I know that some people are skeptical about the 99, and I will admit that when I first heard about it I was not sold out to the idea.  I struggled with all the same questions that many of you have.  But then I actually visited the 99.

At the training session I was completely blown away when I saw hundreds of people not only willing to serve, but excited to share their faith.  People whose testimonies declared God’s saving power and wanted others to encounter the same life-changing power of the Holy Spirit that they had.  People from all walks of life coming together believing that God could, and would, do something powerful in their community.

As I stood there this thought hit me: “this is how revivals happen.”  No, it doesn’t take a tent or a dramatic graphic scenery… Nope… what it takes is people being excited and passonate about God doing something powerful in their community.  It takes people believing that God can use anything, and anyone, to change a person’s life.

So this is the question that I asked myself:

What if the 99 is the means in which God chooses to reveal Himself to a person?  And what if through that revelation that person begins a relationship with God the Father and starts on the journey of salvation?  Then, what if that change in their life begins to affect others and they begin to develop healthy relationships and live in fruitful community where they understand that its not about what they can do for themselves, but how they can help others?  And what if this happened on a mass scale and it truly began to change neighborhoods, and schools, and families?

Wouldn’t I want to be a part of this?

I know that there was a time in my life when I was not following Christ and living for myself.  There were many people who didn’t believe that I could change… and they were right.  On my own I could not change, but by God’s grace He changed me.  And things have never been the same.

This is why this Thursday (July 29th), Access will not be meeting at the Ground Floor but instead will be going down to the 99 to serve the Grand Rapids area.  I know that it would be easy to stay home, but what if this is how God wants to use you?  What if through your part in serving at the 99, a person had a life changing experience with God which radically changed not just their life, but their soul?

I want to encourage every member of the Access family to come down to the 99 (in Studio 28’s parking lot located at 1350 28th Street SW in Wyoming), on Thursday and serve the GR community. If you have any questions, thoughts, suggestions, or need assistance please don’t hesitate to give me a call or drop me a note.

Grace be with you,

pastor Brent

Also we’ll be having a guest from the 99 join us, and will be sharing for a few minutes regarding an amazing opportunity to use your talents to bless others.

Hope to see everyone tonight.

B.

Over the next few weeks we will be looking for a project that we, the Access community, can do together to bless others.  We are asking for your help not only in serving, but also with ideas/suggestions of ways that Access can serve the surrounding community of Grand Rapids.

Please feel free to commit below how Access can reach out and impact our neighbors.

Grace be with you,
Brent

What is faith?

Although we will be discussing Christian faith over the next two weeks at Access, I am interested to hear your thoughts and comments on the topic of faith.  Post below and let the conversation begin.

Grace be with you,

Brent

Terry Hall Roller Rink

3330 Fairlanes Ave Grandville MI

7pm-9pm

$2 per ticket, available in advance at Access, or at the door.

Hope to see you all there.

B.

Is it wrong to hang out with a homosexual if they have shut out God entirely?

Dan –  1 Corinthians 5:9-13 NLT

When I wrote to you before, I told you not to associate with people who indulge in sexual sin. But I wasn’t talking about unbelievers who indulge in sexual sin, or are greedy, or cheat people, or worship idols. You would have to leave this world to avoid people like that. I meant that you are not to associate with anyone who claims to be a believer yet indulges in sexual sin, or is greedy, or worships idols, or is abusive, or is a drunkard, or cheats people. Don’t even eat with such people. It isn’t my responsibility to judge outsiders, but it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning. God will judge those on the outside; but as the Scriptures say, “You must remove the evil person from among you.”

In order to answer this question, it must first be figured out whether they are a believer or not. To shut out God can mean different things. Taken from this text I conclude that if the person is not a believer, we have no right to judge them; after all why would they follow God’s commandments if they don’t recognize Him as God? However, if they have received Christ’s Lordship and have knowingly continued to sin against Him and rebel, then they are subject to church discipline which can include removing them from church membership and even church gatherings if their sin is effecting others.  There may be a time when we should not associate with a person who claims to be a believer but is living a life of rebellion.  Does this mean they can never come back to the church? No. But there must be evident fruit of repentance and change. Verses 6-8 say sin is like a little yeast that spreads through the whole dough. Therefore remove the person that claims to be a believer and continues in his sin so that he may recognize his sin and quit. He will then be allowed back into an active position within the church body.

For a non-Christian, we ought to show love and speak truth at the same time. Keep in mind this one very important thing: The rules we live by mean nothing to someone who does not recognize the Creator of those rules. People need to know God before they give up their sin. It is only after they receive Christ that they can receive His forgiveness. And once forgiveness is received, it becomes harder and harder to continue in our sin.

