When I’m in front of God receiving His judgment, He won’t ask me about the two men who were married, He won’t ask me about the woman who had an abortion, He won’t ask me about the man who feels more comfortable dressed as a woman. He WILL ask me how I loved those people as he commanded me to do. That will be on ME. I try to leave all judgement to Him. On a different note, awhile ago you mentioned that you were struggling and that Charlie was struggling with his illness. I hope that things are going better. You remain close to my heart and in my prayers.✝️🕊
I've seen this on memes so many times and each time I say to myself, "Yes! I'm going to be judged for *my* sins, not for anything that anyone else has done." We don't need to regulate other people. Instead, as in the "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone" story, we need to work on ourselves and let God worry about what other people are doing.
He will ask you in fact He will COMMAND that you should have preached the WHOLE character of God. He is a righteous God of Judgement . I guess you'll find out when you stand before Him
@@HealthyWealthyAndWise1976Spoken like a true healthy,wealthy and wise man of judgement. Both of us are sinners and we will both face the same one who created us and loves us unconditionally. What His judgment will be of anybody else will be is His to make, not mine. I have my hands full trying to keep my own house in order and I don’t feel the need to mind anyone else’s business when it doesn’t apply to me.
Some time ago I found myself thinking like this: “If I, a human being, can find it in myself to accept and love someone, surely God can. Surely, I’m not more compassionate than God.”
You're not. Have you lived a 100% sinless life and been tortured and crucified so that your righteous blood would atone for the sin that separates us all from God? EXCEPT HE first loved us...NOT that we loved Him (and still don't with our arrogant pontificating about what WE think and what WE FEEL is right...and to heck with what HE SAYS in HIS WORD-'the One who created man from dust and the entire universe-and regardless of what He did to save our sorry souls.) Who are we to do anything but fall at His feet and thank Him for His love, sacrifice and mercy on our arrogant, ungrateful unloving blasphemous and wretched souls!
"Starting with the oldest, they dropped their stones and walked away..." That one sentence says it all to me, that the life lived longest is the one that has the greatest residue of that behavior that distances us from God, "sin", and that such a life is the one most needing to give up on the judgment that we're tempted so often to cling to. I'll be 75 later this year. May I give up on the judgment that I find myself clinging to all too often. May we all hold that judgment loosely so that we may give it up freely. Amen
I wouldn't call myself a practicing Christian, so take this for what you will, but I keep coming back to a Kris Kristofferson song, Why Me Lord?, as the best example of how I think Christians should live and witness to others. "Try me, Lord, if you think there's a way I can try to repay all I've taken from you. Maybe, Lord, I can show someone else what I've been through myself on my way back to you." There's an implication of Christianity being a journey, and a hard one, and telling others of one's own struggles is a better form of witnessing than telling them they're going to hell if they don't repent.
Both approaches would be honest and helpful...don't you think? Did you ever tell anyone something you did wrong and the price you paid when you see them doing what you did in hopes they could avoid your fate? Loving! Did you ever tell your child not to touch a hot iron or stove because it would burn and hurt? (Loving) Was that the wrong thing to do?
The irony is the hate of many Christians is why Christianity is dying in the west. Christians and Christian institutions have caused more damage to their religion then atheists like us ever could.
We all pray every day, forgive me my trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.. we're all doing our best according to our level of consciousness. Jesus raised their collective consciousness, perspective. He is the great teacher
Thank you Rev. That scripture was beautiful in the First Nations translation. People are afraid, and we are ready and easy targets. But being a gay trans Christian, the freedom of following Christ into authenticity cleared the fear from my heart. I wish others could find that as well.
Yes, FEAR is the enemy, Truth be known; the ONLY enemy! "We have nothing to fear but fear itself" is the most true statement ever made by any politician. And when you learn precisely what is the serpent, the beast, the devil and satan - the prince, the god of this world - you will understand perfectly. Elijah has returned, as prophesied, and testifies: Please read my comment elsewhere on this video.
Thank you Rev. Ed. I'm loving the first peoples translation. Thank you and Rev. Rachel for introducing it to me. The concept of the separated ones makes so much sense. So happy I am part of a group who loves me and accepts me with all my good qualities and my faults.
