Many avid Christmas Movie Hallmark Channel watchers have been bombarded with LGBT movies this Holiday season. An article from Cosmopolitan, assessed the entry of LGBT movies favorably stating the following: ‘Tis the season for inclusive Christmas rom-coms.– Luckily, the times are a-changing. — Eventually, there will be a day when a queer holiday movie doesn’t feel like a gift from Santa, but until then, pls enjoy these groundbreaking Christmas flicks, which will make your small lil Grinch hearts grow three sizes.
The LGBT is a community which desires to be included. They want to belong and encourage others to get on their wagon. Identification of the same goals and agenda is important to participants of the LGBT community. Dictionary.com defines inclusion as the practice or policy of including and integrating all people and groups in activities, organizations, political processes, etc., especially those who are disadvantaged, have suffered discrimination, or are living with disabilities. The desire for the LGBT community to offer an “inclusive” opportunity comes from their own recognition of differences. Why would they want to be “included” if they already belonged? Why would they want others to be “included” with them if there was no separation?
Christians are called to love others (30 Bible Verses). Believers in Jesus Christ are instructed to consider others better than themselves (Philippians 2:3). People who follow God are known as disciples, serving others. (Matthew 20:27-28)
Is it possible to “mesh” the LGBT community and Christianity? It sounds like the LGBT community wants others included in their group and to be included with others. The Christian group also loves, promotes, and serves others. Can’t we all just get along? Should a Christian have any specific reaction to the inclusion of LGBT into the Holiday entertainment? What reaction is God looking to see from Christians? Does it matter to God what we think about the LGBT community? Is there an example in the Bible from which we can learn?
Can’t we all just get along?
Unless two be agreed, they cannot walk together. The final destination must be agreed upon for the journey to be walked in unison. As the LGBT community continues down “their road”, God says they are headed for destruction. (Romans 6:23, Ephesians 5:3-5, 1 Corinthians 6:9) The true follower of God (Christian) has an end destination of eternal life. (John 10:27-28, 1 John 2:17, Revelation 21:3-4)
Should a Christian have any specific reaction to the inclusion of LGBT into the Holiday entertainment?
God’s instruction for His followers is “come out from among them and be separate”. (2 Corinthians 6) Rather than promoting inclusion in the LGBT way of living, Christians should promote living in the light of the knowledge of God and His ways. (2 Corinthians 4:6) The LGBT community is in great darkness, Christians have received the grace of God and walk in the light. (Ephesians 2:1-9) Christians are instructed by God to be distinct lights in the evil present age. Just as opposite is night and day, Christians should react in opposition to the inclusion of LGBT in their entertainment.
What reaction is God looking to see from Christians?
Ezekiel 9 explains the reaction God is looking for. This chapter describes a vision of the idolaters who were slaughtered. God instructed for the ones who cried and sighed about the abominations to be “marked”. It was those who were “marked” that were spared. The reaction God is looking for from Christians about the LGBT community is a sigh and cry. He is not asking for a “fight back”. There is to be no violent “stand up against”. Followers of God are not to “attack”. Believers in God are to sigh and cry with a distressed moan and a visceral shriek. It should be from the very core of our beings. Those who are not against God are for Him and should be physically affected by the horror (of God’s Wrath) coming to the LGBT community. God wants us to remember Romans 1. He wants us to have a visible reaction of the horror of God’s coming judgment.
Ezekiel 9 also warns us God says He will have no pity, no compassion on those without the “mark”. We should react now because one day it will be too late. We should be in a mode of sighing and crying now because one day there will be no chance. The LGBT has their “good” in this life and only burning, blackness of eternal damnation for all eternity. (Luke 16:19-31, Revelation 21:8) God is looking for Christians to be visibly feeling for the horror and terror of God’s refusal to show pity and compassion on those He has given over to their own devices.
Does it matter to God what we think about the LGBT community?
