Got Fruit ?

I vaguely recall when the phrase “What Would Jesus Do?” (WWJD) was “in”.  As I wasn’t a practicing Christian during that time it never really caught on with me.  I’ve always been a bit leary of getting caught up in catchy phrases tied to God, Christ or Christianity.  Call it marketing phobia I suppose.  Take Got-Fruit(?) for example… what’s that all about!?

Back on topic, I came across an interesting read this evening that posed the WWJD question.  Hat tip to Wickle.  The post titled: What Would Jesus Do If Invited to a Gay Wedding?  by John Shore,poses the question of how should a Christian respond to an invite to a gay wedding.  Shore a Christian, author and blogger presents his dilemma, to attend the wedding thereby enhancing his relationship with his gay friends or to not attend the wedding because of his Christian values and risk damaging the relationship.

At last count around 10 pm (CST) there were over 225 comments to Shore’s post so be forewarned, it’s a long read.  My initial reaction was to pop off with my own two cents worth, however Holy Spirit led restraint prevailed as I instead have opted to give my own commentary here.

I’ll start off first by stating that I’m not sure where the dilemma is, if taken from a Biblical perspective, meaning I wouldn’t attend if in the same situation. Shore presents some verses from Matthew 23 that appear to lead him to believe that the right thing to do is to attend the marital union between two gay people.  To keep focus on the topic at hand which is the propriety of a Christian attending a  “Gay wedding”, I’ll try to reiterate as much as possible that this post is not about attacking people who choose to submit to homosexual temptations nor their sexual orientation.  The point also is not to zone in on the fact that homosexuals are sinners, everyone is a sinner, however I do want to state that my opinions and views (shaped by my reading and understanding of the Bible) shouldn’t be confused with a universalistic type philosophy, world view or politically correct definition of tolerance either.   Just calling it as I see it.

As stated earlier, Shore uses the following verses from Matthew 23 to meditate upon:

Matthew 23:13,15,24
13″Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.

15″Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are.

23″Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. 24You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.

Those verses from Matthew 23 do seem to have “some” weight to them if the intention is to sell compassion and not being a hypocrite, however I think that in their context they aren’t really applicable to Shore’s dilemma.  Firstly those verses from Matthew seem to be directly pointed to the religious hypocrisy of teachers, I just don’t see them addressing Shore’s dilemma which in my opinion comes down to a question of spiritual integrity to God’s Word.  I’ll qualify my position with Scripture…

Again the question is, “As a Christian, should one attend the marital union/”wedding” between two homosexuals?”  From my perspective, the answer again is “no”, based on the following reasoning from Scripture.  Please note that some of the longer references are abbreviated (…) for the sake of post length, please refer to your Bible or the supplied link for completeness and context.  The bold text within the following verses is emphasized to make the Biblical point against how a gay marriage goes against God’s Word in the context of a Christian attending/supporting such union.

1. God defines marriage as the union between man and woman.

Genesis 2:18-24
18 The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” … 24 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.  25 The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.

Matthew 19:3-6
3Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?” 4″Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ 5and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’[b]? 6So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.”  (Jesus speaking)

1st Corinthians 7:1-3
1Now for the matters you wrote about: It is good for a man not to marry. 2But since there is so much immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband. 3The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband.
(Foot note from the NIV [Zondervan} Study Bible regarding  “duty”: Married coupes should have regular sexual relations. Permanent abstention deprives the other partner of his or her natural right.)

In 1st Corinthians 11 Paul speaks of propriety in worship yet notice that he reiterates what God has already established as natural:

1st Corinthians 11:8-9
8For man…; 9neither was man created for woman, but woman for man.

2. God defines sexual immorality (the focus is on homosexuality explicitly, as it relates to Scripture invalidating gay marriage as being a recognized union by God)

Leviticus 18
20 ” ‘Do not have sexual relations with your neighbor’s wife and defile yourself with her.
21 ” ‘Do not give any of your children to be sacrificed to Molech, for you must not profane the name of your God. I am the LORD
22 ” ‘Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable. (See note on 1st Corinthians 7:1-2)

Romans 1:26-27
26Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. 27In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.

Galatians 5:16-21
16So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 17For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. 18But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.  19The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

See also Acts 15:20, & 1st Corinthians 6:12-20

My apologies for slamming you all with such a long post, I wanted to provide at least 3 Biblical points of view to address the players in marriage (man & woman) and marital sexuality as sub components.  I felt it important to make sure that marriage is properly understood from what God’s Word says, because as I read Scripture I can’t see how there could possibly be a “legal” wedding if it’s not qualified first.

Since by Biblical definition a gay wedding doesn’t resemble how and what God’s defines and designed (man and woman united as one in flesh), sexuality issues are thrown out because the first term isn’t met.
If one doesn’t agree with the first qualifier (marriage = man+woman, these are God’s rules by the way not mine),  arguing that a gay marriage does not imply sexual relationship runs into a problem then with what Paul says in:

1st Corinthians 7:3
3The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband.

