The definition of struggle is:
To contend with an adversary or opposing force. To cope with the inability to win, and contend with difficulty.
“You have to deal with homosexual attractions like you would alcoholism, it’s like an addiction.”
I always get irritated with that statement. There is no comparison between the two. It is very frustrating to me when people compare my feelings and emotions to a beverage.
What people fail to understand or refuse to understand, is that homosexuality is no different then heterosexuality. Both involve an attraction, that’s it. The attraction to whom is the difference.
People also claim that homosexuality is a choice. A choice for what? Do heterosexual people choose who they are attracted to? Of course not, that just sounds ridiculous. So why would that be any different to me?
I feel that struggling with homosexual attractions is one of the most difficult, if not impossible, struggles to overcome. I can almost hear the laugh’s and see the eye’s roll over that statement. But let me explain why I say this.
You have to understand what it feels like for a Christian who struggles with homosexuality, and you have to understand what that means for us.
Many Christians believe that homosexuality can and must be changed, that with the power of prayer, they can become heterosexual. Do you realize the expectation that is laid at our feet? Just imagine if you were told that you must change your heterosexual attractions and, with the power of prayer, become attracted to your own sex. Sounds impossible doesn’t it? Why? Because your attraction is not a choice. But let’s not stop there, I need you to not talk about this to others, because they find you disgusting…and don’t call me when you are struggling, I don’t have an answer for you, besides, the subject makes me feel uncomfortable. Maybe you should go see a counselor.
And so, you are left to struggle all alone. Eventually, you fade into the crowd, and away from the Church. Ah, problem resolved for the Church. You are losing your battle, you fall, and eventually you surrender to your enemy. The fight is over. The Church snubs their nose at you and casts their stones. You were never truly saved, a real Christian would have fought to the finish and would be an overcomer! Just like the Bible says, “a dog returns to his own vomit.” Shame on you!
You know you believe in God, but you begin to doubt His love for you. You prayed for Him to change you. But He didn’t. You prayed for a good Christian to come in to your life to help you through this, to help you find answers to the tough questions. Someone you can open up to about what is really going on inside. But there is no one. You feel all alone, because you are. You feel worthless, because their actions say you are.
You start to look deep within yourself for the answers that no one can give you. You start getting more depressed when you realize not only must you go through this without your Christian brothers and sisters, you have to deny yourself of many things.
You realize that the feelings of intimacy, the desire to love and be loved, and companionship are denied to you. The things we are all, by nature, born with must be pushed aside. Forever. Unless your attractions change. You are doomed to a life of loneliness. You get to watch everyone around you with their partners, creating a life together, full of memories. Oh, what a joy that must be. But wait, you can’t have that, if you want to go to Heaven.
So you step out into the world. Still keeping quiet about your struggle. Hopefully no one finds out at work, you may lose your job, just because of who you are attracted to. Great, no friends, no love, no church, and now, no job. You can go in the military, but “don’t tell” or you will get kicked out. It doesn’t matter that you loved your Country enough to fight for the freedom of those who didn’t feel the need to. It doesn’t matter that you were willing to give your life for all the people that wanted you to keep your mouth shut and struggle in your own silence. Your family may reject you. Someone might even kill you just for being you, like they did to Matthew Shepard.
But, eventually, you will come to your senses and realize, that being gay is just a choice, like alcoholism.
I only wish I were an alcoholic.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
It's not about you
As a Christian man who struggles with homosexuality, it hard to not get caught up with the “mind set” of the world. I guess that’s true for all Christians regardless of what we struggle with. God isn’t too concerned about what our struggles are, but He is concerned about what we do with them.
Jesus was odd. His teachings go against everything we are taught by the world. We are taught to be true to ourselves, stop denying who we are, to live and let live. But Jesus said in Matthew 16:24 if we want to follow Him, we have to deny ourselves. What does Jesus mean? Am I supposed to deny who I am? No, not at all, but if I want to follow Him, there are things that I must deny myself of and things I am not to participate in.
As humans, we naturally desire to please ourselves. If it feels good or right, we do it. Our goals are to be successful, have a big house, a fancy car, to be comfortable in life and to be able to afford the things we want. Our focus is on here and now. Our hero’s and those we look up to are usually the rich and famous. Some of them may even be Pastors, Authors and Leaders. Because they are influential in this world and to us, we accept the things that they say as truth. They say things that make us feel good about who we are and what we do. Many of their thoughts and ideas are merely their own opinions or things based on their experiences in life.
1 Corinthians 3:18-19 says, “ Stop deceiving yourselves. If you think you are wise by this world’s standards, you need to become a fool to be truly wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God.”
Too often, we see people who claim to be Christians doing the same things that the world does. They are no different. They talk the same, act the same, and go to the same places. The only way we know they are Christians is because they say they are. I know I have been guilty of that more than I like to admit.
Christians get divorced, have abortions, get drunk, have pre-marital sex, go to bars, watch pornography, live homosexual lives, and curse. The list goes on. We aren’t any different.
This was the same problem Paul experienced with the Church of Corinth. The Church was allowing these things to take place right in their midst. Not only were they allowing the sin, they were proud of it. The Church became a place of immorality, and so it has become today.
Paul says in 1 Corinthians 5:9-13: “I told you not to have anything to do with immoral people. But I wasn't talking about the people of this world. You would have to leave this world to get away from everyone who is immoral or greedy or who cheats or worships idols. I was talking about your own people who are immoral or greedy or worship idols or curse others or get drunk or cheat. Don't even eat with them! Why should I judge outsiders? Aren't we supposed to judge only church members? God judges everyone else. The Scriptures say, "Chase away any of your own people who are evil."
Paul made it very clear that we are not supposed to judge the world for their immorality, but we are to look within our own Church and judge them. But we do just the opposite. We judge the world and neglect our own sins.
Sure, you are going to have many people in Church who struggle with immorality. If we are honest with ourselves, we all would have to admit we are guilty of some immorality in our lives. Jesus said the Church was a hospital for those who are sick, for sinners who need help. It isn’t a country club for the self righteous.
I think a lot of people go to Church for the wrong reason. Some go just because it is something they always did, so they go. Some go to socialize. Some go because they think it will get them to Heaven. There are many reasons people go to Church. But how many go because they know they are a sinner? How many go because they know they are caught in a sin and need help? How many go because Jesus said it was a Hospital for their soul? And how many get turned away because they go for all the right reasons?
Some people believe that those who live immoral lives could not be saved at all. That is not true. Keep in mind that Paul was speaking to and about Christians. Paul instructed the Church in verse 5 to “hand that man over to Satan.” Paul continues to say, “His body will be destroyed, but his spirit will be saved.”
This of course is not saying that Christians who are caught up in immorality should be cast out. As Christians, we are to “gently and humbly” lead people onto the right path.” Jesus said about Himself in Matthew 11, “for I am gentle and humble in heart.” He is gentle and humble in heart for those who seek after Him, who what to find the truth and live in obedience to Him. Many people only view God as loving, forgiving, gentle and accepting of everyone. But, there is a side of God no one wants to see. Ephesians 5:5-6 says, “For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a man is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient.”
We can try to justify what we do. We can twist and interpret the Bible to say anything we want it to say. We do this to make what we do seem right and justified. We create God to be who we want Him to be or what we think He should be like. The Fear of God is no longer in our vocabulary. Proverbs 3:7 says, “Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil. Proverbs 9:10 says, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.” Proverbs 14:2, “Those who follow the right path fear the Lord; those who take the wrong path despise him.” Jesus Himself said in Luke 12:4-5, “My friends, don't be afraid of people. They can kill you, but after that, there is nothing else they can do. God is the one you must fear. Not only can he take your life, but he can throw you into hell. God is certainly the one you should fear!”
We often hear people say, “this is my body, I can do what I want with it.” But that is not true. 1 Corinthians 6:18-20 says, “Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body. Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.”
I know many in the gay community that do not believe that homosexuality is a sin. I agree that being homosexual, or having same sex attractions, is not a sin, it is a temptation, a struggle. However, being sexually involved is a sin.
God understands sin, that’s why He came and gave His life. When He met the woman who was caught in adultery, He didn’t condemn her, but He did tell her to “go and sin no more.”
God doesn’t require any more from someone struggling with homosexuality then he does with someone who is heterosexual. Sex outside of marriage is a sin. 1 Corinthians 6:13, “Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord.”
Some may say, heterosexuals have an option to get married, but homosexuals do not. Or what happens if homosexuals are allowed to get married as is the case in some States? Doesn’t the Bible say we are to obey our Government? Romans 13:1-2 says, “Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted.”
