Bible Discussion Thread

Have a question about God's view on Gays. Have known that I was gay for as long as i can remember, ALSO, realize that this is WRONG as far as God's teaching. Am 55 years old and the man that i have fell in love with when i was 20 years old found me. It is a long distance relationship for the time being. I was always so happy when we were friends LONG ago and hoped that we would become more. Thought about him often, even searched but didnt find him. About 2 weeks ago, he found me online and we have been chatting on the phone many times since.

The Bible is quite clear on this. We all have desires and a sinful nature. We can choose to act on our desires or to reject them. For example, a person who was born with a nature to be angry can control his temper, or a woman who was born as a nymphomaniac or a man as a kleptomaniac, can choose to control their nature. Also, some natures may be acquired in our youth, such as a bullying or physically abusive nature, sometimes brought on by a relative or neighbor who mistreated us. We are in this life for a test of whether we love God or choose to do our own desires. See Deuteronomy 13:1-3 for example. Often, these desires are compelling and overwhelming. When we believe we cannot control them, we must kneel in humble prayer to Jesus and ask Him to help us. Greater is He that is in me, than he (Satan) that is in the World. Let us be thankful that we have a savior who loves us and gave Himself for us, and that we can express our love for Him by being obedient to Him. "If ye love me, keep my commandments."

His commandments were only 2. Love God with all yourself, heart, mind and strength. And love your brother/neighbor as you love yourself. If we strive to do these, we will have no problem overcoming the sinful desires inherited from our parents/ancestors. When my wants displace your needs, I sin. God help us!!!

Yes, you are right. These two commandments summarize the Ten Commandments. First, love God. To understand this, one must have the correct God, not a god we necessarily shape to conform to what we would like Him to be. Some think that God is not going to send people to hell, or that He will forgive everyone. They have created a god that does not exist in the Bible accounts. It is not my place to say who will and will not be forgiven by God, as He says "my thoughts are not your thoughts" and, frankly, He is so complex that I doubt anyone could possibly comprehend Him. The best we can do is know Him through Jesus, as Jesus said "he who hath seen me hath seen the Father." Hopefully, Jesus will be merciful to all and give the kingdom to all. Even though He said "the son of man must be lifted up that He may draw all men unto Him," so many other places indicate that the branches that do not bear fruit will be pruned off and cast into the fire, and new branches grafted into the vine (Him). We pray that God will be merciful and compassionate to us all for the sake of His Son. Nevertheless, we should keep His commandments. The 10 Commandments were not part of the law that was taken away at the cross. As you know, the tablets of the law were placed inside the ark, while the handwritten laws of Moses were attached to the outside of the ark and were called "the handwritten laws that were against us" in the Old Testament and in the New Testament. Those were the ones done away with at the cross. The Ark of the Covenant was a symbol of Jesus, His eternal unblemished nature (gold), His mortal body (acacia wood), His Word (manna), His resurrection (Aaron's rod), and His not breaking the 10 Commandments (unbroken tablets). These things were in the ark. So, we should endeavor to keep the sabbath, honor our parents, etc. as He would have us do. This is how we express our love for Him.

That is something that I just cannot understand why so many people believe this world evolved and not created by God? This world is so complex and all it takes for me is to just look at it and the Sun. This world has millions of very complex creatures including billions of humans that are different and the Sun has burned at the correct temp. to keep everything on Earth alive and has never ever ran out of fuel!! Never even ran low every since the day it was created so tell me how many things that burn never run out of fuel, non of them they all have to have fuel but the Sun!! Just take a good look at it and if you do not see it was created by God then I am sorry for you. God created the Heavens and the Earth and I so hope I will get to go to Heaven forever and ever! Amen and thank you Jesus and thank you God!!

I agree, that is something hard to understand when so much of the creation & the creature declares the supreme presence of a Being Who only could undertake this great task. To say that things just happened out of nothing requires a whole lot more faith. After reading what you wrote, I thought of that great quote by Pres. Abe Lincoln, though he himself did not claim to be a Christian, yet demonstrated wonderful thoughts & attributes that would have brought him much closer to the Lord, I would think.

He once said, "I can see how it might be possible for a man to look down upon the earth and be an atheist, but I cannot conceive how a man could look up into the heavens and say there is no God."

And dear brother, you WILL get to Heaven: your faith in Christ's work at the Cross, your new nature in Christ, the Spirit's indwelling you, is the guarantee of your redemption. God will not undo or sideline what He has done for you & in you - His Work was too great & too costly for any errors or shortcomings.

Ephesians 1:13,14: "In whom (Jesus) ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were SEALED with that holy Spirit of promise; which is the earnest (guarantee, promise) of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory." You belong to the Lord & nothing, but nothing, can separate you from His Love.