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God loves you more than you could ever know …

And HIS righteous favor is on those who cry out to HIM with a broken and contrite heart over their sin. “Wash me with hyssop until I am clean and whiter than snow.” Psalm 51:7, CEV. Are you ready and willing to serve God, who bought you with a price, namely the precious shed blood of Jesus Christ, which he has shed for His friends? The following is taken from John 15:13-15, CEV, in which Jesus says: 13 “The greatest way to show love for friends is to die for them. 14 And you are my friends, if you obey me. 15 Servants don’t know what their master is doing, and so I don’t speak to you as my servants. I speak to you as my friends, and I have told you everything my Father has told me.”

So who is this information for? It is for a younger version of myself, when my relationship with Jesus was in its infancy and I was too afraid to ask Him for help; it is for those like me who have not, do not and will never practice homosexual behavior, but perhaps you continue to have homosexual thoughts and feelings that, on your own, you are unable to become free of once and for all; and want to know the love of Jesus on a deeper level and to experience His complete salvation from those thought and feelings. More importantly, it is for whosoever will understand or need to be reminded to never to be ashamed about struggling with sin to the point that you find yourself struggling alone or trying to save yourself, as I did in vain for many years.

Because not only can we never save ourselves from the curse of sin, but our good Jesus has taken all of the shame of everyone’s sin upon himself when He died to save and redeem all of humanity and His entire creation from the curse of sin and the day to day struggle with ungodly behavior, if we lay it all at His feet rather than become burdened by it. The way that Jesus, the Son of God loves each one of us and His obedience to His Father is with indescribable devotion: He is therefore our biggest and best example for worshipping God in truth, and our most important ally in the goal of achieving and maintaining a Godly life.

5 Thomas said the him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” 6 Jesus answered, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really know me, you will know my Father as well.” See: John 14:5-7. Whenever we need reassurance, we can go to Jesus in prayer at any point in our salvation journey. Further, He continues to advocate for us to God, His Father, because Jesus is a true friend and the trustworthy Savior of all who faithfully believe in Him.

Jesus Christ is our Anointed Savior: He died for us all, not because we could save ourselves but because He knew we were helpless and hopelessly lost to our sin. In His unspeakably great compassion, He willingly shed His Holy blood to redeem the world while all people languished under the curse of their transgressions since the days of Adam and Eve. The conscience that God has given every one of us reminds us of sin in our lives through the thoughts in our minds. Sin has a way of wearing us down and driving us to call upon God for salvation. And Jesus Christ is there for us, always waiting for our call. Therefore, it is up to each one of us to not wait or trust in our own strength. “But if we confess our sins to God, he can always be trusted to forgive us and take our sins away.” See: 1 John 1:9, (CEV)

On the other hand, not even God in all of His grace, self-sacrifice, power, and wisdom can make us love and obey Him. We must willingly choose to trust Him to redeem us from the burdens of this life and from the curse of sin that is upon all of humanity. Remember, that curse was so severe that God had to put on flesh and die for you, me, all people, and all things in His entire creation. Only when each one of us becomes a new person in Christ, AKA Emmanuel, which is translated “God is with us”, can we meaningfully fight the good fight of faith through praying without ceasing and consistently depend on God to help us to choose righteousness over wickedness and salvation through Christ over sin.

By profound contrast, the Lake of Fire (which is spoken of in the book of Revelation) is a place of torment and final destruction that is reserved only for Satan, his angels, and people who are too proud to relinquish the helm of their “ship”, (represented by their own willful decision-making) to Jesus, the true Captain of every soul that has ever lived on the Earth. “9 God doesn’t intend to punish us, but wants us to be saved by our Lord Jesus Christ. 10 Christ died for us, so we could live with Him, whether we are alive or dead when He comes. 11 This is why we must encourage and help each other, just as you are already doing.” See, 1 Thessalonians 5: 9-11, CEV.

Further, in the greater scheme of things, Jesus is Lord and King of all, including of every angel; and we human beings are a little lower than the angels. The choice of spending eternity with God or perishing once and for all in the Lake of Fire is determined by whether each individual will accept redemption from sin that Jesus provided through His sacrificial death for us all. And all we have to do is say, Yes, to Jesus, trust Him daily with our salvation. Don’t allow sin pride or deception to rob you of the abundant life that Jesus has for you now and in the life to come, which will be free from any type of sin and where the power to sin will be forever destroyed.

Since God is Holy, He expects us all to serve Him with fear and trembling, as we certainly would also do for our mere earthly fathers; so how much more should we fear and respect the will of the God of all, who made everyone and everything? Please see, Psalm 2:11-12, Philippians 2:12 and similar Bible verses.

