It's been a while since I've shared anything about my physical health (my last post was in November 2014). Perhaps you thought the Lord healed me from my serious health afflictions...but He hasn't...yet. And that's okay with me.

I'm now entering my 11th year of constant and often debilitating pain, extreme fatigue, seven surgeries in seven years (my most recent was a few weeks ago). I'm also still adding new specialists to my already large repertoire (an Endocrinologist, Cardiac Electrophysiologist, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon, and more). In addition to all this, it looks as if I'm going to need at least one more, and possibly two surgeries this year (one for my hyperparathyroidism and the other for a cardiac pacemaker).

The reason it's been so long since I've shared anything about my continually declining health, is because I've wrongly concluded that it's better for me to encourage you rather than burden you with my seemingly, never-ending litany of trials. But when I was discussing this issue with my oldest son earlier today, I realized how wrong I've been not to share more about my weaknesses; because how then, can anyone see Christ's power manifested perfectly in me (2 Cor 12:9-10)?

Though our Father God has graciously allowed me to keep my heart and mind focused on the things eternal rather than on the things temporal—like my physical health, it's wrong of me not to share the pains of this journey with you. So please forgive me.

I want so much for you to be strengthened in your faith, to keep your sights vertical rather than horizontal, that I've neglected to show you how to do that when you're in the trenches...in the heat of the battle between your flesh's desire and your renewed desire to please and honor the Lord.

"Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God. For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry. With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you; but they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. For this is why the gospel was preached even to those who are dead, that though judged in the flesh the way people are, they might live in the spirit the way God does."

-1 Peter 4:1-6, ESV

Because the focus of what I do is not for physical results (comfort and healing), my hope is not deferred and my fervor is not exhausted. Part of my daily regime is to eat healthy, exercise five to six days a week (though it's painful and makes me very ill), drink about 72 ounces of water plus juice daily, and do more than my doctors ask. I don't practice these disciplines because I love my body and want nothing more than to be healed, I do them because I love Christ and know my body belongs to Him, and not me (Gal 2:20).

Some people wrongly assume because I'm so disciplined, it means I'm not tempted by my sinful flesh to gratify it, rather than honor Christ. But I am often tempted and sometimes give into my temptations to be lazy and do nothing; to be mediocre, rather than do all things with excellence as unto the Lord. I'm constantly tempted by my flesh to be so self-absorbed, that at times, I more resemble a black-hole, than a light to the world.

I could use God's grace as an excuse to remain enslaved to my fleshly desires (saying, "I'm only human", "God's not finished with me yet" or "I'm a work in progress"), or I could avail the great and wonderfully freeing gift from God given only to Christians—repentance. My confidence in my Father's forgiveness endows me with spiritual strength to persevere; to run my course and to finish well with urgency, rather than be satisfied with complacency (1 Jn 1:9, Rom 5:1-5).

Sadly, this is not the same experience all professing Christians know and understand. Some who profess Christ as their Lord and Savior live like they're their own lord and savior. They praise Jesus when things go well. And they may even praise Jesus and express trust when trials come their way. But when God's refining fire tests their faith over an extended period of time, their false profession and fruitless deeds are consumed by God's holiness (1 Cor 13:5). As Jesus says, there are those who hear the Gospel and joyfully receive it, but once painful trials come their way, they turn away from the Word rather than turn to it (Lk 8:13).

Those who do not truly know God only "love" Him when they think they can get something by claiming association with Him; including false piety. But when the show of false piety during difficult times gets old, their quick and easy profession of trust in Jesus, just as quickly, produces self-righteous demands, even arrogantly accusing God of not keeping His promises.

Throughout Scripture, we see how our gracious and merciful Father God uses even the fall of man that brought sin and suffering to this world, as a tool to reveal to us where we truly stand with Him: still in our self-righteous sin, or justified by the righteous works of Christ (Gen 3:24, Rom 5:16).

Those who are truly saved will never turn away from God or accuse Him of wrongdoing. Rather, they will turn all the more to Him, crying out to Him night and day, seeking to repent of any sins that are obvious or oblivious to them; begging God to help them see Him clearly and love Him more dearly. Those who abide in Christ will hunger and thirst for righteousness and look to the LORD for help rather than try to seek comfort from unbelievers who can only provide temporal remedies for our physical bodies, but can offer no real comfort for our eternal souls.