My understanding is that Christ came to teach us about love (a radical idea at the time), not how to judge others. This is my own guiding principle in all things although I fail at times. If only we could love one another as He has taught us.
Rev. Ed said “I don’t believe being gay is doing anything wrong!” EXACTLY! I was raised in a conservative household, we were told over and over again that homosexuality was a sin. When l worked my first job at college, my boss was gay. I waited for heavenly judgement to strike him down and hoped l wasn’t standing near him when God struck. Nothing ever happened and he proved to be a great boss. I broke with my family views on homosexuality along with their ideas of race relation, etc. So imagine my terror when my oldest son told me he was gay. I wasn’t being judgmental, l was being fearful for the new life he was taking on. I knew first hand the prejudices out there. Of course my conservative family has shunned him. Then my youngest came to me, she is now my transgendered daughter. You can only imagine what that now has done for family relations. Long story short, l realized people are people. It is not for me to judge. My gay and transgendered children are as much a member of God’s family as anyone else’s regardless of their sexual orientation. I will ask again for someone to show me ONE verse of scripture from Jesus where he says homosexuality is a sin. The same Christians condemning them, l am sure eat pork, mix different fabrics of cloth, work on the Sabbath, need l go on. ***I know this is old posting but it just came up in my feed.***
The end is truly moving, Reverend. No one should be treated with contempt and hostility for being who they are. No one should judge and condemn people just for living their lives, and loving who they love. Bless you for reminding our brothers and sisters that they are precious, and loved.
Your 2nd , 3rd, and 4th statements are true. We are not to be hostile and cruel to people who are caught up in sinfulness...which...show me who isn't in our fleshly carnality. Just don't confuse compassion with condoning acceptance of ANY kind of sin which is against God and against our own selves. All of it harms us...which is why He forbids it and hates it just as you would despise anything that harms your own children (if you're a loving and good and wise parent. ) Don't kid yourself by thinking ALLOWING , AFFIRMING , CONDONING , APPLAUDING , AND APPEASING sinfulness of any kind is LOVING or compassionate. It is the OPPOSITE! REAL LOVE speaks truth in love...THAT is compassion. The opposite of that is standing by and applauding and lovingly blowing kisses at someone as you watch them walk off a cliff because you don't want to step up and risk their being offended and warn them they are heading the wrong way. That is REAL LOVE AND CONCERN. The guy on this video is teaching LIES and signing Jesus's name to it. Run if you're smart.
@@floridagirl5250 Thanks, angry internet rando. Your defensive ranting has changed me; I no longer love and support my LGBTQ friends, or their rights to go about their lives. 🙄 I run from people who get upset by the idea that gay folks deserve love and respect, not judgment.
This was a blessing . I have been asking God about the question you posed. The Holy Spirit brought this story to me. As well as the woman with the alabaster jar and the woman at the well. The way of Christ is the way of love. I still am not convince that homosexuality is not a sin but I am just as guilty in God's eyes of sin. Thank you Jesus for your atoning blood being shed for sinners like me.
Whether homosexuality is or is not "a sin", we are advised by Jesus to get the log out of our own eye so we may better see to get the speck out of our neighbor's eye. I am retired and yet still have not gotten the log out of my own eye. In fact, it seems that in my case, the log grows. If a person is homosexual and if being a homosexual is "a sin", it seems to me that the words of Jesus about simply looking at a woman with lust in your heart makes you guilty of adultery. In other words, doing or refraining from doing a homosexual act leaves being a homosexual unaffected. I could be wrong.
@@grantsmythe8625 Jesus telling us looking at a woman with lust makes you quilty of adultery pretty much puts all of us men in the same basket. I wonder if that was intentional? Makes all of us to need mercy and forgiveness and we are told in other verses if we do not forgive we will not be forgiven. And to receive mercy we need to be merciful.
@@stephencullum8255 I find myself clicking my tongue just about as much as the next one in a myriad of situations. Tongue-clicking serves to make the tongue stronger. Do I want this muscular tongue to click or a tongue to lick? My son reminded me the other day that I used to tell him to stop himself when he felt urges to do harmful things. He says that this was very important for him growing-up. Now, if someone is wearing a wedding-ring or in some other way gives the world to understand that they are "committed an involved" it's silly and also cruel to try to entice the person against their decision - woman or otherwise. Wearing my wedding-ring was always a statement not only to my (then)wife, but to the world about how I want to be treated and about from where I was coming. Clarity at the outset is the easiest way to stop that proverbial snowball from irreversibly rolling down that mountainside.
