The Answerer

This sounds a bit like someone asking me “What do I think of our local member of Parliament?” Well homosexuals and lesbians could be like that to God and if they did meet sometime I guess God would say: “Hullo, I do hope that you will accept my free gift of salvation.” (That’s forgiveness of sin and a free ticket to heaven and eternal life with God and Jesus.)

It is important that this answer includes homosexuals and homosexuals who engage in homosexual sex. They are different.

Homosexuals and lesbians are created along with all other humans who may be different to most e.g., God told Moses to go and confront the Pharaoh of Egypt and demand that he let the Israelites go from slavery in Egypt. Moses didn’t want to go. Moses said, “O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.” The Lord said to him, “Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I the Lord. Now go; I will help you speak and teach you what to say.” (Genesis Ch. 4 verses 10 to 12)

I have never heard a preacher talk on that subject; people who are disabled and different, homosexuals included. It may be just too difficult a subject to talk about. They are different, but God loves them all.

A few thoughts from me, ‘The Answerer’, about disability in a family. I am now more than 80 years old, have been in a wheelchair for over 40 years after a fall at home. I was, for seven years, a teacher in ‘Special Education’ which is education for kids with disabilities of many kinds. I have observed that people who are not disabled, always healthy, have a reasonable job and enjoy ‘having fun’ know nothing of hardship. They mostly, do not know what it is like to be in hospital for weeks or months on end, always having to be careful to not fall or injure oneself, so they often get to be uncaring of others and even careless, drive like hell and often drink far too much. Other people can know what pain is, have long spells in hospital and are unable to enjoy life – to be FREE! These people, often the parents, truly care for others, are compassionate and never inflict pain or put others at risk. So, having disabled people around may be a part of God’s plans for people to be caring and learn compassion for those less fortunate. No child, or adult, wants to be disabled in any way.

However the practise of homosexuality is condemned in scripture. In the ‘Rules’ in Leviticus it says :”Do not lie with a man as one does with a woman; that is detestable.” (Leviticus Chapter 18; verse 22) A different translation reads: “Homosexuality is absolutely forbidden, for it is an enormous sin” (Lev.18:22 The Living Bible). That is homosexual sexual activity.

The heathen Canaanites were a very wicked people and seemed to love doing what was wrong and that included a great deal of homosexual sex. God was angry with them and destroyed the city of Sodom with fire. It’s quite a story. (Genesis Ch.19:verses 1-29) That’s where the word Sodomy and Sodomites comes from. Be warned if you are inclined that way. God is not mocked and homosexual sex He does not approve of.

I believe a homosexual or lesbian should refrain from sexual activity because God can see everything. And the Bible says many times that we will all stand before God to answer for our wrongdoing and that includes deliberate sins of ANY SORT!

We all are guilty of some sort of sin. Some ‘Banksters’, bad ‘Financial advisors’, and various financial swindlers are all sinners too. There is no exemption for certain sins. Only God has the ability and power to forgive them, and He will forgive us – if we ask Him. That is guaranteed. See (1 John 1:9) ‘God bless’.

A mirth moment: In the story of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah God told Lot and his family to “…flee, and do not look back.” (to see the fire from heaven). Well the Bible says that Lot’s wife did look back and “…turned into a pillar of salt”.

Joke: Bill Smith’s wife was out driving and saw a new shop so she turned her head and looked back. She turned into a lamp post. Crunch!!

All bible references are from The Living Bible,Tyndale House Publishers, 1974, The New International Version, 1978,New York International Bible Society; and The Bible For Today(Contemporary English Version, The Bible Society in Australia 1995),and THE NEW ENGLISH BIBLE. Oxford University press, 1961.

These three are very hard to give a simple answer to this most important question. Thank you for asking it. Very few hear a voice that instantly changes them into serious Christians. Believe me it does happen. See www.jonahministries.com by Michelle Hamilton…and listen to her on Utube 20 years later. Been through many trials.

Michelle Hamilton was NOT a Christian and, a few days before, had told her Mum she was not interested in “Jesus and all that stuff”. She went out on the ocean, paddling a child’s dugout canoe and was swept out to sea by the ocean current. She spent three days and two nights alone in the shark and pirate infested South China Sea plus tropical storms. A ‘Voice’ from the sky spoke (commanded) her about 15 times. Scared her to death it did! She was rescued. I have heard her tell of her ordeal three times, have met her and I have her book. Serious ‘Stuff’ man!