I don't remain true to God because I'm holier than others. I remain true to God because I'm keenly aware of the wretch that I am; the utter depravity of my sinful heart and mind, and my growing ineptness to do anything worthy of being called good by the only One who is good. Because I'm so desperately insecure in myself and often terrified of what others think of me or might say or do to me, I cling to Christ all the more and desire to remain hid in Him because He is my Strong Tower—the only place I can be me and feel completely safe, compassionately accepted, perfectly loved, and profoundly secure.

My faith and the life I live are not strong because of me. My faith and life are strong because of the One who holds and owns them both—Jesus Christ the Lord (Gal 2:20).

As I continue to struggle physically and spiritually—to live a life that most pleases, honors and glorifies the Lord, I often grow weary of the fight and am tempted to give up. But when I cry out to the LORD, He lifts me from my miry pit and sets my feet on solid ground (Mt 11:28-30, Ps 40:1-3). If you do the same, you will receive same because I don't have any more of Jesus than you do (Gen 4:6-7). As Burk Parsons wisely said,"We don't need more of Jesus, just less of self. We already have all of Jesus."

"Not to us, O LORD, not to us. but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness! Why should the nations say, 'Where is your God?' Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases.

"I lift my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth."

-Psalm 115:1-3; 121:1-2, ESV

On Friday, June 26, 2015 five of the nine justices of the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) vied themselves against the Supreme God of all creation with their calamitous decision to redefine a God-ordained institution—marriage—the union of one man and one woman—two becoming one flesh, by the declaration of God Almighty.

The liberty that was fought for by valiant men and women, and once mandated by the Constitution of the United States; for each state to have the right to legislate their own laws in these matters, through their elected officials—by the people, for the people, has now be relegated by five unelected officials whose arrogance has reached the highest heavens.  Due to the supreme foolishness of these Supreme Court justices (Sotomayer, Kagan, Ginsburg, Bryer and Kennedy) same-sexed marriages have now been legalized in all 50 states of my country; the country which I love.

There have been many news articles and blog posts about this sad day in American history. And I don’t desire to be another clamoring voice, spewing the same news. My desire is to do what God has given me to do in every aspect of my life; to speak the Gospel truth to a dying and depraved world that is passing away along with its desires, and to encourage the saints in Christ to not lose heart because all who do the will of God will abide forever (1 Jn 2:17).

Do not hate and damn our country, but love and pray for it (2 Timothy 2:24-26).

Just like the great prophets of old (Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah, etc.) loved and prayed for God’s mercy upon the country He sovereignly put them in for His purpose, I too love and pray for my country because my Father God whom I love most, put me here to be a beacon of His hope, love, joy and peace found only in Jesus Christ His Son. So when I see our country being drowned in the cesspools of sexual immorality and pragmatism, my heart is deeply grieved and my knees are bent in prayer. I pray for the five justices who are under Satan’s yoke to do his will because God has chosen to blind them from the truth. I pray for God to have mercy on them, just as He’s had mercy on me. I pray for the petitioners of this suit, and others who revel in sin, that God would grant them the gift of repentance that leads to saving faith in Jesus Christ His Son—the only Mediator between God and man.

Do not be dismayed, but remain steadfast and immovable in the Lord, His Word, and His precepts (1 Peter 4:12-14).

The recent ruling of the Supreme Court of the United States can’t thwart nor does it remotely hinder the everlasting ruling of the only Supreme and Sovereign—God Almighty. When SCOTUS informed the world of their stupendous decision to test the Great I AM, the LORD was not surprised and He was not dismayed; so neither shall His people be.

Much like the presumptuous kings and rulers who had no fear of God, during the days of the prophet Jeremiah (Jer 36:23-32), the “kings” of our day recklessly think that by “burning” (redefining and ignoring) God’s decrees like King Jehoiakim did, they will be able to stop the destruction God mercifully warned would come to pass if they did not repent. And just as King Jehoiakim was suddenly swept away by his willful defiance of God’s admonition, the same will happen to anyone who does the same.

This is a time of great testing for all who profess the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Those who choose to condone, celebrate or remain silent for fear of retribution will only prove that their profession is dead. Neither listen to nor entertain the words of those who profess Christ, yet join in the revelry of any sin. Rather rebuke and urge them to repent.

I pray that when we come before our Lord Jesus, on the last day, we will not be ashamed, for we will not come to our King  empty-handed, but will come with a harvest of righteousness that was sown in the peace of God (James 3:18). And on that great day, I pray that we would all hear our Lord say, “You have done a beautiful thing to Me.” (Mark 14:6)

May the grace and peace of Christ our Lord be multiplied to your spirits. Stand fast.

