Tag Archives: gay marriage

Apr 24 2014

Jars of Clay: Another One Bites the Dust

No, the band did not break up if that’s what you were thinking after reading my title.

However, the lead singer of the band caved on the most pressing issue of our day: homosexuality. For the past few days, Dan Haseltine has been on a twitter rant supporting gay love and gay marriage. Among dozens of posts the following:

“So many gay couples display more loving characteristics and healthy relationship practices than most traditional married couples….”

“I don’t think scripture “clearly” states much of anything regarding morality.”

Delight in Truth has followed Jars of Clay since they first came on the scene in 1995. I even went to their first tour when they opened for Michael W. Smith. Along the years they even produced hymn albums, but besides that, there was a constant move toward a crossover message in their music.

There was an underlying spiritual tone in the message, but looking back in retrospect I would not call it the gospel message. It was more of a fuzzy love message typeset on creative lyrics with an occasional scripture reference.

And now this. Haseltine has called into question the authority of Scripture on the issue of marriage.

This will disappoint lots of evangelicals who have been buying their music.  Jars of Clay is already feeling it. The lead singer may have realized that this is public relations nightmare… he is asking on Twitter why Christian radio stations have pulled his songs.

As sad as this is, the Word of God stands true in predicting this exact development:

“For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.” 2 Tim 4:3-5

The church is becoming compromised by sin and these are the fruits of this compromise.

The Bible is being questioned as outdated, unfair, and unsound.

At this rate of degeneration we need to seriously consider the words of Jesus: “Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” Luke 18:8

Dec 30 2013

Depravity Predictions for 2014 :(

Pope Francis

Delight in Truth predicts that 2014 will bring worsening of morality in the following areas:

  • Pope Francis and the Catholic Church will encourage gay marriage by continuing to declare equality of love in homosexual relationships.
  • More US States will legalize gay marriage
  • Marijuana and perhaps other drugs of abuse may become legal in more States
  • There will be more Phil Robertsons, conservatives who dare to speak out against the progressive agenda; they will be labeled as bigots, retards, and threatened in various ways
  • There will be a push to normalize and perhaps decriminalize pedophilia (sexual relations between adults and children). The American Psychiatry Association will be a key player in the issue.
  • Polygamy will continue to gain popularity and legal status in multiple US States
  • Children will become exposed to pornography at younger ages, and will erroneously learn that those videos represent true intimacy
  • The Evangelical Church will become more compromised on moral grounds; scandal, divorce, gay marriage, ordination of gay ministers
  • The true Body of Christ will be squeezed from multiple angles on these issues and threatened with loss of tax-free status, or other more severe legal recourse
  • Hate-speech legislation will be introduced in certain legislatures; hate-speech is a code term for preaching the truths found in Romans 1 and 1 Corinthians 6 about sexual deviancy
  • Abortionists will fight any regulation of abortion at the federal or state level
  • Other states will follow California in allowing boys to use the girls locker rooms and bathrooms if their gender identity so dictates

Dear readers, do not be dismayed when these things come to pass. These events must occur as the moral fiber of society breaks down. Other societies experienced some of the same types of decay before they collapsed.

But more so now, as we head toward global unity and the preparation for the one who will provide the solution for an upcoming political and economic crisis.  These events prepare the way for the anti-Christ or the Son of Perdition, the one who will appear as a savior but will ultimately set up the Abomination of Desolation mentioned by the prophet Daniel and referenced by Jesus.

The Bible tells us that in the end-times morality will break down and people will become more evil.

This accelerated course evident in the last few years will intensify in 2014.

And it must be so because the Word of God told us so.

1But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. 2For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, 4treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. (2 Tim 1-5)

12Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived (2 Tim 12)

Photograph: Alessandro Bianchi/Reuters
Jul 4 2013

Five Questions Christians in American Society Should Ponder

In light of the recent Supreme Court decision which made the Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional, Christians have reason to be worried.  Justice Kennedy was loud and clear when he wrote that the only possible motive to be against gay marriage is hatred.  That was codified talk by Kennedy targeting Christians as a hateful group.

