Four Great Lessons from Isaiah Chapter 3

I received the following message from Pastor Zac Poonen this week and thought I would share it.

Four Great Lessons

We can learn four great lessons from chapter three of Isaiah.

1. Isaiah 3:10,11 assures the righteous that it will finally go well with them and warns the wicked that things will finally go badly for them. Although this may not appear to be so immediately, it will be so finally.

2. Isaiah 3:12 speaks of the pathetic state of the people of Israel. They were going astray because their leaders were immature (“children”) and effeminate (“women”). This, unfortunately, is true of much of today’s Christian leadership as well. Immature leaders are those who value the temporal things of earth more than the things of eternity. Effeminate leaders are those who are not warriors for the Lord - just as women are not usually found on the battlefield but at home. Such leaders are not bold to fight for the truth or to rebuke sin in the church - especially when sin is found among the rich. If you are called to be a leader, determine that you will always live for the things of eternity and be ready at all times to fight the Lord’s battles.


3. In Isaiah 3:14, the Lord says that He is “going to enter into judgment with the elders and princes of His people.” The prophets invariably began with a warning of judgment against the leaders – because it was the leaders who had first become corrupt and thus led the people astray. The Lord says, “The plunder of the poor is in your houses. What do you mean by grinding the face of the poor?” (Isaiah 3:15). Most preachers today ask people frequently to “give money for the Lord’s work”. They even pressurise people to give their tithes – and many poor people respond and sacrificially give these preachers their hard-earned money. But what do these preachers do with it? Most of them use it to live in grand style themselves! This is what it means to “grind the faces of the poor”. If you are a preacher and you receive a gift of money for your personal use, make sure that you use it to live at a lower standard than the person who gave you the money. That was the principle by which Jesus used the money that He received.

Most preachers today (like the false prophets of old) care more for the rich people in their congregations than for the poor. They speak sweet words to the rich and hard words of rebuke to the poor. God has however “chosen the poor of the world to be rich in faith and heirs of His kingdom” (Jas. 2:5). And so, true prophets are always concerned for the poor.

4. The Lord then had something to say to the women in Zion - not to unconverted women, but to “the daughters of Zion.” All young sisters should read Isaiah 3:16-26 and be warned. The Lord says there that He will judge the women “who mince along with noses in the air, tinkling the bracelets on their ankles, and with wanton eyes that rove among the crowds to catch the glances of the men. The Lord will strip away their ornaments, necklaces, bracelets, veils of shimmering gauze, ankle chains, headbands, earrings and other rings, jewels, party clothes, negligees, capes and ornate combs, their purses (handbags), and the mirrors (in their handbags), their lovely lingerie and beautiful dresses” (Living Bible).

Does the Lord observe such minute details in a woman’s attire? He certainly does. God is very interested in the way His daughters dress. He wants Christian women to dress modestly and never in such a way as to tempt men. The Holy Spirit exhorts women to be “sensible in the way they dress. Christian women should be noticed for being kind and good and not for the way they fix their hair or because of their jewels or fancy clothes” (1 Tim. 2:9,10-Living).

One can imagine how angry the women of Isaiah’s day became on hearing such strong preaching. They must have hated him and encouraged their husbands to kill him!

Prophets are different from regular preachers. They speak what God lays on their hearts, even if their message offends the rich people and the women in a church. That’s why prophets are not popular.

Checking In

I am (literally) months behind in responding to emails and maybe some comments.  While I try to be responsive, it has been a busy summer and the schedule is not letting up with the school year now starting.  If you have written, please excuse the delay.  I will be attempting to catch-up over the next month in order to address all inquiries.

In the meantime, you might find the following article interesting about the recent earthquakes on the Northeast side of the United States:  The Sixth Seal - The Great Earthquake.  

While I believe the signs Jesus gives us for identifying the end times are often symbolic, literal, and spiritual, I pray that these signs of the times will awaken those Christians who may have been lulled to sleep by the cares of this life.

Come Lord Jesus, Come!