Additional resources:

John MacArthur’s Exhortation to Believers

Audacity Movie—Loving Homosexuals God’s Way

SCOTUS Decision on Same-Sex Marriages

You've most likely already heard about Tullian Tchividjian's wife's affair, and his reciprocal affair that required his resignation as Pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian in Fort Lauderdale, Florida (1 Tim 3:1-7). This announcement has stirred a media and social media frenzy; attracting both prayers and piranhas.

I can't imagine what it's like to live a life through the magnified lens of the media, the favoritism of followers, and un-Christlike criticism of detractors. The majority of us can't imagine that either, but we're so quick to condemn, excuse or join whatever seems to be the most popular position (at the moment). We make quick assertions, often, without stopping long enough to seek God's precepts.

"There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing."

-Proverbs 12:18, ESV

We're commanded by God our Father to weep with those who weep. And anyone in their right mind and with a right heart would be lamenting because of this news, rather than rejoicing. If we're commanded by God not to rejoice when our enemies fall (Prov 24:17), how much less ought we not rejoice when a brother and sister in Christ fall? Neither, you, nor I, nor Tullian, his wife, or any other human being who has walked this earth (save Jesus Christ) is sinless. And yes, I know that those who are in leadership (specifically those who teach the Word of God) are held to a higher standard, but that isn't God's approval for us to rail against Tullian or his wife and anyone else involved in their sins.

It is our duty and joy as God's holy and beloved children to pray for our brother Tullian, his wife Kim, their three precious children and the church family at Coral Ridge. Being mindful of the fact that none of us can claim being incapable of committing the same sin, and that we're only saved by God's gracious gift of repentance and faith in Jesus; we can humbly and lovingly pray for those who sin differently from us rather than condemn; supposing our sins are better. All sin is utterly putrid before the sight of our holy God and Father.

Please know, I'm not making excuses for Tullian's sin (and neither should you) just because he's a celebrity pastor, or "just a human being"; because before he is anything, he is a child of God Almighty who's been endowed with the same grace (the power in Christ to die to sin, Romans 6:14, 18) that every Christian has been given. Rather than rejoice in his demise, my heart breaks for him, his wife, their three children, and their church. Which is why I'm moved to fervently pray on behalf of (not against) all of them. And  I beseech you to do the same.

For those who think I'm writing this because I'm one of Tullian's followers, rest assured, I am not. I'm actually one of those who warn people not to follow him or his teachings because though he denies being an antinomian, the majority of his teachings mimic this liberal teaching of God's grace (Tullian's teachings magnify the power of sin and diminishes the power God's grace to overcome sin). I'm also deeply concerned about his resemblance to Adam by saying "I sinned because my wife sinned." One of the first priorities of a husband is to be a covering, a protection for his wife; but he didn't—he exposed her to ridicule. Therefore, it's reasonable to question the validity of his repentance since he didn't simply say, "I disqualified myself by committing adultery." Because honestly, it wasn't his wife's sin that disqualified him to be a pastor, it was his sin.

But opposing his teachings and questioning the integrity of his repentance is far different than rejoicing in, and self-righteously clamoring about his sin. I don't rejoice. I weep. And I pray...fervently pray for the restoration of his marriage, but most especially, his and Kim's restoration of intimacy with Christ our Lord; for every sin depreciates the inexpressible joy and peace of communing with our Creator.

"Now if anyone has caused pain, he has caused it not to me, but in some measure—not to put it too severely—to all of you. For such a one, this punishment by the majority is enough, so you should rather turn to forgive and comfort him, or he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. So I beg you to reaffirm your love for him. For this is why I wrote, that I might test you and know whether you are obedient in everything."

-2 Corinthians 2:5-9, ESV

By definition, "audacity" can refer to sheer arrogance for the sake of arrogance, or boldness without any regard for self-preservation. In his latest film, "Audacity" (available for download on June 24, 2015), Ray Comfort and his staff at Living Waters, graciously demonstrates the latter definition—boldness without any regard for self-preservation.

"Audacity" presents the truth with great compassion on the hotly debated topic of homosexuality and all that it entails (same-sex marriages, are people born gay, what does the Bible say about homosexuality, etc.). And there's no Disney-like scenes. It's real, edifying and offers true hope to all who watch this movie.

