21. Does homosexual marriage threaten the institution?
I have thought about this and have come to the conclusion that NO it does not threaten heterosexual marriages or the instiotution of marriage. The recent california supreme court decision does not outlaw heterossexual unions, nor does it force people to only marry within the same sex. Hetrosexuals are still allowed to get married have families and stay within God's will. This decision does not change the fact that homosexuality is still sin and still wrong, it only allows for same sex couples to think they are normal and get to obtain benefits for their partners. Christians cannot condone such an act but we must act with compassion also and seek to do what Christ wants which is make sure His creation (and homsexuals are still part of His creation-the people not the sin) is looked after and we should not withhold what Christ has given to us from them. They need to experience the true nature of Christ so that they can realize the errors of their way and repent from their sinful lifestyle.
22. Does the california supreme court decision affirm the homosexual lifestyle?
NO, it does not. Human courts , while having some authority on earth , do not have the right nor the power to over-rule God and what He has declared sin. This decision does not legitimize homosexuality and does not make it right nor normal. Sin is still sin no matter what form it takes. The secular world will follow after their own evil desires and openly accept what God has rejected and we must not confuse this act with an act of God. God's word is still supreme and is the final authority on all matters even if people reject what He is saying. What Christians need to do is 1). pray to find what God would have them do, 2) implement what God tells them with forgiveness, compassion, love, discernment and other tools God has told us to use, 3). be prepared for spiritual warfare. this is not an issue to be solved with the secular courts, there is more to this issue than a legal one, it is a spiritual battle and only God's ways will win out. Let the world deceive itself, preach the truth with love, be a light unto the world with compassion and do not be discouraged by this decision, it does not threaten Christ or His followers, nor His institutions. People have freedom of choice to choose sin and those who choose Christ must make sure they follow what Christ wants in all areas of life. There is no permission to attack homosexuals in a violent nor non-christian manner, this issue must use God's directions and those are found throughout the new testament.
23. Is smoking wrong?
The Bible does not directly say 'thou shalt not smoke...' BUT it does talk about the body being the temple of God and it tells us to keep that temple pure. (1 Cor. 3:16-17; 6:19-20; 2 Cor. 6:16ff). Cigarettes have been proven to be a defiler of the body, depositing harmful chemicals and other pollutants into the system which disqualifies it from being an acceptable habit to practice. It pollutes what God wants to keep pure thus smoking, any kind of smoking, is wrong and should be avoided by believers. If you are looking for a verse similar to 'be ye not drunk with wine...' concerning smoking, you will not find it but these verses and God's directions concerning the old testament temple are very clear about how God wants a believer to treat their bodies and smoking is not an accepted practice..
24. Why do teenagers and children die?
This is one of the hardest things for people, especially parents, to understand. Many regard such deaths as unjust or unfair or the loss of an innocent person yet if one looks at God and His word that is not the case. No one is innocent or we would not have need of Christ as our savior and the book of Romans deals with this quite well. We are all guilty no matter our age and we all need to accept Jesus as our savior to avoid eternal punishment.
But why do people die young? God said in Hebrews 9:27, 'as man is destined to die once...NIV, all of mankind must face death. There is no promise of longevity for anyone as God does not promise long and fruitful earthly lives to people, thus each day should be lived wisely but not in fear.
Is this fair? Yes, for all of man is under the same rule, even Lazerus, whom Jesus raised from the dead , still had to die again; no one has any guarantees concerning a long life and though we may not fully understand the whys of young death we must take refuge in the knowledge that God is true to His word. Being true to His word means that those who believe in His son can have confidence they will receive eternal life, the promise He gives us all; and that those who don't will end up apart from Him in Hell, a warning against living a life of sin.
Each day is a gift and we should seek God how to live our lives so that when death does come we will have no regrets or anger of being robbed. We have no control over when we will die thus we need trust in God and that He knows what He is doing or we may end up like the unsaved, bitter and angry over the loss of a child. God is love but love does not mean we all get to see the age of 100 or that children get to grow up. That isn't the purpose of life. The purpose of life is to serve God and bring Him glory and even a child's death will do that if we let it.
