Did You Know?

That HEAVEN is the English equivalent of several Hebrew and Greek words? These terminologies alludes to “height”, hence heaven is something above. The word is linked to the firmament, which is spread out like an arch above the earth. In some instances, heaven is used with earth to denote the whole universe. God is the undisputed Maker of both universes and the Bible is definite and final about it – GEN. 1:1.

At times, heaven is used to differentiate the “sky”, the abode of the sun, moon and the stars – EZE. 32:7; MT. 24:29; MK. 13:24; ACTS 2:20. The regions above the sky, the location of things eternal and perfect, where God and other heavenly beings dwell is most appropriately labeled heaven – ISA. 66:1; MT. 5:34; 23:22; JAS. 5:12. Spirit filled Christians take this to be Paul the Apostle’s “Third heaven”, the sweet, sinless, glorious abode of God Most High – 2 COR. 12:2.

The Holy Scriptures does not give graphic details of the First and Second heavens, hence some scholars and Christians view the First as the atmosphere and rate the Second as the abode of supernatural beings, while assigning the Third heaven as the most exclusive preserve of Jehovah the living God. Wonderfully, the Third Heaven is a place of absolute glory and unrivalled beauty – JN. 14:1-3; REV. 21:1-22:7. Indeed, the throne of God is in heaven – PSA. 11:4. And Jesus lovingly called God my “heavenly Father” – MT. 6:14. He also gave Christians the right to address God as our heavenly Father – MT. 6:14; MK. 11:25.

That MARRIAGE biblically speaking is the union of man and woman as husband and wife. They become one flesh in a lifelong partnership of joy, sorrows, trials and triumphs – GEN. 1:26-28; 2:21-25; MT. 19:5-6. The sexual abomination called homosexuality whereby a man “marries” a fellow man or a woman “marries” a fellow woman is violently and eternally condemned by God. In Hebrew, it means qadesh, which defines “a male devotee to licentious idolatry, practicing prostitution with the same sex.” Sodomy; whether with fellow humans, or with beasts is unnatural and ungodly – DT. 23:17-18. It is a vile, effeminate, abusive, unclean error that draws the curse of God - ROM. 1:21-32; 2 PET. 2:10, 12-15, 18; JUDE 4-8, 10. Appropriately, marriage union or relationship is viewed as an institution. The Holy Scriptures encourages Christians to marry their own kind, i.e. people who are in the faith.

Samson contracted a strange type of marriage when he left his tribe of the Lion of Judah and married a Philistine woman who was not a follower of the God of Israel – JUD. 14:1-4; 15:1-2. This forced him to journey back and forth between the tribes. In contracting this marriage, he displeased God and his parents – JUD. 13:5; 14:1-3. Levirate marriage under the Law of Moses compelled the brother of a deceased man to marry his widow and raise up his brothers children to carry on the family name – DT. 25:5-10. The story of Tamar exemplifies it – GEN. 38:6-11. Though polygamy was known in the Old Testament, the ideal marriage was monogamy.

This was the type of marriage instituted by God in the Garden of Eden – GEN. 2:24. Noah, who qualified to be rated the second founder of humanity had only a wife – GEN. 7:7. The mistakes of David the king stemmed from plural marriages and the gross errors of his son Solomon, the world’s wisest and richest man was rooted in his reputation as the world’s greatest polygamist – 2 SAM. 5:13; 1 KGS. 11:1-3. Marriage with strange women estranged him from God, his Source of wisdom, wealth and knowledge - 1 KGS. 11:4—11. The prophets used monogamous marriage relationship to illustrate the covenant relationship between God and man - ISA. 50:1; JERE. 2:13; HOS. 2:1-3; JN. 4:14. The New Testament sanctions only monogamy as illustrated in Jesus’ remarks and Paul’s statement – MT. 19:3-9; EPH. 5:22-29. New Testament Jewish marriage consisted of a procession and marriage supper that could stretch up to a week – GEN. 29:22. Refusing a marriage invitation was rated gross bad behavior – MT. 22:1-10. The Bible considers marriage honourable and the bed undefiled – HEB. 13:4. After heaven, the next best thing is a good marriage!

PLEASE NOTE: Detailed expose of homosexuality is available in my book, THE INTERCOURSE OF TROUBLED THOUGHTS, published by AuthorHouse Inc, Indiana, USA.

