Category Archives: Study and research
Understanding church and kingdom, part 1
Proverbs 4:7 strongly encourages us to get an understanding in all that we do. And it can be said that much of our problems stem from a lack of understanding. Sometimes that understanding is because we just havent walked into yet, sometimes it is because we reject it when it comes. Thus, this post on understanding the Church and the Kingdom. I will try to keep it as simple as possible. Hopefully, it can clear up some misunderstandings you have had, if at all and consequently help you better understand certain situations and circumstances happening around us. Many times we question how can these things happen in the church? It is confusing and distressing. Why? Because we do not have a proper biblical perspective of church and kingdom.
There are a lot of religious people who are employing the word “kingdom” as a new buzzword of sorts. It gives the appearance that such people are in tune with God, but on closer examination some are simply playing a word shell game. To the unsuspecting, it can be a deadly one, both spiritually and naturally.
One very important distinction to remember is that Jesus said the kingdom of God ( per Romans 14:17 love, joy and peace in the Holy Ghost) is within you and eternal. Conversely, the kingdom of man (buildings, money, fame, positions, sexual desires) is external and temporal. Most people see the church as a building ( i.e. New Joy Church 1500 West Adams Street). A building can be called a church but it is not the church. The reason is because buildings can be destroyed and/or used for altogether different purposes, even evil. Changing your thinking paradigm about the church versus a church will significantly enhance your ability to endure when the sinful excesses in the building conflict with the purity of the kingdom of God.
While the terms “church” and “kingdom” are generally used interchangeably by people, in scripture there are distinct differences in the two. Both are present expressions of The Lord Jesus Christ, yet one has not reached its perfection. (Eph 4:11-15).
Let’s deal with the kingdom first. In simple terms a kingdom is the domain or residence under authority of a king. When applied to God, David said it best in Psalms 24:1 The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and they that dwell therein. Thus it is clear that God’s kingdom comprises both heaven and earth. Heaven is under control, but earth is still in transition. As Jesus prayed: “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven”.
One theologian described the kingdom of God like this:
In today’s parlance the equivalent of the Kingdom of God would be something like the Presidency of God rather than the Nation-State of God; or the Episcopacy of God rather than the Diocese of God. This Divine Regime or Presidency which operates by gracious mercy (because of God’s love) and righteous justice (because of God’s holiness) is unlimited, eternal, spiritual, and sovereign over all. Since Christ came in grace and in the flesh and began His earthly ministry, the inward earnest of the Kingdom life became accessible as a present mediatory EXPERIENCE for whosoever believes in Christ. The full outward manifestation of the Kingdom is a future vindicatory EXPECTATION when Christ comes again in judgment (Eph 1:7-14).
The Kingdom (of God, of Heaven) are also used interchangeably in scripture. Jesus did in several places but there are differences that should be noted. Both the “kingdoms” are ruled by God. The main difference is time. The kingdom of God is within us now, while the kingdom of heaven has not yet come. (Matthew 16:19,Luke 17:20,21)
The Kingdom of God is physically represented by the earthly Church of Christ (this is not the denomination of the same name).
The tale of two churches
As with many situations in the bible paradoxes exist and quite frankly appear to the undiscerning eye to be contradictory. Such is the case with what I will call the church triumphant and the church universal.
The church triumphant is triumphant (victorious) both now and forever. It has both corporate and individual applications. I take that from 1 Cor 2:14. The CT isnt defined as a denomination. Nor is it a nondenominational, interdenominational or independent religious body. It is understood to be comprised of those out of every kindred and nation, every tongue and tribe, who have been washed in the blood of the lamb and whose names are written in the lamb’s book of life. The church triumphant has formed and is forming daily as the Lord adds to the church. It is the church which, according to Matthew 16:18, is indestructible, built on the Rock. It is this church-bride which will be presented in that day: pure, holy, blameless, faultless before the presence of God (Jude 24,25). While the church triumphant is universal, the church universal is not necessarily triumphant.
