WOULD JESUS ATTEND A GAY WEDDING??? Part 1

Find a Mirror

Now, before anyone starts jumping to the conclusion they know what I'm going to say, just hold your water for a minute.   Let me get some things out of the way before I get into what I hope is some meaty stuff.


The first question we should seek to answer is, "Did God create homosexuality?"   Seems like a no brainer, and on some levels it absolutely is a no brainer.   There is never a positive statement in the Bible about homosexuality.  And the text is always simple and straight forward.  When pro-gay theologians start doing linguistic acrobatics it's a sure sign the truth will be emptied from the Scriptures.   No matter how pro-gay theology looks or sounds it is bad theology.  Actually the main reason pro-gay theology is so bad is the fact that pro-gay theologians are attempting to change how people approach the Scriptures.  If the Scriptures are in fact God breathed, then how will convincing you or me change anything?  If God's mind hasn't changed about the sinfulness of homosexuality, then  If I'm for pro-gay theology I haven't convinced God to change His thinking about what He said.  Pro-gay theologians cast  God into their own image and likeness, and they're trying to get every believer to jump on board.   The problem is if they can't actually change God then the god they've created for themselves is really not God at all.

"Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many."

Matthew 24:4-5

Pro-gay theology isn't about changing God it is about living in  fantasy and the attempted deception of God's people who've put their faith in Jesus and the word God's Spirit breathed.   They are creating a messiah for themselves to replace the one and only Son of God.  The problem is their messiah is powerless, paper thin, and if you've seen the painting  of gay Jesus hanging on a cross with a huge erect phallus, you'd see first hand how shallow and empty pro-gay theology is.  I don't know anything about the size of Jesus', but I can tell you that a body having  received as much  abuse and torture, as Jesus endured,  isn't going to be able to produce an erection.  The shear volume of blood loss Jesus had to endure didn't allow for much of any bodily functions.   A man crucified wasn't going to get any wood on the front of him,  because of the wood nailed to the back of him.  The ridiculous gay Jesus should be enough to cause anyone to walk away from pro-gay theology.   Instead, of course, pro-gay theologians are gaining followers and supporters for gay marriage.

The problem with gay marriage is that like the gay Jesus, sporting a silly cartoon ding dong, there is no substance to, well, there's no substance to gay anything really.   When God created marriage He did so for His own purposes.   In the New Testament we are told that marriage is a reflection of Jesus Christ's relationship with His Church.  Would Jesus attend a gay wedding?   Honestly we might just as well ask,  "Would Jesus attend the wedding of  Bugs Bunny to Elmer Fudd?"   The truth simply is not there to be had.  God hasn't changed, He hasn't  changed what He has said.   Gay marriage isn't any more marriage than artichoke marriage is real marriage.   Would Jesus have dinner with Batman?  Would Jesus be for or against the genetic mutations of the Wolverine and Magneto? Is Jesus "Team Edward" or "Team Jake?"  If it cannot stand up to what the true God has to say, then it's no more important than who builds hotels on Boardwalk and Park Place.  Christians please stop letting the world frame how we are approach moral issues.  Please stop overreacting to worldly empty foolishness and start acting out of Kingdom truth and mandate.  Stop piling onto debates and do what is right according to what Jesus was called to come and accomplish by Father God.

Honestly, when will we Christians ever learn what God says and believe God?   And don't think I'm just speaking to you.  I too struggle to keep my focus on what is true and important.   Let's remember what Jesus teaches:

"Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me."

Matthew 28:18

Of course it's a bit harder to believe what Jesus said 2000 years ago than it is to believe what is right in front of our eyes.  Gay marriage certainly seems a pretty solid property, and it's becoming more and more solid looking all the time.   This is the real problem for Christians today what 'seems' and what is God's reality.   The problem for us Christ followers is we keep approaching the world around us with the same kind of worldly reactions they give to us.  We want to march, we want to scream with frustration and shake some sense into our government leaders.  We want to Bible thump and eat Chick-fi-a  until chicken sandwiches pop out our ears!  But only Jesus has all authority in heaven and on earth.  We're gonna have to put the chicken down, and take up the truth of God.  We're going to have to quit allowing the world to dictate to us what is important and worthy of the call and time we've been given.  And we're going to have to stop thumping our Bibles and start obeying what Jesus tells us to do.  In Christianity believing is doing and doing starts with humble sacrifice not a call to political action!  Jesus exercises all authority, but He does so in keeping with the work Father has called Him to do.   Jesus said that He always did what He saw the Father doing.   When Christ followers decide to do what God wants done, the way God wants it done then we'll see the power of God displayed in front of us.   In Christ we can say, "What is gay marriage compared to the world defeating authority and Satan crushing power of Christ?"

So now you know...Jesus would most definitely attend a gay wedding!

TO BE CONTINUED...

