CROSSING THE LINE

HULLO EVERYONE! We are into the New Year of 2009. In a matter of seconds we left the old year behind and crossed the line into the New. TODAY the Daily Nation has announced that President Kibake has Assented to the passing of an Act that seriously controls the Press. It is not a popular act. Neither the Press, the public nor international opinion have greeted it with much happiness or goodwill, and certainly it is unlikely to encourage national security. It will not encourage confidence in the current government. It will in fact take the Country back into the time when freedom of speech did not exist. Pray for Kenya.
THIS YEAR I shall be commenting on various topics, subjects and ideas as we jog along from week to week. However, I will always start with an update on news concerning Testimony Faith Homes as a whole, and then add my comment. Will still endeavour to write something each Saturday as before. Please feel very free to share your thoughts on how I can improve or make the Blog more interesting, acceptable or whatever.
JACARANDA COTTAGE, to the left remains a vibrant home and house under new parents. Edward and Esther are currently acting as Dad and Mum, and the children seem to have taken to them both well. They have both worked with Diguna; Ed is a motor mechanic, and Esther is a Secretary / Receptionist. They have not been married long, but are a serious and mature couple. We have great hopes for them that they will successfully complete their orientation and carry on. They also have a new Assistant helping them in the home. He is a single young man called Benson Koech. So now life can continue. Fortunately all three were able to be in place before Christmas arrived so there was a good spirit and sense of warmth that was able to fill the gap left by the departure of Mr. and Mrs. Nzomo.
The weather is dry, warm and beautiful, with cloudless skies, and gentle breezes.
School will not open here until the 12th, but other schools, Colleges and Universities are opening today, and so there are quite a few leaving us to start a new Term. For the rest there is still time to play and enjoy outdoor games.
Some few weeks ago our Press were sounding an alarm about an increase in the incidence of homosexual activity in our boarding schools. However, although it may well be that this is true, the actual fact of such activity has been with Kenya for many decades, and probably was introduced by the colonialists. If there is an escalation in this it may have some relationship to more and more media occupation with such matters, and also the fact that in the midst of stark poverty, prostitution of any kind can be means of making money! Even in Eldoret Town children are into prostitution. We are a world staggering drunkenly...!

A GAY WORLD

RECENTLY I discovered that Sir Ian McKlellen was created a Companion of Honour by Her Majesty the Queen, for his contribution to the Entertainment world and also the Gay Community. He has been in the forefront of the Gay Movement for some time. He confessed himself to be Gay when he was 49, and has since said that he wishes he had done so earlier. As an actor he has my admiration and respect, and in some respects this carries itself over to much more in regard to his character and manhood. He is open and honest, forthright and willing to fight for his own convictions. It is very easy (for those acquainted with Tolkien's 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy) to identify him with his own role, in the films. of Gandalf the Grey, the chief proponent of righteousness. One can see him as a Companion of Honour just as he was one of the Companions of the Fellowship of the Ring. Should he be judged in any way inferior just because he is Gay? Is it right for any one of us to set aside his many excellent qualities just because he does not conform to our moral code?

Was Lord Nelson, Victor of Trafalgar and the Nile, any less a man or a hero because he committed adultery with Lady Hamilton, the wife of a friend? The King and population seemed for the most part to ignore the matter, and instead reward and decorate him for his good and brave service to the Nation. Even the Church of the day had little to say about it.
Their view seemed to be that provided he did what was expected him as a public servant, then his private life was his own affair. Dr. Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury, also was once reported as saying that in his opinion an ordained priest who performed his office without fault, but who was privately a homosexual had a right to his private life. (see my blog for 31st May 2008).
Bishop Joseph Divine of the Scottish Roman Catholic Church seems not to agree with this opinion and more than I did. He recently (causing public outcry) pointed out that 100 years ago Oscar Wilde was thrown into prison for being found to practice homosexuality. It seems he may have been in favour of the same thing happening to Sir Ian McKlellen. It is surprising that he did not also remind us that in Old Testament times punishment for the same offence was death by stoning.
Both Archbishop Williams, and Sir Ian would probably agree that if the Bible were not there, then there would be no problem. The Archbishop feels that it is because the Bible is seen as the Authoritative Word of God by Christians, rather the question of our sexuality, that the whole question of homosexuality has become such a hot topic. Sir Ian, speaking of the Bible, has been quoted as saying that - '...it is great literature rather than great history; great imagination rather than reliable witness - it is not as a Law Book that I respect the Bible.' In saying this he appears to reject all 66 Books of the Bible as God's Word, and feels that it has no qualification as a Law Book, or even a social guidebook. He thus sweeps away the only foundation upon which we may safely and reliably build our lives. Nothing is left to stand upon; only our own individual inclination to do whatever we feel is or will be good for us. Sir Ian is further quoted as saying - 'I've often thought the bible should have a disclaimer at the front saying "This is Fiction". I mean, walking on water?..That takes an act of faith.' Faith that he obviously is not claiming to have for himself. And so he declares that he is personally unable to believe what the Bible says. He is now left to become a law to himself, and his own judge as to the right or wrong of his own opinion. In doing this he has effectively excused himself from all need to obey the Word of God or even to consider the good sense and reasonable advice and comment it contains in relation to the way our lives should be lived and conducted. Therefore, we might say that his a fairly normal human being from his own perspective. The normal human being goes astray to please himself from the womb, prone to sin.

