Those Who Refuse.. II

MEN WITH MEN AND WOMEN WITH WOMEN
"For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet [due]" (Rom. 1:26-27).

WHAT WAS "AGAINST NATURE?"
First Paul mentions: "...their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature..."
Some suggest that nothing immoral is actually mentioned here. Does it sound to you that leaving the natural use of something and using it in a way that is against nature burning in their lust, is a good thing? No, I think not. Okay, but can we determine exactly what it is that was being misused and against nature? Yes, I certainly can.

We just saw that it has to do with affections that women have that are against nature. That is, against the nature of the proper use of something ('did change the natural USE'). But what? Just what is that certain something that women change from the natural use of into something that is vile, disgraceful, and shameful? What is it that they are using disgracefully because of unnatural vile affections? I'll now show you maybe more precisely than you really want to know, what it was that "...their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature..."

Do we think Paul is referring to the improper use of their ears? Did they change the natural use of their eyes? Maybe it was their hands? Did these men and women in question here start using their feet in an unnatural way? Whatever it was that the women were doing against nature, the men were likewise also doing the very same thing:

"And likewise also the men leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men..." (Verse 27).

What does Paul mean by "likewise also?" Simple, means "similar," "likewise." The "also" it means "and, also, even, too, both indeed, likewise." Interestingly, we have another verse of Scripture which also uses these same two words and translates them the same: "And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise " (Luke 6:31).

We are to treat others in a similar way, as we would want others to treat us. That is how these two words are used in Luke 6:31, and that is how they are used in Rom. 1:27. What the women were doing against nature, the men "likewise also" were doing "against nature." Now then, what was it that they were doing?

The men who were doing likewise also as the women "burned in their lust one toward another, MEN WITH MEN..." Okay, let someone suggest that this is merely human companionship and doesn't involve SEX, let's continue and see just what parts of the human anatomy is being referenced here.

WHAT DID PAUL MEAN BY "UNSEEMLY?"
"...likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly..."

Check these five words "working that which is unseemly" is used only one other time in Scripture, which I will now show you so as to remove all doubt as to its meaning:
"Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked, and they SEE his shame" (Rev. 16:15). Here Jesus is saying figuratively. In the same way someone is shamed by taking off all their clothing in public. So what is it that people see when someone is naked? Why, for example, are there many topless beaches around the world where total nudity is not allowed? What shame is made visible in Rev. 15:16 by walking naked? And what is it that is "working that which is unseemly" in Rom. 1:27? Some of you are already way ahead of me.

The King James translators have often chosen words of modesty, so as to not offend the sensitive reader. Strong's Greek Dictionary: "unseemly/shame" #808, aschemosune, "an indecency; by implication the pudenda: shame, which is unseemly." And just what is the "pudenda?" The American Heritage College Dictionary: pudendum/ pl. pudenda n. "The human external genital organs, especially of a woman". There it is.

It was the genital organs of the female that: "...women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly" (Rom. 1:26-27).
Romans 1:26-27 is a very strong condemnation of the list of vile affections starting with sex between women with women, and men with men. And professing faith in the love and Sacrifice of Jesus Christ does not turn this perversion into a virtue.

When Isaiah tells us to: "Cry aloud, spare not, lift up your voice like a trumpet, and show my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins" (Isa. 58:1). Should I just keep my mouth shut on this subject?

Few Christians believe that those who practice adultery, stealing, and lying will enter God's Kingdom without repenting. But this is not the case with practicing homosexuals. Speaking against homosexuality may soon become a hate crime law in which offenders will be prosecuted as criminals. Let's take a closer Scriptural look at this subject while the law still allows it.

To be continued – in God’s will - see you next time…
God bless you…..

Those Who Refuse.. I

WHAT IS HOMOSEXUALITY?
The actual words "homosexual" and "lesbian" are not found in the Scriptures. The word "homosexual" is reported to be a German invention to euphemize and take the place of the distasteful word "sodomite." Although the word "sodomy" as used today may not even have a direct connection with the sexual sins of historical Sodom.
While the Scriptures do not speak to us in the actual mechanics of homosexual acts, nonetheless, the practice of same sex lust assuredly is mentioned and condemned in Scripture as a sin that needs to be repented of just as idolatry, adultery, stealing, murder, and all sins.

The word homosexual is applied to both men and women whose sexual preference is with one of the same gender. Male homosexuals are generally called "gay" or "gay men (bakla)," while female homosexuals are generally called "gay women" or "lesbians (tomboy)."