Does this mean if a law is passed, and homosexuals can legally get married that it is of God? Peter tells us in Acts 5:29 that we are to obey God over man. Just because our Government passes something into Law, doesn’t mean God’s Laws are void. The Government passed a Law making it legal to have abortions. Does that make abortion acceptable to God? Science says a fetus isn’t a life. But God said in Jeremiah 1:5, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you.” What man says or passes into law does not change what God says, He is the final authority.
You hear so many times from the gay community that Jesus never mentioned homosexuality, therefore He didn’t see it as a sin. No, Jesus never used the word homosexual, but this is what He did say, “Haven’t you read the Scriptures?” Jesus replied. “They record that from the beginning ‘God made them male and female.’ And he said, ‘This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.” Matthew 19:4-6.
See how easy it is to overlook what Jesus didn’t say, and ignore what He did say? Jesus didn’t address the issue of homosexuality because it wasn’t an option. Just because He did not use the word homosexual doesn’t mean it was acceptable to Him. He didn’t address abortion, drug use, or pornography either, does that mean it was okay?
Throughout the scriptures, you will find one thing about Jesus that is very different than us. We focus on the pleasures and desires of this world. But Jesus always focuses on our soul and our eternity. He said, “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” Matthew 16:26
Our focus is on us, what we want, what we can get, how we feel. But God created us for His glory, Isaiah 43:7. We were created to do good works for Christ, Ephesians 2:10. We were created to worship, honor and glorify God, Revelations 4:11.
We got it all wrong, life is not about me and you. It’s all about Him.
Jesus was odd. His teachings go against everything we are taught by the world. We are taught to be true to ourselves, stop denying who we are, to live and let live. But Jesus said in Matthew 16:24 if we want to follow Him, we have to deny ourselves. What does Jesus mean? Am I supposed to deny who I am? No, not at all, but if I want to follow Him, there are things that I must deny myself of and things I am not to participate in.
As humans, we naturally desire to please ourselves. If it feels good or right, we do it. Our goals are to be successful, have a big house, a fancy car, to be comfortable in life and to be able to afford the things we want. Our focus is on here and now. Our hero’s and those we look up to are usually the rich and famous. Some of them may even be Pastors, Authors and Leaders. Because they are influential in this world and to us, we accept the things that they say as truth. They say things that make us feel good about who we are and what we do. Many of their thoughts and ideas are merely their own opinions or things based on their experiences in life.
1 Corinthians 3:18-19 says, “ Stop deceiving yourselves. If you think you are wise by this world’s standards, you need to become a fool to be truly wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God.”
Too often, we see people who claim to be Christians doing the same things that the world does. They are no different. They talk the same, act the same, and go to the same places. The only way we know they are Christians is because they say they are. I know I have been guilty of that more than I like to admit.
Christians get divorced, have abortions, get drunk, have pre-marital sex, go to bars, watch pornography, live homosexual lives, and curse. The list goes on. We aren’t any different.
This was the same problem Paul experienced with the Church of Corinth. The Church was allowing these things to take place right in their midst. Not only were they allowing the sin, they were proud of it. The Church became a place of immorality, and so it has become today.
Paul says in 1 Corinthians 5:9-13: “I told you not to have anything to do with immoral people. But I wasn't talking about the people of this world. You would have to leave this world to get away from everyone who is immoral or greedy or who cheats or worships idols. I was talking about your own people who are immoral or greedy or worship idols or curse others or get drunk or cheat. Don't even eat with them! Why should I judge outsiders? Aren't we supposed to judge only church members? God judges everyone else. The Scriptures say, "Chase away any of your own people who are evil."
Paul made it very clear that we are not supposed to judge the world for their immorality, but we are to look within our own Church and judge them. But we do just the opposite. We judge the world and neglect our own sins.
Sure, you are going to have many people in Church who struggle with immorality. If we are honest with ourselves, we all would have to admit we are guilty of some immorality in our lives. Jesus said the Church was a hospital for those who are sick, for sinners who need help. It isn’t a country club for the self righteous.
I think a lot of people go to Church for the wrong reason. Some go just because it is something they always did, so they go. Some go to socialize. Some go because they think it will get them to Heaven. There are many reasons people go to Church. But how many go because they know they are a sinner? How many go because they know they are caught in a sin and need help? How many go because Jesus said it was a Hospital for their soul? And how many get turned away because they go for all the right reasons?
Some people believe that those who live immoral lives could not be saved at all. That is not true. Keep in mind that Paul was speaking to and about Christians. Paul instructed the Church in verse 5 to “hand that man over to Satan.” Paul continues to say, “His body will be destroyed, but his spirit will be saved.”
This of course is not saying that Christians who are caught up in immorality should be cast out. As Christians, we are to “gently and humbly” lead people onto the right path.” Jesus said about Himself in Matthew 11, “for I am gentle and humble in heart.” He is gentle and humble in heart for those who seek after Him, who what to find the truth and live in obedience to Him. Many people only view God as loving, forgiving, gentle and accepting of everyone. But, there is a side of God no one wants to see. Ephesians 5:5-6 says, “For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a man is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient.”
We can try to justify what we do. We can twist and interpret the Bible to say anything we want it to say. We do this to make what we do seem right and justified. We create God to be who we want Him to be or what we think He should be like. The Fear of God is no longer in our vocabulary. Proverbs 3:7 says, “Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil. Proverbs 9:10 says, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.” Proverbs 14:2, “Those who follow the right path fear the Lord; those who take the wrong path despise him.” Jesus Himself said in Luke 12:4-5, “My friends, don't be afraid of people. They can kill you, but after that, there is nothing else they can do. God is the one you must fear. Not only can he take your life, but he can throw you into hell. God is certainly the one you should fear!”
We often hear people say, “this is my body, I can do what I want with it.” But that is not true. 1 Corinthians 6:18-20 says, “Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body. Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.”
I know many in the gay community that do not believe that homosexuality is a sin. I agree that being homosexual, or having same sex attractions, is not a sin, it is a temptation, a struggle. However, being sexually involved is a sin.
God understands sin, that’s why He came and gave His life. When He met the woman who was caught in adultery, He didn’t condemn her, but He did tell her to “go and sin no more.”
God doesn’t require any more from someone struggling with homosexuality then he does with someone who is heterosexual. Sex outside of marriage is a sin. 1 Corinthians 6:13, “Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord.”
Some may say, heterosexuals have an option to get married, but homosexuals do not. Or what happens if homosexuals are allowed to get married as is the case in some States? Doesn’t the Bible say we are to obey our Government? Romans 13:1-2 says, “Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted.”
Does this mean if a law is passed, and homosexuals can legally get married that it is of God? Peter tells us in Acts 5:29 that we are to obey God over man. Just because our Government passes something into Law, doesn’t mean God’s Laws are void. The Government passed a Law making it legal to have abortions. Does that make abortion acceptable to God? Science says a fetus isn’t a life. But God said in Jeremiah 1:5, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you.” What man says or passes into law does not change what God says, He is the final authority.
You hear so many times from the gay community that Jesus never mentioned homosexuality, therefore He didn’t see it as a sin. No, Jesus never used the word homosexual, but this is what He did say, “Haven’t you read the Scriptures?” Jesus replied. “They record that from the beginning ‘God made them male and female.’ And he said, ‘This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.” Matthew 19:4-6.
See how easy it is to overlook what Jesus didn’t say, and ignore what He did say? Jesus didn’t address the issue of homosexuality because it wasn’t an option. Just because He did not use the word homosexual doesn’t mean it was acceptable to Him. He didn’t address abortion, drug use, or pornography either, does that mean it was okay?
Throughout the scriptures, you will find one thing about Jesus that is very different than us. We focus on the pleasures and desires of this world. But Jesus always focuses on our soul and our eternity. He said, “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” Matthew 16:26
Our focus is on us, what we want, what we can get, how we feel. But God created us for His glory, Isaiah 43:7. We were created to do good works for Christ, Ephesians 2:10. We were created to worship, honor and glorify God, Revelations 4:11.
We got it all wrong, life is not about me and you. It’s all about Him.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
The Sower and the Seed
When we talk to people about the Bible, Jesus tells us we will encounter 4 different kinds of people.
In Luke Chapter 8, Jesus spoke of them in the “Parable of the Sower and the Seed. “One day Jesus told a story in the form of a parable to a large crowd that had gathered from many towns to hear him: “A farmer went out to plant his seed. As he scattered it across his field, some seed fell on a footpath, where it was stepped on, and the birds ate it. Other seed fell among rocks. It began to grow, but the plant soon wilted and died for lack of moisture. Other seed fell among thorns that grew up with it and choked out the tender plants. Still other seed fell on fertile soil. This seed grew and produced a crop that was a hundred times as much as had been planted!” When he had said this, he called out, “Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.” His disciples asked him what this parable meant. He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of God. But I use parables to teach the others so that the Scriptures might be fulfilled: ‘When they look, they won’t really see. When they hear, they won’t understand.’
