Daily Devotional for Wednesday June 3, 2009

The Fight for God's Holy Institution of Marriage Goes to the Next Level

(Genesis 2:24)

The fight for God's Holy Institution of Marriage goes to the next level. I told you last week that the battle for the soul of this nation is coming to a climax. The recent victory over gay marriage in California has now created a legal challenge that I knew was coming. High profile attorneys David Boies, best known for being the lead attorney for Al Gore during the 2000 recount, and Ted Olson, former Solicitor General of the United Sates and the lead attorney for George Bush during the 2000 recount, have joined forces claiming that California's Proposition 8 denies gay couples a "fundamental right" afforded in the federal Constitution. Their success could pave the way for gay marriage to become legal in all 50 sates!!!

The fact is, the fight to uphold God's Holy Institution of Marriage has just begun. I am afraid that most Christians are very good at focusing on a single isolated event, but not the daily, never ending battles that are part of spiritual warfare. Those who serve satan are not deterred by their losses, they are emboldened by them. They are NOT going away on this issue. They are only coming stronger. Sadly, because we don't have that unified voice, that same mindset to fight these issues day in and day out, it is simply a matter of time before they succeed, just like they have in all of the other social issues of the day.

For the proponents of gay marriage who are comparing this to the civil rights movement of the '60s, that is simply absurd. A person does NOT choose the color of their skin. A person DOES choose who they have sex with! It is time for two things to happen. The CHURCH has been asleep for too long. Pastors MUST lead their congregations in fighting those who want to change God's Word. It is time for all the various pro family organizations, Christian legal organizations, to come together as ONE UNIFIED VOICE and put an end to these attempts to change God's definition of marriage. The homosexual community represents less than 1% of society, yet they press forward their agenda because they have clearly defined goals and are UNITED.

Marriage is God's idea, not man's. God's definition of marriage is one man, one woman, one lifetime. Let me encourage those of you who have not been married and are still waiting on God's perfect timing for your lifetime mate. This is the plan God has for a man and woman as set forth in the Bible. It is not even debatable to talk about any other kind of relationship because God clearly lays out HIS plan in the Word, and anything else is a perversion of that plan! Based on the divorce rate and percentage of people who engage in premarital sex, one man, one woman, one lifetime may seem unrealistic in today's society.

However, the perversion of God's plan for marriage is evident throughout history and detailed in the Bible from the Old through the New Testaments. That perversion DOES NOT make God's plan any less true. As a matter of fact, it is only in following God's plan that it really works. One man, one woman, one lifetime, means no divorce. The family and our society has been greatly damaged by the ever-increasing divorce rate from the mid-'60s through today. One man, one woman, one lifetime, means you don't engage in premarital sex. For those moments of pleasure, the pain and consequences are evident in broken and scarred lives. One man, one woman, one lifetime, works because this is how God designed it, with the best interest of His children in mind.

Let me take a second to address those who have not been able to follow God's plan. Many who read this Devotional have already been through divorce in their life. Many have already had multiple sexual partners. In many cases, all of this happened before you came to know Christ as your personal Savior. Does this mean you should give up? No! What this does mean though is that from this point forward, you should try to follow God's plan. It is the only way you will be in His will and able to know the fullness of His blessings in your life.

What you have done in your past is behind you. You can't change that. You need to take some time to repent and ask God's forgiveness, to heal, and then move forward in your life. God said in His Word that if we confess our sins, He will forgive us and cleanse us of all unrighteousness. That is His promise. Seek His forgiveness and move forward in your life following God.

Many reading this today will dismiss these words as nice but not realistic. That is straight from the pits of hell itself. It is VERY realistic. The world has perverted God's plan for marriage too long, and it is time to tell people the truth. It works God's way, it will never work any other way. This Devotional today is a warning to those yet unmarried, those yet who can still follow God's plan for marriage in their life. If you don't believe God, talk to someone who has been through a divorce. Talk to those who have had multiple intimate relationships. Let them tell you firsthand the pain, heartache and consequences. Then talk to those who have listened faithfully to God and followed His plan of one man, one woman, one lifetime.

This devotional is also meant to encourage those who have failed to now follow God's plan in their life. It is not too late. God loves you, and while you always have to deal with the consequences of your past actions, you can do it God's way from here on out. The Bible talks about having a life of abundance. My friend, that life is only possible when you follow God 's plan in all areas of your life, including His plan for marriage.

I love you and care about you deeply. I will be praying today that these words will find a fertile resting place in your heart. It should be a challenge to you regarding your marriage. When you pray, ask God for the wisdom and strength to live according to His plan for your life. God will honor your commitment to Him. Let your life be a living testimony to this lost and sin-filled world that there is a better way. The greatest testimony you have is not the things you say, but how you live. Let those around you notice how different your life is, how better your life is, because you have chosen to follow God and God's plan!

Also, I pray that this message today is a wake up call that satan is NOT going away and giving up on this issue. He is actually working 24/7 for victory, while we only work in spurts when our backs are against the wall. Just like with abortion, sadly, we won't get serious until we are behind the legal 8 ball. The groundwork for the legalizing of this perversion is currently underway, and unless we stop it now, it will simply be anther issue we have lost in this battle for the soul of our nation. The fight for God's Holy Institution of Marriage is intensifying. May we be found faithful to take our stand for Him and His Truth!!!

In His love and service, Your friend and brother in Christ, Bill Keller