Why God is Not Fazed by the June 26 Supreme Court Decision

Friday, June 26, 2015, that date considered a landmark day in not only American history but in world history.

It is also, along with the 1973 Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court decision, the most controversial decision in our history.

All of us will remember where we were and what we were doing on June 26, 2015. We will remember exactly how we felt. I remember what I was doing. The TV was turned on in the background and I suddenly I heard "Breaking news: Same-sex marriage is now the law of the land." I looked up from what I was doing and saw all the images of LGBT people and their partners laughing, shouting, singing and weeping, as they celebrated this ruling that was in their favor. I heard politicians and others wax eloquent about how far we had "progressed" and all the "changes" that have gradually been worked into our culture, and how it was up to those who have benefited from the June 26 ruling, to "reach behind" and "bring aboard" those who do not agree with this landmark and controversial decision. I saw dissenters express their anger, frustration, disappointment and dismay at this decision and at what they believe it means for the religious liberty of people of faith. I saw my online, Facebook Timeline "blow up" with one post after another about this decision. Many of my friends added rainbow effects to their photos to show their support, while others changed their photos to crosses. I read happy and even gleeful posts by supporters and saddened or angry posts by dissenters of the June 26, 2015, Supreme Court decision. But are there questions no one is asking?

How does God feel about the June 26, 2015 Supreme court decision?

How did He feel to see all the "Gay Pride" celebrations not only on the Supreme Court steps, but in "Gay Pride" celebrations all over the United States?

Jesus was the perfect reflection of His Father when He lived among us as a human, during His incarnation. No matter what we think, including on controversial issues like abortion or homosexuality, both sides reference Jesus and His teachings to prove their point. I think most of us are familiar with the story of the woman who was caught in the very act of cheating on her man. Caught red-handed! I have always wondered how those Pharisees even knew she was doing it. It makes me wonder if one of them was not "the other man." Getting back to the point, they brought her to Jesus and challenged Him to "take a stand" and say if she should be stoned or if she should be shown mercy. They wanted to trap Him. We know His response but I think we may conveniently overlook the other half of what He said to her.

When her accusers left her, He said to her, "Then neither do I condemn you. Go now and leave your life of sin" (John 8:11).

Jesus was showing grace by telling her that He did not condemn her. He then gave her truth when He told her to "sin no more," meaning to not go on sinning deliberately in unbroken sin, unrepented of sin.

This holds true with homosexuality or any other sin. He would say, "I do not condemn you for who you are," to show His grace. He would then say, "Leave your lifestyle of sin," to give us truth.

Jesus gave the woman caught in adultery the glad news that she was not condemned! God had not given up on her and believed in what He could do in her! Redemption was possible.

He also gave her a warning that she was to stop living that lifestyle. Her lifestyle was not accepted and was to be abandoned.

That is true of all our sins. It is true of all of our mostly "straight" sins. We are not condemned and God has not given up on us but believes in what He can do in us. We can be redeemed. But we are told to stop sinning.

That is also true of homosexuality, which God clearly says is wrong in Romans 1:26-27. LGBT people are not condemned. God has not given up on them but believes in what He can do in them. But they are told to stop sinning, just as the rest of us are told to stop sinning.

These are God's words, not mine. I did not make this up.

I noticed a post that was making the point that many of us Christians are getting bent out of shape by the June 26, Supreme Court decision and focusing on homosexuality because we are not committing it and are ignoring the sins we are guilty of and that are equally displeasing to God. There is truth in this and we need to pay attention. One thing I know is that God may use this June 26, 2015 Supreme Court ruling, that made homosexual marriage the law of the land, to purify, refine, and simplify the Bride of Christ in America. We will no longer have the luxury of being silent about this issue; at some point we will have to deal with it. Maybe we will learn how to show a balance of love, grace and truth to the LGBT community and many will see that their need can be filled only by salvation in Jesus, not by a license to live the homosexual lifestyle. God no doubt is grieved by the ruling on June 26, 2015, but he is not bent out of shape, wringing His hands or defeated by this ruling. He has made it clear that He will have ultimate victory and will win in the end. He still believes in what He can do in us, even though our religious liberties are being more and more suppressed. He still believes in what He can do in individuals in the LGBT community or in any others who need Him.

