The relationship between Christians and the gays and lesbians in America is in possibly the worst shape is has ever been. In fact, I believe we help almost every other demographic of society more than we minister to the Gay community. Why is that? Honestly, if God had not placed the Gays and Lesbians in America on my heart, I don't think I really would have ever cared. I know plenty of gay people, to be sure, but never felt like they needed my help or my prayers. It's a choice, right? You choose to be that way, then you choose the consequences. In my experience Christians either condemn Gays, have a total lack of concern for them (or worse), or they are silent out of fear of retaliation. Neither opinion is the one shared by Jesus, however.
The situation today plays out eerily like the times when Jesus was on the earth, only the demographics have changed. Instead of finding Jesus among the prostitutes and tax collectors that were looked down upon by the religious establishment of his day, I feel if Jesus was physically here on earth we would find him elsewhere. (although I really DO think a lunch break with Jesus would be great for the IRS!) If Jesus was on earth today you wouldn't find him at Arby's having lunch with the local church board members, but among the gays and illegal immigrants. These are the most spiritually and politically vulnerable members of our society. The very ones the church is afraid of helping.
Often the response of the church to gays is condemnation. I do not disagree that God sees homosexuality as a sin, but condemnation never saved anybody. Only the grace and all-encompassing love of Jesus can do that. We don't need to keep telling Gay people over and over that we think what they're doing is wrong, they've heard it. What we need to do to help them is simply give them what they want. They want equal treatment, so tell them about Jesus, just like you would anybody else! Once saved and spirit filled, the Holy Spirit will take care of the rest, like he has done in the past with myself and you. Nothing and no one is beyond His power and love.
Stop worrying, Christians, about whether it's a hot button issue or whether you might make people angry (Jesus never let it bother him). Most of all, get your focus off of the sin and onto the Savior. Satan is using the preoccupation with the sin as his weapon, that is why "Gay Rights" and "Gay Marriage" is such an issue. Think about it- although tragic, the fact is that the number of heterosexual couples in this country choosing NOT to marry is on the rise, so if marriage is something mainstream pop culture is afraid of and thinks is old-fashioned, why is it that gay people desire it so badly? It is Satan's way of attempting to disfigure a holy covenant of God and take down as many people as he can with it.
I never used to love all people, but I do now. That's because of the love placed within me by the very author of love. Nobody should love or care for the gays of this country like the Christians! Shame on us!
One more thing:
Don't believe the lie. If anybody tells you that you can do whatever you like, knowing full
well that doing it will only bring you personal destruction and ultimately
eternal absence from the presence of the God who loves you, they are not
your friend. They don't care about you, just your vote!
I don't know what happened.
Last week was terrible.
I have been doing a lot of brainstorming, but I can find no definitive point in time where everything fell apart. It just seemed like the whole world was out to get me, for real!
Wanna know what went wrong? Here's a sample of the way my week went-
I lost my temper with the boys- but it was because they woke the baby up twice with their bickering and I DID tell them to be quiet but they didn't listen. And did I mention they woke him up twice? Yes. TWICE!
I lost my temper with my husband- but it can be so hard sometimes because he works so many hours and then he's so tired and the yard is a mess and he keeps forgetting to do things that I ask him about.
The kids are driving me nuts because it's the middle of summer and they are around each other too much and pick silly fights and annoy each other out of boredom. I am always the one who has to make things right between them and it gets really old. I started thinking maybe I should get a job. Hey, I'm already working law enforcement practically on a full time basis in my own home.
I get unhappy with my station in life right now. All I do is clean up messes and break up fights and sometimes I just feel like I'm stuck in this rut, making the same old dinners, sweeping the same floors, and changing the same dirty diapers over and over again and what I WANT to be doing is studying the word and writing and speaking and being Awesome Christian Wonder Woman who has all the right answers.
Day after day the week wouldn't let up with hardships! Each night I was so drained I couldn't WAIT to hit my prayer time! I needed a word from God to get me through this! I prayed and meditated on his word.
...And nothing.
I started to get nervous, have I become Samson? Has the Spirit of the Lord left me? What am I doing wrong, God? Desperately, I sought and sought and the week kept going full steam ahead to Crappy Town, ...and still nothing.
In making this list of what went wrong this past week I finally figured out my problems. I'll be brief, but I made several key mistakes this past week:
1. How I react to a situation is solely on my shoulders. I can never blame my reaction to a problem on another person's behavior. I always have the choice. I can either fly off the handle or exercise self-control.
2. I need to stop making excuses and complaining. It never makes me feel better and it just makes everything that follows after that feel and seem worse. (This is my Broken Record Lesson- I have to keep learning it over and over again!)
3. And the Big Deal Lesson of the Day- As a Christian, I am different than those in the world. My current situation does not define who I am or even give any indication of where I will be in the future. I am a NEW creation and my God is limitless! I cannot allow the enemy to manipulate my self worth in this way!
4. Also, I noticed that in my desperation I expected God to come rushing to my aid and to prop up my failing self esteem. He isn't going to waste his time doing this, and honestly, if he did I would never learn to rest on him. He is my source and He has already made it clear he has an awesome plan for my life. It is my job to not allow doubt to creep in and steal his promises. Proverbs 3:5 was for me last week-
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.
My understanding stinks! Although I am getting stronger in my faith by the day, every once in a while I fall for this dumb stuff. Complaining, frustration, depression, low self worth, it's all hogwash from the enemy, and sad to say, he successfully side tracked me for a whole week!
I was so glad the Holy Spirit snapped me back into reality. Jesus gives us his Grace daily, sometimes hourly- I really need it because I mess up like this more than I care to admit.
...Oh, and I forgot- do I get to blame it on my hormones, too? Sorry! :)