Unfortunately, sometimes a person may become unreasonably proud, selfish, and unwilling to share any of his wealth with others. And such a person will do only what they want to do. They will not listen to preachers/prophets while they still have the opportunity, not realizing that their wrongdoing may lead them to a place of torment where they can no longer enjoy their wealth at the end of their earthly life. Read what Jesus teaches about The Rich Man and Lazarus in Luke 16:19-31. One of the main takeaways from that parable of Jesus is that, the time to do good and share our abundance with another is while our wealth is still in our possession, the person in need is still alive on the Earth and they are therefore able to benefit from the gracious behavior of another human being.

Jesus teaches us that if someone refuses to listen to the Moses and the prophets, neither will he hear, even if someone returns from the dead to warn him of his errors. Further, God is willing to give every Christian all of His riches in glory for all of eternity for simply believing in Him, honoring God with righteous living, and loving HIM as we love ourselves and our fellow human beings. This includes sharing our abundance with the less fortunate. Our abundance is whatever God gives us to share with others: It may be special Godly insight, or unwavering belief in spiritual truths, based on our own experiences with God’s grace and wisdom.

Or, perhaps, we may be have abundant earthly riches. In either case, since God is a loving, giving and forgiving God and we are all made in His image, He requires us to imitate Him by being fair to others in business and in daily life: To help people who may lack something that we may have significant spiritual knowledge of or physically possess in great abundance. In the parable of the beggar and the rich man, Jesus tells us how the beggar received mercy in Heaven but the rich man received fiery torment, because he forsook the beggar by refusing to share his wealth while they both lived on Earth.

Jesus shares many parables in the Holy Bible to teach us about loving God and loving our neighbor as we love ourselves. Further, God has asked me to share my story with others, who are puzzled and feel trapped by the sin of homosexual thoughts and feelings just as I once felt. Jesus in His great mercy has counseled me and given me an understanding and a resolution about that sin; and HE forever provides HIS encouragement and saving knowledge as needed. Sharing my story may make a huge difference for someone else: It may help them understand that God isn’t angry with them.

On the contrary, because He is a righteous and loving Father, He wants to save you and develop a trusting personal relationship with you through both His written Word, the Holy Bible and answered prayers. And when you become strong in the faith, you in turn can help to save others from the deception of sin. However, even God may despair of calling people to repentance, as the Bible teaches that some people will simply go on refusing to serve and to obey HIM. “So God abandoned them to their hearts’ desires, which led to the moral corruption of degrading their own bodies with each other. They traded God’s truth for a lie, and they worshipped and served the creation instead of the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.” Please see: Romans1:24-25

Finally, by merciful contrast, the Word of God also teaches the following: In the Scriptures, God says, “When the time came, I listened to you, and when you needed help, I came to save you.” That time has come. This is the day for you to be saved. See 2 Corinthians 6:2, CEV.

However, you do Not have to practice sin; and you certainly do Not have to die as a sinner. It may be a bit shocking, but it is true that every human being had to be born in sin, (see Psalm 51:5). And here is the reason: Before the birth of the first human child, sin was already committed in the Garden of Eden, due to the transgression of the first ever human couple, Adam and Eve i.e. the first Adam. Further, as a result of the sin of Adam and his wife, Eve, while they were still living in there, God had them removed from the Garden of Eden. And once outside that garden, only then did they begin to have children.

Therefore, all of mankind, which are the children of Adam and Eve, was born in sin. Further because God cursed Adam and Eve with death, due to their transgression, both they and their children would not live forever but would die, instead, as a result of that curse. However, while sin is much bigger than any individual sinner, it is of little consequence to those belonging to Christ. I Corinthians 15:55-57 reads as follows: “55 O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? 56 For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. 57 But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Additionally, because sin leads to suffering and afterwards it leads to the first death, (which is the death of the body) and may even lead to the second death, (the death of a person’s spirit-body on Judgement Day for those who do not accept the redemption given by Christ), sin is most certainly nothing to brag about, wave a flag for, or to have private or public celebrations concerning. (I’m going a bit deeper here, if by chance God will use this as an opportunity to bring in a harvest of souls and save some as from fire.)

“You may say there are still four months until harvest time. But I tell you to look, and you will see that the fields are ripe and ready to harvest.” John 4:35, CEV. Further, Amos 4:11, NASB says the following: “I overthrew you as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and you were like a log snatched from the fire; Yet you have not returned to Me,” declares the LORD.” God has clearly dealt with the judgement of cities, entire countries, and individuals throughout human history.

Nonetheless, each person also Had To Be born with the particular affliction of sin that every individual was born with! And, unfortunately, every sin is accounted for within the human experience. In other words, there is not a statute, judgement, or law that human beings have not violated. Furthermore, GOD DOES NOT MAKE MISTAKES!