Jesus goes on to explain what His Parable meant:
“This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is God’s word. The seeds that fell on the footpath represent those who hear the message, only to have the devil come and take it away from their hearts and prevent them from believing and being saved.
This type of person hears the Word of God, but rejects it, they don’t believe it and want nothing to do with it.
The seeds on the rocky soil represent those who hear the message and receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they believe for a while, then they fall away when they face temptation.
This type of person likes what they hear, but fall right back into their old sin, and quickly turn away from the Gospel.
The seeds that fell among the thorns represent those who hear the message, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life. And so they never grow into maturity.
This type of person hears the message about Jesus but cares more about their own life. They are more interested in pleasing themselves than they are pleasing God.
And the seeds that fell on the good soil represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God’s word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest.
This type of person hears the Gospel and tries to please God. They understand what God wants from them.
So what does it mean to please God and understand what He wants from us?
Jesus said in Matthew 16:24-25, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.”
We can see here that the first 3 types of people are not true followers of Christ. They do not put God first, they cling to their own life, possessions and desires. Jesus warns us that if you cling to your life, you will lose it.
Many people view God as all loving and all inclusive. They say that we are all God’s children, but they are wrong. Yes, God was all loving and all inclusive when Jesus died on the cross, He did if for everyone. However, that does not mean we are all going to Heaven. The Bible teaches is in Nahum1:2-3, “The Lord is a jealous God, filled with vengeance and rage. He takes revenge on all who oppose him and continues to rage against his enemies! The Lord is slow to get angry, but his power is great, and he never lets the guilty go unpunished.”
1 Peter 2:8 says, “He is the stone that makes people stumble,
the rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they do not obey God’s word, and so they meet the fate that was planned for them.”
If we believe that all scripture is given by inspiration of God, (2 Timothy 13:16-17) then we can’t ignore God’s warnings. Many people create God into their own image. They want God to be who they think He should be. If you think everything you do in life is okay with God, you should be concerned.
There are a lot of people who claim to be Christians but do not believe the Bible is infallible. They believe the Bible is just a book written by men and is full of errors. This group, although they may use verses from the Bible to prove a point, they will also discard the parts of the Bible that condemn the things they do that are considered sinful. Many people use Mark 12:31 which says, “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.” They stop there to prove their point. If you disagree with them, they usually claim you are spreading hate. Of course, the Bible does say we are supposed to love our neighbors, BUT, if you back up one verse, this is what the Bible really says, “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.”
So loving your neighbor is not our first commandment, it is second. What does it mean to love God? John 14:23-24 says: “Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. He who does not love me will not obey my teaching.”
Romans 1:21-25, “For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator.
Jesus said in Matthew Chapter 7, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it...Watch out for false prophets. "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you.”
Proverbs 14:12 teaches us, “There is a way that seems right to a man,
but in the end it leads to death.” I understand how it is so easy to accept that we are who we are. It may seem right, and feel right, but it doesn’t make it right. If our first priority is justifying what we do, putting our pleasures first, we are not on the right path.
I urge you to read 2 Peter Chapter 2 and look closely at your life and your decisions. It doesn’t matter what man says or tries to convince you to believe. In the end, it is going to be you and God, face to face. Who did you trust, and who did you believe, God or man? This is not a test run, this is the real thing. You can disregard God’s warnings, and interpret the Bible to mean whatever you want it to mean, but that doesn’t mean you are right. Ask yourself this one question. What if you are wrong?
(please read this very carefully)
2 Peter 2 “ But there were also false prophets in Israel, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will cleverly teach destructive heresies and even deny the Master who bought them. In this way, they will bring sudden destruction on themselves. 2 Many will follow their evil teaching and shameful immorality. And because of these teachers, the way of truth will be slandered. 3 In their greed they will make up clever lies to get hold of your money. But God condemned them long ago, and their destruction will not be delayed. 4 For God did not spare even the angels who sinned. He threw them into hell,[a] in gloomy pits of darkness,[b] where they are being held until the day of judgment. 5 And God did not spare the ancient world—except for Noah and the seven others in his family. Noah warned the world of God’s righteous judgment. So God protected Noah when he destroyed the world of ungodly people with a vast flood. 6 Later, God condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and turned them into heaps of ashes. He made them an example of what will happen to ungodly people. 7 But God also rescued Lot out of Sodom because he was a righteous man who was sick of the shameful immorality of the wicked people around him. 8 Yes, Lot was a righteous man who was tormented in his soul by the wickedness he saw and heard day after day. 9 So you see, the Lord knows how to rescue godly people from their trials, even while keeping the wicked under punishment until the day of final judgment. 10 He is especially hard on those who follow their own twisted sexual desire, and who despise authority. These people are proud and arrogant, daring even to scoff at supernatural beings without so much as trembling. 11 But the angels, who are far greater in power and strength, do not dare to bring from the Lord a charge of blasphemy against those supernatural beings. 12 These false teachers are like unthinking animals, creatures of instinct, born to be caught and destroyed. They scoff at things they do not understand, and like animals, they will be destroyed. 13 Their destruction is their reward for the harm they have done. They love to indulge in evil pleasures in broad daylight. They are a disgrace and a stain among you. They delight in deception even as they eat with you in your fellowship meals. 14 They commit adultery with their eyes, and their desire for sin is never satisfied. They lure unstable people into sin, and they are well trained in greed. They live under God’s curse. 15 They have wandered off the right road and followed the footsteps of Balaam son of Beor, who loved to earn money by doing wrong. 16 But Balaam was stopped from his mad course when his donkey rebuked him with a human voice. 17 These people are as useless as dried-up springs or as mist blown away by the wind. They are doomed to blackest darkness. 18 They brag about themselves with empty, foolish boasting. With an appeal to twisted sexual desires, they lure back into sin those who have barely escaped from a lifestyle of deception. 19 They promise freedom, but they themselves are slaves of sin and corruption. For you are a slave to whatever controls you. 20 And when people escape from the wickedness of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and then get tangled up and enslaved by sin again, they are worse off than before. 21 It would be better if they had never known the way to righteousness than to know it and then reject the command they were given to live a holy life. 22 They prove the truth of this proverb: “A dog returns to its vomit.”[g] And another says, “A washed pig returns to the mud.”
In Luke Chapter 8, Jesus spoke of them in the “Parable of the Sower and the Seed. “One day Jesus told a story in the form of a parable to a large crowd that had gathered from many towns to hear him: “A farmer went out to plant his seed. As he scattered it across his field, some seed fell on a footpath, where it was stepped on, and the birds ate it. Other seed fell among rocks. It began to grow, but the plant soon wilted and died for lack of moisture. Other seed fell among thorns that grew up with it and choked out the tender plants. Still other seed fell on fertile soil. This seed grew and produced a crop that was a hundred times as much as had been planted!” When he had said this, he called out, “Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.” His disciples asked him what this parable meant. He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of God. But I use parables to teach the others so that the Scriptures might be fulfilled: ‘When they look, they won’t really see. When they hear, they won’t understand.’
Jesus goes on to explain what His Parable meant:
“This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is God’s word. The seeds that fell on the footpath represent those who hear the message, only to have the devil come and take it away from their hearts and prevent them from believing and being saved.
This type of person hears the Word of God, but rejects it, they don’t believe it and want nothing to do with it.
The seeds on the rocky soil represent those who hear the message and receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they believe for a while, then they fall away when they face temptation.
This type of person likes what they hear, but fall right back into their old sin, and quickly turn away from the Gospel.
The seeds that fell among the thorns represent those who hear the message, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life. And so they never grow into maturity.
This type of person hears the message about Jesus but cares more about their own life. They are more interested in pleasing themselves than they are pleasing God.
And the seeds that fell on the good soil represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God’s word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest.
This type of person hears the Gospel and tries to please God. They understand what God wants from them.
So what does it mean to please God and understand what He wants from us?
Jesus said in Matthew 16:24-25, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.”
We can see here that the first 3 types of people are not true followers of Christ. They do not put God first, they cling to their own life, possessions and desires. Jesus warns us that if you cling to your life, you will lose it.
Many people view God as all loving and all inclusive. They say that we are all God’s children, but they are wrong. Yes, God was all loving and all inclusive when Jesus died on the cross, He did if for everyone. However, that does not mean we are all going to Heaven. The Bible teaches is in Nahum1:2-3, “The Lord is a jealous God, filled with vengeance and rage. He takes revenge on all who oppose him and continues to rage against his enemies! The Lord is slow to get angry, but his power is great, and he never lets the guilty go unpunished.”
