I’m quite aware that we will be branded haters and bigots if we simply teach that marriage is the union of one man and one woman or if we believe that kids deserve a mom and a dad. And I know only too well that if we hold to historic Judeo-Christian sexual morals, we will be vilified in the ugliest imaginable terms.

No matter how gracious and respectful we are, no matter how carefully we present our views, we will be attacked, and there’s nothing we can do about that other than continuing to speak the truth in love.

Some of those reacting in anger have been deeply hurt and feel personally wounded by our words, believing that we are dehumanizing and condemning them. And so, rather than calling them hypersensitive, we should be as sensitive as possible when sharing the gospel with them.

Others simply respond with, “Hater! Bigot! Homophobe!” the moment we present the truth. It’s reflex as much as it is rhetoric, and we can’t be discouraged or disheartened in the least when treated like this. Jesus told us to expect as much (see John 15:18-20).

Unfortunately, there is a real stream of homo-hatred in the Church, even if it represents the tiniest, fringe minority of the Body. It is there, and it must be rebuked in the clearest possible terms, especially since the secular media will focus on the very few hateful voices and ignore the vast multitude of loving voices.

For the record, I have been in numerous, closed-door meetings with conservative Christian leaders, and not once have I heard a disparaging, mocking comment about gays and lesbians. We have strongly differed with their talking points; we have refused to capitulate to their agenda; but we have never sat around and mocked the people or wished for their harm or rejoiced in their suffering.

I wish I could say that sentiment was embraced universally, but it is not. And just as the Church has always had its significant flaws and shortcomings in the past, it continues to do so today.

What disturbs me most is not that there are a handful (literally) of pastors rejoicing publicly in the Orlando massacre or that the vile Westboro Baptist group is celebrating the slaughter. Given that there are hundreds of thousands of ministers and church groups in America, the fact that several (again, I mean that literally) have a perverse reaction to the deaths of 49 gays and lesbians is hardly a surprise.

When my namesake, Michael Brown, was killed last year in Ferguson, some LGBT’s expressed disappointment that I was not the one shot down by the police. I get death wishes sent my way on an almost daily basis, and some gay leaders have made horrific statements about me.

There are bad apples on all sides of every issue, and the existence of a few bad apples proves nothing, be it in the Church or the LGBT community.

It’s just disturbing to see more bad apples than we should on the Christian side of things.

All the more then should those of us who really know the Lord denounce this ugly rhetoric whenever we see it, determining more than ever to speak the truth in love.

What prompted me to address this problem was the response that I received to my YouTube video renouncing the comments of Arizona pastor Steven Anderson.

I would have expected the response to the Anderson video to have been something like 550 thumbs up to 5 thumbs down based on my own experience over the last decade plus as I have addressed these issues. Instead, I received comments like: “Dr brown is a false prophet! Doesn't believe in Jesus Christ he believes in people's money and calls God a liar because he doesn't believe the record that God gave of his son!” (Remember: This was for renouncing Anderson’s comment that the massacre was “good news,” while effectively branding all gays “pedophiles.”)

Another chimed in with: “micheal brown is a hypocrite of the first order, soft on sin, worldly and compromised pelagian heretic. the usa is awash in sin, and God punished those in Orlando, God is sovereign, HIS WILL UNFOLDS . stop coddling the wicked in their sin, The bible is two third on Gods wrath and hatred, stop perverting th bible mr jew zionist , instead of tryin to appear moderate to ur haters by bashing a good man like anderson go and bash abortionists, u hypocrite u, jesus came with a sword, how bout this verse ‘has evil not come to the city and God not done it’... I’m a french phd student too, and challenge u liar to a debate, phony reprobate.”

Others added: “You’re a FALSE PROPHET. Jude 1!!!” And, “He said nothing wrong. Maybe it is you who is backwards.” And, “By your own words you Dr. Brown just said to God and to all people that you are as one of them hating God by living in wickedness. Why you should die as a lover of LGBT and be with them in Hell fire. Repent of your own wickedness and be Born Again that you may stop sinning and see the truth! Shame on you carnal / foolish man.”

Still others wrote, “The fact this guy calls himself Doctor, is all I need to know about this prideful individual, only an actual MD should be called Doctor! How can you read The Bible and get that sodomites are anything but disgusting, vile, reprobates? Oh yeah, you read the NIV! This Doc, is apostate!” And, “Dr. Brown is not a Christian. He is a liberal progressive who interprets the Bible according to what he feels comfortable in believing.”

