Tag Archives: United States Constitution

September 27, 2015 · 10:30

The Theocracy Fallacy

Bible and Cue Card Used by Gerald R. Ford When He Took the Oath of Office

Bible and Cue Card Used by Gerald R. Ford When He Took the Oath of Office

And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.   (Revelation 12:5)

Recently the liberal news media bushwhacked presidential candidate Dr. Ben Carson for his statement that a Muslim should not serve as President of the United States. The statement found great support among conservatives, but left-leaning Democrats and Republicans were self-righteously offended by his remarks. Attempting to do some damage control without really backing down, Carson explained that someone who would place Sharia Law above the Constitution of the United States cannot honestly swear to uphold and defend the Constitution. Carson rightly pointed out that Islam is a theocracy – god rule. A true follower of Islam cannot separate his religion from his politics; they are one and the same. The Muslim holy book and other Muslim sacred writings call for strict adherence to Islamic law. (“Islam” means “submission.”) Therefore, if a faithful Muslim were to become President of the United States, “he” (because a Muslim woman would not be permitted to hold such an office) would have to, out of obligation to his religion, invoke Sharia Law when it came in conflict with the Constitution.

In his defense, Carson qualified his stance by saying that he could indeed vote for a Muslim as President, if that Muslim denounced Sharia Law and swore to uphold the Constitution in all cases. (Of course, the Qur’an encourages Muslims to lie to “infidels,” so their integrity would be questionable.) Furthermore, said Carson, he would not vote for a Christian, if that Christian advocated for a Christian theocracy. Our nation is and always has been a nation of laws, and the Constitution is the law of the land.

I fully understand and agree with Dr. Carson’s stance. What I believe is missing here is a clear understanding of what a theocracy is. According to Dictionary.Com, a theocracy is “a form of government in which God or a deity is recognized as the supreme civil ruler, the God’s or deity’s laws being interpreted by the ecclesiastical authorities.” The problem with that definition is in the word “recognized” and in the phrase “laws being interpreted by the ecclesiastical authorities.” That renders the definition false because it is humanistic in nature. First of all, the deity has to be “recognized” by man as the “supreme civil ruler” which means that ultimately it is man that is defining the laws of the god. Secondly, the laws are interpreted by men who are either appointed by men or self-appointed as “ecclesiastical authorities.” Ultimately the “theocracy” becomes an “androcracy” – a rule by men, so the “god-rule” goes out the window.

When God brought the children of Israel into the Promised Land, they had no king other than God. God gave His law to Moses and set up a system of priests and judges to administer His law. Not long after they settled in the land, reliance on God and His law fell by the wayside and “every man did that which was right in his own eyes” (Judges 17:6; Judges 21:25). Therein lays the problem with a theocracy – man.

A true theocracy is absolute rule by God. Until Christ returns to set up His kingdom on earth, any man-initiated theocracy is doomed to fail. When Christ returns as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, His rule will be absolute. Speaking of Christ, the Messiah, the Lord says, “Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel” (Psalm 2:9). When He returns, He will share His administration with His saints “And [they] shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father” (Revelation 2:27). There will be no question of authority because His eternal law will not be violated. “And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God” (Revelation 19:15).  The “sharp sword” from His mouth is the Word of God: “For the word of God is quick [i.e., “alive”], and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).

Until Jesus returns, no true theocracy can exist. Any so called theocracy devised by fallen man is thereby flawed. Dr. Ben Carson is right. Anyone adhering to any human defined theocracy is unfit to hold the office of President of the United States. As it stands, the U.S. Constitution, because of its foundation on God’s Law, must be upheld as the supreme law of the land.

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July 12, 2015 · 10:30

Too Late

And like unto him was there no king before him, that turned to the LORD with all his heart … Notwithstanding the LORD turned not from the fierceness of his great wrath, wherewith his anger was kindled against Judah …  (2 Kings 23:25-26)

I hear many well-intentioned Christians exhorting us to pray for our nation and for our leaders. The call seems to have increased in intensity since the recent foolish ruling by the United States Supreme Court declaring same-sex marriage a constitutional right. Such a ruling places this nation in the death throes of social order described in Romans 1:32 “Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.” At this juncture our nation finds itself near the bottom of the sucking vortex that will end its days, and no plea to God for restoration will be heeded. Such was the case for the nation of Judah in her final days.

