Who will rise up for me against the evildoers? Who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity? (Psalm 94:16)
A northern California pastor has begrudgingly stepped down as members threatened to leave after he posted a church sign that called transgender celebrity Caitlyn “Bruce” Jenner a man and stated that “homosexuality is still a sin.”
Justin Hoke, who formerly served as pastor at Trinity Bible Presbyterian Church in the town of Weed in Siskiyou County, took to Facebook to announce that he is leaving the church. His departure comes following protest and vandalism in response to his church sign.
On New Year’s Eve, Hoke used his personal Facebook page to post a picture of the sign outside of the church that read: “Bruce Jenner is still a man. Homosexuality is still sin. The culture may change but the Bible does not.”
The sign incited a pro-LGBT “Love Rally” demonstration Sunday morning before Hoke’s weekly service on Jan. 6.
Additionally, the church sign and the message was vandalized last week. The organizers of the rally say they don’t know of anyone involved in the vandalism and condemned the act.
“As of today, I am no longer the pastor of Trinity Bible Presbyterian Church,” Hoke wrote in a Saturday Facebook post.
In the post, Hoke felt the need to “communicate what has taken place.”
He stated that he was informed by an elder that the elder could no longer follow his lead as pastor of the church. Hoke added that he was also told by “essentially all but one couple in membership” that they would leave the church if Hoke did not step down.
“Our other elder and the couple felt that those who left would likely return if I would leave,” Hoke wrote. “Our other elder was agreeable to stay and assume the pastoral responsibilities. Therefore it was determined that it would be in the best interest of the local body for [TBPC and the Hoke family] to part ways.”
On Monday, Hoke updated the Facebook post to explain that he did not want to leave the church.
“I did not quit, and I was willing to stay,” Hoke asserted.
The Christian Post reached out to TBPC (also known as Lake Shastina Community Bible Church) for comment on Hoke’s departure. A response is pending.
In an interview with The Siskiyou Daily News, Hoke said his intention with the sign was to express his thought that the Bible doesn’t change even though the culture may.
“If you see a burning building, there are only two reasons not to warn those inside: if you think the danger isn’t too great, or if you don’t love those inside,” Hoke stated.
He told the Daily Wire that he was inspired to create the sign after reading about a customer at a store who “threw a fit because a clerk had accidentally referred to him with the masculine gender [pronoun].”
Another “Love Rally” demonstration was held during Sunday’s service with yet another planned for next Sunday.
Organizers of the protest told NBC 5 that their goal was not to get Hoke fired.
“I don’t want to be responsible for someone losing their job. The point in this protest is to show love for the LGBTQ community and other members of the community as well,” organizer Charolette Kalayjian said.
Hoke told the television news outlet that the protests were not the reason for his departure.
“There was a fear we would lose what little congregation that we had if I remained,” Hoke explained.
Amein to all you have said in red print & other at the beginning of this post Natan..totally agree with you.
There is a small local Presbyterian church where i live locally and they have a sign up on their fence which says; RIGHTEOUSNESS EXALTS A NATION ; SIN IS A REPROACH.
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THEN UNDERNEATH THAT SIGN WITH THE VERSE SOME DISRESPECTFUL PERSON OR PERSONS HAVE WRITTEN IN GRAFITTI ..OOPS OUCH! …AS A THROWBACK…
WE HAVE TO BE SALT & LIGHT TO A DARK WORLD ..& THE REPERCUSSIONS OF OUR SIN IS HUGE …TOO SCARY TO CONTEMPLATE…I COULD NOT HANDLE BEING SENT INTO THE LAKE OF FIRE.. .NOR THOSE WHO ARE NEAR & DEAR TO ME.
..IT IS A VERY SOBERING HOUR..JUST IN ANY ONE DAY ALL THE HORRIFIC NEWS EVENTS..EG THE SUICIDE BOMBER IN NAIROBI KENYA…TERRIBLE CRIME GOING ON ALL OVER THE WORLD..IT ACTUALLY MAKES ONE FEEL NAUSEATED.AND PERSONALLY QUIET SICK !.
