Newsweek on Gay Marriage

Newsweek published an article in which it claimed that what the Bible teaches about love argues FOR gay marriage. As I read the article, there were two areas of objection that kept popping up in my mind. Firstly, most of the examples used were the exception, rather than God's design; and secondly, many of the Bible verses were quoted out of context. The first example used was Abraham sleeping with his servant when he discovered his wife Sarah was infertile. But, the article did not point out that the Bible shows that Abraham was wrong in bearing Ishmael through his servant, because he did not trust God to fulfill His promise; and that God fulfilled His promise when Sarah gave birth to Isaac. Other examples used were of polygamy, but, God never showed approval for it; and the article did not point out that the Bible shows all the negative effects of polygamy on those who practiced it. The article even used Jesus being single as an example. But, Jesus came to earth to be the Savior, and the Church is metaphorically the Bride of Christ. So, there was a purpose for Jesus being single; but, this was a special situation and should not be used to indicate anything about God's design for marriage in general. The apostle Paul was similarly an "exception" rather than the "rule"; in that his ministry caused him to constantly be on travel to his missionary journeys, to be imprisoned, and to have his life in danger. So, for his ministry, he had the gift of celibacy, and may have been more effective in singleness. Again, that does not change God's design for marriage. If the article, by citing these examples of exception, are trying to make an argument that gay marriage should be allowed as just another exception; the problem with that is the Bible does not support any of the exceptions that go against God's design either. Just because it occurs in society does not mean that it is right. This goes back to existing discussions about absolute truth versus relative social laws, and ethics versus morality. So, for example, even though society has made it legal to have an abortion, the absolute truth is that killing is wrong, and therefore the destruction of human life in the womb is wrong. The Bible has clearly stated that homosexuality is a sin and goes against God's design, such as in Romans 1:27: "And in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error" Then, as for Scripture being quoted out of context, we can often cite verses to support our viewpoint, but, by not taking into the context of the whole Bible, the verses can be misinterpreted. So, for example "There is neither Greek nor Jew, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Jesus Christ." was used in the article to support gay marriage because of it's inclusiveness. The passage in Galatians 3:28 was talking about "inclusiveness", but not for marriage. It was specifically referring to the salvation through Jesus Christ. The arguments about being loving, inclusive, and accepting the opinion of society can be used to condone many things. However, when something goes against the design of God, the Creator, we cannot just say that it is right. In Genesis, God's design for marriage was clearly one man and one woman. And studies support this by showing that the best environment for children is one in which they have one father and one mother.

Be Not Afraid

I've found my verse for next year's area of focus. I was reminded of this verse that I had previously memorized:

"For God hath not given us a spirit of timidity; but of courage, of love and of a sound mind."--2 Tim. 1:7.

That summarizes well the various aspects of what I was looking for - to be unafraid, to have boldness, to be willing to take risk because of love, and of course, to have a sound mind, which to me includes wisdom.

I'm excited, because this ties in well with when God encouraged Joshua to be strong and courageous, such as in Chp 1 vs 9, "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid: do not be discouraged, for God is with you wherever you go." Many times in Scripture, we see the phrases, "Fear not" and "Do not be afraid". God may have just revealed to me what the next summer Bible Study series will be.....

Christmas'08

Christmas is definitely here. It's easy to get caught up in the busy-ness of the Season; but, I do try to make sure that I do not lose sight of the true reason and meaning for it all. On Saturday, I went to a Christmas Repast at EV Free Fullerton. As usual, it was very beautiful, creative, and well-organized. I had a chance to spend time with some friends; and I even ran into an old "friend" that I am praying for. I also started getting some ideas for my area of focus next year, somewhere along the lines of being bold and unafraid for God, being willing to take risks for Him. But, one thing in particular that stood out for me, was when the niece of Hugh Martin spoke of his conversion to Christianity and consequently his re-writing lyrics to his well-beloved Christmas song "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas". She sang the new lyrics:

Have yourself a blessed little Christmas
Christ the King is born
Let your voices ring upon this happy morn

Have yourself a blessed little Christmas
Serenade the Earth
Tell the world we celebrate the Savior's birth

Let us all proclaim the joyous tidings
Voices raised on high
Send this carol soaring up into the sky,
This very merry blessed Christmas lullaby.

Let us gather to sing to Him
And to bring to Him our praise
Son of God and a Friend of all
To the end of all our days

Sings hosannas, hymns, and hallelujahs
As to Him we bow
Make the music mighty as the heav’ns allow
And have yourself a blessed little Christmas now.

Such a neat story, and I love the new lyrics. I have printed it out and will use it whenever I sing to the tune of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" Last night, I also had my fellowship class over for lunch. It was a nice time and I had a chance to show my pictures of the Holy Land.

O Death where is thy sting?

Handel's Messiah has long been my all-time favorite musical masterpiece ever. So, I was very interested this week to study the passage from which Handel took the words for "O Death where is thy sting?" In Hosea 13:14, right in the middle of pronouncing severe judgment and denouncing Israel's sinful behavior, God shows His great love and His desire for them to be saved:

"I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death. Where, O death, are your plagues? Where, O grave, is your destruction?"

And Paul, quoting from the LXX version, at the end of his great dissertation on the centrality of the Resurrection in Christianity in I Corinthians 15:55, used that words that Handel incorporated into his musical piece:

"Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?"