And what is this that God can do in us, whether straight or LGBT?

He can save us, straight or LGBT, by His grace through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. Heaven will be filled with straights and with LGBT individuals who have received God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ and have chosen God's way. Hell will be filled with both straights and LGBT individuals who have rejected God's grace through faith in Jesus and have chosen their way over God's.

That is why I say God is not fazed by a court ruling. He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords!

His desire is for us to fulfill the Great Commission, no matter what our political situation is.

What Would Jesus Say to the American Christian Church?

I think He would regard all our denominations and how they have split us until we regard ourselves as Lutherans, Methodists, Presbyterians, Congregationalists, Pentecostals, Baptists, or any other sect, and say: "You are all disciples, followers of Me, and brothers and sisters in Jesus."

I think He would regard all our church buildings, all our decorations, all our programs and our events and say, "This is not the Church. The Church is not any of these things nor is it a place or an event. You are the Church, all of you who carry My Name."

I think He would regard all our surplus resources, including all our Bibles in numerous translations and in different genres, our many Christian books that are often self-help and all our Christian colleges, Christian radio and Christian TV and say, "These are good to a point, but many of My people all over the world do not have nearly what you do and they are rich toward Me! What you need, more than anything, is a living relationship with me."

I think He would regard our fast-paced living and the way we meet once (maybe twice a week) in worship contexts and share only superficially when together, and say, "I have commanded you to love one another. How can you do that if you are too busy to take the time to get to know each other?"

I think He would regard our practice of setting up congregations that draw different people groups of Christians (Black, Caucasian, affluent, poor, different ethnic groups) and say, "This should never be! I see all of you as one Body of Christ. You have split Me up so the world will never be convinced that You are mine."

I think that He would regard all the scandals that so often break out publicly among Christian leaders and that happen as often in fellowships everywhere though lesser-known, and say: "I commanded You to watch and pray so that you would not enter into temptation. Because you refuse accountability and ignore my instruction to confess your sins to each other and pray for one another for healing, sin overcomes you and My Name is dragged in the mud."

I think He would regard our ingrained habit of looking to our Pastors and other Pastoral staff to do our ministry and divide them into clergy and laity and would say, "This is backward. You are all brothers and sisters in Me and no one is professional or unprofessional in my Kingdom. You are all ministers and you all have a job to do."

I think He would regard our appalling divorce rate in the Christian community that is as high as in the general community and would say, "I designed marriage not only for procreation and companionship but also to represent the forever relationship between My beloved Church, Whom I love passionately, and Me. Divorce does great violence to My design for marriage."

I think He would regard the 4000 abortions a day and our silence about this social ill and even our participation in it (getting abortions or enabling others to get them) and say, "This is very wrong! I create every person from conception on with purposes and gifts and these are My children who are being killed! And it breaks My heart to see what abortion does to all those left behind--the moms, dads, grandparents and all the waste of life."

I think He would regard our ignorance of or refusal to address so many social ills that also affect Christian (abortion, same-sex attraction, mental illness, sexual abuse, domestic violence, poverty and more) and would say, "I commanded You to bear each other's burdens and so fulfill My Law. It is by loving each other that people will identify you as Mine. Step it up!"

I think He would regard our tendency to politicize Him and the Bible and subtly (and not so subtly) totally ignore one party and refuse to see that both parties have both strengths and weaknesses, and would say, "My Kingdom is not of this world and I am not a Republican or a Democrat or any political title. The government cannot save you."

I think He would regard all His people all over the world so willing to give up all for him and even their physical lives and then regards our lukewarmness and blindness about so much of His teachings, and would say, "All who want to live a godly life for Me will be persecuted. Stand up to your more subtle enemies of materialistic and consumeristic temptations, and embrace the cross and be forever exalted."

I think He would regard the mass exodus (at least 70 percent) of young people from our fellowships (in all denominations) and the sad phenomenon of so many "losing their faith" in college, and say, "This breaks My heart. The Body of Christ is not supposed to be age-segregated and divided into age-segregated worship services, small groups and Bible study groups. Young people are being turned off by the way you do church and I do not blame them."

