V RaptureChrist Newsletter
July 1, 2011

In 2001 Holland legalized same sex marriage (SSM).  It was the first country to do so. There are now ten more.  The United States did pass the defense of marriage act (DOMA) in 1996 stating that marriage can only consist of one man and one woman.  The federal government of the United States has not legalized same sex marriage, but individual states have.  In May 17, 2004, Massachusetts became the first state to legalize gay marriage.  Starting on July 25th of this year, New York gays will be allowed to marry.  In fact, there is talk of a presidential bid for New York governor Andrew Cuomo due to his success in passing this law.

It is truly a different America now. People in the 50's could not imagine that we would accept gays. In fact, back then the word "gay" meant happy. Well now, to be against homosexuality is viewed as a  form of hate.

Republicans in America have always been regarded as being more conservative, voting against abortion and gay marriage. However, in New York, many rich Republicans are gay, and Wall street money has been used in political campaigns.  Well now, Wall Street went for gay marriage. 

For many politicians it is a money issue.  They do not care about morals, but they do care about money. Well, many gay contributors are very generous.

Republicans against gay marriage say that this is for them a MORAL issue. Sadly, many of them did not get elected because they did not get enough money for their campaigns.

Democrats, on the contrary,  say it is a CIVIL RIGHTS issue. That means gays are considered a  protected group, similar to minority groups, and we all know about the quota system.

Not only are gays having civil marriages, but they are also pushing for Christian churches to marry them.  If the United States as a whole is going to consider homosexuality a civil rights issue, they might push for laws forcing all Christian churches to approve SSM in the church.

Many Christians now fear that their church will be forced to marry gays. For example, at one time there were churches that discriminated against marriage by people of different races. The US government made this practice illegal.  Therefore we might soon see laws enacted by our government in which a church would lose their certification as a charitable organization if they refuse SSM.

God makes abundantly clear what His view on sin is.

Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

God states in the bible that to practice homosexuality is a sin.  I have seen gays say that God is evil because He does not accept them as they are.

Romans 1:25-27
Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. 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.

I do not want to go into a medical description of all the consequences of doing a practice that is against nature, but I know that when God says, "receiving in themselves that recompense of their error," it is not only in a spiritual way, but in a physical one.

If homosexuals do not repent of their sin, their own  fate is to be thrown into the lake of fire.

Revelation 21:8 
But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, drug users, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.

Homosexuality, although becoming more prevalent now, is something that also happened in the past. It got so bad that God decided to wipe out two major cities off the face of the earth.

The lesson of Sodom and Gomorrah is for us. That is so we understand what the fate of unrepentant sinners is. We must all repent of our sins, including gays. If we do not, God will throw us into the fire.

Jude 1:7
Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange (Greek: queer, different, other) flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

2nd Peter 2:6,7
And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an example unto those that after should live ungodly; And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked.

Please do not be deceived, as God will judge all of us. He makes clear that we need to REPENT and accept the sacrifice of Jesus to atone for our sins.