So You Are Homosexual. Now What?

What a life I have lived!

I’m well past three decades in this world now and marching quickly toward four. Those 30+ years have brought a lot of life experiences. Sadly, there are so many that I am so very ashamed of.

Sometimes I truly can’t believe the things I have done.

How could I have been so disrespectful and rude to my parents at times? My son would be grounded until he has great-grandkids if he pulled some of the same garbage I did.

How could I have said and done the things I did when I was in high school and college? The bravado. The brashness. The cutting words. The sharp tongue. The uncaring heart.

Pathetic!

Jason Collins is Gay … So DON’T Congratulate Him!

It finally happened. The first professional athlete in a major team sport (NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL) has “come out” as being gay.

Jason Collins, a well-traveled 11-year NBA veteran, stepped forward recently to tell the world that he is in fact gay. He states that it was never his intention or goal to become the first. Rather he has always just been himself and now was finally the right time for admitting it.

This is no small story. It is all over the news. ESPN has made it a feature story after nearly begging for some major athlete to “come out” in recent articles. All the other media sources are giving full coverage as well. This is a HUGE story and a HUGE moment for the LGBT community. And truly . . .

IT IS AWFUL!

On the one hand I can say that I can’t believe the outright sinfulness that is heralded and honored in our country. But on the other hand, I’m never really surprised at what Satan can do. What incredible lies he has blinded people with!

As this story has broken, the overwhelming response has been one of support and respect. Kobe Bryant tweeted his support and pride in Jason Collins’ gay pride. Many other athletes have done the same. News reporters, politicians, and more have been chiming in with their opinions of how “brave” this “pioneer” is.

But truly, this absolutely confounds me. Satan has actually convinced people to think that this is cool, important, and acceptable.

How come no one heralded Tiger Woods for being a pioneer in combining the worlds of athletics and adultery? (Though he really is no pioneer. Wilt Chamberlain and Magic Johnson will always take the cake for adulterous athletes.) But why did Tiger Woods have to stand up and apologize to the world for his behavior while Jason Collins is heralded as a hero? Why can someone be openly gay but not openly adulterous?

How come ESPN 30 for 30 did an entire story on the shame of the many athletes who lost all of their money to a lifestyle of debauchery and greed, but Jason Collins is applauded for his lifestyle?

Why are those who break sports rules by taking Performance Enhancing Drugs condemned as horrible cheaters, but those who break God’s rules for marriage are praised for their ground-breaking choices?

What is it that makes the media want to commend and condone homosexual athletes?  Why not do the same for those who “come out” as alcoholics, gamblers, adulterous cheaters, or drug addicts? What if an athlete came out and admitted that he has always “been this way”–no, he was even “born this way” and “pre-progammed”–that he is a member of NAMBLA and loves children in a sexual way? What would the media say then? If that person claims God made them that way and they can’t help it and that they feel oppressed and persecuted, would that pedophile be considered a national hero? Why not?

Here’s the pathetic problem with our world and our country today: There is no concept whatsoever for absolute truth, in particular, what God states is absolute truth. If there were understanding about what is absolutely, completely, 100% true, then there could be no arguments about actions and lifestyles that God declares to be sinful.

The absolute truth is that all of the above actions mentioned are sins–including homosexuality. None of these athletes should be commended or congratulated for their actions. All of them, Jason Collins included, should be rebuked for disobeying what God says and for sinning.

Please don’t misunderstand. This is not a hate-filled post. I don’t dislike Jason Collins. I would play basketball against him or with him. And I know full well that I am probably more of a sinner than Jason Collins is. So this has nothing to do with hatred or persecution or arrogance or anything similar. Rather, this has everything to do with love–love for a sinner ensnared by Satan’s temptations and lies.

Jason Collins and all the other unabashed, open, and “out” sinners of every kind need to be called to repentance. They need to listen carefully to God’s clear Word about what is right and what is wrong. They need to turn from sinful actions and choices and turn to the Lord. There in the Lord and in his truth they will most certainly find forgiveness for their sins. Trust me. If I could be forgiven, if David, Peter, Paul and all the sinners of the Bible could be forgiven, then Jason Collins and the rest can be forgiven too.

The floodgates are likely about to pour open. Jason Collins was the first professional athlete in a major sport to “come out” as being gay. There will likely be many, many more.

But please, for the sake of their eternal salvation, DON’T comfort, condone, or congratulate them!

Call them back to the ways of the Lord!

Speaking the Truth in Love to Homosexuals, Muslims, Mormons, and More

About two weeks ago I reacted in a blog post to some recent comments by Kirk Cameron about homosexuality and gay marriage. I also took the opportunity to share a biblical perspective and my own beliefs about the same topics.

In that post there were two main points that I made:

1. The Bible reveals that all homosexuality is a sin in God’s sight.
2. Christians who believe such are entitled to that free opinion just as much as those who are pro-homosexuality or gay themselves.

I anticipated that post getting a few extra views than our normal web traffic would bring. I didn’t quite anticipate that it would be the busiest day in the history of our church’s blog. Nor did I fully anticipate all the reactions and replies it would bring.