WOULD JESUS ATTEND A GAY WEDDING??? Part 2

After looking at what I wrote I realized I didn't really explain how it is that I know God doesn't create homosexuality.   The fact is people aren't born either gay or straight.  We understand what God told the first human couple, "Be fruitful and multiply..."  Most of the time we call God's command procreation.  The world which rejects God's perspective may simply use, "The Sex Drive," but even atheist biologists know that humans have, not merely a sex drive, but a drive to propagate the species.
If you want to understand how biology sets us up for sexual expression we need look no further than how biology sets us up to learn and speak language.  Genes dictate that we may develop spoken language, but our genes cannot dictate the language we will learn.   Our genes set the stage for us to learn language, but the actual development of spoken language is far too complex for genes to dictate.   For us to develop spoken language it takes interaction with other humans who can already speak.


Biology allows us to develop sexuality, but like language can never dictate how we will express that sexuality.   Sexuality develops from our interactions in the family and extra-family social environments.   When relationships breakdown healthy development of sexuality breaks down.  The proper question is not  "Are people born gay?"     The proper question to ask is, "How is the Procreative Drive overcome so a person becomes gay?"   If you want to find the culprit behind homosexuality and every other from of sexual deviance, start shaking the family tree.   What drops from the family tree will show you where the problem lies.

OKAY!  Hope that explains, at least the basics!

NOW ON TO THE REAL HEART OF THE POST!:

JESUS WOULD ABSOLUTELY ATTEND A GAY WEDDING!

"On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.  Now both Jesus and his disciples were invited to the wedding."

John 2:1-2

I just made the worst mistake I could have made.  I allude to the story of how Jesus changed water into wine, at a wedding.   I don't know if it is the worst faux pas a theologian could make, but it  has to rank up near the top of mistakes.

The wedding at Cana is a wedding between one man and one woman.   As you know I've already argued that gay marriage is, in truth, nothing.   So how exactly do I start with the wedding at Cana??    I start with the wedding at Cana for the very reason that I know it cannot be used to explain why Jesus would attend a gay wedding.   The problem is how Christians approach gay marriage and how Jesus approaches gay marriage.    Jesus never said anything about gay marriage, because it didn't exist.  Still we can read the Bible and it is clear, that homosexuality is condemned, and no amount of religious ceremony will change that.   When we think about marriage we see God's approval for the kind of marriage we see in Luke 2.   God is pro-marriage between one man and one woman that is true.   Was Jesus at the wedding in Cana to lend that marriage credence?    Was Jesus' presence at the wedding God's way of saying, "This action gets 5 stars from God?"    I don't believe God is saying anything about the particular wedding at Cana.

Set aside the wedding of Cana for a while.   Let's begin with the right question:  Why was Jesus here on the earth?   We know Jesus didn't come to give the wedding at Cana the thumbs up.

¹⁷ and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:

¹⁸ “The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
    because he has anointed me
    to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
    and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
¹⁹     to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

 Luke 4:17-19

¹⁹ Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.

John 5:19

But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

John 16:33c

Jesus attends the wedding at Cana because he is called by Father, Father was working there, and Jesus went not as a way of approving the wedding at Cana, but because he overcomes the world.

The problem with Christians and gay weddings is they don't want to have anything to do with them.   The Christian won't go to a gay wedding because they don't want anyone thinking they approve of such things (And of course as believers in Christ we do not approve of what God condemns!).   The thinking looks kinda like this.   "Jesus would never approve of gay marriage, so Jesus would never go to a gay wedding.  Since Jesus would never go to a gay wedding I won't  attend one."  Certainly sounds like solid reasoning.   The problem lies in the truth:   Jesus doesn't think the way we think.    Remember that the Jewish leaders leveled the accusation against Jesus, "How is it he eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?"  (Mark 2:16).

The wedding at Cana is merely a red herring.    So let me ask you the really important question:   If Jesus knew he could/would overcome the world (utterly destroy all satanic power and control), and if Jesus knew there were lost sheep to be found there, and if Jesus was doing his Fathers work there, WOULD JESUS ATTEND A GAY WEDDING?

Are there not ears in need of the  "good news" at a gay wedding?

Are there not blind eyes which  need sight at gay weddings?

Are there not prisoners in need of freedom at a gay wedding?

Are there not the oppressed who need freedom at a gay wedding?

Are there not those who need the LORD's favor at a gay wedding?

If there are prisoners, the oppressed, the needy, the blind, and the need for God's favor at a gay wedding,  then how could anyone believe Jesus isn't called there or that he would not go?

If, in your mind, Jesus would still not attend a gay wedding, why do you think that?

If  you believe, according to Christ's teaching, he would attend a gay wedding, give some positive steps Christ followers could take in the right direction?

LIONS! TIGERS! AND GAYS! OH MY! Part 4

WWJC?

(What Would Jesus Condemn?)

 I’ve been talking about Christians dealing with President Obama’s executive order which prohibits those who receive government funding or contracts from discriminating against LGBT persons.  Obama’s order doesn’t have an exemption for religious organizations who receive government funds.


