin brings sickness, brokenness, and failure in every relationship we have. Sin consumes whatever it touches and places us in a state or hopelessness and complete rejection. Man struggles to overcome his sin, but it is only in Christ that sin can be done away with; can be forgotten and its consequences reversed.

You say you have found forgiveness but are there still stains of our sin in your life? Is everything that sin has produced in your life been done away with? Do you struggle in any area of your life; do you have peace in everything you do? Are you happy all the time or does you conscious still convict you?

Yes, you killed Jesus, and you are still killing Him today! It is only repentance and forgiveness that is found in the Holy Spirit that can release you and bring you life.

Go off by yourself, weep and mourn over your sin. Cry out for forgiveness and repent by changing your ways. It is Jesus who you killed, and it is only Him that can forgive you. His love for you will cleanse you and His forgiveness will make you whole. (Isaiah 1:18)

“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”

WWJWMTD

What would Jesus want me to do?

Dr. Steven J. Wentland www.wwjwmtd.com

This e-mail, including attachments, may include confidential and/or proprietary information, and may be used only by the person or entity to which it is addressed. If the reader of this e-mail is not the intended recipient or his or her authorized agent, the reader is hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution, or copying of this e-mail is prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, please notify the sender by replying to this message and delete this e-mail immediately.

July 12, 2019 WWJWMTD by Steve, the son of John

Times Up

I was resting watching some TV and the Spirit of God said to me, “Times up, Steve.” God scares me when He speaks to me like this. I have been searching the Holy Spirit to determine what God is talking about and why to me. Wisdom by the way is never obvious nor does God make it easy. There is a cost to pay for wisdom that comes from God and that is what scares me the most. “Wisdom: God is in charge and He does not bend or retreat; His wisdom comes to us through love,” quote from Steve.

"Times up" means there is no time for planning for the future, enjoying things like I have in the past, no more creating pleasant memories. Life as we know it will soon be no more.

Whatever I do, whatever you do, if Jesus is not making our plans, we are both in trouble. Life no longer will be for enjoyment. We are racing toward His Second Coming and Christ is bringing His judgment with Him.

There is no special place of escape, but destruction will touch us all. I worry that so many of us, i.e. Christians, who want to be children of Christ, will find themselves unprepared to face the Christ of Revelations, the interpretation of Jesus in the book, The Revelation of Saint John the Divine. It is this Christ who will come riding on a white horse and bringing with Him tens of thousands of the saints to execute judgment on the earth.

If we do not make time for Jesus while on this earth, Jesus will not make room for us in His heaven. I do not think we as Americans are prepared to eat only one meal a day, will no longer be able to purchase food, clothing or gasoline at our convenience. Our money will not be worth anything, medical assistance will become a thing of the past, but instead you will be looking for any type of food and good drinking water. Forget about traveling, vacations, entertainment—you will spend your time just planning to stay alive.

Then the Anti-Christ will arrive. He will offer you a way of living, but you will have to worship him. Take his mark upon you and then he will do miracles to allow you to stay alive. You will gladly give up all your freedom and decision-making to him. While God is exercising His will and His judgment on the earth, Satan will be offering a way of escape for the simple task of just honoring Satan, making himself a god.

People will gladly do this so they can keep their sin. People will not repent, will not call their sin, sin, but rather reject all that God offers now that Satan is offering them a way to stay alive and keep on sinning.

California, you will be the first to fall into this trap. Your season of constant earthquakes is almost upon you. You have promoted your sin through entertainment (Hollywood) and promoted your immoral philosophy throughout the nation. You pride yourself as being the #1 state that other states follow. You are prideful, arrogant, selfish, and think your power, influence, and money will protect you. God’s judgement will visit you first.

Time is up and you cannot see what is coming because you are blind, naked, and poor. Your own sin has made you corrupt, but you think you are rich and in need of nothing. God will not be ignored nor accused…times up!

WWJWMTD

What would Jesus want me to do?

