The Bridge

How many of you would stand idly by while your friend crosses a dangerous bridge? How many of you would stand there and say nothing? How many of you would attempt to stop them? How many of you would speak up?

I said something a couple of months ago… I said it off handedly. Not precisely. I caused offence, I was misunderstood and people assumed things. I am now going to attempt to be exactly clear. I am sure I will still cause offence, be misunderstood and some of you may assume things I didn’t say. However, I have found through this experience that the pen is truly mightier then the sword, I feel we need to stop standing idly by while our country falls away from God, I feel like it is our responsibility to stop running from the influences and start standing up for what is right. I hope that you can see past my words and into the heart of a servant, a servant of God.

Many months ago on a very smoky day I typed these words.

“Does anyone else find it coincidental that these 900 fires come just days after CA legalized gay marriages? Or is it just me?”

(http://2homeschool.blogspot.com/2008/06/straw-that-broke-camels-back.html)

Though I have received no comments on my blog, I have, at least, received 3 comments in person. I feel that I did not explain my view enough. With the elections pressing down upon us I feel I need to be clearer.

What does the bible say about Homosexuality? Note: These are not my words, this is exact quotes from a NIV bible.

“Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable.” Leviticus 18:22

“If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.” Leviticus 20:13

“The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plan to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.

Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.

Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.

Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.” Romans 1:18-32

I am sure by choosing to post these quotes, I have most likely put myself and possibly my family in harms way. I want you to fully understand that I do not believe we should harm those who are homosexuals. One of my all time best friends that I shall every have, is homosexual. Great harm can be done if you take scripture out of context like this. If you will please, continue to read…

“You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you towards repentance?” Romans 2:1-4

I, of all people, have no room to pass judgment on those who are homosexual. There, but for the grace of God, go I. God’s kindness leads us towards repentance and His judgments against those who do such things is based on truth. Not us. Him.

“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 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.” 1Corinthians 6:9-10

Does this mean those who are homosexuals can never repent and go to heaven? NO. Keep in context…

“And 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.” 1Corinthians 6:11

Lets continue, what consequences has God handed out previously for Homosexuality?

“Before they had gone to bed, all the men from every part of the city of Sodom—both young and old—surrounded the house. They called to Lot, “where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them.” Genesis 19:4-5

“By the time Lot reached Zoar, the sun had risen over the land. Then the Lord rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorah—from the Lord out of the heavens. Thus he overthrew those cities and the entire plain, including all those living in the cities—and also the vegetation in the land. But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.

Early the next morning Abraham got up and returned to the place where he had stood before the Lord. He looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah, toward all the land of the plain, and he saw dense smoke rising from the land, like smoke from a furnace.

So when God destroyed the cities of the plain, he remembered Abraham, and he brought Lot out of the catastrophe that overthrew the cities where Lot had lived.” Genesis 19:23-29

Again, this is taken out of context, please read the whole passage to get the clearest meaning of the message.

For Sodom and Gomorah, he sent burning sulfur and rising from the land was a dense smoke.

Now with this background lets examine current time events…
What events happened politically?

May 15th, 2008 The California Supreme Court struck down the state’s ban on same-sex
marriage. Ruling was 4-3. The ruling took effect June 16th, 2008.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Same-sex_marriage_in_California
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-gaymarriage16-2008may16,0,6182317.story


What happened in the weather?
Lightning sparked fires across the whole state on the weekend of June 20th - 21st, 2008. There were approximately 6,000 lightning strikes, more then 800 fires and between June 22nd, 2008 – August 6th, 2008 more then a million acres burned.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Summer_2008_California_wildfires
http://articles.latimes.com/2008/jun/24/local/me-fire24
http://www.fire.ca.gov/downloads/incidents/All_statewide_Fires_0622_0806_a.pdf

Are these two events connected?
I am going to answer that question with a question… Who can know the mind of God?

If you look back, what I said was “Does anyone else find it coincidental that these 900 fires come just days after CA legalized gay marriages? Or is it just me?” I was asking a question. I was wondering. I can not say it was, but I am unwilling to say it wasn’t. I am willing to say, it is only God’s to decide.

“Then the Lord answered Job out of the storm. He said: “Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge? Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me.
Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand.” Job 38:1-4

“Can you raise your voice to the clouds and cover yourself with a flood of water? Do you send the lightning bolts on their way? Do they report to you, ‘Here we are’?” Job 38:34-35

“The Lord said to Job: “Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him? Let him who accuses God answer him!
Then Job answered the Lord:
“I am unworthy—how can I reply to you? I put my hand over my mouth. I spoke once, but I have no answer—twice, but I will say no more.”
Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm:
“Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. Would you discredit my justice? Would you condemn me to justify yourself?” Job 40:1-8

“You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you towards repentance?” Romans 2:1-4

Does this mean that we need to stand by and do nothing while our government chooses to allow homosexual marriages? No.

By choosing to have homosexual marriages in this state, we are choosing to go down a dangerous path.

Like I asked at the beginning of this blog, “How many of you would stand idly by while your friend crosses a dangerous bridge? How many of you would stand there and say nothing? How many of you would attempt to stop them? How many of you would speak up?”

I want to speak up for those I love. I want to help them avoid the pain of being separated from God. I want to help them come back to the love of God.

“…God’s kindness leads you towards repentance?” Romans 2:4b

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not parish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

“That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.” Romans 10:9-10

With all this information what are we to do?

“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14

Pray and Vote.

Read the word of God in context, see for your-self if what I have said here is true.

I would hope that those that were offended by my earlier off handed comment were at least willing to sit down and listen with an open heart. To see that I have no malice, only respect for the Lords authority and love for my fellow man in need.

Now:

“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26