Romans 5:20-6:6 NLT
²⁰God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God’s wonderful grace became more abundant. ²¹ So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God’s wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

6:1 Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? ² Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? ³ Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? ⁴ For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.

I am uncertain what to do.  I have not dated a girl yet but I am very attracted to one of my best friends.  I try to shove that thought aside but don’t know if I should avoid her for now, or not date anyone, or what to do?

Brent – First let me say thank you for being so honest and transparent.  I know that there are many others who are dealing with the same feelings that you are and want to ask questions or seek help, but are either too embarrassed or afraid to seek council, so I applaud your courage.  As per your question, I believe that you have already identified the “root” cause of your feelings.  You stated that you were attacked when younger and recognize that this experience has deeply affected you.  I can only imagine the pain and fear that you experienced, and I would never try to diminish what you have gone through.

There is a Christian organization entitled Exodus International that ministers specifically to individuals who are struggling with same sex attractions.  Many of their leaders have come out of homosexual lifestyles and they each acknowledge that past hurts and traumatic experiences have a dramatic impact on a person’s sexuality.  Be it a sexual attack, absentee/abusive parent, or bullying during adolescence these wounds can later cause confusion in a person’s life as they struggle to form their identity.  The longing for positive, healthy, same sex relationships can become sinful as one’s desire for companionship and acceptance becomes distorted.  As you stated, an attack by an older male could easily cause fear and confusion when interacting with men which could develop into unhealthy and sinful relationships with women.  You need to deal with the root of the issue (wound) in order to deal with the fruit (sexual confusion).  I believe that this first begins with seeking healing from past hurts through God’s grace, and then by having Godly, healthy, positive relationships.  Anne Paulk (former lesbian), wrote a book entitled “Restoring Sexual Identity: Hope for Women Who Struggle with Same-Sex Attraction,” which would be a great book for you to read.  Paulk understands how past wounds can cause the feelings that you are experiencing and gives insightful and biblical advice for healing.

I would encourage you that until you have been healed of your past wounds that it would not be healthy for you to be in a romantic relationship with a male.  Obviously it would never be OK to be in a romantic or sexual relationship with a person of the same sex because this is forbidden by Scripture (Lev 18; 1 Cor 6:9-11; Romans 1:18-32; 1 Tim 1:8-11).  If you are unable to be around one of your female friends without having romantic/sexual feelings then it would be wise to distance yourself from that person—at least until you have healed from past wounds, understand why you have had these feelings of sexual confusion, and are no longer compelled by them.  I whole-heartily believe that God loves you and wants you to live your life to its fullest potential.  That means living the life that God created you for.  God did not create you to live a life fueled by hurt expressed in sin, but to live an abundant healthy life in alignment with His Word.

Questions and Responses:

What should you do if you have a strong disliking and possible hatred towards women due to past hurts, and you are unable to think of them as equal?

Brennen — Well, first let me say that I’ve never dealt with this exact situation.  I can empathize with this situation though, as I’ve had someone very close to me that has hurt me greatly; there was a very strong sense of personal betrayal in what this person had done, to the point where I felt an intense hatred towards them.  I was becoming such a bitter person that it was beginning to affect my personality and my treatment of people that I cared about.  I actually started questioning whether or not God existed because of this situation.  Luckily, a very close family friend offered to let me go through some counseling to work through the things I was feeling at the time.  As my counselor helped me through this with the help of Christ I was able to come to terms with what had happened in my life and was able to forgive.

In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus instructs His disciples to pray, saying “forgive us our debts, as we forgive those who sin against us.” (Matthew 6:12 NASB).  Think about everything that Jesus has forgiven you for.  It’s a lot I’m sure.  I know it is for me!  One of the biggest things I learned while going to my counselor was that since Jesus had forgiven me for all the dumb and rebellious things and sin that was in my life, who was I to withhold forgiveness for the things others had done to me?  It’s not easy.  Walking out forgiveness never is.  But, living out Christianity is almost never the easy choice.  It’s easier to sit and stew in your bitterness and resentment than it is to try to forgive a person.  How would Christ respond to your situation?  In the Sermon on the Mount (Matt 5:38) Jesus says…

“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’  But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.  If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat also.  Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two.  Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.  You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.;  But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven… Therefore, you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

If there is any additional advice I can offer it would be to seriously consider going to a Christian Counselor.  It was one of the best things that ever happened to me.  In Grand Rapids, both Community Counseling and Christian Counseling both offer programs that are either very cheap or free  (depending on your financial situation).  I pray this answer helped you!

When it comes to voting for laws, how should we vote on “Christian Issues” (i.e. homosexual marriage)? Should we force our beliefs on those who do not know or serve God?  Do laws keep a nation from becoming like Sodom and Gomorrah or does God and the Church influence society?

