HOMOSEXUALITY Homosexuality is wrong…period. Now that I’ve made that statement, I will be automatically labeled as "homophobic" and a hate-monger, along with a long list of other similar titles and catch phrases. The truth is, you can only voice your opinion these days on the subject as long as it is in favor of homosexuality. There are laws in place in other countries that make it a hate crime for even a minister to speak against homosexuality and that includes simply reading the texts from the Bible. Believe it or not there is such a movement going on right now to put such laws in effect here in the United States. So much for living in the "Land of the Free" and enjoying freedom of speech. The thought police are ever vigilant and more than ready to pounce on anyone and destroy any shred of dignity that the person has if they so much as whisper against this depraved "lifestyle". You will notice that I used the word "lifestyle", not "person" or "people". The reason for this is, I have no problem with a person as an individual. I believe that humanity as a whole is one large family and are bound to each other in some way or another, no matter how distant or uncommon our belief system or make-up seems. What I do have a problem with is the actions and emotions involved of living in such a manner, which is contrary to the Laws of God and the laws of nature. I no more "hate" a homosexual as a person than I would "hate" my immediate family, however, I cannot stand idly by as they conduct themselves in a manner that is destructive to themselves and society. If my child or spouse were bent on using illegal drugs or killing someone I would have to intervene and attempt to show them there errors of their ways for no other reason than out of love. For so many years now this "lifestyle" has crept into our society and in many cases it has been forced down our throats because too many people have remained silent on the subject and/or are afraid of the repercussions. Probably one main reason has been the 1960’s free love movement and the introduction of the concept that everything is ok as long as it feels good which has strengthened the homosexual movement, giving it an air of legitimacy. Unfortunately, it’s "the squeaky wheel that gets the grease" and since the homosexual movement and its supporters have been far more vocal, we find it permeating our society today. Homosexuality is taught these days in our public school systems and institutions of higher learning as a "normal" and an "alternative" lifestyle to the point that it seems like there is an all out recruitment effort involved. Homosexuality is portrayed on TV and in the movies as glamorous and given special treatment in the mass media and news organizations without question. What we grew up with as "normal" is now supposedly anti-social and intolerant, when in fact, the normal Joe who makes up the vast majority of people in the world finds such a lifestyle offensive and demoralizing to their beliefs and values. Homosexuality has even cast is ugly head into our religious establishments and I am amazed at how Christians and even whole denominations are falling prey to this movement by allowing a teaching that is diametrically opposed to the Bible become the acceptable norm. The Bible is the unerring word of truth from God and should only be used in these matters to determine what is right and what is plainly wrong. Not twist it to embolden the opinions of men and courts. So just what does the Bible teach in this matter? Read the following. If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them. ~ Leviticus 20:13 This text alone should be proof enough for anyone that can read, listen, or think as to what God has to say about homosexuality. However, for some unknown reason, this verse has been taken and perverted to mean something totally different that what it says if not totally ignored altogether. Nearly the entire 20th chapter of Leviticus deals with SEXUAL ACTS such as adultery, incest, bestiality, multiple partners and even sex during menstrual cycles. Then, are we to believe that smack dab in among all these verses concerning sex, is one that says, "If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman…", and suddenly it no longer deals with sex? I don’t think so and neither would even the most illiterate. The most dimwitted can see the meaning of this. Does it mean that suddenly the word "lie" means something else such as an untruth instead of sexual intercourse? OF COURSE NOT! With the added phrase "…as he lieth with a woman…" can only mean one thing, SEX. SEX AND SEX ALONE. Then, when taken in context with the rest of the chapter, a man lying with another man is a man having sex with another man or as we term it today: HOMOSEXUALITY! Further says that it is AN ABOMINATION. How much clearer can this be. Homosexuality is WRONG…PERIOD! Yet people persist that the Bible doesn’t mean what the Bible says. Again in Leviticus 18:22 we find the following: Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination. Nearly the same words and exactly the same meaning. Why do you think Sodom and Gomorra were destroyed? Do you think it was out of the whim of some intolerant temper tantrum of God? Again...OF COURSE NOT! It was destroyed for the violation of these commands that were given in Leviticus 18 and right among them was homosexuality. The account given in Genesis 19 tells all that needs to be told to understand exactly where God stands on the issue. If you will recall, two angels ventured into the city to warn Lot of the approaching doom and Lot took them into his home for the night but they were approached by the people of the city for repugnant and deviant purposes. And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where [are] the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them. ~ Genesis 19:5 Were these people calling them out for a friendly hello? OF COURSE NOT! Were they just being neighborly? OF COURSE NOT! Were they bringing a covered dish over to welcome them to the neighborhood? OF COURSE NOT! When you read the generational lineage’s you will find that time and time again it says that so-and-so KNEW his wife and she bore a son..etc. "Knew", or "that we may know them", is the Biblical phrase for "had or have sex with". It meant that they wanted these two men brought out so that the men of the city could have sex with them. No other meaning can be given or dreamed up for this, no matter how twisted. It wasn’t a hardly and warm hello that they had in mind. These men meant to have sex with them if it meant forcibly taking them and raping them and just what was Lot’s reaction to this? "...I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly." ~ Genesis 19:7 Lot called it "WICKED". Imagine that. It was a "WICKED" act