Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.  Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. © Copyright 2010 - 2017   All rights reserved. End Times and Gay Marriage     Gay marriage was indeed mentioned in the Bible, as a sign of end times, when Jesus prophesied that conditions would be the same as in Noah’s day, when there was “eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage.”  Matthew 24:37-39 “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.  For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away.  That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.”   Some people might argue that the above verse just points out normal activities, but it’s well-known that everything in Noah’s day was “wicked” and “every thought of [man’s] heart was only evil all the time.” (Genesis 6:5)  Therefore, Jesus wasn’t likely talking about normal marriage.  Prior to 2000, I may have thought so too, but not lately.  Sometimes, a person must revise their interpretation of the Bible, as new facts become available.  In fact, I think the “eating and drinking” represents ‘celebration’ because same-sex marriage had just become ‘accepted as normal’, in Noah’s day, as is happening in many countries today.  Likewise, I think gay marriage was one of God’s final-straws, indicating the level of wickedness in Noah’s day, as it indicates the same in today’s world.  I mean, homosexuality may have been present in society, before, but gay-marriage shows an added level of ‘acceptance’.  Homosexuality may be viewed as normal in much of the West, but God sees it as wicked, which is why Jesus mentioned it as a sign of end times.    Of course, gay marriage is not a sign that can be used to pinpoint an exact time, or even year for Jesus’ return, because gay marriage was first legalized in the Netherlands, in Dec-2000, and more countries are added to the list each year.  In Dec-2017, Australia became the 26th country to legalize gay marriage, but most are located in Europe and the Americas.  For the most accurate indication of Jesus’ return, a person must watch for signs leading to the abomination, in the Book of Daniel, because that’s what Jesus said to do. (Matt 24:15) Here’s a list compiled from Pew Research Center - 2017 1. The Netherlands (2000) 14. France (2013) 2. Belgium (2003) 15. Brazil (2013) 3. Canada (2005) 16. England / Wales (2013) 4. Spain (2005) 17. Scotland (2014) 5. South Africa (2006) 18. Luxembourg (2014) 6. Norway (2008) 19. Finland (2015) 7. Sweden (2009) 20. Ireland (2015) 8. Iceland (2010) 21. Greenland (2015) 9. Portugal (2010) 22. United States (2015) 10. Argentina (2010) 23. Colombia (2016) 11. Denmark (2012) 24. Germany (2017) 12. Uruguay (2013) 25. Malta (2017) 13. New Zealand (2013) 26. Australia (2017)   Plus: Parts of Mexico have legalized gay marriages, including Mexico City (2009).  Israel recognizes same-sex marriages, if the ceremony is performed legally elsewhere.    Countries that allow for “civil partnerships” include: Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Switzerland, Estonia, and Chile’.  [reference: Jakarta Post - 2017] Homosexuality in the New Testament       The Pharisees had plenty of faults but there’s no indication that “male shrine prostitutes” were present.  If they were, I’m sure Jesus would have spoken against them.  Yet, if homosexuality was not present in the immediate region or the people traveling from surrounding areas, then why would Jesus put sinful ideas in their head?  He wouldn’t.   Yet, some people use the fact that Jesus did not address homosexuality directly to question Paul’s preaching.  The difference is that Paul was writing to large cities such as Rome and Corinth (next to Athens), where homosexuality was present.       In Paul’s opening summary to the Romans, he says that homosexuality was the direct result of man’s worship of idols.  That would agree with Old Testament writings because male shrine prostitutes were often mentioned in times of idol worship.  In the following example, Paul uses at least five adjectives (in bold) to describe homosexuality and none of them are good.  Romans 1:22-24; 26-27 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. (26)  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 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.          If that wasn’t clear, Paul gets more specific when writing to the Corinthians:  1 Corinthians 6: 9-10 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. Homosexuality in the Old Testament       The oldest reference I find to homosexuality, in the Bible, is Job 36:14, which mentions “male prostitutes of the shrine”, which would pre-date Abraham by a few generations.  By Abraham’s time (below), it had become such a problem, in Sodom and Gomorrah, that God eliminated both cities. Genesis 19:4-5 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 19:24; 27-28 Then the LORD rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah--from the LORD out of the heavens. … 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.      