April 13, 2015

From Gary.... THE G-O-S-P-E-L



The G-O-S-P-E-L is Good News!!!  But, during my short life-span I have noticed another gospel; one that is typified by political correctness, self-centeredness and Humanism.  One following this philosophy of salvation, might put it this way...

A Humanistic Gospel

God gave to me
Only me
Son (ship)
Prominence
Exaltation
Like-ability

Paul says...

Galatians, Chapter 1 (WEB)
6  I marvel that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ to a different “good news”;  7 and there isn’t another “good news.” Only there are some who trouble you, and want to pervert the Good News of Christ.  8 But even though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you any “good news” other than that which we preached to you, let him be cursed.  9 As we have said before, so I now say again: if any man preaches to you any “good news” other than that which you received, let him be cursed.  10 For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? For if I were still pleasing men, I wouldn’t be a servant of Christ.

Obviously, A Humanistic Gospel is wrong. It is cursed; twice over by Paul and deservedly so!!! To exalt ones-self as the center of all things and be pleasing to everyone and stand for nothing, so as to be liked by all is NOT THE WAY TO HEAVEN; JESUS AND ONLY JESUS IS THE WAY THERE!!!  

This things are worth remembering- YOUR ETERNAL LIFE DEPENDS UPON IT!!!

From Gary... Bible Reading April 13




Bible Reading  

April 13

The World English Bible

Apr. 13
Numbers 17, 18

Num 17:1 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
Num 17:2 Speak to the children of Israel, and take of them rods, one for each fathers' house, of all their princes according to their fathers' houses, twelve rods: write every man's name on his rod.
Num 17:3 You shall write Aaron's name on the rod of Levi; for there shall be one rod for each head of their fathers' houses.
Num 17:4 You shall lay them up in the Tent of Meeting before the testimony, where I meet with you.
Num 17:5 It shall happen, that the rod of the man whom I shall choose shall bud: and I will make to cease from me the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against you.
Num 17:6 Moses spoke to the children of Israel; and all their princes gave him rods, for each prince one, according to their fathers' houses, even twelve rods: and the rod of Aaron was among their rods.
Num 17:7 Moses laid up the rods before Yahweh in the tent of the testimony.
Num 17:8 It happened on the next day, that Moses went into the tent of the testimony; and behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and put forth buds, and produced blossoms, and bore ripe almonds.
Num 17:9 Moses brought out all the rods from before Yahweh to all the children of Israel: and they looked, and took every man his rod.
Num 17:10 Yahweh said to Moses, Put back the rod of Aaron before the testimony, to be kept for a token against the children of rebellion; that you may make an end of their murmurings against me, that they not die.
Num 17:11 Moses did so. As Yahweh commanded him, so he did.
Num 17:12 The children of Israel spoke to Moses, saying, Behold, we perish, we are undone, we are all undone.
Num 17:13 Everyone who comes near, who comes near to the tabernacle of Yahweh, dies: shall we perish all of us?