First, I loved the First Nations translation. Thanks. I'm used to the King James Version, so I'll refer to that one for now. I had a friend who was raised Catholic, went to Catholic schools and a Catholic university; he was taught by Jesuits. In conversation with me, one day, he pointed out that when Jesus said Let he that is without sin ... cast the first stone, which words moved them all to leave -- he also asked the woman whether any man condemned her. and She said, No man, Lord. Then, Jesus told her, Neither do I condemn you.... My friend pointed out that Jesus was among the men present. He was counting himself as one who was not without sin. The same friend said that for him, the most remarkable part of the story of Jesus's life is that it told of God coming to earth and living as a human. (Jesus being God's avatar) (I know that not everyone will 'go there,' but I found his idea worth thinking about.) 😊
As a humanoid I appreciate you Ed. I know when I join God, Im better with other folks. If I can forgive my stupidity in life via Jesus I do even better. Thanks Ed.
Rev. Ed such a potent and beautiful explanation in how Christians should interact with the World. I have a much more personal story that I chose not to share at this moment. I ask for the prayers and light from those who have been in situations in there life that have caused such introspection and soul-seech to what they are experiencing today. Be Blessed, All.
My outlook on life is based on this scripture as well as taking care of "the beam in my eye". I know that I am not perfect and that I sin. So who am I to judge and expect others to be perfect? Believing we are all imperfect helps me towards understanding and accepting my and everyone else's mistakes and differences, which in turn has made me less angry and more calm in situations others freak out at.
Yes, beautiful. I do not sin and am not sinning. Yesterday, I sinned some, perhaps I will sin tomorrow, but right now I'm paying attention, loving, caring and going through each and every comment while thinking kindly about the people - you - who are in my life, right now, seeing beauty and enjoying their presence. No sin. Love.
Wow, what a great way to start a Sunday morning. Just came in from my morning walk and found Your video, Ed! The day is just young yet but this video really, really made my day! Always liked John:8 1-11 but it certainly gets a new and wonderful dimension in the First Nations Version. The message is of same importance as ever, but so good to hear it in the way it's written in "First Nations". Bless You for sharing this with us..
The only problem I've ever had with this story is, what about the man she was commiting adultery with? Where was he? And why wasn't he dragged to Jesus along with the woman?
Those who wanted to stone her, it was to them Jesus also said to go and sin no more. Their sin was hate, failure to follow Christ with mercy and compassion.
Yes, Ed. You are a "power in this world" who can and does do something positive - very helpful for me and others - here. I'm glad that you are seeking/finding a way (perhaps THE way) of not returning to a broken path you were walking - partly by helping people up who have fallen and helping those who have no more energy and are faltering. Do and do and do and don't stop. Why would anyone think they can convince with hate? and convince me of WHAT, exactly? Love is a blessing which we are to share with our neighbor, our family and our friends, with all the creatures of the earth; with all growing things with all we perceive. When one feels this love, one cannot stop sharing - the need to share this love is felt more strongly than any other hunger and overrides reticence and feelings of inhibition. Of course, I've also loved badly and try to love better now and in the future. This is true even when I'm loving well. But in what ways is this anyone else's business (which they should mind)? The attempt to force upon me a way of seeing the world - even when this way is similar to my own - feels very much like being deeply molested. This is especially so when I've come to trust those otherwise companions and family members vying for this control. HaTCHie. I had hoped the first nation's translation would explain to us what Jesus had written in the sand. Love.
@@v_nix Wonderful to see you, here. As usual, I surmise that you'd like to write more but the energy must be rationed-out. Thanks for your thoughts and good wishes and for you all the best. Love.
This is beautiful . It makes me aware I'm putting rocks in my pockets for later . Maybe I can put some back today ... until I can learn to quit picking them up .