And there was this comment on Twitter from a woman whose bio simply cited Romans 8:28 (“all things work together for good for those who love God”). She wrote: “Pastor Anderson represents my thoughts exactly. Are you a faggot or something?”

Of course, LGBT activists would be quick to say: “That proves our point. Homophobia is the natural result of your biased interpretation of the Bible, and until you renounce that, you will have this hatred in the Church.”

The reverse is actually true, and I can personally attest that the vast majority of Christians I have worked with around the world (meaning, well over 99%) believe homosexual practice is sinful and have real love for LGBT individuals. Plus, as I wrote earlier this week, we’re not about to renounce biblical teaching on sexuality.

But I wrote this article to say that we cannot minimize this ugly strain in the Body and we must confront it and rebuke it at every turn.

More than that, we must put out the positive truth of the Scriptures regarding God’s love for a sinning world – which includes gay and straight and everything in between – and His desire that none should perish.

We do believe in divine judgment; we do believe in heaven and hell; we do believe there are consequences for sin; and we do not rejoice in the cold-blooded murder of gays and lesbians by a radical Muslim, period.

“Hater! Bigot! Homophobe!”

A BIBLICAL Message to LGBT folks EVERYWHERE!

Genesis 13:13

Now the men of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the LORD.

Genesis 18:20-21
20. Then the LORD said, "The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous
21. that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know."

Genesis 19:4-7
4. Before they had gone to bed, all the men from every part of the city of Sodom--both young and old--surrounded the house.
5. They called to Lot, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them."
6. Lot went outside to meet them and shut the door behind him
7. and said, "No, my friends. Don't do this wicked thing.

Leviticus niv

18:22 Do not have sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman; that is detestable.

20:13 If a man has sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They are to be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.

Psalms 12:8 The wicked freely strut about when what is vile is honored among men.

Doonesbury Cartoon for Feb/08/2013

Isaiah 3:9 The look on their faces testifies against them; they parade their sin like Sodom; they do not hide it. Woe to them! They have brought disaster upon themselves.

2 Peter 2:13b Their idea of pleasure is to carouse in broad daylight. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their pleasures while they feast with you.

Ezekiel 16:49-50
49. "`Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy.
50. They were haughty and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen.

Romans 1 New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)

18 The wrath of God is indeed being revealed from heaven against every impiety and wickedness of those who suppress the truth by their wickedness. 19 For what can be known about God is evident to them, because God made it evident to them. 20 Ever since the creation of the world, his invisible attributes of eternal power and divinity have been able to be understood and perceived in what he has made. As a result, they have no excuse; 21 for although they knew God they did not accord him glory as God or give him thanks. Instead, they became vain in their reasoning, and their senseless minds were darkened. 22 While claiming to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for the likeness of an image of mortal man or of birds or of four-legged animals or of snakes.

24 Therefore, God handed them over to impurity through the lusts of their hearts for the mutual degradation of their bodies. 25 They exchanged the truth of God for a lie and revered and worshiped the creature rather than the creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. 26 Therefore, God handed them over to degrading passions. Their females exchanged natural relations for unnatural, 27 and the males likewise gave up natural relations with females and burned with lust for one another. Males did shameful things with males and thus received in their own persons the due penalty for their perversity. 28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God handed them over to their undiscerning mind to do what is improper. 29 They are filled with every form of wickedness, evil, greed, and malice; full of envy, murder, rivalry, treachery, and spite.

2 Peter 2

1. But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them--bringing swift destruction on themselves.
2. Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute.
3. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.
4. For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment;
5. if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others;
6. if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly;
7. and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men
8. (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)--
9. if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment.
10. This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the sinful nature and despise authority. Bold and arrogant, these men are not afraid to slander celestial beings;
11. yet even angels, although they are stronger and more powerful, do not bring slanderous accusations against such beings in the presence of the Lord.
12. But these men blaspheme in matters they do not understand. They are like brute beasts, creatures of instinct, born only to be caught and destroyed, and like beasts they too will perish.
13. They will be paid back with harm for the harm they have done. Their idea of pleasure is to carouse in broad daylight. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their pleasures while they feast with you.

But there IS hope!!!

1 Corinthians 6:9-11

9. Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived:
Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders
10. nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
11. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

If you could NOT change, you would be in most pitiful shape...

The Health Risks of gay sex.

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