Hello Living Word Church,
Pastor Daniel here again with another "Love Your Neighbor" post. There are several things I would like to share with us today: As many of you know, the month of June is referred to by many as "Pride Month" for the LGBTQ+ community and its advocates. Here at Living Word Church we do not affirm those views of sexuality due to Biblical principles. Yet we are still called to love our neighbors as ourselves (Mark 12:31), which includes people who are same-sex attracted and identify as transgender, gay, queer etc. In this week's "Ask the Pastor" video, Pastor Brian and I discuss how we as Christians can love people within the LGBTQ+ community. I invite you to watch and reach out to me if you have any additional questions or thoughts. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gS6aEKmx8WE
Finally, I want to invite you all again to a seminar we are hosting for our church on Sex Trafficking within our nation and community. It will be held tomorrow on Saturday June 27th from 10am-12:15pm via Zoom and is free and open to all. It will be led by Route One ministry which ministers to women caught within sex trafficking. Please prayerfully consider joining us on Saturday to learn more about how we can respond to this serious issue. Click on this link if you would like to register:
https://forms.gle/1jTZZSAPXSVFxZwb9 and you will receive more info. In regards to this issue, I leave us all with a Scripture passage to meditate on and a prayer:
Luke 4:14-19
16 He (Jesus) went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, 17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him.Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: 18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoner and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor."
Heavenly Father, we praise you and we thank you for anointing and sending your Son Jesus to proclaim Good News and freedom to us. We pray Jesus that by the Holy Spirit you would continue to set free all those who are enslaved in sex and human trafficking both near and far. We pray that you bring your hope and healing to the women, men and children who are suffering. We pray that you not only set free the oppressed but also the oppressor, those who are enslaved to the idols of greed, sex and power. We pray that your grace and salvation would come to many and that you would transform the oppressor into your liberator, filled with your holy love and Spirit. In the name of Jesus our Savior and King we pray, Amen.
Love your Neighbor,
Pastor Daniel