Fine-Tuning the Filter

God is calling us to grow deeper in Him, and to develop discernment, applying His truth to what we
see and hear. Hebrews 5 says:
13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe.
14 But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

The Word of God can serve as a filter for us - we are bombarded by ideas and influences each day, and we can choose to accept certain thoughts or reject them.  If we allow ourselves to give into mindsets that do not line up for Scriptures, we open ourselves up to inaccuracies, which can lead us astray.  We can be challenged to grow in our knowledge of the Word and in our relationship with Christ, so we stand strong against ideas that do not honor Him.

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The apostle Paul, in a prayer found in Philippians 1, a prayer that indicates the will of God for us, writes:
9 And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment,
10 that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ...
On Fridays at The Meeting House, I try to offer some updates about celebrities or high-profile people who have injected God into the conversation - hopefully, that will be positive.  Sometimes, you will find a celebrity who will offer a distorted picture of God's truth, and that is what I want to present to you today.

Just because someone has the title of "Christian blogger" or, in the case I will relate, "Christian mommy blogger," doesn't mean that you'll find Scriptural truth there.  So, buyer - or reader - beware.

It has been announced that a blogger at the Momastery website, Glendon Doyle Melton, who, prior to this week I had never heard of, is now in a lesbian relationship with soccer star Abby Wambach. Ponder that for just a second.  ChristianHeadlines.com published the story, which says:

“Feels like the world could use all the love it can get right now,” she wrote on social media, “So today, I’m going to share with you my new love.”

Her new love is soccer star and two-time Olympic gold medalist, Abby Wambach.

“Abby is deeply sensitive and kind,” Melton writes in a Facebook post, “The kids call her an M&M because she looks tough on the outside but inside she’s really mushy and sweet. Abby’s brave. Not just with her words but with her entire being. She has never been afraid to be herself, even when the world told her not to be.”

This comes on the heels of Melton's announcement of a divorce from her husband, Craig Melton. Also, Wambach was in a same-sex so-called "marriage" with another woman until recently.  She got a divorce following an April DUI arrest that reportedly forced Wambach to deal with substance abuse issues.

Melton actually has been a long-time advocate for same-sex marriage, according to the article.  She created a non-profit organization called Together Rising that's raised over 4 million dollars through its Love Flash Mobs.  The article includes this content from 2013 on the blog that Melton writes: “Figuring out my stance on homosexuality felt like a life and death decision,” adding, “I know my Jesus, I love Him, and I think if he needed me to believe that homosexuality was a sin, He would have mentioned it.”

Classic example of picking and choosing, which is so dangerous - there are clear instances in the Scriptures where homosexual behavior is characterized as sinful, and Jesus outlined clearly the prescription for marriage in God's eyes.

Recently, she shared on Facebook, "The most revolutionary thing a woman can do is not explain herself. What I need you to know -- and what I know you need to know -- is that I am deeply, finally, FINE. Fine through my bones and soul and mind and just every fiber of me. You have the room to feel and react with your truth….because I am so unshakably certain inside of mine. I have officially become a woman who knows who she is and refuses to betray herself.”

"Your truth," i.e. truth is relative - it may be true for you, but not for me.  This stands in contrast with God's absolute truth.

You know, I came across a tweet that I found direct and refreshing this week.  It's from Gabe Lyons, whom I perceive has a strong voice to the millennial generation through his organization, Q.  He tweeted this:

"Christian leaders" who celebrate same-sex relationships & gender confusion, aren't leading the Church.

They're following the culture.

Well, that got some people really rattled, and he was immediately accused of aligning with hate and striking a bad tone and not loving LGBT.  The fact is that the best thing that you can do for someone who is gay is to speak the truth to him or her - and that certainly can arise from relationship.  The truth is, homosexuality is not a special class of sin and is certainly should not be a protected class in law. And, this approach is not limited to homosexuality - all sin is contrary to God's ways, and we are not to identify with certain sins and coddle them as if somehow God isn't big enough to remove them. Speaking truth in love is how God does His loving, protecting work - and He uses His people in the process.

So, when, as People Magazine proclaims, a "Christian Mommy Blogger" announces she is in a same-sex relationship, that is not to be celebrated.  It should inform or remind us as believers that the world, exemplified by the media, is committed to the normalization of homosexuality, which is a practice that the Bible, the whole counsel of God, clearly illustrates as being opposed to His ways.

We have to be careful what we expose ourselves to as believers.  We need to fine-tune our Biblical filter.  There is so much content that is out there on the Internet, and just because a blog or a book calls itself "Christian," doesn't mean that it lines up with Biblical truth.  And, people can be led astray by buying in to the writings of popular authors.  We have to be discerning and know God's Word to determine what lines up - and what doesn't.