Basically, it is from experience you learn. If you can find a missionary, talk to them, or get ‘on-line’ and converse by Email. Missionaries have to be very sure that God wants them to go somewhere overseas maybe. They cannot assume God has ‘spoken’ to them. Or, simply ask a Christian: “Why are you a Christian and how do you know God’s messages to you are from God?” Note, this cannot be done in 30 seconds! (see mine in question 72)

God does not talk like on a telephone and maybe it is better that way. I have been ‘Spoken to’ four times by an unseen voice. I therefore believe that He knows every thought we have (see Q.191 on that subject)…and then He uses individual ways to communicate what he wants us to do. I have heard of dozens of cases where what somebody gave shoes, winter clothing, food, a ‘paid for’ ticket for long rail trip, etc. – which was just what the receiver needed – but did not ask for. Coincidence or God’s provision? A missionary I read of, planned to buy a pile of winter clothes in Europe but a strong urge told her not to, and her first posting as a missionary was in the tropics! She assumed she’d be posted to a cold climate.

In the Bible there are thousands of illustrations to guide us in what is the right thing to do – or if this is God’s will for me. It can be really hard to know when you are young, so wait and pray.

If God wants to get a message to you, wait, and read your Bible daily. A term or a few years in a Bible college helps many people to decide just what God wants them to do. Countless times I have heard people say: “The verse leapt off the page at me and I knew that God meant it for me.” And it did turn out to be very helpful in what God was trying to ‘say’ to them.

It takes years to discern if God puts a thought in your head – or if it is your own ‘wants’ that you hear in that silent voice. A good resort is to ask yourself this question: “What would Jesus do?” in this decision; be it a boy or girlfriend, to buy a certain car, a new house etc. Stay around serious Christian people in a serious church and make them your friends.

Sorry this is a long answer but serious Christians WAIT for His guidance – which will come but may not be exactly at the time we ask for it.

Well now you have got me thinking. Nobody but God knows but it is interesting to think upon it. The river Tigris and Euphrates are still there in the Middle East known as ‘The Cradle of Civilisation’. Those two rivers are named in the Bible as a part of the Garden of Eden. (Genesis 2:14) They are easily found on a map or on the WWW. They both rise in the mountains of Turkey and flow to the Persian Gulf.

What happened to the Garden of Eden? We can only guess as it was a very long time ago. In the Persian language ‘Garden’ was a place set apart. Maybe men overgrazed it to a desert that it is in much of the Middle East, including Egypt. They did not have chainsaws then but had many animals, including goats who eat almost anything. It takes a long time for men to understand overgrazing but overgrazing can turn ‘good country’ into desert, ask any farmer. We do know it could be hot and there was a “...cool of the evening;” (Gen 3:8) so some days were hot.

There are many myths and ideas about the Garden of Eden (I had a few myself) and famous painters painted what they thought or imagined what it was like. Perhaps God has used it as model for heaven or maybe it was simply a beautiful area set aside for God to see if Adam and Eve could be trusted to obey. Well, we know they did not obey and that humans can be persuaded to do wrong things to their sorrow. See also the WWW to help you to think about it.

Because it is the unique nature of God to have the willingness, and the power, to forgive the sin of anyone who is genuinely sorry.

It is the very nature of God to forgive if the sinner is truly sorry (mercy is His very nature). Jesus died a horrible death to pay the price for our sins…a price has to be paid by someone. God, His Father, gave Jesus the power and authority to forgive sins.

Guilt and shame are powerful feelings. Some people suicide to be rid of the shame in their heart. Others do not care one iota. Jesus knows just how we feel and He is not mocked by lies and denial…but it is his pleasure to forgive our sins when we are truly sorry.

For an beautiful example of that power read Luke Chapter 23 verses 32 to 43 where Jesus forgives a convicted criminal and tells him that: “Today you will be with me in paradise.” Not half bad…crucified criminal today…in paradise tonight. The criminal was truly sorry. That’s the Jesus way!

I am, again, amazed at your honesty and candour. You warm my heart.

Why do you respect a being you don’t really know? First, someone, somewhere, is praying for you…regularly. Is someone in your extended family a Christian? In another way you have heard his name often – most probably as a swearword or a curse by someone in anger and frustration. You heard it but did not like it. Nobody uses the name Buddha, Confucius, Krishna or other gods as a swearword, only the real God, the one in the Bible is in those peoples mind. And just maybe, ”Oh God!” is a cry for help.

In Genesis it says : “And God said: ‘Let us make man in our image and likeness.’” ( Genesis 1:verse 26). And He created Adam…and later Eve. You and I are made in God’s image and likeness so one could say that we are made to be like God.

And about angels, Jesus said of children: “Beware that you don’t look down upon a single one of these little children. For I tell you that in heaven their angels have constant access to my Father.” (Matthew Chapter 18:10-11).

Children are precious to God and angels are constantly around them. And in Psalm 91:11: “He will give his angels charge over you.” And Psalm 34:7: “The angel of the Lord encamps around them that fear Him and he delivers them.” GOD CARES FOR ALL OF US. So, I wonder if God is preparing you for a life that is special to Him in some way.

Do have a read of a Bible – a bit every day. If you do not have one most churches will gladly give you one for free. In its pages are the answers to most of our thoughts, joys and worries. But you have got to ‘dig them out’ and that’s a joy nothing else can give.