Num 18:1 Yahweh said to Aaron, You and your sons and your fathers' house with you shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary; and you and your sons with you shall bear the iniquity of your priesthood.
Num 18:2 Your brothers also, the tribe of Levi, the tribe of your father, bring near with you, that they may be joined to you, and minister to you: but you and your sons with you shall be before the tent of the testimony.
Num 18:3 They shall keep your commands, and the duty of all the Tent: only they shall not come near to the vessels of the sanctuary and to the altar, that they not die, neither they, nor you.
Num 18:4 They shall be joined to you, and keep the responsibility of the Tent of Meeting, for all the service of the Tent: and a stranger shall not come near to you.
Num 18:5 You shall perform the duty of the sanctuary, and the duty of the altar; that there be wrath no more on the children of Israel.
Num 18:6 I, behold, I have taken your brothers the Levites from among the children of Israel: to you they are a gift, given to Yahweh, to do the service of the Tent of Meeting.
Num 18:7 You and your sons with you shall keep your priesthood for everything of the altar, and for that within the veil; and you shall serve: I give you the priesthood as a service of gift: and the stranger who comes near shall be put to death.
Num 18:8 Yahweh spoke to Aaron, I, behold, I have given you the command of my wave offerings, even all the holy things of the children of Israel; to you have I given them by reason of the anointing, and to your sons, as a portion forever.
Num 18:9 This shall be your of the most holy things, reserved from the fire: every offering of theirs, even every meal offering of theirs, and every sin offering of theirs, and every trespass offering of theirs, which they shall render to me, shall be most holy for you and for your sons.
Num 18:10 You shall eat of it like the most holy things. Every male shall eat of it. It shall be holy to you.
Num 18:11 This is yours, too: the wave offering of their gift, even all the wave offerings of the children of Israel. I have given them to you, and to your sons and to your daughters with you, as a portion forever. Everyone who is clean in your house shall eat of it.
Num 18:12 All the best of the oil, and all the best of the vintage, and of the grain, the first fruits of them which they give to Yahweh, to you have I given them.
Num 18:13 The first-ripe fruits of all that is in their land, which they bring to Yahweh, shall be yours; everyone who is clean in your house shall eat of it.
Num 18:14 Everything devoted in Israel shall be yours.
Num 18:15 Everything that opens the womb, of all flesh which they offer to Yahweh, both of man and animal shall be yours: nevertheless you shall surely redeem the firstborn of man, and you shall redeem the firstborn of unclean animals.
Num 18:16 You shall redeem those who are to be redeemed of them from a month old, according to your estimation, for five shekels of money, after the shekel of the sanctuary (the same is twenty gerahs).
Num 18:17 But you shall not redeem the firstborn of a cow, or the firstborn of a sheep, or the firstborn of a goat. They are holy. You shall sprinkle their blood on the altar, and shall burn their fat for an offering made by fire, for a pleasant aroma to Yahweh.
Num 18:18 Their flesh shall be yours, as the wave offering breast and as the right thigh, it shall be yours.
Num 18:19 All the wave offerings of the holy things, which the children of Israel offer to Yahweh, have I given you, and your sons and your daughters with you, as a portion forever: it is a covenant of salt forever before Yahweh to you and to your seed with you.
Num 18:20 Yahweh said to Aaron, You shall have no inheritance in their land, neither shall you have any portion among them: I am your portion and your inheritance among the children of Israel.
Num 18:21 To the children of Levi, behold, I have given all the tithe in Israel for an inheritance, in return for their service which they serve, even the service of the Tent of Meeting.
Num 18:22 Henceforth the children of Israel shall not come near the Tent of Meeting, lest they bear sin, and die.
Num 18:23 But the Levites shall do the service of the Tent of Meeting, and they shall bear their iniquity: it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations; and among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance.
Num 18:24 For the tithe of the children of Israel, which they offer as a wave offering to Yahweh, I have given to the Levites for an inheritance: therefore I have said to them, Among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance.
Num 18:25 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
Num 18:26 Moreover you shall speak to the Levites, and tell them, When you take of the children of Israel the tithe which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then you shall offer up a wave offering of it for Yahweh, a tithe of the tithe.
Num 18:27 Your wave offering shall be reckoned to you, as though it were the grain of the threshing floor, and as the fullness of the winepress.
Num 18:28 Thus you also shall offer a wave offering to Yahweh of all your tithes, which you receive of the children of Israel; and of it you shall give Yahweh's wave offering to Aaron the priest.
Num 18:29 Out of all your gifts you shall offer every wave offering of Yahweh, of all its best, even the holy part of it out of it.
Num 18:30 Therefore you shall tell them, When you heave its best from it, then it shall be reckoned to the Levites as the increase of the threshing floor, and as the increase of the winepress.
Num 18:31 You shall eat it in every place, you and your households: for it is your reward in return for your service in the Tent of Meeting.

Num 18:32 You shall bear no sin by reason of it, when you have heaved from it its best: and you shall not profane the holy things of the children of Israel, that you not die.