So?  What would Jesus do if invited to a gay wedding, which should answer the question “What should I do if invited to a gay wedding?”  I think the quickest way to solve this riddle is to not suppose on what would Jesus do, but what did Jesus do?

• Jesus was locked in on doing the will of His Father - not pleasing man  Hebrews 10:5-7
• Jesus carried His own “cross” - alienation from friends might be yours
• Jesus didn’t let pressure from family or friends derail Him from his mission - salvation is through Christ, not popularity
• Jesus wasn’t intimidated by world views - He was sent here to save the world from itself
• Jesus deferred to Scripture: “It is written” See Luke 4:4,8; 19:46

Jesus… honored His Father, which to me means honoring Him in deed as well as with lips.  Taking part in an event or action that is contradictory to God’s Word undermines a Christian’s integrity/credibility.

Matthew 16:24-26
24Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. 26What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?

Grace and peace be with you.

This past Sunday during the meet and greet portion of the service, I had a brief exchange with a lady sitting behind me.  During our conversation she asked about my kids, exclaiming that she had noticed that they hadn’t been coming to church.  In an abbreviated explanation of details, I answered that I don’t force my kids to come to church.

The bottom line is that in my years of rebellion,  I simply messed up by not being a God loving and fearing father from the start.  Had I been focused on God when my kids we’re younger, I do believe that they would have a different outlook toward God and the purpose of going to church.

By the time I began to heed God’s Holy Spirit urging me to repent of my sinful ways, my kids had become older and accustomed to the cussing and beer guzzling image that I had set as precedence in their minds.  I’m quite sure that a divorce thrown into the mix didn’t help matters either.

I say the following not to boast of anything that I’ve done, but rather as testimony of what Jesus has done in my life. A year ago this past May (seems so much longer), I had a falling out with a friend, that devastated me emotionally.  The first month or so was a roller coaster of emotions and spiritual turmoil, I won’t go over the details, but suffice it to say that if there were any fruit in my life it was surely all lemons.  I realized that I had a serious problem; how could I profess to be a Christian and yet have so much anger and unforgiveness in my heart?  Not two qualities that I’ve ever read about as being attributed to Christ-like behavior and attitude.

During that rocky period, God put several people in my life to see me through the storm.  I didn’t get ministered to for hours on end, or beat into submission with quote after quote from Scripture.  No one lectured me on what they would do if it were them, nor did they cater to my emotions.  Each person that I believe God sent into my life simply shared a “word” for me that they felt placed on their heart to deliver.  On one specific day, a friend visited me, she said that she just knew she was supposed to.  We talked for a while,  she mostly listened to me vent, and then she left me with whatever it was that I needed to hear.  I can’t tell you to this day why other than believing it to be divine providence that Galatians 5:16-26 were the Bible verses that were the catalyst that day.  Conviction!

Galatians 5:16-18
16So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 17For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. 18But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.

In the span of a few minutes of reading those words, The Word had changed my perspective and attitude about life and the relationships that ensue.  Outwardly, there were things about myself that changed almost overnight.  My tongue was tamed, I no longer used profanity, my temper was calmed, I became more patient with people.  I quit drinking immediately, this had been a regular habit for most of my adult years. As the months passed my zeal for reading God’s word grew more and more, and I too matured.

As I grew, I realized more and more the spiritual implications of me failing to raise my kids in a God centered family environment.  I tried to “make up” for lost time by forcing my kids to go to church, in hopes that they would understand the eternal importance of accepting Christ as their personal Lord and Savior.  Needless to say that for all of the wanting that I had, this new dad was a shock to them.   In the process of growing closer to God day by day it eventually became evident that I just needed to realize that I could only share the Good News with my kids, not save them.

I’ve heard it said that “God doesn’t force Himself on anyone.”, and I’ve read:

Hosea 11:1-2
1 “When Israel was a child, I loved him,
   and out of Egypt I called my son.

2 But the more I called Israel,
   the further they went from me.
   They sacrificed to the Baals
   and they burned incense to images.

I haven’t given up hope for my kids, just learning to put my trust in the Lord that His Holy Spirit will do for them what He did for me.

Grace and peace be with you.

But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart,keep it and bear fruit with patience.
Luke 8:15

At any time, the receptiveness of your heart will determine your response to God’s word (Luke 8:5-18).  If your heart is like the trampled ground, hardened by the sin of bitterness and unforgiveness, you will be unable to accept a message from God.  Though you hear the words of the message, you will remain unchanged.  If your heart is like the shallow soil on top of a rock, you will accept God’s word in your mind, but the truth will not penetrate your heart to make a difference in your actions.  A heart like thorny soil is a life that is distracted by the cares of the world; the pursuit of earthly pleasures prevents God’s word from taking hold and producing righteousness.  The heart that is like good soil receive a word from God, applies it, and brings forth fruit in due time.  This is the heart that Jesus desires in us, for the fruit will be a Christlike life.

