Just as a lovely and one time innocent word of the English language (gay) became befouled by association to a demonic lifestyle, likewise we witness the destruction of many innocent lives that come in contact with the homosexual lifestyle. Observe the following remarks:
We are living in an age similar to the time of Isaiah when he delivered God’s warning, "Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness" (Isaiah 5:20). Throughout our society there are many who are trying to force others to accept perversions of God’s creation that God plainly calls sin.
It was God’s design to create us male and female (Genesis 1:27). From the very beginning, man was to "leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh" (Genesis 2:24). Ever since this beginning, homosexuality and lesbianism have been a perversion of God’s purpose for His Creation. It is a sin that often brings judgment in this life and will always cause condemnation in the next. This sin is not unique in our time. The term "sodomy" is used to describe homosexual activities and it comes from the ancient city of Sodom. The men of Sodom were "exceedingly wicked and sinful against the Lord" (Genesis 13:13). Because of their great sin, God utterly destroyed them. As you read through the account of Sodom and Gomorrah’s destruction in Genesis 19, the only specific sin that is brought out is that they were homosexuals.
Centuries later, after Israel entered the Promised Land, some among the tribe of Benjamin became as corrupt as the men of Sodom. In the last three chapters of Judges, there is an account of how some men wanted to rape another man who was visiting their town. When the other tribes gathered together to punish the wicked, the tribe of Benjamin defended the homosexuals. There were three battles in which Benjamin was decimated. Before the final battle, God instructed the other tribes to "Go up, for tomorrow I will deliver them into your hand" (Judges 20:28). The tribe of Benjamin began with 26,000 men, but after the fighting, there were only 600 survivors. This did not happen because all of Benjamin were homosexuals, but because they tried to defend the homosexuals in their midst.
The law of Moses was very plain concerning this sin. In Leviticus 18:22, Israel was commanded, "Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination." Later, in Leviticus 20:13, the penalty for anyone who practiced this abomination was given. There, Israel was warned, "And if a man lie with mankind, as with womankind, both of them have committed abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them." This may sound harsh to those who do not consider the holiness of God, but the penalty in the New Testament is the same. In Romans 1:18-32, Paul describes the corruption of the Gentile society in the first century. At the beginning of the list of their sins, he wrote, "For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due" (Romans 1:26-27). Just a few verses later, Paul added, "those who practice such things are deserving of death" (Rom. 1:32). The death penalty is not limited to just homosexuals, but also all the other sins mentioned in the context.
Throughout the history of the Bible, the righteous have always stood strong against this sin, while the corrupt willingly accept it. Part of the evil during the reign of King Rehoboam in Judah is described in the words "there were also sodomites in the land" (1 Kings 14:21-22). When the good king Asa ruled, the first thing that was mentioned concerning his return to God was "he put away the sodomites out of the land" (1 Kings 15:11- 12). Years later, the nation of Israel corrupted themselves again and allowed the sodomites to return. When king Josiah sought to cause Israel to return to Jehovah, he "made a covenant before the Lord, to walk after the Lord, and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes with all their heart and all their soul." In carrying out this covenant to obey God, "he brake down the houses of the sodomites" (2 Kings 23:3-7).
Would You Call This a Gay Lifestyle? Homosexuals make up about 4% of the population. Yet, they have 44% of all male syphilis, 50% of all venereal disease, 53% of all intestinal diseases, 43% of all hepatitis A, 35% of all hepatitis B, and 88% of all AIDS cases. Lesbians are 19 times more likely than heterosexual women to have syphilis, twice as likely to suffer from genital warts, and four times as likely to have scabies. The average age of homosexuals dying with AIDS is 39. The average age of homosexuals dying of all other causes is only 41. Only 1 percent of homosexuals live to be 65 or older. The suicide rate among homosexuals is 60 times higher than the general population. They are three times as likely to have alcohol or drug abuse problems. They are 45 times more likely to be involved in auto accidents than heterosexuals. The rate of murder among homosexual men is 50 times greater than the general population.
Genesis 19:5 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.
Jude 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.
Leviticus 18:22-23 Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination. 23 Neither shalt thou lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith: neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie down thereto: it is confusion.
Leviticus 20:13 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.
Deuteronomy 23:17-18 There shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel, nor a sodomite of the sons of Israel. 18 Thou shalt not bring the hire of a whore, or the price of a dog, into the house of the LORD thy God for any vow: for even both these are abomination unto the LORD thy God.
Judges 19:22 Now as they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, certain sons of Belial, beset the house round about, and beat at the door, and spake to the master of the house, the old man, saying, Bring forth the man that came into thine house, that we may know him.
1 Kings 14:22-24 And Judah did evil in the sight of the LORD, and they provoked him to jealousy with their sins which they had committed, above all that their fathers had done. 23 For they also built them high places, and images, and groves, on every high hill, and under every green tree. 24 And there were also sodomites in the land: and they did according to all the abominations of the nations which the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.
1 Kings 15:11-12 And Asa did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, as did David his father. 12 And he took away the sodomites out of the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made. 2
Kings 23:2-7 And the king went up into the house of the LORD, and all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem with him, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the people, both small and great: and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant which was found in the house of the LORD. 3 And the king stood by a pillar, and made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD, and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes with all their heart and all their soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people stood to the covenant. 4. And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, and the priests of the second order, and the keepers of the door, to bring forth out of the temple of the LORD all the vessels that were made for Baal, and for the grove, and for all the host of heaven: and he burned them without Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron, and carried the ashes of them unto Bethel. 5 And he put down the idolatrous priests, whom the kings of Judah had ordained to burn incense in the high places in the cities of Judah, and in the places round about Jerusalem; them also that burned incense unto Baal, to the sun, and to the moon, and to the planets, and to all the host of heaven. 6 And he brought out the grove from the house of the LORD, without Jerusalem, unto the brook Kidron, and burned it at the brook Kidron, and stamped it small to powder, and cast the powder thereof upon the graves of the children of the people. 7 And he brake down the houses of the sodomites, that were by the house of the LORD, where the women wove hangings for the grove.
