Dec 26, 2006. 12:26 GMT – Boxing Day - A pair of powerful earthquakes of magnitude 7.1 at Pingtung off the coast of Taiwan damaged undersea cables and disrupted telephone and Internet access in Asia. Taiwan's telecommunications infrastructure was hit hard, with just 40% of international calling capacity to the U.S. functioning normally. The island's biggest telecom provider, Chunghwa Telecom Co., said damage to its undersea cables had cut off 98 per cent of communication with Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Hong Kong. High bandwidth users such as Gamers and Video Uploads were severely affected. As Christians, do we have similar spiritual sensitivity to notice if there was a spiritual earthquake and the revelation from God reduces substantially? Or does it make any difference at all ?
Gay bashing in churches and adherence to Judaist Laws instead of the Gospel have become so much our focus and crusade despite having weak biblical mandate and several ministries tainted with ulterior motives and fund raising to pursue this issue. Yet, other Churches do not honor Christ but honor tradition, and man’s carnal ways and understanding to reach God. A universal God encompassing all religions is preached with no absolutes. God is defined narrowly as “Love”. The Gospel is redefined in terms of a "Social Gospel". They have forgotten the centrality of Christ whom the Holy Spirit has come to reveal and to glorify. We need to be so sensitive to the Holy Spirit and not risk quenching His presence. We risk falling away and become “dead” churches which predominates the Christian religion having the form, tradition, and the liturgy but not the substance or power and revelation of the New Testament Christianity.
(Exo 23:7 NKJV) "Keep yourself far from a false matter; do not kill the innocent and righteous. For I will not justify the wicked.
The Christian church over the last 25 years have become increasingly polarized against Gays under the banner of Jesus Christ. On the other hand, there is departure from biblical faith with a dilution of the Gospel message where we embrace other religions despite their total differences as equally valid ways to God. We have unknowingly caused spiritual earthquakes where the presence of God is impacted for God will not justify our wickedness. The Taiwan earthquake was caused by continual pressure in the earth crust. Likewise, the children of Israel waited 430 years (Exo 12:40) until the time was right when the magnitude and the sum of all the sins and their idolatry of Egyptians, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites warrant their destruction and the right for Israel to take their place (Exo 3:8) and possess the land of Canaan (Exo 6:4). God is slow to anger and merciful waiting over 430 years. The discrimination against Gays in the name of God has gone on long enough and has reached a point when God has a right to intervene and “let my people go”.
There was a silence in a worship service, a prophecy given that the church has quenched the Holy Spirit. In a matter of months, the Church split into two separate congregations and a few years later another “multiplication” occurred. That was more than 15 years ago and the question the Church Elder asked still echoes “Surely the Holy Spirit cannot leave us, He is after all residing in us. Could He?” Recollecting, I realized that the tangible presence of God cultivated by a people willing to move and be opened to His direction and ministry is the lifeline of a people, and a church. The presumption that the Holy Spirit will always be with us to do great works in spite of out actions cheapens the grace of God.
“Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he”(Proverbs 29:18 KJV).
We often hear messages that Christianity gives us a vision, a purpose for living a fulfilled life with the gifting and capabilities from God. However, the true meaning of Pro 29:18 concerns with the revelation from God for a nation or a group of people rather than a personnel revelation for life vision and purpose. A more accurate translation comes from the NKJV,
(Prov 29:18 NKJV) Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; But happy is he who keeps the law.
The Hebrew word for “chazown” is better translation as a mental vision i.e. revelation, prophecy, or an Oracle / Word of Knowledge. The Hebrew word for “para” is better translated as exposed, naked, uncontrolled, uncovered rather than perishing. Hence, Proverbs 29:18 (in view of 29:16,17), can be rephrased as when there is no revelation word from God, whether correction or word of knowledge or prophecy, the evil within our hearts are exposed as we are unconstrained from doing evil. The Hebrews lived under God’s revelation of the Law, and blessed if they do follow the law (which is an utter impossibility). Hence, “happy [or blessed] are those who [able to] keep(s) the law”. The Law identifies the chronic disease of the evil in one’s heart but could never keep it in check or cure it. The Law identifies and convicts us of our transgressions and awareness that we are sinners and puts us under condemnation (Roms 4:15).
(Deu 7:3 NKJV) "Nor shall you make marriages with them. You shall not give your daughter to their son, nor take their daughter for your son.
(1 Ki 11:1 NKJV) But King Solomon loved many foreign women, as well as the daughter of Pharaoh: women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites;
(1 Ki 11:2 NKJV) from the nations of whom the LORD had said to the children of Israel, "You shall not intermarry with them, nor they with you. Surely they will turn away your hearts after their gods." Solomon clung to these in love.
