so what is coming next?

this question was put to me yesterday after the supreme court gave their ruling and I have been praying and considering since. What do you think is coming next now that the supreme court has ruled in favor of same sex marriage?

rdg

according to Chief Justice Roberts, in his recent great dissent

" Hard questions arise when people of faith exercise
religion in ways that may be seen to conflict with the new
right to same-sex marriage””when, for example, a religious
college provides married student housing only to
opposite-sex married couples, or a religious adoption
agency declines to place children with same-sex married
couples. Indeed, the Solicitor General candidly acknowledged
that the tax exemptions of some religious institutions
would be in question if they opposed same-sex marriage.
See Tr. of Oral Arg. on Question 1, at 36”“38. There
is little doubt that these and similar questions will soon be
before this Court. Unfortunately, people of faith can take
no comfort in the treatment they receive from the majority today."

but still Christ is on the throne, laughing at the futility of wicked Kings and rulers..
andy

I think John MacArthur was spot on. We must never let our faith wander, this should only help increase our faith as to the truth in the word of God, as God told us these days were coming....Our greatest hope is, just to know God is still in control, all the SCOTUS has free wills, and God will not violate our free will.

C. S. Lewis put the idea this way: "Merely to over-ride a human will (as His felt presence in any but the faintest and most mitigated degree would certainly do) would be for Him useless. He cannot ravish. He can only woo.

rainydaygirl wrote:
this question was put to me yesterday after the supreme court gave their ruling and I have been praying and considering since. What do you think is coming next now that the supreme court has ruled in favor of same sex marriage?

Now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love. ~ 1 Cor 13.13

That's my take on it,
God bless,
Lisa

We had a large absent contingent from our home group last night. Three folks came. We sat in a small circle in our living room. We discussed a lot about who we are to be in this hour. Some words of wisdom were spoken. I lead us in a prayer about many things, but first a prayer of repentance.

My prayer is that God will forgive me, a man in His church, and all other men, for failing to teach the Truth, for failing to pattern His Way for others sufficiently, for not proclaiming to the lost the full gospel of Jesus and for not insisting that we as believers be about God's business in this hour such that homosexual sin is even an issue. It was a prayer of other things too. That God bring into our fellowship those persons and gifts to form us into that which honors Him and accomplishes for His glory that which He calls us to do and be. We are on the cusp of saying this is a local expression of His body, a church if you will, but He is first to bring to us that gifting and unction that is necessary, and a sense of "now you are that". We are asking Him to form us into a body that pleases Him and clearly states to the people around us the Truth about who He is so that they cannot deny having heard Him, having known of Him, and so they will come to Him in faith.

That is what is next, and what is now, where we sit.

The night before the Supreme Court decision, I felt a troubling in my spirit.

I knew that the Supreme Court decision about this was impending, and I had a suspicion that it would be 5-4 in favor of immorality. After all, the court tends to release the most controversial decisions at the end of the week and Justice Kennedy takes a misguided libertarian view on such matters. The next morning, I turned on my cell phone as soon as I woke up and read the headline. I was deeply grieved and spent about an hour in silent, tearful prayer (so as to not awaken my wife).

On Friday, someone called me to tell me that he still had a copy of short paper that I wrote about what I thought that the consequences of the 2008 election (and subsequently updated to include the 2012 election) would be. In it, I stated that I believed that lower courts would be stacked with Liberal judicial activists and that things like homosexual marriage, gays opening serving in the military, universal health care with a financial requirement to participate, transgender sports/bathrooms, the DNC backtracking on Israel, some race riots, etc... would be consequences of the elections. He argued with me and even told me that he didn't believe back then that those things would even be possible in such a short time. In retrospect, he admitted that it proved correct.

I strongly believe that the 5-4 decision was wrong. Definitions like this are often a state's right issue (per the 10th Amendment). Even "equal access" is limited by each state's decision. For instance, siblings cannot marry in any state. Cousins cannot marry in most states. Even first cousins once removed are prohibited from marriage in several states. Yet, this open-ended decision by the four Left Wing judicial activists and the one libertarian open the door to everything from incestuous marriages to polygamy.

Yet, this -- as with everything in this universe -- is a spiritual issue. In particular, these are issues of sin and immorality. As bad as this is for a nation and the other nations that might follow American politicians' lead (or "lead from behind"), it is still a spiritual issue at heart.

In other words, the Christians in America need to be prepared (as we always should have been) because the consequences of being a Christian may become more real in this nation. Even now, there are newspapers that are banning op eds against "gay marriage." For-profit message boards and forums are deleting the opinions of those who disagree with this single-vote majority ruling. CEO's have already been forced out of companies for not complying with the views of gay activists.

Websites are turning their logos into rainbows to celebrate this attempt by activists to justify their sins. Christians who embrace the Bible are being labeled as "hateful," "hatemongers," "bigots" and even "Puritans." In their place, the media is choosing faux Christians -- those who embrace immorality and sin and who reject the Bible -- to be the public "norms" of Christianity.

What now? Christians need to be prepared for the consequences of being a Christian. Christians need to be prepared to face the consequences for believing in Christ, the Bible and the message of the Cross.

Now, it is easy to say that we have always believed such things. However, this fallen world is ready to pounce upon anyone who stands in the way of their goals, agendas and ideology. The world is ready to publicly shame us. They want to represent us as followers of an ancient, misguided myth that is "harmful if believed."

I have never believed that homosexuals wanted the "equal protections" with marriage. In fact, they were suing states that had civil unions that were the same as marriage but differed by gender/numeric makeup of the civil contract (i.e., "marriage" = one man and one woman; "civil union" = two men or two women). Rather, LGBT groups were using the courts to legitimize or justify their sin by having the state call their sexual practices "normal."