The church universal is universal because it worldwide in terms of its logistical placement and membership. Thus, it is comprised of those who are joined to the physical church of Christ. It is a consortium of the denominations, nondenominations, interdenominations, et al. The church universal includes the wheat and the tare, the hypocrite and the saint, the open homosexual and the downlow choir leader, the sheep and the goats. It is from this church which will come those who find out that their good works are useless because they feigned relationship with Christ or had none at all. They will discover that they will be rejected because they added or detracted from the words of the Lord causing others to be lost. The church universal is in essence a snapshot of the doctrine of inclusion pre-judgment day. All are included, but the day of separation has not come (see Matt 25:31-46).
The church has “membership” rolls and on any given Sunday whether a person is redeemed or not, they can step out into the aisle, walk up front, shake the pastor’s hand and become a member. Even if they never confess Christ and are never born again and filled with the Spirit, they can remain “members” of the church. Even become “leaders”.
But not so in the kingdom of God.
Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders 10nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. 1 Cor 6:9-11
The entrance requirements are set not by the will of man, but by God. Only those who are redeemed, washed in the blood of the Lamb and sanctified by the spirit of Christ will come in. There’s no hand to shake , no secretary to see, no new members class to attend, no St Peter at the gate, just a change of heart and lifestyle. That’s not the gospel of inclusion, its the gospel of exclusion. And its 100% the will of God.
Prop 8: Spiritual Warfare in California Part 1
BY SHOFARSOUND
SAN FRANCISCO – Well, the state of California is back in the news with its same-sex marriage debate. San Francisco Gay Conservative Republican Federal Judge Vaughn Walker ruled that Proposition 8 is unconstitutional. The proposition did not allow same-sex couples to marry. This is the second time that Californians voted on a proposition to amend marriage as between man and woman only, and to later have the judicial system overturn the majority votes to amend traditional marriage. The battle of state of California was not to learn whether or not homosexuals should have the right to marry. The battle actually began within the court system after a three judge panel of the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued a ruling that imposed a stay on Walker’s ruling to overturn Prop 8.
So who and what are we battling? Are we at battle with Judge Vaughn Walker? Are we battling the gay and lesbian activists that push for same-sex marriage? Is our fight against same–sex couples that wish to marry? The answer would be a resounding no! Why, you ask? Because our battle is not against flesh and blood. It is against evil spirits in the spirit world. It is a battle in the unseen world that manifests itself in the natural world. California has been in a spiritual battle for a long time and most churches have taken the route of the flesh to deal with situation. They simply encourage their congregations to vote on these propositions. I’m not saying that voting is not a good and honorable thing to do. However our churches on a large part fail to deal with the spiritual dynamics state of California. The state possesses some serious demonic strongholds! On December 9, 2009 GMCW posted an online article entitled, In Vallejo, CA Spiritual Warfare Comes to the Forefront. This article shed light upon the spiritual battle in Vallejo, California. The gay community was upset over comments Mayor Osby Davis made during an interview with the New York Times. I believe its a spiritual conspiracy to push California to the forefront for same-sex marriage because the state is a major trendsetter. California is the only state in the United States to have measures on traditional marriage challenged and overturn twice within the last ten years. I believe the goal is to push Prop 8 all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court in hopes that the decision will be overturned and make it illegal for other states to ban same-sex marriage. As a result the floodgates for same-sex marriage will be legalized throughout the United States.
The Prince of San Francisco and Powers
The Apostle Paul said that we wrestle not against flesh blood, but a hierarchy of evil spirits with a governmental structure to carry out evil within the world system (Ephesians 6:12).
Within the kingdom of darkness the governmental structure goes as follows:
- Satan as the god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4)
- Principalities which are devils that have oversight over nations and geographic areas.
- Rulers of darkness of this world – demonic forces that control kingdoms and Satan’s worldly business.
- Powers- evil spirits who control people and areas. They want to possess humans.
- Spiritual wickedness in high places – evil spirits in the heavenlies who have charge over religion and spiritual atmosphere.
In California the city of San Francisco has strong political ties within the state with a strong core of homosexual activist that push their own agenda. San Francisco is also known as the Gay Capital or Gay Mecca of the world. Why? This is because the because of the spiritual principality of the Ohlone Native Americans that once populated the area. The prince of this area ruled for thousands of years. Their principle religion was Shamanism. They believed that the tribe’s shamans possessed both male and female spirits (called “berdache/ joya”). They also believed in a third gender(joya) and promoted witchcraft and same-sex love within the tribe. The ancient principality of the areas controlled sexual perversion and witchcraft. When Spain colonized Mexico they begin to establish Catholic missions within the Mexican territories. Several missions were established in the California territory. Missionaries began to realize that some of the tribe’s people that appeared to be female were actually men that dressed and conducted themselves as females. Eventually the missionaries abolished the practice of berdache/joya. However, they did not abolish the spirit that was behind it.