for a man to have sex with another man. Remember that Lot spoke with the angels and was a man of God and he pronounced this kind of action as "WICKED". Where do you think we get the word "sodomy"? It comes from this very account. sod-om-y (-m e) n. [[ME sodomie < Sodome , SODOM]] any sexual intercourse held to be abnormal, esp. bestiality or anal intercourse between two male persons 1 Please notice that the very definition of the word puts homosexual acts in the same category as bestiality and both were reasons for the destruction of the two cities. The depravity of the inhabitants was so great that God could not tolerate it anymore. Time and again, God attempted to warn them of the coming destruction but out of their own carnal lusts, they chose to ignore the redemptive warning of our Lord and Savior and chose instead a destructive lifestyle. He found that the people were so far gone with no hope of redemption that He was left with no other choice but to destroy them, otherwise, they would have spread like a plague of locust across the land to where there would have been not one righteous person left. As we saw in the Genesis account, these people were more than willing to force their acts on the unwilling. We are at a point in time where we find such actions taking place. We are being forced to accept an unacceptable lifestyle or face being ridiculed and taunted at intolerant and ignorant. How easy it is to remain silent and think things will go away when they will only get worse. This lifestyle is being forced onto our children. How soon will it be that we are faced with actual forced participation as in the days of Sodom and Gomorra? This should give you a hint as to where we are in history and just how much more iniquity that God is going to tolerate because as it says in Luke 17:28,29: Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed [them] all. They lived life every day as if it were going to last forever but at the same time were under condemnation for the repugnant iniquities that they performed. If they had only heeded the warning and turned from their evil ways, Sodom and Gomorra would exist today. "…if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day." ~ Matthew 17:23 BY NO MEANS were the actions of homosexuality suddenly tolerated in the New Testament and that Christ gave His approval because in this verse he plainly gives his support for the condemnation and destruction of the wicked cities. His only use of the event was to explain that Israel had received the event of the ages in His coming and still refused to believe. We also find in the New Testament a continuation of the same condemnation for such evil practices. As we see in the following text, Jesus give his full approval for the actions of the Father, past and present, and that He is in full agreement with God’s judgement. I and my Father are one. ~ John 10:30 We also find condemnation of repugnant sexual acts in the New Testament in the following: Romans 1:18-32 1:18 For the wrath of God is
revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and
unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in
unrighteousness;* Here in the New Testament we find the same condemnation for the act of homosexuality AND LESBIANISM as strongly expressed as it was in the Old Testament. There can be no doubt that this is a "lifestyle" totally unacceptable to God and in turn to His followers. Again, I am amazed that such a clear teaching in the Bible can be misconstrued, mangled and twisted to mean the opposite. I Corinthians 6:9-11 6:9 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,* Many of the newer versions of the Bible translate "abusers of themselves with mankind", as found in 1st Corinthians, as "homosexuals" and "effeminate" as "effeminate by perversion". Ist Timothy 1:10 1:8 But we know that the law
[is] good, if a man use it lawfully; The NIV translates verse 10 like this: 1:10 "and immoral men and homosexuals and kidnappers and liars and perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching" Jude 1:7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. Jude tells us that Sodom and Gomorrha are examples of what will happen to those that choose to live this lifestyle. They will be destroyed. Again I ask, HOW can a Christian, a church, a denomination accept such a lifestyle into their leadership positions when time and time again God condemns such acts? I understand that in the last days the church will be under constant attack from the enemy in hopes that it will err. It doesn't have to be a great error to be an error. Satan fishes quietly and offers the most appealing baits and some Christians have not only taken the bait but also the hook, line, sinker and half the pole. Does this mean that a person that has practiced this lifestyle has no hope? ABSOLUTELY NOT! A homosexual or lesbian or any other practitioner of sexual deviancy can be forgiven and live a righteous life. God is willing to forgive, but, it is up to the individual to make a change in their life. God will help with that change if the person is willing and asks for the help. God is not willing that anyone should be destroyed. The problem with this is that, as with those in Sodom and Gomorra, there is pride in the homosexual movement and you cannot repent of something you’re proud of. Ezekiel 16:49-50 16:49 Behold, this was the
iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread,
and abundance of idleness was in her and in her
daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the
poor and needy. Jeremiah 6:15 "Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall: at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the LORD." There is hope for everyone, including homosexuals, lesbians and sexual deviants, that God will forgive a repentant heart. To repent means a heart-felt mourning for what we have done was wrong and that we will not do it anymore. Remember, whenever Christ forgave someone, He said "Go and sin no more" He didn’t forgive sins and then give permission to continue in those sins. No, He expected a change in one’s life and was ever so willing to help in whatever way He could to expedite that change but never, once, did he accept sin as ok. Forgiveness and eternal life are gifts for the taking but, that’s just it, it’s for the taking and continuing in what is wrong is throwing the gift back in the face of the Giver. It is not forced upon us, nor, are we guaranteed it if we don’t take it. We must be willing to allow God to mold is into what HE WANTS and not expect God to change to suit us. ----------------- 1. Excerpted from The Complete Reference Collection. Copyright © 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997 The Learning Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. |