How amazing that God, even as He had to justly execute the due punishment for Israel's sin, was looking forward towards the hope of redemption and salvation. And how true, as Paul said, that if there is no resurrection, then our faith is useless, for there would be no victory over sin and death. And, since the resurrection is so central and critical to Christianity, how assuring it is to know that Christ's resurrection is supported by evidence and facts. As Lee Strobel, author of The Case for Easter: Journalist Investigates the Evidence for the Resurrection, pointed out in a lecture, the resurrection can be supported by 4 "E"s:

• Execution - Historically, it is well-documented that Jesus Christ was crucified and was buried
• Early Accounts - The news of his death and resurrection are documented so soon after it occurred that there was no time for "legend" to develop; and the documentation had to be accurate, for those who had been there were still living and would be able to refute any inaccuracies
• Empty Tomb - It is well-documented that the tomb is empty and the facts support the resurrection as the best explanation
• Eyewitnesses - There were many eyewitnesses over a period of time at different places

The resurrection is not only central to Christianity, but, it can also show that Christianity is true. Since the Gospels are accepted as historically reliable documents, and in them, Christ made claims to divinity and his death and resurrection are recorded there; that when the resurrection occurred (the best explanation of the facts as mentioned above), it supported Christ's claims to be God. If He is God, then what He says is true; and since He supported and quoted the Old and New Testaments, then what is recorded in the Bible is not to be ignored.

It's Beginning to Look a lot like Christmas....

Christmas is one of my favorite times of year, right next to Easter. Usually, I put up my decorations right after Thanksgiving; but, since I was out of town this year for the Thanksgiving weekend, I just finished putting them up inside the house last night. The Nativity scenes, the pine, the beautiful colors, and the smells all evoke warm feelings of Peace and Joy. I know that the Holiday Season can be a difficult time of year for many people; and being an unattached single, I could be considered one of those people. But, as Thanksgiving reminds me, I really do have much to be thankful for; and most of all, Christmas is when Christ came to earth in order to become my Savior. So, how can I not be filled with the Christmas Spirit. This year, I am not only having my family over for Christmas Dinner; but, I have also invited my Sunday Fellowship Class to come over for lunch this weekend. I enjoy hosting, and fortunately have gained much experience from all the bridal showers, baby showers, Birthday gatherings, and family get-togethers that I have organized. I hope that when people enter my home, they may feel warmth, love, peace, and joy; and be reminded of the true meaning of Christmas.

Giving Thanks

Thanksgiving will be here tomorrow; and in a spirit of gratitude, I want to take the time to "count my blessings" and to thank the LORD for all He has done for me and given to me. First and foremost, I do thank HIM for the gift of salvation, and the abundant blessings which accompany it. I am amazed that I am adopted into the family of God; and that I can have a close personal relationship with my Heavenly Father. I am grateful for the assurance of His presence and guidance in my life, knowing that I am never alone. I just pray that I may live my life in a manner pleasing to HIM, and that He may continue to use me for His Work here on earth. I thank HIM for His Word that He has given us, in order that we might know HIM better. I'm grateful for the love of His Word, which He has instilled within me. I thank HIM for the opportunity to lead a Bible Study class. I thank HIM for my family. While we have our flaws and imperfections, I have the security of knowing that we care about each other and that I can turn to them for help and support, whenever needed. I thank HIM for my friends. I have been blessed with a few close friends who share my faith, with bonds of friendships which have been strengthened through time. I thank HIM for my job. I love the convenience of not having to commute for work. I'm grateful that my job utilizes my background and experience; and is one in which I am capable of handling. I am grateful that it adequately provides for my living. Especially in tough economic times as these, that is something to be very grateful for. I thank HIM for my health. Though our bodies and health naturally degrade and decay with age, I am grateful that I am relatively healthy. I still have use of all my limbs; and I have no serious illness or disease. This is something that can easily be taken for granted; but, for the few times that I have loss the use of a body part or have been ill, I recognize that good health is to be appreciated and valued. God is GOOD! He has blessed me abundantly, according to His grace, far above what I deserve. Amen.

Behind the Mask

Some of the characteristics I've always valued in others are honesty, sincerity, and openness. In contrast, just this week, in the Hosea study, the characteristics of the Israelites emphasized, were their lies and deceitfulness. I know that when I encounter those who hide behind "masks", I find it disappointing, for it dispels my trust in them. There are many types of masks people hide behind. There are masks of false sincerity, deceit, stoicism, etc. No matter what kind of masks people wear, they are essentially trying to hide the TRUTH. At this moment, I can specifically think of three people who have broken the trust I have in them, because of the masks they put on:

• The first puts on so many different masks that all I see is mass contradiction; and I no longer believe anything that person says. I will listen to the facts that can be verified; but, have to ignore anything related to opinion, because I don't really know if it is true. I have come to view this person as someone who lacks integrity and is not to be trusted.

• The second is someone who may have started off on the wrong foot and could possibly be trying to remedy it. However, how this person is currently contrasts so greatly with what they previously said; that, I'm no longer sure whether what this person is saying now is truly sincere. I'm trying to give this person the benefit of the doubt; and to accept as much as possible; but, it will take time to rebuild the trust.

• The third is someone I was sad to see wear a mask. I thought we had the type of friendship that the person would feel safe enough to be themselves, and not have to put on a mask. Yet, I found that under the guise of interest in something else, this person seemed to be hiding ulterior motives.

Rare is the relationship in which both people are fully honest, open, and sincere with one another. When a person is fortunate enough to find themselves in such a relationship, it should be treasured.