King Josiah was a good king. He began his reign at the age of eight, and despite the poor example set for him by his father Amon and grandfather Manasseh, “he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in all the way of David his father, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left” (2 Kings 22:2). By the time of his ascendency, the northern kingdom of Israel, whose kings all earned the comment, “he did evil in the sight of the LORD,” no longer existed as a nation having been conquered and repatriated by Shalmaneser king of Assyria (2 Kings 17). Failing to learn the lesson of her sister, Judah followed the same path of destruction. Of Manasseh, the Bible says that “he built up again the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroyed; and he reared up altars for Baal, and made a grove [an image of the Phoenician goddess Astarte] … he built altars [for pagan gods] in the house of the LORD … he made his son pass through the fire [i.e., he sacrificed his children to the god Molech], and observed times, and used enchantments, and dealt with familiar spirits [demons] and wizards … he set a graven image of the grove [Astarte] that he had made in the house [the Temple] … Manasseh seduced them [Judah] to do more evil than did the nations whom the LORD destroyed before the children of Israel” (2 Kings 21:3-9). Manasseh was so bad that the Bible says he “hath done wickedly above all that the Amorites did, which were before him, and hath made Judah also to sin with his idols” (2 Kings 21:11). For comparison, the Amorites were included in the list of nations living in the Promised Land that God instructed Joshua to wipe out in the conquest of the land because of their depravity. As bad as the Amorites were, Manasseh had exceeded their depravity in God’s eyes. To top that, Manasseh’s son (Josiah’s father), Amon, though his reign was brief, “forsook the LORD God of his fathers, and walked not in the way of the LORD” (2 Kings 21:22).  This was the young Josiah’s inheritance.

In his eighteenth year on the throne, Josiah, now 26, ordered that the Temple, which had fallen into disrepair, be restored. In the process of restoring the Temple, Hilkiah the high priest found a copy of the Torah (the book of the law). Obviously the Torah, like many of our Bibles, had been put away and not read in a long time. The find was so significant that Hilkiah sent it by way of Shaphan, the king’s scribe, to Josiah. Shaphan read the scroll to King Josiah, “And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the book of the law, that he rent his clothes” (2 Kings 22:11). So convicted was Josiah by God’s Word that he immediately started a campaign of reformation in the land. “And the king sent, and they gathered unto him all the elders of Judah and of Jerusalem. And the king went up into the house of the LORD, and all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem with him, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the people, both small and great: and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant which was found in the house of the LORD” (2 Kings 23:1-2, emphasis mine). Notice that the king initiated the revival; he assumed the responsibility to lead his nation under God. Furthermore, he completely removed every vestige of idol worship from Judah more than any other king before him. More than that, he reinstituted the practice of keeping the Feasts of the Lord. “And the king commanded all the people, saying, Keep the passover unto the LORD your God, as it is written in the book of this covenant. Surely there was not holden such a passover from the days of the judges that judged Israel, nor in all the days of the kings of Israel, nor of the kings of Judah” (2 Kings 23:22, emphasis mine). It is hard to imagine, but not even the “man after God’s own heart,” King David, had kept the Passover. Now it might be argued that the phrase “such a Passover” implies that perhaps it had never been done to this extent before, but the fact remains that prior to this passage, the last time a celebration of the Passover is recorded is in Joshua 5:10-11 after the children of Israel crossed the Jordan into the Promised Land.