"See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven: Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain." Hebrews 12:25-27

What is the Purpose of "Ministry"?

The following article from The School of Christ was sent to me this morning and I am sharing it here in case it also edifies others.

Before getting into the article however, I must share that there is a movement in the churchworld to get others out of what is called the "institutionalized church" (IC).  While I completely agree that the experience of false religion can be a deceiving counterfeit for actual relationship with the Lord, the problem itself is not organized church.

In fact, the religious spirit of deception, legalism, bondage, compromise, and control exists primarily in the hearts of men.  So when such leave the "IC", they simply take that same defiling spirit with them, starting up or joining "ministries" which bear the same deadly trademarks of that which they claim to fight against; binding people to themselves as if allegiance & loyalty to them defines one's relationship with Christ.

God has ordained fellowship amongst the brethren as an important part of our growth and maturation in the faith.  It is an opportunity to encourage, refresh, and strengthen each other in the Lord.  We should never let a few bad seeds (or even many) cause us to reject the whole counsel of God in this area.  If God indicates that it is important for the saints to gather together, then it is (Acts 2:42; Hebrews 10:25; I Thessalonians 5:11).

Whether you are part of an organized church, a home church, a bible study group, or are currently seeking Godly fellowship, we each remain responsible for making our own calling and election sure.  True freedom in Christ is only experienced because we are fully and completely committed to being attached to Him first.  It is only then that we can join in fellowship with others without feeling as if such community threatens our identity in Christ.

There are Babylonian systems and ministers set-up to keep you from Christ.  However, following Him first and submitting to His guidance will keep you wise, even about those.  If we are to truly be free, we must be free within.  There is nothing from outside of a man which defiles him.

With that said, it is important to understand what the standards are for Godly ministry and ensure that we are equipped to recognize and participate in such.  Remember, we are the church...so let's start being the church and not just have it be a verbal confession.  God gives us countless opportunities to minister to others each day.  If our hearts are yielded to Him, we will not let them be wasted.


The Perfecting of the Saints

“And He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:11-13)

For what purpose did God give apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers? Verse 12 tells us they are for “the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the Body of Christ”. This, of course, does not mean that the saints are supposed to be perfect in the sense that they never make a mistake or can do no wrong. “Perfection” here means “maturity”, and it would be good to simply remember that whenever we see the word “perfect” used in this context we should think “spiritually mature”.

The perfecting of the saints means the maturing of the saints, the process of bringing the saints out of spiritual immaturity and into spiritual adulthood. This is the purpose for the ministry gifts. We are not born fully-grown; we must “grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (II Peter 3:18a). In Biblical language, to be “perfect” is to be fully developed. For instance, “My strength is made perfect in weakness” (II Corinthians 12:9ff). What does this mean? “My strength is matured through your weakness, and is fully developed in the one who comes to the end of his natural strength.”

After more than twenty years of Christian experience, Paul explains that he has neither attained, nor is he already perfect (cf. Philippians 3:12a). Clearly he expects to be perfect one day, but he has not yet attained it. But to what is he attaining to? Sinless perfection? No. He is striving for spiritual maturity, which he defines as an experiential, intimate, fully-developed relationship with Jesus Christ (“to know Him”). Then he says everyone who is perfect (that is, spiritually mature), will be like-minded in their pursuit of knowing Christ.

Paul says he preaches Christ: “…warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus” (Colossians 1:28). This, in essence, is the purpose of all ministry, whether it is the ministry of an apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor or teacher. It is to preach CHRIST, and to bring all men into a spiritually mature relationship with Him. Christ is at the heart of everything; He is at the center of all activity; we begin with Him and we end with Him.

When we are introduced to a new ministry and we wish to test its authenticity and spiritual value, we need only ask ourselves two questions: is this ministry centered upon Jesus Christ, and does it bring people into a deeper, more experiential knowing of Him?

If we wish to evaluate someone who claims to be an apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor or teacher, we can apply the same test: is this person centered on Jesus Christ? And when they do whatever it is that they do (preach, teach, prophesy, sing, plant churches, etc.), does it bring people into a deeper, more experiential knowing of Him?

