Friday, December 02, 2016

Chip and Joanna Gaines Under Attack

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Cosmopolitan magazine is reporting, "The fourth season of HGTV's wildly popular show "Fixer Upper" premiered Tuesday night [Nov. 29], and while hosts Chip and Joanna Gaines were just as lovable as ever, a recent deep-dive from 'Buzz Feed' has uncovered something many fans will likely want an explanation for."

"Given the diversity of 'Fixer Upper's' audience, this is a startling revelation that has many wondering where Chip and Joanna stand," Buzz Feed writes.

Their pastor, who is also a close friend to the Gaines, Buzz Feed reports, "is opposed to same-sex marriage."

Remember the Benham brothers?


Buzz Feed, a widely read Left leaning entertainment publication, highlights their feature story with "Chip and Joanna Gaines is firmly against same-sex marriage---Their pastor considers homosexuality 'sin' caused by abuse...where the Fixer Upper couple agrees is unclear."

Here we go again.

The Gaines are indeed loveable, highly successful, and yes, they are Christians. And yes, their pastor, Jimmy Seibert, is a close friend to the Gaines, and yes, he believes and preaches the Bible.

Cosmopolitan says, "The Gaines family are devout Christians and attend Antioch Community Church---where their pastor, Jimmy Seibert, is both staunchly against same-sex marriage and a strong believer that homosexuality is a 'lifestyle' choice and sin."

And this, they conclude, is a "startling revelation."

Translated: "An unacceptable revelation."

Hundreds of millions of Christians in America and across the globe also believe biblical teaching on the matter, it's hardly "startling."

However, the champions of tolerance and diversity are setting the table to destroy Chip and Joanna Gaines---or cause them to denounce their pastor, their faith, and/or their pastor.

At the heart of this "startling revelation" is the pastor's biblical teaching on the matter of human sexuality and the God ordained institution of marriage.

Cosmopolitan says Pastor Seibert "has made unfounded and dangerous claims during one of his sermons, in one instance preaching that 'the statistics say that 90% of people who are in a full blown homosexual lifestyle were abused in some way. Physically, sexually, mentally' and you [you can] help [LBBTQ people] direct their passions rightly to how God created them'."

Buzz Feed published this in regard to the pastor's sermon:

After talking about Genesis, and saying that marriage is between “one man and one wife,” Seibert emphasizes the fixedness of this idea. “This is a clear biblical admonition. So if someone were to say, ‘Marriage is defined in a different way,’ let me just say: They are wrong,” he says from the pulpit to applause from the congregation. “God defined marriage, not you and I. God defined masculine and feminine, male and female, not you and I.” 
Seibert then goes on to discuss sin. “Truth No. 1: Homosexuality is a sin. The lie: Homosexuality is not a sin.” He urges compassion for the sinners, though, because “the statistics say that 90% of people who are in a full-blown homosexual lifestyle were abused in some way. Physically, sexually, mentally.” He also says that gay pornography deserves some of the blame. “We have people and young people that never had any intention of a same-sex attraction et cetera, who have seen sexuality up front in pornography and now are trapped in the addiction of it.” 
Lie : I am a homosexual in thought and action, and I cannot change.” 
He tells the story of a playground conversation he recently had with a friend, who was wondering whether one of the kids in their charge was going to be gay or straight. He said to her, “Can I just tell you, you don’t have to wonder? You can lovingly, carefully bring them back to Scripture, be compassionate in the journey. And help them direct their passions rightly to how [G]god created them.” 
He expands on that notion: “We can change, contrary to what you hear. I’ve worked with people for over 30 years — I have seen hundreds of people personally change their direction of same-sex attraction from a homosexual lifestyle to a heterosexual lifestyle. It doesn’t mean they don’t struggle with feelings, it doesn’t mean that they aren’t hurting, it doesn’t mean it’s not challenging. But they have chosen to change. And there has always been grace there for those who choose that.”

Buzz Feed has contacted the Gaines' company, Magnolia, and HGTV asking to see homosexuals featured on the program "Fixer Upper."

They are saying neither has responded to their requests as of today.

Buzz Feed says, "'Fixer Upper' has fans of all stripes: Christians, feminists and LGBT viewers have all found something to love in the Gaineses. So in the absence of a response from them or their representatives, it's worth looking at the severe, unmoving position Seibert and Antioch take on same-sex marriage."

In the absence of the "love" and "tolerance" and "acceptance" and "inclusiveness" homosexual activists demand, it's also worth looking at how these activists are attempting to destroy the business of Chip and Joanne Gaines because of their personal religious biblical beliefs.

I'm certain there will be more on this in the coming days.

Remember the Benham brothers?

In 2014, twin brothers David and Jason Benham, were in the middle of filming an HGTV house flipping television series of their own when they were told it would be canceled in light of their past public expression of Christian beliefs on homosexuality, abortion and no-fault divorce.

David says, "The first phone call Jason and I got after we were fired by HGTV was from Chip Gaines who told us that he was sick and tired of watching what was happening to his country and how people are just sitting back and doing nothing."

He says, "The Gaines are like millions of other Americans. They are not anti-anything. They're pro-Jesus and they're pro-Bible because they know what God's best is for human flourishing."

Benham says, "If media outlets are not successful at shaming the Gaines or Seibert, they will go after HGTV's advertisers or any other person with whom the Gaines are associated who might share their stance, but that the Gaines will stay strong."

Samuel James, a communications specialist with the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, says, "Journalists feign shock that a Christian pastor say these things indicates that the United States is in a cultural moment where the expectation is that if one holds viewpoints the elites deem unacceptable, saying them publicly will mean punishment."

Dr. Owen Strachan, professor at Midwestern Seminary, says indeed Americans "are in a strange moment as a nation."

He says the Muslim attacker at Ohio State is defended by public leaders for his religious views while an evangelical couple that builds houses for single mothers is under fire for believing what billions of people hold. This is wrong, and unfair, and citizens should oppose this logic as it picks up speed."

Strachan says, "As we have seen politically in recent days, there is a tremendous---and justified---opposition to the cultural policing of people whose views run counter to mainstream media."

He says, "I think this will backfire."

I agree. Things are dramatically changing in our country. We are not where we were, culturally, in 2014.

Yesterday, Pastor Seibert told Todd Starnes at Fox News, that the church is absolutely not "anti-gay"---they are pro-Bible and preach that all of us--equally--can be forgiven and restored through God's grace.

We will see how this unfolds over the coming days.

Forward this to friends and contacts. Email HGTV in support of the Gaines. Remember them in prayer.

Be Faithful. Be Informed. Be Vigilant. Be Discerning. Be Prayerful. Be Blessed.