You may wonder: How could all of this be simultaneously true? Well, it is all quite essentially true because God is Holy. God is Love. God is Truth. God does not cause or condone sin, although He has given free will to every human being. Further, God has given each person a conscience to know right from wrong. Most importantly, however, due to the nature of sin and the stronghold it represents, Jesus has made a way for each person to escape eternal damnation caused by their willful sin or by their sinful state as to man’s original sin.

In fact, the matter was so weighty, that God’s solution had to be unspeakably more profound: He put on flesh and allowed Himself to be the sacrifice for all human sin and its effect on His entire creation. Instead of allowing humanity to perish in its sins, God has once and for all bought back His creation with His own priceless shed blood as the ransom paid for redeeming every sinner. And because of God’s immeasurable gift and unspeakable sacrifice, no one any longer has to face eternal damnation or the second death. However, until Jesus returns for those who have received His salvation, believed on His Name, and remained faithful to Him, mankind will continue to face the first death, or the death of the physical body, which is a punishment for sin. Hebrews 9:27, CEV, says, “We die only once, and then we are judged.”

In the account of the original fall of mankind into sin, the snake and tempter in the Garden of Eden is also referred to in Revelation 12:9 (KJV), as “the great dragon… that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” Therefore, the Holy God rightfully punish the serpent for his deception, which has influenced all of humanity; but God also punished each and every participant who played an active role in the occurrence of sin i.e. the serpent, Eve, and Adam, were all notably punished, in that order, according to the significance of their sinful participation.

Of particular importance, however, is the often overlooked and silent accomplice (without which sin is never possible). That silent accomplice is lust, a very strong desire that is contrary to the will of God, as in the following Bible verse: For everything in the world–the lust of the flesh, the desire of the eyes, boasting about material possessions–is not from the Father but from the world. (See 1 John 2:16, EHV.) This is why we must rely on every word of God to guide us into righteousness. “I treasure your word above all else; it keeps me from sinning against you.” Psalm 119:11, (CEV.)

I sometimes wonder how sinless and peaceful the world would have remained if Adam and Eve had consistently obeyed God, abhorred temptation, and resisted their desire to eat the forbidden fruit from the Tree of Life. (Nonetheless, we can all take great comfort in knowing that from the beginning, God in the person of Jesus Christ was prepared to save mankind and all of creation, at the time of His choosing, from the plight of sin. God’s very name, YHWH are Hebrew letters meaning: “Hand, Behold, Nail, Behold. First, the letter, Yad or Yod literally means “hand”, while, Hay means “behold”, and Waw means “nail”. Crucifixion is execution by nailing someone’s hands and feet to a tree.

25 But Jesus called the disciples together and said: “You know foreign rulers like to order their people around. And their great leaders have full power over everyone they rule. 26 But don’t act like them. If you want to be great, you must be the servant of all the others. 27 And if you want to be first, you must be the slave of all the rest. 28 The Son of Man did not come to be a slave master, but a slave who will give his life to rescue many people.” See, Matthew 20:25-28. However, due to their participation in the original sin that has entered into the human experience, Adam and Eve and have passed down that sin to their offspring, (except their children who chose to be faithful to God.)

And because each person is responsible for living a sinless life or to face the wrath of God, it was necessary for all of humanity to have a Holy Redeemer, Jesus Christ, who at birth was called Emmanuel, meaning: God is with us. “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” See Isaiah 41:1, (NIV.) Additionally, “… we are more than conquerors through HIM who loved us! Read more in Romans 8:31-39.

Each person’s allegiance is to God, regardless of the temptation to sin or who the catalyst of that temptation happens to be. Further, God is the same yesterday, today, and forever; and HIS response of righteous indignation over human sin is the same today as it was in the Garden of Eden, whether a person is persuaded to sin, due to the sin of the Devil, a family member, etc.

However, for those with the humility of mind to invite the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ to live inside their heart and to be the righteous judge of every decision they make, using the Holy Bible, (His written word), as their guide as well as prayer resulting in His counsel, (which is His living word), God will guide you and increase your faithfulness toward Him.

Therefore, HE will no longer see a believer in Him person as merely a physical child of the first Adam, (as the flesh is worthless, due to sin and must be transformed by the Spirt of God to inherit HIS Kingdom), but God will instead see that individual as the spiritual child of Christ (a Christian), and an offspring of the Second Adam, who is Jesus Christ. Still, the choice is yours: Which of those two would you rather be?

Thankfully, Jesus has paid the entire sin debt for all of humanity. However, as we draw every breath that God gave in order to make man a living soul; (See Genesis 2:7), we must realize that God cares much more deeply for each of us, as His mission is to save and justify people by spiritually shaping them to be more like Jesus. There is much to be said for the desire and choice to do God’s will. We have seen the effects of choosing otherwise; however, each person has a great responsibility as to their eternal destiny i.e. to remain a sinner or to accept and receive God’s gift of eternal life that justifies fellowship with Him as Adam and Eve did before being tempted to sin.