When the gold rush began in California around 1848, gold was not the only thing that awaited young men seeking to get rich. That same perverse spirit that ruled and controlled the Ohlone tribe was lying in wait for new flesh and blood to control. By water, the voyage between New York and California was between 4 to 12 months. During this time it was not uncommon for there to be intercourse between seafarers. The city of San Francisco was populated with approximately 90% men. Female companionship was available but cost between $4,000 – $8,000 per night in today’s dollars. There just weren’t enough eligible women in early San Francisco to go around. In response to this reality, some of the men agreed to take on the roles of women by becoming dance partners of other men at clubs and bars.
The gay population began to pick up even more in San Francisco during World War II when the armed forces sought out and dishonorably discharge homosexuals from the armed services. The homosexual men who were discharged were processed on base in San Francisco. Many of these men fell in love with the beauty of San Francisco and stayed. Ever since World War II the gay and lesbian population has rapidly increased.
In the 1970s arose Castro Street in the Castro District, many gays moved into the area and started their own businesses. They begin to develop a political base and power within the community. In 1977 Harvey Milk became the Mayor of Castro and was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. He was the city’s first openly gay elected official. Today, times Castro has the highest per capita gay population in the world and is the center of local gay politics.
The prince of San Francisco is effective in his oversight and influence. The evil spirits that control people first transferred themselves from the Ohlone Indians to the male settlers of the gold rush. From there, the spirits transferred themselves to the settlers from the World War II men who were dishonorably discharged. And now they control the people who live in San Francisco. Jesus, in Mark 5:9-13, cast out the unclean spirits called “…Legions…for they were many.” Those that were cast out begged Jesus not to send them out of the area. Instead they went into the pigs that were nearby. More than likely these unclean spirits were Powers that controlled things. In the kingdom of darkness evil spirits/Powers control areas and want to possess people. Those legions of spirits that possessed the man in Mark 5, not only controlled the man, but also controlled the area. It was for that reason that they did not want surrender that area. Just as in the San Francisco era the Powers from the Ohlone Indians continue to control the area and possess some of the people.
In Part 2 of Prop 8: Spiritual Warfare in California, we will cover how Spiritual wickedness, and Rulers of darkness of this world and the branches of the kingdom of darkness are governing the state spirituality.
photo credit:LA Times
Loving you when youre bad
I’ll never forget what my former pastor G. Gillum said one Sunday morning while he was preaching.
“I’ve been bad, since I been good”
Profound? Yes, but only if you knew what he was talking about. I knew.
He was saying that since he had been saved (good) he had not always done right (bad). That probably includes 99.9% of us believers. We know what God says, we know what we are supposed to do and we even are aware to some degree of the consequences. Yet, there are times when we disobey and do wrong. Sometimes its error and if we are real honest, sometimes its because we want the sin in front of us.
But out of his will, God is able to love us even when we are bad.
Before I go further, we need to swat some misunderstanding flies.
There exists this false perception that the lives of believers are 100% perfect at all times. I call it perfectionism. Its faulty theology which leads to faulty beliefs about sin and the believer. I’m confident in saying that we’re not supposed to be perfect, but rather we are to strive for perfection (spiritual maturity). I understand that perfection has several definitional nuances.
But the bible doesn’t teach that sin is eradicated in the life of the believer (reference 1 John 1:8). It does teach that the indwelling of the Holy Ghost, gives the believer power over sin and its decaying consequences (Luke 10:19, Romans 6:12,13). Still, there are many mitigating factors involved. Too many, perhaps to go into in this post, but suffice to know that power over does not mean eradication. God’s standard is holiness and it will never change, but the flesh remains a major active source of struggle in the quest to live holy.
Paradox of Pain
With the exception of the Holy Spirit and the law of God now “written on fleshly tablets”, we are not much different than the Isrealites (reference 1 Corinthians 10:11). The cycles of bad and good were played out over and over in the lives of God’s chosen ones. Great lessons can be gleaned if we observe the admonitions of the past.
