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Think. Pray. Love.

June 30, 2015 by brianmichaelsteck Leave a Comment

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In the current debate over same-sex marriage, legalization of marijuana, immigration reform, SOPA/PIPA, and the list goes on… my advocation to Christians is to think and pray.

You can count on being regarded as a bigot, egocentric, unaccepting, prude and old-fashioned. The same group that casts these labels has demonstrated little interest in becoming acquainted with your thoughts and beliefs, so you will be misunderstood.

But don’t stop thinking deeply, praying fervently and loving wildly.

You will be asked to be quiet, but as of now, free-speech is still a part of our constitution, and I would urge you to exercise that ability.

Yet, while you do, think:

About the people involved on the other side of the debate
About your body, soul and mind becoming more in line with the heart of the Father
Critically; seek truth, not what appeases man
Long and hard before speaking; seek first to understand before being understood

For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 2 Timothy 4:3

All is not lost. We have been here before. Court rulings will be decided, and later overturned. Our responsibility is to think, pray and love.

Pray for wisdom in the decisions that are made; that our government would see past the immediate, to understand the long-term effects of their decisions.

Pray for men and women of faith to step into office, that they might reflect the rule of God in the United States as it is in the heaven.

Pray for hope and peace for young Christian fathers and mothers who are eagerly seeking to raise God-fearing children in an increasingly humanistic society.

Pray for your “enemies”. Pray for those on the other side of the debate. Pray for those who are different than you.

My mom always prayed over us boys: “Bless them as they obey you God, and curse them in their disobedience.” A mother’s loving response desires that our road is difficult if we choose to reject God’s ways; that the difficult road might turn us back to Him.

Don’t lose hope.

Think Deeply. Pray Fervently. Love Fiercely.

Being right doesn’t preclude you from showing love. Landing on the losing side of a vote doesn’t exclude you from showing kindness or giving generously. And though your heart may burn within you to see God’s children run from Him, His desire to ravish them with loving kindness is greater than the fear or angst that you may feel. So love fiercely.

Jesus’ time with the prostitute at the well ended with truth: “go and sin no more.” But it was his love which saw beyond her past that caused her to hurry into the city proclaiming she had found the Messiah.

The people didn’t kill Jesus for his evasive argumentative skills. They killed him because, in a world of darkness, there is no place for the type of radical love that He espoused. Oh that we would love like Jesus!

For you to think, pray and love, you may be stoned or crucified. Yet consider this: our King was. And death did not keep Him down, nor will it have the final word with you. #JesusWins

A Christian View of Marriage

March 26, 2013 by brianmichaelsteck 2 Comments

We stand in a moment of history where decisions are being made which influence our culture, shape our future and define our truths. What is a biblical view of Marriage as it pertains to homosexuality? What should we think about the idea of homosexual marriage and how should a follower of Christ respond?

I don’t expect that all or even most should share my views. Our U.S. and global culture has been on long road of divergence from biblical values. Many of the landscapes we observe now from our viewpoint in time are a result of decisions made years ago which have slowly been eroding our understanding of marriage.

The growing number of divorces within the church and the general absence of voice from the pulpit has both left our congregations untrained in biblical truth on homosexuality, and given the society around us a poor picture of marriage as God intended it.

Why is marriage important to a Christian?
Marriage fulfills a number of functions. For the Christian, these functions are primary:

First and foremost, Godly marriage is given as the most accurate picture of Christ and the Church. From the current viewpoint, many marriages are dysfunctional and falling apart, so subsequently, our view of God is marred. However, a marriage between a man and woman, where the man acts as the head of the household and both man and woman play unique roles and seek to serve the needs of one another, is a depiction of our relationship with Christ. “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.” (Eph. 5:25) Subscribing the responsibility of “marriage” to homosexual relationships distorts this picture, and muddies our view and holy fear of God and heterosexual marriage.
Secondly, marriage serves to raise healthy families and influence society. While this has also been disguised over the last several decades, healthy marriages raise healthy families. Fathers impart character, identity and masculinity to their sons. Daughters receive their self-worth and identity as a woman from their fathers. Mothers nurture sons during early years and teach daughters the value of modesty and femininity. Christian and secular psychologists today are discovering and agreeing that the mother and father each play specific, necessary roles in parenting and raising children.
Thirdly, marriage is the primary God-given means for procreation. God commanded Adam to “be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it” (Gen. 1:28) and provided him with a “suitable helper”, Eve (Gen 2:18). It is a natural function of a healthy marriage, to engage in sexual intercourse, which in turn produces offspring. No other combination of man, woman or animal has the blessing of being fruitful and multiplying. Despite what our culture would have us believe, Children, biblically speaking, are a gift from God.