Josiah was arguably the most righteous king that Judah ever had. His reforms exceeded any king before or after him. “And like unto him was there no king before him, that turned to the LORD with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; neither after him arose there any like him” (2 Kings 23:25). One would think that such a “great awakening” and “revival” of God’s people would alter God’s plan. Yet, “Notwithstanding the LORD turned not from the fierceness of his great wrath, wherewith his anger was kindled against Judah, because of all the provocations that Manasseh had provoked him withal. And the LORD said, I will remove Judah also out of my sight, as I have removed Israel, and will cast off this city Jerusalem which I have chosen, and the house of which I said, My name shall be there.” (2 Kings 23:26-27, emphasis mine).

Josiah died and was succeeded by his son Jehoahaz, “And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD” (2 Kings 23:32). He ruled for only three months and was succeeded by Eliakim (a.k.a. Jehoiakim), another son of Josiah. Jehoiakim ruled 11 years, “And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD” (2 Kings 23:37). That was the end of Judah. “In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant three years: then he turned and rebelled against him. And the LORD sent against him bands of the Chaldees, and bands of the Syrians, and bands of the Moabites, and bands of the children of Ammon, and sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by his servants the prophets” (2 Kings 24:1-2).

All the good Josiah had done was for naught, and while it stayed the hand of God during his reign, eventually – in less than 11 years – God’s judgment fell on Judah anyway. Friends, that is where America stands right now. As a nation, we stand under God’s judgment, and there is nothing that will stay His hand from executing His judgment on our nation. As a nation we have banned Him from our schools. We have rejected His Word. We have sacrificed our children at the altar of convenience and self-gratification. We have destroyed God’s design for the family through easy divorce. We have replaced the worship of our God for the idols of self and pleasure. And to top it off, we have called what is evil good and what is good evil with this repugnant ruling by our Supreme Court legitimizing sodomy. And the leader of the free world, our President, celebrates the decision by bathing the White House – the “People’s House” – in the colors of the perverts’ banner.

It is already too late to pray for the nation and for our leaders. God has already given us too many chances to repent, and all we have done is thumb our noses in His face. It is too late! As it was with Judah in her last days, so it is with America today.

And now, because ye have done all these works, saith the LORD, and I spake unto you, rising up early and speaking, but ye heard not; and I called you, but ye answered not; Therefore will I do unto this house, which is called by my name, wherein ye trust, and unto the place which I gave to you and to your fathers, as I have done to Shiloh. And I will cast you out of my sight, as I have cast out all your brethren, even the whole seed of Ephraim. Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them, neither make intercession to me: for I will not hear thee. (Jeremiah 7:14-16, emphasis mine)

Christian, don’t pray for this country and for our leaders, except that God judge righteously. Pray instead for His Kingdom where our true allegiance lies. Pray instead for His Church that her light might shine brighter in the growing darkness. Pray instead for your brothers and sisters in Christ that they will remain strong in the Faith and bold in the face of the persecution that is sure to come. This is no time for cowards. The King is coming! May He find us faithful when He returns. But for America, it’s too late!

P.S.

Although I have no hope for a reversal in America’s increasingly rapid decline, I will continue to participate in the democratic process. I will continue to support those running for political offices who hold to strict conservative and Judeo-Christian values. As long as we have the level of freedom that we currently enjoy, it is important that Christians continue to engage in the political process. That is our right, our responsibility, and our obligation under God. It is the right thing to do, but do not be under the delusion that it will change the downward course of America. Our primary focus should be God’s kingdom, God’s Church and God’s people. God will remain when America is long gone.

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July 5, 2015 · 10:30

The Rainbow

I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth.  (Genesis 9:13)

From the beginning of time Satan has attempted to pervert everything that God created and called “very good” (Genesis 1:31). A prime example is revealed in last week’s ruling by the Supreme Court of the United States that homosexual cohabitation should be regarded as “marriage” and protected as a legal right under the Constitution of the United States. Such a ruling stains the bounds of reason considering that the same protection finds no haven in the Constitution for heterosexual unions. The lack of understanding demonstrated by five out of the nine justices illuminates the depths of depravity to which our nation has declined. The court’s decision prompted exhibitions of jubilation from what used to be the White House (now bathed in the colors of the rainbow) down to the streets of America. Local news media fight to maintain objectivity in reporting the atrocity as the grins on news anchors’ faces betray their accord with the order.