 Apr. 12, 13
Luke 8

Luk 8:1 It happened soon afterwards, that he went about through cities and villages, preaching and bringing the good news of the Kingdom of God. With him were the twelve,
Luk 8:2 and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary who was called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out;
Luk 8:3 and Joanna, the wife of Chuzas, Herod's steward; Susanna; and many others; who served them from their possessions.
Luk 8:4 When a great multitude came together, and people from every city were coming to him, he spoke by a parable.
Luk 8:5 "The farmer went out to sow his seed. As he sowed, some fell along the road, and it was trampled under foot, and the birds of the sky devoured it.
Luk 8:6 Other seed fell on the rock, and as soon as it grew, it withered away, because it had no moisture.
Luk 8:7 Other fell amid the thorns, and the thorns grew with it, and choked it.
Luk 8:8 Other fell into the good ground, and grew, and brought forth fruit one hundred times." As he said these things, he called out, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"
Luk 8:9 Then his disciples asked him, "What does this parable mean?"
Luk 8:10 He said, "To you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of God, but to the rest in parables; that 'seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.'
Luk 8:11 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.
Luk 8:12 Those along the road are those who hear, then the devil comes, and takes away the word from their heart, that they may not believe and be saved.
Luk 8:13 Those on the rock are they who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; but these have no root, who believe for a while, then fall away in time of temptation.
Luk 8:14 That which fell among the thorns, these are those who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity.
Luk 8:15 That in the good ground, these are such as in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, hold it tightly, and bring forth fruit with patience.
Luk 8:16 "No one, when he has lit a lamp, covers it with a container, or puts it under a bed; but puts it on a stand, that those who enter in may see the light.
Luk 8:17 For nothing is hidden, that will not be revealed; nor anything secret, that will not be known and come to light.
Luk 8:18 Be careful therefore how you hear. For whoever has, to him will be given; and whoever doesn't have, from him will be taken away even that which he thinks he has."
Luk 8:19 His mother and brothers came to him, and they could not come near him for the crowd.
Luk 8:20 It was told him by some saying, "Your mother and your brothers stand outside, desiring to see you."
Luk 8:21 But he answered them, "My mother and my brothers are these who hear the word of God, and do it."
Luk 8:22 Now it happened on one of those days, that he entered into a boat, himself and his disciples, and he said to them, "Let's go over to the other side of the lake." So they launched out.
Luk 8:23 But as they sailed, he fell asleep. A wind storm came down on the lake, and they were taking on dangerous amounts of water.
Luk 8:24 They came to him, and awoke him, saying, "Master, master, we are dying!" He awoke, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water, and they ceased, and it was calm.
Luk 8:25 He said to them, "Where is your faith?" Being afraid they marveled, saying one to another, "Who is this, then, that he commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him?"
Luk 8:26 They arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, which is opposite Galilee.
Luk 8:27 When Jesus stepped ashore, a certain man out of the city who had demons for a long time met him. He wore no clothes, and didn't live in a house, but in the tombs.
Luk 8:28 When he saw Jesus, he cried out, and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, "What do I have to do with you, Jesus, you Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don't torment me!"
Luk 8:29 For Jesus was commanding the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For the unclean spirit had often seized the man. He was kept under guard, and bound with chains and fetters. Breaking the bands apart, he was driven by the demon into the desert.
Luk 8:30 Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" He said, "Legion," for many demons had entered into him.
Luk 8:31 They begged him that he would not command them to go into the abyss.
Luk 8:32 Now there was there a herd of many pigs feeding on the mountain, and they begged him that he would allow them to enter into those. He allowed them.
Luk 8:33 The demons came out from the man, and entered into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake, and were drowned.
Luk 8:34 When those who fed them saw what had happened, they fled, and told it in the city and in the country.
Luk 8:35 People went out to see what had happened. They came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus' feet, clothed and in his right mind; and they were afraid.
Luk 8:36 Those who saw it told them how he who had been possessed by demons was healed.
Luk 8:37 All the people of the surrounding country of the Gadarenes asked him to depart from them, for they were very much afraid. He entered into the boat, and returned.
Luk 8:38 But the man from whom the demons had gone out begged him that he might go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying,
Luk 8:39 "Return to your house, and declare what great things God has done for you." He went his way, proclaiming throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.
Luk 8:40 It happened, when Jesus returned, that the multitude welcomed him, for they were all waiting for him.
Luk 8:41 Behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue. He fell down at Jesus' feet, and begged him to come into his house,
Luk 8:42 for he had an only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she was dying. But as he went, the multitudes pressed against him.
Luk 8:43 A woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her living on physicians, and could not be healed by any,
Luk 8:44 came behind him, and touched the fringe of his cloak, and immediately the flow of her blood stopped.
Luk 8:45 Jesus said, "Who touched me?" When all denied it, Peter and those with him said, "Master, the multitudes press and jostle you, and you say, 'Who touched me?' "
Luk 8:46 But Jesus said, "Someone did touch me, for I perceived that power has gone out of me."
Luk 8:47 When the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling, and falling down before him declared to him in the presence of all the people the reason why she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately.
Luk 8:48 He said to her, "Daughter, cheer up. Your faith has made you well. Go in peace."
Luk 8:49 While he still spoke, one from the ruler of the synagogue's house came, saying to him, "Your daughter is dead. Don't trouble the Teacher."
Luk 8:50 But Jesus hearing it, answered him, "Don't be afraid. Only believe, and she will be healed."
Luk 8:51 When he came to the house, he didn't allow anyone to enter in, except Peter, John, James, the father of the child, and her mother.
Luk 8:52 All were weeping and mourning her, but he said, "Don't weep. She isn't dead, but sleeping."
Luk 8:53 They were ridiculing him, knowing that she was dead.
Luk 8:54 But he put them all outside, and taking her by the hand, he called, saying, "Child, arise!"
Luk 8:55 Her spirit returned, and she rose up immediately. He commanded that something be given to her to eat.
Luk 8:56 Her parents were amazed, but he commanded them to tell no one what had been done.