Homosexuality was diminished but not eliminated.  In the Book of Judges, it had spread to the Benjamites, living in Ephraim, because they engaged in a similar activity to Sodom and Gomorrah.  (The man in this story was a Levite, not an angel.)  Judges 19:22 Some of the wicked men of the city surrounded the house.  Pounding on the door, they shouted to the old man who owned the house, "Bring out the man who came to your house so we can have sex with him."     It’s a long story, but the other tribes demanded that the wicked men be brought to justice.  The Tribe of Benjamin was almost wiped out because they refused. (Judges 19-21)  War ensued and homosexuality was dealt another set-back.       After that, Israel became a kingdom and there’s no mention of homosexuality during the first three kings.  However, during the reign of Rehoboam, Solomon’s son,  the “male shrine prostitutes” had returned to Judah.  1 Kings 14: 22; 24 Judah did evil in the eyes of the LORD. … There were even male shrine prostitutes in the land; the people engaged in all the detestable practices of the nations the LORD had driven out before the Israelites.      Just a few generations later, they were driven out by Kings Asa and Jehoshaphat, the 3rd & 4th kings of ‘Judah’ (after the split, or after Rehoboam).    1 Kings 15:11-12 Asa did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, as his father David had done. He expelled the male shrine prostitutes from the land and got rid of all the idols his fathers had made. 1 Kings 22:46-47 [Jehoshaphat] rid the land of the rest of the male shrine prostitutes who remained there even after the reign of his father Asa.       About 200 years later, the “male shrine prostitutes” had gotten sneaky and moved their operations inside the Temple.  They were discovered and expelled when King Josiah ordered that the Temple be cleaned and repaired.  2 Kings 23:7 [Josiah] also tore down the quarters of the male shrine prostitutes, which were in the temple of the LORD and where women did weaving for Asherah.      Josiah even traveled north to Samaria and destroyed all the idols, including the two calves that Jeroboam had built at Bethel and Dan.  Josiah also killed every priest of Baal that Jehu had not killed.  Thus, God exercised His own brand of “cleansing”, just before the four-century ‘silence’, between the testaments.   Born to be bad: Neuroscientist discovers part of human brain responsible for criminal behavior Voice of Russia – March 7, 2013
Born that way? (Not an excuse)    It’s obvious from the Bible that God never considered homosexuality “okay”, so there’s no legitimate reason to think that He would ever change His mind.  However, many say that He has, and homosexuality must be “okay” because they were "born" that way.  However, scientists from Germany have now discovered that psychopaths are born with something in their brain that gives them a predisposition to murder (left).  Since psychopaths were “born that way”, is it okay for them to kill?  In the same way, are kleptomaniacs innocent because they were born with a predisposition to steal?  No, they have to resist like everyone else.  We were all born with a predisposition to sin, in some way, but we resist because it’s the right thing to do and “Heaven” is the reward for obeying God.  If a person sins, they should repent, not say it wasn’t a sin.      The article (left) also points out that people can overcome the inherent urge to violence with the right influences at an early age (< 25).  The same could be said for curbing homosexuality but if society teaches that it’s “okay”, then people will stop resisting.  I think that has contributed to the increase in homosexuality during the past couple of decades.  I remember when Ellen was shunned, at first, and later accepted like a hero.  There has been a sharp turn-around in a short period of time.  Homosexuals like to compare themselves to the civil rights activists of the 1960’s but skin color and sexual preference have no relation.  Nevertheless, acceptance is growing exponentially and “same sex marriage” is the ultimate sign of approval.  That’s why Jesus referred to “marrying and giving in marriage” when speaking of “end times”.         Since we are living in ‘end times’, it’s not surprising that male shrine prostitutes  have emerged in the Catholic Church.  It seems like a fitting ‘end’ to me.     Pope Francis is correct in ‘not judging’ but if a priest refuses to stop a direct sin, especially when confronted, they shouldn’t be allowed to continue to ‘teach’ others.   