Just now Sir Ian is visiting Schools in an apparently sincere effort to bring understanding, and an end of bullying and persecution, amongst children, due to minority discriminatary persecution. He is targeting 12-13 year olds and making good use of his image as Gandalf. He will be listened to; he will be respected and even revered by many. His influence should not be taken lightly. He is especially concerned to encourage tolerance and understanding towards those children who feel themselves to be 'gay'. He believes that the numbers out there orientated in this direction are many more than is believed. I might agree with him, even from where I live here in Kenya. Of course I am not in favour of bullying, oppression, witch hunting, or any kind of minority discrimination. From this point of view Sir Ian may have every reason to argue for compassion and tolerance - provided that in doing so he is not increasing interest, and encouraging practice of homosexuality - a practice which has since the world began been considered abnormal and thus undesirable.
God did not give a Man for Adam to cohabit with. He gave him a Woman. And likewise he did not present Eve to a woman but to a Man. Any other biological arrangement is abnormal and as such becomes an Offence and and an Abomination; which word the Archbishop of Canterbury has re-interpreted, but it remains what is means - ' An Offence which is at once Perverse, Unnatural, Abhorrent and Detestable.
Of course we have to have a proper conception of this matter. It is homosexuality which is to be condemned rather than the homosexual himself. God does not desire the death of anyone. He consistently seeks for the Life of the Lawbreaker, but at the same time cannot condone the breaking of the Law. We also cannot be seen to set the LAW on one side as if it has no consequence, but at the same we are not to needlessly victimise the lawbreaker without due regard to his value and worth as a human being. We are to seek for his LIFE, not his DEATH; for his repair and restoration rather than for his breakage and separation.
Probably none of this will cut much ice with an person who has no consciousness of God in his life.
We go through life often with little thought, and daily looking in the mirror see little affect our life style might be having on our inner self - upon our soul. I was talking on this line to a 35 year old not long ago, and the idea took him quite by surprise. He had not thought of such a thing. In fact he surprised me by actually taking me seriously and becoming sincerely troubled.

OSCAR WILD, (left), famous play-write, poet, novelist and theatre critic was a well known celebrity of his day. As Bishop Divine has told us, Wild was jailed for two years in Reading Goal for homosexuality, or indecent acts as they were called. He was gay. He was to write a short novel entitled 'The Picture of Dorian Grey', a story about a rich, handsome, socialite. Dorian as a young man had a well known and gifted artist paint his portrait. It was a masterpiece, and perfectly portrayed the beauty of the subject. Dorian bought it and hung it in his sitting room to be admired by all his friends and associates. But he lived a profligate and immoral life which only increased, financed as it was by his wealth and fueled by his lusts. After some time Dorian Grey began to think his portrait was changing. The strong, handsome, youthful face, began to lose its lustre and beauty. Little by little it aged, and the manly grandeur of the face began to show a dissolute expression. At last Dorian could not bare to look upon it longer, and he covered it with a cloth, and climbing the stair to the attic of his house, locked the picture there in darkness.

But he could not forget it, and as he continued to pursue his lifestyle there were times when he could not resist the temptation to climb the stair and lifting the cover gaze again upon the portrait. Finally one evening he once more ascended to the attic. He lifted the cloth that covered the picture, and raising the lantern that he had brought with him, he once more looked upon what was now a portrait of total depravity and ruin. He staggered back from it in horror, and grabbing a dagger that lay on a nearby table he slashed at the canvas until the face was obliterated, then turned the dagger upon himself, and so died. Not a very comforting tale.
Outwardly Dorian Grey was physically unchanged. As the years had passed he retained his handsome and attractive face and profile. He continued to be the rich, sought after socialite. Yet inwardly there was continuing and ruinous change upon his real self. His soul was marred by his lifestyle and habits.
Oscar Wild was not a religious man and had little respect for Christianity, but I do believe that he became aware of the fact that our external life has a very definite affect upon the soul. Scripture might be seen to support this idea. Consider Romans 1v27 which refers especially to the habitual relationships indulged in by homosexuals and lesbians. I have used the Amplified Bible Translation.