Most gay men will acknowledge that male homosexuality is mentioned in Scripture. What may be alarming to many is that while they concede that it is mentioned and talked about, they deny that it is categorically a sin. On the other hand, many argue that gay women or lesbianism are not mentioned in Scripture at all.

Just a couple of comments: Clearly it is admitted that same gender sex was condemned under Moses, and that it was a practice of "Baal worship." And so it suggested that homosexuality was not inherently wrong, but rather it was wrong because it was practiced in the worship of Baal. Apparently, had not the pagans used homosexuality in their worship of Baal, God would have allowed it. I think not.

It is then suggested that since homosexuality was a part of the things forbidden under the law of Moses (which they call "the Code"), but Christian Believers are not under the Code, but under Christ, therefore, "the Code became obsolete." So what is the argument for not following the admonition of Paul regarding same gender sex in Rom. 1:26-27? Well you just read it:
We will now see whether the Scriptures substantiate the above assertion that: "There is nothing in the Bible to support any finding about homosexuals." We will first look at three sexual perversions closely related with homosexuality.

I Cor. 6:9-10 - "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God".

What are paramours, catamites, and sodomites? (I used American Heritage College Dictionary)
1. Paramours (Gk) (King James, 'fornicators')-Strong's #4205 pornos "to sell, a male prostitute, fornicator, whoremonger."

2. catamites (Gk) (King James, 'effeminate')-Strong's #3120 malakos "soft, fine clothing, a catamite, effeminate." catamite (Gk): "a boy who has a sexual relationship with a man", effeminate: "having characteristics more often associated with women than a man"

3. sodomites (Gk) (King James, 'abusers of themselves with mankind'-Strong's #733 arsenokoites "a sodomite, defile self with mankind."

THESE PERVERSIONS ARE CONDEMNED IN SCRIPTURE
1. "I wrote unto you in an epistle not to keep company with fornicators with such an one not to eat" (I Cor. 5:9-11). Other scriptures are: Eph. 5:5, I Tim. 1:9-10, Heb. 13:4, Rev. 21:8, Rev. 22:14-15)
2. "Be not deceived, neither ...effeminate shall inherit the kingdom of God" (I Cor. 6:9-10).
3. "Be not deceived, neither ...abusers of themselves with mankind shall inherit the kingdom of God" (I Cor. 6:9-10).

Paul states that none who continue to commit the sins listed above "shall inherit the kingdom of God." These sins need to be repented of and put in the past. And that is what the chosen Few in these Gentiles churches were doing. Notice Paul's consolation to those who repented of these sinful deeds of the flesh: "And such WERE some of you but you are washed, but you are sanctified, but you are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God" (1 Cor. 6:11).

See you next of the series..... God bless you

Those Who Refuse.. Introduction

It may seem strange and even foolish that I should even ask such questions. Aren't the Scriptures clear on this subject? Apparently not, if you listen to the many voices now embracing this life style. There are many believers who adamantly try to defend their homosexual life style based on the Scriptures.

While some do not believe that homosexual sex is even mentioned or described in Scripture, others freely admit that it is mentioned and was a capital crime under Moses, and strongly condemned by the Apostle Paul as being worthy of death. But among the other it is argued that neither of these condemnations in the Old or the New Testaments applies to homosexual Believers in Christ. That is a twist, come with me, we will examine carefully, as most have probably never heard of such a defense.

The purpose of this topic is not to single out or come down upon homosexuals. I can’t make a topic entitled: "Is Stealing a Sin?" or, "Is Bearing False Witness a Sin?" or, "Is Murder a Sin?" But why "homosexuality? Because more and more, the media, entertainment, the government, the Church, the general population of the world, no longer believes it is a sin to be discriminated against, whereas even the bases of nations have laws against stealing, false witness, and murder. So, my purpose here is not to judge, but to specifically establish whether homosexuality is a sin or not a sin.

If it is not a sin, and these practices are normal, then we should not be speaking or discriminating against them. But if it is a sin, then we should certainly speak out against it just as we should against adultery, idolatry, lying, stealing, etc. Let's try to look at the Scriptural facts with unbiased, open minds. If we are interested in obedience to Jesus Christ then we should be eager to know the truth one way or the other.

Most homosexuals do not argue with Leviticus. 20:13: "If a man also lie with mankind, as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them."