Note: The Catholic Church is actually church #3 in the Seven Churches. (Rev. 2-3)  Pope Francis: I won't judge gay priests Aljazeera America – July 29, 2013 Quote: Pope Francis appeared to soften the Catholic Church's stance on gays Monday, saying that he wouldn’t judge priests for their sexual orientation, a marked departure from his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI. Updated: 12-27-2017 Select “gay-marriage” news   (compiled from 2013-2016) Iran, Russia, Vatican threaten to derail U.N. women's rights appeal Reuters – March 13, 2013 Quotes: An "unholy alliance" of Iran, Russia, the Vatican and others is threatening to derail a U.N. declaration urging an end to violence against women and girls by objecting to language on sexual, reproductive and gay rights, some U.N. diplomats said Wednesday.       This story was ironic because a British news service, Reuters, called Iran and Russia “unholy” because they were objecting to “gay rights”.     How backwards is that?        Pope Benedict's resignation linked to gay conclave: report New York Daily News – February 22, 2013 Quote: Male prostitutes — who had pictures of the priests dressed in drag and others performing gay sex acts — were behind the extortion, The Daily Beast reported.
   In 1996, Congress passed and President Clinton   signed DOMA, which defined marriage as between “one man and one woman as husband and wife.”   (The first gay marriage wasn’t until 2001, in Amsterdam.)    Section 3 of DOMA denied federal rights to gay ‘unions’.    On June 26, 2013, the Supreme Court struck down ‘section 3’, which effectively gave gay couples ‘legal standing’, but stopped short of legalizing same-sex marriage.  This set off a flurry of lawsuits, at the state level One-by-one, they were making it back to the Supreme Court, and the states were winning.    Analysis Supreme Court's DOMA ruling still shaping gay marriage 1 year later L A Times – June 26, 2014 Quotes: On Wednesday, gay marriage advocates received a major victory ...  The move is likely to be appealed, eventually to the Supreme Court, state officials said. Nineteen states and the District of Columbia have legalized same-sex marriage, but lawsuits are pending in every other state. A quick history from the USA    On June 26, 2015, exactly two years after the above ruling, the Supreme Court legalized gay-marriage in every state.  Irish Catholics ... Some in the ‘Church’ want to conform to the ‘World’.     Pope Francis remains firmly against homosexuality and gay marriage but many younger Irish priests have expressed a desire to adopt it into the Church.   They see it as a necessity to attract the next generation but  God’s Word shouldn’t be compromised to obtain more members.  God wants people to obey, not just show up.  Why Ireland’s ‘Yes’ Vote Matters So Much Truthdig – May 26, 2015 Quote: Not only was the measure approved, it was approved in all but one of the nation’s 43 parliamentary constituencies, and by almost two-thirds of voters (62.1 percent). Ireland has accomplished what seemed unthinkable. It is a land that the sexual revolution almost forgot, where the sale of condoms was illegal until 1980, where divorce was prohibited until 1995 and where homosexuality was decriminalized only in 1993.    One reason for concern is not just that same- sex marriage passed, but how easily it passed.       Ireland was the 1st nation to put gay marriage to a public vote and it showed how drastically a population can change in just one generation.     Of course, it was the Republic of Ireland that voted, which is about 87% Roman Catholic, not Northern Ireland, which is about 48% Protestant. (data from Irish census (2002) - Wikipedia)   Same-sex marriage vote an ‘unmitigated disaster’ for Church Irish Times – May 25, 2015 Quote: Another ACP co-founder [Association of Catholic Priests], Fr Tony Flannery, said “the day of doctrinaire Catholicism is over in this country. The people are no longer willing to listen to speeches and sermons on morality from the church.”   What was “ particularly sad was to see the bishops in total opposition to a mass movement of the younger generation”. Another member of the ACP leadership team, Fr Gerry O’Connor said … “the Irish people should be proud”.  The church needed to grow in its maturity and understand it is one among others, and cannot expect its teaching to be reflected in the law of the land, he said.  It needs to adapt to the new context, “as it has done in other countries”.    It’s obvious from this article that the Association of Catholic Priests (ACP), which was founded in 2010 and includes a third of Ireland’s Catholic priests, wanted to go with the younger generation and accept homosexuality and gay marriage, in the Church, so attendance wouldn’t diminish in the future.  However, the Church is not supposed to conform to society.  On the contrary, Christians are supposed to transform themselves, from worldly desires, and renew their minds to be as close to God’s perfect will as possible.  As discussed above, God has never condoned homosexuality and the Church shouldn’t move ‘away’ from God’s Word  to attract younger members.   