Social Media, online pages and online videos via adds invoke my emotions sometimes. Do I comment, do I not? Sometimes I do, and most times I don't. "He who answers a matter before he hears it, it is folly and shame to him." Proverbs 18:13 I do not comment because of the Word, but because the back lash can so harsh and cruel at me, and I just could not be bothered arguing.
Most times when I do comment on some page of LGBTQ / rights or Stop Homophobia, I'm told I'm a troll and misunderstood. I follow these because I truly am interested in their messages and plight for change and rights. Except they always see me as the enemy! I'm seen as belonging to this group, and us two groups should not be talking on social media!
It’s not true, I have rights, and I'm free to comment after all, is it not freedom they stand for? It seems to be they never get their information about me before they comment. They just assume that I am anti LGBTQ being EX and block me - you are in the Christian camp, so you must be blocked.
They just assume I am the enemy of their battle and I'm not at all. I certainly do not stand with all their views or ways of life, but I am concerned about many of their issues. I am greatly concerned about any LGBTQ person coming into the church and being treated like lepers and seen as outcasts and law breakers/rebels on purpose.
So when I heard the other day a Podcast (Ep 34) from The Bible For Normal People, who were interviewing Jen Hatmaker, I was glad to hear God was raising up more people to come along side of LGBTQ Christ seekers or LGBTQ Christians. She felt Jesus had called her and husband to openly welcome LGBTQ persons into their church and openly accept them not wanting them to renounce their marriages or partners.
I thought this is great, a church of refuge where they were free to be true, to be real. A place where church people would accept those they that I believe to be outside the law without judgment. A place where they would not be punished and they would be safe from religious judgment.
What a blessing to hear they endured such judgment from the Church to hear the call and obey the call to minister and bring forth refuge where LGBTQ persons, so they felt like they belonged to learn at the feet of Christ.
Will they find truth there, will they be called out of darkness into His marvellous light? Or have they come into His marvellous light and are just as much elect as the heterosexual Christian. Has Jesus Christ given Hatmakers the authority to allow LGBTQ persons to be seen as flesh of His flesh, citizens of heaven? Just as Moses allowed divorce in the Old Testament and God said clearly in His law that divorce was a breach of the law. So are Jen and her husband the Moses of today because of the hardness of hearts and the reality that homosexuals are real, and transsexuals are real and gay lives matter? Is this Wisdom, or are they part of the great falling away?
I believe giving grace will lead them to an encounter with Jesus Christ. I believe it is through the Holy Spirit that conviction and His leading into all truth will cause any LGBTQ person to see if they are in the faith. I believe if any person seeks truth and seeks the answer about being married to the same-sex they will find out. "For we can do nothing against the truth, but only for the truth." (2 Corinthians 13:8) Discipleship, justice and mercy and surrendering self are aspects of being a Christian so I hope disciples come out of their flock.
I don’t know their hearts and all I can do is continue to give grace and truth and be true to what I believe I'm called to teach. I will keep asking questions and looking for answers as I've been wrong before on doctrine. Most of all, I will continue to live by my conviction, that if I were a practicing homosexual, I would lose my salvation.
To date, I still cannot find a loop hole to the laws against being a practicing homosexual; and The Word is clear about sexual sin. I’ll keep looking in case I’ve done myself an injustice. I still have many unanswered questions, I will continue this journey of looking at the other side of the coin, please pray for me that I do know truth.
How blessed we are to be on this journey, to know the truth to seek truth down this labyrinth of lies and truth.
Be blessed and be a blessing.
Kathleen