Mercy 10: Merciful Justice
'The Lord works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.' (PS 103: 6)
A strange notion of justice is at work today. Instead of true justice: fighting for the transformation of persons dealing with all manner of sexual brokenness, we fight for their right to be 'bisexual' or 'gay' or 'transgender.'
We have lost an understanding of human nature, founded in the Creator. So we embrace anyone's sexual inclination as identity and destiny. That involves the false pairing of gender brokenness with ethnicity and women's rights. Bad logic. Since when is the immutable and God-given fact of being born a particular gender or skin color the same as a moral disorder?
I just spent a day with an amazing group of Christians in Pasadena California who pray continuously for the restoration of persons. They are still reeling from the Supreme Court striking down Prop. 8; now that marriage has been redefined in their 'golden state,' they are witnessing an extraordinary push toward 'transgender' freedom. Increasing numbers of persons, some high profile, are 'coming out' to surgically and hormonally obtain the gender of their choice.
The freedom to be a slave to self-mutilation? This is not justice rooted in God's heart. Rather, as servants of God's Kingdom, we extend the reign of His justice by fighting for the transformation of persons afflicted by gender brokenness.
Among this group in California was an amazing young man who cried out to Jesus after his surgery to become a woman. (Gender reassignment never restores the fractured soul.) Through a spiritual odyssey that has involved many amazing Christian care-givers, he has been reconciled to his true gender (he was born male) and shines in his church as a prophetic witness of the God who saves. Many in the group were men and women, dear friends, who have long since come out of 'gay' identification and are bright lights in their faith communities.
Still others are Christians who simply know that they are vulnerable to the false freedoms rife in today's culture. Committed to Jesus and His Church, they need Christians who will fight for them. Let us forego false justice that confirms persons in their disorders. We serve real justice by extending mercy: the transforming power of Jesus and His community.
Prayer Points:
- Desert Stream/Living Waters: Upper Midwest: Milwaukee, Minnesota, North and South Dakota, Jean Mersberger, Regional Coordinator. Please pray new groups will start throughout the upper Midwest.
- Restored Hope Network: Mastering Life Ministries, Nashville, TN. David Foster, Director. Specialty: video/TV production resources as Pure Passion TV, documenting accounts of God's healing and transformation.
Christian Coalition for Reconciliation, Houston, TX. Michael Newman, Director. Specialty: one-on-one pastoral counseling and international, multi-lingual counseling via Skype.
- Courage: Pray that those contemplating repentance would experience God's abundant grace in order to decisively surrender their sexuality to Him.
- Ministries of Pastoral Care: Please pray for the translators, publishers and distributors of Leanne Payne's books, that Jesus Christ would be their protection, provider and advocate.