Sadly, the punishment for sin is imminent, it’s severity is never quite foreseen, never specifically chosen by the individual sinner, and the unrepentant practice of sin could mean ultimate separation from the Holy God, who clearly has already done everything possible to redeem humanity from every known sin!

Therefore, the first Adam was carnal, of the flesh, earthy, (adamah in Hebrew, means, “soil” or “earth” AKA “man” or “humanity”) and is associated with the first and second death. By stark contrast, however, the Second Adam, Jesus Christ, is the Son of God, who redeems humanity from the fate resulting from sin and of being children of the first Adam.

Again, it baffles the human mind to realize the depth of love that the Holy God has for each person in making Jesus, His beloved and only begotten son, the way, the truth and the life that leads us back to Him. And along the way, may we all come to hate sin as much as God does. Further, can any doubt remain that we can certainly confidently trust and believe in God Almighty?

If we diligently search the scriptures, we will find its teaching that God is a spirit, who hates sin so much that HE became Jesus, (Savior), who shed His Holy blood for every Earthly sinner and returned to Heaven to intercede in regular prayers for the continued salvation of each individual person who remains on the Earth, who fully believe that they will one day be united with their self-sacrificing Eternal God, Father, Friend, Brother, Savior, Healer, Teacher, Prince of Peace, Redeemer, tireless Advocate, and many other blessed names throughout scripture as to mankind’s salvation.

This same Holy God cannot and must not tolerate sin, now, or in the eternal, completely sinless life to come. Therefore, He leads us to victory over sin and is available to strengthen us throughout the spiritual battle. Consider this lovely song from Psalm 42:1, (NIV): “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my heart pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.” Additionally, the words and examples for living that God gives us are like spiritual food and drink. Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” John 6:35, (NIV).

“… but whoever drinks the water I give them will never be thirsty. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” John 4:14, (NIV). So we must follow our doting Eternal Father as obedient children. Let us each regularly come before Jesus Christ, (our only Savior) in prayer and resolve to agree with HIM to absolutely hate (abhor) sin and love righteousness, as much as God does.

And as individuals, to truly love God, let us each actively choose righteousness, whereby we reunite with our loving Heavenly Father, and so be with HIM in everlasting agreement for a current and future life of faith. We must request of Him that we become a new creation in Christ, free from all sin. “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone, a new life has begun!” See 2 Corinthians 5:17, New Living Translation (NLT).

Additionally, God is a God of second chances, especially if Adam and Eve were among those whom Jesus preached to; see verses 18-20 as follows: “15 But treat the Messiah as holy, as Lord in your hearts; while remaining always ready to give a reasoned answer to anyone who asks you to explain the hope you have in you–yet with humility and fear, 16 keeping your conscience clear, so that when you are spoken against, those who abuse the good behavior flowing from your union with the Messiah may be put to shame. 17 For if God in fact willed that you should suffer, it is better that you suffer for doing what is good than doing what is evil.

18 For the Messiah himself died for sins once and for all, a righteous person on behalf of unrighteous people, so that he might bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh but brought to life by the Spirit; 19 and in this form he went and made a proclamation to the imprisoned spirits, 20 to those who were disobedient long ago, in the days of Noach, when God waited patiently during the building of the ark, in which a few people—to be specific, eight—were delivered by means of water.

21 This also prefigures what delivers us now, the water of immersion, which is not the removal of dirt from the body, but one’s pledge to keep a good conscience toward God, through the resurrection of Yeshua the Messiah. From 1 Peter 3:15-21 (CJB).

It is unknown exactly how the people of Sodom and Gomorrah became so opinionated and strong in their opinions that they convinced themselves as an entire group to attempt to behave unnaturally with the holy angels of God. However, it could be deduced that their was little to no resistance of their behavior within their community, and more importantly within their own hearts and minds; therefore, their sin was allowed to fester until their consciences no longer let them distinguish between righteousness and unrighteousness, or to honor the holy among the unholy.

Could it be that the laws of their time allowed and even protected rampant homosexual behavior to the point of condoning same sex marriages? If so, it can sadly be compared to current days and times in which this particular sin has been given preferential treatment in some workplaces and in other areas of society, as well in certain economies and countries of the world that are otherwise considered to be advanced. On the other hand, government actions must effectively help to promote peace within civil societies, prosecute crimes, and curtail other forms civil unrest, like the kind that leads to the violation of rights, unlawful persecution, and even the violent murder of others, due to behavioral and other differences. However, government actions, such as making laws to protect human rights are merely an initial step necessary for healing our relationships with God and our fellow human beings.

