The recent Supreme Court rulings on the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and Proposition 8 have little to do with victory or defeat but much to do with where we put our trust. Neither God nor His Word ever changes. He affirms and reaffirms to every generation, “I am the Lord, I do not change” (Mal. 3:6).
These rulings, while disappointing, should come as no surprise. They remind us of man’s proclivity for making bad decisions that contradict God’s Word. But does this mean we lose hope, give in to discouragement and retreat in defeat? No! We press in and press on as God’s faithful people, keeping our eyes on Him who leads us to ultimate victory.
Those of us who believe the Scriptures know we are living in a day and hour when many hearts are growing cold and many Christians are turning away from the faith. I ask you today: In whom do you put your faith? Is your faith in God or man? Paul said, “Your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God” (1 Cor. 2:5).
We are constantly bombarded with distortions and derision from the naysayers in the gay community, but in the end what they say really doesn’t matter. The only thing that matters is what God says. In the remnant church of the last days, His Word is the only thing that will sustain us.
Listen to what the Bible says in John’s Gospel when Jesus encountered a Samaritan woman and violated all the rules of propriety and protocol by striking up a conversation with her:
“Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon.
“When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, ‘Will you give me a drink?’ (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)
“The Samaritan woman said to him, ‘You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?’ (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)
“Jesus answered her, ‘If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.’
“‘Sir,’ the woman said, ‘you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?’
“Jesus answered, ‘Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.’
“The woman said to him, ‘Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.’
“He told her, ‘Go, call your husband and come back.’
“‘I have no husband,’ she replied.
“Jesus said to her, ‘You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.’
“‘Sir,’ the woman said, ‘I can see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.”
“‘Woman,’ Jesus replied, ‘believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.’
“The woman said, ‘I know that Messiah (called Christ) is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.
“Then Jesus declared, ‘I, the one speaking to you—I am he'” (John 4:6–26, NIV).
Jesus offers every one of us the same thing He offered that Samaritan woman: living water that quenches thirst eternally and becomes a spring welling up from within to eternal life.
What I want to say today to all my brothers and sisters in Christ is this: If you feel tired and worn out from the battle, stop and drink from His well of living water. Rest in Him. Allow Him to renew your strength. Be encouraged! Keep hope alive! God is not caught off guard or perplexed by what is happening. He knew before the foundation of the earth that this day would arrive.
Let me remind you there are many men and women who have been changed through the power of the Holy Spirit and have left the homosexual life. Many marriages and families have been restored. Even if you haven’t heard about them, they are out there. God will, in His time, bring their testimonies to light.
We know that homosexuality is dividing families, political parties and churches all over America. Nevertheless, God is still on His throne! If you have a family member or friend living a homosexual life, don’t despair. God saved you, didn’t He? What He did for you, He can and will do for them. Grab hold of His word: “You and all your household will be saved” (Acts 11:14).
It’s time for all of us to stand on His Word. Then and only then will we see the manifestation of the power of God working in our lives. We are the light of this world, and we will continue to shine! God is still in the business of reaching people, changing lives and making all things new.
Janet Boynes is the founder of Janet Boynes Ministries, a nondenominational outreach that ministers to individuals questioning their sexuality and those who wish to leave homosexuality. As the author of Called Out, Boynes chronicles her story of living as a lesbian for 14 years until God called her out of that lifestyle.
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