Many articles have appeared and continue to appear in the nation's newspapers, magazines, and other periodicals, and there is also much air time committed to the supposed sad plight of the homosexuals of America, and actually, of the world.
The basic tenet of all this media exposure appears to be solidly on the "side" of the homosexual, and seems to be treating them as though they are a legitimate gender and a much aligned and abused "minority," that needs protection from all of the heterosexuals who would try to deny them their basic human, spiritual, and constitutional rights. There are even "hate laws" being passed in many states that restrict the freedom of speech of people who would speak out against this homosexual invasion and takeover of society.
Also, many "mainline" religions, both those that consider themselves Christian and those that deny that Yahushua of Nazareth is the Anointed, have decided that our Eloah, whose name is Yahuwah, the Eloah of the Sacred Scripture, really condones and protects those of the homosexual persuasion, both male and female, and therefore they are accepted and "ordained" into the various "ministries and priesthoods."
They also have formed and are forming their own religious groups and tell people that "God" told them it is okay to be "gay."
What is the truth of all this hype?
Is there anything in the Sacred Scripture to support these contentions and positions?
These two questions can be answered very simply and in a straightforward manner with two words. NONE and NO!
One of the contentions that homosexuals and their supporters consistently make is that since Yahuwah is a loving Eloah that He doesn't want any of His creation to suffer or be mistreated. So therefore He wants them to be happy in any way they can find to be happy. In part of this they are absolutely correct. Yahuwah is an all powerful, loving Creator, who made man in the image of Elohiym, for His reasons and His purposes, and Who desires that none of His creation perish. He describes and details these reasons, purposes, and the way to avoid perishing in the book we call the Sacred Scriptures. This book has got to be the basis for all of our policy, doctrine, belief, and practices, or we are guilty of putting our thoughts and desires in the place of Yahuwah's and that will guarantee that we will perish. It says so in that book. We must take Yahuwah's Word for what He says, and not what we want Him to say, or we are in disobedience to His will.
As usual, Yahuwah does not beat around the bush about those that will perish, why they will perish, and their relation to His kingdom. One place where some of these are described is in the last book of His written word.
Revelation 21:27 (RNV) But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life.
Yahuwah is love, and we are one, in love, with Him. We are HIS creation, and we will reap the rewards of our actions while on this earth, both good and bad, regardless of what we think about it, but He will NOT tolerate any abominations attempting to enter His kingdom. These abominations are exactly why He destroyed Sedom (Sodom) and Amorah (Gomorrah) and also why He moved the heathen out of the land of Kena’an (Canaan) and moved the sons of Yisra’el (Israel) in.
Everything that we will be is predicated on what we are now, whether it will be receivers of the wrath of Yahuwah for disobedience or eternal life with Yahuwah for obedience. If we are disobedient, we will not have a chance. Yahuwah DOES punish. That is the reward for disobedience. It is said best in Rhomaios (Romans).
Rhomaios 6:23 (RNV) For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of Yahuwah is eternal life in the Anointed Yahuwah, our Master.
Wages in this verse literally means the stipend received for work done, sin is from the Greek word hamartia, and literally means offense, which means someone broke someone's law, in this case Yahuwah's law, and death is from the Greek word thanatos, and it literally means you're going to die if you disobey Him. You cannot earn salvation, but you can certainly earn death.
As a matter of fact, this entire verse is translated literally and every word in the English comes from the Greek word that means exactly the same thing, for a change. Basically, you choose what you're going to do, do it, and then you collect the appropriate reward for your actions. Pretty simple, isn't it? It is your choice, plain and simple, and you have two of them. Choose life in obedience to Yahuwah, or through disobedience, choose death.
Yahuwah also rewards liberally with mercy and compassion. Both of these positions are clearly shown in the following verses from the book of the Revelation of Yahushua the Anointed.
Revelation 21:3-8 (RNV) And I heard a loud voice from the sky saying, "Behold! The tabernacle of Yahuwah is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. Yahuwah Himself will be with them and be their Eloah. 4 And Yahuwah will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away." 5 Then He who sat on the throne said, "Behold! I make all things new." And He said to me, "Write, for these words are true and faithful." 6 And He said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. 7 He who overcomes shall inherit all things and I will be his Eloah and he shall be My son. 8 But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, image worshippers, and all liars shall have their part in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."