Our Holy and Righteous God never intended that laws should be used to stymy or regress the spiritual growth of any segment of the human population. Further, God made people holy and perfectly mature; then after the sin of the first family, which consisted of Adam and Eve, and as people became more numerous, God began providing judgements, statutes, and laws for them to live by. And in these last days, God also provided humanity with redemption through the sacrificial blood of HIS own beloved Holy Son, Jesus Christ as a way to return each person to a holy and perfectly mature state. Therefore, it is essential that we prioritize our relationship with God over our relationships with our family.

In Matthew 10:37-39 (CEV), Jesus says the following:
³⁷  “If you love your father or mother or even your sons and daughters more than me, you are not fit to be my disciples. ³⁸  And unless you are willing to take up your cross and follow me, you are not fit to be my disciples. ³⁹  If you try to save your life, you will lose it. But if you give it up for me, you will surely find it.”

Additionally, we must go to our doting Heavenly Father in prayer whenever we are anxious or confused about gender matters or any of the various other sin-related issues that potentially affect daily human life. Homosexuality is one of the sins listed in the Holy Bible. It is not the worse sin. In fact, there is no better or worse sin: all sin defies spiritual maturity and opposes holy, godly behavior.

So how did we get here? Homosexuals have often been a target of violent aggression and ridicule and were sometimes wrongly accused about their behavior or alleged behavior. Therefore, over the years, in their attempts to fight back, they have lobbied for and won legally protected status. And allowing them this protection has been seen as a good and civil thing to do, as a person has to be safe and alive to make good life choices. Nonetheless, a homosexual, like everyone else was born a sinner. However, among their group and as to those who are sensitive to their plight, a popular argument has been that they should be allowed to remain the way they were born, or in other words, live in their sin (which, they reason, cannot be considered sin, because it is the disposition that they were born with.) However, the obvious problem with that argument is that, firstly, no one remains how they were born. All people grow physically by the foods they consume. They grow emotionally and develop socially and spiritually in their efforts to effectively contribute as good citizens of a diverse world.

Further, their argument falters on the feasibility of providing legal protection in cases of other areas of sin in the human experience. For example, some people were born with a propensity toward i.e. stealing, or committing murder, or lying, or committing adultery, etc. Should all of those types of sins be equally protected by law simply because others were born with those sinful propensities? To take it a step further, if all sin and sinners could potentially have similar legal rights and protections under the law as some homosexuals in the world currently do, wouldn’t it become such an obvious slippery slope whereby righteousness, itself could be threatened or even outlawed?

Therefore, governments were caught in a dilemma and needed to take a stand: Certainly, legislation as to all hate speech has made the world feel safer. And that is a good thing. This is like government giving an inch, but it doesn’t mean that homosexuality should continue to escalate to the point where it takes a mile. Furthermore, The Holy Bible teaches each person to, Love your neighbor as yourself and to not judge others; this is the second commandment. Jesus said, The first and great commandment is: You must love the Lord, your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. Therefore, taking a stand for good behavior should never be automatically construed as hating those engaging in questionable or bad behavior. Love is at the core of asserting righteous and fair standards, which is why a legal system exists to make sound decisions. Additionally, humanity is much better off as to our clearly understood, firm and unwavering laws, which are in place against behaviors like stealing, or committing murder, or physical assault, etc.

However, the question still remains: If homosexuality is protected by law, what reasoning along those same lines could stop others with their own sinful behaviors from seeking and perhaps receiving similar legal protection, as ridiculous as that may sound. Further, could a response like this to the known will of our Holy God be among the many reasons why God destroyed the world by the waters of a flood in the days of Noah? Today, it is imperative to avoid any greater slippery slope at all costs, as societies seem to be eerily close to teetering on the edge in the name of human rights. And regarding the matter of the first destruction of the world by the waters of a flood, the entire event was so painful for all involved, including God that HE provided his bow (rainbow) as a sign that HE would never again destroy the world by the waters of a flood. Ironically, however, a rainbow flag was popularized as a symbol of the gay community in 1978 and they currently use it. For more information on the subject of the flood, the following Bible verses are taken from the Book of Genesis, Chapter 6:

The LORD Will Send a Flood

1-2 “More and more people were born, until finally they spread all over the earth. Some of their daughters were so beautiful that supernatural beings came down and married the ones they wanted. 3Then the LORD said, “I won’t let my life-giving breath remain in anyone forever. No one will live for more than 120 years.

4 The children of the supernatural beings who had married these women became famous heroes and warriors. They were called Nephilim and lived on the earth at that time and even later.

5 The LORD saw how bad the people on earth were and that everything they thought and planned was evil. 6He was sorry that he had made them, 7and he said, “I’m going to destroy every person on earth! I’ll even wipe out animals, birds, and reptiles. I’m sorry I ever made them.”