Any time you hear a word from God, whether through Bible reading, prayer, or worship, the way you respond will depend on how you have cultivated your heart (Hos. 10:12).  How do you develop a heart that is like good soil?  Repent of any bitterness, anger, or unforgiveness that is hardening your heart.  Meditate on God’s word until it enters deep into your heart and not just your mind.  When you read or hear a word form God, apply it to your life and let God bring His word into reality in your life (Gal. 6:9).  Protect your lifestyle.  See that you don’t devote all of your energy to worldly concerns, rather than to pursuing your relationship with God.  The condition of your heart will vary, depending on how you cultivate it.  If it was receptive to a word from God yesterday, this does not guarantee it is receptive today.  Daily prepare your heart for the word God has for you!

Henry and Richard Blackaby
Experiencing God Day-by-Day

18 Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”
Romans 4:18

Abraham and Sarah desired to have a child, which God promised to them in Genesis 12:1-9, Abraham was 75 years old at the time. Later in Genesis (15:4) God’s promise is repeated. By age 86, Ishmael is born, after Sarah comes up with the idea for Abraham to “sleep” with Sarah’s maidservant Hagar. Thirteen (13) years later at age 99, God promise is again reiterated. Yet again in Genesis 18:9-15 the promise is repeated, this time with God being specific. About a year later, Abraham now being 100 years old, Isaac is born to Abraham & Sarah, as God had promised.

Today, we live in a time of near instantaneous communication thanks to technological advances such as the telephone,cell phones,email, fax, instant messengers, & even blogs. In Western Society especially, we have an abundance of food that is readily available at either a 24 hour convenience store, a fast food restaurant, or something that we can prepare quickly by popping into the microwave oven. When we bank, we often choose to do so via an ATM, a drive-thru, or online to avoid waiting any longer than “necessary”. We’re inundated with messages on radio and TV, telling us that life is fast, we need to get in gear by getting with the latest program to bring convenience to our hectic schedules.

I think that we make the mistake of taking these temporal conveniences of life, and subconsciously, we attempt to apply their working(s) to our spiritual relationship with God. No, I’m not talking about sending God an IM or an email, but rather we’ve become accustomed to assuming that because a buddy in say California can reply to an email within minutes, or that we can nuke a snack in under 3 minutes, and are thus gratified instantly, that God too works on the same principle. Whenever we don’t receive a quick answer to prayers the natural tendency is to become impatient.

But no longer living by the rules of a natural (sinful) man, we now live with a different perspective as Paul, speaking to the Galatians tells us:

Galatians 5:16-18
16 So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 17 For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.

Jesus left us with some powerful words regarding prayer, words that tells us that we can be assured of answered prayer. The answer may not always be what we want to hear however, it may come in the form of a “Yes” a “No” or “Wait”; but an answer still:

John 16:24
24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.

In addition to John 16:24 however, we ought to remember that in our prayers we too should emulate Jesus’ attitude, His desire. Jesus being submitted to God the Father, humbly desired to do the will of the Father.

Matthew 6:9-13
9″This, then, is how you should pray:
” ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,10 your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 11Give us today our daily bread. 12 Forgive us our debts,as we also have forgiven our debtors.13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

Disappointment or feelings of discouragement in our prayer life can come from our motives or attitudes not being in order with God’s desire to work in our life:
(The following excerpt courtesy of Stress Fractures copyright Charles R. Swindoll & published by Multnomah Press)

• When God allows something I was convinced He would not allow
• When I expected God to say “Yes” but He says “No”
• When things I believe should happen, occur much later than I expect

God has shown though the ages, that His timing is perfect. Whenever we feel as though we’re waiting on God to follow through with promises or answers to prayers, perhaps we should ask ourselves if maybe God is waiting on us.

Grace and peace be with you.

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Galatians 2:20 (NIV)

The Christian life is an exchanged life, Jesus’ life for your life. When Christ takes control,your life takes on dimensions you would never have known apart from Him. When you are weak, then Christ demonstrates His strength in your life (2 Cor. 12:9-10). When you face situations that are beyond your comprehension, you have only to ask, and the infinite wisdom of God is available to you (James 1:5). When you are faced with humanly impossible situations, God does the impossible (Luke 18:27). When you encounter people whom you find difficult to love, God expresses His unconditional love through you (1 John 4:7). When Christ takes up residence in the life of a believer, “all the fullness of God” is available to that person (Eph. 3:19).

It is marvelously freeing to know that God controls your life and knows what it can become. Rather than constantly worrying about what you will face, your great challenge is to continually release every area of your life to God’s control. The temptation will be to try to do by yourself what only God can do. Our assignment is to “abide in the vine” and to allow God to do in and through us what only He can do (John 15:5). Only God can be God. Allow Him to live out His divine life through you. He is the only One who can.

Henry and Richard Blackaby
Experiencing God Day-by-Day