Romans 12:1-2  (Paul) “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God -this is your spiritual act of worship.  2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is -his good, pleasing, and perfect will.”  1 Peter 1:13-14 “Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. 14 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.” Note: Both Peter and Paul ended up in Rome, where homosexuality was known to exist in the 1st century. (Paul’s direct quotes are at the top of this page.)  Yet, only in Noah’s day did they accept homosexuality to the point of marriage (until the present time that is). What does the Bible say? Gay Marriage - A key issue dividing the ‘Church’ in end times.    Given that Jesus addressed “marrying and giving in marriage”, during end times, and ‘gay marriage’ is being accepted in the West, which is supposed to be Christian, right when the other signs (or verses) in Daniel 11 are taking place in the Middle East, I think this is a key issue distinguishing the Church of Laodicea in Revelation.  American Protestants ... Some Methodist want ‘gay marriage’ in the Church.    The United Methodist Church, the largest denomination in America, is getting pressure from many clergy who think gay marriage should be accepted in the Church.  It may be a small minority but I understand that they are uniting behind a new book called “God and the gay Christian”, by Matthew Vines, and many are considering it because attendance has been dropping.  I haven’t read the book but I doubt if he addressed the OT and NT scriptures that I posted above.  If a person is allowed to ‘pick and choose’ verses from the Bible and manipulate the words, they can make the Bible sound as though it supports almost anything.  However, a person really needs to look at everything and apply common sense.  As I said above, deceiving people with false security, so they don’t repent, is not love.   2 Timothy 4:3  (Paul warned about this very thing): “For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine.  Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.”    Rev 3: 15-17; 19  (Laodicea - church #7)   [*part of Seven Churches] 15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot.  I wish you were either one or the other!  16 So, because you are lukewarm -neither hot nor cold- I am about to spit you out of my mouth.  17 You say, 'I am rich;  I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.'  But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. 19 Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline.  So be earnest, and repent    I mean, no one is denying that homosexuals are nice people, successful, and do good deeds.  I also know that Christians are supposed to love everyone, and not judge, but telling someone that they don’t need to repent for a homosexual act is not helping that person.  The correct thing to do is repent and abstain, as best you can, but if you slip-up, repent again.  Everyone has a weakness that they must deal with but God knows if you’re trying  because you’ll feel remorse if you’re sincere (earnest).       In other words, giving false hope to people, when they haven’t repented, is not love.  On the contrary, ‘deep love’ is the desire to turn someone from the error of their ways and ‘save them from death’ (see box below).         Note: The above statement is a combination of the following two verses. (Logically speaking, if A ‘covers’ C and B ‘covers’ C, then A and B are at least related.) 1 Peter 4:8 “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.” James 5:20 “Remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.”     Thus, to deceive someone so they don’t repent and get ‘spit out’, rather than go to heaven, is the opposite of love Any clergy that does that is not building God’s Church but building something else on their own: the Church of Laodicea.  Final words:    A common argument from those who want to justify gay marriage is that Jesus didn’t address homosexuality, directly, but like I said, He wouldn’t do that if homosexuality wasn’t a problem in that area.  Jesus said, “Things that cause people to sin are bound to come, but woe to that person through whom they come.” (Luke 17:1)  Therefore, Jesus wouldn’t put evil ideas into people’s heads because He would become the source of sin Yet, Jesus did mention homosexuality, indirectly, when He prophesied about “marrying and giving in marriage”.    Some may argue, but the fact that gay marriage is literally dividing the Church, during end times, confirms to me that Jesus was indeed talking about “gay marriage.”  Same-Sex Marriage is a Right; Supreme Court Rules New York Times – June 26, 2015    In my opinion, it was a sad day for America but it was bound to happen because Jesus prophesied about it, in the Bible.  