Some may think that kind of test is too severe. Why, if we applied this criteria to every minister and ministry in the world (they say) then we would probably disqualify a majority of workers and works that are doing the Church and mankind a great service. Yes, we probably would. Yet in terms of value to the Kingdom of God, if the work is not Christ-centered and does nothing to bring people into a mature relationship with Him then it has no value to God and is worthless in His sight. If we are not preaching Christ then we are preaching something or someone else; and if we are not bringing people into the depths of Jesus with our life and work then we are either leaving them as they are or leaving them worse than when we found them. We become a distraction and a hindrance to the spiritual growth of others.

If the minister or the ministry does not preach Christ, and does not bring people into spiritual maturity, then they fulfill the opposite of God’s intention – they make themselves the center and make the people dependent upon them, guaranteeing the spiritual immaturity of those affiliated with them. A congregation that is dependent upon its pastor to hear from God for them, deliver a message to them, pray for their needs, and take responsibility for their own spiritual growth is doomed to infancy and spiritual immaturity. If the pastor accepts this situation then he reinforces the congregation’s dependency upon himself. Instead of pointing them to Christ as their Shepherd and getting them to stand on their own, he becomes their surrogate mother. Unfortunately, this is precisely where many churches are today. “We leave the spiritual work to the pastor, while we attend the services.”

The prophetic ministry is just as guilty. The “prophet” or “prophetess” and their “word” becomes the focus of everything; and instead of bringing people to Christ and teaching them how to hear from the Lord on their own, they take responsibility for giving them messages from God. So now people are passively depending on the prophetic ministry for direction, instead of growing up into Christ and developing their own discernment and ability to hear His still, small voice. I read recently of a “prophet” who claimed to give personal words of prophecy to over five hundred people in the course of a week. I do not have to know what was said to know that this person’s idea of a “prophetic ministry” will only keep people spiritual dull and incapable of hearing from God on their own. Why should they develop any kind of spiritual sense when they can have a “prophet” come and give them a “word” whenever they like?

Just because we CAN give a word does not mean that we SHOULD give a word. The goal is not to give people a word, but to give them CHRIST as their Word. Or to put it another way, the goal of ministry is not to give people a loaf of bread every day, but to show them how to obtain all the bread they wish in CHRIST who is the Bread of Life. Do you see the difference? If my entire goal is to give people a sermon every week or a prophetic word every day then both I and they will fall far short of God’s Purpose, which is spiritual maturity and knowing Christ experientially. If the crowd is coming to me for a loaf of bread every time they get hungry then they are dependent upon me to feed them. This is only acceptable so long as they are children who cannot feed themselves. But if I show them where to get bread on their own then they will not have to come to me anymore: and THAT is the goal. Then they can get nourished directly from the source, Who is Christ Himself. The truth is that selling loaves of bread is big business, and a ministry whose survival depends on selling loaves actually WANTS the people to come back to them over and over again to be fed!

May we see before God that CHRIST is the object and the reason for all ministry. Our goal is not to see anyone become dependent upon us, our ministry, our work, or our word; our goal is not to give them a loaf, but rather, to encourage them to go experience the depths of Jesus Christ experientially and personally – to show them where the Bread of Life is.

Favored by God

Seeing as God Sees

"Leah was tender eyed; but Rachel was beautiful and well favoured." Genesis 29:17

When Jacob went to his mother's kin to find a wife, he fell in love with Rachel.  Scripture indicates that this was because Rachel was more beautiful in her appearance than her older sister Leah. 

As it turns out, Jacob was tricked by his uncle Laban into marrying both Leah & Rachel.  God then notices that - in Jacob's eyes - Leah was hated and Rachel was loved (Genesis 29:30-31).

Jacob placed more value on that which was outwardly pleasing and attractive.  It soon becomes apparent however, that Rachel's outer beauty only went so deep.

