Major Insights Page
1. “False Fire Of Leviticus 10”, pages 1-2
2. “Passing Our Children Through Fire”, page 3
3. “The Same Sex Issue”, pages 3-13
This page will get sections added to it, as the Lord leads; and recently He has shown serious interest in leadings for this effort. Since the study series must be done under a renewed vow before the Lord, there will be some things which will out of necessity change for those who choose to. This page will touch on some of these changes, as well as other topics, as led by the Lord.
The first piece the Lord wanted me to address is the prophecy of Leviticus 10:1-7
Lev 10:1-7
1 Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them. 2 So fire went out from the Lord and devoured them, and they died before the Lord. 3 And Moses said to Aaron, "This is what the Lord spoke, saying:
'By those who come near Me
I must be regarded as holy;
And before all the people
I must be glorified.'"
So Aaron held his peace.
4 Then Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said to them, "Come near, carry your brethren from before the sanctuary out of the camp." 5 So they went near and carried them by their tunics out of the camp, as Moses had said.
6 And Moses said to Aaron, and to Eleazar and Ithamar, his sons, "Do not uncover your heads nor tear your clothes, lest you die, and wrath come upon all the people. But let your brethren, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning which the Lord has kindled. 7 You shall not go out from the door of the tabernacle of meeting, lest you die, for the anointing oil of the Lord is upon you." And they did according to the word of Moses. NKJV™
It is apparent from this prophecy that our God will be taken seriously in the days to come, if this is for us, now. In fact, the ensuing verses continue this same serious tone for His priesthood, which over the years had become a little too careless. And, the days to come will see His very serious tone profoundly displayed for any who do not take warning.
There are several manifestations of this thing called profane fire, and any and all of them are serious to the Lord. But, the one form He asked me to list as first and foremost pertains to false displays of the Holy Spirit. Several groups in Christianity currently practice what are called manifestations of the Holy Spirit, called Pentecostals in some cases. Whether babbling on in some indiscernible gibberish they insist is speaking in tongues, or knocking someone over as though “slain in the Spirit”, any and all false displays will be seriously dealt with [see also Acts 5:1-11]. It is called blasphemy of the Holy Spirit to proclaim any profane display to be of God’s Spirit: and such blasphemous acts and declarations will not be forgiven; and God may even act resolutely right on the spot, as He has done in times past [consider also Ezra 9:13-15].
Then there are some who incorrectly teach that manifestations of power by the Holy Spirit were only for the First Century Church. This age we are now stepping into will again witness displays of true Holy power; and any true display from God should never be hindered or suppressed in any way. It is also considered blasphemous to call of Satan power which is actually of the Holy Spirit.
Paul taught well on this subject, and the speaking in tongues is a simple example of our confusion in this matter. I have spoken in tongues, and it is not the babbling gibberish that I have witnessed whole congregations engaged in. Most often it is a discernable language, but one the people do not normally speak [see also Acts 2:4-12]; in my example it was fluent Spanish, when my native language is actually English. And the tongues of angels is not gibberish either, as some of these who practice such things wrongly assume. Believe what you will; but be forewarned: God will not take lightly any false display, which amounts to lying before the Holy Spirit. If a person must err, be sure to do so on the side of conservatism, as also the apostle Paul taught. 1 Cor 14 covers this issue extremely well, and concludes with this very point:
1 Cor 14:27-33
27 If anyone speaks in a tongue, let there be two or at the most three, each in turn, and let one interpret. 28 But if there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in church, and let him speak to himself and to God. 29 Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others judge. 30 But if anything is revealed to another who sits by, let the first keep silent. 31 For you can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be encouraged. 32 And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. 33 For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints. NKJV™
1 Cor 14:39-40
39 Therefore, brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak with tongues. 40 Let all things be done decently and in order. NKJV™
There are several other fulfillments of this concept of profane fire, and we must take care in all cases not to add, nor take away from God’s perfection in temple service. These other areas of concern even include doctrinally specific [but false doctrines] prayers [carelessly praying according to the doctrines which Satan deceived us into incorporating, and even on to false carnal versions [like censors themselves], in manners not prescribed by God, just as reported in this passage from Leviticus 10. If that true fear of God’s holy nature is employed, searching His Word diligently for what He requires of us, then we will have much more grace from Him. But, careless disregard of His honor will be dealt with. We will fear our God, from now on out:
Isa 66:1-2
Thus says the Lord:
"Heaven is My throne,
And earth is My footstool.