From Mark Copeland... "THE CHURCH JESUS BUILT" The Authority Of The Church



                        "THE CHURCH JESUS BUILT"

                      The Authority Of The Church

INTRODUCTION

1. In examining the nature of the Lord's church as revealed in the
   Bible...
   a. We find a distinction between the church universal and the 
      church local
   b. We do not find the denominational concept of the church so
      prevalent today

2. What has contributed to the development and proliferation of
   denominations today...?
   a. It really comes down to the issue of authority
   b. For what distinguishes one denomination from another is their authority

3. Authority in religion is a very important issue for those interested
   in the Lord's church...
   a. It is impossible to maintain unity unless we agree upon the same
      standard of authority
      1) The unity for which Christ prayed - Jn 17:20-21
      2) To avoid the division of which Paul condemned - 1Co 1:10-13
   b. This is true in all areas of life
      1) Imagine the confusion if we did not have a standard relating to
         weights and measures
      2) We could not even agree on the length of a line, the volume of
         a tank of gasoline, etc.
      3) Confusion would reign supreme in the market place if we did not
         all agree on one standard of authority in regards to weights
         and measures
   c. This is especially true in matters of religion...
      1) If people can agree on the standard of authority in religious
         matters, unity is possible when we submit to that same standard
      2) There are other elements necessary to have unity (which I will
         discuss later), but without a standard of authority upon which
         we all agree, unity is impossible!

[What should be the standard of authority for Christ's church?  Let's
begin with a point with which I am sure all those professing to be
Christians can agree...]

I. JESUS CHRIST HAS BEEN GIVEN ALL AUTHORITY

   A. SO HE CLAIMED...
      1. He claimed all authority in heaven and on earth has been given
         to Him - Mt 28:18
      2. He therefore expects us to observe all things He has commanded
         - Mt 28:19-20

   B. SO HIS APOSTLES TAUGHT...
      1. He is the head of the body (the church) - Ep 1:22-23
      2. As such, we are to submit to Him in everything - Ep 5:23-24

[If Jesus were on earth today, we could solve all religious questions by
simply asking Him.  But since He is not on earth, what then?  This leads
to our next point...]

