Tonight, another tragic step on the road to ruin has been taken by our country.
As if previous measures designed to promote a perverse lifestyle in our nation were not enough, our Parliament has voted to pass legislation to facilitate 'gay marriage' by a majority of 400 to 175.
Sadly, the process to remove another "ancient landmark" that sets the standard for moral behaviour within our shores is now well under way. The next step to press this vote into effective legislation will occur when this debate is taken to the House of Lords. Many supporters are fuelled with fresh confidence, given the scale of the "yes" vote in the Commons, that it will now be much more difficult for the House of Lords to obstruct this measure.
Hebrews 13:4 provides a pertinent couplet –
"Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge."
- reminding us that,
(i) The marriage of one male and one female, as instituted by God (Genesis 2), retains His blessing;
(ii) but immorality – of which homosexual activity is a chief and grievous form – falls under His curse (Romans 1).
Tonight sends a signal to all true Christians: we need to intensify our efforts in prayer so that God would intervene in the affairs of our nation in the grace of salvation and rescue rather than the judgment of devastation and ruin.
Led by the supposedly 'great and the good' who, given the incidence of atheists, humanists and deviants within their ranks, are currently further from God than most previous Parliaments have been, the majority of our MPs have blindly steered the nation in the direction of the ditch of depravity.
However, if we can urgently grasp the offer of divine aid as revealed in Hosea 13:9-10 –
"O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but in Me is thine help. I will be thy King: where is any other that may save thee in all thy cities?"
- we may live to see our nation turned around and back to God.
Let us intercede for a merciful awakening by the power of the Holy Spirit in these dark days when our government seems so intent on morphing evil into good!
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FACTS TO NOTE ABOUT TONIGHT'S VOTE:
• The majority of Conservative MPs rejected this measure: 136 to 126. A poor result for the Prime Minister. He led – but fewer than half his MPs followed. No personal victory in this.
• 'How the Minor Parties voted' ...
The bill was also opposed by:
Democratic Unionists Gregory Campbell (Londonderry East), Nigel Dodds (Belfast North), Jeffrey Donaldson (Lagan Valley), Rev William McCrea (Antrim South), Ian Paisley Junior (Antrim North), Jim Shannon (Strangford), David Simpson (Upper Bann), Sammy Wilson (Antrim East), and independents Nadine Dorries (Bedfordshire Mid) and Lady Sylvia Hermon (Down North).
It is tremendously encouraging to note the high level of opposition to 'Same Sex Marriage' within our own province. Our thanks is extended to all those who have registered their vote for traditional, biblical marriage.
• Northern Ireland Secretary Owen Patterson also voted against.
Of great concern is the fact that this bill was supported by:
Two local MPs – Alliance MP Naomi Long (Belfast East) and the SDLP's Mark Durkan (Foyle).
• Labour leader Ed Milliband has announced:
"Proud that Parliament voted in favour of equal marriage today. This is an important step forward in the fight for equality in Britain."
By this he simply cements his position within the ranks of those who "glory in their shame" (Philippians 3:19).
