THE MOMENT

November 25, 2014

Three years ago, at about this time of year, I was pondering (something I am wont to do for good or ill) the amazing fact of the Word becoming flesh and dwelling among us.  I’d often wondered, through the years, what it must have been like for Mary and Joseph to know she carried the Son of God in her womb.  What an awesome, and frightening, truth and responsibility that must have been for those two young people.  Then another question occurred to me: What must it have been like in heaven at that moment when the Word made His exit to take up His dwelling in Mary’s womb?  What occurred in heaven when the One we now know as Jesus voluntarily made that incredible transition to take upon Himself the form of a man?

I wrote the following little article as a result…

THE MOMENT

                A little over two thousand years ago, as we reckon time on this earth, came The Moment.  I have wondered if there was any fanfare in heaven when that moment arrived.  Were angelic choruses thundering praise as the Cherubim ranged around the Throne?  Or, was there a dramatic silence in heaven as the angelic host looked on in breathless anticipation?  Did the Father speak some last words of charge or of comfort?  Did the Spirit cover all with His attentive, loving presence?  What was the last gesture of the Word before the Moment came?

                What was it like in heaven at that Moment?  That moment that would change everything.  A moment unlike any that had ever occurred in eternity.  A moment when God’s love for His creation would be declared and demonstrated in a way without precedent?

                What was it like in that Moment when “the Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us” (John 1:14)?  Did heaven give a collective gasp or sigh or cry of triumph when He,” who, although he existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped…emptied himself” (Phil 2:6,7).  In that moment of emptying, did the heavens shake?  Did the Word smile as He transformed or vanished from sight?

                In that moment, in a little house in a little town in Galilee, did a young woman’s eyes suddenly widen?  Did she reach down for a moment to touch her tummy?  Did she suddenly feel within her womb a presence not there a moment before?  Did she quietly bow her head and begin to pray because she knew, as the angel had prophesied, that the Moment had come?  

                And, for heaven and earth, after that Moment nothing would ever be the same…

                                                                                                Dan Rouse

GAY MARRIAGE MAY BE HEADING BACK TO THE SUPREME COURT

 November 7, 2014 

In the midst of all the hype over the recent election results, you may have missed a very important ruling by the 6^th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel.  The panel, in a 2-1 vote, upheld laws in four states – Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky and Tennessee – which prohibited gay marriage.  This, of course, flies in the face of more than twenty court decisions overturning such laws since the Supreme Court struck down part of the Defense of Marriage Act last year.  Gay marriage advocates, in light of SCOTUS recently refusing to hear appeals by five states on the overturning of laws prohibiting gay marriage, were crowing the issue was settled because of the clear universal agreement among various federal judges ruling against gay marriage prohibitions.  This decision by the 6^th Circuit Court suddenly, and dramatically, reverses that claim.

The two Appeals Court judges who ruled to uphold the prohibitions in four states argued that the voice of the people should be heard in making such laws.  “Surely the people should receive some deference in deciding when the time is ripe to move from one picture of marriage to another,” wrote Circuit Judge Jeffrey Sutton.  This same point was argued by Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine, who said he was “pleased the court agreed with our arguments that important issues such as these should be determined through the democratic process.”  

This sets up a situation where the Supreme Court may be forced to decide the issue rather than simply allowing previous court decisions to stand.  It also illuminates the chasm that exists in our society regarding the issue of gay matrimony.

If SCOTUS should decide to hear this matter, they will be forced to tackle critical Constitutional issues with huge ramifications.  One, in particular, will be of immense interest to Christians.  There is no way SCOTUS can ultimately avoid being forced to weigh whether the so-called “right” to gay marriage overrides the Constitutional right to the freedoms of religion and speech.  If gay marriage can be shoved down our throats as a “right,” then our right to object to that practice both in speech and legislation is abrogated.  The implications of  that are frightening, to say the least.  Freedom of religion and freedom of speech have long been carefully guarded rights by the Courts.  They have been very reluctant to infringe on them in any way.  A ruling forcing acceptance of homosexual marriage would, in essence, strip Christians of their right to object to such a practice.  It would also open the door to the government being allowed to interfere in other areas of religious scruples, such as the role of women in the church.

A second area of tremendous importance involves the right of the American people to pass legislation reflective of their moral convictions on certain matters.  What has occurred over the last year is basically a repudiation of that right by the Courts.  In several cases, a single federal judge has assumed the right, based on his or her interpretation of the Constitution, to overturn the votes of millions of American citizens.  It seems difficult not to view this as judicial tyranny.  The ruling of the 6^th U.S. Circuit panel clearly saw this issue as trumping, or at least competing, with gay individuals “right” to marry.  Can the majority voice of the citizenry, heard in a lawful election, be overturned, or should such laws be allowed to stand in recognition of the voice of the people?  Are we going to be a nation where the voice of the people determines our course, or are we going to become a country where men and women in black robes dictate, according to their predilections, what is moral and what is not?  Again, this has huge implications for the future of our country.

I would strongly urge you to be in prayer about this matter.  An opportunity has presented itself to reverse or at least slow down the savage attacks taking place against traditional Judeo-Christian morals and values.  May God, in His infinite grace, grant us victory in this battle.