with humanity and time, claiming that had same sex unions been accepted in the first century this passage would read differ-ently. So for the sake of that argument, lets also set this passage aside. In Acts 15 we have what is referred to as the Jerusa-lem Counsel. The leaders of the church wrestled with doctrinal issues to govern the church. Acts 15:29 tell us what their decision was, That you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immoral-ity. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Note that sexual immorality is on the list of things we are to abstain from. But what is sexual immorality? Some may say, Sexual immorality is when someone engages in sex outside of their sexual orientation. So once again lets set this passage aside for a moment as well. (By the way, I am not making up these re-buttals, these are the re-buttals I have heard and read on this topic.) Now lets look at Romans 1:26-28, For this reason God gave them up to dis-honorable passions. For

Today the Supreme Court ruled in favor of marriage for same-sex couples. This will affect our future. Life in America has changed. Whether you are for or against this action it will bring change. What are my thoughts on the topic of homosexual-ity? It does not matter what my thoughts are. I am your pastor and am here to teach the content of the scripture regardless of my feelings and opin-ions. So I came up with a pile of Bible passages to help us understand how the God fearing believer should respond to this issue, whether it is the law of our land or not. Here are a couple pas-sages to start, Leviticus 18:22 (& 20:13), You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomi-nation. But when some people read these pas-sages they are quick to point to nearby passages like Lev. 19:28, You shall not make any cuts on your body for the dead or tat-too yourselves: I am the LORD. Or Lev. 19:19, You shall keep my stat-utes. You shall not let your cattle breed with a differ-ent kind. You shall not sow your field with two kinds of seed, nor shall you

wear a garment of cloth made of two kinds of ma-terial. There are more passages like these that we seem to pay no heed. So when the church speaks of Lev. 18:22 or 20:13 a hypocrisy shows through. So well set those two verses aside and look at a couple more. Genesis 19:1-38, the story of Sodom and Gomorrah and Judges 19:22-30, Gibeahs Crime. In both of these stories a mob comes and demands male visitors be turned over that they might have their way with them. Some people read these passages and say the conflict with God is not homosexuality but the violence. So lets also set these two verses aside and jump to the New Tes-tament. Mark 10:6,8,9 says, from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. and the two shall become one flesh. So they are no longer two but one flesh. What there-fore God has joined to-gether, let not man sepa-rate. This passage quotes the Old Testament and reestablishes a New Testa-ment principle. A male and a female shall be joined. But some say, the Bible grows and changes

DONT BELIEVE IT JUST CAUSE YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO

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Pastor David and

Colleen

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July 2015

I r o n d a l e C h u r c h i s a p l a c e o f p r o m i s e t o g r o w a n d b e l o n g

Irondale Church News

their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to na-ture; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men commit-ting shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due pen-alty for their error. And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. Here we read that when people embrace what has been created above the One whom created, God will indeed let them stew in their own juices. One response to idolatry (worshiping the created), is that God will give them over to their debased way of thinking. Consequently, no matter what passage of scripture they (the idola-ters) are shown, no matter what ill effects they may bring on society, they can-not see it because God blinds them from seeing the truth. So dont hate or hold prejudice against the individual homosexual, they can do nothing about their orientation it is the result of putting other things ahead of God. One way society has placed the creature before

the Creator is by identify-ing a persons value based on their sexuality rather than by the content of their character1 and the image of God within them. Here is an example of what I mean; you have probably seen the ever growing ac-ronym LGBTQIA. Here is a brief explanation: Lesbian A female who is attracted to another les-bian female. Gay A male who is at-tracted to another gay male. Bisexual A person who is attracted to both men and women. Transgender A person of a gender other than their anatomical gender. Queer An umbrella term which embraces a variety of sexual prefer-ences, orientations and habits of those who do not adhere to the heterosexual majority. Intersex Someone whos physical characteris-tics are not categorized as exclusively male or exclu-sively female. Asexual A person who is not attracted to anyone, or a person who does not have a sexual orientation. The LGBTQIA community is recognized as a minority group. Efforts are in place to ensure that this community is not treated with contempt.