If, as a society, we bestow the title of “marriage” on any long-term relationship other than a man and a woman, we undoubtedly fail to fulfill these three primary functions. The purpose is lost and the system breaks down.

That’s why marriage is important to the Christian.

Why should the Christian’s view of marriage, or anything else for that matter, be of importance to our society?

There is no prominent reason why society should care what Christian’s think about marriage or any other issue, except that it is essential that we, as a society, come to grips with whether we believe in an absolute truth or not. Does any value deserve to be upheld? By the look of things around us, no — every man is right in his own eyes. Yet, if there is no final yardstick or ruler by which we judge our morality, we fall prey to endless depravity, disorder and pain.

If truth is self-defined, then who is to say that a 30-year old man should not be allowed to have sex with a 13-year old girl? By what set of morals do we decide whether it is right or wrong to marry an animal because that is my sexual preference, or a grown man with a young boy? If sexual preference or mere sentiment are the defining basis for morality, then we are working with a moving scale. In that case, would I not be right to defend my equality? I think so.

Yet, our culture has looked at sexual relations with minors, bestiality or sodomy as wrong and unnatural? Why?

Is it not that there are underlying and inherent truths that we must face and agree upon? Could there be an absolute truth on the subject?

I believe that our culture must make a decision, either to accept that there are absolute truths which define our basis for morality and the laws that govern it, or to deny an absolute truth and let each man govern himself. There is either truth, or there is not — there is no in-between. “A person may think their own ways are right, but the LORD weighs the heart.” (Prov. 21:2)

How must followers of Christ respond to homosexual marriage?
Our primary desire should be to glorify God and usher His Kingdom here on earth, both by posturing our hearts and lives toward Him, as well as modeling Christ and inviting others into an eternal relationship with God. We are on earth to act as God’s redemptive agents here on earth, and God is at work to return all things to their proper order.

We must follow Christ’s example and seek to love others sacrificially. We must model healthy marriages, because they reflect God’s intended relationship between Christ and the church. We must pray and acquire the heart of the Father. We must utilize the platforms and gifts God has given us to bring His Kingdom and fulfill the will of God.

In short (because it’s easier to remember short things):

Pray
Love
Act

Pray for God’s will to be done, that we acquire the heart of the Father and that His Kingdom come. Love sacrificially and with wisdom. Love is not an excuse for immorality or relativism. “The LORD disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.” (Prov. 3:12) Act on the morals and commands of the Lord. We are not merely bystanders floating along by the currents of society. “If you love me, keep my commands.” (John 14:15)

It is futile and foolish for a government to believe they may define laws and expect that all men will, at all times, agree and obey them. Not every moral value must be upheld by a law; the Jewish people tried that and have found it impossible to keep them all. For that reason, grace abounds in Christ.

That being said, our laws must originate from some view of morality, or our relativism will guide us into utter lawlessness.

It is one thing for our government to grant tax benefits to homosexual couples on the basis of equality. No man, in their right mind, can argue that a homosexual couple does not have feelings for one another. That is absurd. They can argue, however, that the privilege and title of “marriage” originated from biblical values, and is defined as a relationship between a man and woman.

A man cannot assume the title of “policeman” simply on the basis of equality — the role of a police officer is unique, carries with it particular responsibilities and is bestowed by a higher authority. Nor can a man choose to marry a child on that same basis. While, in their eyes, they may have every right to assume that title or fulfill that role, there are other laws governing the world they live in which prohibit this, for the benefit of the entire society.

What the government decides to do with tax code and same-sex unions is one issue. What they decide to do with the role and responsibility of “marriage” is quite another — one that we, as Christians, should be willing to stand for.

Homosexual marriage is not a matter of equality. As humans we are all created equal in value — not necessarily role or function — but certainly value. The battle to hold “marriage being solely between a man and a woman” is about protecting a God-given role and responsibility.

Marriage is what brings us together here today

December 1, 2010 by brianmichaelsteck 6 Comments

This is not going to be easy.

Writing about this topic was not really in the plans (as if there were plans). I recently received notice that a bill to legalize same-sex marriages in Illinois was on the floor in Springfield. I shared this with some friends, to keep them informed and I received a response from a good friend of mine. He was curious why I wasn’t loving homosexuals.

So, that’s when it gets interesting. I’m not sure if anyone will ever read this, but I figure that this is a topic that can get blown out of proportion and heated, very quickly. That is not my hope, but a likely conclusion.

My disclaimer is this: As a follower of Christ, I must apologize on behalf of others who also claim the title “Christian” and then regularly go about openly hating other people, of all shapes, sizes, colors, ethnicities, sexual orientations… heck! even other Christians. The truth is this: Christ exemplified love and someone who goes by the name “Christian” should be about love as well, or else they are a false witness of who Christ really is. That’s my disclaimer.