1 Peter 2:8 says, “He is the stone that makes people stumble,
the rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they do not obey God’s word, and so they meet the fate that was planned for them.”
If we believe that all scripture is given by inspiration of God, (2 Timothy 13:16-17) then we can’t ignore God’s warnings. Many people create God into their own image. They want God to be who they think He should be. If you think everything you do in life is okay with God, you should be concerned.
There are a lot of people who claim to be Christians but do not believe the Bible is infallible. They believe the Bible is just a book written by men and is full of errors. This group, although they may use verses from the Bible to prove a point, they will also discard the parts of the Bible that condemn the things they do that are considered sinful. Many people use Mark 12:31 which says, “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.” They stop there to prove their point. If you disagree with them, they usually claim you are spreading hate. Of course, the Bible does say we are supposed to love our neighbors, BUT, if you back up one verse, this is what the Bible really says, “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.”
So loving your neighbor is not our first commandment, it is second. What does it mean to love God? John 14:23-24 says: “Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. He who does not love me will not obey my teaching.”
Romans 1:21-25, “For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator.
Jesus said in Matthew Chapter 7, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it...Watch out for false prophets. "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you.”
Proverbs 14:12 teaches us, “There is a way that seems right to a man,
but in the end it leads to death.” I understand how it is so easy to accept that we are who we are. It may seem right, and feel right, but it doesn’t make it right. If our first priority is justifying what we do, putting our pleasures first, we are not on the right path.
I urge you to read 2 Peter Chapter 2 and look closely at your life and your decisions. It doesn’t matter what man says or tries to convince you to believe. In the end, it is going to be you and God, face to face. Who did you trust, and who did you believe, God or man? This is not a test run, this is the real thing. You can disregard God’s warnings, and interpret the Bible to mean whatever you want it to mean, but that doesn’t mean you are right. Ask yourself this one question. What if you are wrong?
(please read this very carefully)
2 Peter 2 “ But there were also false prophets in Israel, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will cleverly teach destructive heresies and even deny the Master who bought them. In this way, they will bring sudden destruction on themselves. 2 Many will follow their evil teaching and shameful immorality. And because of these teachers, the way of truth will be slandered. 3 In their greed they will make up clever lies to get hold of your money. But God condemned them long ago, and their destruction will not be delayed. 4 For God did not spare even the angels who sinned. He threw them into hell,[a] in gloomy pits of darkness,[b] where they are being held until the day of judgment. 5 And God did not spare the ancient world—except for Noah and the seven others in his family. Noah warned the world of God’s righteous judgment. So God protected Noah when he destroyed the world of ungodly people with a vast flood. 6 Later, God condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and turned them into heaps of ashes. He made them an example of what will happen to ungodly people. 7 But God also rescued Lot out of Sodom because he was a righteous man who was sick of the shameful immorality of the wicked people around him. 8 Yes, Lot was a righteous man who was tormented in his soul by the wickedness he saw and heard day after day. 9 So you see, the Lord knows how to rescue godly people from their trials, even while keeping the wicked under punishment until the day of final judgment. 10 He is especially hard on those who follow their own twisted sexual desire, and who despise authority. These people are proud and arrogant, daring even to scoff at supernatural beings without so much as trembling. 11 But the angels, who are far greater in power and strength, do not dare to bring from the Lord a charge of blasphemy against those supernatural beings. 12 These false teachers are like unthinking animals, creatures of instinct, born to be caught and destroyed. They scoff at things they do not understand, and like animals, they will be destroyed. 13 Their destruction is their reward for the harm they have done. They love to indulge in evil pleasures in broad daylight. They are a disgrace and a stain among you. They delight in deception even as they eat with you in your fellowship meals. 14 They commit adultery with their eyes, and their desire for sin is never satisfied. They lure unstable people into sin, and they are well trained in greed. They live under God’s curse. 15 They have wandered off the right road and followed the footsteps of Balaam son of Beor, who loved to earn money by doing wrong. 16 But Balaam was stopped from his mad course when his donkey rebuked him with a human voice. 17 These people are as useless as dried-up springs or as mist blown away by the wind. They are doomed to blackest darkness. 18 They brag about themselves with empty, foolish boasting. With an appeal to twisted sexual desires, they lure back into sin those who have barely escaped from a lifestyle of deception. 19 They promise freedom, but they themselves are slaves of sin and corruption. For you are a slave to whatever controls you. 20 And when people escape from the wickedness of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and then get tangled up and enslaved by sin again, they are worse off than before. 21 It would be better if they had never known the way to righteousness than to know it and then reject the command they were given to live a holy life. 22 They prove the truth of this proverb: “A dog returns to its vomit.”[g] And another says, “A washed pig returns to the mud.”
Monday, January 18, 2010
Sodom & Gomorrah
Genesis 18:20-21 & 32, “Then the LORD said, "The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me… Then he said, "May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found there?" He answered, "For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it."
Genesis 19. “The two angels arrived at Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gateway of the city… Before they had gone to bed, all the men from every part of the city of Sodom—both young and old—surrounded the house. They called to Lot, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them." Lot went outside to meet them and shut the door behind him and said, "No, my friends. Don't do this wicked thing. Look, I have two daughters who have never slept with a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do what you like with them. But don't do anything to these men, for they have come under the protection of my roof." "Get out of our way," they replied. And they said, "This fellow came here as an alien, and now he wants to play the judge! We'll treat you worse than them." They kept bringing pressure on Lot and moved forward to break down the door. But the men inside reached out and pulled Lot back into the house and shut the door. Then they struck the men who were at the door of the house, young and old, with blindness so that they could not find the door… With the coming of dawn, the angels urged Lot, saying, "Hurry! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away when the city is punished."… Then the LORD rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah—from the LORD out of the heavens. Thus he overthrew those cities and the entire plain, including all those living in the cities—and also the vegetation in the land. But Lot's wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt. Early the next morning Abraham got up and returned to the place where he had stood before the LORD. He looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah, toward all the land of the plain, and he saw dense smoke rising from the land, like smoke from a furnace… Lot and his two daughters left Zoar and settled in the mountains, for he was afraid to stay in Zoar. He and his two daughters lived in a cave. One day the older daughter said to the younger, "Our father is old, and there is no man around here to lie with us, as is the custom all over the earth. Let's get our father to drink wine and then lie with him and preserve our family line through our father." That night they got their father to drink wine, and the older daughter went in and lay with him. He was not aware of it when she lay down or when she got up. The next day the older daughter said to the younger, "Last night I lay with my father. Let's get him to drink wine again tonight, and you go in and lie with him so we can preserve our family line through our father." So they got their father to drink wine that night also, and the younger daughter went and lay with him. Again he was not aware of it when she lay down or when she got up. So both of Lot's daughters became pregnant by their father. “
After reading this story, you could easily come to the conclusion that Sodom and Gomorrah was destroyed because of homosexuality. This is what most Churches teach and use against a homosexual.
They gay community on the other hand uses this passage to deny Sodom & Gomorrah was destroyed because of homosexuality.
Ezekiel 16:48-50 “As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, your sister Sodom and her daughters never did what you and your daughters have done. Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. They were haughty and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen.”
After reading both scriptures, one could easily become confused. Both views seem to be the truth. What I have learned is that if the Bible contradicts itself, we have not found the complete answer, and more research needs to be done. We cannot interpret the Bible by using a few verses.
For me, there were a lot of questions that just did not make sense about this story. If Lot knew all the men surrounding the house were homosexual, why would he offer his daughters?
The story says that “all the men”, both young and old gathered around the house. But the word “men” in this story refers to mankind, (men, women and children.) Sodom and Gomorrah was not a city filled with only homosexual men, but of mankind, consisting of men, woman and children.
They, the men, women and children, said, “bring them”, (the angels) out here so we can have sex with them. This raises another question. Why would Lot offer his virgin daughters to be raped? To claim it was homosexuality that Lot referred to as wicked, we would have to assume that giving his daughters to be raped was not considered wicked.
After Lot and his family were spared from God’s wrath, Lot got drunk. His daughters had intercourse with him (their father) and became pregnant. I am sure all of us would agree that drunkenness, incest, and a fathering your daughters’ children would not be acceptable to God. Under the Levitical Laws, theses acts that Lot and his daughters committed were referred to as abominations.
Something still didn’t sound right, so I continued to study to find a missing link to this story.
Most people never heard of this, but as you read it, the missing pieces start to come together.