First look at a “pull out” scripture we all tend to get misty-eyed about when someone recites it.
The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness. Jeremiah 31:3 NIV
There is something deeply moving about God’s everlasting love. But in order to truly understand and appreciate the weight of Jeremiah 31:3 you cant start with that. You would have to look into the previous chapters first. There’s nothing like context when studying the bible.
The context is this: Isreal was at the height of its brazen idolatry when God spoke these words to them through Jeremiah. The problems and sins were deep and widespread.
The dialogue begins in chapter 2 with God releasing a series of probing questions/charges against Isreal for their mounting sins. Some of them are incredulous:
Hear the word of the LORD, O house of Jacob, all you clans of the house of Israel. This is what the LORD says: “What fault did your fathers find in me, that they strayed so far from me? They followed worthless idols and became worthless themselves.
They did not ask, ‘Where is the LORD, who brought us up out of Egypt and led us through the barren wilderness, through a land of deserts and rifts, a land of drought and darkness, a land where no one travels and no one lives?’
I brought you into a fertile land to eat its fruit and rich produce. But you came and defiled my land and made my inheritance detestable. The priests did not ask, ‘Where is the LORD ?’ Those who deal with the law did not know me; the leaders rebelled against me. The prophets prophesied by Baal, following worthless idols.
“Therefore I bring charges against you again,” declares the LORD. “And I will bring charges against your children’s children.
Cross over to the coasts of Kittim and look, send to Kedar and observe closely; see if there has ever been anything like this: Has a nation ever changed its gods? (Yet they are not gods at all.) But my people have exchanged their Glory for worthless idols (vss 4-11).
The great majority of the prophetic ministry of Jeremiah was warning the people of God’s inevitable, unavertible wrath to come. Because of his call, he endured persecutions, was branded as a traitor and outlaw, was emotionally distraught much of the time and even bemoaned his own birth. Yet he faithfully continued to preach against their sins. People only got worse. At one point God orders him not to pray for the people any longer. His was a life anointed with paradoxical pain.
Love Letters
Against that backdrop Jeremiah 31:3 is breathtakingly stunning. You can feel the longing in the voice of God. The softness and tenderness of it against the bleak doom of sin’s consequences is amazing. There in the midst of their sins, God reminds them of his unquenchable love for them, even though they reject him. That’s love.
The word Jeremiah uses ahav is a hebrew word which denotes in essence a “privileged love”. It is significant and rare in the Old Testament and associated with deep sacrifice and overflowing emotion. Compare with the New Testament usage of agape. God is saying what I have for you is love that proves you are in a privileged relationship with me. A relationship of covenant so that when you do not uphold your covenantal promise (to obey me), it will not cancel my covenantal promise to love you.
He does love you, me, everyone. When we are at our worst, he reminds us that though discipline will come it will not change one iota of his love. That should never be a question in anyone’s mind.
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:35-38)
This post isn’t to point out how bad you are, or the possibility of you being bad again. Its to point out that He loves us even when we are bad. If you will agree with him, no matter what you’ve done or how bad it was, that same love will cause you to recover and become whole and fruitful again.
False teaching and the sexual immorality connection
by shofarsound
False teaching has always had a strong correlation with sexual immorality since the Old Testament times. Baal worship, which encompasses polytheism, idolatry, and sexual immorality was against Yahweh’s commandments and laws He established with the nation of Israel. Jezebel and Ahab were prime examples of Old Testament figures that corrupted Israel with the false teaching that Baal and Ashtoreth. Their teachings stated that they were the god and goddess to be worship along with Yahweh. They also taught that indulgence in sexual immorality was a part of temple worship.
In the New Testament there were many teachers who integrated false teachings into the teachings of the church as a method Christians away from the true gospel of Jesus Christ. The most popular type of false teaching is known as Gnostic teaching. It was used to subvert the gospel and incorporated sexually immorality. It was used to subvert the gospel.
Revelation 2:14-15, 20 talks about doctrines of Balaam and Nicolaitans, and the prophetess Jezebel. Through their doctrine, people were led into believing that leading a life of sexual immorality was okay. Anyone could lead an ungodly lifestyle and practice idolatry without affecting their relationship with Christ Jesus. The false teachers of that era were perverting the truth of God’s Word.