I think He would regard how we have thoroughly caved into our culture so that an estimated 60 percent of professed Christians approve of homosexuality as an "alternative lifestyle" and see this sinful lifestyle that God clearly denounces in even the New Testament, and says, "When I told the women who was being condemned for her adultery I did tell her that I did not condemn her. I did not tell her to do whatever made her happy even if it means sinning. I told her to stop sinning. Acceptance of sin and love for it is sin."

I think He would regard the horrible practice of so many televangelists and Christian leaders of saying "the right things" while they get rich off their followers and live their cushy and wealthy lives, and say, "These wolves in sheep's clothing do not speak for me and I do not know them. I told you to watch out for false prophets and do not listen to them but follow me and study My Word and sound Biblical teachers."

I think he would regard our refusal to proclaim the full Gospel, not only of God's grace and love and forgiveness but also of sin and holiness and judgment and hell, and say: "If you are bent on not offending or upsetting people with the truth, even when the truth hurts, you are offending Me."

I think He would regard those among us who, though far from perfect, are earnestly seeking to daily hang onto Him as Savior and Lord and endure in faith, and say, "Continue to stand firm in your faith and don't let anyone hinder you, even if everyone around you goes into the opposite direction."

When Will We Stop Making God Look Bad?

Crusaders, in the Name of Christ, avenge the killings of fellow Christians.

On a Dr. Phil show, a man professes to have surrendered to Christ but is exposed as hellishly abusing his wife and child.

Countless Catholic priests molest children, especially boys.

Years ago, a leader of a nonprofit for persecuted believers is exposed as having molested a ten-year-old girl.

A pastor's wife is found brutally murdered and her murderer ends up being her husband, the pastor.

A well-known Christian family condemns homosexuality and later, one of their sons is exposed as molesting family members and a five-year child many years ago.

A man lures girls to a compound, tells them they are "the Bride of Christ" and convinces them to submit to his sexual favors.

A man, in the name of Christian leadership, pressures his mentally ill wife to have five children, whom she murders in a delusional state.

A well-known megachurch pastor denounces homosexuality but is exposed as having had a homosexual relationship with another man.

A famous megachurch pastor charges viewers to send him prayer requests and destroys those requests and pockets their donations.

Multiple televangelists make millions preaching the Gospel and adopt extravagantly wealthy lifestyles for themselves.

Over and over, people picket controversial funerals outside a famous church.

People hold up signs that say things like "God hates fags," picketing a "gay pride" event.

Getting closer to home, many of us attend worship services weekly but do not put what we hear in practice.

I can go on and on and I'm sure more of these incidents will come to mind later. But all of these incidents, and all others like them, share some things in common. First of all, all of these tragedies make our holy, perfect Savior and God look bad. Second, all of these tragedies create victims whose trust is violated and whose lives may never be the same. Third, these tragedies create much grief for true Christians who are seeking to be faithful to Christ and to create prejudices against them. Fourth, all of these incidents hinder the cause of Christ on Earth and turn people off to the Gospel. I'm pretty sure that people in the modern Church in the West, both Christians and non-Christians, survey all of this and decide that all followers of Jesus are hypocrites. No doubt all of this has contributes to the rising numbers of the "Nones" (those who claim to have no ties with religion) and the "Dones" (those who leave the organized Church).

I'm not sure who said it but it is well-said: "These Christians will have to start acting saved before I will believe in their Savior."

The other day, the wife of a person whose webpages I visit daily and who has a thriving cross-cultural ministry to the Muslim world, praises the Iraqi Christians she has been honored to know, praising them for their love and that they are known by all for their love. In all my research of persecuted brothers and sisters in Jesus, I can't help but take note that so many of them and in the face of their hardships, are known for their love. You do not read or hear of tragedies like we hear of here in the West, going on in closed or hostile lands where faith costs a lot.

What does this has to do with having religious freedom? You may wonder.