But herein lays the very conflict and the unwitting promotion of prejudice; every time society says there is a collection of peo-ple within a group, it is also saying there is a col-lection of people outside the group. Once society allows walls of separation to be erected all people are in or out and which-ever side you are on, the other side is wrong and needs to be won over or forced over. Jesus said, To love your neighbor as yourself, but when walls are involved it is always about winning. Which side of the wall are you on? You cannot be for the LG and against the BT, be-cause of how the walls are built. When QIA is added, you have to accept that too, otherwise you are outside and those outside are hatersyou dont want to be a hater do you? If you are a hater, you are prejudiced, if you are prejudiced you are a bigotyou dont want to be a bigot, do you? With that illustration you can see how we are led to be-lieve what they want you to believe. The problem is not same sex couples the problem is the wall that has been built within our society. The wall seems to have been built to give support

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Flags of Trouble This is a little follow up article to last months That Shirt Looks Good on You where I ques-tioned that the news me-dia was feeding us half-truths. This week with the hail of fire aimed at South Carolina for flying the Confederate Flag, a symbol of racism, over the States capitol building, heres a lesson on flags you havent seen on the news. The Confederate States of America 1861-1865, used three flags. The first was used 1861-1863:

The second was used 1863-1865:

to people who were living outside the main stream. Now all of society is being forced to move within the limits of the wall they built. They built it be-cause of delusional think-ing stemming from a col-lective, corrupted decep-tion. 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12, And with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighte-ousness. So here is the long and short of it, every time ho-mosexuality is brought up in the Bible it is a bad thing. The only way the LGBTQ lifestyles can be approved of is by ignoring the Bible. As long as pas-sages are set aside and the obvious implications ig-nored, people will con-tinue to drift farther from the lifestyle God has called us all to live. But when we embrace the entire scrip-ture allowing it to teach and guide believers as it has for centuries, we will find the repentant life Je-sus called us to.

Here are two more verses, worth reading now, at the end there is a list for those who want to study further. 1 Timothy 1:9-10, Understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, the sexually immoral, men who prac-tice homosexuality, enslav-ers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine. Revelation 21:8, But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexu-ally immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death. Gods word says what it says. We should not alter it to suit our own needs and culture. But do not hate those who do, Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.1. It is important for us to remember that God puts people into two groups: believers and non-believers and nothing more. We should follow

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DONT BELIEVE IT...continued

His lead and limit ourselves to being content being who God has saved by grace. What should our reaction to this national change be? Speak the truth in love. The truth is, every time homosexuality is brought up in the Bible it is a bad thing. We can speak this in love when we are gentle and kind, with-out wavering on what the Bible teaches and the Bible teaches that God is the Creator, He will reclaim those who worship Him and those who do not will be eternally separated from Him.

Gen. 19:1-38; Lev. 18:22 & 20:13; Judges 19:22; 1 Kings 14:24; Ezekiel 16:49; Amos 8:11-12; Mark 10:6-9; Acts 15:29; Romans 1:26-28; 1 Cor. 6:9-11 & 12:15-25; 2 Cor. 12:21; Gal. 5:16-21; Eph. 5:1-21; Col. 3:1-8; 1 Thess. 4:1-8; 2 Thess. 2:9-12; 1 Tim. 1:10 & 4:1-5; Hebrews 13:1-25; 1 Peter 4:3-4; Jude 1:7; Rev. 21:8 1Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

-Pastor David

The third was used in 1865:

The flag we think of as the Confederate Flag:

Is actually the battle flag of the Army of Northern Virginia which was led by General Robert E. Lee. This is the flag that flies over the South Caro-lina State Capitol Build-ing, even though the South Carolina State Flag is this:

So ask yourself, Why is the flag of the Northern Virginia Army Flying over the South Carolina Capi-tol?

Located at 681 Irondale Road

PO Box 959

Port Hadlock, WA 98339

Phone: 360-385-1720

Fax: 360-385-1720

E-mail: irondalechurch@gmail.com

Website: Irondalechurch.org

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Pastor & Wife: David & Colleen Hodgin

Associate Pastor: Troy Norman

Visitation Pastor: Chuck Gadbaw

Elders: Dave Noble, John Jamison, Fritz Gordon, LeRoy Glessing, Dave Eddie

Council: Colleen Hodgin-Youth, Shirley Gadbaw & Melissa Norman-Fellowship, Mary Noble-Finance, Troy Norman-Worship, Jim

Wilcox-Interior Property, Kim Wilcox-Treasurer

Weekly Schedule: Sunday: 9:30 Sunday School, 10:30 Worship, Childrens Church & Nursery; Coffee Hour; 6:30 Evening Bible Study Monday: 6:30 Bible Study in Small Meeting Room Tuesday: 4-6:30 Community Soup Thursday: 11:00 Prayer Hour 2nd Saturday Mens breakfast at Chimacum Caf 3rd Saturday: Busy Hands Quilts for Foster Kids 4th Saturday: Mens Breakfast at IHOP (Irondale House of Praise)

Irondale Church is a place of promise to grow and belong

I r o n d a l e C h u r c h

Irondale Church

PO Box 959

Port Hadlock, WA 98339

VBS IS COMING!!! JULY 27, 28, 29

The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it.

The world and all its people belong to him. Psalm 24:1