Where is the house that you will build Me?
And where is the place of My rest?
2 For all those things My hand has made,
And all those things exist,"
Says the Lord.
"But on this one will I look:
On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit,
And who trembles at My word. NKJV™
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- Another area of great concern to the Lord is displayed in this passage:
Deut 18:10
10 There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, NKJV™
The thing about this passage is our carnally limited thinking: because there are specific practices listed, surface readers often limit their understanding of God’s intent in such a case to carnally manifested witchcraft, astrologers, readers of crystal balls, etc. But, the real intent God speaks of here is actually any and all doctrines which would cause our children to be so lost before God, that they would then end up being rejected, cast out of the congregation, and thus pass through the lake of fire [Rev 20:15; compare to Ruth 1:16-2:12, an example of truly seeking the kingdom]. As we can see from this next scene with Saul, he was actually making offerings to the Lord from the plunder he had taken, but doing so contrary to God’s command:
1 Sam 15:21-23
21 But the people took of the plunder, sheep and oxen, the best of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal."
22 So Samuel said:
"Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
As in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
And to heed than the fat of rams.
23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft,
And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the Lord,
He also has rejected you from being king." NKJV™
Many of our current practices are contrary to God’s actual commands; and then we raise our own children in these evil practices, which will only end them up being rejected by God. It is important to note how God equates rebellion to witchcraft in this particular prophetic passage, precisely the kind of sin which was listed in Deut 18:10, in company with passing our children through the fire. This scene with King Saul is actually the prophetic story of the God’s people under the rule of the king of rebellion [see also Matt 21:33-46]. Generation after generation we raise our children in ways which will only be rejected by our holy God. This terrible sacrifice of our children must come to an end.
Even if the older generation is unable to escape their own fallen nature, they must stop leading their own children into believing God will not judge them in such error. The parenting generation must get back to teaching their ensuing generations in the better ways of the One True God [see also “Two Generations; Two Focuses”].
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- Another area we must face at this time is the same sex issue, an area sure to stir up controversy. This particular topic will truly stretch God’s intent for the temporary remission of sins offer set forth in the Vow Study, and is actually a template for several other similar areas of our current fallen state, which will likewise be very dependent upon His great promise of merciful grace.
That said, it must be understood that I have witnessed God’s hand actively inviting this particular group of people, regardless of what has been said by the more conservative religious elements. If my observations are correct, then who would dare to hinder His hand, or suggest that any one group is beyond His merciful grace, or such kindness. How similar our thinking has become to that of the Jews towards the Gentiles, as noted in Acts 10, and 11!
Also be sure to realize that such an invitation would not necessarily be according to our particular moral views, but rather according to His will. A perfect example of this precise point was the conversion of Paul, as recorded in Acts 9:1-16. Without question he was actually destroying Christ’s Church; but by the power and grace of Jesus, he soon became a most astounding brother in Christ. And how about Mary Magdalene: she formerly had seven demons in her, so what do you suppose her condition was like? But, God made her the first person on earth to see the risen Lord [Mark16:9]! There are no rules as to whom God chooses to bring, other than they be of the varied family of Mankind. Under the covering promises of His vows now being offered, the temporary remission of sins allows merciful grace to take the time needed to work through even the most difficult of issues. God has not changed His ways and precepts; His Law is unchangeable. But He has changed how He is willing to deal with us in this incredible day we are now entering. We will all soon discover just how much each of us needs that change, maybe especially for those who think they need it least.
In order to begin understanding where the Lord is on his subject, we will begin by looking at this complex passage:
Matt 19:3-10
3 The Pharisees also came to Him, testing Him, and saying to Him, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?"
4 And He answered and said to them, "Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning 'made them male and female,' 5 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'? 6 So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate."
7 They said to Him, "Why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?"
8 He said to them, "Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. 9 And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery."