However, Jesus meant it as a bad thing  because it was the same way in Noah’s day, when everything was evil. (Gen. 6:5 History from the Bible Hooray for Kenya – (holding true to God’s Word) Obama in Kenya says gays need equality, draws African criticism Reuters [UK] – July 25, 2015 Quote: Anti-gay laws often have broad public approval in African nations where many hold conservative religious views and see homosexuality as immoral.     I truly believe that many African countries, and others such as Philippines, India, Singapore, etc., are the “roads and country lanes” that are ‘called’ at the end of the Parable of the Great Banquet,  in order to finish filling God’s house, which is happening now. (Luke 14:23 and whole parable     That’s because American society, and other Western countries, who have been Christian for a long time, are losing sight of obeying God, who is clearly against homosexuality and gay marriage.     I was thrilled when I heard that Kenya’s president stood up to America’s president, in regards to gay marriage.  I actually have many readers in Kenya, as well as other countries, and have heard that God’s Spirit is drawing many to Him, at this time.  Biblical History (Homosexuality in the Bible) Introduction: (Jesus and Paul’s teaching)    As for Christians who want to justify gay-marriage, it all depends on whether they can justify ‘homosexual sex’, because ‘sex’ is a natural part of marriage consummation.  I don’t think anyone can argue that God thought homosexual sex was wrong in the Old Testament (see below), so proponents are trying to say that God somehow changed His mind.  They try to use the fact that Jesus didn’t address homosexuality directly, even though Paul addressed it quite clearly (see below).  Besides, if Jesus didn’t specifically change something from the Old Testament, such as ‘eye-for-an-eye’ with ‘forgiveness’, then there’s no reason to think that the rules suddenly changed.    The difference between Jesus and Paul is that Jesus only spoke to crowds in the surrounding area that came to see him, whereas Paul traveled to the decadent cities of Rome and Corinth (next to Athens).  Jesus said, “Things that cause people to sin are bound to come, but woe to that person through whom they come.” (Luke 17:1)  Since, Jesus often knew what people were thinking, He wouldn’t address a sin that people didn’t have a problem with, thus putting the idea in their heads, because then He would become the source of that sin.  In like fashion, Paul only addressed it in letters to the Romans and Corinthians, because that’s where it was a problem. (see below)  Yet, Jesus did prophesy about gay marriage (introduction) in a clever way where only people who were living during end times (now), would know what He was talking about, because they can see the ‘acceptance’ first hand.    Basically, it boils down to whether a Christian believes Paul’s whole story or not.  I mean, did he really hear Jesus on the road to Damascus, get blinded for three days and then healed by a Christian? (Acts 9:1-22)  Was he really God’s chosen messenger?  I sure hope so because his letters are a big part of the New Testament.  Rest assured because God wouldn’t allow His Holy Word to be corrupted with Paul’s letters, if Paul wasn’t legitimate.  Therefore, a person can’t pick and choose what they want to accept, from the Bible, and toss the rest aside.  Luke wrote, “God did extraordinary miracles through Paul”, so I tend to believe him, not to mention his teachings were consistent with OT scripture.  Acts 19:11-12 “God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured, and the evil spirits left them.”     If a person chooses to ignore Paul’s direct statements (below), then they are essentially saying that they know better than Paul, but I don’t think so.  Personally, I have immense respect for Paul, so I think he was right. Available for printing on PDF. Daniel 11 Explained (condensed ‘one page’ commentary) ‘Matthew 24’ Explained (must match Revelation) The ‘Seals’ Explained (Revelation timeline revealed) Seven Churches Explained (Past & Present Church Prophecy) Note: ‘Sitemap’ shows a complete list of all pages (by category). ‘Homepage’ gives 3 simple steps + timelines + summary. Defying church ban, dozens of Methodist clergy come out as gay and lesbian CNN – May 9, 2016 Quote: Dozens of United Methodist clergy members came out as lesbian, gay or bisexual on Monday, defying their church's ban on "self-avowed practicing homosexuals" serving in ministry and essentially daring their supervisors to discipline them. In a public letter posted online, 111 pastors, deacons, elders and candidates for ministry said church rules require "that we not bring our full selves to ministry, that we hide from view our sexual orientations and gender identities." From May 10-20, more than 800 delegates will debate changes to church policy, including several that seek to lift longstanding bans on LGBT ministers and same-sex marriages. This is the first Methodist General Conference since the Supreme Court legalized gay marriage in 2015. A spokesman for Reconciling Ministries Network, an LGBT advocacy group that organized the letter, said that about 80% of the 111 signatories are coming out to their supervisors for the first time.   