Dr. Steven J. Wentland www.wwjwmtd.com

This e-mail, including attachments, may include confidential and/or proprietary information, and may be used only by the person or entity to which it is addressed. If the reader of this e-mail is not the intended recipient or his or her authorized agent, the reader is hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution, or copying of this e-mail is prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, please notify the sender by replying to this message and delete this e-mail immediately.

July 11, 2019 WWJWMTD by Steve, the son of John

The Gay Agenda: Where is this all Going

by Phillip Lee, His Way Out Ministries

"We demand freedom from social restraint and independence from any and all moral order."

“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness.” (Isaiah 5:20)

Today, especially in America, little is being offered which promotes the truth about homosexuality with the general public and the Church believing the many untruths and inaccuracies being offered. This did not happen by accident. This has been and continues to be a well-crafted strategic plan.

Phase One: Get society and the Church to accept the falsehood that someone can be a gay Christian (it’s ok to practice homosexuality) which will then set the stage for the transition to Phase Two.

Phase Two: Revise Scripture to endorse and validate the homosexual disposition and agenda.

Hence, pro-gay theology: the abandonment of Scriptural truth; scientific information, social changes, and personal experience becomes the cornerstone of how ‘truth’ is determined.

For homosexual practice to be seen as acceptable and created by God, historic and traditional Christian teaching had to be discredited.

Phase Three: Since it’s ok to be a gay Christian (according to pro-gay theology), then God Himself supports, approves, and validates homosexuality and same-sex marriage.

Herein lies the true problem (crisis).

Nowhere in the Bible does any Scripture, not one, approve of or support the notion or concept of gay Christian or same-sex relationships. Every time Scripture mentions homosexual practice it is always, without exception, mentioned in the context of a behavior in which no man or woman is to practice – not unlike many other behaviors.

The Church cannot ‘welcome and affirm’ what God Himself never affirms. Yes, Jesus welcomed and loved every person, but He never, ever affirmed their sin – not once.

That said, permit me to take this another direction for a moment.

It is long overdue for many, including homosexual strugglers, to stop singling out homosexuality as the worst of all sins.

Today, many view the person engaged in homosexual acts to be unsaved. Why are not the same assumptions made, at least with the same rigor and emphasis, regarding other sins such as: fornication (pre-marital sex), idolatry, adultery, thievery, covetousness, alcoholism, slander, and deceit. An end must come to declaring those guilty of pre-marital sex as just, well, “disobedient Christians,” while declaring homosexuals definitely non-Christians.

As Christians, our relationship with God through Christ is the cornerstone of our identity.

Today, many are being told, “Accept yourself and follow your heart.”

However, Jesus says, “Deny yourself and follow Me.”

“By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, ‘I have come to know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him; the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.” (1 John 2:3-6)

Dr. Steven J. Wentland www.wwjwmtd.com

This e-mail, including attachments, may include confidential and/or proprietary information, and may be used only by the person or entity to which it is addressed. If the reader of this e-mail is not the intended recipient or his or her authorized agent, the reader is hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution, or copying of this e-mail is prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, please notify the sender by replying to this message and delete this e-mail immediately.

July 6, 2019 WWJWMTD by Steve, the son of John

You’re at Risk!

You are at risk if you are a follower of Christ. Not only are you hated by man, but Satan is always after you to harm you. But, did you know that God places us at risk many times. That is right, He places you in harm’s way—that is who God is and how much He loves us.

Matthew 18:12-14 “What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.

Jesus said that God is interested in the one lost sheep and will leave the ninety-nine sheep (put them at risk) while He finds the one lost sheep. Why would God do this? Often, I find myself being part of the herd of 99 sheep, and Jesus seems far away, as if He is on a journey. I am looking for Him and want Him to be near me.

Jesus is telling me and you, “You’re OK, I will be back. I am gone for a reason—I am looking for the one lost sheep.” We still have the Holy Spirit with us, as Jesus promised, but it is Jesus that I want to be close to all the time. I trust that what He said He will do, that He will be back, and I am to stay where He left me.

