Religious Liberty & Gay Marriage; Time To Ruffle Some Feathers

Recently I have noticed and read posts on social media about the Supreme Court case regarding gay marriage. There is apparently some concern about religious liberty and concern for non-profit colleges should there be favor for gay marriage.  There are a few things I would like to share and point out. It is of no surprise that I am all for marriage equality; that’s right, marriage equality. There is no such thing as gay marriage just like there’s no such thing as gay money; which, by the way, no one has a problem taking. So, it would come as no surprise that I would be blogging about this. Let’s tackle first the concern about non-profit businesses, colleges, and churches.

I will not pretend to understand tax exemption in its entirety. I do know that exemptions are much like tax deductions and paying less [or no] taxes depending on the organizations and the donors. What I will say is this; I do not believe that churches should be tax exempt, but should pay taxes like everyone else. Why do I say that? Because it is biblically sound; because I am going by what Jesus said in response to the Pharisees when they asked about paying taxes. Jesus answered first with a question while holding a denarius in His hand and the question was “whose image and inscription is this?” The answer was Caesar. Then Jesus said “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s” (Nelson, 1997, pp. Matthew 22:20-22). I don’t think it can be made any clearer that taxes must be paid; period. He did not give a pass to anyone. You hypocrites; you dare to use the Bible and God’s word [incorrectly by the way] to condemn the union of two people of the same gender, yet you blatantly disregard what our Lord said regarding the payment of taxes. Shame on you.

The next issue I want to touch on is Religious Liberty; what is it; what does it mean? How about we break it down a bit just so that there’s no confusion; by definition, liberty is basically having the freedom of choice to act or speak without restraint (Merriam-Webster Dictionary, 2015). According to Article 18(1) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political rights, “Everyone shall have the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion. This right shall include freedom to have or adopt a religion or belief of his choice, and freedom, either individually or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in worship, observance, practice, and teaching”. The First Amendment reads “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;…………”. What does that mean? It means that the government cannot set up a single religion for all people to worship alike. In other words, it is unconstitutional for the government to set up a single religion that we all must follow. We have the freedom, the right, to choose.

With that said, religion is not a business or a college. Religion is about a relationship with God through the means of worship, trust, belief, and faith in God. If you want to run a business then run a business; your faith has nothing to do with it. If you can’t or won’t handle the fact that you have to pay taxes according to God, or that your faith has nothing to do with baking a cake, then you have some issues. Personally, if you won’t bake me a cake for my wedding I would just go elsewhere, but that’s me; I pick and choose my battles and I understand and accept that not everyone would do the same as me. The fact of the matter is that your business has nothing to do with worship or with God. If you won’t follow all that God has said, then don’t bother cherry picking the bible for that which suits you or is financially convenient for you.

So, this is the first part of my rant. I will have the other half shortly because no, I am not done yet. There’s still the whole “Definition of Marriage” crap that gets thrown around as if the correct definition is being given. I also want to touch a little more on religious liberty according to the intent of the founding fathers. It’s a hoot.

 

Merriam-Webster Dictionary. (2015). Retrieved from www.merriam-webster.com

Nelson, T. (1997). The Nelson Study Bible. Nashville.

Blessed Are the Pure in Heart

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Jesus). What does it mean to be pure in heart? I believe that Jesus wants for us to have the ability to love as He loves; with no strings attached and with no reservation or exceptions. A person with a pure heart will love his neighbor, his family, his friends, and even his enemy. How can we love our enemy when we have feelings of hate, anger, bitterness, disgust, or any other fitting description of how we feel about our enemies? When we are asked to love as He loves, it’s not about a feeling but is about an action. We are to put action in our love for others. We do this by helping those who are need and yes, we have to include our enemy. Pray for our enemies, help our enemies when they need help; give of ourselves to our enemies the same way we would our loved ones; the same way Jesus does. Practice forgiveness of others and allow the love of our Father through Jesus flow through us.

              To be pure at heart means to have full faith and confidence in the promises of God without reservation; to be like a child who has that ability to love, to believe and to accept without a second thought. Jesus wants us to change our way of thinking, our way of loving, and our way of believing. Jesus said that “unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven” (p. Matthew 18). We know we can’t physically change into a child, but we can change the direction of our spirit and our mind from the things in our lives that do not match up with the things of God; with the teaching of Jesus and to the things that are of God and the teaching of Jesus. How do we do that? Trust in the One who created us in His image and His likeness. Redirection is always difficult but is necessary if we are to be pure in heart because I know that for me, I want into the kingdom and I want to see God. Be happy in knowing that if you are pure in heart; loving others, forgiving, showing mercy toward others, accepting God’s word through the life and ministry of Jesus, you will see God.

 

Jesus. (n.d.). The Beattitudes. In Matthew, The Nelson Study Bible NKJV (p. 1583).