10 His disciples said to Him, "If such is the case of the man with his wife, it is better not to marry." NKJV™
I say that this passage is complex in part because it includes this concept of tearing people apart [though in reference to what God joined]. When we make choices contrary to God’s Word, we create situations which can be outside of God’s grace, and at times will bring His judgments, some of which we must specifically face [consider Ezra 9-10]. Yet, though such justice is truly an attribute we understand with God, it is also true that additional major facets of His ways, indeed parts of His very name, are the concepts of mercy and longsuffering:
Ex 34:5-7
5 Now the Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. 6 And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, "The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, 7 keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children's children to the third and the fourth generation."
NKJV™
And then God also takes into consideration factors such as His anointed teachers, and if they had any part in leading the people of the earth astray, along with factors of pity, “tearing of garments”, the love and care have developed for one another, and speed at which people are able to accept changes: little children do not mature in a single day. Much of this insight into God’s ways in judgments are revealed in passages like these [also consider 1 Kings 10:3; Is 55:8-9]:
Ex 32:2-6
2 And Aaron said to them, "Break off the golden earrings which are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me." 3 So all the people broke off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them to Aaron. 4 And he received the gold from their hand, and he fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made a molded calf.
Then they said, "This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!"
5 So when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made a proclamation and said, "Tomorrow is a feast to the Lord." 6 Then they rose early on the next day, offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. NKJV™
Ex 32:25
25 Now when Moses saw that the people were unrestrained (for Aaron had not restrained them, to their shame among their enemies), NKJV™
Matt 23:1-3
Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, 2 saying: "The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. 3 Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, ... .” NKJV™
Matt 23:13
13 "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.
NKJV™
Jer 50:6-7
6 "My people have been lost sheep.
Their shepherds have led them astray;
They have turned them away on the mountains.
They have gone from mountain to hill;
They have forgotten their resting place.
7 All who found them have devoured them;
And their adversaries said, 'We have not offended,
Because they have sinned against the Lord, the habitation of justice,
The Lord, the hope of their fathers.' NKJV™
Ezek 9:5-10
5 To the others He said in my hearing, "Go after him through the city and kill; do not let your eye spare, nor have any pity. 6 Utterly slay old and young men, maidens and little children and women; but do not come near anyone on whom is the mark; and begin at My sanctuary." So they began with the elders who were before the temple. 7 Then He said to them, "Defile the temple, and fill the courts with the slain. Go out!" And they went out and killed in the city.
8 So it was, that while they were killing them, I was left alone; and I fell on my face and cried out, and said, "Ah, Lord God! Will You destroy all the remnant of Israel in pouring out Your fury on Jerusalem?"
9 Then He said to me, "The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great, and the land is full of bloodshed, and the city full of perversity; for they say, 'The Lord has forsaken the land, and the Lord does not see!' 10 And as for Me also, My eye will neither spare, nor will I have pity, but I will recompense their deeds on their own head." NKJV™
John 4:13-27
13 Jesus answered and said to her, "Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life."
15 The woman said to Him, "Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw."
16 Jesus said to her, "Go, call your husband, and come here."
17 The woman answered and said, "I have no husband."
Jesus said to her, "You have well said, 'I have no husband,' 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly."
19 The woman said to Him, "Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship."
21 Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22 You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. 23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."
25 The woman said to Him, "I know that Messiah is coming" (who is called Christ). "When He comes, He will tell us all things."
26 Jesus said to her, "I who speak to you am He."
27 And at this point His disciples came, and they marveled that He talked with a woman; yet no one said, "What do You seek?" or, "Why are You talking with her?" NKJV™
John 4:39
39 And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, "He told me all that I ever did." NKJV™
John 8:10-12
10 When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, "Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?"
11 She said, "No one, Lord."
And Jesus said to her, "Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more."
12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life." NKJV™
This same sex issue is truly the story behind Romans 1 and Luke 6:44, and the powerful forces God can bring to bear upon the world through His Word, usually for the errors of some of His people, who slip into unrighteous doctrines. But it is not just about those of His own who have taken up evil ways [Rom 1:21-22], incurring the righteous wrath of God, but also those they have subsequently infected with their corrupted thinking. Neither these teachers nor the largely innocent persons they also led astray understood the power of God’s Word being brought against them, nor exactly why. Without getting into the depths of all these details, suffice it to say that the feelings the people in these relationships are experiencing are quite real, and extremely strong and confusing. People of all walks often confuse the two similar emotions of love and lust, and can unknowingly build full relationships based upon unrighteous passions, not knowing the differences.