Delight in Truth feels this will become the underlying motive for hate-speech legislation in our country in the near future.

We must start to really think about these 5 issues as presented by Todd Friel on his show:

1. Will churches lose their tax exempt status because they believe what the Bible teaches about homosexual sin?

2. Will pastors be forced to officiate same-sex marriage against orthodox interpretation of the Bible?

3. Will Christian schools be forced to endorse the progressive agenda or lose accreditation?

4. Will pastors be able to counsel persons struggling with homosexual desires and tell them that such lifestyle is sinful?

5. Will parents be able to tell their children that homosexuality is a sin?

I predict we will see lawsuits against churches claiming discrimination because gay church members will not be given pulpit time or worship leading roles.  It has already happened at Mariner’s church in Irvine, CA when the church fired their gay choir director when he came out of the closet.  After a 6 year legal battle the church won the case.  I foresee many churches losing these types of lawsuits in the future based on discrimination and hate speech laws.

I write about these things because the Church needs to prepare for these events.  We must continue to press forward, make the Gospel our number one mission, and pray that the Holy Spirit will change the lives we touch.

Jun 26 2013

DOMA Unconstitutional

image

It must be so.

If we are to believe the Bible, than this development is on course for the end times described in multiple places in the Bible.

Delight in Truth predicted here that the Defense of Marriage Act will be repealed making gay marriage an official institution in this country. It was inevitable given our moral slippage.

This will continue. LBGT rights will invade in the most unlikely of places: the church. The Body of Christ will be affected but not destroyed. It will continue to thrive spiritually but details such as loss of tax exempt status and hate speech legislation will become the mainstay of our lives going forward.

Preaching against the depravity listed in Romans 1 will become unlawful.

Denying a marriage ceremony to a same sex couple may become punishable by a revocation of license, a fine or worse… Jail time.

Repealing DOMA is just a step in a process that is leading to a final and glorious event: the second coming of our Lord.

2 Timothy 3:1-5 ESV

“But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power.”

May 20 2013

France’s Moral Revolution Not Enough to Stop Gay Marriage

The two largest rallies in the history of France occurred this year as folks came out in an attempt to sway the government against approving gay marriage and adoption.  They dubbed it France’s Moral Revolution.  Each rally had over 1 million participants, with one rally estimated at 1.4 million.

Despite the voice of the people, France’s constitutional court approved a pro gay-marriage and adoption bill that has already passed through parliament.  The president is expected to sign it in into law.

2.4 million demonstrators with “1 Father, 1 Mother = That’s Marriage” and “Father, Mother, Children, It’s Natural!” slogans were not enough to sway the progressive French legislature and courts.

This is hardly surprising.

This is proof that what the Bible is telling us is true.

Biblical commands on the issue of life and lifestyle which stood the test of time, are now trampled under the banner of love, acceptance, progress and enlightenment.  Apostle Paul warned us about this degeneration in one of his famous lists in 2 Timothy 3:

“But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money,boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power.”

This is a normal progression of social degeneration.

It will continue until the coming of our Lord, and it tells us that His return is that much closer.

Despite this development, the Church will continue to proclaim the Gospel and biblical truth.

image credit: Angela Fallentine

May 15 2013

Moral Failure Among Church Leadership

How is it possible that we have failures such as Gosnell’s crimes, acceptance of sexual deviancy, and close to a moral anarchy-type system in our society?

Is it possible that the Church has failed in setting the proper example?

Is it possible that Church leadership shares a good portion of the blame?

A recent study out of Pennsylvania reveals that about 20% of pastors PUBLICLY hold morally corrupt views that are not biblical.  This goes a long way toward explaining why some churches have become the world, and they no longer are a shining moral beacon.

The Pennsylvania Pastor’s Network interviewed EVANGELICAL pastors from across the state, and here are some of the shocking results:

  • Exclusive salvation only through Jesus Christ: 89% teach that view
  • The Bible is the only completely reliable source of absolute moral truth: only 78% teach that view
  • Abortion is morally wrong: only 78% teach that view
  • Same-sex marriage is morally wrong: only 82% teach that view

The questions were focused on teaching, but the thrust of the study lets me believe that perhaps the numbers are much worse with respect to these pastor’s personal beliefs.  They are more likely to hold morally unacceptable views privately but suppress them publicly.