Merriam-Webster Dictionary. (2015). Retrieved from www.merriam-webster.com

Nelson, T. (1997). The Nelson Study Bible. Nashville.

Blessed Are The Merciful

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy” (Jesus). As followers of Jesus, again, we are to follow and obey His teachings and His commandments. We are to always strive to live our lives the way He wants us to; the way He lived His life while on this earth. Jesus IS the model of mercy. Jesus taught about mercy in the parable of the unforgiving servant (pp. Matthew 18:23-25); He had shown mercy to the woman caught in adultery (pp. John 8:1-11); and He displayed the ultimate act of love and mercy through the act of forgiveness when He bore our sins us on the cross.

What is the difference between mercy and forgiveness and is there a difference? By definition, mercy is having compassion for or showing forbearance to an offender (Merriam-Webster Dictionary, 2015). Because of that compassion, we can then show that mercy by acting on it; and acting on it means forgiving the offender; the act of forgiveness offers absolution; a pardon. Paul teaches that the wages of sin is death (p. Romans 6:23); he also teaches in chapter 3 that we are all fall short of God’s glory; we all sin (Nelson, 1997). In order to show mercy we must be willing to forgive. We have to be willing to let the offense go without retribution on our part and trust that God will deal with the offense and the offender at His time. We have to remember that we do sin; every single human being on this earth regardless of race, ethnicity, religious background, sexual orientation, etc. We were all offered mercy through the forgiveness of our sins because Jesus took that penalty for us. Remember that the wages of sin is death. Jesus paid that price for each and every one of us. Be happy to show mercy because you will receive mercy.

Now, I get that not everyone can accept this as truth; I won’t judge. But let me say this, common sense says that a tree does make noise when it falls regardless of whether or not you are there to hear it or see it; barking comes out of the mouth of dogs thousands of miles away whether we hear it or not. God is real and His love, mercy, forgiveness, and offer of eternal life are also real whether you believe it or not. Be blessed.

 

Jesus. (n.d.). The Beattitudes. In Matthew, The Nelson Study Bible NKJV (p. 1583).

Merriam-Webster Dictionary. (2015). Retrieved from www.merriam-webster.com

Nelson, T. (1997). The Nelson Study Bible. Nashville.

Blessed Are Those Who Hunger and Thirst

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled” (Jesus). I don't believe that Jesus is talking about a righteousness portrayed by the Pharisees or one who is smug or holds his nose up so high he gets a nose bleed. No, I believe the righteousness spoken of here is about being in right standing before God; a person of ethical and moral standing according to God’s Word. The hunger and thirst spoken of is not the same as being hungry for a burger or thirsty for a shake as these are about the physical part of us. I believe that Jesus is speaking about a spiritual hunger and a spiritual thirst. Knowing that I am not perfect and I will never meet total righteousness, I can still remain steadfast in seeking and understanding God’s Word. When I thirst or hunger for righteousness, I am not looking for man’s approval of me; I am looking for God’s approval. If you earnestly seek God, continuously talk to Him and make it your desire to know Him more, then you’re on the road to righteousness.

Jesus. (n.d.). The Beattitudes. In Matthew, The Nelson Study Bible NKJV (p. 1583).

Nelson, T. (1997). The Nelson Study Bible. Nashville.

Blessed Are The Meek

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” (Jesus). As Christians we are called to be like Jesus; to follow His teachings and to go to all the earth sharing the gospel of The Christ as He had commissioned His disciples to do in the book of Matthew, chapter 28 and verse 19 (Nelson, 1997). Do not be confused as some have been. Jesus did not say to be a god or to be Him. During His three years of ministry on earth He consistently said “follow me”. Following Him, His teaching, and His commandments is what a follower of The Christ does; this is why we are called Christians.

One of many qualities that Jesus has is that He is meek. He is humble and gentle; and He calls for us to have this same quality; among others. Some may believe that being meek is the same thing as being weak; “turn the other cheek” blah, blah, blah. No; that is not at all what it means. Think of it this way; it’s about being patient with others, being kind and gentle. It’s about being compassionate and being humble. There is nothing weak about any of this. And, for the record, the whole “turn the other cheek” statement is not about being a doormat or a punching-bag; it’s simply about walking away and about forgiveness. Blessed are those who show kindness, who are humble, and who are gentle; that’s what I believe He is saying.

“For they shall inherit the earth”. I have found that many times the word “earth” can also mean land. Considering the fact that we have already inherited the earth and were given dominion over it from the time of creation, I would think it safe to believe that He speaks of His kingdom. There are many mysteries about what Jesus has spoken of and the kingdom is one of the mysteries. Personally, as I continue to study His word, I do believe that the kingdom can be twofold; it can be within us as Christ lives in us and He is the kingdom. I also believe that the kingdom is that which will be revealed at the second coming.

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth”. Be kind, be gentle, humble yourself in the sight of God, and be patient, for the kingdom is within reach.

