Randy

SaveCalifornia.com Blog//

Archives for the ‘Religious Freedom’ Category

What God requires

Wednesday, May 1, 2013, 3:02 pm | Randy Thomasson

2-Chronicles-7-14-web

Daily prayer to God is essential for the soul to be filled, not empty; solid, not confused. I find that when I don’t pray to God each morning, it’s much easier for me to sin that day.

But will God hear your prayers if you’re not truly sorry for your sins? Consider this top Bible verse for the National Day of Prayer, from 2 Chronicles 7:14:

…if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

Note how this is a conditional promise from God. For only “if” God’s people follow God’s three requirements will God “then” do three miraculous things in response. What does God require of us?

1. “Humble themselves”: Humility means recognizing our lowly and dependent status before God, and to recognize and confess our sins and guilt before the Creator.

2. “Pray and seek My face”: This is your sincere prayer to your true God. Praying to Him “in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24) is how Jesus Christ described true worshipers that the Father seeks. In the context of 2 Chronicles 7:14, this is appealing to the Judge of the Universe, who is offering forgiveness for His People if they fulfill these requirements: a) become humble, b) pray to God in light of His judgment of sin and power to forgive, c) repent of all known sin.

3. “Turn from their wicked ways”: This is the required condition for forgiveness that too many people ignore. “Turn from” means to depart from or abandon. All sinful practices are wicked to God. Fulfilling this condition requires deep humility and fear of God. Turning is an action that proves your attitude. Turning from your sins and turning to God means to replace your desire and practice of sin with a desire for God and His holiness. This hard work requires “putting to death” sinful practices. “For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live” (Romans 8:13).

So when you pray daily or pray to God with others on National Day of Prayer on Thursday, May 2, remember to take personal inventory and intend to repent of all known sin in Jesus’ name. For then God will hear from heaven and forgive your sin.

Locate a May 2 National Day of Prayer event near you and participate
(if you don’t find a public prayer event online, ask a pastor or friend what’s happening in your community)

“When you spread out your hands,
I will hide My eyes from you;
Even though you make many prayers,
I will not hear.
Your hands are full of blood.
Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean;
Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes.”
Isaiah 1:15-16 NKJV

The future of the Boy Scouts

Thursday, February 7, 2013, 5:49 pm | Randy Thomasson

ScoutsaluteThe latest attack of homosexual activists against the Boy Scouts is very important, perhaps more important than the Boy Scouts and scouting families know.

First, let’s establish some facts about what’s being debated. There is no “gay gene” and no biological basis to homosexuality. Homosexual behavior is unnatural, unhealthy, unbiblical, and its political agenda is tyrannical against those who don’t support it. So keeping out homosexual-bisexual-transsexual role models and influences is definitely in the best interest of training boys to be “morally straight.”

Understand the first two facts by visiting SaveCalifornia.com’s Not Born This Way page. Understand why all sexual activity outside of man-woman marriage is immoral by seeing Matthew 19:4-6, Mark 7:21-23, Romans 1:26-27, and 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, to name a few scriptures.

The good news is the newest push by homosexual activists to invade scouting tents has been temporarily stalled. But the bad news is the homosexualization of the Boy Scouts may eventually occur, unless they get back to the Bible.

I fully acknowledge the likelihood that, in May, the 1,400-member national council of the Boy Scouts of America will affirm the current policy against homosexual staff, scoutmasters, and members.

But  as long as the Boy Scouts remain a non-religious/non-Biblical organization and don’t insist on board members who love morality more than money, I’m concerned that their days as a “morally straight” youth organization are numbered.

Consider all the Christian-format hospitals and universities that were founded more than a century ago, but are now bastions of unbiblical values. And don’t forget the Christian church denominations that have been systematically taken over by those who despise the revealed word of God in Scripture. For if “Christian” institutions can fall when future generations of leaders ignore Biblical standards, how much easier can officially “non-religious” organizations with only “moral” principles eventually implode from within?

To protect boys from immoral values emanating from within Scouting, I recommend the Boy Scouts consider doing the following:

1.    Make the Bible the standard of the Boy Scouts, not merely holding beliefs based on society’s frequently-changing perspectives on “God” and “morality.” Draft new bylaws stating its commitment to Biblical values and name core principles.

2.    Prohibit anyone from being in the Scouts unless they agree, in writing, with these core principles.

3.    Dramatically downsize the paychecks of Scout executives and size of Scout offices to reduce the temptation to pursue money over morality.

4.    In order to maintain religious freedom, be willing to abandon its Congressional charter and government support, if necessary.

5.    Restore this policy statement to the Boy Scouts’ official websites, which was posted from 2004 to 2010, when it was taken down: “Boy Scouts of America believes that homosexual conduct is inconsistent with the obligations in the Scout Oath and Scout Law to be morally straight and clean in thought, word, and deed. The conduct of youth members must be in compliance with the Scout Oath and Law, and membership in Boy Scouts of America is contingent upon the willingness to accept Scouting’s values and beliefs. Most boys join Scouting when they are 10 or 11 years old. As they continue in the program, all Scouts are expected to take leadership positions. In the unlikely event that an older boy were to hold himself out as homosexual, he would not be able to continue in a youth leadership position.”

The new policy, posted on June 7, 2012, is: “While the BSA does not proactively inquire about the sexual orientation of employees, volunteers, or members, we do not grant membership to individuals who are open or avowed homosexuals or who engage in behavior that would become a distraction to the mission of the BSA.”

And now, here in 2013, some national board members in the Boy Scouts reportedly agree with homosexual activists — and agree with both Barack Obama and Mitt Romney — to get rid of this standard altogether. Do you see the slide?

As the Boy Scouts struggle comes to a head, it’s time for a spiritual reality check about what’s best for morally-sensitive families, which is why, over the years, many “Bible-based” and “Christian discipleship” alternatives to Boy Scouts — and Girl Scouts — have sprung up.

Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good.
Romans 12:9 NASB

Teach your children about the San Diego cross battle

Saturday, January 8, 2011, 9:42 am |

Why is the “take down the cross” ruling by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals so wrong?

Because federal judges must follow the WRITTEN Constitution, which says, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…” Thus, the Constitution prohibits the United States government creating an official denomination (such as the Church of England, which had the king at its head). However, the framers wrote that the federal government must never trample the “free exercise” of any religious denomination (religion) — that is, religious speech, expression, action, or activity that is non-violent.

Despite the very bad ruling on January 4, the Mt. Soledad Cross in La Jolla is staying up pending appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. Yet now is your opportunity to teach children and share with young adults the religious freedom and public expressions of faith guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. Because if you don’t tell them the truth, liberal teachers in schools, colleges, the media, and culture will certainly teach them lies and myths.

Print, read and talk about these helpful articles:

Robert Knight: Expression is not coercion

From David Barton and Wallbuilders:
Separation of church and state 
Separation of church and state, part 2 
The founders and public religious expressions
Importance of morality and religion in government

Library of Congress: Religion and the founding of the American Republic

Charles Krauthammer: Constitutionalism

So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.
Jesus Christ in Matthew 10:32-33 ESV