Brennen – Again, going to what Jesus says in the Lord’s Prayer (Matt 6:9-10), “Our Father who is in heaven… Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”  The grand scope of history can be understood with the backdrop of Creation, Fall and Redemption.  God created the world: humanity, animals, plants, the land and the sea—all of it.  And it was good.  Then we screwed it up—The Fall.  Because of Adam’s actions all of creation was forever broken and separated from God.  But then comes Redemption.  The work God has done to reconcile us and creation to Himself.  He did that through Jesus Christ.  Jesus was born, He lived a perfect life, and then He died for us on the cross, paying for our sins.  On the third day, He rose from the grave, conquering the fall and giving life to those who will repent of their sins and place their trust in Him.  Not only has he redeemed us, but the Bible tells us that He is in the process of redeeming creation (new Heavens, and new Earth).

So we understand that it is our duty to live our new redeemed lives to help bring about the Kingdom of God as best we can.  What does this mean?  It means going about and doing everything you do “on earth as it is in heaven.”  What can you do to bring heaven to earth today?  As born-again Christians, we should try to effect change that brings about a love and appreciation for life and care for all of creation—things that are very good and loved by God!  “On earth as it is in heaven” necessitates a completely different view on things.  It changes how we vote, it changes how we love and treat people, it changes who we are!

Can God forgive a person for committing adultery since it’s seen as worst than most sins in the Bible?

Brent – Adultery is no doubt a very painful and destructive act.  It destroys trust, rips apart families, and causes wounds that people carry for a very long time—sometimes forever.  But nowhere in Scripture do we see that it is either unforgivable or the worst sin.   Jesus said in Mark 3:29 that the only unforgivable sin was blasphemy of the Holy Spirit.  1 John 5:16 states that there is a sin that leads to death and one should not pray for another one who has committed this sin.  In light of Hebrews chapters 6 and 10 we understand this to be what Jesus is talking about—blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, or committing apostasy.  Nowhere is adultery (when repented of), called unforgivable.

If a person has committed adultery they need to repent of their sin.  This means acknowledging that they have sinned (not making excuses, but owning their sin), seeking forgiveness from God, and then doing whatever is in their power to make amends to those they have wounded.  Will it be easy? Absolutely not, but those who have committed such an act need to do everything that they can to bring healing to the situation.  Although Jesus did say that sexual immorality is the only reason one could chose to pursue a divorce (Matt 5:32), it does not mean that they have to.

In a situation such as adultery seeking out a good Christian counselor is highly recommended as each person (including children if they are aware), will have wounds that need to be dealt with and cared for.

Is it OK to engage in oral sex or use sex toys in marriage?

Brent – This is a heavily debated subject… “What is permissible within the context of marriage?”  The Bible never addresses sexual acts such as oral sex, lingerie, sex toys, etc.  What we do know from Scripture is that the marriage bed is to remain undefiled (Heb 13:4).  This scripture is directly dealing with adultery, which Jesus said included lusting after another person in one’s heart—not just the physical act of sex (Matt 5:28).  So we know that having sex with another whom not your spouse is sin, as well as all forms of pornography—to include fantasy role playing (pretending that your spouse is someone else), masturbating thinking of someone else, and things of the sort.  So what about these “other situations” that the Bible does not address?

Again, the Bible does not directly call them sin, nor do they appear be in rebellion against other Scripture (i.e., lusting after another person).  I think that the couple (for clarity we are speaking about one man married to one woman), needs to discuss if “this” is something that they feel comfortable with, and if they feel any conviction about engaging in such acts.  Both persons need to feel completely comfortable with these acts, and must not feel either manipulated or pressured into doing something.  If a woman does not feel comfortable having oral sex, then her husband must not use manipulation or guilt to get her to do what she does not want to.  Also the couple should pray about these things and seek God for direction.  The Bible states that if a person knows what is right to do and does not do it, then it is sin (James 4:17).  This also means if someone knows they should not do something and they do it, then it is sin.  Communication and prayer is going to be essential in this situation.

One additional caution:  Couples need to be very careful that they are not opening themselves up to sin.  While some things may not be sinful, they can lead to sin.  Many times something innocent can become destructive, so couples need to guard themselves from the sinfulness of the flesh and the attacks of the enemy.

…. Stay tuned as we will be posting more questions and responses soon!

Grace be with you,

B.

Jesus told the disciples that if they left family, friends, home and possessions that they would receive 100 times as many in this life. Many evangelical leaders have tried to use this scripture to give weight to the prosperity movement that “guarantees” God’s blessing on one’s bank account if they give to a certain ministry. But is that what Jesus was referring to?

This week at Access we’ll be looking at this text and discussing what exactly Jesus is addressing. What’s interesting is that it has nothing to do with money, but everything to with the church. See you Thursday.

Grace and Peace,
Brent