From here, I’d like to briefly explain myself. I don’t expect to be agreed with, but I hope to find civil discussion, challenge and be challenged in this. Can we agree on that?

At the most basic, static, neutral level, this is true: men are anatomically created to procreate with women. All we all in agreement on this? I’m really not trying to be trite, but this is something to remember. And at the very least, we must see that there is biological reasoning for the idea of “one man and one woman”. The “one” part could really help with the whole AIDS issue, couldn’t it? I mean, it would be a lot harder for the disease to spread if people were faithful to each other. But that’s another topic, for another time.

The idea of “marriage” is something that is currently changing, or completing a change, in our society. Historically speaking, marriage was only something that is necessary if you were part of a religious congregation. I have friends who never intend to get married because they don’t believe in God and don’t see a need for it. I love them. I’m okay with them. Sure, I think that there is a way that is different that would be more fulfilling and that offers eternal life, but I don’t stop loving them because I disagree. Likewise, I have friends who have a same-sex attraction; I love them, even though I believe there is a better way. That’s their prerogative and my belief colliding… but not a lack of love.

When we take a concept of “marriage” and change the whole definition of the word, which has historically been defined as a union between a man and a woman for the purpose of procreation and lifelong commitment to one another, the game changes. The word changes. When a word like this changes, it calls to question everything that it pertains to. We are now taking something that exists, picking it up and turning it from side to side and saying, “what is it?” The reality is that marriage is still a union between a man and a woman. A man who is in love with a man, is just that, “a man in love with a man”. If we want to make a name for that, we can. But to redefine “marriage” is big thing, and it changes all that currently exists in regards to marriage.

This feels muddy, so let me try to explain. If I enjoy politics, that makes me one who enjoys politics, and not a “politician.” Correct? If I start passing laws because I am a self-declared “politician”, should anyone listen?

Or if I feel that someone is driving poorly and I wish to pull them over and write them a ticket, does that make me a police officer? No. It really doesn’t. And doing so will land me in jail with a sweet fine tacked on as well, for impersonating a police officer.

So, does a woman who is in love with another woman make her “married”? If she wants to be publicly recognized as having promised herself to her lover, is that wrong? No. I don’t think so. But I don’t think we should define it the same as we do for a man who wants to be recognized for having promised himself to a woman. I think it deserves a different definition and different permissions. I disagree with redefining such a fundamental concept within our society.

Christians, love. Love one another, love your neighbor, love your enemy. Love your wives and husbands and love those who have a safe sex attraction. But protect concepts such as “marriage”. Protect concepts such as “life”. When words loose their meanings, we lose our concept of truth and reality. Everything then becomes casual, meaningless, and surrounded by apathy. We become a culture that says, “Who cares? About you, me or anything?”

Our society is well on our way to this destination. In my short lifetime, I’ve noticed the swing. We became the “Whatever!” generation during the 90’s. Then we got a kick out of saying “It is what it is” during the first decade of the 21st century (This one always got me. I’m convinced that no one really knows what “it is” anymore, so that whole phrase is absolutely devoid of meaning). And as we continue as a society, we are becoming a body of people who don’t care, don’t know and don’t want to care or know.

This may seem like a tangent, but I believe that our hold to words and definitions will be something that saves or defeats us. In particular, “marriage” being a union established for lifelong commitment, procreation of future generations, and benefit to society.

Summary: “Christians” should love people. Men and women are anatomically made for one another. Words are worth defending. “Marriage” is a word that should be protected as currently and historically understood.

I’d like to end with a quote from Ravi Zacharias:

Being spiritually minded was okay as long as people kept their spiritual beliefs private and did not bring them into the public arena. The irony of this was the fact secularization — which had its assumptions on absolutes and anything of the metaphysical nature — was allowed into the public place. In fact, its very trust was to bring it into the public place. But anyone who believed in a spiritual Essence, an Ultimate Reality, and the fact there were transcendent absolutes that needed to be adhered to was told to keep those beliefs private. That ultimately paved the way for the loss of meaning.

These three moods — secularization, pluralization, and privatization — brought about loss of shame, loss of reason, and loss of meaning. How was this authoritatively pontificated in the social strain? This is when philosophy stepped in, the moralizers against morality came in, and political correctness came in. These gave society some parameters that allowed it to expel the moralizing from outside the secular realm.

As a result, everything became pragmatic. Philosophers and naturalists stepped in. In this new century, we have lost all definitions of what it means to be human, and what sexuality, life, and the home are all about. We are on the high seas, battling the storms of conflicting worldviews without a compass.

For more thoughts:
https://www.rzim.org/usa/usfv/tabid/436/articleid/10206/cbmoduleid/881/default.aspx

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Think. Pray. Love.

A Christian View of Marriage

Marriage is what brings us together here today