Why does God do this? Why does He place us at risk? Wherever He leaves us—stay there! Do not wander off into the mountains where there is danger, where Satan is looking to kill us. Stay in the pasture and near the waters where Jesus left you. He will be back and bringing the lost sheep with Him.

I am indeed at risk while serving Christ, but I know that I am OK and should just continue in the place where He left me—He will be back—He promised! Jesus is my Shepard, my protector, and His commands will keep me safe.

WWJWMTD

What would Jesus want me to do?

Dr. Steven J. Wentland www.wwjwmtd.com

This e-mail, including attachments, may include confidential and/or proprietary information, and may be used only by the person or entity to which it is addressed. If the reader of this e-mail is not the intended recipient or his or her authorized agent, the reader is hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution, or copying of this e-mail is prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, please notify the sender by replying to this message and delete this e-mail immediately.

July 4, 2019 WWJWMTD by Steve, the son of John

It’s Easy

It is easy to be a sinner in America. You are programed to sin by society. Our culture pushes us to display all those character traits that are the direct opposite of who Christ is and what Jesus has done for us. Often our anger precedes our sin and drives our behavioral attitudes; it’s our anger that usually gets us into trouble.

It is easy to be angry—society gives us many choices in order to be upset. Let’s see, there’s politics, big corporations, our public-school system, those neighbors, the in-laws, uncaring medical doctors, freeway traffic, U.S. Postal Service, technology failures and dropped-lines (phone calls), personal debt, and even your co-workers. The list can go on and on.

Anger seems to be in the news every evening and a central characteristic to our families. It is anger that is the root cause of failed relationships, dysfunctional government, and children that feel lost and disconnected. Anger is usually a sign of selfishness and a low self-esteem. An anger person is often a broken person on the inside.

Jesus talked often about one’s low-self-esteem. Show me a person who has a low self-esteem and I will show you a person that uses anger to get what they want, a person not usually good at math, or a person that is driven to self-gratification. A person that is continually angry is lost on the inside and an enemy to the principles of Christ.

God says, “Be slow to anger.” That is good advice for everyone no matter your social status or work ethic. Too many of us want things to be perfect or people perfect that work with us or depend on us. If I was willing to pick one sin that destroys more people than any other, I would have to choose anger—the display of anger destroys everything good.

In the last days, it is God’s anger that will drive His intervention with mankind. God’s anger is just and right, while our anger is selfish and immoral. If we would forgive first, love second, and last of all, help those around us, we not only would be happier but would not feel in the lasts days the anger of God.

I live by the 3F’s—forgiveness, friendship, and the freedom of Christ. I want this for myself and those around me. Next time you want to be angry remember the 3F’s and allow God to smile upon you.

WWJWMTD

What would Jesus want me to do?

Dr. Steven J. Wentland www.wwjwmtd.com

This e-mail, including attachments, may include confidential and/or proprietary information, and may be used only by the person or entity to which it is addressed. If the reader of this e-mail is not the intended recipient or his or her authorized agent, the reader is hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution, or copying of this e-mail is prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, please notify the sender by replying to this message and delete this e-mail immediately.

May 19, 2019 WWJWMTD by Steve, the son of John

Leaving My Sin Behind

My Heart Cries, Series

Everything God does is based in Jesus Christ—who He is and what He did. Our basis for living is found only in the forgiveness of sin and the amount of mercy each one of us finds in God’s Son. Let’s understand, God never does anything without the prerequisite of forgiveness. Without mercy, we are without God—we are miserable, blind, and naked.

We have a choice. The choice is either our sins are placed behind us by the washing of water (as is stated in the Gospels and the ministry of John the Baptist) so we can enter the Holy of Holies and become acceptable to God, or they follow us to the judgment seat of Christ—we drag our sins to judgment.

King Hezekiah asked God for mercy and he said this about God’s response to his prayer (Isaiah 38:17), “In love for my soul, you (God) delivered me from the pit of corruption and have cast all my sins behind me.”

All of us can find either great mercy, the kind of forgiveness King David found in God, which his son, Solomon, spoke about his father in the Second Book of the Chronicles 1:8, or we look to the Second Coming of Christ with fear and hatred toward God. David asked God to remove his sin from him, as far as the east is from the west.