Blessings Ed 🙏 thanks for your enlightened explanation of the timeless story of how Holier than Thou individuals often forget about the plank in their Eyes Still happening Especially with Conservative Christians here in USA Where forgiveness ain't Divine
So true, Again the Church I was born and raised in went global (no LGTBQ+ in the Church) and finally a year later I joined the Bethany Christian Church that accepts all to the table. Amen and amen
If you had been my entryway to Christianity when I was a teenager, I would likely still be a Christian. Now that train has left, but listening to you talk helps me to see that it is only a minority who fetishizes hell and torture and power over people. Please stay the wholesome way you are! You are helping heal religious trauma in many.
Reverend Ed, you are the blessing! Thank you for all you do. I left the Church decades ago account the blatant hypocrisy and weekly fire and brimstone target practice from our Baptist Pastor. My God-Grandma (Catholic) instilled upon me that His Word is MY guide through MY life, never to be used against others, followed by “people going to what people going to do and that’s between them and Him”.
You inspire me to pray the Holy Spirit can guide all of us away from sin and help us love and support eachother. Better we love and help our brothers and sisters than condemn them.
It's interesting that this story usually ends with "Go and sin no more" and we seldom hear the follow-up verse. It's almost like there are people out there who don't want that to be as well known. I trained as a translator and your comment about the version you read from not being a word-for-word translation really resonated. Word-for-word translations are seldom accurate across the entire text. Social context, idiomatic expression and a lot of other factors including the writer's sense of humor go into rendering the writer's thoughts into another language. The translator also has to watch his or her own prejudices. As Rev Ed pointed out, many of the clobber passages gate-keeping Christians like to use against other people don't actually say that in the original.
If the "imperfect" are kicked out of the church, how can they hope to become better, to know better, and be better? How can we learn to be more compassionate and comforting, not dispassionate and comfortable?
Wonderfully put Reverand! I so wish that more Christians were like you. But far too many like to spew hate and judgement. They are not Christ-like at all, in my opinion. Please keep doing what you are doing. May God bless you!
I feel like the majority is more in the vicinity of Rev Ed than those hateful people you see in the media. The trouble is that the majority is too silent and the hateful minority is so loud. The majority should speak up more AND the media should stop handing the mike to those hateful heretics and giving it to people like Rev Ed. But hateful crazies make for better ratings/more clicks, I guess.
Thank you, Rev. Ed, as always you echo my thoughts in this sermon! I might add one more thing, and that's that I remind people who are judging others, for being who they are, that if they're Christian, surely they believe that God created all people. Well if they accept that, then who are they to say God made a mistake when he made in the past and continues to make those of the LGBTQ+ community! To me, God chose to make me straight, for whatever reason. And he in turn chose to make them otherwise. And God said to love our neighbors, and didn't add, but only if they're straight! So, yes, he meant for us to love everyone. And he most certainly never said that telling someone, who they are, will send them to Hell. He just said love them, and we're to leave the judging to him!!
After watching this I ended up on Isaiah. Isaiah 53, 54, 55, and 56 specifically. It was because I keep getting the feeling that the connection between the LGBTQ+, the rainbow, and God's promise is not coincidental. _"I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.”_ There is a great divide festering on Earth and it seems to me that the divide is not between Christians and non-Christians, but rather a divide between those who have hatred in their hearts, and those who do not. "love is love" is the most common slogan to go with a rainbow flag, and a line from Isaiah: _For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,” says the Lord, who has compassion on you._ Just a thought from one sinner to other sinners... 🌈
Beautiful message, Reverend! I also noticed in this passage that not once did Jesus reprimand, condescend, or call the woman hurtful names. He saved her life here where in the OT, she would have been stoned to death (horrible).
There is an anecdotal story of a reporter doing an article on Gay Christians who asked ministers the question "Would you give communion to someone you knew was in a gay relationship?". Many ministers repield "No", but one replied "Of course. When we sing Just As I Am we actually mean it." Was that you Rev. Ed? Blessings.
It is interesting that today, June 11th, the main story on one of the mainstream news outlets is a group of Christians with signs saying "Sin no more" at an LGBTQ Pride event....thanks again for a very relevant teaching Rev. Ed.
You remind me of the kind,tolerant Mennonite people i grew up with. I haven't listened to you for a while, but your title grabbed me! In these times we live in, I understand that there is no perfect Christian, but it seems we have a lot of hate in the name of Christianity it tells me they don't know the first thing about Christ. I do so enjoy you. Take care and be safe ❤️.