Jesus. (n.d.). The Beattitudes. In Matthew, The Nelson Study Bible NKJV (p. 1583).

Nelson, T. (1997). The Nelson Study Bible. Nashville.

Blessed Are Those Who Mourn

 “Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted” (Jesus). How can anyone feel blessed in the midst of a loss? How can one feel happy when mourning? I do not believe that God expects us to feel happy in any way shape or form when dealing with a loss. In order to put this in a little perspective, we have to understand that there are many different kinds of losses. There’s the loss of a job, a home, a family member, a friend, a family pet, etc. Not all losses are the same and not all feeling of loss is the same. Not everyone mourns the same way nor is there a time limit for mourning. Regardless of the loss, there is always a need for comfort.

Jesus said “Come to Me all you who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Jesus Give True Rest). This was an invite to all, not to some. Jesus wants us to go to Him with our hearts and with our souls because He is the only one that can give us the rest and the comfort that we need. “Blessed are those who mourn…..” because we understand that we can go to Him who will help us deal with that which we have lost. If we have lost a loved one, He will comfort us; we just have to go to Him and ask Him for that comfort; for that peace. “….. for they shall be comforted.” This is a promise. He didn’t say “might be comforted, or, the righteous only will be comforted”. He said all who go to Him will be. No exceptions.

Be blessed in knowing that there IS comfort and there Is peace available in time of mourning. Find happiness is knowing that there is rest in Him who never brakes a promise. He made a covenant with Moses and proved that He would never leave Moses or the people of Israel. When Moses could not go into the land promised by God, Moses transferred leadership to Joshua and he reminded Joshua to “Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for The Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you” (The Nelson Study Bible NKJV).  

Allow time for mourning and know it’s ok to mourn the loss of a loved one for as long as needed. It’s ok to be saddened and hurt about losing a job or a home. No matter the kind of loss, know that if you seek the comfort from The Christ, and truly believe that He is there for you, then you shall be comforted.

(n.d.). Jesus Give True Rest. In Matthew, The Nelson Study Bible NKJV.

Jesus. (n.d.). The Beattitudes. In Matthew, The Nelson Study Bible NKJV (p. 1583).

Merriam-Webster Dictionary. (2015). Retrieved from www.merriam-webster.com

 (n.d.). The Nelson Study Bible NKJV. In Moses, Joshua the New Leader of Israel.

Blessed are the poor [in spirit not wealth]

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Jesus). There are some that mistake this teaching to mean that one has to be poor in order to inherit the kingdom, but, in my opinion, they are incorrect in their understanding of this scripture. First of all, Jesus was talking about the poor in spirit, not the poor; there is a difference. Being poor in spirit, like the rest of the beatitudes Jesus spoke of, is a quality that a Christian should have. Hopefully we all know that a Christian is simply a person who follows the teachings of The Christ and has accepted Jesus as Immanuel, as the Son of God and Lord of all.

With that said, let’s look at this first quality Jesus had mentioned to His disciples and to the multitude that followed Him. “Blessed are the poor in spirit”; Blessed by definition means welcome, pleasant, or appreciated; connected with God, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary; poor in spirit [not simply poor] means that we knowingly and purposely depend on God and not ourselves, because we understand that we do not have the ability within ourselves to please God (Walvootrd & Zuck, 1989).  

As a Christian, we must understand and accept the fact that we are human and therefore fallible; we are imperfect and don’t have all answers to all questions. We need God in our lives in order to learn and understand His righteousness. We need to continually seek His will in our lives and continue to live our lives as Jesus taught and as Jesus lived while on this earth. Well, what about the scripture that says “ Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect” (Jesus, p. Matt. 5:48) . The perfection spoken here does not mean without blemish; none of us are without blemish or without sin; “(Paul, p. Ro. 3:23).  What it means is that we need to continuously seek Him and make it a purpose in our lives to live the way Jesus taught us to live; to continuously strive to be like Him; to seek His righteousness. In doing so, we then become perfect in regard to the relationship we are to have with Him and the behavior we are to have as followers and believers in Jesus The Christ and Son of God. Being poor in spirit is knowing that we must continuously strive to learn what God’s will is for us in our lives; to continuously put Him first so that we can learn to live the way Jesus did and the way Jesus told us and taught us to live. Poor in spirit has nothing to do with money or physical possession; but has everything to do with having the understanding that we need Jesus in our lives. Blessed [happy] are those [of us] who are poor in spirit [who constantly seek Him because we cannot go it alone]. Accepting Him, living as He taught us to and acknowledging the need of Him in our hearts and life, bring us closer to the kingdom of heaven and the understanding of the kingdom.

Jesus. (n.d.). The Beattitudes. In Matthew, The Nelson Study Bible NKJV (p. 1583).

Paul. (n.d.). The Nelson Study Bible NJKV.

Walvootrd, J. F., & Zuck, R. B. (1989). The Life of Christ Commentary. Wheaton: SP Publications, Inc.