This is my opinion. Here in the West, faith does not cost us severe, physical persecution. We are free to practice our religion or faith. In the United States, Christianity has been woven into the culture from the beginning, at least from my understanding. In this country, over 70 percent of all Americans identify as Christians. Though it is getting more and more unpopular to identify as a follower of Jesus, coming out as a Christian will not get us arrested, will not cause authorities or militants to burn down our churches, and will not put us in any danger of bodily harm. But we are paying a hidden price for our wonderful religious freedoms in that anyone can feel free to identify as a Christian, simply because they may have been baptized as infants, have been confirmed, raised a hand in a meeting, said a sinner's prayer, or have walked forward in an aisle. Many of these people may be culturally Christian and may not be followers of Jesus in the Bible sense. Therefore, without the power to overcome sin, they cannot stop sinning. But, true Christians still struggle with sin and we are all capable of the worst of sins if placed in the wrong environment or having the wrong temptations.

In closed or hostile lands where following Jesus is costly, there is little or no temptation to identify as a Christian unless one is serious about Jesus and is willing to pay the high price of discipleship. Christians who face severe persecution in those lands, of course, are not perfect and still sin, but their temptations lie in the areas of staying true to Christ in severe persecution and they easily stay focused on God. Our temptations are many and our foes, materialism, consumerism, relativism, humanism and individualism, are far more subtle and tempt us to hope in things other than God. Thus, you hear of all these scandals in the Christian community and in the Western Christian Church. So what we we to do?

Jesus gave us a simple command: "Watch and pray that you do not fall into temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Matthew 26:41, NIV). .

One Appointment We Cannot Miss

Afraid of going to a dentist? We can avoid such an appointment.

Avoiding a certain person? We can avoid a confrontation with him or her.

Don't want the inconvenience of a doctor's visit? We can avoid such a visit.

Too tired to keep an appointment? You can just not show up.

Decide that you do not need to keep an appointment? You can cancel it.

In this life, we can avoid most appointments we don't want to keep for one reason or another. We can get out of most of them and relieve ourselves of obligation or confrontation. Sure, by avoiding them, we may compromise our health, as in the case of avoiding doctor appointments. Avoiding dreaded surgeries can be done even if doing so will leave us with health problems or even risk our lives. Ducking dental visits may relieve us of anxiety and debt our dental health will suffer and we may even lose our teeth. Avoiding a feared or disliked person may relieve us of anxiety or interpersonal confrontation, but will do nothing to make peace with the person or restore a relationship.

But the Bible tells us that, as believers, we must all appear at one appointment. We will not be able to avoid it. All of us will be there. It does not matter who we are, how young we are, how old we are, how rich we are, how poor we are, how famous we are, how ordinary we are, how devoted we are or how lukewarm we are in following Jesus, or our current circumstances. We cannot duck it. This appointment is called the Judgment Seat of Christ. I wish our Pastors and Christian leaders preached and taught on this more. I do not think I have heard a sermon on judgment or on the Judgment Seat of Christ, in all my life. There are a few books on God's judgment, but not many. That is bad! For all of us will have to stand before this spotlessly holy, flawless, perfect God Who cannot tolerate a speck of sin and hates it with a passion! We will be standing before a God Who hates sin so much that He went to the far extreme of sending His own Son to the cross, to pay the penalty for it and open the way to make sinners acceptable to Him. Non-Christians will stand before God, but it will not be at the Judgment Seat of Christ but at the Great White Throne Judgment. As it is sometimes said, ten out of every ten people will die. Well, ten out of every ten people will also stand before God, whether at the Great White Throne as unbelievers or as believers at the Judgment Seat of Christ.

I do not know if standing before God ever crosses your mind. You may be so busy with the cares of your life that it never occurs to you. It does not help that most Pastors and Bible teachers neglect this important topic. Why does this topic matter anyway?

First of all, if you are a follower of Christ, there is one thing that can be ruled out right away when mentioning the Judgment Seat of Christ. We do not show up there to be judged for our sins. If we trust Jesus to take away our sins, He has already taken all of the judgment that we deserved for our sins. God's love for us is equal to His infinite hate for our sins and it is His love that moved Him to extreme of sending His Son to die so that we need never appear before The Great White Throne to hear the dread words "I never knew you; Get away from me!" and be cast out of His presence forever. Then what is the point of the Judgment Seat of Christ, anyway?

Like it or not, all of us who are followers of Christ will be evaluated for how we have lived our lives, what we did and why we did it as well as how our circumstances have affected and worked with us. Christ is perfectly impartial and fair. This can be both scary and comforting.

