Encounter #38:

“The Church Needs to Come Out of the Closet”

a Message about LBGTQ+ and Marriage

Read: Mark 10:1-12

The Pharisees (religious leaders) tried to tempt Jesus again by questioning whether a man can divorce his wife for any reason (Deut. 24:1). Jesus taught His disciple again. Jesus said because of man's hard heart Moses wrote this mandate. But it wasn't the case since the beginning of Creation. God created them male and female. Several facts are presented here from Jesus. Creation, not evolution is a fact. There was no type of humans (“cave men”) before Adam and Eve were made. God made Adam, a male, and Eve, a female. There is no other genders. God's original plan and intent was for one male to marry one female, for life. Marriage is God's plan. But sin came into the world. Therefore, sin corrupts manners, minds and marriages. Jesus said the two will be one flesh (body). Those whom God joins together in marriage no one is to separate. The only grounds for divorce is adultery (see Mt. 5:32).

In writing to the church at Corinth, Greece, Paul states that neither fornicators, nor adulteres, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the Kingdom of God (1 Corin. 6:9,10). But, verse 11 states”...some of you were once like that...” Some of the people in church were at one time practicing homosexuals, etc., but they found forgiveness and freedom from those sins by calling on the Name of Jesus Christ. We are all born with a sinful nature. We all naturally lean toward sin. But we have a choice. We choose to be homosexuals, thieves, liars, drunkards, fornicators, gossipers, drug addicts, etc... Only faith in the blood of Jesus that He shed for us on the cross can save us. There is hope. There is freedom. There is forgiveness. The church needs to speak these truths. The truth makes us free.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, forgive me of my sins. I was born a sinner, but Jesus died for my sins on the cross. I receive His grace and forgiveness. Give me the strength to overcome sin. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Application: Be led by the Holy Spirit to bring hope , forgiveness and freedom to those who are bound in various life styles.

Encounter Jesus: Receive the love, forgiveness and grace of God to overcome.