Years ago, I got into a discussion with a young man who was convinced the Bible did not prohibit homosexuality. He reasoned that that in passages such as Leviticus18:22 that describe the practice as an “abomination,” the Hebrew word “toebah,” which we know transliterate as taboo, is something only found wrong because it violates cultural norms. In other words, it was only said as wrong because it went against what was wrong for them. Since we no longer think that way, it’s not condemned. There is a lot of wrong thinking there. First, we can’t take a modern use and apply it to what was said back then. Second, if we hold to that, we must apply it every time it is used. And the term is used for activities that God is always clearly against, i.e., idolatry and child sacrifice. Third, the Bible condemns the practice with various other terms and descriptions. Yet maybe the biggest flaw in that thinking is that if we become ok with something, then God does. Ma...
Do you remember the old kids' board game Chutes & Ladders? For those unfamiliar, you spun the dial and advanced that many spaces trying to reach the top. If you landed on a ladder, you take it skipping ahead, but if you got on a chute, then you slide back down. The journey of faith is a lot like that game. We plug along, growing toward the goal. Something happens that moves us ahead with ease. Then comes the chute, knocking us back down. At times it is easy, at times it is hard, at times it just moves along. The key is to keep getting back up and moving forward. There will be setbacks. There will be successes. Sometimes you move so fast you can’t believe how simple it is. Sometimes it seems all you do is fall down. Other times, it is slow progress but progress nonetheless. You just need to keep spinning and keep taking your turns The promise isn’t ease. It isn’t consistency. It is that if we keep going, we will reach the prize. ...