One of the things I really appreciated is how Ray Comfort portrayed the homosexuals (three different couples) in "Audacity" as they truly are—image-bearers of God Almighty (like the rest of us), who are in desperate need of the one and only Savior, Jesus Christ the Lord. I'm always disgusted by Hollywood's depiction of homosexuals as overly-sexed maniacs whose only identity and interest is their sexual orientation. Gay men and lesbian women are no more overly-sexed than heterosexual men and women. Sexual orientation does not determine, nor define sexual obsession (e.g. the abominable "50 Shades of Grey").

I've had many homosexual friends (both gay men and lesbian women) since I was 17 years old. I loved them dearly, so naturally, I shared the Gospel with them; whether they were my co-workers, bosses, or friends of mutual friends. Unlike Hollywood's gross exaggeration of homosexuals, my friends were more than sexual beings, just like heterosexuals are. My gay and lesbian friends were kind, loving, hilarious (well, not all of them), quirky, artsy, brilliant, talented in many ways, thoughtful, etc. They liked many activities I liked and frankly, lived very similarly to me, except that I'm a Christian and a heterosexual.

A movie like this is not only timely, but necessary because homosexuality is a widely misunderstood issue among the secular world and sadly, even among many Christians. Some Christians quote Bible verses stating that homosexuality is a sin while others quote Bible verses (out of context) and conclude that homosexuality is not a sin. Whether secular or Christian, those who contend that homosexuality is not a sin, lean on their definition and comfort level of what love is, rather than defer to God's definition of love—holy, righteous, sacrificial and morally pure.

"Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him...For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?"

-1 John 4:8-9; 5:3-5, ESV

God is love, but love is not God. What I mean by that is exactly what Scripture says; God is love, therefore, He defines what love is. Those who believe love is God, dangerously and erroneously define God by what they "feel" love is...at any given moment. I understand why the world has this faulty, man/self-centered view of love, but I'm quite bewildered at why Christians have the same misguided view.

The talented, atheist illusionist and comedian Penn Jillette (of Pen and Teller) once said about Christians who don't share the Gospel, "If you believe there's a Heaven and Hell and people could be going to Hell, or not getting eternal life or whatever, and you think 'Well, it's not worth telling them this because it would make it socially awkward' ...How much do you have to hate somebody to know that everlasting life is possible and not tell them that?" I quite agree. Withholding the truth from someone because it makes you feel uncomfortable, isn't you loving others, it's you loving yourself.

Jesus Christ, the only Son of the only living and true God, suffered and died; was crushed for our iniquities; He drank the cup of God's wrath in our stead and rose again on the third day, so all who repent and trust in Christ will have everlasting life. How can any professing Christian condone and celebrate the sinful lifestyles of loved ones? Perhaps it's because too many Christians don't read and study their Bibles. Perhaps it's that too many Christians desire so much to keep a relationship with loved ones living in sin (any sin, whether heterosexual immorality, homosexual immorality, lying, stealing, etc.), that they've convinced themselves this is love, rather look to God, who is love. I don't know.

What I do know, is that the movie "Audacity" demonstrates God's definition of love—extraordinary compassion without compromising the truth. One of my favorite lines is from Peter (Travis Owens) who says, "If I really love people, then I have to say something. Love can't stay silent."

Below is my interview with Ray Comfort.

What inspired you to make this movie and story line?

After making films about abortion and evolution, people kept saying that I needed to make one on the issue of homosexuality—because it was confronting the church, and most Christians were very uncomfortable about how to deal with it without sounding hateful. I adamantly said that it wasn’t going to happen. There were two reasons for this. The first was that anyone who spoke against the issue of homosexuality nowadays are instantly vilified as though he were a hate-filled racist. Nobody wants that. And the second was that I really didn’t know how I could break away from the stereotypical way such a movie would be done. Most films on the subject would have a few ex-homosexuals giving testimonies on how they were now heterosexuals and were happily married with kids. No one was going to watch but Christians. I would be preaching to the choir.

Around April 2014, I was with my friend Stuart Scott in Huntington Beach here in California, when I saw two girls walking towards us kissing each other. I asked if they would like to be on camera, and to my surprise, they said that they would. These two ladies gave me an amazing 14-minute interview, and ended up thanking me for not being judgmental. Yet I hadn't compromised the gospel even slightly. It was as though God had dropped the foundation for a movie into my lap into my lap. That night I wrote a script and sent it to Mark Spence (he was the main editor and producer of "180"). He wrote back "Wow, wow, wow!" I quickly called a meeting, and after just over a year later, we had a completed movie.

This is very different from any of your other movies; it's a scripted story with actors, extras, etc. Why did you decide to do it this way?