Regardless of the decision handed down by these black-robed oligarchs, “marriage” was defined by God at Creation. “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them” (Genesis 1:27). Out of the side of man, God created the woman (Genesis 2:21) “And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man” (Genesis 2:22, emphasis mine). In doing so, God effectively performed the first marriage ceremony. Marriage is not a human institution, it is a Divine institution, so much so that the relationship between Christ and His church is described as a marriage (Matthew 22:2-14; John 3:29; Ephesians 5:23; Revelation 18:23; Revelation 19:7). So, aside from the lawlessness of this act by this Supreme Court, it is the height of arrogance for mere man to redefine what God has already established. But, that is nothing new!

So, what does this have to do with the rainbow, you might ask. The rainbow has been adopted by the sodomites as a symbol of their perverted cause. Like the devil, who I imagine is reveling in his presumed victory; they have taken a sign of God’s promise not to destroy the earth by water again, and have used it as a banner to flaunt the kind of perversion that brought about God’s wrath in the first place (Genesis 6:5; Genesis 19:1-9).  Franklin Graham, son of famed evangelist Billy Graham and founder of Samaritan’s Purse, said, “God is the one who gave the rainbow, and it was associated with His judgment. God sent a flood to wipe out the entire world because mankind had become so wicked and violent.”[1]

Note that God identifies the rainbow as His bow: “I do set my bow in the cloud” (Genesis 9:13, emphasis mine). Indeed, the rainbow in the Bible is always associated with the throne of God. The prophet Ezekiel’s description of God’s throne (Ezekiel 1) defies human explanation, but one of the features is the rainbow that surrounds the throne.

And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it. And I saw as the colour of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about. As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake. (Ezekiel 1:26-28, emphasis mine)

A similar description of the rainbow surrounding God’s throne appears again in Revelation.

And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald. (Revelation 4:2-3, emphasis mine)

And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire: (Revelation 10:1, emphasis mine)

God’s throne is also his “judgment seat.” The Greek word translated “judgment seat” is bēma, and it is translated as throne in Acts 12:21, “And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them” (emphasis mine). This brings us back around to the rainbow surrounding the throne of God from where He sits in judgment.  “But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ” (Romans 14:10). “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10).

The poor misguided souls who celebrate their perversion beneath the colors of the rainbow call down upon themselves the judgment of God. The foolhardy President of the United States who bathes the People’s House in the colors of the rainbow in celebration of the Supreme Court’s foolish ruling unwittingly calls God’s judgment down upon our nation. This may well be the final nail in the coffin that America has built for itself

I see dark days ahead for our nation, but if you are a born-again follower of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, a brighter day is coming, and it may come sooner than you think. In the meantime, Jesus said, “Occupy till I come” (Luke 19:13). “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid … Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:14, 16). This is not the time for passivity.

Notes:

 

[1] World News Daily, “Franklin Graham: ‘Gay’ Rainbow Ends Badly,” http://www.wnd.com/2015/07/franklin-graham-gay-rainbow-ends-badly/, accessed July 2, 2015.

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May 3, 2015 · 10:30

Adam & Steve or Bev & Eve?

Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.  (1 Corinthians 6:9-10)

This week the United States Supreme Court met to hear arguments for and against constitutional protection or sanction of same-sex “marriage” nationwide. Regarding traditional marriage – between one man and one woman – Justice Anthony M. Kennedy made this poignant statement: “This definition has been with us for millennia, and it’s very difficult for the court to say, ‘Oh, well, we know better.’”[1] Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr. zeroed in on the agenda driving the gay rights same-sex marriage movement. He rightly pointed out, “You’re not seeking to join the institution [of marriage] – you’re seeking to change what the institution is. “The fundamental core of the institution is the opposite-sex relationship, and you want to introduce into it a same-sex relationship.”[2] Justice Antonin Scalia points out the religious issues that might arise from a favorable ruling from the court. “I’m concerned about the wisdom of this court imposing through the Constitution a requirement of action which is unpalatable to many of our citizens for religious reasons. They are not likely to change their view about what marriage consists of. And were the states to adopt it by law, they could make exceptions to what is required for same-sex marriage, who has to honor it and so forth.”[3]

