Stuff I've heard in the past few days (or read)...
Xander left a comment on my blog yesterday that I didn't see until today. He believes that he's created in God's image and that God made him to be gay. That's his right to believe and I don't agree with it. We'll agree to disagree and my response was just to simply ask him to consider stopping engaging in sinful behavior. It's up to him to decide what is sinful and whether or not to do that.
It's a tough place to be to have to disagree with someone on something like that. Matters of the heart are tricky. I heard on a radio program I like to listen to a story about a man telling a pastor that he'd left his wife and was living with another woman and saw himself perfectly in the will of God in the matter. The pastor clearly saw things just a little bit differently.
My mind wonders about things like that. I don't get how you can read the Bible and come up with the conclusion that it says this when most people agree it clearly says something else and I wonder if it's just a way to justify our own behavior instead of confronting it for what it is. I read it and I was convinced at the end that I was clearly a sinner in need of a Savior and some things needed to change in my life to be in the will of God.
As I thought this through, I started to wonder not just about homosexual people, but about the BT part of the LGBT community. Clearly people are born with birth defects and some are born with both genitals. It happens. Why is above my pay grade but God allows this. But what about the folks, both men and women, who are attracted to and have sexual relations with both the same and opposite sex? How do they fit into the whole idea that God made them that way? And if they act on those desires, is it or is it not sin in the eyes of a homosexual who identifies as a Christian? What about folks who have sex change operations? If that's being created in God's image, and a person changes what God made them from birth, does that allow for the possibility that God makes mistakes?
I'm just saying what I was thinking about. I'm not pointing fingers. I'm just trying to understand where the line in the sand is; where God and sin collide with this whole thing. Should LGBT have a slash in it like this: LG/BT so we can understand where that line is?
Again, just sayin'. Not trying to start an argument with anyone or hatin' on anybody cause they sin different than me.
Someone said this to me the other day about a church service: I didn't like the music because it focused too much on His (meaning Jesus) death. This person is of the LDS faith and went to a local non-denominational church. The person liked to focus more on Jesus' life and what He did for us.
I found that comment odd. Because what He did for us was endure being beaten, mocked, whipped, and hung on a cross to die for every sin you and I commit. And after three days, He rose from the grave. The Resurrection IS Christianity. Without it, Jesus was just another man. What He did on the cross for us was give His life. He spilled His precious blood for our redemption. I don't think you can ever over-emphasize what that sacrifice was. But then too, I was reminded that the LDS faithful shun the cross. I don't quite understand why. They also replace the symbol of His blood (wine or grape juice) with water. Again, I don't understand why that is, but it seems to me that water vs. wine is a bigger departure than fermented vs. non-fermented.
Remember, Jesus' first miracle was turning water INTO wine.
Again, just stuff I don't understand. I know we shouldn't allow things to become idols, but I don't get why that visible reminder of Jesus' sacrifice for us; the cross isn't cool but a CTR ring is OK. That one nobody will ever explain to me. Again, we'll just agree to disagree.
Those are some of the things I've been thinking of this weekend. And still soaking in the sermon this morning. And wondering what's next.....
It's a tough place to be to have to disagree with someone on something like that. Matters of the heart are tricky. I heard on a radio program I like to listen to a story about a man telling a pastor that he'd left his wife and was living with another woman and saw himself perfectly in the will of God in the matter. The pastor clearly saw things just a little bit differently.
My mind wonders about things like that. I don't get how you can read the Bible and come up with the conclusion that it says this when most people agree it clearly says something else and I wonder if it's just a way to justify our own behavior instead of confronting it for what it is. I read it and I was convinced at the end that I was clearly a sinner in need of a Savior and some things needed to change in my life to be in the will of God.
As I thought this through, I started to wonder not just about homosexual people, but about the BT part of the LGBT community. Clearly people are born with birth defects and some are born with both genitals. It happens. Why is above my pay grade but God allows this. But what about the folks, both men and women, who are attracted to and have sexual relations with both the same and opposite sex? How do they fit into the whole idea that God made them that way? And if they act on those desires, is it or is it not sin in the eyes of a homosexual who identifies as a Christian? What about folks who have sex change operations? If that's being created in God's image, and a person changes what God made them from birth, does that allow for the possibility that God makes mistakes?
I'm just saying what I was thinking about. I'm not pointing fingers. I'm just trying to understand where the line in the sand is; where God and sin collide with this whole thing. Should LGBT have a slash in it like this: LG/BT so we can understand where that line is?
Again, just sayin'. Not trying to start an argument with anyone or hatin' on anybody cause they sin different than me.
Someone said this to me the other day about a church service: I didn't like the music because it focused too much on His (meaning Jesus) death. This person is of the LDS faith and went to a local non-denominational church. The person liked to focus more on Jesus' life and what He did for us.
I found that comment odd. Because what He did for us was endure being beaten, mocked, whipped, and hung on a cross to die for every sin you and I commit. And after three days, He rose from the grave. The Resurrection IS Christianity. Without it, Jesus was just another man. What He did on the cross for us was give His life. He spilled His precious blood for our redemption. I don't think you can ever over-emphasize what that sacrifice was. But then too, I was reminded that the LDS faithful shun the cross. I don't quite understand why. They also replace the symbol of His blood (wine or grape juice) with water. Again, I don't understand why that is, but it seems to me that water vs. wine is a bigger departure than fermented vs. non-fermented.
Remember, Jesus' first miracle was turning water INTO wine.
Again, just stuff I don't understand. I know we shouldn't allow things to become idols, but I don't get why that visible reminder of Jesus' sacrifice for us; the cross isn't cool but a CTR ring is OK. That one nobody will ever explain to me. Again, we'll just agree to disagree.
Those are some of the things I've been thinking of this weekend. And still soaking in the sermon this morning. And wondering what's next.....
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