• Leah desired to have children in order to win the love of her husband; but Rachel was motivated by spite and a desire to prevail over her sister in all things (Genesis 30:8).


• Rachel was self-centered and lacked compassion; wanting everything for herself - even taking from others who did not have as much (Genesis 30:14-15).


• Rachel was covetous.  Although she prayed desperately to God about the barrenness of her womb, when He gave her a son, she was not satisfied.  Instead, she immediately focused on her desire for another son (Genesis 30:23-24).  It is this desire which eventually consumed her, as she died giving birth to her second son.


• Rachel was a thief and an idolator.  Even after having seen what God had done in her husband's life, she still stole her father's graven images when they departed from him (Genesis 31:19).


• Rachel was a liar.  She lied to her father about the stolen idols in order to hide the fact that she had taken them (Genesis 31:34-35).

"Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised." Proverbs 31:30

Man often judges by outward appearance, and as a result, misses that which is most precious to God - a humble spirit.  Such was the same for Jacob.

Yet, something strange happens.  When Jacob makes an arrangement with his uncle Laban for his wages, Jacob agrees to take the cattle whose appearance is less desirable/valuable.  He offers that which looks most pleasing to his uncle and consents to take that which is physically marred for himself.

"I will pass through all thy flock to day, removing from thence all the speckled and spotted cattle, and all the brown cattle among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the goats: and of such shall be my hire." Genesis 30:32

In order to trick Jacob once again, Laban gives the visibly marred cattle to his sons and places them 3 days journey ahead of Jacob.  This way, Jacob was only left with cattle which had no visible defects, for Laban assumed this would greatly decrease the odds of Jacob producing marred offspring.

Surprisingly, as they conceived, the unmarred cattle began to bring forth speckled and spotted offspring.  In this way, God overturned the fortune with which He had blessed Laban and gave those riches to Jacob.  When Jacob later reveals to his wives God's providence in this area, he says:

"And it came to pass at the time that the cattle conceived, that I lifted up mine eyes, and saw in a dream, and, behold, the rams which leaped upon the cattle were ringstraked, speckled, and grisled. And the angel of God spake unto me in a dream, saying, Jacob: And I said, Here am I. And he said, Lift up now thine eyes, and see, all the rams which leap upon the cattle are ringstraked, speckled, and grisled: for I have seen all that Laban doeth unto thee."  Genesis 31:10-12

In this vision, Jacob was able to see that all of the rams which mated with the cattle were ringstreaked, speckled, and grisled.  Yet, we know from the previous text that all the marred cattle had been far removed from Jacob and given to Laban's sons.  The only cattle which remained in Jacob's possession were those which were not physically marred.

"...for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart." I Samuel 16:7b

Although man may judge by outward signs, God sees the heart. While someone may look attractive, righteous, and unblemished on the outside, God sees the spirit of a man.

Just like those cattle - whether we appear visibly marred or not - we all stand before God with blemishes and imperfections.  This may make us undesirable to men, but it is such persons which the Father seeks.  His favor rests upon those who do not try to hide nor justify their shortcomings, but who openly acknowledge their faults and cry out for mercy (Matthew 9:10-13; Luke 18:13-14). 

"But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence." I Corinthians 1:27-29

An inability to see through God's eyes can blind us to the things of God; to His ways and to His people.  Such can lead us to embrace as brothers & sisters those who are not, seek favor from those who are against us, or reject those whom God is calling.

And so we see that it was no strange thing why Jacob - who had proven to judge by appearances - would suddenly choose that which was apparently less beautiful.  God was teaching Jacob to see with spiritual eyes and not to rely on his own understanding.  He was revealing to Jacob that is not by power nor by might, but by God's Spirit that His words come to pass (Deuteronomy 8:17; Zechariah 4:6).

Like Jacob, God also needs to teach us how to "see".  We cannot afford to know any man after the flesh. No matter the connivings and contrivances of man, God always works things out according to His own plan; if only we would trust Him (Genesis 30:33).  He opens and He shuts.  He removes and He restores.  He casts down and lifts up.  If we cannot see His hand at work - in our lives and the lives of others - then how can we ever hope to be vessels fit for His use?