They accepted that this verse is speaking of homosexuality-sex between members of the same gender. Their argument is that it no longer applies to them as Believers in Christ under the New Covenant, stating that they are no longer under the law of Moses. But I will give just a few comments concerning whether Lev. 20:13 is still binding on Christian Believers.

Some People Defense:
I have read some interesting reasons from their side regarding why they don't think homosexuality is a sin. Here is their defense - don't you find it interesting that when Jesus walked in the earth, he never once brought up the subject? If it was such a sin, it would be one of the Ten Commandments, don't you think?"

No, I don't think so at all. Lev. 20:13 does not need to be one of the Ten Commandments before it has any jurisdiction over Christian Believers. Jesus did not address child-molestation either; neither is it one of the Ten Commandments. Neither did Jesus address drug abuse, nor pornography, smoking, spousal abuse, or torture. Does this fact therefore condone such sins? Are we to assume therefore that none of these are wrong or sinful? I hope we are not foolish enough to believe that if something is not mentioned in the Bible, then it shouldn't be considered a sin.

Next time I will discuss to you the real meaning of our topic based on various sources and the bible.

Bible Great Women … Rahab

Meditation:
Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim. "Go, look over the land," he said, "especially Jericho." So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there. Joshua 2:1

Explanation:
Rahab and the two spies are the main characters in Joshua 2. Rahab was a prostitute. She lived, geographically and morally, on the edge of society.
Her house was located on the wall of the city and was strategically placed to lodge travelers. This was a prime location for her trade. Rahab had heard of the God of Israel and acted in faith. By hiding the spies she faced the risk of being killed if caught by the authorities. However Rahab knew it would take a step of faith to get her out of her present predicament.

She did not intend to perish with the rest of Jericho. She knew that if she did nothing - this would lead to her destruction. No one can serve two masters. She made a conscious decision to act in faith on what she heard about God.

Rahab was an ancestor of Jesus (Matthew1:1-6). Her faith brought her into an immense inheritance. From a prostitute to the linage of Jesus Christ. This is what faith can do.
No matter your stand in life, irrespective of where you are or who you are, a simply step of faith in Jesus Christ can turn your destiny around.

"By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had received the spies in peace" - Hebrews 11:31 The life of Rahab can be found in Joshua 2, Joshua 6, Hebrews 11:31, Matthew1:5, James 2: 25

Bible Great Women … Tamar

Meditation: Mathew 1:1-6
1 A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham:
2 Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers,
3 Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar, Perez the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram,
4 Ram the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon,
5 Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse,
6 and Jesse the father of King David.

Explanation:
As a young woman, Tamar married Er, eldest son of Judah and an unnamed daughter of Shua. Er practised some form of birth control, probably by withdrawing before ejaculation, and he was punished by God for this action - people at the time saw withdrawal as a crime against Nature and God. Tamar suffered a double tragedy: her husband Er died, and she lost the chance of having a child. ‘But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord put him to death. Then Judah said to Onan ‘Go into your brother’s wife and perform the duty of a brother-in-law to her; raise up offspring for your brother.’ Genesis 38:1-11.

Like all Hebrew women, Tamar yearned for children of her own. As well, she believed she had an obligation to produce a son who would inherit her dead husband's name. So she resorted to the Levirate law. This law was expressed in Deuteronomy 25:5-10. If a man died, and his wife had not yet had a child by him, she could go to his brother and demand that he marry her and give her a child who would inherit the property of the dead husband. This practical law was about two things: the woman's right to have children, and keeping property within the family.

Under Levirate law, Er’s younger brother Onan was obliged to give Tamar a child. But he refused to do so, probably because any child born to Tamar would carry Er’s name, not Onan’s, and when their father died the child would inherit the dead brother’s portion of the estate. He practiced the same form of birth control, and Tamar did not conceive.

Onan thus failed to carry out the Levirate obligation to Tamar, and disregarded his father's command. He died, and his death at such an early age was seen as punishment from God. Deuteronomy 25:9-10 describes the punishment for a man who refused to obey the Levirate law: the woman went up to him in a public assembly, pulled his sandal from his foot, spat in his face, and said 'This is what is done to the man who does not build up his brother's house'. To us the punishment does not sound very much, but in the context of the time it meant public disgrace. The action in v9 had symbolic meaning: the foot symbolized the male genitals, the sandal the female sexual organs, and the spittle, the semen. The woman’s action publicly humiliated the man, and his family's disgrace was remembered long after he himself was dead. Public shame was often used to enforce the law in ancient times.