The main issue in the above study is the issue of inerrancy and infallibility of Scripture.

The ones who do not hold to absolute moral standards are also less likely to hold the Bible as the ultimate inerrant truth.

These are wolves in sheep’s clothes who shepherd or rather corrupt the flock.

On his way final way to Jerusalem, apostle Paul called a conference with the elders of the Ephesian church, and prophesied a painful truth which has proven to apply to the universal church along the ages.

Acts 20:

29I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. 31So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears. 

How painfully true this is in our day and age.  The spirit of Rob Bell has infiltrated the evangelical church and as many as 20% of the pastors have been corrupted according to this study.

But the glass is only half empty.  Praise God for the other 80% who continue to hold to biblical truth.

May God strengthen them by the power of the Holy Spirit!

Apr 26 2013

Intolerance by Progressives in American Schools

Picture this.

You are a 14-year-old honor student in your German high school class.

Through circumstances beyond your control the class discussion turns to the issue of religion and homosexuality.

You are a gospel and Bible-believing Christian, and during the course of the discussion you state your view that homosexuality is wrong.

As a result of your statement you receive a three-day suspension.  Because you are intolerant.

This is exactly what happened at Western Hills High School in Texas.  Student Dakota Ary was suspended for stating his view on a subject that perhaps should not even have been discussed in a German class.

He faced the possibility of missing lectures, tests, and a football game.

What would you do?

His family reached out to the Liberty Counsel for legal representation, and after a meeting with the lawyer, the school district rescinded the suspension. The school had no comment when contacted by the Christian Post.

This story paints a disturbing picture in our schools.  We know that our colleges are infiltrated by anti-Christian, anti-American, atheistic faculty, but now it appears that our high schools are following suit.

The Liberty Counsel said that they are seeing this happening across the country, as the progressives pushing the gay agenda are becoming increasingly intolerant toward people who do not agree with their lifestyle.

The very people who preach tolerance are the most intolerant when it comes to differences based on morality, or when the name of Jesus is mentioned.  They are perfectly okay with mentioning “god.”  No one is upset with a generic “god.”  But watch out if you bring to the table Jesus Christ, the God of the Bible…

Delight in Truth has previously pointed out that with respect to homosexuality and gay marriage the battle in society has been lost, but Christians must continue to be a voice for the truth.  We must also continue to stand up for our constitutional rights to practice our faith, and hold to our opinions which are grounded in the Bible.

This is how can continue to shine a light in dark world.

Apr 2 2013

DOMA, the Entropy of Marriage, and Revelation 22:11

Everything around us is in a state of flux.

The second law of thermodynamics tells us that everything evolves toward breakdown, equilibrium and entropy.

This physical fact is not unlike the moral decay or moral entropy we see in our modern society.

I have come to realize that the moral code of a godless society is subject to a moral and spiritual decay or a moral entropy as presented at the end of the Bible:

“Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy.  Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay everyone for what he has done.” Rev 22:11-12

In a couple of months there is an excellent chance that the Supreme Court will repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).  This act was passed with overwhelming support in the legislative and executive branches and a repeal will normalize gay marriage and will make state laws against gay marriage unconstitutional.

Approximately 60% of the American public now support the idea of gay marriage, contrary to biblical teaching.

Just like the law of entropy dictates order to disorder, so morality is going from bad to worse in our culture.

“Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy.”

The unrighteous are in a state of continuous moral breakdown according to this verse, while the righteous are heading in the opposite direction.

There must be a clear separation between them.  There is no middle ground because there is only one absolute moral standard: God’s Law.

The spiritual entropy will continue, as it must.

But righteousness will continue as well.

We are in the world but not of the world.

 

Jan 12 2013

Less Americans Believe Alternative Life Styles are a Sin

In just 14 months there was 7 point drop in the percent of Americans who believe that homosexuality is a sin from 44% to 37%.