8But the LORD was pleased with Noah, 9 and this is the story about him. Noah was the only person who lived right and obeyed God. 10He had three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

11-12God knew that everyone was terribly cruel and violent. 13So he told Noah:

Cruelty and violence have spread everywhere. Now I’m going to destroy the whole earth and all its people. 14Get some good lumber and build a boat. Put rooms in it and cover it with tar inside and out. 15Make it 133 meters long, 22 meters wide, and 13 meters high. 16Build a roof on the boat and leave a space of about 44 centimeters between the roof and the sides. Make the boat three stories high and put a door on one side.

17 I’m going to send a flood that will destroy everything that breathes! Nothing will be left alive. 18But I solemnly promise that you, your wife, your sons, and your daughters-in-law will be kept safe in the boat.

19-20Take into the boat with you a male and a female of every kind of animal and bird, as well as a male and a female of every reptile. I don’t want them to be destroyed. 21Store up enough food both for yourself and for them.

22 Noah did everything God told him to do.”

Said another way, How can the righteous be safe and protected in a world where the unrighteous are the far greater majority? It is everybody’s responsibility to develop in all areas of their life to the extend that God gave them the ability to do so; because the risk of not trying to are far too great. Additionally, since all people live in a fallen world, spiritual development should be at the forefront of their efforts. And growing in grace in order to promote holiness and peace, must be infinitely more admirable than attempting to remain
spiritually underdeveloped in any area of moral limitation in which we were born, right? For example, newborns cannot walk, talk, reason, etc. Additionally, they were unaware of the fact that they are sinners. In fact, they were specifically unaware of whatever might make them either good or bad.

However, as we grow into conversant and conscientious adults, we must strive to ensure that our success is based solely on God’s righteousness by which we save ourselves and others and exercise caution in our ongoing search for truth and love. Further, regardless of their financial resourcefulness, no one group of people should be allowed to hack the opinions of everyone else, as everyone has their own sin to sort out and their own pleas for salvation to a Holy God. Rules and codes of conduct should constrain everyone and not favor those who with the loudest voices, the most wealth or any other advantage that may be found to be unfair to others.

Further, lawmakers can, have, and should continue to evaluate prior decisions and change their minds, when necessary, by rescinding even long-standing laws that no longer serve the greater good of individuals for whom they were passed under certain circumstances, or of society (or societies as a whole in an increasingly connected world) that such laws once appeared to benefit.

Because being in righteous fellowship with God is how mankind began and how that relationship works best. Therefore, we must especially seek to first get along with the Almighty God and allow that Holy relationship to guide us toward having healthy fellowship among mankind. Additionally, it is not sustainable for everyone and therefore, for no one, to simply do whatever we want to do, as navigating the sin terrain was never mankind’s forte.

The following are a few Bible verses, in no particular order, about Good and Evil, as taken from the online website, bible.knowing-jesus.com at:

https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Good-And-Evil

Romans 12:21
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Isaiah 5:20
Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil;
Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness;
Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!

Genesis 2:17
but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.”

1 Corinthians 15:33
Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.”

Romans 2:6-8
who will render to each person according to his deeds: to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life; but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation.

Proverbs 3:7
Do not be wise in your own eyes;
Fear the Lord and turn away from evil.

Romans 5:3-5
And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Psalm 37:27
Depart from evil and do good,
So you will abide forever.

Genesis 3:1-24
Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?” The woman said to the serpent, From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.

The serpent said to the woman, You surely will not die! For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil. When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings.

They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. Then the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” He said, “I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.” And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” The man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate.” Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” And the woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” The Lord God said to the serpent,
“Because you have done this,
Cursed are you more than all cattle,
And more than every beast of the field;
On your belly you will go,
And dust you will eat
All the days of your life;
And I will put enmity
Between you and the woman,
And between your seed and her seed;
He shall bruise you on the head,
And you shall bruise him on the heel.”
To the woman He said,
“I will greatly multiply
Your pain in childbirth,
In pain you will bring forth children;
Yet your desire will be for your husband,
And he will rule over you.”
Then to Adam He said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat from it’;
Cursed is the ground because of you;
In toil you will eat of it
All the days of your life.
“Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you;
And you will eat the plants of the field;
By the sweat of your face
You will eat bread,
Till you return to the ground,
Because from it you were taken;
For you are dust,
And to dust you shall return.”

Now the man called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all the living. The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them. Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil; and now, he might stretch out his hand, and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”— therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden, to cultivate the ground from which he was taken. So He drove the man out; and at the east of the garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim and the flaming sword which turned every direction to guard the way to the tree of life.

Proverbs 4:27
Do not turn to the right nor to the left;
Turn your foot from evil.

James 1:13-15
Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.

Galatians 5:16-17
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.

Psalm 34:14
Depart from evil and do good;
Seek peace and pursue it.

Proverbs 15:3
The eyes of the Lord are in every place,
Watching the evil and the good.

Proverbs 17:15
He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous,
Both of them alike are an abomination to the Lord.

