October 10, 2023 WWJWMTD by Steve, the son of John (2SoJ)

The truth that does not change

A personal testimony from Phillip

The Truth: “God’s absolute truth has not changed and will never change just because you did due to a so-called ‘evolved and enlightened understanding’ of homosexuality.”

My story, it began 38 years ago…

• You told me I needed to surrender my life to Christ Jesus and be born-again. I surrendered.
• You told me I needed to forsake and repent of homosexual practice. I repented. I turned away.
• You told me my mind needed renewing and I needed a life transformation. I willingly died to self.
• You told me I needed to forsake the gay community and embrace the Church as my new family. I did so by faith.
• You regularly encouraged me to share my testimony. I gladly did so to honor Christ Jesus.
• You continue to remind me the Church is God’s vehicle to reach the wounded, broken and hurting. I agree.
• You told me the Bible is the textbook for life in all matters of faith and practice. I embraced this truth.
• You reminded me over and over again “Jesus remains the same yesterday, today and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8) Indeed and Amen.

But now, some of you are saying, per your new stance that your understanding of homosexuality has “evolved” to – “Well, maybe homosexuality isn’t so bad after all.”

Many Sunday morning church pulpits have lapsed fully into the silent mode with regard to homosexuality which has and is perpetuating a tsunami of immorality.

The gay community is extremely vocal and highly visible demanding their right to be who they want to be, but I am now being told daily I cannot have, and I must now have the same right.

I am trying very, very hard to understand. Would you help me, please?

Much too often, I turn around wondering, “Where did everybody go?”

Having once faced and addressed the impact of rejection and abandonment in my life, must I face it again?

Should we compare where we stand now regarding homosexuality and related issues to the time when things got very, very tough and Jesus said to His disciples, “Will you also turn away?” (John 6:67)

You told me and reminded me frequently…

“The Church must call homosexual practice sin and while that will be offensive to many, the Word of God must not and cannot be watered down.”

In many respects, I attribute my new life in Christ Jesus of 38 years to Christians sharing and holding me to The Truth.

• You told me I was not born gay. I embraced this truth.
• You told me change is possible. I changed.
• You told me our true identity is in Christ Jesus – not our sexuality. True.
• You told me not to allow my past to dictate who I am in Christ today. Agreed.
• You told me homosexuals are redeemable with God’s grace and power more than sufficient to transform a life. Amen.
• You told me sharing the Gospel is not an option for a Christian but rather obedience to a command. Absolutely.
• You told me the only way out of homosexuality was through a deep, personal, intimate relationship with Christ Jesus.

Has any of the above-mentioned changed?

If, yes, to any of the above mentioned, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are you?” (Acts 19:15)

Truth lived out Christ’s way, does not have any gray edges. It is abundantly clear and straightforward.

In Christ,

Phillip, just one of the many prodigals.

“And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 3:18)

Respectfully, truth, God’s absolute truth has not changed and will never change just because you did due to a so-called "evolved and enlightened understanding" of homosexuality.

By Phillip Lee, Director of His Way Out Ministries www.hiswayout.com

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What would Jesus want me to do?

Dr. Steven J. Wentland www.wwjwmtd.com

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October 6, 2023 WWJWMTD by Steve, the son of John (2SoJ)

It’s Easy…

It is easy to become critical of the Christian church. There are numerous denominations that claim to be Christian, but they do not honor Christ as God’s Son nor do their doctrinal positions dictate the authority of Scripture (the Bible) or even the words of Jesus Christ Himself.

Various church bodies throughout history failed their own teachings and often offered excuses for the very beliefs they adhered too. It is no mystery that the world has become skeptical and defiant of ‘the church’. Christian churches have brought worldly criticism upon themselves; they say they love God, but their actions and words demonstrate their hatred for the very people God loves.

For me to make a case for this line of thinking and a list of the grievances would take a sizeable dissertation. I do not need to do this. The Bible teaches that God will bring judgment upon His very church if it rejects Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. I will instead speak to a couple of items that bear witness to Scripture and the Holy Spirit.

