Bruce Jenner is a man. God created him to be a man. He was born a male. He will die a male. One cannot change their gender simply on a whim, through thoughts, or through medical process. All the surgeries in the world cannot change your design by God. Changing one's name is not changing gender. Bruce calls himself "Caitlyn" now. It doesn't matter what he calls himself... he is still a man, though arguably not a very decent one. Being unhappy or uncomfortable with your identity does not give you the right or ability to change your gender. Bruce is play acting like he is a woman. Acting like a woman doesn't make you a woman anymore than acting like a bear makes you a bear... or acting like a Christian makes you a Christian. Bruce Jenner won the Decathlon at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal. He competed as a man against men. He was one of the most successful men on the planet at that time. For the last couple of years people have wondered if Jenner was going to transition from male to female. Yes... this was literally a conversation in the media. He seemed to be changing in his physical appearance and activity. Then early in 2015 he made it official that he had 'become a woman', changing his name to Caitlyn Jenner and becoming the darling of the media and culture. People actually started referring to Bruce as Caitlyn. They started referring to him as a woman. He was on many magazine covers, all over the TV, and then something strange... or queer happened. He began winning awards as a woman. He won the ESPN (ESPY) "Arthur Ashe Courage Award." Really?!? A courage award? For what act of courage? Becoming a woman? My wife has been a courageous woman all her life... for real. This man prances around in a dress and he gets a courage award? Now granted, it would take some serious courage for a guy to walk around in a dress in my junior high school... well... I don't know if I would call it courage... but you get my drift. But then at the end of 2015, something even more ridiculous happened. Glamour magazine, one of the leading women's magazines in the world, named Bruce Jenner its "Woman of the Year." Wow... Really? Out of all the real women in the world, you pick a man to be woman of the year? Then this morning I wake up to a headline that says, "Caitlyn Jenner Says 'More to being a woman than hair and makeup'." Really?!? Who would've thought? How about... there's more to being a woman than calling yourself a woman, going through surgeries, changing your name and outfit, hair and makeup, and causing yourself to be confused about who you are? Changing your gender is not just an act of desire or discontent with your current reality... it is an act of rebellion. Homosexuality and transgenderism aren't about expression or finding oneself. They are about rejecting the Creator and worshipping something else. LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered, Queer) is a movement against God's design, and is ripping at our cultural fabric, destroying individuals and families. You may not know it, but the apostle Paul talked about this problem almost 2000 years ago. God’s wrath is revealed from heaven against all godlessness and unrighteousness of people who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth, since what can be known about God is evident among them, because God has shown it to them. For His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world,being understood through what He has made. As a result, people are without excuse. For though they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God or show gratitude. Instead, their thinking became nonsense, and their senseless minds were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man, birds, four-footed animals, and reptiles. Therefore God delivered them over in the cravings of their hearts to sexual impurity, so that their bodies were degraded among themselves. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served something created instead of the Creator, who is praised forever. Amen. This is why God delivered them over to degrading passions. For even their females exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. The males in the same way also left natural relations with females and were inflamed in their lust for one another. Males committed shameless acts with males and received in their own persons the appropriate penalty of their error. And because they did not think it worthwhile to acknowledge God, God delivered them over to a worthless mind to do what is morally wrong. They are filled with all unrighteousness, evil, greed, and wickedness. They are full of envy, murder, quarrels, deceit, and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, arrogant, proud, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, and unmerciful. Although they know full well God’s just sentence—that those who practice such things deserve to die —they not only do them, but even applaud others who practice them. (Romans 1:18-32) This passage is both clear and condemning. Exchanging gender and sexual identity roles is not something God dislikes. It brings His wrath. God is love. He is merciful and gracious. He is patient. But He can have His fill. I don't have to break it down. It is very straight-forward. And look at how Paul ends the inspired piece. We get to a point where we are so comfortable with rebellion... and its consequences, that we not only practice evil deeds, but we applaud and give awards to those who do them. Welcome to 2016. Jenner is right... there