Romans 7:9-25
I was once alive apart from the Law; but when the commandment came, sin became alive and I died; and this commandment, which was to result in life, proved to result in death for me; for sin, taking an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me.
So then, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good. Therefore did that which is good become a cause of death for me? May it never be! Rather it was sin, in order that it might be shown to be sin by effecting my death through that which is good, so that through the commandment sin would become utterly sinful. For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin. For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate. But if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that the Law is good. So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.

Joshua 24:15
If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

Revelation 16:13-21
And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs; for they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them together for the war of the great day of God, the Almighty. (“Behold, I am coming like a thief Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his clothes, so that he will not walk about naked and men will not see his shame.”)
And they gathered them together to the place which in Hebrew is called Har-Magedon. Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl upon the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple from the throne, saying, “It is done.” And there were flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder; and there was a great earthquake, such as there had not been since man came to be upon the earth, so great an earthquake was it, and so mighty. The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. Babylon the great was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of His fierce wrath. And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. And huge hailstones, about one hundred pounds each, came down from heaven upon men; and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, because its plague was extremely severe.

The following is the entire book of Jude: These verses of scripture amount to a letter from the Apostle, which denotes and reproves various sinful behavior, including homosexuality, which the Holy Bible refers to in some scriptural texts by the word, effeminate. Additionally, the Living Bible version (TLB) of the book of Jude is taken from the online Bible website, biblegateway.com as follows:

¹ From: Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ, and a brother of James.

To: Christians everywhere—beloved of God and chosen by him. ² May you be given more and more of God’s kindness, peace, and love.

³ Dearly loved friends, I had been planning to write you some thoughts about the salvation God has given us, but now I find I must write of something else instead, urging you to stoutly defend the truth that God gave once for all to his people to keep without change through the years. ⁴ I say this because some godless teachers have wormed their way in among you, saying that after we become Christians we can do just as we like without fear of God’s punishment. The fate of such people was written long ago, for they have turned against our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

⁵ My answer to them is: Remember this fact—which you know already—that the Lord saved a whole nation of people out of the land of Egypt and then killed every one of them who did not trust and obey him. ⁶ And I remind you of those angels who were once pure and holy but turned to a life of sin.^[r] Now God has them chained up in prisons of darkness, waiting for the judgment day. ⁷ And don’t forget the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighboring towns, all full of lust of every kind, including lust of men for other men. Those cities were destroyed by fire and continue to be a warning to us that there is a hell in which sinners are punished.

⁸ Yet these false teachers carelessly go right on living their evil, immoral lives, degrading their bodies and laughing at those in authority over them, even scoffing at the Glorious Ones. ⁹ Yet Michael, one of the mightiest of the angels, when he was arguing with Satan about Moses’ body, did not dare to accuse even Satan, or jeer at him, but simply said, “The Lord rebuke you.” ¹⁰ But these men mock and curse at anything they do not understand, and like animals, they do whatever they feel like, thereby ruining their souls.

¹¹ Woe upon them! For they follow the example of Cain who killed his brother; and like Balaam, they will do anything for money; and like Korah, they have disobeyed God and will die under his curse.

¹² When these men join you at the love feasts of the church, they are evil smears among you, laughing and carrying on, gorging and stuffing themselves without a thought for others. They are like clouds blowing over dry land without giving rain, promising much, but producing nothing. They are like fruit trees without any fruit at picking time. They are not only dead, but doubly dead, for they have been pulled out, roots and all, to be burned.

¹³ All they leave behind them is shame and disgrace like the dirty foam left along the beach by the wild waves. They wander around looking as bright as stars, but ahead of them is the everlasting gloom and darkness that God has prepared for them.

¹⁴ Enoch, who lived seven generations after Adam, knew about these men and said this about them: “See, the Lord is coming with millions of his holy ones. ¹⁵ He will bring the people of the world before him in judgment, to receive just punishment and to prove the terrible things they have done in rebellion against God, revealing all they have said against him.” ¹⁶ These men are constant gripers, never satisfied, doing whatever evil they feel like; they are loudmouthed “show-offs,” and when they show respect for others, it is only to get something from them in return.

¹⁷ Dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ told you, ¹⁸ that in the last times there would come these scoffers whose whole purpose in life is to enjoy themselves in every evil way imaginable. ¹⁹ They stir up arguments; they love the evil things of the world; they do not have the Holy Spirit living in them.

²⁰ But you, dear friends, must build up your lives ever more strongly upon the foundation of our holy faith, learning to pray in the power and strength of the Holy Spirit.

²¹ Stay always within the boundaries where God’s love can reach and bless you. Wait patiently for the eternal life that our Lord Jesus Christ in his mercy is going to give you. ²² Try to help those who argue against you. Be merciful to those who doubt. ²³ Save some by snatching them as from the very flames of hell itself. And as for others, help them to find the Lord by being kind to them, but be careful that you yourselves aren’t pulled along into their sins. Hate every trace of their sin while being merciful to them as sinners.

