A few words to those among us who have homosexual desires: 1. Acknowledge the presence and pain of a disordered sexuality, with all the ambiguity of where it came from – much like other disorders and disabilities – and do not define your God-given personhood by your disordered sexuality. 2. Put your faith in Christ alone for the forgiveness of all your sins and for the gift of God’s righteousness and for the fulfillment of all his promises to you (Romans 1:16-17). The only sinner who can successfully battle his sins is a justified sinner. In other words, you fight against sexual sins from relationship, not for a relationship. 3. Begin to reorder your entire life around the centrality of the glory of God as your highest treasure. Homosexual sinning, like all other sinning, is an echo of exchanging the glory of God for other things. So restore the sun of God’s glory to its place at the center of your soul and all the planets of your desires will begin to return to their God-given orbit. 4. Resolve to live a chaste and, if necessary, celibate life by the power of God's Spirit, with the confidence that if God does not heal now, he will in the age to come; and all the patience of purity of will be worth it (Romans 8:18). May God grant all the single people (and married!) at Bethlehem a passion for purity. 5. Seek wholesome friendships with both sexes, especially in groups… The more we do things in groups rather than pairs, the more opportunities we create for wholesome non-sexual relationships. 6. …There are ministries like Outposts here in our cities that have insights and experience and encouragement and Biblical counsel from a depth of awareness that goes beyond what most of us can bring. This may be something God would use in your life. 7. Take a bold and compassionate stand for truth…and hold up God’s purposes for human sexuality, namely, as an expression of Christ’s love for the Church dramatized in the covenant love of marriage between one man and one woman.

John Piper

CATEGORY	CUISINE	TAG	YIELD
Grains, Dairy		Potato-, Sd	4	Servings

INGREDIENTS

4		Idaho or russet potatoes; each weighing about 8 ounces
		Olive oil
4		Red bell peppers; seeded and finely julienned
1	lb	Mushrooms; stemmed and finely sliced
		Pesto; to taste, sun dried tomato or black olive paste
		Salt and pepper
		Yogurt or chunk parmesan cheese, optional

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Wash the potatoes, prick them and bake for
about an hour or until done. (If kids don't like very crunchy exterior,
scrub the potatoes clean, wrap them in foil and then bake; they will then
steam rather than bake.)
Meanwhile, heat olive oil and saute peppers and mushrooms until tender.
Remove from heat and stir in pesto, or other paste to taste and season with
salt and pepper.
When potatoes are done, split them almost all the way to the bottom and
squeeze up some of the potato flesh; spoon vegetable topping over and
around potatoes. If you did not add pesto or other paste, top with yogurt;
if you added pesto or other paste, top with shaved Parmesan. Yield: 4
servings
Variations:
Fresh chopped tomatoes, mixed with olive oil and chiffonade of basil 2 cups
pureed cottage cheese mixed with 1/4 cup chopped sun dried tomatoes or 1
tablespoon prepared pesto Bean or meat chili Smoked salmon, chives and sour
cream Twice baked Southwest: scoop out filling from potatoes which are
baked, mix with cheddar cheese, sour cream, green chilis or jalapenos and
scallions, refill and reheat for 15 minutes or in microwave if you don't
mind losing crisp texture of outside skin.
Copyright, 1996, TV FOOD NETWORK, G.P., All Rights Reserved
Busted by Gail Shermeyer <4paws@netrax.net>
Recipe by: COOKING MONDAY TO FRIDAY SHOW #MF 6649
Posted to MC-Recipe Digest V1 #793 by 4paws@netrax.net (Shermeyer-Gail) on
Sep 19, 1997

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