(Blog Disclaimer: All information from Hal Lindsey Media Ministries. Not my own. Video uploaded to YouTube by OmniChristianVids3. Thanks.)
The topic on everyone's mind the last few days has been President Obama's recent announcement that he now supports same-sex marriage. Beyond the political implications of his "evolved" flip-flop (actually, a double flip-flop since he supported same-sex marriage as a legislator in Illinois before he opposed it as a candidate for President), the real issue involved here is not the acceptance of homosexuality in our society.
Legalizing same-sex marriage is not the same as accepting homosexuals as a part of our culture. Rejecting same-sex marriage does not mean that you are rejecting your gay child, friend, or co-worker. And accepting and loving your gay children or friends does not require the codifying of a catastrophic redefinition of marriage into a law of the land.
When the government says that marriage is no longer exclusively a union between a man and a woman, it effectively places society's seal of approval on the alternative. This seal of approval, in turn, actually encourages our young people to pursue those lifestyles they perceive to be officially sanctioned by society. That's the very danger cited by opponents of the legalization of marijuana and other narcotics.
On this week's program, I'm going to examine some of the practical and historical arguments against same-sex marriage. I'm also going to revisit a few minutes of my teaching on "The Divine Institutions." In it, I'll discuss what the Bible has to say about it and why it is important to protect the Biblical institution of marriage.
Also, this week I'll tell you about something historic that is happening in Israel. Last week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu formed a national unity government with his main rival, the Kadima Party. The new government now controls 94 of the 120 seats in the Knesset. This strong and stable a super-majority in the Knesset has not been seen in Israel since the national unity government formed by Prime Minister Levi Eshkol on June 1, 1967 -- just 5 days before the beginning of the Six Day War.
In 2012, Israel's major threat does not currently emanate from Egypt and its other neighbors like it did in 1967. Today, Israel feels most threatened by Iran and its mad drive to secure nuclear weapons -- weapons that it publicly pledges to use against Israel.
Given the ambivalence of the Obama administration toward Iran's ambitions, a unified and stable government will be necessary if Israel determines it must act alone to stop Iran. Today, Israel has that government.
Finally, it's been 43 years since my book The Late Great Planet Earth was published. When it first came out, it was so off-the-beaten-path as far as religious literature was concerned, that many bookstores refused to carry it in their "Religion" section. Instead, they preferred to place it with science-fiction or occult books. That was a favor to me that only God could have arranged! As a result, The Late Great Planet Earth went places no Christian-themed book had ever gone before.
My book offered evidence from Bible prophecy that "the end of the world as we know it" was close at hand. It turns out that that idea was just a bit too far-out for folks in 1970 to accept. But a lot has changed in 43 years. This month, an Ipsos Poll conducted for Reuters News Service in more than 20 nations found that 1 in 7 people believes the end of the world will occur within his or her lifetime. In the United States, that number rises to 1 in 4! Maybe that's because what I saw 43 years ago can be seen in the headlines of our newspapers every day now.
And that sense of urgency that the man-in-the-street is now feeling is precisely why we need to be prepared and ready to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with those around us when the opportunity arises. All you have to do is tell the unbeliever what you know and have experienced in your life. The Holy Spirit will take care of the rest. And the Bible says that the Shepherd's sheep will know His voice when He calls them. Time is short and many of our friends and loved ones and neighbors may never have the chance to hear His voice again. So be ready to share when the time comes.
Last Friday night, my friend and colleague, Grant Jeffrey, "slipped the surly bonds of earth" and went to be with his Lord. In this space last week, I asked you to join me in prayer for Grant's complete healing and recovery from a massive heart attack. But sometimes our earthly concept of healing and recovery may not be what God has in mind. By the next morning, Grant was experiencing the greatest healing of all -- he was with his blessed Savior. Grant had suffered pain for many years, but now he'll suffer no more.
Please continue to pray for his precious wife Kaye as she navigates through this difficult and immensely lonely time.
We'll miss you, Grant.
Don't miss this week's Report on TBN, Daystar, Inspiration, CPM Network, various local stations, www.hallindsey.com or www.hischannel.com. Please check your local listings.
God Bless,
Hal Lindsey
mail: HLMM, P.O. Box 470470, Tulsa, OK 74147
email: comments@hallindsey.com web: http://www.hallindsey.com
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