First, the Book of Psalms can be greatly misunderstood and yet at the same time brings hope, encouragement, and offers ‘a path’ to God. Typical church theology and most seminaries will say Psalms are the experiences of King David and he is the central character in Psalms. I do not hold to this line of thinking. I believe (I know) that each verse of Psalms is a description of Jesus Christ, who He is, and what He will do. David is not writing about himself but about Jesus Christ. He saw and experienced Christ looking forward just as we believe in Christ, looking backward to His death. David saw and believed in Christ by looking forward to what, how, who, and why Christ is. We instead look back to the time Christ was on earth. Every time I read any verse in Psalms, I see Jesus—who He was, how He ministered on earth, and who He will be when He returns—the Second Coming of Christ. I see Jesus, not David when I read Psalms.

Second, the Book of Proverbs is not just a collection of wisdom statements and daily instructions in order to have a prosperous and blessed life on earth, nor clever insights on how to live a life of integrity. Proverbs of course can do those things because God uses natural and earthly truths to explain the spiritual. Jesus also used stories about things in this life to explain spiritual truths. God is using natural truths/principles to facilitate your knowledge and understanding of the Holy Spirit. Every verse in Proverbs (and I mean every verse) speaks about the Holy Spirit. It is a book that explains how the Holy Spirit works, what is His job descriptions, and when He intervenes in the lives of all humanity. It is a ‘no nonsense’ treatise (def: a systematic exposition or argument in writing including a methodical discussion of the facts and principles involved and conclusions) of the third person of the Trinity. Proverbs is about the Holy Spirit; it is about the third person of the Trinity. If you understand Proverbs, you will understand the Holy Spirit. We have simplified the Holy Spirit by just speaking about the Gifts and Fruits of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is much more and so important for the Body of Christ to have the Holy Spirit do what Jesus said the Holy Spirit (our Comforter) will do.

Third, is the Government of God, which is the rule of Christ over all of creation; I indeed feel Christ’s authority and governmental rule every day. The government in and of itself is a topic that is identified and manifested in many verses of the Bible but is not spoken about enough in the Body of Christ. We are in the last days and without a clear understanding of the ‘government of God’ our knowledge of Christ will have ‘gaps and loose ends’ that will cloud our judgment and understanding of what God will be doing in these last days. We must understand and embrace the Government of Christ in all its fullness, looking forward with hope, patience, and expectation that God has everything under His control.

We need to understand these three things—what the Bible is telling us—coming to a full and perfect knowledge of God thereby “being not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ” and being made perfect and complete in believing in the Trinity of God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

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What would Jesus want me to do?

Dr. Steven J. Wentland www.wwjwmtd.com

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October 5, 2023 WWJWMTD by Steve, the son of John (2SoJ)

Saying for the Week

If what you are doing does not glorify Christ or give honor to God,

it’s not worth doing!

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What would Jesus want me to do?

Dr. Steven J. Wentland www.wwjwmtd.com

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September 25, 2023 WWJWMTD by Steve, the son of John (2SoJ)

Wisdom Statement for September ’23 #10

(God’s wisdom is always a two-edged sword/read Proverbs)

Wisdom…a lesson in evil

Knowing Your Enemy

The Bible does identify evil—the Devil himself with all his ways, attributes, and the consequences of believing in what he says. The Bible clearly states the difference between what is evil and what is good, there are rarely any gray areas. From the beginning the Devil was and still is the enemy of mankind. You cannot defeat the Devil, but you can overcome him through Jesus Christ. Godly wisdom will guide you in your battle against him, and in the end, God will defeat and kill the Devil.

The Devil and his evil spirits are noticeable everywhere in America. Evil spirits are dictating the outcomes in so many of our institutions, and their evil influences are easily seen in politics, schools, organizations, and even in some of our churches.

Here is a simple lesson in identifying evil and how you can recognize the Devil’s words, actions, and deceptive behavior. Below are some words that describe who the Devil (Satan or the Beast) is, how he acts, his role on earth, how he makes us feel, and how he invades our circumstances by and through the very evil in his character. They all begin with the letter “D” just as Satan’s name, the Devil, also begins with “D”.

