Is Everything Beautiful In It’s Own Way?

I saw a church sign that said, “God made everything useful, except maybe the Mosquito”.  Is everything good?   Must we regard everything as good, just because it exists?  Did God make everything the way it is now?  Did He make some people heterosexuals and others homosexuals?  Is everything good, in it’s own way?  Is polygamy good?  Is pederasty good?  Is murder good?  Is lying good?  Is theft good?  Two great Bible truths speak to this question:  First, there is good in the world because God originally made it all good.  Second, there is evil and bad in the world, because our first parents, Adam and Eve, sinned and brought down a threatened curse on us and our planet.  These two events explain our world.  Everything is not good, because there is a curse that has affected everything.  Humans are depraved, that is, every part of our humanity is negatively affected by our sinfulness and the curse.  How, then, can we begin to determine what is good and what is evil?  God, who made us and loved us, gave us a book.  In it we read the story of God’s creation and redemption of the human race and this planet.  Everything is not beautiful in it’s own way.  Some things are ugly and harmful and dangerous.  Just because something is “natural” does not mean that it is healthy or beautiful.  Think about it!   And read about it in the Bible, God’s Word!

South Africa, Covenant Theology and Same Sex Marriage in Limerick, PA

Because early settlers of colonial America and South Africa believed in Covenant theology, they saw their new worlds in “Book of Joshua” terms.  They were the “New Israel” and the “heathen” were to be converted, subjugated or, if necessary, destroyed.  Theology has consequences.  Many Europeans saw themselves in similar terms and thus we had pograms, and crusades against Jews and Muslims.  Much of the roots of modern conflict are in Covenant Theology.  Dispensationalists, like myself, believe that God will keep all of His promises to Israel and that we are to live our lives in the midst of unbelievers as light and salt.  We are to suffer for Christ if necessary, but never to use the “sword” or gun for purposes of defending or maintaining Christian values in our society.  We do not believe in any kind of “state church” or state religion.  Which brings me to same-sex marriage.  A couple of ladies from Limerick, PA, have gotten “married” at the Montgomery County Courthouse.  Do I believe that marriage is defined as a man and a woman for life?  Yes.  Am I going to devote significant time and effort to fighting for heterosexual marriage?  No.  There are enough problems in Christian, heterosexual marriages to keep me busy as a pastor.  But most of all people need Jesus.  Only He can help homosexuals and heterosexual sinners to experience life with fulfillment, love, joy and peace.  Transforming this sin-cursed world is God’s job and He will do it in His time.  My responsibility is to live a life that honors God, honors my marriage, and help those who want help in knowing God and living for the Lord.  I will not perform marriages for same sex couples but the Bible does not authorize or command me to perform any marriages.  I may just give it up rather than be required to marry those who do not qualify for God’s blessing.  Marrying and burying are not part of the Biblical job description of a pastor, anyway.  Society allows us to perform marriages by law, but I would give it up rather than violate the clear definition of marriage in Scripture.  Think about it!  

Is it right because it is legal?

People who call themselves progressives want to make “progress” by legalizing sodomy, theft (socialism and gambling), sorcery (cannabis), adultery, fornication and prostitution. Is this progress? Is it progress to make protecting your loved ones with a firearm illegal? Is the big problem guilt feelings or is the real problem sin which truly makes us guilty before a holy God whom we each will meet after our death? Listen to the Word of God: Psalm 94:20–22 “Shall the throne of iniquity, which devises evil by law, Have fellowship with You? They gather together against the life of the righteous, And condemn innocent blood.But the Lord has been my defense, And my God the rock of my refuge.” Our Pennsylvania Attorney General will not defend the law of God enshrined in Pennsylvania State Law that defines marriage as one man and one woman. But God will defend His law. His moral laws are like the law of gravity. You do not break the law of gravity, but it make break you. We do not break the law of God. It breaks us. God’s laws are His description of how life is supposed to work. When we violate His laws, as we all have, we bring brokenness to our lives and the lives of others. The only answer is to come in humble faith to Jesus, who alone can forgive our guilt and give us the ability to live by His laws. He died for our sins and rose from the dead. His laws are summed up in the greatest law: Love God and love your neighbor. That is the best way to love yourself. Think about it!

 

Three Questions

Yesterday I was in Royersford, knocking on doors, doing a questionaire for our church.  We always ask two important questions: “If you died today, do you know for sure that you would go to Heaven?” and “Suppose you died today and God asked you, Why should I let you into my Heaven, what would you say?”  After asking these two questions, the lady I was talking with asked me a question, “What does your church teach about gay marriage?”  I assumed that a same-ex couple lived in this house since the sticker on the car said, “Love makes a family”.   What would you say to a nice person who asked you that question?  I said that we believe that God loves all people and that’s good because we are all sinners.  Some are heterosexual sinners and some are homosexual sinners.  We have all sinned.  We all need God’s grace to be saved from Hell and invited to Heaven.  The only way to God is through faith in Jesus Christ.  No one can sit in judgment on others, that is God’s job.  But God’s grace can enable anyone, no matter what their attractions and temptations, to live a holy life that pleases God.  This is God’s work.   God originally designed marriage to be a union of a man and a woman.  But that was before sin entered.  So much hard-heartedness has damaged so many marriages.  The only perfect marriage since the Fall is that of Christ and the Church.  No man or woman can meet our deepest needs of love, joy and peace.  Only God through faith in  Christ can do that.   Our deepest need is not for a spouse or a marriage law, but our deepest need is for Jesus.    How would you answer this question?  Think about it!   