(they) suffer in their own bodies and PERSONALITIES,
the inevitable consequences and penalty of their wrong doing and going astray,
which was their fitting retribution.
And so, since they did not see fit to acknowledge God,
or approve of Him or consider Him worth the knowing,
God gave them over to a base and condemned mind to do things
not proper or decent, but loathsome.'

THE WORLD IS CHANGING on every front. The Authority of the Bible, and perhaps EVERY Holy or God focusing Book is more and more questioned and belittled. What are the Godly to believe. In Genesis 19v1-7 in the Bible we can read a truly terrible narrative.
'Lot was sitting at Sodom's Gate (two disguised angels arrived) and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them and bowed himself to the ground. And he said 'My lords, turn aside, I entreat you, into your servant's house and spend the night, and bathe your feet. Then you can arise early and go on your way.
But they said 'NO, we will spend the night in the Town Square.'
Lot entreated and urged them greatly, until they yielded, and with him entered his house. And he made then dinner...
BUT BEFORE THEY LAY DOWN TO SLEEP, the men of the city of Sodom, both young and old ALL the men from every quarter, surrounded the house. They called to Lot and said 'Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may know them (be intimate with them).
And Lot went out of the door to the men, and shut the door after him and said, 'I beg of you do not so wickedly.

This kind of society does not evolve overnight - it takes time. How did it come about that Sodom gave birth to Sodomy?
MARTIN LUTHER writing in 1539 puts it this way -
'The heinous conduct of the people of Sodom is extraordinary, inasmuch as they departed from the natural passion and longing of the male for the female (which was implanted by God into nature).
Whence cometh this perversity?
Undoubtedly from Satan, who after people have once turned away from God, so powerfully suppresses nature that he blots out the natural desire and stirs up a desire that is contrary to nature.'

Does the Bible support this understanding of the matter? Yes. Read ROMANS 1v21-22 in the Amplified Bible. To paraphrase it -

To reject God is to become Godless, foolish and lawless
THIS immediately leads to sexual corruption, and destruction of the concept of unity and oneness (in marriage).
BECAUSE of turning away from God, and making men to be gods instead.
THUS God let them miss the way of Oneness found in Marriage

THEY BECAME UNNATURAL, women living with women and men having sexual intercourse with men. This led to sickness of body and MIND.

BECAUSE WHEN THEY DID NOT WANT TO KNOW GOD,
they became sick in mind and began to degenerate and to fill their lives with evil.

This entire Narrative tells us plainly that the beginning of very wickedness is seen in sexual lawlessness, and that this has it's beginnings in a rejection of or departing away from the whole concept of GOD, and the knowledge and acceptance of His Word. Those who leave God OUT let evil and every sin IN. C.S.Lewis in his book 'The Problem of Pain', writes of them -

'They enjoy forever the horrible freedom they have demanded
and are therefore self enslaved.'

.................................

THE LAST TIMEI sallied forth on this subject I got quite a lot of unpleasant mail. But we all need to be LIGHT and not add to the darkness around us. It grieves me to consider how few people around us in our modern world are hearing TRUTH. They may not want to hear, and may not benefit from hearing it, but they NEED to have the opportunity to be saved from what is injurious to them. Sir Ian McKlellen needs to be warned from danger, not encouraged to continue blindly on in ignorance. I do not adhere to the doctrine of 'political correctness'. I am not one to sit on the fence. I an not afraid to CROSS THE LINE and make a positive stand. We are each one responsible to our neighbour to WARN clearly and plainly of what can injure him.
I am not concerned to judge Sir Ian McKlellen, or anyone. Only to warn them. I may not be able be without offence to some, but I may not help it either. I cannot say nothing, and I cannot say to the lawbreaker (whatever the law may be) 'OK - go ahead do what you want. Kill yourself if that's your choice.' I will have no choice but to say 'DON'T DO THAT! Its harmful, and dangerous to you'. You can hate ME all you desire for saying it, but I WILL say it because I am responsible for you to God and to myself. I know your worth. I cannot encourage any sin, including sodomy, on any grounds. I will never be able to argue that such liaisons should be legalised. I think Sodomy is an offence and an abomination because it endangers life and is opposite to God's Nature and Plan for Mankind. We need to oppose it, and consider how to rescue those embroiled in it. It should never be encouraged or rewarded. Some may say they have been born with this tendancy; they can do nothing about it. I will say some are born with a bad temper or short sight and that there is a whole lot they can do about it if they really want to. And GOD has offered even greater strength and power to change what is wrong with us, through the work achieved by Jesus Christ on Calvary's Cross. NO ONE has an excuse to remain the way they were born in relation to sin and unrighteousness.

THIS IS OF COURSE NOT THE WHOLE WORKS!!


God Bless, embolden you, and make you to be Faithful, Fearless, Spirit Filled Witnesses to the Word and to the revealed Truth of Christ our King.

John and Esther