Penn State University Continues to Build on a Foundation of Notoriety!

.....The ceremony will be held March 29 at the HUB-Robeson Center. State College Mayor Bill Welch, who said he supports the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender community and its allies (LGBTA), will preside over the event. It is the first event of LGBTA's Pride Week. "I'd have no problem performing same-sex marriages, but it's not legal," Welch said.... --- from a Penn State campus news organization reporting on a scheduled commitment ceremony to be held for homosexual and lesbian couples on March 29, 2008

Penn State University continues to add to its list of accomplishments for top entry in the Notoriety Hall of Fame! In the central Pennsylvania region the news diet as it pertains to Penn State University is a steady stream of stuff that makes a cesspool smell like a rose!

Here are the kinds of things we are told as they unfold at the school which has a well known coach named Joe Paterno and a football team which has some members who have done more than their share in tarnishing the image of the school:

• Penn State football team players involved in brawls with various charges brought against them for such conduct
  
• sexual assaults
  
• underage drinking and arrests on that basis
  
• assaults, which often are connected to use of beverage alcohol -- seems the alcohol flows practically unrestricted around the university!
  

Now comes the latest blunder of blunders -- a "commitment" ceremony to be held on campus for couples who practice sodomy or lesbianism! One news release indicated there will be 3 male couples and 3 female couples. State College Mayor Bill Welch will conduct the ceremony for them at the HUB-Robeson Center. The mayor has been quoted as saying that he supports the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender community and its allies (LGBTA).

A couple of the males involved in the ceremony spoke of receiving strong support from the community and throughout the campus. They are both doctoral students at Penn State. One said, "We just want to show the public that we're just like any other committed couple who loves each other."

There will be a protest gathering at the same time as the ceremony is taking place. It has been organized by Gary Dull, pastor of Faith Baptist Church in Altoona.

Already a large number of petitions have been submitted in protest of the commitment ceremony. But Mayor Welch has indicated his intention to go ahead with the ceremony in spite of the protesting that is taking place.

This is but one of many unfolding events across the entire nation indicating the progress which has been made by those supporting the sodomite/lesbian agenda. With a lot of highly intelligent people, lots of financial support, effective strategic planning, masterful waging of psychological "warfare" and successful infiltration of the educational system and mass media these people are much nearer their goal of forced acceptance of their "way of life."

Those of us who still choose to believe that God's boundary lines for acceptable sexual intimacy is limited to a male and female within the covenant of marriage are finding our ranks diminishing. Perhaps in part due to an unwillingness by some to live with the negative labels of "homophobic," "mean-spirited," "unloving," "unchristian," etc. For those supporting the sodomite/lesbian agenda, this aspect of the psychological warfare is proving to be quite effective!

It is also very possible that some have capitulated and gone along with the strategy of "dialog" -- we sit down and discuss how we can agree to disagree, thus creating a "loving" environment and a "positive" attitude -- which translates into "live and let live!"

A few would agree -- probably very few -- that we are witnessing the predictions of Jesus being fulfilled before our very eyes -- He said that the human race would regress to the point that it would be like a rerun of the days in which Noah lived before the judgment of the flood and the days of Lot when he lived in a city by the name of Sodom!

And you know what? I'm not going to cite the book, chapter and verse numbers on that -- if you want to verify it, it's in the Bible SOMEWHERE! You know, that Book which gathers dust by the inch in many, many homes across this republic!

As for Penn State, will it qualify for an entry in Guinness World Records for doing more to gain notoriety than any other university has ever done?

Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!......... And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them. --- Isaiah 5:20; Romans 1:28-32

Pressured to Give Up -- But Don't!

"And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold." --- Matthew 24:12

For nearly half a century I have been in the work which God called me to do. There are three major things over that period of time concerning which I have never had any doubts whatsoever ----

• That Jesus Christ extended love and mercy to me which I cannot fathom nor did I deserve and saved me from a sinful and destructive way of life.
  
  
• That a few months after transforming my life God called me to a ministry of preaching and teaching His Word.
  
  
• That His inspired Word (the holy Scriptures) is the infallible authority on all matters having to do with the Christian faith and the practicing of that faith in a world ravaged by sin of every possible kind!
  

There were times of trial over the years in which I felt like quitting the United Methodist Church for more “attractive” situations, or just shutting up and saying nothing.

But God never gave His approval to move to the more attractive settings and in regard to quitting or just keeping the mouth shut, He always reminded me of Jeremiah’s experience as noted in Jeremiah 20:

O LORD, You induced me, and I was persuaded; You are stronger than I, and have prevailed. I am in derision daily; everyone mocks me. For when I spoke, I cried out; I shouted, "Violence and plunder!" Because the word of the LORD was made to me a reproach and a derision daily. Then I said, "I will not make mention of Him, nor speak anymore in His name." But His word was in my heart like a burning fire shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back, and I could not. For I heard many mocking: "Fear on every side!" "Report," they say, "and we will report it!" All my acquaintances watched for my stumbling, saying, "Perhaps he can be induced; then we will prevail against him, and we will take our revenge on him." But the LORD is with me as a mighty, awesome one. Therefore my persecutors will stumble, and will not prevail. They will be greatly ashamed, for they will not prosper. Their everlasting confusion will never be forgotten. But, O LORD of hosts, You who test the righteous, and see the mind and heart, let me see Your vengeance on them; for I have pleaded my cause before You. --- Jeremiah 20:7-12

Here’s how it is – on basis of Jesus’ warnings about the latter times of human history, we know it will be extremely trying times for Christians. Note the following as revealed by Jesus in Matthew 24:

• onslaught of false teaching, which is what He kept emphasizing repeatedly
  
• conflicts and wars constantly
  
• convulsions in the earth’s structure – an increase in frequency of the same
  
• rampant diseases and famines
  
• conditions duplicating those which were prevalent when Noah lived before the judgment of the flood and when Lot and his family lived in Sodom prior to it and Gomorrah being totally destroyed
  
• international hatred for those who identify with and are committed to serving Jesus Christ
  

Perhaps one of the most shocking statements made by Jesus was the fact that due to rampant lawlessness the love of many will grow cold. (Matthew 24:12). Equally shocking was a question asked by Jesus when He said, “Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8).

The clear implication is that as human history comes down the homestretch prior to Christ’s return, the pressure on Christians to give up or at least compromise their Bible based convictions will greatly intensify! Compromising one's faith is in reality a tragic "give up" experience!

For many, the beginning stage on the path to giving up will be to doubt that the Bible really means what it so plainly says regarding faith, responsibility and accountability to God.

Next, evil is so widespread and so entrenched we conclude that there is nothing we can do – if you can’t beat ‘em, then you might as well join ‘em! Again, compromise seems to be the convenient way to handle this dilemma!

Consequently the devil throws another dance in the street with the Hell-bound demon hoards screaming with joy and delight – another Christian has yielded to the pressure to give up.

Where do you presently stand in all this? Are you still in the war fighting the good fight of faith?

"He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels....To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne." --- Revelation 3:5, 21

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing. --- 2 Timothy 4:7,8