Openly Homosexual Minister Appointed

The Church of Scotland has approved the appointment of an openly homosexual minister—the latest case of tensions over sexuality to prompt division in the Anglican Communion. The church’s ruling body voted Saturday by 326 to 267 to support the appointment of the Rev. Scott Rennie, 37, who was previously married to a woman and is now in a relationship with a man.

This certainly illustrates the general state of the Church of Scotland. If their church leaders understood the Bible to be the inerrant Word of God (I hear that there are some pastors in the denomination who are truly Bible-believing, and they remain to try to influence the church that the great Reformer John Knox started), they would know that Jesus explained quite clearly in Matthew 19 that the meaning of marriage, based on the first marriage (Adam and Eve), is that it is to be one man for one woman. Jesus quoted from Genesis 1:27 and Genesis 2:24 as real history to establish the foundation for the meaning of marriage:

And He answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, let not man separate." “ (Matthew 19:4–6)

Also, in Romans 1, God’s Word (and remember, Jesus is the Word—so, these words in Romans 1 are the Words of Jesus) we read:

because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four–footed animals and creeping things. Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil–mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them. (Romans 1:21–32)

You can read the entire news report about the Church of Scotland appointment here.

Devotion

Anticipation and concern

(Genesis 49:29) And he charged them, and said unto them, I am to be gathered unto my people: bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite,

We who die in the Lord have both a wonderful anticipation for the future and a concern for those left behind that they will wholly follow the Lord.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken