When the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) declared same-sex marriage to be a constitutional right, it was a slap in the face to the laws of God and man. It was a direct frontal assault on both religious freedom and the Constitution of the United States, undercutting the very foundations on which they stand. This is a brief on the consequences of this momentous decision using “The Three Questions” from the U.S. Army Manual for addressing a crisis. Those questions are:
1) What is happening?
2) What is not happening?
3) What can we do about it?
As we address these, we will begin with the natural first and then the spiritual.
What is Happening?
As the four dissenting justices pointed out, the Supreme Court does not have the constitutional authority to make this decision. First, even though SCOTUS has taken this authority upon itself, it is a usurped authority and nowhere does the Constitution give it this authority. The authority to determine the constitutionality of laws was given to Congress, not the courts. We are now suffering under the very tyranny that the founders warned about if the courts ever presumed this authority. Regardless of our position on same-sex marriage, every American should be deeply troubled by the actions of SCOTUS that this case is just the most recent and dramatic.
Creeping Tyranny
The first reason this crucial authority was given to Congress instead of the Executive branch, or the courts, is because the Congress is elected every two years, and therefore would be the most accountable to the people, who in the U.S. are the sovereign. The courts were for deciding whether or not individual cases had been tried fairly and justly. But nowhere is any court, including the Supreme Court, given authority to determine if a law or action is constitutional.
Congress does have the authority to designate specific cases to the court for this purpose if it chooses to, but if Congress does not give this authority in a specific case, SCOTUS has no legal authority for such a decision, and it is therefore not valid.
The second reason why this was an unlawful decision is that the Constitution states that any authority not specifically given to the Federal Government is reserved to the states and the people. Nowhere is the Federal Government given authority to give definitions or policy on social issues such as marriage and the family. The hubris of the Supreme Court to change the definition of marriage that has been universally accepted in civilized nations for six thousand years of recorded history is not only shocking, but an unprecedented level of arrogance by the Supreme Court.
Because Congress’ accountability to the people would be the most direct, it was designed to be the most powerful of the three branches of government. It was given “the power of the purse” to maintain their ultimate authority. Because of weak leadership in Congress, both the Executive and Judicial branches have usurped Congress’ authority in recent times to the point where it is now almost powerless, and the predicted tyranny is now a reality.
Without the constitutional authority to do what it did, the SCOTUS has violated its oath to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States from enemies both foreign and domestic. It is against every principle of a republic to have five un-elected officials determine the law of the land. This is why Justice Scalia declared this decision “a threat to democracy.” This was not an overstatement. If this is allowed to stand, we no longer have a Constitutional Republic in America.
What the Federal Government has become is proof that you can have the best form of government and still have bad government if you put bad people in it. The whole system by which we nominate our leaders has become distorted in order to favor incumbents and the establishment so that it is nearly impossible for the will of the people to prevail now.
The government of the United States was not established to be the all-powerful authority over everyone, but rather to be the servant of the people. We, the people, are the sovereign and everyone who works in government is supposed to be working for us. It has now become a runaway monster that is consuming everything in its path. If the people do not rise up to take their authority back, then it will very soon require another revolution to recover democracy in America.
The Foundation of Our Union
The Constitution is the foundation upon which our Federal Government is based, and without the Constitution, our Federal Government no longer has legitimate authority to govern. There has been a long and continuous erosion of the links between the laws and actions of the Federal Government and the Constitution. This decision on same-sex marriage may seem innocuous and even frivolous to most Americans, but it represents such a radical decoupling the Federal Government from the Constitution that it will destroy the legitimacy of the Federal Government if allowed to stand.
The overreach of our Federal Government has put itself in great jeopardy, and in recent years it has divided Americans into factions instead of uniting them. A growing chorus of states is talking seriously about succession, and this is a very real possibility.
Paul the Apostle wrote to Titus that even false prophets can sometimes tell the truth (see Titus 1:12-13). Pravda, the Moscow daily newspaper, has been predicting for years that the United States would break up into several pieces just like the Soviet Union. Their reasoning was not based merely on sour grapes, but on the historically proven consequences of the kind of direction in which our government has been going. To date, we have most alarmingly followed the pattern predicted. We really are close to breaking apart.
Worldview
Islamists consider America “the great Satan” because of our moral and spiritual debauchery that has made us “a homosexual nation”—so perverted that the only remedy is to wipe us off the face of the earth. Their belief about the U.S. has now been affirmed by this Supreme Court decision. This decision will likely make their recruiting to this cause much easier. This is not the only issue fueling these groups, but it is a major one.
This is not to imply we should ever base our laws or domestic policy on what other nations think, but we should understand how we are perceived by the nations and how it will affect our relations with them. This has also been a major wedge driven between the U.S., Russia, and China, as well as Africa and South America. To much of the world, the U.S. and Western Europe now look like Sodom and Gomorrah.
What is Happening (Spiritually)?
All devout Christians, Muslims, and Jews base their faith on the written word that they hold to be the revelation of God’s will for those who serve Him by seeking to obey Him. These three major religions have a clear definition of marriage in their written word, and all three agree that homosexuality is a sin. To compel devout Christians, Muslims, and Jews to accept homosexual marriage as marriage forces them all to decide if they will obey God or men.
The very first lie of Satan that was used to cause the fall of man was “Did God really say that?” This remains Satan’s most deadly strategy against mankind—to get us to doubt the clear Word of God. If we are true Christians, we must establish in our hearts and minds what God says about these issues and resolve to stand on His Word. He said that if we do not obey Him, then we are not really following Him. This is an obvious demarcation point that will force many to choose if they will follow God or man.
Just as the devil attacked Adam and Eve by trying to confuse them about what God had really said, he begins this same attack on every believer. He knows that if he can get us to doubt God’s Word, then he can keep us deceived our whole lives. The devil continues to use this strategy because it has been so successful, and it has been successful in our own time with many Christians. This is why studies of even conservative evangelical Christians who are supposed to be the most devoted to The Bible revealed that less than 10% of them had a biblical worldview.
The Lord gave us His written Word so we could see the world, mankind, and ourselves as He does. To see as He does is to see the truth. As the Lord said through Isaiah the prophet, those who do not speak according to His Word do not have the light in them (see Isaiah 8:20). Of the Christians I have discussed the Supreme Court decision with, only one used Scripture for their perspective. Most of the Christians I talked to were parroting the world’s perspective, which is based on a humanistic philosophy that stands in direct conflict with God’s will as revealed in His Word. According to His Word, these have already fallen away and do not have the light.
A primary reason for this has been the dumbing down of The Great Commission to merely making converts instead of disciples, which is defined as teaching them everything the Lord commanded. Lacking this solid foundation of biblical truth has made it very easy for the devil to deceive and confuse Christians about what God really said in His Word. Now we must ask from what were these saved?
God made His opinion on homosexuality very clear. In the Book of Revelation, we see that one of the final and ultimate conflicts is between the Lord’s messengers and “the great city which mystically is called Sodom and Egypt” (see Revelation 11:8). This issue will be a demarcation point that will determine who will walk in His truth.
Because of the shallowness of believers to even know what is in His Word, it is likely that not many will be standing at all very soon. Of one thing we can be sure, if any are standing, it will be enough. If just one is standing on the truth, the truth will ultimately prevail. Even so, for a time we can expect that those who will be standing on the truth and wholly following the Lord will be paired down to a very small number.
The increasing persecution against Christians in America is already having the positive effect of having many Christians’ worldview challenged. Some are waking up to the profound differences between what the Scriptures actually say and what they have been told they say, often even by their own compromising pastors. This will be fuel on the fire of another Great Awakening. Regardless of how small a number the faithful become, their faithfulness will ultimately turn the tide. There will be a Third Great Awakening in America.
All devout Christians, devout Muslims, and devout Jews have been thrown into the same boat on this issue. Already many non-religious Americans who care about freedom and the Constitution are beginning to also speak up. It will be most interesting to see how this plays out.
As the divisions in our country become more clear and pronounced than ever, look for the greatest unity and fellowship to grow in the small and persecuted company of the faithful. It is always worth it to stand on our convictions without compromise. We will also find out that those we did not think we had any common ground with are standing together with us.
What is Not Happening?
First, the same-sex marriage issue is not about allowing people who love each other to have a committed relationship. The LGBT has been brilliant in keeping so many Americans believing this, and the naïve, the ignorant, and the lukewarm have bought into it. Those in marketing, branding, and messaging know that they will be far more successful by projecting a simple message and staying on point.
You must give the LGBT credit for knowing what they are doing in forming public opinion. Regardless of what they say, the LGBT community is between 1.6% and 2% of the population. The way they have changed public opinion in America in such a short time is a remarkable accomplishment.
However, to American citizens, this is about freedom—everyone’s freedom, not just freedom of religion. The religious have rights too. If the LGBT has the right not to have moral standards imposed on them, then the religious have the right not to have immorality imposed on them. To force what a religion considers to be sin imposed upon the devout, taught to their children, or to determine whether or not they may do business, is the destruction of the freedom of religion in our country and a profound undermining of all our other freedoms as well.
Second, Christians do not hate homosexuals. I am pretty well connected in conservative evangelical circles, as well as with other movements and denominations. I do not recall ever meeting someone with a hatred of homosexuals. Disagreeing, even vehemently disagreeing, is not the same as hatred. Hatred is what anyone who has stood up to the LGBT has usually faced.
Most devout Christians that I know have friends, co-workers, neighbors, and family members who are homosexuals. I don’t know any who do not love and respect them. That is the biblical command for Christians, but it does not mean we have to agree with them. Disagreeing does not mean one is a hater, or a homophobe. For the LGBT to keep using that tactic will be their own ultimate undoing.
Most Christians that I know would fight to protect homosexuals from being attacked or discriminated against. The resistance of Christians that I know to same-sex marriage has nothing to do with depriving the rights of homosexuals, but about preserving their own rights and freedoms that have come under continuous and relentless attack from the LGBT.
The LGBT has been most successful in getting its message out. Christians and other religious conservatives have done a very poor job of getting their message out, or educating their fellow believers about the real issues, much less the public in general. Much of this is the result of Christians being in such disunity. As we are taught by the unfolding consequences of this SCOTUS decision, which will be a very expensive lesson, the Christians that are left standing will unify and will get their message right.
The LGBT has fought with great courage, resolve, and wisdom. The lack of courage in the Christian community may be the greatest crisis in our times. One congressman recently said to me that if they saw more courage in the church, we would see more courage in Washington.
With but few exceptions, the conservative religious community has been just as lacking in resolve and wisdom as it has lacked courage. The exceptions being things like the passing of Proposition Eight in California. In that case, one homosexual judge, who should have recused himself from even hearing this case, threw out this vote by millions of Californians. Is that how a republic is supposed to operate? Of course not, which is why the courts were not given the authority they have now usurped, and by this are destroying the foundations of our Republic. But the protest against this was hardly a whimper.
The LGBT has been successful by using Saul Alinsky’s strategies outlined in Rules for Radicals. This is basically using threats, intimidation, and almost any form of guile to win, because the end justifies the means. These have proven very effective against a weak or indifferent people, and now they have proven effective in America. We can, therefore, expect a lot more of the same until there is a courageous and resolute stand against any agenda that uses such tactics.
What Can We Do About It?
#1) We must resolve that we will obey God rather than men.
The Supreme Court does not have authority over the Supreme Being. Christians are commanded to respect and obey the laws of civil governments until they conflict with the laws of God. Then we must obey God rather than men. This test has come frequently in history, and is a basic determining factor in who we are really worshipping.
We will all one day stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ. The worst thing we could suffer is to come before Him as a watchman who did not sound the alarm, or a shepherd who failed to protect His people. Let us resolve above all things that we will obey Him regardless of the consequences. The greatest souls to ever walk the earth were all similarly tried. Many of our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ risk their lives every day to worship and obey Him. Now it is the American church’s time to be tested.
#2) Know what you believe, and why.
We must resolve to base our convictions on the clearly revealed Word of God in the Scriptures and to reject the enemy’s devices to confuse them. If Jesus, Who is the Word, would take His stand on “It is written!” how much more do we need to know what is written and resolve that we will believe and live by it regardless of what anyone thinks of us?
Spurgeon once said he could find ten men who would die for The Bible for every one who would read it. This is likewise a great tragedy of our times and a reason why so few believers are true salt and light as they are called to be. Have the noble spirit of the Bereans who, even after hearing the great Apostle Paul, went back to search the Scriptures for themselves to see if the things he taught were true.
#3) Engage in the crucial issues of our times.
According to Isaiah chapters 1-5, an ultimate depravity a nation can fall into is to start calling evil good and good evil, to honor the dishonorable, and dishonor the honorable. Good is what God calls good, and evil is what He calls evil, not what is politically expedient. Because the U.S. has fallen to this ultimate depravity, we are now suffering the first of the consequences of this that is foretold.
The first judgment against such a nation is to be ruled over by the capricious and immature. How else could you better describe what has happened to our country? It gets worse if we do not repent. The things that will soon come cascading down upon us are not the Lord smiting us as much as Him just removing His hedge of protection, so that we reap what we are sowing.
For the sake of our country, our fellow believers, and even our enemies, we must never compromise our convictions regardless of the consequences. It is time to be bold. The great ones who have taken such a stand in history have often lost all they had, including their freedom, and in many cases, their lives. But they never lost their faith in God. It is worth any price to remain faithful and not compromise His truth that has been entrusted to us.
The only reason why anti-Christian forces are prevailing in America is because the church is asleep, or worse, lukewarm. As we are warned in James 4:17, “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin” (NKJV). If just a small fraction of the evangelical church had voted in the last two elections, we would have different leaders, and we would have a different Supreme Court. We would not be talking about these issues that are now trouncing upon our liberty.
From the Executive to the courts to the Legislative branches, the Federal Government has become dysfunctional and incapable of leading through these times. Democracy has not failed, but we have failed democracy. We did this by allowing all the things the founders warned us the Republic could not survive. In many ways, our Republic is now on the brink of collapse. Yet it will not collapse, if we turn to the One who upholds the universe by the Word of His power. He can restore us.
The Lord promised that if just two or three would gather in His name, He would be with them. Two or three with Jesus is an overwhelming majority against even the biggest forces of evil. Do not be like the ten evil spies who were intimidated by how big the giants were in their land; be like the faithful Joshua and Caleb who saw the same giants, but saw how much bigger their God was than any of them.
#4) Never forget that “Love never fails.”
We must love the Lord above all else. We must love our neighbor as ourselves. If we love someone, we will tell them the truth. If we love the truth, we will devote ourselves to finding it, and then obeying it, always keeping in mind that truth is what God says it is, not what men say it is, even those on the Supreme Court.
Always remember that God’s definition of a word is what counts. His ways are higher than our ways, and His love is higher than our love. His love is not like that which is based on human sympathy or lust. His love will never fail, and it is His love that we must seek and walk in. His love is also severe at times. Do not confuse fallen human emotions with His love.
Keep in mind that the heathen only believe as we would believe if we had not been shown grace. They are only doing what we would be doing if we had not been shown grace. It is not just a cliché but sober truth that “Except for the grace of God there go I.” We must pray for grace for our adversaries, and the greatest victory of all is their salvation.
#5) “Love never quits.”
This is how the verse from I Corinthians13 could have been translated, and it also applies. Do not give up on your country. The greatest prophets arose, and the moves of God in history all came during the times of greatest darkness and debauchery. Regardless of whether or not we personally get to see it in this life, the truth of God will ultimately prevail. The nations will come to His light, just as we are promised in Isaiah 60:1-3 and other places.
We must not put limits on how long we will stand or what cost we will pay to stand for God and His truth. We do not just stand for truth because it is the winning side, but because truth is our oxygen. God’s truth will ultimately win, but for His own reasons, the Lord often allows setbacks to test His people. Truth will win over all deception and lies, but we may not get to see that in our lifetime; however, our life can help lead to this victory if we live by the truth. We stand because it is the right thing to do.
Just as the apostles went out rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for the sake of the name of the Lord, to be persecuted for His truth is one of the greatest honors one can have in this life. This is something we now get to do. It is now our time.
Don’t give up. The ship can still be saved. It is heavily damaged and listing to the port side (left), but as long as it is still floating, we must resolve to save her. We cannot allow to be lost on our watch what so many paid such a high price to found and to preserve.
#6) Walk in the truth.
Again, truth is what God says it is. The first principle of walking in truth is to know what God has said about the matter and to obey this. We must not continue getting our worldview from humanistic philosophies such as political correctness, but rather on what God has clearly said. That being said, it is not enough to merely know the truth, or stand for it, if we ourselves are not walking in it.
One of the greatest veils of deception on all people is rooted in the tendency to judge people or groups by their most extreme elements. Conservatives do this to liberals, and liberals do it to conservatives. Christians do this to the LGBT, and the LGBT does it to Christians. It is not right to do this, and is in itself a deception.
As the Apostle Paul wrote that we should not judge anyone after the flesh (externals) but after the Spirit, and Martin Luther King, Jr. prayed that the day would come when we would no longer judge each other by the color of our skin, but the content of our character, this is a good time to practice it. It is the right thing to do regardless of whether the other side does it or not.
#7) It is time for Christians to boycott.
I would never advocate using tactics such as those found in Rules for Radicals because they are diabolical. The second reason I would not use them is that they are good for short-term success, but are almost always ultimately counter-productive. You can force someone to say what you want or do what you want, but it will never be in their heart if they are forced. In fact, they will hate being manipulated and pressured, and will rebel against it as soon as they get the chance.
The truth has more dignity than to stoop to such tactics as those taught in Rules for Radicals. However, Christians have never really used one of our most powerful weapons—the power of the boycott. It is not unrighteous to stop buying from those who are supporting attacks on our faith and liberty. That is just wisdom. It is now time to use this.
If even 10% of Americans who claim to be Christians boycotted any company or industry, the consequences would be immediate and dramatic. There would quickly be far more concern for this than anything other anti-Christian groups could ever hope to counter. Besides, we should be supporting those companies and businesses that share our values.
We will have much more to say on this later. For now, resolve that you will know the truth, stand for the truth, and link up with others who are doing the same. We would welcome any of you who are not already members of The Oak Initiative to join us, by visiting our website at http://www.theoakinitiative.org/partner-oak
There is much more that can be and is being said on this ultimate battle for our country and our faith. As this battle continues to intensify, never forget I Corinthians 15:58:
Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
One of the main Scriptures for this turn around year of double portion deliverance and victory is found in Esther 9. We know of the decree of death and destruction released by Haman against the Jews authorizing the people of the land to kill them and take their possessions on the 13th day of the 12th month of Adar. But Esther wrote a new decree, in the king's name and sealed it with the king's ring, that the Jews had a right to defend themselves and kill those who were trying to kill them.(Photo "For Such a Time as This" by Donna Smallenberg via elijahshopper.com)
As a matter of fact, I heard the Lord say this would be a Boomerang Year! As we know, a boomerang gets thrown out and then returns to the one that threw it. God is going to cause every curse and every assignment from Hell to be turned right back upon the head of our spiritual enemy!Haman built gallows to hang the Jews, but he ended up being hanged on his own gallows! It wasn't only Haman who was destroyed, but also his 10 sons so they couldn't come back again to retaliate! (Photo via Wikipedia)