Christians should remember the instruction of Jude 1:21-23 – keeping ourselves in the love of God, yet trying to rescue some from the burning of God’s judgment. It is not God’s will any perish, but all come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)
Followers of God are instructed to give cups of cold water in service of God. We are to serve others just as our Lord came to serve and give His life. We are to spend our time with sinners as our Lord did while He walked this earth. We are to let our Light (love of God) shine before men so they may see our good works and glorify our Father who is in Heaven. (Matthew 10:42, Mark 2:13-17, Matthew 5:16)
The problem in Ezekiel 9 was they said “The LORD has forsaken the land, and the LORD does not see!” It was this conclusion of the people that brought on God’s lack of pity, God’s judgment, and God giving what their conduct demanded.
Rather than throwing up our hands, turning our backs, and taking our toys home; let us recognize why God showed no compassion, judged, and gave them over. It was because the ones not “marked” had lost their vision of God. They said “the Lord has left us” and “the Lord doesn’t see”. In other words, God is dead, non-existent, and/or never existed. Like these people in Ezekiel 9, the LGBT community has forgotten God. We are responsible to help the LGBT community see God exists, we live in God’s world, and God will judge the living and the dead.
Our thoughts about the LGBT should be filled with grace and compassion. We were like them at one time, dead in our trespasses and sins, unaware of God. We were deserving of God’s wrath and judgement. Yet, while we were dead, the grace of God appeared and saved us. We should think of the LGBT as “in need of a Savior”. Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Jesus sent His followers into the world to immerse sinners in Himself. (Matthew 28:18-20; 1 Corinthians 6:11; Luke 6:31; 1 Timothy 1:15; Ephesians 2:12)
Is there an example in the Bible from which we can learn?
Yes, there is an example in John 11 which provides us a wonderful path to follow. It is the story of Mary and Martha sending word to Jesus the fact their brother, whom Jesus loved, was sick. Their intention was for Jesus to come quickly. He could keep their brother from dying. After 4 days of their brother being in the tomb with the rock over the opening, Jesus shows up. Martha met him doubting He would be of any help to them now. Mary also had the same conclusion. The sisters questioned why their LORD had not come sooner. He could have done something about all this if He had shown up earlier. The sisters confessed they knew Jesus was the Savior, the Son of God, and could do anything.
As Jesus approached the tomb where Lazarus laid dead, he was visibly shaken and wept. His countenance was affected by the horror of unbelief. On two separate occasions when death seemed to be winning, Jesus showed great distress. The people concluded Jesus was shaken because he loved Lazarus so much. The on-lookers conclusion was misinformed because of their unbelief. The people’s lack of understanding God was in their land and God saw the need generated Jesus’ sighing and crying.
Jesus ordered the stone be removed. There was great protest from Martha because of the stench. Jesus insisted, the stone was rolled away, and Lazarus was raised to live again. The glory of God prevailed, it was evident God was in the land, and God saw. Because of Jesus’ raising Lazarus from the dead, many believed in Him.
We can learn some lessons from this Scripture and relate it to the Christian reaction to the LGBT Holiday movies.
- God may seem to be late on the scene and the LGBT community may be in the grave for 4 days with the rock over the door . . . too far gone.
- God desires to resurrect those of the LGBT community who will turn to Him in repentance and receive His gift of life.
- We may have to put up with some “stench” when the rock of the tomb is rolled away for God to resurrect.
- People may misinterpret our visible reactions to the LGBT community as the bystanders misinterpreted the reaction of Jesus at the tomb of Lazarus. He was visibly shaken for their unbelief and the people called it “love for the dead”.
- God is glorified when individuals of the LGBT community receive resurrected life through Christ Jesus.
- Many will believe in God for eternal life.
Conclusion
This Holiday season show visible, heart-felt groans and cries for people in the LGBT community. Compassionately help them see the horror of God’s judgement. Provide them a way to escape the coming wrath of God. Remember you were once in their shoes, but you were washed by the blood of Jesus for the removal of your sin. Offer them a washing in the crimson flow that washes away all their sin, makes them whole, and gives them eternal enrollment in life forever. That is the “belonging” that will satisfy.
Written By: Anne Gurley
