The Christian Law Association news letter opened by saying that it was only a few years ago that America was a missions orientated, faith-based, moral driven community of people from around the globe... and this nation was seen as a beacon for freedom and truth for the world to see—a city upon a hill as the Scriptures describe. . . . More than ever it has become evident that the hope for America is not in Washington, but in our local churches. We must stand together in these legal and spiritual battles. (The Legal Alert, July, 2015)

         In Matthew 24:32-39 Jesus gave us some important information about the end of this age we are currently living. In Matthew 24:1 His disciples asked the following question.

         “And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?” (Matthew 24:3)

         The phrase “end of the world” is sunteleia aion. The word aion is the word for “age or Messianic period.” It is not the world kosmos which would translate “world.” Jesus was not speaking about the end of the world, but the end of the age. The age Jesus is speaking of is our present age that will end after the Rapture, the seven year Tribulation and with His Second Coming.

         How do we know Jesus was referring to our present age and not to the age when the disciples lived in the first century. Look at verse 37 , “But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” (Matthew 24:37) That is pretty clear. Remember in interpreting God’s word we let the Bible interpret itself

         Recent events in our government and society shows us without question we are living in time such as was Noah’s day. . Note what God said about Noah’s time.

         “and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”

         Briefly, America began its downward spiral after WWII when the economy began to boom. In 1941, the country was coming out of the Great Depression. During the war that ended in 1945 technology progressed and people began to live comfortable lives. Although Christianity and missions was growing, there was an element in our society who whose agenda was to remove God from our culture. There can be no doubt that this was influenced by Satan who seeks to destroy America because it was then basically a Christian nation.

         It actually began in 1925 with the Scopes Trial in which the agnostics ridiculed the Bible and lead to evolution being taught in our schools. The Supreme Court's 1968 decision in Epperson v. Arkansas put the final nail in the coffin for anti-evolution laws across the country. Our children was taught the LIE that they are the product of random change, by evolution and that science had proved the Bible and the Genesis account of Creation was wrong. Evolution not God created them and they were the result of radon chance.

         Psalm 11:3 states, “If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?” This was one of the beginning attacks of Satan in seeking to turn this nation from God to humanism.

         Then in 1962 and 1963 the agnostics, atheists and God haters won another two more Supreme court decision that outlawed prayer in our schools. In 1962 in Engel vs Vitale a group of families of public school students in New Hyde Park, New York, complained that the voluntary prayer written by the state board of regents to "Almighty God" contradicted their religious beliefs. Popular opinion is that the atheist Madalyn Murray O'Hair had prayer, which is untrue. She was outspoken on public prayer, but in 1963 the Abington School District v. Schempp the Supreme Court made prayer in schools unlawful.

         Next, it was the Supreme Court decision in Roe vs Wade that made abortion legal. Norma McCorvey, alas “Jane Roe” was a battered, then abandoned, wife and drug addict, pregnant but not desiring a child. The trial was based on lie that Norma McCorvey was raped and did not want to have the child of rape. Her lawyer, Sarah Weddington, who had, had an illegal abortion invented the lie. It did not happen. “Roe” did not abort her baby. I do not have the time to relate the whole story, but in 1995 under the testimony of a young girl named Emily found Christ and became a Christian renouncing her past. In her book “How Christ’s Love Won Jane Roe’s Heart” She said, “If God can forgive Norma McCorvey—Jane Roe—and her role in abortion, surely he can forgive you as well.”

         President Lyndon Johnson in 1964 began what he called the Great Society continuing the work of President Roosevelt. The bottom line to the Great Society was that government was to give everyone equal property. The government began a generation of people dependent on the Federal Government for its subsistence. Barrack Hussain Obama in 2008 carried the idea to the extreme.

         Today 1 in 4 children under the age of 18 — a total of about 17.4 million, are being raised without a father and nearly half (45%) live below the poverty line.

         In 2010, unmarried households were 45% of all U.S. households according to the U.S. Census Bureau. “America’s Families and Living Arrangements: 2010.?

         Last month the Supreme Court violated the US Constitution and illegally voted 5 to 9 to make same sex marriage legal in America.

         Calling the decision a “keystone of society” Judge Kennedy said, “No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice and family. In forming a marital union, two people become something greater than once they were.” This was clearly one of Satan’s greatest tactics to use truth to perpetrate a lie and evil.

         In the decision it was stated by Chief Judice Roberts that: “The majorities decision is a an of will and not of legal judgment. The right it announces has not basis in the Constitution or this Court’s precedent. The Majority....omits even a pretense of humility, openly relying on its desire to remake our society accounting to its own “new insight” into the nature of injustice.”

         The Supreme court did state, “In the decision, it must be emphasized that religions and those who adhere to religious doctrines, may continue to advocate with the utmost since conviction, that same-sex marriage should not be condoned.”