is more to being a woman than hair and makeup. There is a God-blessed creation and design. God made Bruce Jenner as a man to desire a woman... not to desire to be a woman. God created women to desire men. That is natural. Anything else is unnatural, and if not repented, will result in destruction... no matter how many awards you win for being unnatural. The goal today? To live out God's design and purpose in your identity. Who He created you to be is who you are to be. You can try to live up to that on your own, or you can succeed in that through Him. If you are a man, be a man. Act like a man. If you are a woman, be a woman. Act like a woman. There is nothing wrong with that, but there is a bunch wrong with acting against your natural design. Beyond that, do not celebrate another person's rebellion. Love them like crazy, but do not endorse or encourage them as they walk against God's natural order of things. This is an unpopular idea in today's world. You will be hated and called a hater if you live out the Word of God in this area. But it is better to be called a hater by God's enemies than actually be an enemy of God. Before posting this, I took some time to pray for Bruce Jenner. He isn't just confused or experimenting. He is hurting, damaged, and walking away from the only One Who can heal Him. He will never find his true self by trying to be something he cannot be. None of us can. His only hope... our only hope is in finding our true selves in Christ. [Bible quotes are from the Holman Christian Standard Bible, unless otherwise noted.] Find more of David’s work at Heart Of Ministry. This week the pastor said something that planted a seed in my mind. I hope you know that the sermon on Sunday morning is not an end to itself. The sermon is not your harvest. The sermon is the seed bag. It is full of spiritual ideas that should grow in you throughout the week... well, it should be. This past Sunday the pastor at our church was talking about the value of spending time in the presence of God. He mentioned that he never came into God's presence rich and left poor. I thought I would expand on that a bit. I've never come into the presence of God... Free and left in shackles. Hopeful and left disappointed. Healthy and left sick. Full and left empty. Wise and left foolish. Holy and left sinful. Loving and left hateful. Peaceful and left in turmoil. Joyous and left sour. Contented and left greedy. Victorious and left defeated. But I have come into God's presence... Bound and left free. Downcast and left hopeful. Sick and left healthy. Empty and left full. Foolish and left wise. Sinful and left holy. Hateful and left loving. In turmoil and left at peace. Sour and left joyous. Greedy and left content. Defeated and left victorious. Poor and left rich. We seek God's blessing, His favor, His hand, His direction, His defense, etc., when we should be seeking His presence. He is unchanging, but we are forever changed in His presence. He never changes us for the worse. In our relationship, I am the one coming with needs, and God is the One coming to make me whole. I regularly disappoint. God never does. There is something about just being with God. Not asking Him for things. Not telling Him my problems. Not trying to discern what He is up to. But just being with Him. There's something about being in the presence of holiness that emanates from the source of everything. Holiness is wholeness. In God's presence, the willing person is transformed into the will of God. Here is how David encouraged people to come to God... Shout triumphantly to the Lord, all the earth. Serve the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs. Acknowledge that Yahweh is God. He made us, and we are His — His people, the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him and praise His name. For Yahweh is good, and His love is eternal; His faithfulness endures through all generations. (Psalm 100) Perhaps we need to quit asking God to change us on the fly and from afar. Maybe... just maybe we need to enter into His presence and be changed in person by the sheer presence of a holy, all-powerful, merciful, loving, just, gracious, magnificent, all-knowing, creative, restoring, forgiving, empowering God. Today, before you move on from this devotional... step into His presence. Step in with an open heart, open mind, and open hands. Just say, "God, I am here... not to ask You for something, not to tell You something, but to experience You. I just want to be near You, right now. I want to be present in Your presence." You don't have to be at church to be in God's presence. Plenty of people go to church every Sunday and never actually encounter God. But it is impossible to encounter Him without having Church in your being. What would you add to the list from above? "I've never come into the presence of God ________________ and left _________________, but I have come into the presence of God _________________ and left ________________." [Bible quotes are from the Holman Christian Standard Bible, unless otherwise noted.] Find more of David’s work at Heart Of Ministry. Every day you will consume thousands of words. Those words carry thoughts. So each day you will think about thousands of things. While we can be overwhelmed with ideas and things to think about, one of the things that separates humans from animals is our ability to process and communicate ideas at a very high level. This is one of the ways we were made in the image of our Creator. Human thought and communication is very special. But