To quote Leonard Ravenhill, we must pledge our heads to heaven for the Gospel. We must pledge our vocations, our families, our possessions and even our reputation for Christ and be prepared to suffer the "shame" that the evil in this world are prepared to extend to us.

Hi ccchhhrrriiisss,

I was wondering if you would pop up and comment on this issue, as you usually have strong political opinions ;)

This is pretty much the point-of-no-return for the current incarnation of the American republic, because the Supreme Court has the final say in such matters. The only way to reverse that is to have a constitutional amendment, and it is unlikely that such a move would garner the necessary support from the grassroots, state and federal levels.

This ruling would indeed set the tone for the rest of the world, given America's dominance over the global media and internet realm. Citizens in other countries would look to America and agitate for the same "rights". Meanwhile, even Nintendo has decided to cave in after a previous backlash and include same-sex relationships in its games...

On religious liberty: while there is a clause for "free exercise" of religion in the Constitution - in practice, that has been restrained before. An example: Reynolds v. United States (1878) - where the Supreme Court ruled that the First Amendment prohibited Congress from legislating against religious opinion, but allowed it to legislate against religious action.

The Constitution thus provides no guarantee that religious liberty will prevail in America. That would depend on the whim of the Supreme Court judges.

BTW I felt that the case against same-sex marriage was weakened, because the Christian community has not been emphatic enough in addressing -

(i) What is the root cause of LGBT desires?

(ii) If LGBT desires are an aberration, how do you overcome them?

(iii) The difference between lust and love

You might also have been aware that in America and other countries, same-sex marriage has been preceded by recognition of the concept of "sexual orientation" (as distinct from gender). If that concept exists, then it naturally follows that people of whatever orientation should be protected - but that concept is a lie, and has no basis in Scripture.

Anyway, let us exhort and love one another as we see The Day approaching.

Hi yuehan,

I do visit SermonIndex often even I don't log on or participate in discussions nearly as often as I used to. I am trying to learn and practice the concept of "redeeming the time" -- which is very relevant today as the days are undoubtedly evil.

As for my opinions: I wouldn't quite characterize them as "political" opinions but spiritual and, by default, moral opinions that affect the way that I view politics in a nation with laws and a government of consent. Like all believers, I view the world through the lens of Scripture. This world is not my home but just the temporary abode in this journey and pilgrimage of life.

This weekend, I have been thinking quite a bit about John the Baptist. He was arrested for something that seemed insignificant -- stating that it was unlawful for Herod to have his brother's wife. It ultimately ended with John's beheading.

This is the dilemma that believers are facing. While we aren't facing execution or beheadings (well, not in America), we are faced with the dilemma of whether or not to speak the truth (in love) or pacify this world that is racing toward judgment.

I live in Northern California (in the San Francisco Bay Area/Silicon Valley). The local news websites contained videos of rallies where one man stated that San Francisco's morals are now America's morals. Ironically, I had argued in 2008 that America's morals would now begin to look like San Francisco's because of an Administration that wanted it to happen working alongside a media that has the same goals.

We have to be able to stand for Christ in these last days even if the world is collectively opposed to us. After all, it isn't us that they oppose. It is Christ Jesus.

Amen, Julius21!

ccchhhrrriiisss: I've valued your posts on this forum over the years, especially the non-political ones ;) I enjoy your genuine sharing out of your personal experience, they make for more interesting and persuasive reading.

I don't think we differ too radically in terms of political views either, so we would likely have an easy chat at the bar. Perhaps there might be occasion for that, if I happen to be in the Bay Area someday.

I have pondered the same question. Then someone posted on FB an excerpt from a sermon preached by Adrian Rogers concerning delusions. His text came from 2Thessalonians 2:10-12:

1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,

2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.

3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?

6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.

7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.

8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,

10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:

12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

Lying will become the norm, not the exception.

On the practical level I do not expect common sense to rule politicans' decisions - even if a political candidate promises he will operate thus. It seems to me there is an underground gov that calls the shots and the elected politicans are mere figure heads for this gov working to delude people of their existance.

To appeal to logic based on truth will no longer fly. Try that on one given to homosexuality whose roots are in the church. Their mindset is beyond weird. According to 2Thess. 2 it is not uncommon or new. And that, brothers and sisters, is what will are faced with and will become the norm.

Wish I would be wrong.

Sandra

rainydaygirl wrote:
this question was put to me yesterday after the supreme court gave their ruling and I have been praying and considering since. What do you think is coming next now that the supreme court has ruled in favor of same sex marriage?

Hey sister Lisa,

I haven't posted in a while but your post prompted me to reply!

I have appreciated you and your walk in the Lord over the years sister! It is good to see you still serving the Lord faithfully!

I want to challenge you with what you stated here in your post. Especially the part where you said "On a personal scale, nothing will change for me. The Lord gave me" that this sounds selfish. I mean it sounds like you don't care about what this will do to so many children who are helpless. It sounds like you don't care about the children who are waiting adoption.

Let me just give you one example of many other ministries out there besides your ministry.

Well, let's just suppose you had a friend that was in a ministry of helping children get adopted by some loving couple. Just suppose your friend was forced to adopt them out to homosexuals.

Now it sounds like from your post that it wouldn't bother you at all because you have your ministry. I mean their are so many problems that this is going to cause for so many people but for you personally it's not even going to bother you.

On another note sister, I pray that your ministry will grow and that you will reach a lot of souls for the Lord. I pray that you will minister to a lot of hurting women and continually help them in their walk with the Lord!

Blessings to you always!