II. JESUS HAS DELEGATED AUTHORITY TO HIS APOSTLES

   A. TO RECEIVE CHRIST, WE MUST RECEIVE HIS APOSTLES...
      1. As Jesus taught in Jn 13:20
         a. Note that the word 'apostle' means 'one sent'
         b. So as Jesus speaks of 'whomever I send', He has particular
            reference to His apostles
      2. The apostles were sent as 'ambassadors' for Christ - cf. 2 Co 5:20
      3. Therefore the early church "continued steadfastly in the
         apostles' doctrine" - Ac 2:42

   B. TO ENSURE RELIABILITY, JESUS PROMISED THE HOLY SPIRIT...
      1. Who would teach the apostles all things, reminding them of what
         Jesus said - Jn 14:26
      2. The Spirit would guide the apostles into all truth - Jn 16:12-13

   C. THE HOLY SPIRIT GUIDED THEM INTO 'ALL' THE TRUTH...
      1. Paul said he taught "the whole counsel of God" - cf. Ac 20:27
      2. Peter wrote God "has given to us all things that pertain to
         life and godliness" - 2Pe 1:3

[So the apostles were given all the truth God (and Christ) wanted us to
know.  If the apostles were on earth today, we could simply ask them to
settle religious differences.  But again, they are not on earth.  What
then...?]

III. THE APOSTLES HAVE WRITTEN WHAT CHRIST WANTS US TO KNOW!

   A. IN THE N.T., WE HAVE WHAT THE APOSTLES WERE GIVEN BY THE SPIRIT...
      1. As Paul explained in Ep 3:1-5
      2. He wrote, so that when we read his writings we can have his
         same understanding
      3. Peter wrote his epistles that we might always be reminded
         - 2Pe 1:12-15; 3:1-2

   B. IN THE N.T., WE HAVE THE COMMANDMENTS OF THE LORD HIMSELF...
      1. As Paul made clear in 1Co 14:37
      2. As Peter confirmed, such writings as Paul's were considered
         Scripture - 2Pe 3:15-16
      3. Therefore, when we have questions about what the Lord would
         have us to do...
         a. We don't have to ascend to heaven for an answer
         b. We don't have to ask Jesus personally, nor His apostles
         c. We simply need to turn to the apostles' writing (i.e., the
            New Testament)!

[In the New Testament, the repository of the "apostles' doctrine", we
can turn to learn the will of Jesus, given through His inspired
ambassadors, the apostles.  But this raises another question:  Is the
New Testament a complete guide for us today; i.e., is it sufficient...?]

IV. THE NEW TESTAMENT IS A COMPLETE, ALL-SUFFICIENT GUIDE

   A. IT MUST BE COMPLETE, FOR "THE FAITH" HAS BEEN REVEALED "ONCE FOR ALL"...
      1. Consider carefully the words of Jude - Jude 3
      2. "Once for all" literally means "one time for all time"
      3. We cannot expect further revelation in the future
      4. The writings of the apostles as collected in the New Testament
         are all we have
      5. Our task, is not to look for further revelation, but to
         "contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all
         delivered to the saints"!

   B. ACCORDING TO THE APOSTLES, THESE WRITINGS (SCRIPTURES) ARE
      INDEED SUFFICIENT...
      1. Sufficient to make one complete, furnished unto every good work
         - 2Ti 3:16-17
      2. They provide all we need to enjoy life and godliness - 2Pe 1:3
      3. By heeding the writings of the apostles...
         a. We will have the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ
            - cf. 2Pe 1:8-9
         b. An abundant entrance will be supplied into the everlasting
            kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ - cf. 2Pe 1:
            10-11

   C. WE ARE LEFT WITH GOD'S PROVIDENCE AND HIS WORD...
      1. As Paul prepared the elders of the church at Ephesus for his
         departure, he commended them to God and the word of His grace
         - Ac 20:32
         a. He did not instruct them to appoint apostles to take his place
         b. He did not instruct them to seek further revelation (for
            Paul had already proclaimed "the whole counsel of God" to
            them - Ac 20:27
      2. He simply directed them to two things:
         a. To God Himself (i.e., His Divine Providence)
         b. The word of His grace (that word which had been revealed by
            Paul himself)
      3. These two blessings, Paul was confident, were able to do two things:
         a. Build them up
         b. Give them an inheritance among all those who are sanctified