LifeWay Research conducted these studies, and their president commented that the country is rapidly shifting position on this issue, partly due to president Obama’s “evolving” view on gay marriage.

“There is little doubt that the President’s evolution on homosexuality probably impacted the evolution of cultural values.  This is a real and substantive shift, surprisingly large for a one-year time frame – though this was hardly a normal year on this issue’

These findings are revealed in the wake of pastor Louie Giglio’s withdrawal from the presidential inauguration prayer.  The White House has already announced that Giglio will be replaced by a pro-gay pastor as a means to not alienate anyone.

Christians believers who hold to the inerrancy and infallibility of the Bible will now be a rapidly shrinking minority in the US.

I am writing this to warn the body of Christ of our status in modern society.  Even though the Constitution gives us the right to believe the Bible as it is written, without taking Romans 1, 1 Corinthians 6, and many other pages out, we will be labeled as bigots, anti-social retros, and obstacles to progress.

Will this lead to religious persecution?  I believe yes.  Especially if Congress working with this Administration takes up “hate-speech” legislation which will prevent preaching from church pulpits from the above mentioned Bible passages.

At this point I do not envision pastors being put in jail for preaching against homosexuality.  But there is a real possibility of other legal methods being used to curtail religious freedom and free speech if such legislation is used.  Canada has already experimented with “hate-speech” legislation, and pastors there have confessed they are being pressured to not expose anti-sin views from the pulpit.

The world is changing.  Views are evolving.  A constant and confusing flux of public opinion is inundating us everyday.

Despite this we must remain anchored in the Word of God.  Anchored in Truth.

Jan 8 2013

Supreme Court to Rule on Gay Marriage

And for Christians, the Supreme Court decisions on this issue will not be surprising, whatever the outcome is.  The social battle on moral issues like the sanctity of marriage has been lost as predicted multiple times in the Bible when it talks about the depravity of the end times.

State and national legislatures, governors, the White House, and possibly the Supreme Court have succumbed to Hollywood and media pressure on issues advanced by the gay agenda.  Also for the first time ever, the American public now supports the idea of same-sex marriage by a majority.

Two of the cases that the Court is planning to review in March include Hollingsworth v. Perry, which will examine whether gay and lesbian Americans have a fundamental right to marriage, and Windsor v. United States will examine the federal law that defines marriage as a union between one man and one woman.

The first case is a result of Prop 8 in California, and the Court will analyze whether denying a licence for marriage to a gay couple is unconstitutional.  The second is more important fundamentally and morally only because a group of 9 people will decide or re-decide something that us as Christians believe God has already ordained: the definition of marriage being between a man and a woman.

Who would have thought at any point in history up until about 10 years ago that we will have to potentially re-define marriage? The concept was so absurd that such thing was never brought up in the age of the Church including the Enlightenment, Reformation, and Great Awakenings, until society decided to have a sexual revolution in the recent past.

The Church tried to speak out against the inclusionary definition of marriage, but its voice was not loud enough, and even if its voice would have been loud enough, the biblical message is so antithetical to modern society that it would have just hardened so much more the ones pushing the same-sex agenda.

We live in an age where truth is relative.  Morality is relative.  People want and need to define their own morals.  The Word of God however claims absolute truth status, and this does not go well with moral relativism.

The redefinition of marriage, although morally devastating for society, will not affect our faith or our walk with God.  What society does apart from God should not affect us unless it results in persecution against our biblical views.

Let’s not forget the teaching of Peter and Paul who warn us about moral decay in the last days…

2 Peter 3: 3 “…you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires.”

2 Tim 3: 1“There will be terrible times in the last days. 2People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5having a form of godliness but denying its power.”

This is why I believe that from a moral standpoint I think things will go from bad to worse.  I believe Christians will be hated for their views which are grounded in the Bible, even though we do not wish to force them upon anyone.

Society will continue its course of choice.  The Church however, the true body of Christ, will stay on its own eternal predestined course to glorification.