That DIVORCE is a legal separation of man and woman and homosexuality has also been drawn into it. The Law of Moses allowed divorce if uncleanness or “unseemly thing” was found in a woman – DT. 24:1-4. However, because Jewish leaders were not in agreement on what “unseemly thing” meant, divorce resulted in abuse among the Jews. A writing of a “bill of divorcement” in ancient times must have Levitical approval, a measure that restrained the actions of rash husbands – ISA. 50:1; JERE. 3:8. To further check rashness, the law forbade a man to remarry his divorced wife if she married another man. But the Lord Jesus rebuked and corrected the Pharisees that the liberty to divorce a wife was allowed them by Moses because of the hardness of their hearts, noting that God expected a marriage relationship to last in the lifetime of the couple – DT. 24:1; MT. 19:8; MK. 10:1-9. The Lord Jesus warned that a man who divorced his wife {or a woman who divorced her husband} except on the ground of fornication and marries another, is guilty of adultery – MT. 19:9; MK. 10:11; LK. 16:18; 1 COR. 7:10. A man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery also – LK. 16:8. However, some Christians are of the opinion that divorce is totally forbidden in the light of the following scriptures – MK. 10:2-12; LK. 16:18; 1 COR. 7:10, 39.

THE INTERCOURSE OF TROUBLED THOUGHTS by Joseph Emeka Anumbor, published by AuthorHouse Inc, Indiana, USA: Excerpts

SECTION A

Chapter Five

Never, never, never give up!: WINSTON CHURCHILL

THE MOUNTY, MELANIE, AUSTRALASIA

Geri mustered some strength from his bravado than from faith in his words. She thanked Frederick weakly, but sincerely before he departed. “At least, I am in the company of understanding gays. Perhaps it is possible that I may love and be loved again. Perhaps, this girl that was rejected as unfit by her own may become the apple of another girl’s beautiful eyes”! A controlled thunder within her disagreed and answered, “I have been proposing to you for years, but you turned me down.

Though I have been in you even before your birth, you still see me as an unwanted stranger! Will you now agree to become the apple of my eyes? What Gene Robinson did is not marriage, but sacrilege. AND MY GOD HATES DIVORCE WITH PERFECT HATRED”! As if she just escaped electrocution; Geri exited the room in a whirlwind of haste and destruction, overturning stationeries, telephones, tea cups, saucers, trays, newspapers, magazines, ash trays and other sundry items until she crashed into the two men.

A startled Frederick and quizzical Konrad tried as much as possible to calm her down, for her theatrics and gesticulations were many, varied, fearful and confusing. Frederick was the first to recover; he leapt on his feet, held Geri with great tenderness and led her to a sofa. He studied her with a calm, but worried expression. Konrad took in the whole scene professionally; a smile of assurance on his lips.

Geri was unsure whether to tell the truth or keep silent, but Frederick’s concern and Konrad’s friendly stance dispelled such fears. She spoke in a dry whisper. “An unseen, unrecognisable voice spoke to me in your office”, she gestured towards Konrad apologetically, “but I don’t expect you to believe me. Gentlemen, I am so sorry to border you with such a strange tale.” She shrugged her shoulders; looked at them for forgiveness, lifted up her hands and collapsed them into her laps in a final gesture signifying defeat and frustration.

Again, it was Frederick who activated his voice first. Tenderly, he lifted up Geri’s chin and with his handkerchief, wiped away the sweat on her brow. “Friend, I believe you because I had the same experience in that office.” He looked at Konrad, drew a chair closer to her before he continued. “Konrad believed me; he helped me to recover, to get out off what I was ashamed to admit, to get over the confusion. He believes you and together, the three of us will help ourselves get over this riddle.

We won’t allow this enigma to remain a puzzle in The Mounty. Please don’t wither for we know you are strong and well equipped physically, emotionally and mentally. Konrad and I think that somehow, Big Religion is behind this invasion of our privacies for there is no record of non gays ever having this weird experience. We will unveil and disgrace this deception of Big Religion. Cheer up Geri.”

Konrad walked up to her, cupped her hair in his hands, patted her back, gave her an expansive smile and took his leave. Gratefully, she stood and dissolved over Frederick in tears of relief. Wordlessly, he rocked her side by side, surprised by the strange indescribable feelings and heat he felt from her. Geri almost spoke out the same feelings, but was too confused to talk. “This is the natural order which my God ordained, that men will find pleasure in the bodies of women and vice versa and not the gross abomination that you commit with Tito”, interrupted Soul Voice. Angry, he forcefully separated from Geri who gave a small, frustrated startled cry, more out of shock than the termination of her momentary joy.

Wounded, he regained his composure, took her in his embrace again and profusely apologised, lying that he just remembered an engagement that cannot be delayed a minute longer. With mixed emotions; they disengaged from each other’s arms and left each other’s presence in silence, Geri to her office and to her loneliness, Frederick to the weighing room and to his suppressed anger, cursing the agents of Big Religion. Suddenly, Frederick realised that the weather had changed. Each day in Australasia begins with climatic anger or pleasantness or both, Konrad had warned him. Almost immediately, the cloud darkened terribly. Thunder erupted and rain came down in torrents. Mist blanketed everywhere. Chills hung on all.