Marriage Equality?

It sounds good.  Treat everyone equally under the law.  Respect people who choose differently than you would.  Live and let live.  Don’t judge anyone.  Freedom to do what makes you happy.  I have a question for those who think this way: Does this equal treatment extend to pediphiles?  Liars?  Traitors? Thieves? Murderers?  Child molesters?  Racists?   I think you get my point.  We do judge people.  We do think some things are bad.   The issue is not treating everyone equally before the law.  We all think the law should condemn some bad people.  The difference is whom should be condemned.  If sodomites are allowed to be married, then Christians who believe that sodomy is morally wrong and culturally dangerous will be judged and sued and punished.  It’s us or them.  Someone will be judged, sued and punished.  The Supreme Court will decide which side the law is on.  Which side are you on?  Think about it!

Same-Sex Marriage?

Our Supreme Court has two cases before it to decide on same-sex marriage.  They are the highest court of the land.  Or are they?  I believe that there is a higher court yet.  God will judge each one of us according to His unchanging moral law as recorded in the Bible.  In both the Old and New Testaments, sexual relations between people of the same sex is condemned as sin.  So the final judge is not the supreme court of the United States, it is the supreme court of Heaven, the throne upon which sits the One to whom all judgment has been given.  In that court we are all found guilty, because we are all sinners.  But God sent Jesus to earth to save us from the penalty, power and penalty of our sins.  That is the story of Palm Sunday, Good Friday and Easter.  Jesus died to pay for our sins and rose from the dead to prove that He had triumphed over sin, death and Hell for all who believe in Him.  Yes, there is stil a thing called sin and there is still a Savior Who died in our place to forgive us for our sins.  We are guilty, but our penalty has already been paid by Jesus. Marriage is still a covenant for life between one man and one woman, no more, no less, because God said so.  Think about it!    

Sodom Discovered?

As reported in Biblical Archaeology magazine on March/April 2013, Steven Collins believes that the ruins of ancient Sodom have been discovered and excavated in the country of Jordan.  Tall el-Hammam has extensive remains from the Bronze age when the Patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob,  lived.  It has a massive gate complex as mentioned in Genesis and you can see it from the hill country where Abraham and Lot divided the land.  How interesting that God would allow the ruins of ancient Sodom to be uncovered just when the debate rages all over the world about homosexuality.  Could it be that God is reminding us about how He regards the abandonment of marriage for all sorts of sinful sexual activity?  Could it be that God cares what we do in the bedroom?  Could it be that what we do in the bedroom is not private to Him?  Could it be that He will judge us either in this life or the next for sins committed in our bedrooms?  Think about it!   

Who You Love

Our president seemed to be referring to same sex couples when he mentioned that it didn’t matter “who you love” in his State of the Union Address.  Does it matter who you love?  Jesus said that the first commandment is to love God with all your heart, mind and strength.   He said that the second command was to love our neighbor as ourselves.  So we should love God first and love all people second.  Husbands should love their wives.  Wives should love their husbands.  Parents should love their children.  Jesus said that we should love our enemies.  So, no one is left out.  We should love everyone.  But does that mean that we should have sex with anyone that we desire to?  Does it mean that men should marry men and women should marry men if they want to?  There are lots of things that people want to do that are immoral or illegal.  Should we get rid of all laws and morals and just let people do what they want to do as long as they all consent to it?  What about pediphilia?  Should consenting people of different ages be allowed to engage in sexual activity?  Should murder be allowed as long as it is consentual? (euthanasia)  I believe that when you abandon moral absolutes based on the Bible and remove yourself from the fear of God, everything is allowed.  But everything you want to do is not good for you or anyone else.  And there is a God in heaven to whom all people will give an account after death.  There are earthly consequences as well.  People who misuse their bodies with harmful drugs often become dependent on government medical treatment and disability checks.  The victim of their drug abuse is the taxpayer who works to support people who choose to find pleasure in dangerous activities.  There are reasons why Christian societies have forbidden homosexual activity and drug abuse and sex outside of marriage.  Our society is now beginning to reap what it has sowed in terms of violent crime, A.I.D.S., single parenthood, mental illness and economic defeat.  Who do you love?  God or yourself?  What is love?  Love is a matter of putting others ahead of self.  It means caring about what is best for others.  True joy comes not in getting what I want, but in serving God and others.  I think that “who you love” is important!  What do you think?  Let me know!