it is not as great as God thought and communication. The Bible says that God has ideas, plans, thoughts, desires, a will, purpose, ways, etc. Of course, since He is God, His thoughts are much greater than yours and mine... or our best friend's. My dad used to say, "Words are like train boxcars. They carry thoughts." When God had thoughts, He sent His Son... and He was called 'the Word.' When the world saw Jesus, they knew what the Father was thinking. He was the express image of God on the earth. But not only is Jesus the Word of God... the Bible is referred to as the word of God. God used men and women to speak for Him. These words were written down and passed down so we could know God and ourselves. God's word is true... always. It is informative and inspiring. It is alive, not changing, but ever-changing those who read and believe it. So reading the Bible is important. Jesus read Scripture. The apostles read Scripture. The prophets read the holy words of God. The word of God is important and vital. The most successful people I know read the Bible regularly... and not just so they can cross it off of a checklist of good habits to perform. But because they know how critical it is for life success. Here is what David who lived in the Old Testament times wrote about the value and place of the word of God... "My life is down in the dust; give me life through Your word. I told You about my life, and You listened to me; teach me Your statutes. Help me understand the meaning of Your precepts so that I can meditate on Your wonders. I am weary from grief; strengthen me through Your word. Keep me from the way of deceit and graciously give me Your instruction. I have chosen the way of truth; I have set Your ordinances before me. I cling to Your decrees; Lord, do not put me to shame. I pursue the way of Your commands, for You broaden my understanding." (Psalm 119:25-32) Look at all of the things David says the word of God does in his life. It gives life. It teaches. It provides understanding. It strengthens. It protects. It guides. It gives us opportunity. Do you need any of that this year? Do you need any of that today? As we begin a new year, many people have started reading plans that will enable them to read the entire Bible this year. Basically, if you read the Bible for about 15-20 minutes each day, you can read the entire Bible in one year. This is bound to have a great impact on your life. I'm not suggesting you simply read what people say about God's Word, though that is not always a bad thing. But it is more important that you actually read the Bible. Here are four simple ways you can get the word of God on a daily basis... 1 - This devotional ALWAYS includes the Bible. While I bring my own thoughts and applications to Biblical ideas... I always have a verse or passage directly from the Bible. Even if you don't want to read my ideas, know that you can always click onto MorningDevotionals.com and find some of the Bible to read. Feel free to save this website to your favorites. 2 - If you are on a computer, you can go to www.BibleGateway.com and find the Bible. You can search the Bible by keyword, or book and verse, in various translations. There are even notes that help you know what the words meant in the original language. This is the website I use when I am writing my daily devotionals. 3 - If you are on your mobile device, you can go to your app store and download the YouVersion Bible. Like the Bible Gateway site, this app will have various versions of the Bible and allow you to search thoroughly. It also includes reading plans that prompt you through notifications, helping you stay on track. One of the coolest features of the YouVersion app is it will actually read the Bible to you audibly. Yes... you can listen to the Word of God even if you can't read very well, or while you are driving, or exercising, or working, etc. Go to www.YouVersion.com to learn more. 4 - Of course, you could always open up the hard copy of the Bible. That is probably the best way to get the Word. But actually, there is likely no wrong way to digest the Bible. The worst part is, the enemy will work hard to keep you from this life-changing practice. The best part is the Author of the Bible will talk to you while you read His Book... the best-selling book of all time. If you fall down and miss a day, don't worry about it. Just get back on track. Pull up your Bible and read at least a verse. You'll be amazed at how it can turn things around in you and for you. [Bible quotes are from the Holman Christian Standard Bible, unless otherwise noted.] Find more of David’s work at Heart Of Ministry. If this devotional is a blessing, and you would like to support me in this effort, click the link below. Ever heard anyone talk about ‘The Good Old Days’? It is easy to live in the past… but it’s easier to die there. The future is full of variables we cannot control. Strangely, the past is predictable, at least in our mind. We can visit whenever we want and know that the outcome is already established. Nevermind that we can still manipulate it over time. Or is it manipulating us? Memory is a strange thing. Sometimes it is solid, but it is often suspect. How many times have you remembered something only to be corrected by people who recall it more correctly? This illusion of time travel through memory can be comforting, but it can also be confusing and even catastrophic. Just as we can misremember things that did or did not happen, we can also put our faith in those experiences. Spending time in the past changes us. And while the past is a part of us, it is not the most important part of us. As Christians we are grateful for this. The Bible says, “Do not say, ‘Why were the former days better than these?’ For you do not inquire wisely concerning this.” (Ecclesiastes 7:10) But we did have great days in the past, right? My grandparents grew up in a culture that was more Christian-driven and less evil than the one today. People didn't used to go on killing sprees like they do today. Children were respectful. Marriages lasted longer. What’s wrong with wishing for the good old days? Well, there is nothing wrong with remembering good times. The Bible tells us to celebrate good days. The problem comes when we put our faith in former times and curse the current day. Know this… The same God who made those good old days, is the One who made today. An oriental proverb says, “Many say, This is a corrupt age. This mode of speaking is not just, it is not the age that is corrupt, but the men of the age.” John Wesley provided this commentary on the question, "Why were the former days better than these?"... "This is an argument of a mind unthankful for the many mercies, which men enjoy even in evil times." Think about that. As we waste time wishing for former days, we miss the mercies of God that are new every morning. Matthew Henry says, "It is folly to complain of the badness of our own times when we have more reason to complain of the badness of our own hearts (if men's hearts were better, the times would mend)." Certainly sin continues to decay our world and culture. But if there's one thing we know as believers, it is that our circumstances in a fallen world does not determine our current standing with God or our eternal destination. In fact, God is not done. When we ask why certain days are better than others, it can become an accusation against the God who makes every day. When we ask why the past is better than the present, God may fairly give us a mirror and say, “There’s your answer.” Instead, He reminds us that He is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and has great plans to give us a future. As we begin a new year, remember Who created every day in it. “This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24) [Bible quotes are from the Holman Christian Standard Bible, unless otherwise noted.] Find more of David’s work at Heart Of Ministry. If this site is a blessing to you, and you want to be a blessing back, just click this link... We thank you in advance. This will be of special interest to those on whose FB walls I have engaged in spirited debate. One of my goals for this year is to not engage in debate on any Facebook thread that is not mine. I will not be offering opposing arguments on anyone else's thread unless the original poster invites me in. This may sound like a simple goal. To some it may sound like a silly goal. But my mind is easily engaged by thought-provoking conversation, or statements that scream for push-back. I am the proverbial moth drawn to the real flame. So I am withdrawing from this strangely enjoyable practice for three specific reasons... 1 - Honoring people is more desirable than haranguing people. It isn't that there isn't truth. It isn't that there aren't better ideas. It isn't that I'm not right. It isn't that my friend isn't wrong. But it is that I need to be respectful of others, and their space. You FB is your space. And I don't want you rolling your eyes every time you see a notification alerting you that "David Wesley Gould commented on your post." ("Whatever you want others to do for you, do also the same for them - this is the Law and the Prophets." Matthew 7:12) 2 - I need to rein myself in. I think I have pretty sound ideas on many subjects. I think I can defend my position in a way that is both intelligent and passionate. I don't use vulgar words to make my point. I don't berate people (unless they get nasty.) I think I am fairly focused and fair in debate. But because of these things, pride has a chance to guide me... and guide me away from the very relationship principles I mentioned in the previous point. I don't need to be puffed up. So if I muzzle myself, no one else will have to. ("Do nothing out of selfish ambition, rivalry, or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves." Philippians 2:3) 3 - I need to get that part of my life back. I actually enjoy discussing things. But as they say, "There isn't enough time in the day..." Only one person can give me more time... and that's me. Part of how I do that is by not getting embroiled in debates... some of which are good, but many of which are often fruitless. ("Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk - not as unwise people but as wise - making the most of the time, because the days are evil." Ephesians 5:16-17) So there you go. If you are one of the ones I enjoy debating, you can breathe easily this year. I would appreciate it if you would make it easier on me by not posting anything controversial or challenging. ;) I am still open to friendly spirited discussion on my page, so I am not chastising anyone here. Just setting some boundaries for myself. P.S. - This goal does not include friendly trash-talking over sports. [Bible quotes are from the Holman Christian Standard Bible, unless otherwise noted.] Find more of David’s work at Heart Of Ministry. |
AuthorMy name is David, and I want to know God more, and help other people find Him. Archives
March 2019
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