There are also examples of men in and around our time that are or were false teachers. Their connection with sexual immorality and perverted teaching was brought about by their own perverted sexual appetites.
Detroit’s Prophet Jones
One of the most prominent black ministers and so called prophet of the 1940s and 1950s was considered being queer/homosexual was Detroit’s Prophet Jones (James Frances Jones). Jones built a religious empire on pimping the poor disenfranchised Black people in and around his area. Jones would pay for a hundred newspapers with a picture of him for ten cents each. He would then turn around and sell them for five dollars each claiming the papers had “miraculous curative” properties. He lived like a millionaire, drove luxury cars, and lived in a mansion[source]. False Prophet Jones taught that all men would become immortal by the year 2000. He said they would not go to heaven, but heaven would be brought down to earth abolishing death.
So was “Profit” Jones right about his prophecy? After all, it is now 2010! What happened with all men becoming immortal by the year 2000?
Father Divine
Now George Baker Jr., better known as Father Divine, arose in the late 1910s. He founded the International Peace Mission. He believed he was God and was worshipped as God by his followers. Although Divine preached sexual abstinence to his followers; he did not practice what he preached. He was not only perverse in his teachings and doctrine, but he was also perverted sexually. Father Divine would tell his mistresses, “When I have sex relations with you I am bringing your desires to the surface so that I can eliminate it, god is the only one who can do as he pleases”[source]. Doesn’t that sound like Genesis 3:5? Father Divine was best known for being the mentor of Jim Jones. Yup you guess it right. The same Jim Jones that led over nine hundred people down to Guyana to eventually drink poison kool-aid in a mass suicide.
Jim Jones
Jim Jones was a mentee of Father Divine. He structured his People’s Temple in the same fashion as Divine’s International Peace Mission. Jones also thought he was God. He sexually abused some of his followers and was bisexual. In short, he was a sexual pervert and taught many false doctrines. Jones believed in reincarnation which was a doctrine he picked up from his mentor Father Divine. Jim Jones eventually attempted to take over Divine’s International Peace Mission in 1972 after his mentor’s death. Jones had claimed to be Father Divine reincarnated. Jones was a “spiritual murderer” with his lies and false teaching. He led 909 people to mass suicide down in the jungles of Guyana, leading them all too eternal damnation.
David Berg
The group Children of God (now called The Family International), was founded by David Berg in the late 1960s as a Christian organization. Berg established all sorts of wild teachings for his group. Berg’s method to gain proselyte was to introduced “flirty fishing” in 1974. This is when he encouraged female members to have sex with potential members to show God’s love. By 1978 it was a wide spread among members, and in some areas “flirty fishers” used escort services to meet people. It was also a means to raise money for the group. Talk about evangelism!
Some of the other beliefs of the group were that[source]:
● Female bisexuality is sanctioned,
● Spirit helpers (i.e.: angels; departed humans and goddesses) give spiritual instruction,
● Otherwise known as bridal theology, members visualized that they were having sex with Jesus through sexual intercourse or masturbation. Male members were to visualize they were women to prevent having homosexual relationship with Jesus.
Berg was seen as the prophet of the group and was called Moses David or King David. Since he is now deceased he is looked at as one of the spirit helpers. He was known for being outspoken and reputed as an anti-Semite and pedophile.
David Koresh
David Koresh was the leader of the branch Davidians. The Davidians was a group that broke off from the Seventh Day Adventist. Koresh moved to Waco, Texas in 1981 to join the branch Davidians and in 1983 claimed he had the gift of prophecy. He then started an affair with the prophetess and leader of the group Lois Roden who was in her late sixties at that time. She began to let Koresh teach. Roden died in 1986 and Koresh took over the group and begin to teach polygamy. He taught that he was entitled to 140 wives, sixty women as his queens, and eighty as his concubines. He based this teaching on his interpretation of the Song of Solomon. Eventually Koresh and his group were killed in 1993 in a standoff with the federal government. His followers followed him to their death.