Well, the conference finally arrived and “111” pastors and workers in the Methodist Church are openly defying the rules to try to sway the final decision.    I knew that it would be a heated debate but the number of people who signed the letter is alarming because it just so happens that the occult likes to use triple digit numbers such as “111”.  Methodists not alone facing LGBT split Columbus Dispatch [USA] – May 15, 2016    This article shows that Methodists were not the first, but it’s still disheartening because they are the largest denomination, and also among the ‘pre-trib’ church (church #6 in the Seven Churches of Revelation 2-3). Current Events from Daniel 11 (matching the Middle East) The Abomination (Daniel 11:31) done Recent Events ISIS - Saudi - Turkey (Daniel 11: 24-27) Final Events to the Abomination (Daniel 11: 28-30) Shiites re-take Persia + America’s Role Begins (Daniel 11: 21-23) soon done done Available for printing on PDF. A Biblical view of sex  (written 6-15-2016)    After the tragic events in Orlando, I feel led to give an opinion.  I know that an anonymous person’s opinion is not worth a whole lot, but I always try to give a Biblical view.     First of all, the Bible is clearly against ‘homosexual sex’ (Romans 1:26-28) but God is not against ‘homosexuals’ because they are just people.  Most gay people think they were ‘born that way’ (with an attraction to the same sex) so they think it must be okay because God wouldn’t condemn a person from birth.  I don’t think He would either but everyone is born with some kind of weakness to some type of sin.  An attraction to the same sex is not necessarily a sin until a person acts on that attraction and commits a sexual act.     Likewise, any unmarried person is faced with the temptation of having sex but they must find a way to refrain. (Hebrews 13:4)  It’s not easy but the best way is to find a friend or companion who is like-minded and agrees that having sex before marriage is a bad idea.  That’s called ‘being equally yoked’.  If one person continues to coerce the other into doing something that is against their values, then they should refuse to be around that person.  That may be hard to do, if two people have grown close, but true love wouldn’t try to coerce a person into betraying their Christian values.  Jesus gave symbolic examples to illustrate that sometimes drastic actions must be taken to resist temptation but any measure to achieve heaven is fully worth it. (Matthew 5:27-30)  A person must have priorities and obeying God should be first on that list because the reward is immeasurable. (1 Cor. 2:9)     Consider this: God not only sees our every action, but He knows our every inclination. (Genesis 8:21)  That means that God not only knows what we do, but He knows everything we want to do, so when we refrain from a temptation, God sees that as an act of worship. (Colossians 3:17)  Therefore, we are not depriving ourselves for nothing; we are depriving ourselves for ‘God’, and He will reward that, in due time.     Consider this: If God created our current sexual organs to transmit such pleasurable sensations to our brain, don’t you think He has something infinitely better planned for heaven, the likes of which we can’t even imagine? (1 Cor. 2:9)  It’s called ‘delayed gratification’ and we strive for perfection because that shows our dedication to God.     Note: If a person makes a mistake, they shouldn’t give up completely; they should ask for forgiveness and try a new strategy.  Perhaps read the Bible more because that can give strength.  Remember: God knows if a person is being earnest (sincere) in their efforts or not. (Rev. 3:19-21) A few words of encouragement    A homosexual person may feel particularly cheated (as opposed to a single straight person) because they must refrain from sex, indefinitely, due to being attracted to the same sex.    The only consolation I can offer is that I don’t think we have long to wait on this earth so dedicate yourselves to God as a holy sacrifice (Romans 12:1), during this time we have left.  After all, there’s a lot of single people in the world who are in the same boat, including myself.          Scripture references for help   [paraphrased]    God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone.  Humans are tempted by their own evil desire, which drags them away and entices them.  After desire is conceived, it gives birth to sin.  If sin is allowed to remain and grow, it gives birth to death. (James 1: 13-15)     Jesus was tempted in every way, just as we are, but He never sinned.  