Unholy Week? Crucifying Christ Afresh through ‘Gay Marriage’
On the week that centers on Christ Crucified for millions around the globe, the USA has acted in a most unholy manner. Palm Sunday to Good Friday was marked by daily advances of ‘gay marriage’ forces in our land. Our Bridegroom King, whose very image is manifest in male and female, and who is returning for a Bride, spotless and true, is being crucified afresh.
Consider this: I read on Palm Sunday that Iowa’s unanimous Supreme Court decision to legalize ‘gay marriage’ deliberately excluded any ‘religious’ interference. According to the justice who wrote the Iowa decision, the Judeo-Christian structures on which our entire judicial system is built should no longer inform marriage. Left in the hands of secular servants, marriage mutates. We crucify Christ afresh.
On Monday, Rick Warren, arguably the most influential Christian leader in the USA, said on national TV that he never really supported a ban on ‘gay marriage’ in CA. (He clearly had and did.) He claims that he called all of his gay friends and apologized for any perceived support of the ban, underscoring that he has ‘never been and never will be an anti-gay marriage activist.’ Deceiving, confusing, political back-pedaling: Warren is rewriting history and has bought the lie that to support marriage is ‘ant-gay’. And he is backing off entirely from standing for marriage when it is most in peril. We crucify Christ afresh.
On Tuesday, Vermont became the first state in the union to allow same-sex marriage through legislative action instead of a court ruling. That empowers nine other legislatures that are considering marriage measures this year, including New York, New Jersey, Maine and New Hampshire. Activists in New England are unashamed to admit that they are choosing states where organized religious opposition is the weakest. We are now aware and without excuse: there is a systematic, targeted effort to establish a same-sex marriage stronghold in the Northeast. We crucify Christ afresh.
On Wednesday, I read of Obama’s appointment of a gay political activist and ‘Christian’ to his advisory board for ‘Faith-based Partnerships.’ The appointee, Harry Knox, was previously head of Religion and Faith for the biggest gay advocacy group in the nation (the Human Rights Campaign), and has been instrumental in reinterpreting scripture in a gay-affirming manner for churches throughout the USA. We crucify Christ afresh.
By Maundy Thursday, I was beat up. I needed my feet washed from the idolatrous ground of my nation; I was hungry for Jesus and I partook of Him heartily at the communion table that night.
As we gathered for Good Friday as a church, I looked around the body and saw Gideon’s army, a humble band of men and women whom the Crucified has rescued from the idolatry of this world: husbands and wives, singles, old and young, heterosexually and homosexually broken and yet being made new, ‘an army whose weaknesses are being turned to strength and who are becoming powerful in battle, able to route foreign armies.’ (Heb. 11: 34)
I felt hope. Isn’t that what Good Friday is all about? In the darkest hour, at the time when men extinguish the light, God prepares the most glorious expression of His light. N.T. Wright says: ‘The cross is not the world’s victory over Jesus, but Jesus’ victory over the world.’
Jesus death is the ground on which resurrection power is manifest. So is our surrender to His purposes. Let man’s efforts to crucify Christ afresh through ‘gay marriage’ have its perfect work. Raise from the dead a Gideon’s army, O God. Let a repentant, empowered people arise.
Let us arise out of fear or intimidation of the dark powers. Let us hold fast to Him as the One who makes a way for us to make Him known. We do so by upholding His image in humanity and by refusing all efforts, however winsome, to distort that image.
Marriage matters. It represents Christ on earth more clearly than any other relationship. While we have the light, let us live with integrity what it means to bear His image and insist on its clear representation in the land. We cannot afford to be unclear or uncommitted towards marriage in this perilous hour.
We do so in and through Him, His resurrection power rooted in our very weakness. May we emerge out of this dismal winter of ‘gay marriage’ advances and into the spring of upholding God’s design for all. Consider man for woman, woman for man-the awesome dance of masculine strength and feminine beauty. It’s worth fighting for.
Post by Andy Comiskey — Copyright © 2009 by Desert Stream Ministries
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Do Not Feed The Trolls! ~ DNFTT
This is very good advice given to me from a friend who has an avid use of the Internet in blogging and dealing with trolls. Don’t give a morsel or a bone! “Don’t feed the trolls!” Feeding is responding back to their craziness! DNFTT! They will only harass you more and use what ever you say against you, as they have no interest for mature or professional dialog, they’re bullies.
What is a troll? A troll is an internet bully(s) who insists on being a nuisance by attacking and writing distorted, untrue and hateful things about you in a newsgroup or on a blog – or somewhere on the Internet. They will usually contact you through emails, comments on a blog and will try to stir up controversy through blog postings. When individuals or groups continuing in this behavior it is called trolling. Unfortunately it can also develop into what is stalking.