Every person in this United States, whether they are heterosexual, asexual, or homosexual, if they are born or naturalized American citizens, deserves every civil right and liberty that is available under our Constitution. No more, no less. They do not deserve to be mistreated or discriminated against in any fashion as long as what they are doing is not done in such a fashion as to intrude into the rights and liberties of anyone else who does not desire that intrusion or do anything that violates the laws of the land. They also have the same responsibilities to the American society that every other citizen has. So that's a two way street, like so many other things in this world.
Therefore, so far as treatment as individuals is concerned, everyone must treat everyone else with dignity, even homosexuals. Not because they are what they are, but in spite of it. They also should receive from society the same consideration for "whatever" based on their individual qualifications for that "whatever," in the same manner as every other citizen in this society receives consideration. (They should NOT receive any special consideration for anything in society because of their abominable behavior, but that is exactly what they are demanding.)
It is at this point where the children of Yahuwah and practicing and/or avowed homosexuals must part company. The child of Yahuwah must exclude them from friendship and fellowship, regardless of their personal or family ties to them. Homosexuals are walking in darkness, and we can have no fellowship with the things of darkness. If they desire to repent (literally - to change their way of thinking and therefore their behavior) as stated by Keph (Peter) in Acts 2:38, then they can be and will be welcomed into the fold and fellowship of the family of Yahuwah. Otherwise, they and the body of Yahushua must go their separate ways.
1 Korinthios (Corinthians) 5:9-13 (RNV) I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people10 but I did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or image worshippers since then you would need to go out of the world. 11 But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an image worshipper, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner, not even to eat with such a person. 12 For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? 13 But those who are outside Yahuwah judges. Therefore "put away from yourselves the evil person."
By the way, Yahuwah does care very much what you do with your body. It is His temple and He expects His temple to be well taken care of. He does not expect it to be shared in a carnal fashion outside the marriage bed. Period. And what you do with yourself is known by Him, regardless of where and how you do it. No matter how much homosexuals try to convince themselves that what they are doing is okay, they know, we know, and Yahuwah knows that it is not okay, and Yahuwah also knows when, where, and with whom they're doing it too.
Loukas (Luke) 16:15 (RNV) And He said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves before men, but Yahuwah knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of Yahuwah.
There are also references to homosexual practices and other disapproved sexual behavior in the Pentateuch and they all mention something terrible befalling the practitioners. The child of Yahuwah knows and understands that the Law of Mosheh, described and defined in those books, does not apply except in a very general fashion as good examples to the redeemed in Yahushua. The shedding of Yahushua’s blood put the old (Law of Mosheh) out of the way so that the new (Law of Grace) could be put into effect. So although all the references and descriptions and the immediate punishments in the Law of Mosheh do not apply directly today, these practices were then and are still today an abomination in the eyes of Yahuwah, with separation from Him the punishment of doing them. Some places this abomination are cited follow.
Wayiqra (Leviticus) 18:22 (RNV) You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination.
Wayiqra 20:13 (RNV) If a man lies with a male 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.
Dabariym (Deuteronomy) 23:17 (RNV) There shall be no ritual harlot of the daughters of Yisra'el or a homosexual of the sons of Yisra'el.
Under the restored law of Yahuwah (Law of Grace), that these acts are still an abomination in the eyes of Yahuwah is shown by Sha'uwl (Paul) in his first letter to the people of Korinthos (Corinth) and his first letter to Timotheos.
1 Korinthios (Corinthians) 6:9-10 (RNV) Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of Yahuwah? Do not be deceived. Neither prostitutes, nor image worshippers, nor adulterers, nor those who engage in pederasty, nor homosexuals, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of Yahuwah. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Master Yahushua and by the Spirit of our Eloah.
1 Timotheos (Timothy) 1:8-11 (RNV) But we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully. 9 Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous person but for lawless and insubordinate, for irreverent and for sinners, for wicked and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, 10 for fornicators, for homosexuals, for slave dealers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine, 11 according to the magnificent gospel of the blessed Yahuwah that was committed to my trust.
So there you have it. Choose you this day whom you will serve. If you choose satan, his society, and the world with its ways, so be it. It is your choice, your personal responsibility, and your life until you die. Then it is Yahuwah's life, but still your responsibility. I hope you choose to obey Him, because that's when you'll find out that He was not kidding.
Related article:
The Homosexual Agenda
C.F. Castleberry
http://www.considerthis.net
buck@considerthis.net