CONCLUSION

1. The New Testament, then, is how...
   a. Christ speaks to us today
   b. He leads us to life everlasting!

2. It is through the writing of the apostles, the apostles' doctrine,
   that the Lord speaks and directs His Church...!
   a. It is the apostles' doctrine that is the standard of authority in
      matters of religion
   b. It is the apostles' doctrine in which we must 'continue
      steadfastly"! - cf. Ac 2:42

3. There is more to be said about authority in religion, which we will
   cover in the next lesson

But I hope that our attitude is such that what was said about the
Thessalonians can also be said of us (cf. 1Th 2:13).  Is that our
attitude toward "the apostles' doctrine"...?

Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2011

eXTReMe Tracker 

“Jesus Didn’t Condemn Homosexuality” by Kyle Butt, M.A.




http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=7&article=1627

“Jesus Didn’t Condemn Homosexuality”

by Kyle Butt, M.A.

By and large, the American culture is aggressively promoting the sinful lifestyle of homosexuality. In the midst of such pressure, many people who call themselves Christians are caving in and accepting this perverted lifestyle in spite of God’s clear teachings against it (Butt, 2003). Just recently, the country singer Carrie Underwood stated that her Christian faith lead her to support gay marriage (Nilles, 2012). In truth, the life and teachings of Jesus Christ could never be accurately understood to lead a person to conclude that homosexual marriage is moral (Miller and Harrub, 2004).
One of the most common arguments made in support of homosexuality is that Jesus Christ did not explicitly condemn the practice. Supposedly, since Jesus never stated specifically: “Homosexuality is a sin,” then His failure to denounce the lifestyle can be interpreted to mean that He approved of it. This reasoning is riddled with error.
First, Jesus explained to His followers that He did not have time to teach them everything they needed to know. He told them that the Holy Spirit would bring to their remembrance all that He had taught, and would include additional teaching that He had not had time to cover. He told His disciples: “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth has come, He will guide you into all truth” (John 16:12-13). When we look to the inspired writings of the New Testament, we see the authors boldly and specifically condemning the practice based on the revelation they received from the Holy Spirit (Miller and Harrub, 2004). Thus, it is wrong to suggest that only the “words in red” are Jesus’ teachings. On the contrary, He foretold that more teaching would be done after His return to heaven due to the fact that the apostles “could not bear” all of it at the time.
Second, even if Jesus did not explicitly condemn the practice (though He actually did, as will be noted later), that certainly could not be used as evidence that He condoned the practice. For instance, where does Jesus explicitly state that bestiality is wrong? Where in the New Testament does Jesus state that polygamy is wrong? Where are the “words in red” that specifically condemn pedophilia? Are we to suppose that the Son of God condoned using crystal meth because there is not an explicit statement from Jesus’ mouth that says “do not smoke crystal meth?” The idea that silence from Jesus on a subject means He approved of or condoned the practice cannot be substantiated.
Finally, it must be considered that Jesus did, in fact, speak against homosexuality. On numerous occasions, Jesus condemned the sins of adultery (Matthew 19:18), sexual immorality (Matthew 19:9) and fornication (Matthew 15:19). These terms describe any type of sexual intercourse that is not within the confines of a marriage ordained by God. Jesus then proceeded to define exactly what God views as a morally permissible marriage. He stated:
Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning made them male and female, and said, “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh”? So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate (Matthew 19:4-6).
By defining marriage as between one male and one female, Jesus effectively condemned all other arrangements, including but not limited to one man and two women, one woman and two men, three men and one woman, three men and three women, one man and one man, one woman and one animal, etc. You can see the overwhelming logic of such. For Jesus to have to explicitly condemn every assortment of genders and numbers would be absurd. When He defined marriage between one man and one woman, He clearly showed that such an arrangement is the only one authorized by God.
Several years ago a man named Cory Moore “legally married his 2004 Cherry ES-335” Gibson guitar (“Man Marries Guitar,” 2007). He said: “The day I got her, I just knew she was the one…. I know it seems weird, but I really love her—like, really love her, with all my heart. I just wanted to make it official” (2007). Are we to conclude that because Jesus never specifically condemned a man marrying his guitar then the Son of God approved of such? To ask is to answer. In 2006, 41-year-old Sharon Tendler married a dolphin (“Woman Marries Dolphin,” 2006). Jesus never said one word explicitly about refraining from marrying a dolphin. Does that mean His “silence” should be viewed as approval? Not in any way.
Homosexuality is a sin. It always has been, and it always will be. The inspired New Testament writers repeatedly teach that to be the case. Jesus explained that the Holy Spirit would bring to the inspired writers information that they could not handle at the time of His departing. In addition, Jesus did explicitly define marriage as being between one man and one woman. The ruse to suggest that Jesus approves of homosexuality because He never expressly condemned it cannot be sustained logically, nor can it be defended on any type of moral grounds. The person who presumes to claim to be a Christian, and yet supports homosexuality, misunderstands the teachings of Christ and needs to repent and stop approving of a perverted, destructive practice that Jesus condemns (Matthew 19:1-9).