         Dear Friends, the Supreme Court has no authority legally or spiritually to change the fact that has stood for now 6000 years, that marriage is between a man and a woman. Same-sex marriage is still sin and abomination in God’s according to the Supreme Authority who is Almighty God. (Lev. 20:13)

         It is God, who created us and this Universe who defined in the beginning what marriage is. It is not the state or this nation that defines marriage. I have married a number of people as a pastor, and concluded with the statement, “According the God, who instituted marriage, and by the authority of the state of__________ I pronounce you man and wife.” I will never use the last statement again, because the state has no right to define or grant marriage.

I. God created man and woman and marriage.

A. Genesis 1:26-27. God created man and woman in His own image. That means He gave man a will, emotion, and intelligence. It does not mean God made us to look like he does. God is Spirit and a Spirit cannot be seen. God is not a material or physical. He exist outside of our physical world. He is not a man nor ever was a man.

          God’s statement about Himself in Exodus 3:14, "I am that I am" means He is self existing. God was not created, but he was the Creator and called the eternal God, "Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God" (Psa. 90:2). The description "from everlasting to everlasting" means he is self-existing and does not exist because of some outside power. He is a power unto Himself.

B. In Genesis 2:20-22 God tells us how He created woman.

          Man was alone and needed a “help-meet.” The word “ezer” is translated “help-meet” simply means a “to help, assist, aid.” (Vines, p292). It is also related to God’s making man and woman in His own image. Over 80 times this Hebrew verse is found in the Old Testament. God is the greatest source of help. Isa. 41:10 says, “. . . and the Lord shall help (ezer) thee.” Psa. 37:40 proclaims this attribute of God, “. . . and the Lord shall help (ezer) and deliver them.”

         The word “woman” (isha ish=man meaning from from man) in Hebrew means “wife, betrothed one, bride; each.”It only can refer to a woman as a wife of her help-meet” man. Eve was formed to be the partner of her husband Adam.

C. In Genesis 2:23-24 God directed the institution of marriage.

         We always let God interpet His word for us. In Proverbs 2:17-18 He says referring to the prostitute or immoral woman. “Which forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God. For her house inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead.” (Proverbs 2:17-18) The word implies the solemn bestowment of her in the bonds of the marriage covenant, which is hence called the covenant of God; [Pr 2:17] implying that he is the Author of this sacred institution" (Pulpit Commentary Proverbs 2:17)

         Adam stated the first marriage vows saying “. . .This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” (V23)

         This statement emphasizes that woman came from man. It means the husband’s role and responsibility in the marriage was to protect, cherish, and provide for his marriage partner.

D. Verse 24 plainly teaches that the marriage is between the husband and wife and not the family of either of them.

         The husband’s primary responsibility is to his wife not to his parents. Jesus made the same statement in Matthew 19:5. The marriage is between the pair. The relationship and highest affection, even above what they owe to their parents is for his wife.

         This the first institution of marriage shows the sinfulness of divorces, sodomy, and polygamy. “One flesh” precludes polygamy. God never approved polygamy.

         The union was between a man and a woman. Using the word’s “one flesh” relates to the difference between a man and a woman. They are different yet in marrage they become one. This is not simply talking about the physial union, but the spiritual one. They shall be one spiritually as the man takes responsibility and the woman helps her partner. The phrase condemns all immoral sexual sins.

         Marriage, according to the will of God, is a union for life of one man with one woman, and with one only; and the fact that it is a divine institution, shows that men should enter into it for the glory of God in the promotion of their own happiness and usefulness. (Family Bible Notes, SwordSearcher 7.2, Gen. 2:4)

Conclusion: Why this message?

         In March of this year, our church voted to adopt a policy on the performance of marriage by our church.

         I have printed a copy of this section of our Church Constitution for everyone to read.

         This was done to protect legally our church from lawsuits that might arise from those seeking to be married in our church.

         For the couple who are following God’s laws this policy is not a restriction. For those who are not Bible believers it teaches them God’s biblical principles. Note I did not say Christians, as we know all who call themselves Christians are not Bible believing Christians.

         For the presence, this protects your pastor and this church from state or federal imposed laws that are contrary to God’s word. In time, we may have to be fined or jailed by the next Supreme Court decision that further destroys our religions and even civil liberties.

         What should we do?

1. We should discern the times and obey God’s word. Romans 13:17

         “If ye will fear the LORD, and serve him, and obey his voice, and not rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then shall both ye and also the king that reigneth over you continue following the LORD your God:” (1 Samuel 12:14) The problem is that America and many professing Christians have not obeyed God, but have rebelled against His word.

         Read Matthew 5:13-15…Christians should be a light unto the world of the love of Christ and the Gospel.

         To Timothy Paul wrote concerning our prayer for our government.

         “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.”(1 Timothy 2:1-4)

         We should each examine ourselves in light of God’s word asking two questions.

         1^st Are be living for the Lord, seeking His will in our lives and being a testimony of His mercy and grace. Can people see Christ in our lives in a positive way?

         2^nd We are to pray for our nation and our leaders, that they would turn to God and seek Him and that they would leave us in peace to live our lives in godliness and honesty.

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