Genesis 6:1-4 & 6 says, “Then the people began to multiply on the earth, and daughters were born to them. The sons of God (angels) saw the beautiful women and took any they wanted as their wives. Then the LORD said, “My Spirit will not put up with humans for such a long time, for they are only mortal flesh...In those days, and for some time after, giant Nephilites lived on the earth, for whenever the sons of God had intercourse with women, they gave birth to children who became the heroes and famous warriors of ancient times. So the LORD was sorry he had ever made them and put them on the earth.”
Angels were having intercourse with humans, and the women were getting pregnant by them. Was the issue homosexual acts as we are told, or was it sexual acts between angels and humans that Lot called wicked?
"Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh (angels), are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire." Jude 1:7
The people of Sodom and Gomorrah were going after “strange flesh”, angels, it was not about homosexuality.
Jeremiah also speaks of the sins of Sodom & Gomorrah.
I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem a horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies: they strengthen also the hands of evildoers, that none doth return from his wickedness; they are all of them unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah. Jeremiah 23:14
Lamentations refers to the sin’s of Sodom & Gomorrah:
How the gold has lost its luster! Even the finest gold has become dull. The sacred gemstones lie scattered in the streets! See how the precious children of Jerusalem, worth their weight in fine gold, are now treated like pots of clay made by a common potter. Even the jackals feed their young, but not my people Israel. They ignore their children’s cries, like ostriches in the desert. The parched tongues of their little ones stick to the roofs of their mouths in thirst. The children cry for bread, but no one has any to give them. The people who once ate the richest foods now beg in the streets for anything they can get. Those who once wore the finest clothes now search the garbage dumps for food. The guilt of my people is greater than that of Sodom, where utter disaster struck in a moment and no hand offered help. Lamentations 4: 1-6
In Matthew 10:6-15 Jesus comments about Sodom & Gomorrah:
Jesus sent out the twelve apostles with these instructions: “Don’t go to the Gentiles or the Samaritans, but only to the people of Israel—God’s lost sheep. Go and announce to them that the Kingdom of Heaven is near. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have received! “Don’t take any money in your money belts—no gold, silver, or even copper coins. Don’t carry a traveler’s bag with a change of clothes and sandals or even a walking stick. Don’t hesitate to accept hospitality, because those who work deserve to be fed. “Whenever you enter a city or village, search for a worthy person and stay in his home until you leave town. When you enter the home, give it your blessing. If it turns out to be a worthy home, let your blessing stand; if it is not, take back the blessing. If any household or town refuses to welcome you or listen to your message, shake its dust from your feet as you leave. I tell you the truth, the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah will be better off than such a town on the judgment day.
Again in Luke 17:28-33 Jesus addresses the issues of Sodom & Gomorrah:
Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back. Remember Lot's wife. Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.
We now have a much clearer picture of what was going on in Sodom & Gomorrah.
• They were arrogant (thinking they were better than others)
• Overfed (gluttony)
• Unconcerned (they didn’t care about others)
• They did not help the poor
• They were haughty (proud)
• They did detestable things (unpleasant things, causing hatred)
• They were fornicators (having sex before marriage)
• They went after strange flesh (having sex with angels)
• They were adulterers
• They were liars
• They did not care for the sick
• They were wicked (causing harm, distress and trouble)
• They did not feed the hungry
• They were immoral (sexually unrestrained, disregarding rules, lustful)
Sodom & Gomorrah was not destroyed “because of” homosexuality, but it was one of their many sins.
As you can see, both the Church and the homosexual are correct. The problem is, neither side wants to see the whole truth.
Christians use Sodom & Gomorrah to condemn the homosexual. But what they are missing is, the sins of Sodom & Gomorrah are present in their own lives and their Churches. God didn’t only destroy those who committed homosexual acts, he destroyed them all.
We are all capable of any kind of sin, and we are all sinners. There is no sin greater than another. James 2:10 says, “If you obey all the Laws but one, you are as guilty as the one who has broken them all.”
What homosexuals are missing is the truth. There are many wrong teachings out there. If we as a Church keep rejecting them, and not offering them an open door, how are they ever supposed to find the truth? Who is at fault here? If we truly want to be like Jesus, we would react to sinners as He did. He did not condemn those caught in sin, He showed them respect, love and compassion. And what happened? They followed Him willingly, they wanted to hear more, and they wanted to please Him. The world isn’t going to change until they see the real Jesus in you!
Galations 6:1-3 says, “brothers and sisters, if anyone is overcome by some sin, you who are Godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important.
Genesis 19. “The two angels arrived at Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gateway of the city… Before they had gone to bed, all the men from every part of the city of Sodom—both young and old—surrounded the house. They called to Lot, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them." Lot went outside to meet them and shut the door behind him and said, "No, my friends. Don't do this wicked thing. Look, I have two daughters who have never slept with a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do what you like with them. But don't do anything to these men, for they have come under the protection of my roof." "Get out of our way," they replied. And they said, "This fellow came here as an alien, and now he wants to play the judge! We'll treat you worse than them." They kept bringing pressure on Lot and moved forward to break down the door. But the men inside reached out and pulled Lot back into the house and shut the door. Then they struck the men who were at the door of the house, young and old, with blindness so that they could not find the door… With the coming of dawn, the angels urged Lot, saying, "Hurry! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away when the city is punished."… Then the LORD rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah—from the LORD out of the heavens. Thus he overthrew those cities and the entire plain, including all those living in the cities—and also the vegetation in the land. But Lot's wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt. Early the next morning Abraham got up and returned to the place where he had stood before the LORD. He looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah, toward all the land of the plain, and he saw dense smoke rising from the land, like smoke from a furnace… Lot and his two daughters left Zoar and settled in the mountains, for he was afraid to stay in Zoar. He and his two daughters lived in a cave. One day the older daughter said to the younger, "Our father is old, and there is no man around here to lie with us, as is the custom all over the earth. Let's get our father to drink wine and then lie with him and preserve our family line through our father." That night they got their father to drink wine, and the older daughter went in and lay with him. He was not aware of it when she lay down or when she got up. The next day the older daughter said to the younger, "Last night I lay with my father. Let's get him to drink wine again tonight, and you go in and lie with him so we can preserve our family line through our father." So they got their father to drink wine that night also, and the younger daughter went and lay with him. Again he was not aware of it when she lay down or when she got up. So both of Lot's daughters became pregnant by their father. “
After reading this story, you could easily come to the conclusion that Sodom and Gomorrah was destroyed because of homosexuality. This is what most Churches teach and use against a homosexual.
They gay community on the other hand uses this passage to deny Sodom & Gomorrah was destroyed because of homosexuality.
Ezekiel 16:48-50 “As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, your sister Sodom and her daughters never did what you and your daughters have done. Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. They were haughty and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen.”
After reading both scriptures, one could easily become confused. Both views seem to be the truth. What I have learned is that if the Bible contradicts itself, we have not found the complete answer, and more research needs to be done. We cannot interpret the Bible by using a few verses.
For me, there were a lot of questions that just did not make sense about this story. If Lot knew all the men surrounding the house were homosexual, why would he offer his daughters?
The story says that “all the men”, both young and old gathered around the house. But the word “men” in this story refers to mankind, (men, women and children.) Sodom and Gomorrah was not a city filled with only homosexual men, but of mankind, consisting of men, woman and children.
They, the men, women and children, said, “bring them”, (the angels) out here so we can have sex with them. This raises another question. Why would Lot offer his virgin daughters to be raped? To claim it was homosexuality that Lot referred to as wicked, we would have to assume that giving his daughters to be raped was not considered wicked.
After Lot and his family were spared from God’s wrath, Lot got drunk. His daughters had intercourse with him (their father) and became pregnant. I am sure all of us would agree that drunkenness, incest, and a fathering your daughters’ children would not be acceptable to God. Under the Levitical Laws, theses acts that Lot and his daughters committed were referred to as abominations.
Something still didn’t sound right, so I continued to study to find a missing link to this story.
Most people never heard of this, but as you read it, the missing pieces start to come together.
Genesis 6:1-4 & 6 says, “Then the people began to multiply on the earth, and daughters were born to them. The sons of God (angels) saw the beautiful women and took any they wanted as their wives. Then the LORD said, “My Spirit will not put up with humans for such a long time, for they are only mortal flesh...In those days, and for some time after, giant Nephilites lived on the earth, for whenever the sons of God had intercourse with women, they gave birth to children who became the heroes and famous warriors of ancient times. So the LORD was sorry he had ever made them and put them on the earth.”
Angels were having intercourse with humans, and the women were getting pregnant by them. Was the issue homosexual acts as we are told, or was it sexual acts between angels and humans that Lot called wicked?
"Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh (angels), are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire." Jude 1:7
The people of Sodom and Gomorrah were going after “strange flesh”, angels, it was not about homosexuality.
Jeremiah also speaks of the sins of Sodom & Gomorrah.