REFERENCES

Butt, Kyle (2003), “Homosexuality—Sin, or Cultural Bad Habit?” Apologetics Press,http://www.apologeticspress.org/apcontent.aspx?category=7&article=1239.
“Man Marries Guitar” (2007), http://www.messandnoise.com/discussions/865688.
Miller, Dave and Brad Harrub (2004), “An Investigation of the Biblical Evidence Against Homosexuality,” Apologetics Press, http://www.apologeticspress.org/apPubPage.aspx?pub=1&issue=557.
Nilles, Billy (2012), “Carrie Underwood Reveals She Supports Gay Marriage,” http://www.hollywoodlife.com/2012/06/11/carrie-underwood-supports-gay-marriage-christian/.
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"God isn't Bound by Time!" by Eric Lyons, M.Min.


http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=9&article=520

"God isn't Bound by Time!"

by Eric Lyons, M.Min.

Although for millennia Genesis chapter one had been understood as the original creation of the Universe that took place in six literal, majestic days, within the last two centuries many have been duped into believing that the billions of years required for evolution must fit somewhere within the first chapter of the English Bible. For numerous “Bible believers,” evolutionary dating methods have become the father of biblical interpretation. Therefore, we are told that God spent, not six literal days, but billions of years creating the Universe and everything in it. We frequently hear such statements as: (1) “God is not bound by time”; (2) “God could have taken as much time as he wanted while creating the Universe and everything in it”; and (3) “Billions of years could have elapsed between Genesis 1:1 and 1:3.” To say that Creation did not last millions or billions of years, supposedly, is to limit Almighty God.
There is no question that God is not bound by time. He is the infinite, eternal, all-powerful, all-knowing Creator. The point, however, is not whether God is outside of time (cf. Psalm 90:2), but what God has revealed to us—both in Genesis 1 and in the rest of the Bible. God could have created the Universe in any way He so desired; in whatever order He wanted, and in whatever time frame He so chose. He could have created the world and everything in it in six hours, six minutes, six seconds, or in one millisecond—He is, after all, God Almighty (Genesis 17:1). But the question is not what God could have done; it is what He said He did. And He said that He created everything in six literal days. When God gave the Israelites the Ten Commandments, He stated:
Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it (Exodus 20:8-11, emp. added).
This Sabbath command can be understood properly only when the days of the week are considered regular 24-hour days.
Based upon God’s use of words throughout Scripture which represent time periods that are much longer than a regular day (cf. Genesis 1:14; 2 Peter 3:8), we can rightly conclude that God could have revealed to man that this world was created over a vast period of time. [He could have used the Hebrew word dôr, which means long periods of time.] The fact is, however, God said He created this world and everything in it in six days (Genesis 1; Exodus 20:11; 31:17; cf. Psalm 33:9; 148:5; Mark 10:6).
Question: What’s wrong with the way God said He did it?