Surely God, Who is love, knows all of the love and concerns people have formed within these relations; and to simply rip them to shreds can sometimes do great damages. Some may be lost to God forever simply because of such quick break-ups, when they were led astray in first place. It can take time for any changes to be accomplished, which God works out with people.
Luke 5:34-39
34 And He said to them, "Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them? 35 But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them; then they will fast in those days."
36 Then He spoke a parable to them: "No one puts a piece from a new garment on an old one; otherwise the new makes a tear, and also the piece that was taken out of the new does not match the old. 37 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine will burst the wineskins and be spilled, and the wineskins will be ruined. 38 But new wine must be put into new wineskins, and both are preserved. 39 And no one, having drunk old wine, immediately desires new; for he says, 'The old is better.'" NKJV™
Such was the case for me, in regards to abortion. Before I knew God lives, the leaders of our society had passed legislation legalizing abortion; and many of my peers came to accept the practice as a way of dealing with careless choices in a sexually immoral world. It was what I was born into; it was all I actually knew, being Godless; and I had leaders of various types, from courts to school counselors, even to parents, who approved of these practices [like Rom 1:32]. But, I was unchurched, and did not know God, nor that such practices were serious grounds for incurring His further wrath, or even eternal death. Nor did I understand the tremendous losses, damages I could never repair, in the loss of life to such innocents, as well as to my own soul; I live with the memory of these horrors each day. This is only one of the many shames of my dark past; and though my ways have profoundly changed through the washing by His Word, I certainly do understand how easy it is to be led to incorrect conclusions by the world and leaders around us. And, now those damages are already done; I cannot simply undo them.
I assure you: God did not come into my life simply crushing every detail of evil throughout my being; I had so many things wrong that it was insane; and it took many years to detox of all the error that had worked itself even down to the marrow of my bones. I surely would have been destroyed if He had not been as gentle as He was, taking it a step at a time. Of course I wish with all my heart that He could have gone faster, so as to have prevented the further shames I later fell into. But, I also understand He alone is that wise, and knows the perfection of such timing. And I certainly now understand that God desires me to sin no more, as soon as possible; so I must also conclude that His work upon my soul truly went along as quickly as it could have been done correctly, even in view of my further failures.
It has been argued by some that homosexuals can be born that way, and there is strong Scriptural support for this possibility. I do believe I was born sexually “lit” [with extreme sexual desire, though heterosexual], and that it had to do with the power of God’s Word, in part as noted in this passage:
Ex 20:5-6
5 you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6 but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments. NKJV™
I am convinced that for generations in my family violations were occurring, right in God’s face; and so, when I was born, that curse came upon me; but, I had to learn to master it; I could not just continue to fornicate if I wanted to be close to God. But, according to the way this Scripture is written, it may take generations for that power of God’s Word to be turned away, and our society to be truly healed. What do we do in the meantime: burn everybody at the stake?! While it is possible for God to powerfully intervene in some profound way, wisdom and mercy dictate that we must learn to find better ways to spare people, and bring them home to our Father God. Otherwise, which of your children would you choose to execute? Remember: these are all God’s children; maybe He really cares if the live or die.
1 Tim 2:4
“... of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” NKJV™
Of course, there are still plenty of “believers” who insist that this cannot be so, and think of themselves as standing correctly before God, while the rest should be condemned [see Jonah 4]. These people do not understand the power of Jesus’ words, nor what they meant when He spoke them. We truly are fallen together, my friends, and due to the power of many Scriptures, not just these:
Mark 13:2
2 And Jesus answered and said to him, "Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone shall be left upon another, that shall not be thrown down." NKJV™
John 2:19
19 Jesus answered and said to them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." NKJV™
1 Peter 2:5
5 you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. NKJV™
The Word of God says that not one stone would be left standing [Ps 14:3; Deut 1:34-40; Is 64:6-7]; if some people insist that they do stand, which is contrary to the Word of God, then that alone is part of their fallenness. These things are studied thoroughly in the study series, and for lack of space cannot be covered here also. But, by way of argument to open our eyes a bit, and to expand the breadth of this whole study of the grace of our Lord in this matter, consider again the last two verses of the first passage we looked at:
Matt 19:9-10
9 And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery."
10 His disciples said to Him, "If such is the case of the man with his wife, it is better not to marry." NKJV™
We are going to find that those fateful words of the disciples [verse 10] will prove more prophetic than most can accept at this moment. Notwithstanding, if we throw in the number of people who fornicate before marriage into this discussion of divorce, then we would quickly see a great number of ripped up families and relations, if God really pushed His law without mercy. How can those violating His laws in other ways judge these who now find themselves fallen before their Lord in his matter; we all desperately need His healing, cleansing, and restoration.