You ask me why has not that ‘great awakening’ and the ‘next move of the Holy Spirit’ happened in America? It is simple, we have asked for revival, but we have not sought God through repentance and forgiveness. We want both God and our sins. We want miracles, healings, and signs of the Spirit but without a broken spirit and a contrite heart.

When will it come you say? It will come when you seek God with all your heart and soul that are broken and washed in the blood of the Lamb of God. Darkness is coming; darkness you cannot escape from. God’s Light is offered to you in order for you to find your way in the coming darkness of God’s judgment. If only we would seek forgiveness and be willing for God to make us clean, then our light would shine in the darkness, and we would see clearly where to walk in righteousness.

It is time for our sins to be place behind us so we can have a future. No forgiveness, no future. No repentance, only death in loneliness. No washing and cleansing experiences in the Holy Spirit, Christ’s judgment will be your eternal inheritance.

My heart cries because of the possibility that summer is past and the time of God’s harvest is lost. Let’s find God through placing our sin behind us.

WWJWMTD

What would Jesus want me to do?

Dr. Steven J. Wentland www.wwjwmtd.com

This e-mail, including attachments, may include confidential and/or proprietary information, and may be used only by the person or entity to which it is addressed. If the reader of this e-mail is not the intended recipient or his or her authorized agent, the reader is hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution, or copying of this e-mail is prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, please notify the sender by replying to this message and delete this e-mail immediately.

May 18, 2019 WWJWMTD by Steve, the son of John

Got Time for Today?

‘My Heart Cries’ Series

“Does anyone really know what time it is? Does anyone really care?” I loved those phrases when they became part of the lyrics to a Chicago tune in the sixties. They were indeed prophetic words for a troubled generation looking for significance, meaning, and purpose. My heart cries when people consider ‘time’ more important than ‘the day’.

Time is everywhere, at least the record of time. Every once in a while, I leave time behind. No watch, no cell phone, or calendar allowed while working on the ranch. Time seems to be getting in the way of times—at least the good times of the day. We are more concerned with time than the events in time that are defining and dictating who we are. In fact, we seem to more concerned about time than God’s concept of today.

I decided to add up all the clocks (including digital time pieces) in my home—there are 25 and counting (no pun intended). I know, the Bible says there is a time for this and a time for that—Ecclesiastes Chapter 3, and we ought to understand time’s importance. But that is my point.

Yes, I would be one of the first to say, pay attention to the moments in time. But I am looking forward to not having a watch or cell phone (whatever your timepiece is) to regulate my every move. We should not fail to see the forest for the trees or fail to understand the importance of the day because of the dictates time.

I am concerned for my neighbor, my grandchildren, and my community. The relationships I cultivate will be the only true record of the time I spent on earth. There will be no remembrance of the last-minute deal I clenched, no copy of my pocket calendar for others to follow, no watch or cell phone of mine that others will want to wear, let alone use. What’s important? Relationships that is all—what they are; what were their impact. As we all know from experience, relationships are cultivated in the concept of today. God’s times are for ‘today’; “Today if you will hear His voice,” Hebrews says.

Next time you get in a hurry—trying to make that next time appointment—I suggest you schedule an event (not time) for a phone call to a friend, a son or daughter, your spouse—just to say “I love you and I hope your day is going well.” Either be a slave to master time or create a relationship for a lifetime. For me the later seems the better use of time.

Always remember Ecclesiastes 8: 5b when considering today over time, “…and the wise heart will know the proper time and procedure.” Consider this an untimed note—an event filled message—from a friend!

WWJWMTD

What would Jesus want me to do?

Dr. Steven J. Wentland www.wwjwmtd.com

This e-mail, including attachments, may include confidential and/or proprietary information, and may be used only by the person or entity to which it is addressed. If the reader of this e-mail is not the intended recipient or his or her authorized agent, the reader is hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution, or copying of this e-mail is prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, please notify the sender by replying to this message and delete this e-mail immediately.

