“Through no fault or choice of my own, I am unable to express my sexuality in the beauty and intimacy of Christian marriage, as God intended when he created me a sexual being in his own image. To seek to do this outside of marriage is, by the clear teaching of Scripture, to sin against God and against my own nature. As a committed Christian, then, I have no alternative but to live a life of voluntary celibacy. I must be chaste not only in body, but in mind and spirit as well.
Since I am now in my 60’s I think that my experience of what this means is valid. I want to go on record as having proved that for those who are committed to do God’s will, His commands are His enablings. My whole being cries out continually for something I may not have. My whole life must be lived in the context of this never-ceasing tension. My professional life, my social life, my personal life, my Christian life—all are subject to its constant and powerful pull.
As a Christian I have no choice but to obey God, cost what it may. I must trust Him to make it possible for me to honor Him in my singleness. That this is possible, a mighty cloud of witnesses will join me to attest. Multitudes of single Christians in every age and circumstance have proved God’s sufficiency in this matter. He has promised to meet our needs and He honors His Word. If we seek fulfillment in Him, we shall find it. It may not be easy, but whoever said that Christian life was easy? The badge of Christ’s discipleship was a cross.
Why must I live my life alone? I do not know. But Jesus Christ is Lord of my life. I believe in the sovereignty of God, and I accept my singleness from His hand. He could have ordered my life otherwise, but He has not chosen to do so. As His child, I must trust his love and wisdom.”

- Margaret Clarkston, a missionary and servant of the one, true God.

The most convincing contrarian will always have the most sympathetic understanding of his opposition’s view.

Farris, a bondservant of Christ Jesus, set apart before the foundation of the world for the Gospel, an associate of Paul who was called to be an Apostle to the gentiles and to preach what had been promised beforehand to those who would hear the word of God and believe in their hearts and confess with their mouths that Christ Jesus is Lord, to all the saints of Lexington. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Although I am amazed that you have so quickly deserted Him who called you by grace, I am also confident of this very thing: that He who begun a good work in you will perfect it until that day of Christ Jesus. He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. He has called you into fellowship with his Son, and even if we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny himself. You saints have been grafted into the tree of Israel, you have become a holy nation for His name’s sake by the faithfulness of God, and now you have been purchased as soldiers of Christ for the defense and advancement of this heavenly realm. The politics of this nation is righteousness and justice, and we know that the Gospel of God reveals God’s righteousness.

By now, you have no doubt heard of my former manner of life in secular humanism, how I used to persecute the church of God beyond measure and hoped to see it destroyed; and I was advancing in this philosophy beyond many of my peers and many of my party members, for I was more zealous for the gods of Progress and Politics.

But God had set me apart even in my mother’s womb and called me out of darkness by grace, He was pleased to give me a heart of flesh so that I might preach His Gospel and His righteousness among those who do not believe.

I am telling the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience testifies with me in the Holy Spirit. Do you not know, as it is written, NONE IS RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE, ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS, AND THE PATH OF PEACE THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN? Do you not remember from your instruction that the day of the Lord will not come unless the apostasy comes first and the son of destruction is revealed and unrestrained? Did not our Lord say, “But in those days, after that tribulation, […] then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory?”

So then, why do you then expect man’s government to give peace to mankind? Can the unrighteous impart full justice and calm to the world? By no means!

Beware of these dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false progress, false change, and false hope; for we are to cling to the true Hope of Christ, the Change of the Spirit, the Progress and Advancement of the Kingdom of Heaven.

We worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in politics, although I myself might have confidence even in striving of the world and the work of humanism. If anyone else has a mind to put confidence in these things, I far more: a community organizer at age 15, a true patriot with all faith in the Nation, from the sect of liberalism, a true leftist among Democrats; as to the party platform – a purist and extremist; as to zeal, a persecutor of republicans; as to the righteousness which I found in Progress, found complete blameless.

But whatever things were gain to me, I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count politics but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from Progress, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God.

Do I say all this to affirm the conservatism of another? Do I tell you these things to condemn liberalism and exalt Republicans? May it never be! Is one better than the other? Does one have advantage or benefit? Or do you not yet understand that I am charging both with sectarianism, and also idolatry. Both the liberal and the conservative are under sin if they submit to politics rather than Christ.

For you, being so wise, tolerate the foolish gladly. You say liberalism is more debased than conservatism, or conservatism more greedy than liberalism, but I am telling you truthfully that in whatever respect one is idolatrous, so is the other. Is liberalism impassioned for the things of the world? So is conservatism. Is liberalism more mindful of the flesh than the spirits of men? So is conservatism. Is liberalism concerned with ensuring the stability of this futile world? So is conservatism. But are they also servants of Christ? I speak as if insane! No one can serve two masters.