Regardless of what side of the issue you favor, with all due respect, your opinion on this matter and that of the Supreme Court is irrelevant. While the court’s ruling on this will have far-reaching implications for the course of our nation, the rule for human unions was issued at the beginning of creation from the One whose law supersedes all human laws and institutions. “And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh” (Genesis 2:22-24, emphasis mine). In Scripture, every reference to marriage is always and only presented as between a man and a woman. As Justice Kennedy pointed out, the definition of marriage as a male-female union “has been with us for millennia” – six millennia to be exact. God established marriage between a man and a woman, primarily for procreation, and secondly as the nucleus of social order. The most fundamental form of government is the family unit, and when that nucleus is destroyed, the social order breaks down.

The Bible, both Old and New Testaments, supports the nuclear family unit with one man and one woman as husband and wife. Any time there is a deviation from God’s plan presented in the Bible, there is always trouble associated with it. Take, for example, the relationship between Abraham, Sarah and Hagar, (Genesis 16 and 21). This relationship produced two sons, Ishmael and Isaac, whose descendants harbor aggression toward one another to this very day. Lot, Abraham’s nephew, after he was saved from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, had incestuous relations with his two daughters that produced the pagan nations of Moab (Moabites) and Ammon (Ammonites) (Genesis 19). Then there was Jacob with his two wives and two concubines that resulted in 12 half brothers from a single father, but four different mothers. That became the nation of Israel, and there was constant trouble among the brothers. The father of Samuel had two wives and there was contention in that home (1 Samuel 1). Then there was David with all of his wives and the trouble that existed in that family. Not to be outdone, David’s son Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines (1 Kings 11:3), and following his death the kingdom was divided. The Bible is clear. Any marriage other than between one man and one woman is doomed for disaster. Jesus supported marriage between one man and one woman. “And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder” (Matthew 19:4-6, emphasis mine). The New Testament outlines the proper function of the family unit (Ephesians 5:20-33; 6:1-4; Colossians 3:18-21; 1 Peter 3:1-7). There is never given such instruction for homosexual couples. According to God’s Word, “marriage” always and only properly exists between one man and one woman.

Now, this is my personal blog, and I am not beholding to or obligated to anyone for political correctness. I really do not care whether you favor “gay marriage” or whether you oppose it. My concern is for God’s opinion on the matter. Some may object by charging that this is just “my” interpretation of Scripture, and that I have simply misread the text. I will gladly take my lumps if I can be proven wrong (from Scripture), but there is no “interpretation” needed to see the obvious truth of the Bible. Take the following passages for example (and please feel free to read the passage in context, i.e., read the verses that precede and those that follow):

Thou shalt not lie [for intercourse] with mankind [Hebrew: zâkâr, i.e., a male], as with womankind [Hebrew: ‘ishshâh, i.e., a woman]: it is abomination [Hebrew: tô‛êbah i.e., something disgusting and abhorant] … For whosoever shall commit any of these abominations [including incest and bestiality (in context)], even the souls that commit them shall be cut off from among their people. (Leviticus 18:22, 29)

Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness [Greek: akatharsia, i.e., impurity] through the lusts [Greek: epithumia, i.e., longing, desire] of their own hearts, to dishonor [Greek: atimazō, i.e., to render infamous, contemn or maltreat] their own bodies between themselves … For this cause God gave them up unto vile [Greek: atimia, i.e., indignity or disgrace] affections [Greek: pathos, i.e., passion, inordinate affection, lust]: for even their women did change the natural [Greek: phusikos, i.e., physical, instinctive] use [Greek: chrēsis, i.e., sexual intercourse] into that which is against nature [Greek: phusis, i.e., growth (by germination or expansion), natural production]: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned [Greek: ekkaiō, i.e., to inflame deeply] in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly [Greek: aschēmosunē, i.e., and indecency], and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet [Greek: dei, i.e., necessary] (Romans 1:24, 26-27).