May 17, 2019 WWJWMTD by Steve, the son of John

My Heart Cries Within Me

“The Need for the Forgotten God”

I cannot go a day without the Spirit of God is saying to me, "Darkness is coming." Everything He is impressing on me is related to His return and the darkness that will shortly be upon us all. In so many ways, the Book of Revelation has or is presently being fulfilled. We cannot ignore what is presently taking place. So many in the Body of Christ have warned us, of these days, while many have long to see God’s words unfold. It frightens me and at the same time, I am excited to be ‘standing on the wall’ watching & proclaiming Christ’s return.

“My heart within me cries”—it cries for Jesus and issues a warning to all, "Christ is coming and darkness (in the form of God’s judgment) is preceding His return." We have much too often turned away from the Trinity (Father, Son & Holy Spirit). We have done this by rejecting part of God—the Holy Spirit (the ‘Forgotten God’). Do not tell me you believe in God without the Holy Spirit working personally and dynamically in your life. It is the Holy Spirit that Jesus told His disciples you must have and to wait for Him. It is the operation of the Holy Spirit that allows us to have all that God offers of Himself and gives us comfort—He is the Comforter, Jesus said.

Why has God the Father sent and is presently sending the “early and latter rain” (Book of Acts), so each of us will have ‘The Comforter’. To God (the Father and Jesus), the Holy Spirit is that important! All the ‘Fruits and Gifts’ are found in ‘The Comforter’, which we call the Holy Spirit, are for mankind to survive what is to come (Book of Galatians). It is in the statements of Jesus in the New Testament and examples of the Holy Spirit working in the Book of Acts that educate us to become overcomes of evil and protected from the darkness of God’s judgment.

So, let’s fill up our lives with the oil and anointing of the Holy Spirit. When times become so dark and we can no longer manifest acts of God through the working of His power; it is the Holy Spirit and His anointing in our lives that will allow our lives to have light so we can find our way in the times of darkness. (Remember the story of the 10 virgins and only half of them could ‘go out’ and meet Christ when He returns—it was the oil in their lamps that made the difference). It is through patience and the fear of the Lord that will allow us to be untouched by darkness and ready for His return. The Comforter brings us oil; He is the oil in our lives!

So, “my heart cries”—it cries for you and for me. It cries to get ready! To be prepared for yourself, your family, your friends and your community. Do not let these times of darkness come upon you without warning and when you least expect. Always be looking and always be broken for others. It is our mourning for others that will save not only ourselves but also find mercy for those in need.

I mourn because I care, and I care because the love of God has been poured out into my heart by Jesus Christ. Let’s cry together for any aspect and any attribute of the ‘Unforgotten God’ that does not exist in our lives. I want all that is promised and talked about in the Bible concerning the Holy Spirit. I cry because I am broken, naked, blind and poor without the Holy Spirit in my life, without my Comforter.

WWJWMTD

What would Jesus want me to do?

Dr. Steven J. Wentland www.wwjwmtd.com

This e-mail, including attachments, may include confidential and/or proprietary information, and may be used only by the person or entity to which it is addressed. If the reader of this e-mail is not the intended recipient or his or her authorized agent, the reader is hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution, or copying of this e-mail is prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, please notify the sender by replying to this message and delete this e-mail immediately.

May 16, 2019 WWJWMTD by Steve, the son of John

By Guest Writer: Phillip Lee

The Elephant in Our Homes and Sanctuaries

When it comes to the subjects of homosexuality and HIV/AIDS, I withdrew from endeavoring to be both politically-correct and church-correct many, many years ago.

For far too many youth today, morality has become purely a matter of personal taste. Regarding sexual expression, opinions vary on how best to attain fulfillment, and in the thinking of many people, these differences are nothing more than opinions. From this perspective, regardless of one’s personal view or opinion on sexual expression, sex outside of marriage between one man and one woman or remaining celibate as a single man or woman, have been reduced to a matter of personal preference or expression.