There are groups of people who are watching ministers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ who are watching ex-gay leaders with stalker mentalities and even incitements to assassinate a person’s character. It can become difficult when a troll becomes a stalker, and legal action must be taken. I really appreciate godly lawyers who desire help people in ministry. There are good lawyers with the Alliance Defense Fund, Thomas More Law Center, and then there are local lawyers who have been very helpful to me and to First Stone Ministries. There are groups of liberal blog bullies and trolls who actually advocate for stalking or suggest ways to actually trouble Christian conservatives, ex-gay ministry leaders and their staffs.
Truly we are living in new days when those who screamed the loudest for tolerance are now become some of the most intolerant hateful people in our society. Some people are actually becoming violent in adolescent demands as has been reported in the news with the riots in California over Proposition 8 in this last election in November. Ironically these are people who actually cry out, “no to hate” and yet are very people who are demonstrated extremely hateful behavior, crying out for the burning down of churches and the killing of Christians, and then demand hate crimes legislation for preservation for themselves. This would be laughable if it were not so insanely dangerous. It seems that anarchy has begun in California with recent events in Oakland, CA, the city next door to San Francisco, and this of course where a Christian missionary was beaten with her own Bible and kicked repeatedly for merely singing worship songs on the streets with her group in the gay Montrose District of San Francisco.
I have encountered several mean-spirited gay activists and blog bullies in the past few years. However, 2008-2009 has given me some extra experience than in past years. Most of these new experience started after sharing my story in finding freedom from homosexuality and sharing my feelings about free speech at the Oklahoma State Capitol on April 2, 2008. I have also had more experiences after posting my personal beliefs here on my personal blog, and after writing articles about freedom from homosexuality. I am grieved, but not surprised at the level of hate that has been spewed out at me and First Stone Ministries, the staff, volunteers, even my wife and children from people who claim to be so tolerant. It is sad how other Christian and ex-gay leaders through the country are being treated. I could write for an hour telling the stories.
Bottom line, if you share something contrary or in opposition to the politically correct liberal leftist position about homosexuality, there is NO tolerance of your views. Freedom of speech for the Christian is coming to an end IF the liberal left have their way. It has become clear that tolerance is only for those who have the gay political point of view. Accept homosexuality as normal, or you are a bigot, and a hate monger. So ironically intolerance is coming from the groups of people who demanded tolerance. There is no room for tolerance for conservative Bible believing ministries like First Stone, Focus on the Family, Exodus International, and scores of many other Christian organizations with who are in opposition to politically gay-agenda-minded motivated groups. The Internet is full of personal blogs of gay men/woman and gay organizations who wish the demise of Christian organizations.
DFTT! – Don’t feed the trolls, and sound advice from my lawyers: document everything, keep everything, start filing police reports and get a team of lawyers.
Seven Things I Wished That Pro-Gay People Would Admit
1. I wish they would admit that many people are not happy with their homosexuality or lesbianism, and that this conflict is internal, based on legitimate, intelligent religious and moral convictions–not just the result of a so-called “homophobic” society which is forcing guilt upon people who don’t conform to a heterosexual ethic.
Stop throwing out the cheap, inaccurate labels like “internalized homophobia” to explain our motivations.
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2. I wish they would acknowledge that homosexuals and lesbians can experience significant change in their sexual feelings and desires, even though they may never be totally heterosexual in their sexual thoughts and feelings.
Be honest enough to admit that such change is significant and genuine, even if it isn’t complete.
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3. I wish they would acknowledge that many former homosexuals and lesbians have found a greater measure of peace and satisfaction after leaving a gay or lesbian lifestyle than they ever experienced while embracing homosexuality.
Not all “ex-gays” are miserable, plotting how to secretly fulfill their homosexual lusts without being caught.
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4. I wish they would acknowledge that many former homosexuals and lesbians have genuine joy in their marriages.
Most former gays and lesbians don’t get married in a futile attempt to “escape” homosexuality; they marry as a natural consequence of resolving that issue in their lives.
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5. I wish they would acknowledge that all people have as much right to pursue a heterosexual lifestyle as they do to pursue homosexuality.
Former homosexuals and lesbians should not be harassed and castigated by the gay community. But I have never heard any gay or lesbian leaders speak out against the violence (such as bomb threats and physical/verbal abuse) which some people perpetuate against Exodus ministries.
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6. I wish they would stop equating our decision to leave homosexuality with “hatred” and “bigotry” against gays and lesbians.
We don’t hate gays; we simply desire to live free of homosexuality. Don’t put nasty labels upon our motives. That’s being judgmental and unfair.
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7. I wish pro-gay religious leaders would admit that their endorsement and promotion of monogamous homosexual relationships is a facade.