This is not to say that we do not need to change our ways. Nicolaitans were known to abuse this grace, not truly wanting to repent. That is an attitude the Lord really detests [see Rev 2:6, 15]. But note this statement from Paul closely:
Rom 2:1-5
Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. 2 But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things. 3 And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God? 4 Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? NKJV™
Clearly stated is God’s ultimate intent: repentance, a change of heart, in which we finally let go of ways which are not good, which all things contrary to His Word end up being. But, when we are cast far down that road by God’s mighty hand, it can be very hard to see the wrong, as we burn in our passion for the wrong things He is shaming us with. Only the Word can show us this error; and with His gentle hand working it on our hearts we can finally get our spiritual eyes opened to the truth; it takes time, even more for some. Even so, if we just keep coming to Him, and letting Him have His way with us, our hearts and eyes can get fixed, and our world straightened out.
Acts 17:30-31
30 Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, 31 because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead." NKJV™
But if we refuse this phenomenal offer, we might be left holding onto a bad end result:
John 9:39-41
39 And Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind."
40 Then some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these words, and said to Him, "Are we blind also?"
41 Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, 'We see.' Therefore your sin remains. NKJV™
Isa 1:18-20
18 "Come now, and let us reason together,"
Says the Lord,
"Though your sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be as wool.
19 If you are willing and obedient,
You shall eat the good of the land;
20 But if you refuse and rebel,
You shall be devoured by the sword";
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken. NKJV™
Truly, the better way is to take the hand of the Father, and go along with Him, as He leads:
James 2:8-13
8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," you do well; 9 but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10 For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. 11 For He who said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not murder." Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. 12 So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty. 13 For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. NKJV™
Yet all this discussion of grace and mercy never was meant to be construed that God does not want us to quickly as possible return to His ways, His precepts, His laws. He is coming to restore that law, lost to us so long ago, in our fallenness.
Isa 42:21
21 The Lord is well pleased for His righteousness' sake;
He will exalt the law and make it honorable. NKJV™
Lev 18:24
24 'Do not defile yourselves with any of these things; for by all these the nations are defiled, which I am casting out before you. NKJV™
Judging from Scriptures like the ones above, and the important prophecy of Ezra 9-10, God will expect more serious responses from His own people, who should have known better:
Luke 12:47-51
47 And that servant who knew his master's will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. 48 But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.
49 "I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! 50 But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am till it is accomplished! NKJV™
Truly, the fire of God is coming upon this earth; it will burn up all the junk that we don’t get straightened out. He is serious, and the day has finally come when we must seriously face this “baptism”, in these immersion studies. God was heavy handed once before, bringing fire from heaven to destroy a particular group of fallen people. All these years this group has suffered persecutions above their brethren, who so often throw this in their faces. Though that whole scene at Sodom and Gomorrah was more complex than just a same sex issue, the history of man killing one another [emotionally, mentally, and even carnally] is a terrible legacy; and as we can now see it has been at the hand of those who are themselves also fallen. This extra extension of merciful grace is truly most intended for those who really did not know as much about all this; and only God knows those deep issues of our hearts; and He cannot be deceived by us. So, get real as you can, and be thankful we have a God like we do:
Ezek 20:44
44 Then you shall know that I am the Lord, when I have dealt with you for My name's sake, not according to your wicked ways nor according to your corrupt doings, O house of Israel," says the Lord God.'" NKJV™
Ps 103:7-18
7 He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel. 8 The Lord is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. 9 He will not always strive with us, Nor will He keep His anger forever. 10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor punished us according to our iniquities.
11 For as the heavens are high above the earth, So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; 12 As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us. 13 As a father pities his children, So the Lord pities those who fear Him. 14 For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust.