Today, one youth’s promiscuity is another youth’s monogamy when it comes to homosexual practice. That said, in all fairness, the same could be said for heterosexuals as well. But in either case, the facts are undeniably true there is a demonstrable relationship between promiscuity and high-risk sexual behavior. They are synonymous.

As a resident of San Francisco and member of the gay community in 1980, I personally witnessed the tragedy of HIV/AIDS unfold with some of my dearest and closest friends being the first to pass away from the disease. As a Christian, I believe in the sanctity of life. All life is sacred and deserves to be celebrated. I am confident my stating I am a Christian has probably struck a nerve given the odds at which the gay community and the Christian community frequently find themselves.

“I’m so troubled and confused. There are so many mixed messages being generated about homosexuality,” is a frequent statement offered by youth. To compound the crisis, youth today are hearing virtually nothing about the ongoing AIDS crisis. Many of the youth are Christians, each having been raised in Church and reared in a Christian home. Therefore, once again, we find “the elephant in the home and in the sanctuary” that very, very few will discuss leaving them vulnerable and unaware of the very real and present danger.

It is the muted nature of discussions on HIV/AIDS that has led to a false belief that HIV is the problem of other people. Please hear me clearly. HIV/AIDS does not care if you are rich or poor, American or African, young or old and HIV/AIDS does not care if you are a Christian or not. One wrong move and your life will be changed forever. There is great, great reward in living our lives within God’s holy boundary lines.

Tragically, the relatively new drug/medication, PrEP ( Pre-exposure prophylaxis), a pill for people who do not have HIV but who are at substantial risk of getting it to prevent HIV infection by taking a pill every day, has created a false sense of reality and in some cases has caused some to be even more sexually active.

Experts agree that the answer to stopping the AIDS epidemic globally is not treatment, but prevention. They also agree that the best hope for prevention lies in changing human behavior. Never has the need and the opportunity been greater for the Christian community to take the lead in responding to this continuing crisis with conviction and compassion.

Youth need to be clearly discipled in the truth and reality that God has given each and every one of us free-will choice. Without free-will choice, there is no such thing as true, pure, undefiled love. However, present realities dictate with regard to HIV/AIDS that when we exercise our free-will choice, we do not get to choose the consequence that may come our way as a result of our bad choice.

These are perilous times for youth when it comes to the topic of homosexuality and sexual expression. Therefore, in the name of decency, true compassion and humanity, every church without exception should have a very frank discussion about sexual promiscuity and HIV/AIDS.

Why would anyone encourage or promote a behavior (any behavior) which has all probability of dramatically shortening or taking one’s life? Would someone please explain this to me?

And, for the sake of clarification, the silent-mode treatment with regard to sexual promiscuity and HIV/AIDS results in many youths not knowing about the health risks, which is why they aren’t concerned with contracting HIV/AIDS.

Ultimately, practically-speaking, I remain grieved and concerned that American culture, in particular, remains in the very tight grip of political-correctness and church-correctness when any expression of concern or disagreement with any aspect of the homosexual movement, or with homosexuality itself is expressed.

I have said before, but it seems appropriate to offer once again the statement “there was a time when the Church set societal standards.” It is time and long overdue we took the role and the God-given mandate by God Himself back.

Reaching youth is something we all can do and must do to help searching youth understand God’s abundant plans for their lives and to counteract any agenda that desires to ruin all hope for the youth.

To speak the truth in love to a youth is not to condemn the one to whom it is spoken. Not once did Jesus ever shrink back from speaking hard, sometimes stinging words of warning to those whom He undoubtedly loved.

May we, individually and collectively, have the courage and compassion of our perfect role model, Jesus Christ.

Pastor Phillip Lee, Executive Director, His Way Out Ministries

WWJWMTD

What would Jesus want me to do?

Dr. Steven J. Wentland www.wwjwmtd.com

This e-mail, including attachments, may include confidential and/or proprietary information, and may be used only by the person or entity to which it is addressed. If the reader of this e-mail is not the intended recipient or his or her authorized agent, the reader is hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution, or copying of this e-mail is prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, please notify the sender by replying to this message and delete this e-mail immediately.