Romans 1:25-27 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. 26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: 27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
1Corinthians 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,
1 Timothy 1:9-10 Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, 10 For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;
Associated Press, 10/11/90, Stanford gives homosexuals same privileges as married couples. Stanford University has voted to give homosexual and unmarried couples the same benefits as legally married couples. The decision means that homosexual couples and unmarried couples have access to university housing and services.
Associated Press, 2/4/91, Homosexuals get own credit card. The 300-member Dallas Gay Alliance Credit Union has begun offering the MasterCard stamped "Dallas Gay Alliance." Dan Wallace, president of the group, says they want to show that homosexuals have money to spend. "Maybe then we will earn their respect," Wallace said. Wallace said he hopes the card will make other financial institutions more sensitive to the "special" needs of homosexuals.
What attribute of God is emphasized more in the Bible than any other? Power? Goodness? Grace? Mercy? Wisdom? Love? Isaiah 6:3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is Jehovah of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. Revelation 4:8 and the four living creatures, having each one of them six wings, are full of eyes round about and within: and they have no rest day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.
No group of angels sing:Almighty, Almighty, Almighty, Wise, Wise, Wise, Love, Love, Love This is the only attribute of God spoken three times. Repeated for emphasis. (like verily, verily)
This is the attribute of God emphasized the most. We serve a Holy God. Called the "Holy One" 29x in Isaiah alone. (51x total) ("Mighty One" - 10x, Never "Loving One") In the first song recorded in the Bible (Praising God for deliverance from Egypt): Exodus 15:11 Who is like unto thee, O Jehovah, among the gods? Who is like thee, glorious in holiness, Fearful in praises, doing wonders?
Who is like unto Jehovah? There is none like the God of Israel. None who can do wonders like He. He is glorious in Holiness, completely distinct from all else. Rebuke to Sennacherib 2 Kings 19:22 Whom have you reproached and blasphemed? Against whom have you raised your voice, and lifted up your eyes on high? Against the Holy One of Israel.
He is not called the Mighty One, Wise One, but the Holy One. This is What God Singles Out to Swear By Hebrews 6:13 For when God made promise to Abraham, since he could swear by none greater, he swore by himself. (Gen. 22:16) We can read of God swearing by Himself several times in the Bible. A part of Himself He especially swears by, His holiness. Psalms 89:35-36 Once I have sworn by My holiness; I will not lie to David: His seed shall endure forever... Amos 4:2 The Lord God has sworn by His holiness: "Behold, the days shall come upon you when He will take you away with fishhooks, and your posterity with fishhooks.”
God never swears "By My Love". These promises are as sure as His holiness. 2x by holiness, 1x by power (Isaiah 62:8), 1x by His name (Jer 44:6) God, having no greater, swears by Himself. In particular, He swears by His holiness God’s Holiness is the Reason for Much of His Work - Ezek. 36:20-24 (20:9, 14, 22, 44) What is God’s Holiness? "to cut, to be separate" "to be pure, to be clean, free from defilement"
To say that something is holy means that it is separated or set off from other things. (Pure gold is separate from anything else). God is Holy in His relationship to Creation in the sense that He is distinct from all others. There is none like God. There is none other like Him. Psalms 5:4-5 For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness, Nor shall evil dwell with You. The boastful shall not stand in Your sight; You hate all workers of iniquity.
What do you blink your eyes at? What are you willing to overlook? How tolerant are you? Toleration is a big word in our time ; we are expected to be tolerant of many things. It is considered disgraceful in our society to be called intolerant. But the important point in this matter of toleration is precisely what we tolerate and also what it is that calls forth our intolerance.
The word sin has almost dropped out of the English language with the decline of religion in the recent years. Terms like "mistake" "error" "fault" have taken its place and while speaking in these terms they are "petty mistakes" "little faults." Today folks will not classify others as sinners!
"Homosexuals are born that way. They can’t help the way they feel. Surely God will not condemn someone for acting the way that God made them." Who says they were born that way? People and institutions with a political or social agenda, that’s who. We have all heard about the studies that find that homosexuals have unique brain qualities or that twins of homosexuals are more likely to be homosexual. But each of these studies is subject to diverse interpretation. Other studies have indicated that homosexuality is a learned behavior that can be unlearned. Who are we to believe?
The mere fact that God condemns homosexuals for their conduct proves that they are not compelled to act as they do. Look at Leviticus 20:13, "Their blood-guiltiness is upon them." That means they have no one to blame but themselves. The Bible teaches us that all sin is the result of men making choices to behave in a way that God did not intend, Ecclesiastes 7:29, James 1:13-17. It is easy for men to rationalize away their guilt by blaming God for "making us this way", but they are wrong. In Romans 1:26-27 Paul says that men and women made a conscious choice to abandon the use of the opposite sex in favor of their own sex. And what of 1 Corinthians 6:9-10? Are drunkards, fornicators, and thieves excused by their pre-dispositions to behave as they do? Not at all. Even if we admit that some people are tempted to do certain things more than others, we still have the personal obligation to overcome that which tempts us, 1 Corinthians 10:13, so we have no excuse.
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