On June 17th, 2008, California legalized same sex marriage. Only three days later, on June 20th, lightning storms ignited more than 1,400 fires throughout the state. As of this writing there are over 1,700 infernos all across the state that have burned down well over half a million acres of forest land. The current situation is certainly a catastrophe of Biblical proportions. The strange thing is California's fire season doesn't even normally begin until late summer.
Is there a relationship between the commencement of same sex marriages and the fires that are burning down the state of California? Is it possible that God has sent down judgment from heaven and that He is trying to get the attention of an unrepentant people?
I realize that this article is not going to be very popular with some people. But, according to the Bible homosexuality is an abomination to the Lord. God has punished such behavior in the past and I believe that He will continue to do so until the return of Christ.
You may remember the story of Sodom and Gomorrah from the 18th and 19th chapters of Genesis in the Bible. The account tells us that God was displeased with the people of Sodom and Gomorrah because their sins were grievous. What sins were grievous to the Lord? Well, chapter 19 gives us an account of men that were inflamed with lust to have sex with other men. The last time I checked this was called homosexuality. The consequences were that God sent down fire and brimstone and destroyed the cities.
This is what the Bible says of the event: "
Then the LORD rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah-from the LORD out of the heavens. Thus he overthrew those cities and the entire plain, including all those living in the cities-and also the vegetation in the land." (Genesis 19:24-25)
"Early the next morning Abraham got up and returned to the place where he had stood before the LORD. He looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah, toward all the land of the plain, and he saw dense smoke rising from the land, like smoke from a furnace." (Genesis 19:27-28)
This morning when I got up to go to church, the skies of Central California were still filled with smoke from the fires across the state. It is a dark gray haze that irritates the eyes and scratches the throat and nose. Numerous people have been complaining about respiratory problems and headaches. Sadly, people have died, homes have been destroyed and vegetation has been wiped out. Shadows of Sodom and Gomorrah?
But, why would God judge something that seems as "harmless" (as some people might say) as a loving relationship between two people who just happen to be of the same gender?
Well, I suppose we could question God's judgment on some things, but it would seem that He did a pretty good job of making a wonderfully beautiful universe filled with, light and dark, good and evil, right and wrong. It just so happens that God decided that the universe should function according to certain predetermined rules. We refer to these rules as the "laws" of nature. One of those "laws" was that there would be genders of male and female to procreate.
Now homosexuals will tell you that there is nothing wrong with their behavior. And I would imagine that they are sincere in their belief. But, that doesn't make it right according to God's plans for His creation. In order, perhaps, to justify their behavior homosexuals have said that they can't help themselves... that they were "born" that way. So, they use "science" to legitimize their behavior.
Do you see what is happening here? They are shifting the blame. Their sexual preference is not their fault. God made them that way. God made a mistake.
God made a mistake?
Well let me see... how is sodomy scientifically correct? Hmmm... its not.
Whenever man defies the perfect order of God's creation there are consequences. When the balance of the universe is broken, it must be rebalanced. When harmony in nature is disrupted it must be corrected. When creatures defy their Creator they bring harm upon themselves.
The Apostle Paul reveals God's position on homosexuality very clearly in the First Chapter of Romans. This is what he says:
18The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature-have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
21For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.
24Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator-who is forever praised. Amen.
26Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. 27In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.
28Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. 29They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.
So you see, in our disobedience and rebellion against God we bring punishment against ourselves. The same is true with homosexuality. We have seen it with AIDS. Have you ever wondered why AIDS so ravaged the homosexual community? We saw it in New Orleans with Hurricane Katrina. Were you aware that New Orleans had planned a gay parade to include tens of thousands of people in the streets before Hurricane Katrina hit?
And now... we have seen it in California. The people of America are so smart and so well educated. But why can't they connect the dots? (Proclaiming themselves to be wise they became fools) Why can't they see the hand of God in these catastrophes? Could it be they've got... smoke in their eyes?
The neat thing about God is that He patiently waits for us. He tries to get our attention over and over again. So very often we are like children to whom the Father says, "Don't run out in the street." But, we run out in the street. And again and again He gets us out of trouble. But, the day comes when Father can't stop us from doing the things we choose to do, when we disobey him. The consequences are then upon us.
Turn to Him while you can. He loves you and me. No matter what we've done. He is a forgiving God. When we sincerely want to change our behavior He can help! In John 10:10 Jesus said, "I came that you might have life and have it more abundantly." All we have to do is take Him at His word.