The book of Proverbs where Pro 29:18 was quoted was written by King Solomon, son of King David and ruled around 1000 BC. However, he failed to be the one who “keepeth the law, happy is he” by associating himself with other religions. Solomon had an almost uncontrollable appetite for sex and a womanizer. It was recorded in 1 Kings 11:1 that he had "seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines". His sex life blinded his good judgment and he allowed his wives to worship their native gods and even had altars to these gods constructed in Jerusalem (1 Kings 11:7-8). When Christians leaders focused on Gay promiscuity, they should be mindful of the biblical examples of straight promiscuity and the gods of wealth and power that we worship.
In the New Testament context, Jesus Christ became the revelation of God, hitherto only Moses saw the back of God only. The revelation of the Old Testament is limited to keeping the law especially in the context of restraining ourselves from Pagan worship. It was never a “cure” for it only hides our inherent wicked nature. It barely able to constraint them and does not change their nature, their hearts. The Jews repeatedly broke it and God has to send Judges (Othniel, Ehud, Shamgar, Deborah, Gideon, Tola, Jephthat, Ibzan, and Samson) Prophets after prophets (Moses, Samuel, Elijah, Elisha, Amos, Hosea, Isaiah, and Micah) to turn the hearts of the people back to God and deliver Israel from their enemies. These were the revelations referred to in Pro 29:18, which returned the people to God when they cast off their constraints without which the nation of Israel would have perished and be a footnote in history.
Under Law, Israel repeatedly needed the Judges and the Prophets. Under Christ, God’s underserved and unwarranted death and love for us, changes our hearts from within. God’s love so underserved compels us to love and to show grace and mercy in return. Our righteousness comes not from obedience to the Law, but Christ became our righteousness (1 Cor 1:30). Hence, we act correctly because we are righteousness intrinsically, a new creation (2 Cor 5:17).
In the Post Resurrection context, the Holy Spirit becomes the agent for God’s revelation to us (1 Cor 2:9-13). We are connected to God not by our works but because of our identification with Christ’s death and resurrection (Rom 5:5). The Holy Spirit takes that which is of God and reveals them to us the deep complexity of the bible and the Gospels, and also guidance and work to be done for the His kingdom message concerning His Son. The presence of the Holy Spirit can be felt tangibly in the same manner as it was felt when He fell unto the prophets of old. But He comes or works most effectively when He is invited into our Churches and we have a place in hearts to be changed and molded. In the churches today, our self righteousness resulting in a stubborn heart and legalism, and our intellect and natural humanism leaves no room for God to come in and gives us revelation of His will and purpose (1 Cor 2:14). When we deny Gays to the throne room of God or worshiping pagan gods when we equate major world religions as valid ways to God, we undoubtedly quench the Holy Spirit and the work of God within our midst. We need the presence of the Holy Spirit to minister to us peace and joy and to lead us into works of righteousness (Rom 14:17). Let us treasure His presence, asked for it seek it, to dwell in it.
(Psa 51:11 NKJV) Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
(Psa 27:4 NKJV) One thing I have desired of the LORD, That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the LORD, And to inquire in His temple.
The sin in our midst against gays and our attempt to rationalize other religions as valid ways to God have gone on for so long that we risk loosing the presence of God. In many ways, our form of Christianity is so foreign to that of the bible as we attempt to push our pre-conceived aggenda and called it biblical interpretation, tradition, and theology. The bible is about death to oneself and a New Life in Christ. Do we have a heart for God’s presence, do we yearned for it, and our actions and ministries from the pulpit so careful as not to stop the move of God. The communion with the Holy Spirit was so precious that it was one thing that King David desired from God. God is building a new type of Church. There is a new move of God, the End Time move of God to build His Church that will treasure His presence, reflect His Power, Christ Centered, Gospel Message is emphasised, mindful of God's grace and mercy in Christ Jesus, and one who welcomes the Holy Spirit. It will be an inclusive church where all are free to worship Christ and considered equal irrespective of their race, language, color, sex, and sexual orientation. Christ alone, our vision and the Hope of Glory.
Father, God, open your house to the Gay tribe that we may be able to see you Lord. One thing we ask, one thing we seek,one thing we desire, is to see Jesus Christ and to dwell in your house O Lord all of our days. Do not hide your face from us for we have been broken and rejected by our families, society and the church. Do not hide your face from us for you are our only hope and shield, and the lifter of our soul. Let our vision be You alone.