Deception

Discouragement

Darkness

Distress

Dread

Doubtful

Destroy

Defile

Defeat

Delusion

Deceitful

Deceiver

Double-tongued

Defame

Diffident

Dire

Discord

Disfigure

Disheveled

Disjointed

Dismay

Disparage

Dissolution

Dissonant

Distort

Depression

Deceit

Detrimental

Diabolical

Deter

Dreary

Dubious

Dwindle

Deadly

And the list of terms goes on and on…

Your enemies are the Devil (Satan, the Beast) and all the evil spirits that work in the earth.

Church, get ready to battle, and ask God for ‘spiritual eyesight’, Godly wisdom, and biblical discernment to recognize your enemy for they are many!

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What would Jesus want me to do?

Dr. Steven J. Wentland www.wwjwmtd.com

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September 24, 2023 WWJWMTD by Steve, the son of John (2SoJ)

Wisdom Statement for September ’23 #9

(God’s wisdom is always a two-edged sword/read Proverbs)

What’s in the Bible?

The Bible can be considered a historical book full of research, a literary book meant for reading, a mystery book which is full of symbolism that cannot be understood, a series of personal letters of sorts which no one can understand without the help of the Holy Spirit, a literary tool to see into the future and understand the past, or maybe, just a simple ‘love letter’ that God has written to His people to give them comfort and wisdom no matter what century they are living in.

(A personal note—for me it is all the above and more…I believe every verse of the Bible will be fulfilled and applied to everything God has created (everything), and the more we see the fullness of each verse fulfilled the closer it is to the Second Coming of Christ.)

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What would Jesus want me to do?

Dr. Steven J. Wentland www.wwjwmtd.com

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September 23, 2023 WWJWMTD by Steve, the son of John (2SoJ)

Wisdom Statement for September ’23 #8

(God’s wisdom is always a two-edged sword/read Proverbs)

Love requires being fearless (Ephesians 6:19-20)

By Pastor Phillip Lee, His Way Out Ministries www.hiswayout.com

"Being sweet and nice" as many have defined love today, just may be the antithesis to love, especially and particularly when "bearing witness to the truth" is the only thing that will reach those who have rejected God’s ways.

Today the tendency for many is to retreat into silence when God wants us to bear witness to the truth. "Truly loving" means that you share the truth even when it might upset those who are resisting the truth.

Paul writes, "Pray for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should."

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What would Jesus want me to do?

Dr. Steven J. Wentland www.wwjwmtd.com

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September 22, 2023 WWJWMTD by Steve, the son of John (2SoJ)

Wisdom Statement for September ’23 #7

(God’s wisdom is always a two-edged sword/read Proverbs)

What will Christ & the wisdom of God, working together,

do for you?

Christ and God’s wisdom will give you a family that cares,

and victory over one’s enemy the Devil.

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What would Jesus want me to do?

Dr. Steven J. Wentland www.wwjwmtd.com

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September 21, 2023 WWJWMTD by Steve, the son of John (2SoJ)

Wisdom Statement for September ’23 #6

(God’s wisdom is always a two-edged sword/read Proverbs)

Prayer is more important, more powerful and

more life-changing than one’s vote.

Let’s pray more and place politics under the feet of Christ.

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What would Jesus want me to do?

Dr. Steven J. Wentland www.wwjwmtd.com

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September 20, 2023 WWJWMTD by Steve, the son of John (2SoJ)

Wisdom Statement for September ’23 #5

(God’s wisdom is always a two-edged sword/read Proverbs)

Timothy 6:10 KJV “For the love of money is the root of all evil”

One does not have to kill another life directly or personally to be murder; one can pay the medical profession to do it for you.

God’s judgment is knocking at the AMA’s door.

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September 19, 2023 WWJWMTD by Steve, the son of John (2SoJ)

Wisdom Statement for September ‘23 #4

(God’s wisdom is always a two-edged sword/read Proverbs)

Christianity will not make you likeable, rather, the world will hate you.

But

God will make you loveable to His family, with yourself, and God Himself.

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What would Jesus want me to do?

Dr. Steven J. Wentland www.wwjwmtd.com

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