Know ye not that the unrighteous [Greek: adikos, i.e., unjust, wicked, treacherous] shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators [Greek: pornos, i.e., a male prostitute, a debauchee], nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate [Greek: malakos, i.e., soft, figuratively a catamite (a boy in a sexual relationship with a man)], nor abusers of themselves with mankind [Greek: arsenokoitēs, i.e., a sodomite]. (1 Corinthians 6:9).

The above passages are linked to Biblegateway.com in case the reader does not have a Bible handy. The text stands on its own merits, but I felt that translation of some of the words into their original languages was necessary to demonstrate how strongly God really feels about this issue. Homosexuality is a sin. It is abhorrent to God primarily because it goes against His “very good” design for human sexuality, procreation, and the social order of family. Homosexuality is unnatural. Even the gay activists that are fighting for same-sex marriage admit that fact. Two men or two women cannot produce children together. Procreation requires a man and a woman, and as previously noted, “marriage” from a biblical perspective can only be between a man and a woman.

I am firmly against same-sex “marriage.” That does not make me a homophobe. I do not have a phobia, i.e., a “fear,” of homosexuals, and I find the accusation insulting. I cannot speak for all Christians, but I am sure many would agree. I stand against homosexuality because God is against homosexuality. It is just that simple. I really do not care if gays want to practice their perversion; that is between them and God. However, it is the responsibility of every Christian to identify it for what it is – sin – and it is wrong for Christians to roll over and let the gay community try to redefine marriage. Marriage is, and always has been between one man and one woman.

Homosexuality is not the only sin that God hates, and it is not the “unpardonable” sin. Our starting Bible passage included a long list of other sins, not just that of homosexuality. Jesus said that all sin can forgiven except blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (Matthew 12:31). Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit simply means to reject the Holy Spirit’s call upon one’s heart. The Holy Spirit’s job description is to “convince” the individual of the truth of God’s Word, and “convict” him of his sin and his need to heed the message of God’s Word (John 16:7-11). To blaspheme against the Holy Spirit, then, is basically to call Him a liar. Homosexuality, like every other sin, can be forgiven, but it requires repentance, i.e., to agree with God, the Holy Spirit, that it is sin and, with God’s help, be willing to turn away from that lifestyle. God will forgive that sin as He will every sin, but the offender must first recognize it as sin.

This issue of gay “marriage” will ruin our nation. “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death” (Proverbs 14:12). Too many very loud voices clamor to make this perversion the law of the land claiming “natural” rights, equality, etc., but they are wrong, and God promises that the consequence of such folly is destruction. Note what God said in the Leviticus passage quoted earlier:

Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things [all the illicit sex acts listed]: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you: And the land is defiled: therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants … (For all these abominations have the men of the land done, which were before you, and the land is defiled) That the land spue not you out also, when ye defile it, as it spued out the nations that were before you. For whosoever shall commit any of these abominations [all the illicit sex acts listed], even the souls that commit them shall be cut off from among their people. (Leviticus 18:24-25, 27-29, emphasis mine)

God often receives a bad rap because He instructed the Israelites to kill every living thing in the land He was giving them. The reason for this was because of the perversion of the people inhabiting the land. These people were practicing homosexuals. They practiced bestiality.  They had male and female temple prostitutes. They were incestuous. They offered their babies up as burnt sacrifices to their pagan gods. Furthermore, God had given them opportunity to repent through the witness of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob plus over 400 years that the children of Israel were in Egyptian captivity, but they didn’t. These were vile people and God judged them to death at the hand of the Israelites. How much clearer a picture does one need to recognize the intensity of God’s abomination for this sin! Note His warning to the Israelites should they fall into the same practice. That warning speaks to our nation as well.