When Onan died without giving Tamar a child, she looked to the third son of Judah to be her husband. But he was only a boy, too young to be a father. So Judah sent Tamar back to her family, promising to send for her when Shelah, the third son, was old enough. Judah began to look on Tamar as a jinx, in some way responsible for the deaths of his two eldest sons.
Tamar waited patiently, but after a while it became clear that Judah did not mean to give her his third son Shelah as a husband. She should not have been surprised. Many years ago Judah had been guilty of selling his own brother Joseph to the Egyptians (Genesis 37:26). Now he refused to keep the Levirate law.

When she saw that she was to be left a childless widow, she decided to act. She did not blame ‘the system’, but took the initiative to obtain what was rightfully hers. She dressed in the special clothing of a prostitute which included a veil across her face that disguised her identity, waited for Judah, and persuaded him to have sexual intercourse with her.

‘She put off her widow’s garments, put on a veil, wrapped herself up, and sat down at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah. She saw that Shelah was grown up, yet she had not been given to him in marriage. When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute, for she had covered her face.’ Genesis 38:12-19.

She would disguise herself at least once during her life, covering her face with a veil. In this way she discarded her own personal identity. She would then go to the temple and receive a man who was a stranger to her. This man, in this particular act, represented the incarnate god. Their sexual act was meant, by what is called ‘sympathetic magic’, to reflect and encourage fertility in the Great Mother, Nature emphasized that, once a woman had fulfilled this obligation, she was virtuous and loyal to her husband for the rest of her life.

Tamar may have followed a version of this practice, but she also asked for payment from Judah. He promised to send her a kid from his flock, and in the meantime, as a guarantee, he left his seal, cord and staff, all of which were personal items that could be identified. Then she took off the special clothing of a prostitute, dressed herself again in her widow’s clothing, and returned home.

The seal, cord and staff were symbols of a person’s identity, items of great personal worth, and it is surprising that Judah gave them up. Judah's seal may have been a cylinder seal similar to clay seals found in a number of archaeological excavations, particularly in the Mesopotamian area. The description of the staff made specifically for each person, with a personal emblem carved on the top of it. But to Tamar theses items meant much more: they symbolized the son she would have, the son who would succeed Judah.

When Judah’s friend came to make payment to the unknown prostitute and reclaim Judah’s seal, cord and staff, the woman was nowhere to be found. Tamar had gone home, without telling anyone who she was. But through this one act of sexual intercourse with Judah she had become pregnant, a fact that was soon evident to the people around her. Judah, who already blamed her for the deaths of his sons, thought the worst when he heard that she was pregnant. She was accused of ‘playing the whore’.

And Judah said “Bring her out and let her be burned”. Genesis 38:20-26.
Now Judah, as head of the tribe, had the right to pass judgment on her, and to condemn her to death. ‘If the wife of a man has been caught while lying with another man, they shall bind them and throw them into the water. If the husband of the woman wishes to spare his wife, then the king in turn may spare his subject’. Deuteronomy 22:22, the Hebrew law code, recommends death for both the man and the woman.

Judah pronounced that Tamar should be burnt to death, a particularly cruel way to die. But Tamar was not beaten yet. She sent the seal, cord and staff back to Judah, with the message that they belonged to the father of her child, and Judah, confronted by the evidence, had little choice but to acknowledge that she was in the right, and that she had been acting according to the law.
Tamar’s insistence on her rights was rewarded by the birth of not one but two children!
‘While she was in labor, one put out a hand; and the midwife took and bound on his hand a crimson threat, saying “This one came out first”. But just then he drew back his hand, and out came his brother; and she said “What a breach you have made for yourself!” Therefore he was named Perez.’ Genesis 38:27-30.

Tamar’s sons were called Perez and Zerah. Perez would be an ancestor of King David.
Tamar’s actions were unorthodox by modern standards. But in a way she ‘redeemed’ Judah. She saved him from doing what was wrong, and was thus a pre-figure of Jesus, who was one of her descendents.

In an odd sort of way, Tamar was more loyal to the tribe of Judah than he was himself. She knew she had a duty to produce an heir to her husband, and she was determined to do so, come what might. Despite her somewhat unorthodox methods, she was a woman of integrity who risked her life to fulfill her duty to herself and her family. She knew she had the right to a child, and she knew that her first husband Er had the right to an heir. So she acted to make this happen. Once again, God's plan continued to unfold through the unorthodox actions of a woman.