Don't settle for a carnal view of life, judging situations and people solely by external attributes and outward manifestations.  Rather judge righteous judgment, seeking God for spiritual eyes to see as He does.  This way, you will not honor that which God despises nor shun that which He honors. 

REPENT and Believe

Preach the REAL Gospel

"Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel." Mark 1:14-15

What is the Gospel message?  Ask that question and you are bound to get a variety of answers.  However, Jesus - and His disciples - all seemed pretty sure what the Gospel is and how it should be preached.

"From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Matthew 4:17

"And they went out, and preached that men should repent." Mark 6:12

"Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem." Luke 24:45-47

"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." Acts 2:38

"Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord." Acts 3:19

"Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ." Acts 20:21

With the number of false gospel messages being preached these days, it is no wonder that much of the churchworld is in such a miserable state.  Yet, God says what He means and means what He says.  Further - and this may be a shocker for some - we cannot improve upon what God has done.

It is Not "God Loves You, Now Believe"

The first message of the Gospel is not to convince sinners that God "loves" them. Yet, many in the church have made this their primary mission.  They replace the preaching of repentance with the preaching of God's "love".  The problem - the say - is that the lost does not know how much God "loves" them.  Therefore, before we can even think to win them to the faith, we must show them "love" and tell them of God's "love" so as not to push them away.  Only when they are convinced of, and won over by, this "love" will they then desire to come to know the Lord.

It should be noted however that not one time did Jesus or His disciples use the preaching of God's "love" as the impetus to getting others to believe.  Does that mean that God does not love mankind?  Of course not!  But it does mean that such preaching is not the means of leading people to the faith.

Is man less sinful now than 2000 years ago?   Did God make a mistake and send us the wrong Gospel message at the beginning of the church?  When did God realize that a call to repentance was too callous, too unloving, or too demanding? 

According to the Scriptures, we show the love of God to others by walking in what He has commanded (I John 5:2). We are transformed into vessels of His love by being obedient to Him and speaking/living His truths in our lives.  What type of "love" is it which would call for us to disregard God's Gospel in favor of our own?  Any "love" that changes His truths into a lie is a soulish perception of love that is anything but true.

The great divide between God and man is not an absence of God's love; the problem is not on God's side at all.  The one thing that prevents reconciliation between God and man is sin.  As long as we try to pretend that sin is not the issue, then we will never be able to show the way of salvation to others.

It is Not "Believe and then Repent"

Notice as well that we are not called to "Believe and then repent".  Rather, repentance comes first.  Before one can even have a hope of believing, one's heart must have Godly sorrow about sin, turning from it and adopting an attitude towards sin that mirrors God's: despising it (Romans 8:6-8).

We can spend many minutes, hours, days trying to get people to believe in Christ; engaging in endless & senseless strivings about religion, doctrine, and the purpose of life.  Much of this would be curtailed if we but understood that belief must be preceded by repentance.

When man repents, God gives him ears to hear and eyes to see the truth so that he can come to it by the drawing of the Holy Spirit (Zechariah 7:11-12; Acts 3:19; Matthew 13:9-15; II Timothy 2:24-26).  Conversely, we must know that people's response to the Gospel does not invalidate the truths of the Gospel. 

Why don't people believe the Gospel? 

It is not because it is too hard for them to understand (II Corinthians 11:3).

Nor is it because they need more proof that God exists (Romans 1:20).

Neither is it that they do not "feel" loved by God (Psalm 145:8-9; Matthew 5:45; John 3:16; Romans 1:19).

It is no great mystery and entails no psychological review.  There is only one reason why people do not come to faith in Jesus Christ and that is because they are not yet through with sin (John 3:19; 15:22-25).  In other words, they are not ready to repent.