Gay marriage is not “marriage.” Homosexual unions are wrong, not because of public opinion, but because God, who designed us male and female for procreation and companionship, says it’s wrong, and because it goes against His purpose. The opinion or ruling of the United States Supreme Court holds no sway over the Creator. “For I am the LORD, I change not” (Malachi 3:6). The final ruling by the Supreme Court will be sometime in June 2015. If they rule contrary to God’s law, our nation is doomed, and we will see a rise in the persecution of Christians who hold fast to God’s law. There is still time to pray.

 Notes:

[1] From The Washington Post, “Supreme Court hears arguments in historic gay-marriage case” http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/courts_law/supreme-court-will-hear-historic-arguments-in-gay-marriage-cases/2015/04/27/083d9302-ed24-11e4-8666-a1d756d0218e_story.html, accessed April 29, 2015.

[2] Ibid.

[3] Jeffrey Rosen, YahooNews, “The Supreme Court gay marriage arguments: What the justices revealed — quote by quote” https://www.yahoo.com/politics/the-supreme-court-gay-marriage-arguments-what-the-117695904751.html, accessed April 29, 2015.

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November 9, 2014 · 10:30

Who’s In Charge?

Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him.  (Psalm 72:11)

The 2014 elections are history now. The Republicans are celebrating the conquest of the Upper House and the ousting of the evil Majority Leader, Senator Harry Reid of Nevada. They are exuberant after gaining control over both houses of Congress. Now we can really get things done! Me? I am not so sure. I participated in “early voting,” and I do not mind admitting that I voted a straight Republican ticket. Not that I believe Republicans are the salve for all our ills, but I simply cannot bring myself to vote for a Democrat under any circumstances. As I drew near the entrance of the polling place, I was approached by a young woman holding a sign who petitioned me to vote for her. I asked, “R or D?” She answered, “D,” to which I responded, “That’s too bad.” I embarrassed my wife, who thought I had been rude, but I only spoke truth, and I wasn’t ugly or hateful about it, just matter of fact. “D” to me has become repugnant and synonymous with Demented, Deranged, Deluded, Dubious, Destructive, Deleterious, etc. I do not mean to offend my Democrat friends, but, if you are a “D,” you really should repent. (I say that with all due love and respect.)

Having said that, I do not place a lot of hope in the Republicans either. I like them only slightly better because, for the most part, they still support the First and Second Amendments and the Bill of Rights in general. They are largely pro-life, and they favor traditional (male/female) marriage and family values. But beyond that, the distinction between R and D begin to blur. In many ways they are indistinguishable from one another. Yes, I know that we have several solid conservatives in the Republican Party, and I am encouraged by them; but they are not in the majority, and are often disdained by the Establishment Republicans. Still, they give voice to conservative values, and that gives me a dull glimmer of hope. It will be interesting to see how this new Republican Congress will act and how President Obama will react. Time will tell.

The Bible teaches that it is God who establishes and dismantles governments. Paul tells us that “there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God” (Romans 13:1). “And [God] changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings” (Daniel 2:21, emphasis added).  To the Babylonian king, Daniel said, “Thou, O king [Nebuchadnezzar], art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory” (Daniel 2:37, emphasis added). “The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret” (Daniel 2:47, emphasis added). “The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will” (Proverbs  21:1, emphasis added).

 We like to think we are in control, but the Bible is clear as to who is really in charge. “The LORD is King for ever and ever” (Psalm 10:16). However, that does not diminish our responsibility.  “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty” (1 Timothy 2:1-2, emphasis added). While God is ultimately in control, He has given the stewardship of our nation to “We the People.” In all of history, there has never existed a nation like the United States of America, whose government has been placed in the hands of its citizens. Therefore, while we still are able, we should continue to pray for our leaders and exercise our constitutional rights as citizens to elect leaders who hold and exercise godly principles. (By the way, one does not necessarily have to be a Christian to hold godly principles, but it certainly helps.) At the same time we should maintain our national motto – In God We Trust. Leaders will disappoint us. Our nation will ultimately fail, but God remains faithful forever. We can trust that God is in charge.

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