I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem a horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies: they strengthen also the hands of evildoers, that none doth return from his wickedness; they are all of them unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah. Jeremiah 23:14
Lamentations refers to the sin’s of Sodom & Gomorrah:
How the gold has lost its luster! Even the finest gold has become dull. The sacred gemstones lie scattered in the streets! See how the precious children of Jerusalem, worth their weight in fine gold, are now treated like pots of clay made by a common potter. Even the jackals feed their young, but not my people Israel. They ignore their children’s cries, like ostriches in the desert. The parched tongues of their little ones stick to the roofs of their mouths in thirst. The children cry for bread, but no one has any to give them. The people who once ate the richest foods now beg in the streets for anything they can get. Those who once wore the finest clothes now search the garbage dumps for food. The guilt of my people is greater than that of Sodom, where utter disaster struck in a moment and no hand offered help. Lamentations 4: 1-6
In Matthew 10:6-15 Jesus comments about Sodom & Gomorrah:
Jesus sent out the twelve apostles with these instructions: “Don’t go to the Gentiles or the Samaritans, but only to the people of Israel—God’s lost sheep. Go and announce to them that the Kingdom of Heaven is near. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have received! “Don’t take any money in your money belts—no gold, silver, or even copper coins. Don’t carry a traveler’s bag with a change of clothes and sandals or even a walking stick. Don’t hesitate to accept hospitality, because those who work deserve to be fed. “Whenever you enter a city or village, search for a worthy person and stay in his home until you leave town. When you enter the home, give it your blessing. If it turns out to be a worthy home, let your blessing stand; if it is not, take back the blessing. If any household or town refuses to welcome you or listen to your message, shake its dust from your feet as you leave. I tell you the truth, the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah will be better off than such a town on the judgment day.
Again in Luke 17:28-33 Jesus addresses the issues of Sodom & Gomorrah:
Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back. Remember Lot's wife. Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.
We now have a much clearer picture of what was going on in Sodom & Gomorrah.
• They were arrogant (thinking they were better than others)
• Overfed (gluttony)
• Unconcerned (they didn’t care about others)
• They did not help the poor
• They were haughty (proud)
• They did detestable things (unpleasant things, causing hatred)
• They were fornicators (having sex before marriage)
• They went after strange flesh (having sex with angels)
• They were adulterers
• They were liars
• They did not care for the sick
• They were wicked (causing harm, distress and trouble)
• They did not feed the hungry
• They were immoral (sexually unrestrained, disregarding rules, lustful)
Sodom & Gomorrah was not destroyed “because of” homosexuality, but it was one of their many sins.
As you can see, both the Church and the homosexual are correct. The problem is, neither side wants to see the whole truth.
Christians use Sodom & Gomorrah to condemn the homosexual. But what they are missing is, the sins of Sodom & Gomorrah are present in their own lives and their Churches. God didn’t only destroy those who committed homosexual acts, he destroyed them all.
We are all capable of any kind of sin, and we are all sinners. There is no sin greater than another. James 2:10 says, “If you obey all the Laws but one, you are as guilty as the one who has broken them all.”
What homosexuals are missing is the truth. There are many wrong teachings out there. If we as a Church keep rejecting them, and not offering them an open door, how are they ever supposed to find the truth? Who is at fault here? If we truly want to be like Jesus, we would react to sinners as He did. He did not condemn those caught in sin, He showed them respect, love and compassion. And what happened? They followed Him willingly, they wanted to hear more, and they wanted to please Him. The world isn’t going to change until they see the real Jesus in you!
Galations 6:1-3 says, “brothers and sisters, if anyone is overcome by some sin, you who are Godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important.
Statistics vs Perception
Statistics show that over the course of a lifetime, homosexuals average between 50-300 sexual partners. They have a high rate of sexually transmitted diseases. Domestic violence, drug abuse, alcoholism and suicide rates are higher within the gay community than among heterosexuals.
A religious website made this statement:
One of the goals of the homosexual agenda is to "indoctrinate children in the nation's public schools by convincing kids that homosexuality is a normal and healthy lifestyle." Because schools fail to warn children of the dangers of homosexuality, and because it is taught that homosexuality is not only "normal" but "healthy" as well, homosexuality starts to seem like a good choice to young school children. To supplement this many schools give homosexuals preferential treatment, for instance protecting a homosexual student from teasing in cases where they would not protect a heterosexual student. Homosexuals are also given exclusive clubs that have the goal of recruiting additional students to homosexuality.
These are just some of ways that students are tricked into mistakenly thinking that homosexuality is a desirable lifestyle. As people get older and study the word of God they become less susceptible to being misled like this. This is the reason the homosexual agenda targets school children for recruitment into homosexuality.
Commonly, these are the statistics and views being taught by the Church and are the beliefs of many Christians, and non-Christians alike. However, statistics and perceptions are two different things. I will agree that the statistics mentioned above may be true, but I will tell you that the religious statement made was a “perception.”
Many Christians believe that the “homosexual agenda” is to recruit and encourage people to be homosexual. This, however, is not true.
A perception is a view, but a statistic is a fact, and many people’s perceptions are viewed as factual.
This happens when someone looks at a group of people and comes to a conclusion. They think they know the motives and intensions of those people based on what they see, and make their judgment. Their conclusions are based on what they see, not what they know. Once a conclusion is made, it becomes truth to them, and discussion is no longer an option.
At this point, I will state my own fact. Most people who come to these conclusions do not know a homosexual personally. By personally, I mean they do not know someone they love who is homosexual. You will also notice that those who do have a loved one who is homosexual have a different “perception” of them. Why? Because they know the person and see who they really are. They realize that the perception is not true. I have met many people, who after getting to know me, have stated that their view of homosexuals had changed, I was nothing like what they perceived a homosexual to be.
The Church tends to view homosexuals as sexual perverts who recruit their children, who are God haters, they are deviants who shove their agenda down their throats, they are an abomination to God and they are going to hell.
Would it be fair for a homosexual to believe that all Christians have an agenda to convince the world that they are sexual perverts who recruit children, hate God, are deviants and an abomination to God and are going to hell?
Is it fair for a Christian to believe that all homosexuals have the opposite agenda?
The answer to both questions is no. Most people believe what they want to believe regardless of the truth. The Church hates homosexuals and homosexuals hate the Church, that’s a common belief, and in some cases, it is the truth.
But, what if someone from the outside took the time to listen to someone from the inside? What if someone from the outside started to look and listen with their heart as someone from the inside spoke from theirs? What could possibly change? I believe if both sides, homosexuals and Christians, took the time to do this, an amazing thing would happen. The truth is, hate is being spewed from both sides whether either side wants to admit it or not. We often hear Christians say, “love the sinner, hate the sin, but if you are honest with yourself, most of us do that with other sins, but not with homosexuality.
You may be thinking, “Why should I as a Christian lower my moral standard and listen to a homosexual?” “They should be listening to what God has to say!” Romans 9:12-21 gives us an answer, God said: “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay,"says the Lord. On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head. "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Wow! Who does this? Be willing to associate with people of low position, do not be proud, feed my enemy, bless those who persecute me, be at peace with everyone, honor others above myself? Guilty? I know I am! And that is exactly why the hate is being spewed. Neither side obeys the word of God, plain and simple. So why does the world hate Christians? Because our actions speak louder than our words. We can’t obey the simple stuff, yet we expect the world to change their evil ways!
Some of the statics about homosexuality are true. There is a high rate of promiscuity, alcohol, drug use, suicide and sexually transmitted diseases. If you talk to most homosexuals, if they are honest, they will tell you this is true.
As I begin to speak from my heart about what really goes on inside a homosexual, I ask for two things. Of course, I cannot speak for homosexuals as a whole, but I do ask that if you are a Christian, open your heart and listen. Second, if you are a homosexual, be honest with yourself to see if what I am saying is the truth. Healing on both sides can only happen if we all are willing.
Early as a child, I knew I was different. I was sexually active in elementary school. Nothing seemed unusual, other boys my age did this too. Typically, boys hate girls and girls hate boys. But as they begin to reach puberty, boys love girls and girls love boys. Weird how that happens. However, for me, and for most homosexuals, that change never happened. We realized that our attractions towards the girls were not there, and our attraction to boys has become intense. Why does this happen? I think it is interesting that many homosexuals follow the same pattern that I do. I feel that many things happen in a homosexuals life that steer them towards homosexuality. Most Christians believe people “choose” to be gay, but this is not true.