I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you over such foolishness as politics, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought around that of First Importance: the Gospel of God.

My brothers and sisters, I know there are quarrels among you. What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Ron Paul”; another, “I follow Romney”; another, “I follow Obama”; still another, “I follow Christ.”

Is Christ divided? Was Romney crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Obama? Do you not know that you are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with various political parties? Shall Christ be named a Republican or a Democrat or a Libertarian by your affiliation? May it never be!

Was Christ concerned over political policy? When those dogs approached Him with a question regarding the poll-tax, what was our Lord’s reply? The Lord said, “Why are you testing Me, you hypocrites? Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s; and to God the things that are God’s.”

Saints, you are all things of God, vessels He has prepared for honorable use. Having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. Render to God what is rightfully His! Now, enslaved to God, present yourselves as slaves to righteousness and derive your benefit from your inheritance of Eternal Life, rather than political gain or futile bickering regarding policy.

I am convinced that neither taxes, nor healthcare, nor poverty, nor powers, nor war, nor oil, nor welfare, nor inflation, nor social security, nor immigration can stifle the Kingdom of Heaven from its approaching realization.

For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. While they are saying, “Peace and Progress! Hope and Change! Family Values and Restoration!” then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief; for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober. For those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night. But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation.

Suffer as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him. Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. If I speak of politics, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. Love is not arrogant or rude; it does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful.

In regards to this, let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever protests in anger the authorities protests in anger what God has appointed, and those who protest will incur judgment. Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed (do not argue to levy these taxes one way or another), revenue to whom revenue is owed (do not haggle for a lesser price), respect to whom respect is owed (do not speak ill of elected officials), honor to whom honor is owed (in good conscience, go beyond what I have written ).

I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people; but I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world. But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church? But those who are outside, God judges.

Remove your political prejudice so that you might preach the Gospel to those far away, as the He says also in Hosea, “AND IT SHALL BE THAT IN THE PLACE WHERE IT WAS SAID TO THEM, ‘YOU ARE NOT MY PEOPLE,’ THERE THEY SHALL BE CALLED SONS OF THE LIVING GOD.” Do not judge those in sin who are still bound to their slavery. Do not judge the homosexual, the adulterer, the atheist, the abused, or the addict on the basis of some political legalism. Sin is their master, thus their immorality should not surprise you. We know victory only comes from Christ Jesus, so preach His name so that these currently in shackles might be found holy and blameless after a confession of faith.

Endure everything for the sake of the elect that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory. Let my own calling be of witness to you and exhort you to approach those far from God, saying, “She who once persecuted us is now preaching the faith which she once tried to destroy.” Give glory to God , and rejoice always. By the grace of God I am what I am, and you, too, Saints of Lexington, and His grace toward us did not prove vain. So, long for His heavenly reign and your citizenship in heaven, for one day He will return and PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET.

Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them. For such men are slaves, not of our Lord Christ but of their own appetites and politics; and by their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting.

Therefore, my beloved brothers and sisters, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord. Prepare a guest room for me, for I will be joining you very soon. Our Lord, come! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.

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I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service, even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor.

Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief; and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus.

It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all. Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

Despite the attempt to make meaning and joy - all this is striving against the wind. Any existentialist must concede, “vanity!” and give into a noble lie of their choice, however despite what you choose, every human drama only ends one of two ways:

Heaven or Hell.

I.
The woods around us come vibrant
with the whirling of the chorus,
all creatures of our God and King,
prehistoric flies sleep for seventeen years
and resurrect to scream at night.
Off the dock, the lake has retreated,
the abandoned beaver dam, buckled.
I’m trotting out to the water,
through the thick like Huckleberry Finn,
I don’t mind the red clay under my nails
or how the sand rises to my knees.

II.
John the Revelator penned
when He returns, terror will ensue
some Prince of Peace, sweet Deliverer,
for His eye is on the sparrow, surely,
so sing happy and free,
because His eyes towards us are filled with flame.
My neighbor, in the Hawaiian shirt,
I found his picture on the sex offender’s list, 
one day he’ll cry out for stones to crush his skull
rather than face the lion-like Lamb,
and from a white horse in the sky,
I’ll cry out, “Amen.”

III.
His Truth is marching on and over corpses,
on my mind’s silver screen, plays my own offense
another dark whisper resounding through my cochlea.
Awake from the night terror,
rising, seventeen years later to scream at night,
neurons trip-tripping along with the cicada hymn.
Rather than saintly white robes,
I’m draped in the stained Hawaiian shirt.
But there in that Fount have I
though vile as he, washed all my sins away.

My God, my God, I was simply a wreck on the road to Damascus when You caught me in Your magnificent storm. Never let me go. Never cease to blind me with Your Glory, Jesus.