^24-25 And now—all glory to him who alone is God, who saves us through Jesus Christ our Lord; yes, splendor and majesty, all power and authority are his from the beginning; his they are and his they evermore shall be. And he is able to keep you from slipping and falling away, and to bring you, sinless and perfect, into his glorious presence with mighty shouts of everlasting joy.

Amen.

Jude

The following is a similarly themed excerpt that is found in the Bible book of Corinthians. It was sourced from the following biblical website: https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/words/Effeminate

1 Corinthians 6:9-11

⁹ Don’t you know that evil people won’t have a share in the blessings of God’s kingdom? Don’t fool yourselves! No one who is immoral or worships idols or is unfaithful in marriage or is a pervert or behaves like a homosexual ¹⁰ will share in God’s kingdom. Neither will any thief or greedy person or drunkard or anyone who curses and cheats others. ¹¹ Some of you used to be like that. But now the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and the power of God’s Spirit have washed you and made you holy and acceptable to God.

Back to my own thoughts: In Summary: It is essential that regardless of the sin condition each person is born with, that they work out their salvation with Jesus in prayer while they are still living here on the Earth, as sinners will not inherit a home in Heaven or eternal life with Jesus. Only those who admit to HIM that they are a sinner, ask Jesus to send HIS Holy Spirit to live in their heart and regulate their thoughts by leading them to seek out wisdom from the teachings of the Holy Bible and reminding them to continually pursue righteousness will be successful candidates of a Heaven home. I have been on both sides of the homosexual issue, as to having seemingly inescapable homosexual thoughts and feelings with which I have struggled in silence for decades. I was so ashamed to go to God with this concern that I tried and failed, time and time again, to find a solution on my own. However, on a gorgeous Summer day, while I was indoors, a heart-felt prayer led me to the life-changing knowledge that God is real; and HE was compassionately waiting for me to ask for HIS help with my problem. (Read more about this in my first blog entry entitled, You Are Not A Homosexual, A Divine Revelation To A Weary Soul.

Additionally, reading the Bible, God’s Holy Word, and fellowshipping with HIM among like-minded believers are good ways to choose and discern good behavior over bad behavior and to learn to reason like God does. Further, it cannot be overstated that we must develop a way of life that is pleasing to God, and have sober, moral behavior that also serves the best interests of truly loving human relationships. God had the initial say when HE first created the world and made everything in it; HE currently governs the world, (this is most obvious to those who lay their sin burdens at his feet); and as a wonderfully loving and doting Eternal Father, God is available to lead all those who are ready and willing to receive HIS counsel and to live by HIS standards, into a life of peace, love, truth, righteousness and prosperity (even if it’s only wealth in Kingdom currency, meaning: Understanding God’s love for humanity, understanding and successfully negotiating the perils of sin- a work in progress- and knowing that God understands me and others like me, and HE will never leave me or forsake me or anyone else who has faith in HIM.) Further, God will have the final say in the hereafter, having so loved the world that He gave us the gift of salvation in Jesus Christ, as follows in the words of Jesus, himself, as taken from John 3:16 of the online bible, biblehub.com, at: https://biblehub.com/cev/john/3.htm

16God loved the people of this world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who has faith in him will have eternal life and never really die. 17God did not send his Son into the world to condemn its people. He sent him to save them! 18No one who has faith in God’s Son will be condemned. But everyone who doesn’t have faith in him has already been condemned for not having faith in God’s only Son.

19The light has come into the world, and people who do evil things are judged guilty because they love the dark more than the light. 20People who do evil hate the light and won’t come to the light, because it clearly shows what they have done. 21But everyone who lives by the truth will come to the light, because they want others to know that God is really the one doing what they do.

Finally, in closing, we think of Biblical times as having occurred long ago. However, the Jewish Calendar accurately records human history to be less than 6,000 years in total, (not the millions of years, we often hear about in public discourse.) Further, due to God’s intolerance of sin, HE mercifully shortened mankind’s lifespan to only 70 years, compared to that of Adam, who died at nearly 1,000 years old. However, in my own experience, I have found God to be firm, yet patient and kind. HE wants to give me the desires of my heart, as long as those desires are pleasing to HIM; because being in agreement on the basis of truth is essential in any loving relationship. God is all-powerful, all-knowing, invincible, and HE is everywhere. So, instead of trying to create our own standards of righteousness, we should follow the examples of obedience given to us by modern-day Bible believers, as well as those in the Holy Bible. Further, we must have faith that God will hear all of our prayers and that HE will also advocate for anyone else who believes HE is available, then calls out to HIM, having fully placed their trust in HIM.

Finally, I hope many more loving and caring voices will speak out to advocate for those in the gay community who do not truly understand what that movement is about or how to get out and find peace in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.