Most homosexuals knew they were different at a very early age. For me, I knew I was different when I was 5 years old, but I didn’t know what it was until I was in health class in 7th grade, I was only 12 years old. Can you imagine what a 12 year old child feels like when everyone in the class is making fun of homosexuals, and you just realized that you were experiencing those feelings? Would you have raised your hand and said, “hey, I think I am gay?” or would you, like most of us, have been terrified that anyone would find out? Imagine the rejection and torment you would have had to go through if anyone ever found out. Add to that, your mother takes you to Church every week, and the Pastor preaches against homosexuality, and states that all homosexuals go to hell. At an early age, we learn that people are harsh, cruel, unsympathetic, uncaring, unwilling to understand and are very judgmental. Thus, the roots of homosexuality grow deeper.
It would be very easy for me to believe, and I understand why homosexuals feel they are born gay. I knew at a very early age. It certainly was not a choice, I didn’t even know what it was. That is why it is so frustrating for me and many homosexuals when people say we made a choice, they just don’t understand. If it was a choice, why would I have choose that? I would be insane!
There is however a pattern that leads up to this. Many will be able to relate. My father was not a good role model. He never had anything good to say to or about me. His words to me were always negative and hurtful. I had no male role model in my life as a child. My mother, on the other hand, was very loving. She was understanding, she was my protector, she was my leader and my role model. At a very early age, I perceived men as mean and cruel. I perceived women as loving, protective and caring. I felt safe with women, and I felt fear around men. My role model as a little boy was a woman. I wanted to be like my mother, and as a child, before my mind was fully developed, I perceived women as good and men as bad. That was not my choice, it is what I learned. When we used to play house, I always wanted to be the mother, I didn’t want to be the man, I wanted to be the woman. Both my parents saw this, but nothing was ever said. I think many gay men can relate to this. How many of us played dress up in mom’s clothing? We didn’t know better, and most times when we did this, mom laughed, we associated that with acceptance, I know I did. What did dad do? Nothing, maybe call you another name, like sissy? It just drove home what we felt inside, men are cruel, men are mean and they reject me.
By the time I reached school age, my perception of men and women have already begun to take form. Most of my friends were girls. I could relate to them. I had 2 sisters and no brothers. I preferred playing with barbies over building a fort or playing football with the neighborhood boys. This of course made the other boys push me away. Dad never taught me about sports, he never took me out to play ball, he never taught me how to be a boy. I was always around girls, I didn’t want to get dirty, I didn’t want to play football and get hurt, I didn’t know that that is what boys were supposed to do. Besides, boys were like men, they were mean.
The whole “male” thing was a mystery to me. I am sure women can relate, men don’t understand women, and women don’t understand men. They are two different creatures, with two different views and emotions. In my mind, I developed like a girl. As I got older, that mystery to me became a yearning. Why do I look like them, but I don’t feel like them? My emotions, my interests and my desires were not at all what other boys felt. The boys in High School sensed that I was different, I wasn’t good in sports, all my friends were girls, I didn’t do “boy” things, so I was picked on. The gym teachers also joined in with the crowd, they made fun of me in front of the entire class. I remember how the one gym teacher used to trip me in class so I would fall in front of all the other boys. There was a time when the gym teacher came out wearing a long blonde wig, skipped around the gym saying “look at me, I am Danny G” flopping his wrist as he emphasized the “G”. All the boys laughed, and all I wanted to do was die. I remember telling my mom that I believed I was going to die young. She asked why I would say anything like that, I said,”because I will probably kill myself.” You can’t imagine the pain and confusion that goes on inside a person as they struggle with their own homosexuality. Toppled with the fear of being found out is devastating, and all we hear later in life is that we made this choice.
I am angered when the Church makes statements like:
“To supplement this many schools give homosexuals preferential treatment, for instance protecting a homosexual student from teasing in cases where they would not protect a heterosexual student. Homosexuals are also given exclusive clubs that have the goal of recruiting additional students to homosexuality.”
Are homosexuals fighting for the kids in school who are gay? You bet they are, because they know what they went through and don’t want to see others have to endure the same things they had to! Wake up people, you see the need, you HEAR the cry! But we close our eyes to the hurt and we attack them with shame. Shame on who? Homosexuals are hurting, yet they are caring people. They are NOT trying to recruit straight people to become homosexuals, they are protecting the hurt they felt years ago and they are fighting back! Can you blame them? If you cut yourself, you will notice how you are very attentive to that wound. You protect it from being hurt more. You bandage it up and tend to it until it heals. If anything comes near that wound, you will do whatever it takes to protect it. That is exactly what is happening within the gay community. They are wounded, some worse than others. When Christians come at them with weapons, they will naturally protect their wounds, and you would do the same. So how does the homosexual undo the damage that was done in their past? They can’t, but the Church continues to pour salt on their wounds.
As an adult, I, as many other homosexuals have turned to their Church for help. Most of them were rejected. At this point I will not go in to the many horror stories I can tell you about how I was treated by the Church. But my point is, many Christians think homosexuals don’t want anything to do with God. If this were true, why are there “gay” Churches? Because they want God in their life, but the Church rejected them, therefore, they created their own. We don’t approve of abortions, or divorce, but we accept them. We don’t see Churches sprouting up just for the divorced or those who had abortions.
Many in the gay community will confirm that a long term relationship is about 2-5 years. Homosexual relationships usually do not last very long. Many of those relationships are considered “open” relationships, meaning you are free to participate in sexual activity with other men while still in your relationship. It is not unusual to hear a gay man say they hate men. Again, I cannot speak for all homosexual men, but if those who are gay want to be completely honest, they know I am telling the truth.
I am not looking down on the gay community at all. I just feel this all ties in together with what happened in most of our lives. Some of us never felt the embrace, love or acceptance of our father. We didn’t feel it with any male role model, but we never stopped searching for it. Our manhood was never affirmed, so we continue to find it through other men. I think deep down inside we are still that lost and hurt little boy. We search for it in sex, because we feel that is the most intimate way we can be with a man. But when two men have the same issues, they will never find what they are looking for in each other. I know the excitement I felt when a man was interested in me, and I know the emptiness I felt many times after a sexual encounter. Most of the homosexual lifestyle is lust, not a whole lot of love. We know it, yet we continue in it.
Heterosexual men play a big role in the healing process. Homosexuality is not about sex, it is about wanting to be loved. I think if a heterosexual man took the time to embrace a gay man, and could show him how men love each other without being sexual, some of that past hurt may begin to heal. Just having someone to listen to your pain helps, but having someone share your pain, not being afraid to put their arm around you, and tell you they love you, no matter what, heals. Unlike most heterosexual men, God is not afraid to open His arms to a homosexual.
A religious website made this statement:
One of the goals of the homosexual agenda is to "indoctrinate children in the nation's public schools by convincing kids that homosexuality is a normal and healthy lifestyle." Because schools fail to warn children of the dangers of homosexuality, and because it is taught that homosexuality is not only "normal" but "healthy" as well, homosexuality starts to seem like a good choice to young school children. To supplement this many schools give homosexuals preferential treatment, for instance protecting a homosexual student from teasing in cases where they would not protect a heterosexual student. Homosexuals are also given exclusive clubs that have the goal of recruiting additional students to homosexuality.
These are just some of ways that students are tricked into mistakenly thinking that homosexuality is a desirable lifestyle. As people get older and study the word of God they become less susceptible to being misled like this. This is the reason the homosexual agenda targets school children for recruitment into homosexuality.
Commonly, these are the statistics and views being taught by the Church and are the beliefs of many Christians, and non-Christians alike. However, statistics and perceptions are two different things. I will agree that the statistics mentioned above may be true, but I will tell you that the religious statement made was a “perception.”
Many Christians believe that the “homosexual agenda” is to recruit and encourage people to be homosexual. This, however, is not true.
A perception is a view, but a statistic is a fact, and many people’s perceptions are viewed as factual.
This happens when someone looks at a group of people and comes to a conclusion. They think they know the motives and intensions of those people based on what they see, and make their judgment. Their conclusions are based on what they see, not what they know. Once a conclusion is made, it becomes truth to them, and discussion is no longer an option.
At this point, I will state my own fact. Most people who come to these conclusions do not know a homosexual personally. By personally, I mean they do not know someone they love who is homosexual. You will also notice that those who do have a loved one who is homosexual have a different “perception” of them. Why? Because they know the person and see who they really are. They realize that the perception is not true. I have met many people, who after getting to know me, have stated that their view of homosexuals had changed, I was nothing like what they perceived a homosexual to be.
The Church tends to view homosexuals as sexual perverts who recruit their children, who are God haters, they are deviants who shove their agenda down their throats, they are an abomination to God and they are going to hell.
Would it be fair for a homosexual to believe that all Christians have an agenda to convince the world that they are sexual perverts who recruit children, hate God, are deviants and an abomination to God and are going to hell?
