A Gateway Seminary Student's Take on Pride Month

 

Photo Courtesy: Flickr: Caro Wallis, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Where do you stand on the issue of Pride Month as a Christian? I go to a Southern Baptist seminary and all of my friends and professors from my seminary (Gateway Seminary in Ontario, California) claim that the Bible is the supreme authority in all matters. They all disagree that the LGBTQ+ lifestyle is something to take pride in. I have a few friends that attend an American Baptist church and agree with the mantra that "love is love" and God loves everyone regardless of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, etc. They are ultra-Arminians and believe God will not judge them for how they love others. Well, here is my take:

First, you have to establish whether the LGBTQ+ lifestyle is a sin. As mentioned earlier, I have a few Christian friends that don’t hold the Bible as the ultimate authority and agree with their lifestyle and promote it. Of course, we should always welcome everyone to church and have them come as they are. God loves everyone! And the church should always welcome anyone regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, or social status. 

However, once you get to church, the truth has to be spoken! The Bible is clear that there are only two genders and marriage is between a man and a woman. Jesus even quotes Genesis in Matthew 19:5 on the issue. 

What about homosexuality? We don’t even have to go back to Leviticus to realize that it’s a sin. You can read Romans 1:26, 1 Cor. 19:6, and Jude 7. It’s still a sin in the NEW covenant.

But wait. Aren’t we all sinners? Yes! We say God’s name in vain. We might disrespect our spouses when we get into arguments. We might have said something about someone behind their backs. I don’t condemn homosexuals to hell. That is between God and them. My job is to point them to the truth.

However, if you agree that we all sin and we need Jesus, then why would you promote a certain kind of sin and criticize me if I don’t agree with something that is contrary to Scripture? 

Why do I have to watch the news and see the glorification so blatant that if I disagree with it then there’s something wrong with me? Why are businesses such as Starbucks, Target, Bud Light, and professional sports teams caving to the 1%? They are afraid of losing money if they express disagreement and the media will destroy them. How is that fair in a country that honors freedom of speech and expression? You can express your beliefs but I can’t?

Why am I a bigot if I don’t want my baseball team showing an LGBTQ flag, an ideology I don’t stand for? If you believe the slogan “love is love” then where is the boundary of love? Just two days ago, a woman married her AI partner because she was in love with “him.” Love is love, right? That definition is subjective and dangerous. Do you notice how many pronouns there are now? Where does it end? If we keep letting ultra-liberals define what "love" is, then it'll be scary to see what society's blurred definition of it will be in 5 years?

Scott Worden (The L.A./Seoul Guy)

Instagram: l.a.seoulguy

I Quit Twitter and I Don't Regret it!

 Courtesy of musically.com

 I already spend too much time on social media (mostly on Facebook and sometimes on Instagram) that I needed to get rid of one kind of outlet that was a complete time waster. After thinking, praying, and debating about it, I finally decided to get rid of Twitter. Here are some of my reasons.

1. Out of all the social media platforms that I have used (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Linked In), Twitter seemed to be the most narcissistic. People don't really care about others on there. They are just trying to get as many "likes" and "retweets" as possible. Of course, that's not saying people don't want to get "likes" and comments on Facebook, but you usually do anyway since your family and friends are the ones to comment. On Twitter, most people are complete strangers, so you rely on complete strangers for affirmation.

2. Sometimes you will tweet something that you think people will like and many times you will get absolutely no retweets or "likes." If you're not extremely popular or slightly famous on Twitter, you will have this problem often.

3. If you are following someone, you see accounts that they follow since Twitter suggests them to you. But if those accounts don't appeal to you, you still see them because the person tweeted something from it or liked it. It's extremely annoying.

4. You see almost too much of what's wrong with the world on Twitter in REAL TIME. You can easily become negative and hate the world when you see all of the junk happening minute-by-minute and this is the main reason I jumped off Twitter.

Don't get me wrong. Twitter is very addictive and I see a lot of things I like about it (sports, weather, and up-to-date news is great to follow on Twitter), but for me personally, I am too busy and I don't want to get caught up in the negative aspects of Twitter. Facebook takes up too much of my time already and I want to use the rest of my free time on more useful things. 

So why don't I get rid of Facebook? As much as Facebook is a time waster (and it really can be sometimes), I just recently found two advantages that Facebook has more than any other social media outlet. 

1. Last week, I visited my high school alma mater to get my vaccination records and I ran into my old art teacher (who I was already keeping in touch with on Facebook). We hugged and although she was helping students and in a bit of a hurry, I posted on her timeline when I got home. She responded and asked why I stopped by and apologized that she didn't have more time to talk to me. And to add to this, my Bible teacher from the same high school (who I have also kept in contact with) commented in the thread that it must have been very special for us to see each other. That's one huge benefit of Facebook.

2. I recently got a message from an old friend who I went to church with in Seoul. She said she is coming out to L.A. in July and is trying to get together with some people and have a church reunion with friends living in L.A. that went to the same church as her in Seoul. She remarked that the pastor who married my wife and I is going to be there at the reunion as well. She told one of my close friends on Facebook as well and I think there will be a total of 10-11 people at the reunion. This is the power of Facebook. 

So there you go. Facebook has a lot of disadvantages, but these two reasons are pretty much why I keep Facebook. Twitter, on the other hand, doesn't have a whole lot of advantages except being informed early on the news. But since I can get my news elsewhere without being triggered, I don't really need Twitter.