Todd Bentley
In most recent times false perverse evangelist/prophet Todd Bentley, who lead the false Lakeland, Florida Revival, had an affair on his wife with a female ministry staffer[source]. He later divorced his wife to marry this woman. Bentley was like a shooting star. He led this revival for a couple of months in 2008. However, he exhibit perverse behavior before the Lakeland Revival by getting multiple tattoos and body piercings well after being a Christian for a length of time. Not only was Bentley sexually immoral, his teaching was through a “perverse spirit.” Bentley received messages and wild revelations from a female angel Emma. He was quoted as saying Emma was an angel of the prophetic. There are two essential problems with this.
The first is that biblically, angels always appear in the human form as male. Secondly, the moving of the true prophetic ministry is always through the Holy Spirit and not an angel. In truth, Emma is a demonic spirit that influenced Bentley. In Japanese mythology, Emma is known as the demon god. Emma-O is the lord of death or the god of the underworld. Bentley’s perverse teaching lines up with his perverse lifestyle and this perverse spirit Emma used him to deceive many during that False Lakeland Revival through lying signs and wonders.
Second Peter two verses one through three says, “But there is false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.”
In these last days, there will be an increase of false teachers and false prophets. As true Christians we must be established in the Word of God, have the ability through the Holy Spirit to discern spirits, and lastly know ministers by the fruit they bear and not through lying signs and wonders. We need to guard ourselves from deception.
Does the bible address “sexual orientation”?
A Chicago area religious personality claims that since the Bible doesn’t address so-called “sexual orientation”, then the church should accept homosexuality as normal.
“Rev. Dr. Martha Simmons, Creator and Director of The African American Lectionary. During a Feb. 18th 2010 interview with Santita Jackson on Chicago’s WVON 1690 She appeared along with Dr. Brenda Wade who we will feature in another article. Dr. Simmons stated that not only does the bible not address the issue of sexual orientation, but the word which many people claim that was used to address this issue (Gk: arsenokoites) was a word of unknown origin and meaning and was allowed to creep in later translations of the bible. She stated that this word was defined by scholars as 1- sexual behavior or 2- sexual orientation. She says that most biblical translations only refer to homosexual sexual behavior not homosexual orientation.”
Simmons started the AA Lectionary, a type of topical sermon bank for black preachers. Judging from the gaggle of liberal, black liberation theology activists she highlights there, I wouldn’t spend ten seconds looking for sermon material to preach in church.
We are increasingly having to deal with the slithering teachings of people like Simmons (shown with homosexual bishop Vickie Robinson) who are importing false constructs into the church. Simmons’ doesn’t derive her conclusions from any honest and legitimate study of God’s Word, but rather hers is a mixture of religious and social ideology. As we have said before, its a major error in judgment and exegetical analysis to determine that silence equals consent and approval in the scriptures.
Thus, Simmon’s argument is nothing more than a contrived strawman. The issue isn’t, nor will it ever be, whether the bible addresses sexual orientation. The issue is a vain attempt to circumvent with worldly wisdom, God’s creative intent for human sexual expression. The fallacy of the argument can be proven with a logical application to a host of contemporary issues that are not expressly mentioned in biblical texts. But any true student and lover of the Word knows that the logos is infused with a supernatural ability to transcend time and culture.
Dunamis Word blog explains in much more detail why Simmons is being patently disingenuous in her attempts to justify homosexual behavior. Its odd how these so called religious scholars resort to such triteness of thought to convince people to believe against the will of God. Common sense would tell you that if a person has wrong feelings, it will produce wrong behavior. Homosexuality as evidenced 100% of the scriptures which mention it, is without doubt wrong behavior. If you allow God’s word to correct wrong feelings, motives, thoughts at the root of your wrong behavior, you’ll live a life pleasing to God.
Where the term originated. Homosexuals used to be called homosexuals who had a “sexual preference”. They found out that didn’t work. As a minority seeking more power and needing wider social acceptance, a more potent political identifier which deleted the idea that their behavior was a choice was concocted. So, it was changed it to “gay and lesbian”. Gay and lesbian was easier on the ear and opened a political and social door closed to “homosexuals”. This self identifying metamorphosis has been adapted by pedophile and polygamists too.
As gays and lesbians gained the political clout they needed to affect laws and social mores, other sexual minorities took note and clamored for some of the power sharing. A new term was needed to include everything not yet discovered in the pandora’s box. Hence, sexual orientation.