Many–probably most–men and women involved in long-term partnerships are not sexually monogamous, but gay churches don’t discipline members for committing “adultery” outside their “gay marriage.” Neither do they discipline gays or lesbians who have sex before entering into a “holy union” with their partner.
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Bob Davies is the Director Emeritus with Exodus International, as Bob was the Executive Director with Exodus International from 1985 -2001. Alan Chambers is the current Executive Director of Exodus International.
Copyright 1997 ~ Used with permission from Bob Davies
‘Gay Marriage’ in The Heartland by Andy Comiskey
April 4, 2009
While we were sleeping, the Iowa Supreme Court unanimously overturned the state’s ban on ‘gay marriage’ on grounds that it was unconstitutional. Most believers I spoke with in and around Iowa knew little if anything about the Court’s deliberation. Those who did seemed sleepy in their response. And uncertain. Even getting information about the case was difficult and yielded little. To most, ‘gay marriage’ seemed outside the realm of possibility in Iowa.
Time to wake up. Marriage has now been redefined in the heartland: the ruling represents the mainstreaming of ‘gay marriage’ in the USA. As one activist put it: “If Iowa with its common sensibility can do this, why can’t we do this in other states in the country?”
Just as halting ‘gay marriage’ in CA inhibited such action elsewhere, Iowa’s brash judicial action will quicken the resolve of activists to overturn ‘gay marriage’ bans in other states.
How did a state in the heartland become only the third in the nation to redefine marriage for its citizens? And the first in the Midwest?
The answer lies in the power of gay legal activists who target states that look like good prospects. Like Iowa. In spite of its 10-year-old ‘gay marriage’ ban and ‘common sensibility,’ Iowa has a liberal political history, including gay adoption. Iowa also makes it hard for citizens to overturn any Supreme Court decision with a constitutional amendment. State lawmakers must approve any proposed amendment twice over a two-year period before it gets to voters. That means that the earliest Iowans can vote to overturn ‘gay marriage’ would be 2012!
Enter Lambda Legal, a New York-based gay rights organization. Vying for a date with the state Supreme Court, these activists in 2005 filed a lawsuit on behalf of six gay couples who could not marry in Iowa due to its ‘gay marriage’ ban.
A lower court heard the case in 2007 and ruled that the ban was unconstitutional due to the judge’s belief that ‘homosexuality is unchangeable’, that ‘gay parents will not impact the development of their kids’ and that ‘homosexuals are politically powerless.’ All false, especially the last point: gays in Iowa have Lambda Legal, the most powerful reps I know.
The lower court’s ruling was ’stayed’ then appealed to the Supreme Court, which heard the case last January. I could tell by the hearings that the Court was more inclined toward Lambda Legal than the traditional voice. On Friday, the Court announced that it had unanimously redefined marriage. One decision by one court and the most basic institution of the state changes for all of its citizens.
Lambda Legal is currently servicing other states in passing ‘gay marriage’ provisions. In the Midwest, Minnesota and Wisconsin would be the most vulnerable to ‘gay marriage’ due to its liberal political traditions. Like Iowa, their Courts are primed for the likes of strategic activists like Lambda Legal.
What can we do?
1. Wake up! ‘Gay Marriage’ bans can be overturned. We need to be aware of what is going on in our states and take measures to ward off the strategies of groups like Lambda Legal.
2. We need Constitutional Amendments that define marriage for good. We can pray and fight for Iowans over the long haul as they begin the long push toward overturning the Court’s decision with one such amendment. The majority of Iowans and the rest of the US public are still not in favor of ‘gay marriage.’
3. Make the truth known about why marriage matters. Our focus is not ‘anti-gay’; it is pro-marriage. Tell the truth about how marriage best represents to kids; they need man and woman together in order to grow into wholeness. And how God can restore homosexuals to wholeness. If we don’t tell the truth in love, false justice built on false presuppositions advances.
4. Pray. This is in truth a holy war, based on love and reverence for God’s design and the Designer Himself. In a month, Desert Stream will release ‘Honor Marriage for the Good of All’ , a prayer-guide for churches who want to pray wisely for marriage in our land, while seeking God’s heart and strategy for broken people who need healing.
5. Seek true justice and compassion: in this Holy Week, let us pray that we might be please Jesus in surrender to His purposes, including His heart for marriage. Join Desert Stream this week as we pray and fast that neither New England nor other targeted states in the Midwest will fall to ‘gay marriage.’ Also, that the CA Supreme Court will uphold Prop. 8. (Its decision is not yet known.)
“All that it takes for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.” Edmund Burke
“Since we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men.” (2Cor. 5:11)
“And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber.” (Romans 13: 11)
USED WITH PERMISSION © 2009 DESERT STREAM MINISTRIES
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Who is Andy Comiskey?
This article is from Andy Comiskey’s blog.