Fog took over. Ice sheets fell. From an adjacent room to the weighing room, the occupants began to complain. Purrs, bellows, howls, barks and bleats assaulted his ears. A non-animal lover, Frederick was shocked. Soul Voice laughed. “Be warned that for companions, Konrad packs unwieldy spirits like Rasputin!” Fred fled.

At the end of the hall was a door sign that said “Future’s Office”. He decided to take refuge in there from the funereal weather and Konrad’s weird zoo. Just as he was about to open the door, it let him in as a voice greeted him. Once inside, he sought the speaker, but made the acquaintance of a doorman robot. On a table sat another machine with a sign “accepts and processes membership applications.” Frederick saw accounting robots that processes bills and prepare expense accounts.

Mechanical arms that lift patrons onto devices of their choices, programmes their time and gives them any assistance with materiel they may need stared at him. Snake arms wonders that will fulfil orders for drinks or towel sweat off gleaming bodies or stand over clients to massage them beckoned at him. His curiosity knew no bounds. Consulting robots which gauge within minutes a client’s temperature, heartbeat, weight, height, blood group, genotype, dental make-up and blood count were on duty. Others that mop, clean, dust and re-arrange without break or launch had come to work.

They were mechanical eyes looking him over even as he looked at them. One shiny piece proclaimed itself to be perfect underwater eyes which help those in swimming lessons gain mastery over that element. They were some contraptions that looked like remotely operated vehicles. “Robot…from Robota, Czech for slave” read a plague above his head. “Let the boastful Yanks in San Francisco come here to realise their primitiveness” he cursed. Frederick developed new respect for European technological prowess.

The weights machine informed him that he oppressed the ground with a three hundred and fifty pounds load and he immediately blamed it on Soul Voice. “My normal weight hovers between 300 and 320 pounds at the most. It is a damned Intruder like you that has force-fed me an extra thirty pounds!” There was some unseen movement before a response. “Not guilty as charged”, defended Soul Voice with an understanding voice that bothered on pity. “Don’t excuse a lifetime given to gross consumption, even on long transatlantic flights and the long hours of inactivity watching movies, sleeping on a luxury miniature bed, eating gourmets and drinking choice wine in a most cozy business class compartment that Singapore Airlines is known for.” Though he tried very hard, he lost the battle and laughed out so hard and long that his ribs hurt. “You misbegotten son of bitchy Big Religion seems to be everywhere and to know everything.

However, I agree with you though I hate to admit it. Well, I will have a surprise for you on my return flight to the United States; I will fly third class, stay off rich gourmets and be far from expensive French wines and cognac.”

He smiled, happy and heated at his decision. “You are welcomed to Fool’s Paradise any day, anytime and anywhere! You must have forgotten Frederick that you bought a return ticket way back in the United States and you and I know that you will not give up the luxury of the business class section just to spite me”, countered Soul Voice.

Flustered, he roared at the top of his voice; “beat it you damn idiot, get off my case and don’t you call me by name again! Never! And I very well don’t intend to inconvenience myself because of you intrusive son of a bitch who have no positive engagement except to disturb law abiding citizens working to earn their living.” He was almost in the exercise hall before he remembered that he hadn’t changed into the proper gear. He slogged off to the changing room and hurried back to the exercise hall almost immediately. “I think that you have skipped the procedural pep talk known as ‘essentials summit’, given by the ‘therapist’” warned Soul Voice. “It’s a pseudo-medical roll call during which your health profile is bastardized.

Your blood count, body configuration, body weight, blood pressure, pulse, cholesterol level and blood sugar will be misinterpreted. You will get some half baked lessons on proper nutrition; a word will be thrown in for you to eat fruits and vegetables, to avoid dairy products, snacks and impulsive eating. You may be lectured to drink lots of water instead of the customary soda.

If this nutritional riot act is effectively combined with a well articulated exercise regime, it will effectively position you in the DMZ of health. Your reward may be desert-chiselled features and a disciplined eating regime if you have the disciplined nerves for it.”

Frederick wished that Soul Voice could use a bullet! “Thanks for intruding Mr Snooper Fox! The only problem is that I can’t remember asking for your stupid opinion. And since it was not solicited for, it is not taken! It is totally rejected! I suggest that you keep your accursed mouth where it rightfully belongs, OUT OF BOUNDS! Now if you will excuse me Mr. Mind reader, I have got some work to do right away.”

A pastor, historian, and writer, Joseph Emeka Anumbor is the author of THE INTERCOURSE OF TROUBLED THOUGHTS, a critically acclaimed discourse on homosexuality published by AuthorHouse Inc, Indiana, USA.