Well, the evening I'm writing this blog article, there have already been numerous articles, blog posts, Facebook posts, Tweets, etc., from so many people. I'm certainly no better than anyone, let alone some of my fellow pastors that have commented about the tragic mass shooting at a gay night club in Orlando almost 2 days ago.
I have known gay men most of my life, since High School at least. I worked with several at the first bank I worked at in the late 1990's/early 2000's, and I work with several at the current bank I work at. I, like every born again Christian I know, do not condone killing anyone that is LGBT, or harming them in anyway. We should not call them names, but rather respect them as a fellow creation of God that are sinners in need of salvation like any other person in the world.
I have read comments from fellow pastors and others, and already had my own thoughts on what happened. I already shared some of them from the pulpit at the church I serve as pastor. I think we should include the LGBT community when we mourn for those who mourn, and that we should pray for friends and loved ones of those who were tragically murdered including that many would be granted repentant faith in the Person and Finished Work of Christ and saved. But I also agree with some comments and articles that I have read regarding this tragedy and believe that we still do not need to give in to worldly pressure and nonsense when it comes to the issue of gun control, hate crimes and so called homophobia. Even though it is public knowledge that it was a terror attack by a radical extremist Muslim, one gay man still wouldn't say that they did it and implied in his comment that it is all part of the broad homophobic umbrella (remember that the LGBT community think that Christians are homophobic for believing homosexuality is sin and same sex marriage is wrong).
Part of my hope and prayer for the LGBT community is that they will also wake up and realize that radical extremist Muslims want to the kill them too. Heck, even that crazy bunch of so called Christians at Westboro Baptist Church don't kill LGBT people even though what that do is still wrong, as one brother said. I hope that the LGBT community will wake up and realize that Gun Free Zones are nonsensical and that if some were carrying a gun in that night club, the tragedy could have been greatly minimized. That criminals and "bad guys" don't obey gun laws anyway. The LGBT community are doing a great disservice and lose credibility (what little they may have) when so many of them believe they have to hold to a liberal package of views.
I agree with a fellow pastor that the church needs to remember radical extremist Muslims want Christians dead too. This doesn't mean we compromise on calling sex outside the bond of marriage between one man and one woman sin or the Gospel, but the Church definitely should not be glad about this tragic mass murder. And murder is murder, regardless of who was killed and who did the killing. But we are at war, and radical extremist Muslims are our enemy. People, especially liberals. need to get their heads out of their politically correct butts and realize that guns and Christians are not the problem.
Lastly, I know this will be a hard pill for some to swallow, but God is sovereign and in control of all things, and this tragedy is no different. He has His purpose for "allowing" this to happen. As Romans 8:28 reminds us "All things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." It will be interesting to see how the government, LGBT community, and the Church, continue to react to this tragedy. Sadly, we have already seen some of it,
If any of my gay acquaintances read this, it is my hope and prayer that God will draw you to Him during this time so that you see your sinfulness in light of His holiness, and your need for the Savior Jesus the Christ who lived a perfect sinless life, died on the cross, and rose again, to pay the penalty of sins and satisfy the justice and wrath of the Father on behalf of those who are born again, repent and believe. For indeed, we are all just a heartbeat and breath away from death, and then it is too late for any of us. The same thing applies to the Muslim community (not just the extremists). For there are none righteous and all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord- the way the truth and the life that no one can come to the Father except through Him and His all sufficient sacrifice and resurrection to be saved from eternity in the Lake of Fire and separation from God.
I need to stop so this is not too long. May God be glorified!
~ Pester Brat
