We have seen their awful protests before - against our brave military soldiers who have lost their lives in the line of duty for our country. They have picketed at the funerals of homosexuals. They have tried to picket at the funeral of Elizabeth Edwards who recently lost her battle with cancer.
From what I have heard, a group of people are going to be at Christina's funeral service with huge "angel's wings" on their backs to shield the grieving family and friends from the Westboro's WRONG attempts to place undeserved blame on a little girl who lost her life due to a murderous rampage by an evil person who needed to be put away in a mental institution.
Sothenes has drawn my attention to an article that informs us that the Westboro cult is just plain WRONG!
Sothenes wrote:
Westboro Baptist Church and sin
Examiner.com: Westboro Baptist Church and sin
I found a really good article on confronting the imbalance of the Westboro Baptist Church.
Instead of dismissing the article, you can question the Westboro Baptist Church with the simple verse:
Quote:
"Anyone who believes in Him is not condemned” (John 3:17-18a).
If Christians aren't condemned then why are the Westboro Baptist Church condemning? They are condemning because they are wrong.
Romans 8:34 Who [is] he that condemneth? [It is] Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
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Revelation 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
My response:
Thanks for sharing the link to that good article. This quote speaks volumes:
"Unfortunately, non-believers can have a mistaken view based on those who claim to act in the name of Christ, but do things that have no basis in scripture."
It's as if the Westboro people do not believe in God's mercy and grace through the power of the cross of Jesus Christ!
Mercy is God withholding what you (we, I, everyone) deserves.
Grace is God giving you (me, us, everyone) what you (I, we, everyone) don't deserve.
Come to think of it, I don't think that I have EVER heard anyone from their cult even mention Christ's sacrificial death on the cross for the FORGIVENESS of man's sins! They are guilty as any other cult/false religion/non-believer etc. of heresy and apostasy - because they do not adhere to God's provision for our salvation - namely, Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
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See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. Colossians 2:8
The eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth to show Himself strong to those whose hearts are fully committed to Him. 2 Chronicles 16:9
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I would also add that because the Phelps cult is working to lead people away from the true gospel of Jesus Christ, their fate in eternity will be the very destination that they claim those in whom they protest against will go - HELL!
That is...unless they REPENT!
Hat Tip:
Sothenes via Talk Wisdom forums
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Disgusting: Hate-Cultist Westboro Church Will Disrupt Funeral for Girl Killed by Tucson Madman, Emergency AZ Law Approved, “Angel Action” to Counter (video) - I’ve written about the Westboro Baptist Church before, and always feel like I need a hot, soapy shower once I’m done. The hate-filled cultist group from ...
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Update:
While reading Dr. David Jeremiah's (qwho is a GENUINE Baptist pastor/preacher) Turning Points magazine and devotional, I ran across a warning to "Beware of Masquerades" article that I think fits right in with the WRONGNESS of the Phelps cult.
Beware of Masquerades*******
And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. 2 Corinthians 11:14
Masquerade balls gained prominence in Europe as early as the fourteenth centruy and have been popular ever since, spreading to America and South America via celebrations such as Mardi Gras and Carnivale. But ancient Greek actors also wore masks to create a facial impression consistent with their character.
Masquerades are fine when it comes to fun but can be dangerous in the spiritual world. Paul warned the Corinthian church against Satan masquerading himself as an "angel of light" -- pretending to be one of God's good angels. In the same way, he could empower "false apostles" to transform themselves into "apostles of Christ." Indeed, Paul suggest that hs "thorn in th flesh" was a "messenger of Satan,." "Messenger" in Greek is angelos, or "angel" (2 Corinthians 12:7). Was his thorn a false apostle who was empowered by Satan, acting as an "angel of light"? It takes discernment to see beneath the mask of an imposter.
There are good angels and evil angels in the world. It pays the Christian to be on guard against the evil (1 Peter 5:8) while giving thanks for the ministry of the good (Hebrews 1:14).
THAT'S IT!!! The Westboro cult is masquerading as apostles of God - all the while being false prophets, which makes them evil messengers of Satan! They are guilty of being spiritual imposters! True Christians have the ability to see beneath their imposter masks!
