The world was once proclaimed as being turned upside down by the power of the gospel. It was the gospel that exposed man to his wickedness, convicted his heart of sin, and revealed the scheme of redemption by which he was to be saved. Sadly, the world once turned upside down by the gospel has now seemingly been turned upside down by the outright wickedness of man. The mentality that once pervaded in the days of Isaiah again best describes the society which surrounds us. The Lord said to Isaiah:

20 Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil;

Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness;

Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!

21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes

And clever in their own sight! (Isaiah 5:20-21)

The world where my grandparents and parents were raised has been dramatically altered by the acceptance of new social norms. Where homosexuality was once a non-acceptable choice of lifestyle, it is now readily praised and widely accepted. The basic moral foundations of our parent's society has been corroded by the influence of humanism and individuality from the younger generations.

There is no greater display of these facts than in the growth of the gender fluid movement. The gender fluid movement is bringing in a new way of being gender identified and/or exclusive. It is defined as follows:

“Gender Fluid is the described as having a gender that switches back and forth, fluidly, between genders. A person who identifies as gender fluid might have been born a female but feels like a male sometimes. Someone who is gender fluid might describe feeling like a boy, or more masculine, at times during the day and feel more feminine or girly at other times. In addition to switching between feeling like a boy or feeling like a girl, a person who is gender fluid might also experience feelings of being agender, neutrois or third gender.” (emphasis mine, bcj)

The influence and acceptance of the LGBT community, marriage equality for homosexual couples, has paved the way for this new form of gender identity. The make up of one's natural appearance no longer dictates his gender identity, but rather his feelings from inside. The adherents of this movement do not consider themselves "transexual," but rather have adopted a new term "genderqueer" as their nomenclature. Recently, a popular celebrity has taken to Twitter and other forms of social networking by storm with the hashtag, #instapride. This hashtag is used in support and acceptance of the many different teenagers and young adults who are struggling with their sexual identity.

The most frightening statistic in the growth of this new movement is its prevalence among adolescents. Adolescents are easily influenced because of their bodies natural transition from childhood to adulthood and the manipulation of certain feelings. One example of this prevailing influence was manifested at the recent 69th Annual Tony Awards. Jeanine Tesori and Lisa Kron became the first female writing team in history to win a Tony for a musical score. The musical score entitled, Ring of Keys, is an anthem about a young girl coming to terms with being a lesbian. Tesori said in her acceptance speech, "(the score, bcj) is not a song of love, it's a song of identification…Because for girls, you have to see it to be it." This only added fuel to an already blazing fire of influence that is currently sweeping through America.

The rebellion of mankind against the natural gender identification seems to be the next step in the 21st century sexual revolution. A person no longer is born female/male, but which ever sex he identifies with his inner feelings later in life. As the definition stated, "feeling like a boy, or more masculine, at times during the day and feel more feminine or girly at other times." What are parents being told concerning their children in the midst of their transformation? The Locust Therapy website gives this caveat, "Instead of trying to change the child's behavior parents are taught how to support their child as they discover who they are." The parents are essentially told to stay out of their children's lives and give them freedom to express themselves in whatever manner they deem appropriate for that day.

The gross immorality of this world is simply a manifestation of what occurs when a society rejects the biblical principles of an all-powerful God. A similar attitude was referenced to by Paul, in his letter to the Romans:

26 For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, 27 and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error. 28 And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, (Romans 1:26-28).

When mankind rejects their Creator, what stops them from also rejecting the natural functions of man and woman?

We live in darkening world where sin is praised and righteousness is ridiculed, but this does not give us the excuse to stop raising our children and being godly examples to all we encounter. Where the biblical principles of the home have long been vacated by the world, may we be renewed in our homes to raise our children under the discipline and instruction of the word (Ephesians 6:4). The Locust Therapy website told parents to support their children's discovery of themselves. The Bible says, "15 Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; The rod of discipline will remove it far from him" (Proverbs 22:15). It is time for parents to stop being their children's best friends and get back to being their guardians and instructors in the Word of God.

The gender fluid movement is another prime example of why as Christians we are called to be strangers and exiles living in a foreign place (1 Peter 2:11). This world is not our home because our "citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like His glorious body, by the power that enables Him even to subject all things to Himself" (Philippians 3:20-21). While living on this earth we have the responsibility to proclaim the goodness and severity of God (Romans 11:22). So often what this world needs more than anything else is the preaching of Enoch –

14 It was also about these men that Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, saying, "Behold, the Lord came with many thousands of His holy ones, 15 to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him." (Jude 14-15).

The seed of the kingdom must be sown, how are we doing?

The world will continue to praise those who reject their natural dispositions and call them courageous and inspiring, but we must valiantly stand against such open rebellion and be willing to always give a defense for the hope which resides in us (1 Peter 3:15). Our time on earth may grow dimmer with each passing day, but we are looking toward that eternal day with Jesus in heaven! May we live everyday with these words of Paul resounding in our hearts, "58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord" (1 Corinthians 15:58). Let us begin to turn this world upside down again by the power of gospel by starting with our home, then street, neighborhood, community, state, country, and ultimately the world. May God bless our efforts to seek and save the lost!

By Colby Junkin

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