I think the most important question I haven’t asked yet is, “Christian, where would you like for LGBT people to be?”  Let’s take a moment to seriously consider this matter:  “If you are the light of the world, and if you have an eternal relationship with God why not take every opportunity to draw all kinds of people, including LGBT people to where Christ can get close to them?”  If you believe homosexual practice is an abomination then working with or around you would be ideal to bring them into contact with the “good news”.   Jesus saves from abomination!  If you are a believer in Jesus Christ then you believe he’s saved you from your sins, so give that same “good news” to those around you.


If the government forces you to do your work with LGBT persons then find a way to show the world overcoming love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness.   Christians have used either condemnation of or total acceptance of sin, for the past 30 years and nothing has been working.  Rather than push sinners away, or ignoring their sins, why not do what Jesus did?


The Pharisees of Jesus’ day condemned all who were not like them.  When Jesus was having dinner at the house of one of the leading Pharisees, a woman came into his house, went directly to Jesus, and started washing his feet with her tears.

“When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”  Luke 7:39.

The Pharisee could do nothing but condemn the sinner for her sins, but Jesus forgave the woman’s sins.  If you have the cure condemnation is nothing but cruelty.  For Christians to condemn sinners is like a wealthy man refusing to feed his own children, because of the cost.  If you are a Christian or Christ follower then you have the wealth of God’s kingdom, so how can you refuse sinners, any sinner, the wealth God has lavished upon you?


When Jesus is hanging on a Roman Cross the sins of sinners are place upon him.  We’re not simply talking about a transference of a guilty verdict.   The weight, knowledge of, and reality of sin was placed upon Christ.  Jesus, for the first time knew exactly what we all of us know from early childhood, the shame, feelings of, and power of sin.   Jesus knows our sins literally and intimately.

“For he made him who knew no sin to be sin for us…”

2 Corinthians 5:21a

Jesus knows us by our sins.  Jesus knows how wicked we truly are.  Jesus knows that we deserve nothing but his condemnation.  Jesus knows he is innocent, and he knows these same people crucifying him have murdered many more innocents than him.  Jesus knows that our guilt is absolutely irrefutable and yet this is his prayer on the cross, for those guilty of murdering an innocent:

“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”

Luke 23:34

Jesus knows our true hearts, and yet he does not condemn those who deserve condemnation.   Consider this then:
Jesus not only takes the penalty for our sins, but he refuses to give condemnation.  Jesus not only takes our sins to death, but he continues to offer hope and life.  Jesus takes sin to the grave and he takes God’s righteous condemnation to the grave, as well.
I believe in Hell, but any who go there will go there because they have rejected so great a love.  All who go to Hell will do so under their own power, and they will be their own condemnation.


If you are a Christians consider something else:

If God is conforming Christians to the likeness of Jesus, then, “Father forgive them…” is where God is taking us, as well.  So why is it Conservative Christians continue to be, very often, condemning?   Does the law condemn sinners for their sins?  We know the law does condemn sinners, and I would never argue against the law or the condemnation of the law.  But what must be argued, and what I believe is God’s argument is that salvation saves us from the sting of death from the law, but Jesus also saves from condemnation.

“For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”

John 1:17

So the law came through Moses, and what does that law look like for the Homosexual?

“You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is abomination.”

Leviticus 18:22

BAD NEWS!!  Nothing else to be said about the law: Bad News!
But what does the law look like with Jesus?   What does law look like with grace and truth applied?

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life has set you free from the law of sin and death.”

Romans 8:1-2

I can tell you exactly what the law look like with truth and grace applied, in my own life.   “Lonnie you are a law breaker and you are guilty of committing abominations.  Because of the law you are dead in sin.  BUT through Jesus Christ you are no longer a sinner dead in sin, you have been made born again by the Spirit of God.  The Spirit breaks all the bonds of sin and death, and gives you life.  You are no longer an object of wrath, but a beloved son of God and in eternal relationship with God.”
The law which was death to me has now become a reminder of all that Jesus has accomplished for me.  When I look at Leviticus 18:22, I don’t see a future of death and punishment, but a reminder of the great gift Jesus has given me!  What was once death is a cherished proof of the power of God to overcome all the world can produce in me, and that is sin.


With so great a power to save, heal, fix, rebuild, raise from the ashes, how could anyone claim to represent Christ and offer anything but grace and truth, which overcomes the world, and also the condemnation and death,, the law necessarily brings?  What doctor, having the cure for a disease protests or seeks the formation of laws against disease??   If the doctor has the cure he/she merely gives the cure.   Why aren't Christians who claim the cure, condemn instead of giving the cure?   I believe it is the cost of the cure!  But what cost disobedience?   If Jesus puts condemnation to death, then what will happen to those who claim to be Christ followers who continually give condemnation instead of the Lord's prayer, "Father forgive...?"   If God is conforming us to the image and likeness of Christ then we will rather plead against, not for condemnation.


How great is the punishment of Hell for those who claim relationship with and through Christ who condemn others??