Posts
9 comments:
While reading Dr. David Jeremiah's (qwho is a GENUINE Baptist pastor/preacher) Turning Points magazine and devotional, I ran across a warning to "Beware of Masquerades" article that I think fits right in with the WRONGNESS of the Phelps cult.
Beware of Masquerades
And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. 2 Corinthians 11:14
Masquerade balls gained prominence in Europe as early as the fourteenth centruy and have been popular ever since, spreading to America and South America via celebrations such as Mardi Gras and Carnivale. But ancient Greek actors also wore masks to create a facial impression consistent with their character.
Masquerades are fine when it comes to fun but can be dangerous in the spiritual world. Paul warned the Corinthian church against Satan masquerading himself as an "angel of light" -- pretending to be one of God's good angels. In the same way, he could empower "false apostles" to transform themselves into "apostles of Christ." Indeed, Paul suggest that hs "thorn in th flesh" was a "messenger of Satan,." "Messenger" in Greek is angelos, or "angel" (2 Corinthians 12:7). Was his thorn a false apostle who was empowered by Satan, acting as an "angel of light"? It takes discernment to see beneath the mask of an imposter.
There are good angels and evil angels in the world. It pays the Christian to be on guard against the evil (1 Peter 5:8) while giving thanks for the ministry of the good (Hebrews 1:14).
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THAT'S IT!!! The Westboro cult is masquerading as apostles of God - all the while being false, evil, messengers of Satan! They are guilty of being spiritual imposters! True Christians have the ability to see beneath their imposter masks!
Fred Phelps is of course b_____t crazy, but having a few million dollars OR a close relationship with God usually moderates harsh statements like that.
CJW: "Unfortunately, non-believers can have a mistaken view based on those who claim to act in the name of Christ, but do things that have no basis in scripture."
Well, I don't quite agree with that.
After what the Lord said in Psalms 2:7~9, it's understandable that Christians might interpret that as a license to conquer and enslave. Just sayin'.
If WBC is guilty of heresy and apostasy, they are supposed to be killed, right? Deuteronomy 13:6~9 is very blunt about that. But that'll never happen to Phelps and his clan, and not just because of the civil laws. It's because he's still—supposedly--a man o'God. In recent centuries that whole 'apostasy' thing has been reserved for people like me. Ol' Fred still makes all the right noises and still prays to a God, so there will still be a place in glory for him. I've turned my back on all that, so I can expect nothing but the Auschwitz that lasts forever. Or so I'm told.
Phelps reads the same Bible and prays to the same God you do! How is it that two such devoted Christians can do that and yet reach such disparate conclusions about what it says?
...and if someone is a "false...messenger of Satan" (as opposed to a true one), doesn't that mean they're working for God? Isn't that what Phelps claims to be doing?
GM,
Of course you "wouldn't agree with that" because from your particular stance of non-belief, I wouldn't expect you to agree with it.
Thanks for pointing out my error. I have now corrected it on the front page and it reads as follows:
THAT'S IT!!! The Westboro cult is masquerading as apostles of God - all the while being false prophets, which makes them evil messengers of Satan! They are guilty of being spiritual imposters! True Christians have the ability to see beneath their imposter masks!
Can I use the lateness of the hour at the time of posting as an excuse? ;-)
About your view that since "Phelps reads the same Bible as you (me)." It is Jesus who, in the end, will judge his soul (everyone's soul, in fact). The Bible tells us that Jesus already knows what is in the hearts of men (women). He knows those who genuinely repent. And it is never too late before physical death on this earth.
Recall the two thieves on the crosses next to Jesus. They both mocked Jesus at first. But then, the one thief on the cross next to Jesus acknowledged his sin and asked Jesus to (paraphrased here) 'remember me (him) when you come into your kingdom.' Jesus replied, "Today, you will be with me in paradise."
Even in the 11th hour as one nears death, repentance and belief in Jesus Christ is all that is needed to redeem one's soul for all eternity. That's grace! That's mercy!
Read through Matthew 7.
We could point out the following verses, in particular, when considering where the Phelps cult individuals will end up in eternity (hell) if they don't repent of their sins:
Mat 7:21 "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
Mat 7:22 "Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?'