15 As for man, his days are like grass; As a flower of the field, so he flourishes. 16 For the wind passes over it, and it is gone, And its place remembers it no more. 17 But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting
On those who fear Him,
And His righteousness to children's children,
18 To such as keep His covenant,
And to those who remember His commandments to do them. NKJV™
Jer 33:8-9
8 I will cleanse them from all their iniquity by which they have sinned against Me, and I will pardon all their iniquities by which they have sinned and by which they have transgressed against Me. 9 Then it shall be to Me a name of joy, a praise, and an honor before all nations of the earth, who shall hear all the good that I do to them; they shall fear and tremble for all the goodness and all the prosperity that I provide for it.' NKJV™
Even within God’s phenomenal, long-suffering mercy and grace, there are certain things which must begin to change more quickly. Right away we must cease any teachings that God supports such relationships, especially teachings to the next generation. This is simply one of many teachings that we have been allowing to slowly slip in on us, so that now mixed doctrines have spanned generations. Living these lies has now brought us out of God’s graces, and under the wrath of our God, as we can now see in the world around us:
Amos 2:4-5
4 Thus says the Lord:
"For three transgressions of Judah, and for four,
I will not turn away its punishment,
Because they have despised the law of the Lord,
And have not kept His commandments.
Their lies lead them astray,
Lies which their fathers followed.
5 But I will send a fire upon Judah,
And it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem." NKJV™
Matt 5:19
19 Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. NKJV™
It is also must be understood that no one should be a leader of the people who has not yet mastered self control in regards to their sexuality. Leading is far more by example than by words, and the flock, especially the youth to come, must be led in God’s way, clearly demonstrated before their eyes, without confusion. In truth, it is best if all displays of open intimacies of any Biblically illicit type would be restrained, in view of God’s revelation in Numbers 25:1-13. We have been shown tremendous kindness this day; we should not abuse God’s sensitive heart any more than it already has been, by taking advantage of His kindness to us.
Additionally, while God is willing to be longsuffering in this matter, taking pity upon some led astray by His own people, and will temporarily not bring such terrible curses upon us in our errors, it must be understood that the ways of God never did change. Any who hope to enter the kingdom of heaven, and walk in the Holy Spirit, must finally face the pain of circumcision of our hearts, and the removal of the ways and doctrines of this world. The Holy Spirit of God cannot cohabit with the unholy:
Josh 5:2-7
2 At that time the Lord said to Joshua, "Make flint knives for yourself, and circumcise the sons of Israel again the second time." 3 So Joshua made flint knives for himself, and circumcised the sons of Israel at the hill of the foreskins. 4 And this is the reason why Joshua circumcised them: All the people who came out of Egypt who were males, all the men of war, had died in the wilderness on the way, after they had come out of Egypt. 5 For all the people who came out had been circumcised, but all the people born in the wilderness, on the way as they came out of Egypt, had not been circumcised. 6 For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, till all the people who were men of war, who came out of Egypt, were consumed, because they did not obey the voice of the Lord — to whom the Lord swore that He would not show them the land which the Lord had sworn to their fathers that He would give us, "a land flowing with milk and honey." 7 Then Joshua circumcised their sons whom He raised up in their place; for they were uncircumcised, because they had not been circumcised on the way. NKJV™
Josh 5:13-15
13 And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand. And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, "Are You for us or for our adversaries?"
14 So He said, "No, but as Commander of the army of the Lord I have now come."
And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped, and said to Him, "What does my Lord say to His servant?"
15 Then the Commander of the Lord's army said to Joshua, "Take your sandal off your foot, for the place where you stand is holy." And Joshua did so. NKJV™
People who are same sex oriented need to be coming to God just as much as the rest of the people do. It is a simple fact that these people are part of our society, right along side of divorcees and fornicators, adulterers, many of whom are remarried [or like the woman at the well, no longer even bothering], and the like. They will not change overnight; some may never change before they pass on. We spent thousands of years building this huge mess; we can only do what we can do; God will take care of the rest.
Ezek 16:46-47
46 "Your elder sister is Samaria, who dwells with her daughters to the north of you; and your younger sister, who dwells to the south of you, is Sodom and her daughters. 47 You did not walk in their ways nor act according to their abominations; but, as if that were too little, you became more corrupt than they in all your ways. NKJV™
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