So the term sexual orientation is a fairly new etymological offering which has evolved to include a conundrum of sexual malfunctions outside the normal scope of male-female covenant relationships. Advocates claim a person’s sexual orientation is “fixed at birth”. But what’s very interesting about the sexual orientation theory is its selective application. While homosexuals and lesbians swear by it, they are still unwilling to include pedophiles. It was only in recent years that the “transgenders” got into the power circle after accusing the gays of hypocrisy.
What the bible says about our identity, emotions, thoughts and feelings
The bible says a great deal about our identity, emotions, thoughts and feelings. But all are oriented in respect to right relationship with God. In other words, with God as the source of right wrong, we learn what is and is not acceptable to him even if it involves the intangibles of our lives.
Jesus told his disciples that it was evil thoughts and motives which defile people causing them to act out what was on the inside, thus “defiling” him. Mark 7:15 There is nothing from outside a man that, entering into him, can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man.
And He said, “That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: all these evil things come from within and defile the man.” vss 20-23
Look closely and you’ll see homosexuality.
Hebrews 4:15 – Our feelings matter to Christ, but only as identity with us in the struggle to overcome temptation and sin.
2 Cor 10:5 Any thought, feeling, attraction or vain imagination, when in contradiction to the supremacy of Christ must be destroyed.
Jeremiah 7:24 Acting on one’s wrong feelings and thoughts are evil and cause a person to go “backward, not forward”.
Therefore if ” sexual orientation” is based on how one feels about themselves, Jesus and the bible significantly condemn any feelings, thoughts and actions which lead a person into ungodly activity.
What’s the intent of the term’s current usage?
The introduction of the phrase “sexual orientation” marked a watershed moment in our society. Finally homosexual activists and their allies had something in which they could conveniently insert just about any feeling or sexual behavior and call it “orientation”. It is an intentionally broad term because of the growing expressions of perversion needed a home and this provided it.
Planned Parenthood tells teens that “sexual orientation is the term used to describe whether a person feels sexual desire for people of the other gender, same gender, or both genders.”
The conventional gay wisdom is that you are what you feel. And no one can tell you what you feel is wrong for you. Typical postmodernist relativity stuff. As I asked a young gay man once who vigorously asserted to me that since he “felt” gay from the age of two, it was proof he actually was gay. I asked him if he’d felt like a pig since he was age two what would he be right now? Its silliness that doesn’t even qualify as logic.
You might be astonished to know that this type of shallow, illogical relativity has literally become “scientific” evidence upon which laws in this country are passed.
What implications does it have on the church?
Its dangerous and unbiblical for the church to adopt and include terms as “sexual orientation”. If the concept is biblical, then there is only one legitimate sexual orientation. God created man and oriented him sexually, emotionally and relationally to the woman. Thus any other attraction, emotion, feeling, behavior or the likes is illegitimate as it is rooted in fallen sinful nature.
Inclusion of such destructive terms continue to set the church at odds the divine plan of redemption. If sin can be justified with clever new phrases and “scholars” who sanctify the clever new phrases what will be the church’s message?
If our core message is not that man is hopelessly degenerate apart from the repentance and remission of sin, what is it that we will be teaching and preaching. Self help? Im ok, youre ok? All you need is a hug? No! Our core message is what distinguishes us from every other religion because it is the express reason Jesus Christ came, suffered, died and rose again. If we allow outside influences to dilute or change that message in the slightest, we stand to lose our identity.
Good news for a bad world
I’ll let Pastor Paul Washer have the floor on this, our last day of One week in the Word. There is good news for this bad world: Jesus Christ died to redeem us all from the curse and bondage of sin. Let all the redeemed of the Lord say so!
I pray that you have been encouraged and challenged by the Word of the Lord on this past week. I know I have. Never stray from his word, never change it or allow others to change it for you. Paul warned us
But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. Gal 1:8
Take it away, Pastor Washer:
In case you missed it, here’s our week in Bible study:
Day One – I am the Lord and I change not!
Day Two – I will not forget you!
Day Three – Five promises from God you can believe in
Day Four – Walking in the Spirit
Day Five – Personal Productivity: Just do it!
Day Six – Ready to live in a wealthy place?