Mat 7:23 "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'
Hostess, you know as well as I that the 'nice' story about the two thieves is told in Luke, and nowhere else. In Matthew, neither of the thieves believed, both mocked Jesus up there with them, and the text says nothing about either one changing their minds. So...which one is the true story?
Both Phelps and God say that homosexuals must die. Of course he pickets their funerals!
"When God kills a queer,
Fred Phelps doth cheer.”
I think he'd kill them himself if the secular laws allowed it. In any case, he hates them, just as God does. Obviously, he doesn't think he's acting against God by doing so.
If Jesus is really the judge of souls at death, what makes you think you know Phelps's soul as well as Jesus does? Leave him to heaven, as the saying goes, and if you believe he's doing harm to the Body of Christ here and now, your duty as a believer is to correct him, by pointing out his error to him, and to limit the damage, by pointing out his error to others.
Of course, since 'True Christians have the ability to see beneath their imposter masks', there is no real need to post it here. Disbelievers like me won't believe it (most won't even come here), and your fellow Christians already know to watch out for people like Phelps...right?
No, I will not accept the lateness of the hour for your tortured grammar. I attribute it to your righteous fury; one adjective wasn't enough to describe your anger at WBC, you had to use two—and one was the wrong one. ;-)
Christine Green was 9. She was baptised and sung in the choir. I believe it was a Church of Christ church that she went to. I can't tell if people are saved (going to heaven) but if she believed in Him then why was Westboro going to picket her funeral?
"Anyone who believes in Him is not condemned” (John 3:17-18a).
Why would Westboro want to picket her funeral? They decided not to picket in exchange for radio time so I'm thinking they can't get people to give them attention normally so they're willing to trade picketing for radio time. It is all about attention.
Anonymous,
Someone on Fox News claimed that little Christine was Catholic. So therefore, in the eyes of the Westboro crazies, she was not saved.
I know of at least half a dozen Catholics who are saved. It's not the church building or denomination that saves or necessarily matters. It is how one answers Jesus' question, "who do you say that I am?" It's what's in the heart. Jesus sees our hearts. He knows what we believe and are thinking. A person who confesses and repentsof their sin at the foot of the cross of Christ, and asks Him to dwell in their hearts as Lord and Savior of their lives are the ones who are genuinely saved. Jesus said, "If you love me, keep my commandments." Therefore, the ones who love him and are saved by his shed blood on the cross will want to follow and obey him all the days of their lives.
As a former Catholic, I KNOW that I was not saved while attending that church. But when I followed what is written in John 3:3, I realized what was needed to be saved.
I know of friends who still attend the Catholic church, but did invite Christ into their hearts as Lord and Savior.
Some may not agree that they are saved, but I think they are.
I think you are correct about the fact that the Phelps cult wants attention. One day they will answer to the Lord Jesus Christ for their sinfulness.
Christine,
There are many people who go to the early service at Christian churches so that they can go to the service at the Catholic church because they don't want to offend their families.
My stepsister was born again but the Catholics in her family were putting rosaries in her coffin and sending us prayer books even though we aren't Catholic.
The young girl didn't go to the political rally with her parents.
And nine year old girls can't afford a burial plot let alone tell parents which church to have the funeral in.
The Wikipedia article on her is small and subject to deletion.
I may be wrong as the news media wrongly and initially reported Rep. Giffords deceased and information may be sporatic but I read Christina went to a Church of Christ in Arizona. With thousands of news articles out there, it may be hard for me to google the correct one but I'm going to go to certain sites and hope they still have the information up.
Sothenes
I have to concede.
Sothenes
Pastor Wiley Drake. You remember him—the MoG who threatened last autumn to burn a copy of the Koran and was talked out of it by assorted public figures, including Pope Benedict XVI?
Well, this screamin' mimi now wants to host an open discussion with members of the body of Christ, from around the world. His leading agenda is to discuss “Imprecatory Prayer” for Westboro Baptist and Pastor Fred Phelps because Drake sees Phelps as--get this--an "embarrassment to Bible- believing Pro-Life and Pro-Family Christians".
http://www.christiannewswire.com/news/8869215917.html
Pot, say hello to Kettle.
If you're so inclined, follow this forum on radio or on the Web, starting Jan. 14th.
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