Scott Worden (The L.A./Seoul Guy)

Instagram: l.a.seoulguy

4 Important Lessons From the Book of Genesis

 

I found this really great article about the 4 Important Lessons from the Book of Genesis by Alex Lago on medium.com. I really like it because it's easy to understand, biblically sound, and perfect for understanding what's going on in today's society. Let me know what you think below!

1. We are All Created In God’s Image

At the beginning of the world, God created heaven and Earth. God then created light and divided it into night and day. Throughout a series of six days, God went to make the firmament, waters, dry land, plants, animals, and finally, man.

Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle and over all the earth (Genesis 1:26 KJV).

This should be comforting to everyone because our Lord created us to be like him. While it could be debated whether we were created in the likeness of the soul and body, there is no doubt that our ability to think rationally is something that no other being on the planet possesses. This rational thinking is most definitely a divine spark that brings us closer to our creator.

Whenever I have the option between sinning and doing the right thing, I remind myself of this message — that I can choose to be closer to my creator or I can dishonor him.

Also, when I do not think I am good enough to do something, I find comfort in the fact that I have been created in the image of my great Father — which means nothing is out of my reach.

In addition, this section also teaches us that humans have dominion over all other animals. But this should not give us the license to act recklessly, rather, it should remind us about the beautiful gifts we were given and our responsibility to care for these gifts. In the same way that God loves us, we should love our Earth and its inhabitants.

2. We Are Inherent Sinners

As a result of original sin, all humans have the tendency to do evil. When Adam and Eve disobeyed God and listened to the serpent, it solidified our imperfect nature. Humans now know good and evil and we were sent out of the Garden of Eden and stripped of our immortality.

Adam’s sons, Cain and Abel, also exemplify the imperfection of man. Cain gave the Lord fruit from the ground while Abel gave the Lord an offering from his animals. God respected Abel’s offering more, so out of jealousy, Cain killed Abel. As a result, sin has affected man from the beginning.

My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh (Genesis 6:3 KJV).

After a few generations, humans start populating the Earth. It is during this time, that God notices that humans have grown especially wicked and only thought evil thoughts — all except for Noah. Noah is a good man and God recognizes this. He decides to flood the Earth to rid it of its corruption, but he spares Noah by telling him to build an arc for his family and animals.

This story shows that even though everyone around you may be sinning, you always have the option to please God and act differently. As a Christian, this is a duty that I am held responsible for. I know the scriptures and the teachings, so the punishment is worse if I do not follow them.

God is forgiving, however, and decides that:

Man’s heart is evil from its youth (Genesis 8:21 KJV).

God decides to establish a covenant with Noah and promises to never cut off the waters or flood all of humanity again.

The lesson here is that God knows what man is capable of and can forgive us. Establishing this covenant with Noah means that although we may sin, God will be understanding.

3. Trust God

Many generations after Noah, Abraham was born. Abraham heard a call from God to leave his country — Modern-day Iraq — and to go to a place where God would make a great nation for him — what is now Israel.

The Lord appeared unto Abraham, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the Lord, who appeared unto him (Genesis 12:7 KJV).

Many people may wonder why God chooses Abraham. Unlike Noah, there is no mention of his righteousness or good character.

But there is a clear answer.

Abraham hears the call of God and follows it. How many people would leave the comfort of their homes and drop everything they know to follow in their faith?

Abraham immediately leaves for the unknown and trusts in God’s plan for him. When he gets to the new land, he also builds altars and honors God. His faith and devotion are so strong and apparent that God rewards him.

Many people feel the calling of God but they second guess it because they have work, family, or something else to tend to. Abraham ignored all his problems and just trusted in God and in turn, he was given a great blessing.

4. Don’t Lose Faith

There is another lesson about faith in the story of Abraham — but this time it is about his lack of faith.

The Lord promises Abraham generations that would be as abundant as the stars. Sarah, his wife, however, could not get pregnant. Instead of obeying trusting in God, Abraham listens to Sarah when she tells him to use her servant Ha’gar as a handmaid. Abraham gets her pregnant and has his first son, Ishmael.

God has different plans for Abraham. He specifically wants Abraham to have a child with Sarah. He wants to establish a covenant with that child. But Sarah is old and it is believed that she was barren. To everyone’s surprise, Sarah has a son and they called him Isaac.

God establishes his covenant with Isaac — but Abraham is upset over his other son Ishmael. He wants Ishmael to be blessed also. God is generous, and he gives Ishmael his blessing and promises to establish a great nation through him. But ultimately, Isaac receives the covenant of God.

This story shows how people may sometimes cut themselves short of their true greatness. God knows how special you are and he has a plan for you. Sometimes people do not think they are good enough and take an opportunity that is not their true calling. People must be patient and follow God’s will because he has so much more in store for them.

Just like Abraham lost faith in God and had Ishmael, many people do not have confidence in God’s plan and take a route in life that is beneath their greatness. If they trust in God, there is an Isaac waiting for them. God is generous, and still blesses Ishmael — but Isaac was destined for more greatness.

Conclusion

There are many valuable stories in Genesis that many Christians may have forgotten. While on the surface some of these stories appear unfair, if they are analyzed, they reveal the same loving God of Jesus.

I encourage everyone to look for the deeper meaning in these stories and discover them again for yourselves. 

Scott Worden (The L.A./Seoul Guy)

Instagram: l.a.seoulguy