The United Methodist Church (UMC) and the current issue of LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual) is causing major problems for the church.
The UMC is a man-made religious institution that had no authority to exist as a “church”. The word “church” in the New Testament (New Testament) is a word that pertains to those called out of the world into a holy relationship with the Father and His way of holiness. This is important to notice.
Holiness is not the way of man in society, but the way of the Lord in the society of man. When people confuse this, the way of man becomes the way of holiness. Consider the words of Jeremiah in the long ago, when he said: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and it is exceedingly corrupt: who can know it? I, Jehovah, search the mind, I try the heart, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings” (17:9, 10, ASV).
If the heart of man, without the Lord, is corrupt, what makes us think man knows the way of holiness? Arrogance and a want-to-believe philosophy, for there is no other reason than these two. The Lord also said, via Isaiah, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith Jehovah. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts” (55:8, 9).
According to CNN (https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/03/us/united-methodist-church-split-proposal/index.html), the UMC is on the verge of a split over the issue of LGBT). According to one university professor, “‘A set of complex church issues were reduced to a showdown between the left and the right, “progressives” and “traditionalists,”’ he said in a statement. ‘Both factions love their take on the issues more than the continuance of the United Methodist Church. The bishops — unable to lead continuing discussion of our differences — have now decided that the best they can do is to oversee church disintegration’.”
In the CNN piece, I noticed not one reference to what the Scripture teaches, to what the Lord said on the topic. This is significant. Why so? Because, it matters not to them what the Lord said, but what the people want. To the Philippians, Paul wrote, “For they all seek their own, not the things of Jesus Christ” (2:21). Just one chapter over, he also wrote of those whose end “…is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things” (3:19, ESV).
Not long ago, a sister (Jo Kaye Miller) told me she had to counsel a preacher (Dick Miller) on his problem with the Lord. The preacher put “love they neighbor” above the “love the Lord” emphasizing one’s response to people more than one’s response to the Lord. This, it appears, is what the UMC is doing.
In the end, while here on earth, people have their ears tickled when they are made to feel worthy while engaging in behavior that will cost them their soul. The blind that lead the blind, where do you think that will lead them!