He also suffered when He was tempted, so He is able to sympathize with our weaknesses, and help us when we get tempted. (Hebrews 4: 15-16 and 2:18 - combined)    God will not let a human be tempted beyond what they can bear, and when they are tempted; He will also provide a way out so they can stand up under it. (1 Cor. 10:13)    Section added: 1-19-2017 Sex in America – How and when did we start to go wrong? Introduction: Satan’s Deception   Years ago, before the Supreme Court ruled in favor of gay marriage, I always noticed how advocates for gay rights would always compare their struggle to that of African-Americans.  However, they were comparing apples to oranges because civil rights have nothing to do with gay rights.  One is based on skin color and the other is based on sexual preference.  One is forbidden in the Bible and the other is not.  Yet, their strategy worked because gay marriage was legalized in all 50 states, in June 2015.    That’s the way Satan gets things done: He blurs the line between good and evil until enough people can’t tell the difference and the government enacts a law against Christianity and for immoral behavior.  Then that behavior gets more and more common because the next generation thinks it’s okay.  However, homosexual sex is still against the Bible whether a person is married or not.  After all, God’s rules do not change, just because society changes.    Sexual immorality is an important factor to God because its mentioned more times in the New Testament than any other sin.  It’s true because I actually tabulated the results in my Bible class, many years ago, by observing all the places where a list of unclean acts were given, such as Matt 15:19, Mark 7:21, Gal 5:19, Eph 5:3, Col 3:5, and Rev 21:8 (to name a few).  I was actually shocked to see how many times sexual immorality was named, far more than any other sin.  Then, there’s other places where sexual immorality and sensual indulgence are named as primary factors (Acts 15:29, Col 2:23), and strict instructions are given to abstain or face punishment. (1 Thess 4:3-8 Perhaps the best example is when Paul said, “For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person -such a man is an idolater- has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.  Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient.” (Ephesians 5:5-6)   Many people have been deceived because they seem to think that a person can do anything they want and still get to heaven, as long as they ‘believe’ in Jesus.  Yes, it’s true that a person is saved through faith alone but if a person truly has faith, wouldn’t they at least ‘try’ to obey God?  In other words, to believe in Jesus is to believe in God’s Word (John 1) and God’s Word says ‘obey’.  John said, “This is love for God: to obey His commands.” (1st John 5:3)  John considered obedience as the all important ‘evidence’ that a person really knows Jesus.  He said, “The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” (1 John 2:4)    Of course, humans are prone to make mistakes, in times of weakness, and God is faithful to forgive, but God also knows who is making an honest effort and who is not.  Jesus said, “There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known.” (Luke 12:2)  Those who think they can be saved and do anything they please (i.e. once saved always saved) generally get that from John 3:16 but did you know that Jesus was speaking to Nicodemus the Pharisee when He made that statement?  And, Jesus was known to speak in parables to the Pharisees. (Luke 8:10)  Thus, it may be a little rash to rely on one particular verse when there is so much more explained in the Bible.  After all, even the evil spirits believed in Jesus (Luke 8:28, Acts 16:17, Acts 19:15) but they won’t likely be going to heaven.  Of course, a person can’t earn their way to heaven because its free but refraining from sin is ‘obedience’, which is very different from deeds or works.  The good thing is that, until Jesus returns, it’s not too late to repent, change, and make an honest effort to obey God.  A little history: Changing Attitudes   It may help to know some of the history behind America’s decline in moral behavior.  There have always been exceptions, because adultery and prostitution were mentioned in the Old Testament, but I’m referring more to society’s acceptance of such behavior, which began to take hold in the 1960’s.  It only takes one person to come forward and blur the lines by declaring something right that God considers wrong.  In the case of pre-marital sex, a book called Sex and the Single Girl by Helen Gurley Brown (1962) changed the minds of many young girls.  It was a non-fiction book about her own life but ironically, she wrote it when she was 40 years old and already married.  The book became a top-20 movie, in 1964, and Ms. Brown became the editor of Cosmopolitan magazine for 32 years.  She could have repented for her early misdeeds but instead, she chose to exploit them for monetary gain and turned countless millions against Biblical teachings.  