What I keep going back to with every instance someone is judging or otherwise kicking down a certain group of people is when Christ stated in so many words, Do not judge lest you be judged. And by the measure you judge others, that same measure will be used to judge you. I will freely admit that I have major issues with hypocrisy and those who feel they are better in any way than others, and will be so quick to judge and kick down at others wholly they consider as "less than" themselves" for no good reason then the other person is different is whatever way they have been conditioned to believe is bad or wrong, or whatever else.
Would you please, give the information about the Creator Set Free translation? I would love to find a copy for my own. I have 4 different editions, mostly for readability. Now I am thinking I need to read for understanding. Thanks Rev.
I too believe this message was sent to me for I have questioned a pastor my family wants me to follow. He has repeatedly made fun of the gay community and allowed his congregation to laugh about it during his sermons. I have refused to go back to that church. I am judged by family as not following Gods word.
Wow, the blowback is ferocious in the comments. I go to a typical evangelical church in the Deep South. I play guitar there. God has sent me to these little churches that are so wonderful in so many ways….but the Pastor’s open homophobia is very problematic for me. GBU for being brave Ed. Proverbs 3 says God will write His laws on the tablets of my heart. Everytime I get to and try to write those “clobber” verses…..they just fall off. Maybe 90 to 95% of God’s Word came right out of Scripture…. But not ALL of it. Good thing my faith is in God, a Spirit of Love & Truth, and NOT in an old compendium of 66 to 73 books . I LOVE the Bible but I do not worship it. I worship Jesus and eternal life with Him. Great vid Ed….& you knew darn good and well what would happen. Good on you Brother!
It's the "No True Scotsman" fallacy. There is no way that God's love does not extend to people who live alternative life styles. God's grace is limitless. I can't believe in a God who has such petty problems.
In my humble opinion: "...though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death" "...lead me not into temptation, but deliver me from evil" These are hints to the Righteous. We live and breathe in our shared world. Although we sin, we seek forgiveness, as we also forgive. It's as simple as that.
Thanks for the recommendation. It seems like a film that I would have enjoyed at one time in my life. But at this point in my life, I would recommend saving 100-minutes of one's time, and just read the plot on Wikipedia. 😊
When I was involved in a Bible study group we used to have a whole range of translations and because it was in Oxford we had a Greek New Testament that some could read and offer something from. The most interesting period of this group was when the warden of the building was an orthodox Jew and he asked to join the group. He brought with him knowledge of Biblical Hebrew and so while he was with us we focused on the Hebrew Scriptures and learnt a great deal from another tradition to whom this text is important though that is too trite a word to whom the text is vital. Can I ask where the translation you were reading can be obtained or better the name of it and the publisher?
One of the things that always bothered me about this 'woman caught in adultery' is that they're only trying to stone the woman. Where was the man she was committing adultery with?
I've read that "caught" could mean that two men came forward claiming to have seen it for themselves. So it doesn't mean they all saw her through an open window, but that two (or more) men testified they saw. They could also claim they didn't know who the man was.
Look, in God's own word, man was created in the image of God. God is supposedly perfect. So, if there are gay people, or trans people, or black or white, we're all just shards of the reflection of God. We were meant to exist and look out for each other. "What you do unto the least of you, you do unto me ". ( *Source forgotten atm)
Too many preachers use the Scripture as a true weapon against people. They forget that God is not sending weapons, but Love. His Spirit is not blowing bad words and condamnations, but Love. If Scripture is not an instrument of Love, but a weapon against others and their happiness, you may worship the Scripture, but surely you don't worship God.
A "true Christian" would also not be a Republican, either, and act so hatefully, full of bitterness and anger, especially toward anyone who doesn't think, look, and act like them. I'm reminded of "One Tin Soldier": "Go ahead and hate your neighbor, Go ahead and cheat a friend, Do it the name of Heaven, You can justify it in the end,..." Hypocrisy has had the bright light of day shone on it for a very long time, recognition that saying you follow Him, but in reality do not emulate Him, in fact rejecting His ways in their daily lives... this is not how you bring others to belief in Him.