If we truly desire to minister to the lost - to be used by God as His witnesses about His great love - then we must be sure to preach the real Gospel.  We must not be ashamed of this message, but should preach it with clarity so that the Spirit can draw men unto Jesus Christ.  It is He alone who saves, not ourselves, and only He knows what men need to hear for their hearts to be pricked (Acts 2:37-38).

Pray for a spirit of boldness, pray for God to open a door of utterance, so that captives may be set free via your unwavering witness for Christ.

"The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." II Peter 3:9

"And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent." Acts 17:30

Flee Fornication

Keeping the Marriage Bed Holy

"Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge." Hebrews 13:4

The above verse has been so abused that it is used to give a virtual "anything goes" approach to sex between married couples. It is often misinterpreted to read, "Everything sexual between married people is okay, but any sex between people who are unmarried is forbidden."

Yet, the distinction that this verse is dealing with married vs. unmarried individuals is a false one.  Does not adultery involve someone who is married?  Sure, they are not married to the person with whom they are committing adultery, but they are in a marital relationship.  The command against being an "adulterer" is relevant for the married person; so also is the command against being a "whoremonger".

The entire verse is addressing how the marriage bed is to be kept holy.  God is giving an admonition for married couples to keep their marriage bed undefiled by avoiding sexual perversion and adultery.  Several other Bible translations make the meaning of this text more evident:

"Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous."  English Standard Version, Hebrews 13:4

"Let marriage be held every way in honour, and the bed be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers will God judge." Darby Translation, Hebrews 13:4

"Let marriage be held in honor (esteemed worthy, precious, of great price, and especially dear) in all things. And thus let the marriage bed be undefiled (kept undishonored); for God will judge and punish the unchaste [all guilty of sexual vice] and adulterous." Amplified Version, Hebrews 13:4

The latter half of Hebrews 13:4 is not primarily for the unmarried, but for the married.  It is possible to be married, yet be an adulterer.  It is also possible to be married, yet be a whoremonger.  In both instances, the marriage bed is defiled and brings about the judgment of God.

"But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints...For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God." Ephesians 5:3, 5

Part of the confusion in this area is that many do not understand what the New Testament refers to as "fornication".  Fornication - as appearing in the Scriptures - is not simply a reference to sex amongst unmarried persons.  The word for fornication in the New Testament is the Greek word porneia.  It is where we get the English word pornography from, and it is detestable to God.

As early as the 6th Century B.C., Greece had a flourishing sex trade which comprised of their setting up porneias or houses of prostitution.  The word porneia literally means "illicit sexual intercourse" and refers to all acts of sexual perversion including adultery, sodomy, bestiality, incest, etc. - anything which the Lord our God has condemned as an abomination (Leviticus 20:10-21). 

Scripture not only condemns illicit sexual relationships, but also illicit sexual acts.  Who's to say what is an illicit sexual act?  God is to say.

For example, although sex was given as a gift by God to be enjoyed in marriage, even the union between a husband and wife during times of her menstruation was determined by God to be unclean (Leviticus 20:18).  Clearly God has never had the view that "anything which is done in the marriage bed is holy and acceptable".  Similarly, while same sex attraction is condemned by God, so are the "unclean, vile, unnatural, and unseemly acts" performed in such relationships, i.e. oral/anal sex (Romans 1:24-27).

When Christians practice acts of porneia - even in the bounds of marriage - they become whoremongers according to Hebrews 13:4.   The word for "whoremonger" is pornos which means "one who practices porneia or unlawful sexual intercourse".  Such acts are not to be found among the saints of God (Ephesians 5:3).

"I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators: Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world.  But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat. For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? Do not ye judge them that are within?" I Corinthians 5:9-12

The mind of man has become so perverted, that even that which God calls unclean and defiled is justified in the modern day churchworld.  Man has wandered so far from God, that many can no longer even recognize what is holy vs. what is profane...even in the midst of the church!  

I pray that those with a heart to truly serve the Lord in Spirit & in Truth seek Him in this matter and ask for spiritual wisdom regarding how to honor marriage and keep the marriage bed holy. 

"Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body." I Corinthians 6:18