Jesus said, “Things that cause people to sin are bound to come, but woe to that person through whom they come.” (Luke 17:1)   I’m not trying to put the blame solely on women because I could point to an earlier beginning, in the 1950’s.  The first Playboy magazine, featuring Marilyn Monroe, was published in 1953, and by 1961, Hugh Hefner had made sex into a $20 million industry.  As they say, “it takes two to tango” and it wasn’t women who were buying all those magazines.  Jesus said, “Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are good, your whole body also is full of light. But when they are bad, your body also is full of darkness.” (Luke 11:34)  Jesus also said, “If your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.” (Matt 18:9)  I take that second one to be figurative because a person can still see naked pictures with one eye.  Yet, it illustrates how people are tempted by things that they see and that leads a person to sin.  A person would be better off if they could eliminate those temptations.   When you think about it, sexual immorality is an addiction and what a person sees can cause a relapse, so look away.  I know, in today’s society, that’s easier said than done, but God knows a person’s heart and sees who is maintaining ‘self-control’, which is a fruit of the Spirit. (Galatians 5:23 In the same passage, Paul warns those who live according to the sinful nature that they will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Gal 5:19-21)  I’m not trying to judge; I’m just repeating what Paul said.  A person can ‘believe’ in Jesus but if they make no effort at all to abstain or moderate their sinful behavior, do they really believe?  John said, “No one who continues to sin has either seen Him or known Him. … He who does what is sinful is of the Devil, because the Devil has been sinning from the beginning. … No one who is born of God will continue to sin …” (1st John 3:6-9)   I’m just trying to alert those who are engaged in behavior that society has deemed okay but God’s Word says it’s not okay.  After all, people will ultimately be judged by God’s Word, not society’s acceptance. Homosexual Sex in America   In the case of homosexual sex, it took longer to be accepted because the Bible is more direct in its disapproval.  Since it was illegal, members of secret societies had to be covert.  The first such society was started in Chicago, in 1924, by a German immigrant named Henry Gerber.  As part of the US Army, he was stationed in Berlin from 1920 to 1923 where he witnessed a thriving subculture of gays and tried to start the same thing in America.  Although it only lasted a few months, due to arrests, Illinois strangely became the first state to legalize homosexual sex in 1962.  Other states didn’t follow until the 1970’s.  It just goes to show that Satan’s influence can linger and cause damage over time.    The next secret society was started by Harry Hay in Los Angeles, in 1950, called the Mattachine Society, which spread to other states by opening additional chapters.  A member of the Washinton DC chapter, Frank Kameny, was fired from his job at the US Army Map Service, in 1957, which led to more activism and picket lines, starting in 1964.  Yet, the ‘birth’ of the gay rights movement is largely credited to a raid on the Stonewall Inn, owned and operated by the mafia, in 1969, in New York’s Greenwich Village, where gays fought back and started a riot that lasted almost 4 hours and continued for the next few days.  The incident gave the movement publicity and they labeled themselves as the “last oppressed minority.”  Obama made the Stonewall Inn and surrounding area into the first LGBT national monument in 2016, which shows how far America has turned from God, in just 50 years.    It’s also interesting how the Supreme Court legalized homosexual sex, in all 50 states, in 2003.  Like I said, many states legalized it, in the 1970’s, but many other states refused until the case of Lawrence v. Texas reached the Supreme Court.  The interesting part is that the original arrest came as part of a false report, issued by a jealous lover.  To get the police to respond, he reported an incidence of “a black male going crazy with a gun.”  When the police entered the unlocked apartment, they found two men having sex, which was illegal so they were arrested.  They plead ‘no contest’ and were given a small fine but their lawyer asked to have the fine increased so they could appeal and the judge agreed.  It was appealed all the way to the Supreme Court, on the grounds of 14th amend. equal rights and privacy acts, which they won.  It’s just interesting that it all started as a lie, due to anger and jealousy, because Satan is the father of lies and all he needs is a foothold.  (Eph 4:25-27 Commentary & Current Events Paul’s Teaching
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