As I understand it, we will not be judged for:

How much money we have in the bank;

How many extra hours we spend at our jobs;

How many extracurricular activities we sign up our children for;

How many people speak well of us or declare us to be wonderful Christians;

How many people "friend" us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter;

Or even how many worship services we attend or how many sermons we hear;

As I understand it, we assuredly will be judged for:

How much of our money we gave and why we gave it;

How we treated people at our jobs and why;

How we nurtured our children in Christ as they grew;

How willing we are to obey Christ even if people trash us or exclude us;

How we use social networks to glorify God and serve other users;

And how we respond to what we hear at our worship services and why.

We will be judged for the quality of what we did on Earth and our motives will be judged also. We will be judged for what we did not do and why we did not do it. The Judgment Seat of Christ will be about our works and about rewards. I admit, it seems unfair that there will be inequality in Heaven, as well as authority structures. Many followers of Jesus will have great rewards, many will have good rewards and many others will be "saved as by fire" with nothing to show but simply being saved. But when we ponder it, is it only fair that a Pastor of a small church who preached the Gospel faithfully, may be exalted way above a famous megachurch televangelist who watered down the Gospel? Is it only fair that a mentally challenged woman who glorified God in life, may be exalted way beyond a genius Christian who lived a careless Christian life? Isn't it fair that a wife who stayed true to God in a loveless, atrocious marriage may be exalted way above a wife who enjoyed a happy Christian marriage and who tended to coast in life? Isn't it fair that a severely persecuted believer in the Muslim world or in North Korea, who suffered horrifically for Christ, will be exalted way above most Western believers?

While love for God and desire to delight Him and make Him proud of us is our first motive, there is a reason the Bible speaks so much of rewards. Our choices do have meaning even when it may not seem like they do. What thoughts does the very idea of standing before the spotlessly holy Son of God bring out in you?

Hello, I am Sin

Hello, Humanity,

I can be found everywhere and you need not look far;

In your homes;

In your relationships;

In your lives;

And yes, in your hearts, thoughts and attitudes;

I have not disappeared; I am just known by many other names;

I am known as the right to choose as long as "No one is hurt";

I am known as as various disorders and illnesses;

On the Internet, my underlings and slaves have more tools to do their damage;

Children in public schools never found it so easy to learn my ways;

Without me, you would never see these: Jails, Prisons, Hospitals, Wars, Shelters, or Institutions;

Without me, you would not see people become: Cops, Military, Doctors, Nurses, Prison Guards, Judges, or Lawyers;

I offer you happiness, ease, fun, thrills, entertainment and life and don't forget wealth:

I offer all these to you without requiring any sacrifice or commitment from you;

As it has been rightly said, I hide the price tags;

You only find out later that I lied to you and that I ail to steal, kill and destroy:

I provide thrills and pleasure for you;

It is too bad that I cannot make these last;

I am an insidious, relentless, cruel, harsh master and my slaves hop at my beck and call;

I induce you to do my bidding and then I berate and accuse you;

I refuse to let go of my slaves and underlings without a huge fight;

Today, I have been able to do my most insidious, dirty, damaging and horrific work and who knows when I will stop?

In the good old United States I can get whole denominations to call certain sins good, yay for me!

To my Enemy's many people in the West, bring it on!

I have a much hated and terrible Enemy, the Holy One;

This Enemy hates me and loves my slaves though He hates their slavery to me;

I was so disappointed when I thought I defeated Him at His cross;

As it turned out He has defeated me and I am not taking this lying down!

I know full well that my time is short and I will not relax my guard day or night;

I aim to keep as many people from placing faith in my Enemy as possible and destroying the Enemy's people;

Place your faith in my Enemy and in what He calls His grace and I can assure you I will fight you;

I continue to hide in plain sight and come as an angel of light;

Go, live as I want you to and make my job easier or live this Enemy's way and I will do all I can to persecute you;

This enemy will destroy me when He comes so I'm doing all I can to destroy His people now and keep my people from becoming His!

Yes, I am known by an ugly three letter word that even many Pastors in churches that bear my Enemy's Name fear to use;

It is "too negative and judgmental" to talk about my existence and identity:

If you have not guessed by now call me S-I-N.

If you have not guessed it my Enemy is Jesus Christ.