17 Jun, 2008
Don't be confused by our culture!
It's more than abnormal...God's Word says it is wrong.
When Father's Day is a double celebration
Gay couple's adoption of 3 brothers is part of a growing trend.
SEATTLE - They don’t greet you so much as they burst upon you, these three little guys with impish grins that punctuate their beautiful dark features. Here they come, a rumbling, tumbling, laughing, yelling, skipping, crying pack of naughty and nice, snips and snails and puppy dog tails and everything else that is American boyhood.
Meet the Brothers Z: 4-year-old twins Zach and Zayn, and their younger sibling Zeth, fast approaching 3. In many ways, they are typical denizens of the hilly suburban neighborhood where they have lived most of their lives. They spend their days in preschool while their parents both work in the telecom industry. The family owns an SUV and a pickup. They shop at Costco and go to church on Sundays. They work in the yard. They watch Disney movies on their big-screen TV.
But Father’s Day will be a double celebration at their house because the brothers have two daddies — Geoffery and Devin, foster parents for the boys for three years before adopting them.
While the adoption was facilitated by the state and lauded by the legal system in Western Washington, it divides Americans along political and religious lines and would have been prohibited by law in some other states simply because Devin and Geoffery are gay.
Devin and Geoffery, both 44, can celebrate Father’s Day on Sunday secure in the knowledge that their ranks are growing. Gay, lesbian and bisexual people across the nation are pushing for parental rights and increasingly are seen as a valuable resource by the child welfare system in dealing with the tens of thousands of American children who need foster and adoptive homes. And while they are nagged by recurring attempts by political and religious interests to rally followers around anti-gay issues, they are generally too busy juggling juice boxes and car seats to notice.
“We are just like you, other than that it’s two men instead of a man and a woman,” said Geoffery...
photo courtesy images.google.com & story msnbc.msn.com, 6/13/08
Romans 1:22-28 (NLT)
22 Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. 23 And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles.
24 So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies. 25 They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen. 26 That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other. 27 And the men, instead of having normal sexual relations with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men, and as a result of this sin, they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved.
28 Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done.
What does God's Story scripture teach us about God's view on homosexuality?
Paul was led by God's Spirit to write down God's views on homosexuality. It was debated in Paul's day as it is in our world today.
In plain words - God says it is sin.
Tyndale's LIFE APPLICATION STUDY BIBLE notes explain:
1:26-27 God is willing to receive anyone who comes to him in faith, and Christians should love and accept others no matter what their background. Yet, homosexuality is strictly forbidden in Scripture (Leviticus 18:22). Homosexuality is considered an acceptable practice by many in our world today - even by some churches. But society does not set the standard for God's law. Homosexuals believe that their desires are normal and that they have a right to express them. But God does not encourage us to fulfill all our desires (even normal ones). Those desires that violate his laws must be controlled.
If you have these desires, you can and must resist acting upon them....Remember, God can and will forgive sexual sins just as he forgives other sins. Surrender yourself to God, asking him to show you the way out of sin and into the light of his freedom and his love.
I did a DAILYBIDE on the gay marriage issue a month ago, but I'm addressing this again because so many followers of Christ are confused by what's happening in our society.
Today's story about gay couples adopting children and wanting others to view it as normal (and the court system encouraging this) illustrates how our secular culture is disregarding the Truth of God's Word.
But don't be swayed by what is "politically correct". Remember that even though culture says times have changed and that there is no absolute truth, God's Word never changes and it is the Truth.
Don't be confused by churches that embrace the immoral practices of homosexuality. More and more churches are rebelling against the teachings of Scripture because of cultural pressure. Many Christians don't understand that our God's grace and love go hand in hand with His holiness and justice.
Our challenge as followers of Christ is to humbly admit our many sins as we try to lovingly help those struggling with homosexuality to let Jesus rescue them from this trap.
- Thank God for being very clear in His Word about what is right and wrong sexually. Ask God to help you live out your sexuality (which means purity before marriage between a man and a woman and then only in marriage) to honor Him. If you are sinning in a sexual way, confess it now and receive the forgiveness made possible because of what Christ did on the cross. If you know someone who is struggling with homosexuality, pray for him or her and ask God to help you demonstrate Christ's grace and compassion toward this person.
- Pray that you and other Christians around the world will act like Jesus toward those who struggle with homosexuality.
- Pray for followers of Christ and churches that condone homosexuality to come to grips with the Truth of Scripture.
- If you struggle with this issue (or know someone else who does), contact a pastor or youth leader of a church that recognizes that God's Story clearly teaches that engaging in homosexuality is sin.
How can we connect today's story and God's Story scripture and our story to others?
- Use today's story about gay couples adopting children in conversation with others to find out their story as it relates to their views on homosexuality and tolerance.
- Talk with other students about what you might do to take a Biblical stand for morality in our culture with an attitude of love rather than condemnation. Look for ways you can demonstrate grace and compassion to those who are struggling with homosexuality.
- Talk to your youth leader or pastor about what your church can do to be like Jesus toward those who are struggling with homosexuality.
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