To go the documentary route with this subject would have pushed me into a predictable mold. I wanted to stay well clear of the "We are now ex-homosexuals and everything is happy" type of film. Instead, I was thinking of something that was so well-produced and had such a good story line it would grip the attention of the unsaved—where they would stay and listen to the gospel. And at the same time, something that would help Christians who didn't know how to share the gospel with a homosexual without coming across as being hateful. I knew that it could be done, because 1 Timothy 1:8-10 tells us how to do it. It was just a matter of wrapping truth in a package that had the production quality of a modern movie. It was a tall order, but I knew our guys had the gifting to deliver that.

Are all the actors in the movie Christians?

Only three of the actors are Christians. Our big concern was bad acting. Even five seconds of poor acting would be like a small gash in a big ocean liner. No matter how good the production, [bad acting] would sink the whole movie. The only way to make sure this didn't happen was to have auditions and choose the best we could find. As soon as we had our actors, we sat them down at a table. Then my director Eddie Roman introduced me and I took the time to tell them why the script was as it was. I gave my testimony, which included a very clear gospel presentation, said that I wanted everyone (including homosexuals) to find everlasting life and that's why the script was as it was. It was an appropriate opportunity to share the way of salvation right at the beginning of our relationship.

Since this is your first scripted movie with a story line, how did you know where to look for actors, film crew, etc.? Did you have specific things you were looking for?

Over the years we have used Hollywood lighting and sound crews for our television program. We even took them with us when we went to Europe and filmed 13 episodes in 13 countries in 13 days (for our Fourth Season). We also had contacts in a professional casting agency. It’s a fascinating process. When we needed one waitress to play a small part, we had just under 2,000 applicants.

We were looking for talent and likability. We didn't want to stereotype homosexuals.

Do you have any friends who are living a homosexual lifestyle? If so, how long have you been friends with them and how do they remain friends with you, knowing you're a faithful Christian?

I have a number of friends who are atheists (I have no idea of their sexual preference). One of them in a particular, is a close friend. I had him play a paramedic in the movie (very small unspoken part). I also invited him to a special pre-screening we had for donors. His reaction to the movie was interesting. He sent me this quote and permission to use it: "Audacity is entertaining and has some great comedy and dramatic tension. Unlike most Christian films it is far from cheesy, and has a great, well-acted script. Most of all it is not heavy-handed, showing the Christian position on homosexuality without being intimidating or angry. Well done!" -Michael S. Martin (Atheist).

If you could choose one Bible verse or passage that best describes the foundation and heart of "Audacity" what would you say it is?

It would be from First Corinthians 13—about love. A skeptic recently wrote to me and said that it was virtually impossible to be a Bible believing Christian and not be "homophobic." I could understand his reasoning, because Scripture is very clear on the issue. Even when the movie won two awards (we submitted an uncut version), we wondered if Christians would like the movie. When a well-known Christian blogger asked for a review copy, we were a little nervous because he didn't pull any punches. When I sent him a link he replied the same day with, "Ray, this is the best film you have made yet. Congratulations on a job well done. " That was particularly sweet, because we felt a little haunted by "180" during this whole process, because it was so well received; it set a high bar.

Conclusion: From a purely cinematic standpoint, the script and acting were predominantly good, engaging and displayed much talent. The camera work, lighting, music, sound and visual effects were on spot.

Travis Owens "Peter" and Molly Ritter "Diana" were convincing, lovable, authentic. They drew you into their character's fears and convictions, as well as displayed what a truly loving friendship looks like in spite of strongly conflicting views.

Aaron Mitchell "Robert" and Franklin Killian "Lance" played one of the movie's homosexual couples and they were true-to-life, passionate and relatable. Both actors gave such a stellar performance you never judged them, but rather, you feel for them and understand their plight. It's one of my favorite scenes in the movie as it reminded me of precious friendships I once had and miss.

I found Ben Price to be an extremely gifted impersonator (with more than 47 near perfect impersonations). Talented guy. Danielle Rosario "Hailey", though she seemed to have some talent, didn't bring Hailey's character to life; making her character hollow.

As a whole, I love "Audacity" and highly recommend it to everyone (Christians and non-Christians, and especially Christians who know and love homosexual family/friends).

My prayer is that God will provide the necessary means for Ray Comfort to produce more biblically sound, Gospel-focused films so that Christians may be exhorted to live abandoned to Christ and unbelievers will come to saving faith through the steadfast preaching of the Gospel of God's grace (Acts 20:24).