. I FEEL FOR CHILDREN IN THIS HOUR IF THEIR PARENTS DO NOT KNOW THE MESSIAH YESHUA..I COULD NOT COPE WITH BEING A CHILD AT THE MOMENT IN THIS LOST HORRIBLE BROKEN WORLD..it certainly is getting sicker & darker with no moral compass in sight for them, unless we/they all Grab a Hold of The Word of The living God – Elohim we are certainly DOOMED.!
Oh but the Blood of Messiah Yeshua…..
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Blessings Natan for standing up for RIGHTEOUSNESS…..May the Elohim of our lives make his face shine upon us all & give us peace & favour.
Amein!
Faith is a verb! YHVH hates all our sins, trouble is the word “sin” (self-inflicted-nonsense) has lost its meaning, just say that word and they think you’re a dinosaur 🙁 Paul said it best “am I now therefore you’re enemy because I tell you the truth?” You know, my prayer list continues to grow which is good cause it means more time in prayer and I will certainly hold Pastor Justin Hoke up in prayer as well as this deceived congregation and know that YHVH steps in JUSTIN time. I have learned to pray for ALL involved in any situation.
As a side note, something I heard long ago: Some people are like the leaves on a tree, they’re only meant to be in your life for a season. Some are like the branches, some you can lean on and some you can’t. Then there are the roots and they’re not goin anywhere!
The roots of our faith are Hebraic and no matter how the enemy attacks, we’re not goin anywhere, why the very reason for the attack is to let us know we’re doing right and to confirm we need to take a strong stand!
Thanks Natan for bringing this to our attention and for keeping up the good work!
Oooh…This arborist likes your tree analogy! Very good! Also like the self inflicted nonsense bit, and the rest of what you wrote. Thank you.
Thank you, but I can’t take the credit for the tree analogy, I didn’t come up with it. I believe it was in one of Tyler Perry’s plays years ago. Don’t even know if he came up with it originally. However he seems to have changed 🙁
I only have one more thing to add. There has never been enough room on the sign…… we drown in the ways we can choose to offend our Creator and destroy one another.
The big problem is that the sin that should of shocked us has become the norm and now it is only ‘these’ seemingly ‘stranger and weirder wickedness’s’ that even register at all….but not for long if the ‘love in’s work’.
We lost when we allowed the first 4 in the decalogue to become dominoes and not foundations.
The depravity of man determines to knock down each commandment as a domino and we have seen in history each go over the centuries
When you don’t honour Elohim first how can you keep any true decency in a corrupt unregenerate mind and that seems to be the churches mind for the most part doing away with the reality of Salvation one domino at a time. With a do over decalogue……
Sadly. FJ
Very good points and well said. Thank you.
Sad but too true but not for much longer. good one FJ, thanks 🙂
Amen Brother Nathan! We must stand for and stand on the Whole Council of God!!!
13 If a man lies with another man as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood guilt shall be upon them. Leviticus 20:13
If a man be found lying with a woman married to a husband, then they shall both of them die, the man that lay with the woman, and the woman: so shalt thou put away the evil from Israel. Deuteronomy 22:22
32 Now while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath day. 33 And those who found him gathering sticks brought him to Moses and Aaron, and to all the congregation. 34 They put him under guard, because it had not been explained what should be done to him.
35 Then the LORD said to Moses, “The man must surely be put to death; all the congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp.” 36 So, as the LORD commanded Moses, all the congregation brought him outside the camp and stoned him with stones, and he died. Numbers 15:32-36
9When they heard this, they began to go away one by one, beginning with the older ones, until only Jesus was left, with the woman standing there. 10Then Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are your accusers? Has no one condemned you?” 11“No one, Lord,” she answered. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Now go and sin no more.”…
John 8:9-11
To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, not imputing their trespasses to them; and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
2 Corinthians 5:19
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. John 3:17
Praying for that brother and his family! It kind of weeded out the truth-seekers didn’t it? Well, YHVH is their Shepherd, they shall not want! May the peace of Elohim rule and reign in their hearts at this difficult time. Sounds like a promotion to me!