Is it fair for a Christian to believe that all homosexuals have the opposite agenda?
The answer to both questions is no. Most people believe what they want to believe regardless of the truth. The Church hates homosexuals and homosexuals hate the Church, that’s a common belief, and in some cases, it is the truth.
But, what if someone from the outside took the time to listen to someone from the inside? What if someone from the outside started to look and listen with their heart as someone from the inside spoke from theirs? What could possibly change? I believe if both sides, homosexuals and Christians, took the time to do this, an amazing thing would happen. The truth is, hate is being spewed from both sides whether either side wants to admit it or not. We often hear Christians say, “love the sinner, hate the sin, but if you are honest with yourself, most of us do that with other sins, but not with homosexuality.
You may be thinking, “Why should I as a Christian lower my moral standard and listen to a homosexual?” “They should be listening to what God has to say!” Romans 9:12-21 gives us an answer, God said: “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay,"says the Lord. On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head. "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Wow! Who does this? Be willing to associate with people of low position, do not be proud, feed my enemy, bless those who persecute me, be at peace with everyone, honor others above myself? Guilty? I know I am! And that is exactly why the hate is being spewed. Neither side obeys the word of God, plain and simple. So why does the world hate Christians? Because our actions speak louder than our words. We can’t obey the simple stuff, yet we expect the world to change their evil ways!
Some of the statics about homosexuality are true. There is a high rate of promiscuity, alcohol, drug use, suicide and sexually transmitted diseases. If you talk to most homosexuals, if they are honest, they will tell you this is true.
As I begin to speak from my heart about what really goes on inside a homosexual, I ask for two things. Of course, I cannot speak for homosexuals as a whole, but I do ask that if you are a Christian, open your heart and listen. Second, if you are a homosexual, be honest with yourself to see if what I am saying is the truth. Healing on both sides can only happen if we all are willing.
Early as a child, I knew I was different. I was sexually active in elementary school. Nothing seemed unusual, other boys my age did this too. Typically, boys hate girls and girls hate boys. But as they begin to reach puberty, boys love girls and girls love boys. Weird how that happens. However, for me, and for most homosexuals, that change never happened. We realized that our attractions towards the girls were not there, and our attraction to boys has become intense. Why does this happen? I think it is interesting that many homosexuals follow the same pattern that I do. I feel that many things happen in a homosexuals life that steer them towards homosexuality. Most Christians believe people “choose” to be gay, but this is not true.
Most homosexuals knew they were different at a very early age. For me, I knew I was different when I was 5 years old, but I didn’t know what it was until I was in health class in 7th grade, I was only 12 years old. Can you imagine what a 12 year old child feels like when everyone in the class is making fun of homosexuals, and you just realized that you were experiencing those feelings? Would you have raised your hand and said, “hey, I think I am gay?” or would you, like most of us, have been terrified that anyone would find out? Imagine the rejection and torment you would have had to go through if anyone ever found out. Add to that, your mother takes you to Church every week, and the Pastor preaches against homosexuality, and states that all homosexuals go to hell. At an early age, we learn that people are harsh, cruel, unsympathetic, uncaring, unwilling to understand and are very judgmental. Thus, the roots of homosexuality grow deeper.
It would be very easy for me to believe, and I understand why homosexuals feel they are born gay. I knew at a very early age. It certainly was not a choice, I didn’t even know what it was. That is why it is so frustrating for me and many homosexuals when people say we made a choice, they just don’t understand. If it was a choice, why would I have choose that? I would be insane!
There is however a pattern that leads up to this. Many will be able to relate. My father was not a good role model. He never had anything good to say to or about me. His words to me were always negative and hurtful. I had no male role model in my life as a child. My mother, on the other hand, was very loving. She was understanding, she was my protector, she was my leader and my role model. At a very early age, I perceived men as mean and cruel. I perceived women as loving, protective and caring. I felt safe with women, and I felt fear around men. My role model as a little boy was a woman. I wanted to be like my mother, and as a child, before my mind was fully developed, I perceived women as good and men as bad. That was not my choice, it is what I learned. When we used to play house, I always wanted to be the mother, I didn’t want to be the man, I wanted to be the woman. Both my parents saw this, but nothing was ever said. I think many gay men can relate to this. How many of us played dress up in mom’s clothing? We didn’t know better, and most times when we did this, mom laughed, we associated that with acceptance, I know I did. What did dad do? Nothing, maybe call you another name, like sissy? It just drove home what we felt inside, men are cruel, men are mean and they reject me.
By the time I reached school age, my perception of men and women have already begun to take form. Most of my friends were girls. I could relate to them. I had 2 sisters and no brothers. I preferred playing with barbies over building a fort or playing football with the neighborhood boys. This of course made the other boys push me away. Dad never taught me about sports, he never took me out to play ball, he never taught me how to be a boy. I was always around girls, I didn’t want to get dirty, I didn’t want to play football and get hurt, I didn’t know that that is what boys were supposed to do. Besides, boys were like men, they were mean.
The whole “male” thing was a mystery to me. I am sure women can relate, men don’t understand women, and women don’t understand men. They are two different creatures, with two different views and emotions. In my mind, I developed like a girl. As I got older, that mystery to me became a yearning. Why do I look like them, but I don’t feel like them? My emotions, my interests and my desires were not at all what other boys felt. The boys in High School sensed that I was different, I wasn’t good in sports, all my friends were girls, I didn’t do “boy” things, so I was picked on. The gym teachers also joined in with the crowd, they made fun of me in front of the entire class. I remember how the one gym teacher used to trip me in class so I would fall in front of all the other boys. There was a time when the gym teacher came out wearing a long blonde wig, skipped around the gym saying “look at me, I am Danny G” flopping his wrist as he emphasized the “G”. All the boys laughed, and all I wanted to do was die. I remember telling my mom that I believed I was going to die young. She asked why I would say anything like that, I said,”because I will probably kill myself.” You can’t imagine the pain and confusion that goes on inside a person as they struggle with their own homosexuality. Toppled with the fear of being found out is devastating, and all we hear later in life is that we made this choice.
I am angered when the Church makes statements like:
“To supplement this many schools give homosexuals preferential treatment, for instance protecting a homosexual student from teasing in cases where they would not protect a heterosexual student. Homosexuals are also given exclusive clubs that have the goal of recruiting additional students to homosexuality.”
Are homosexuals fighting for the kids in school who are gay? You bet they are, because they know what they went through and don’t want to see others have to endure the same things they had to! Wake up people, you see the need, you HEAR the cry! But we close our eyes to the hurt and we attack them with shame. Shame on who? Homosexuals are hurting, yet they are caring people. They are NOT trying to recruit straight people to become homosexuals, they are protecting the hurt they felt years ago and they are fighting back! Can you blame them? If you cut yourself, you will notice how you are very attentive to that wound. You protect it from being hurt more. You bandage it up and tend to it until it heals. If anything comes near that wound, you will do whatever it takes to protect it. That is exactly what is happening within the gay community. They are wounded, some worse than others. When Christians come at them with weapons, they will naturally protect their wounds, and you would do the same. So how does the homosexual undo the damage that was done in their past? They can’t, but the Church continues to pour salt on their wounds.
As an adult, I, as many other homosexuals have turned to their Church for help. Most of them were rejected. At this point I will not go in to the many horror stories I can tell you about how I was treated by the Church. But my point is, many Christians think homosexuals don’t want anything to do with God. If this were true, why are there “gay” Churches? Because they want God in their life, but the Church rejected them, therefore, they created their own. We don’t approve of abortions, or divorce, but we accept them. We don’t see Churches sprouting up just for the divorced or those who had abortions.
Many in the gay community will confirm that a long term relationship is about 2-5 years. Homosexual relationships usually do not last very long. Many of those relationships are considered “open” relationships, meaning you are free to participate in sexual activity with other men while still in your relationship. It is not unusual to hear a gay man say they hate men. Again, I cannot speak for all homosexual men, but if those who are gay want to be completely honest, they know I am telling the truth.
I am not looking down on the gay community at all. I just feel this all ties in together with what happened in most of our lives. Some of us never felt the embrace, love or acceptance of our father. We didn’t feel it with any male role model, but we never stopped searching for it. Our manhood was never affirmed, so we continue to find it through other men. I think deep down inside we are still that lost and hurt little boy. We search for it in sex, because we feel that is the most intimate way we can be with a man. But when two men have the same issues, they will never find what they are looking for in each other. I know the excitement I felt when a man was interested in me, and I know the emptiness I felt many times after a sexual encounter. Most of the homosexual lifestyle is lust, not a whole lot of love. We know it, yet we continue in it.
Heterosexual men play a big role in the healing process. Homosexuality is not about sex, it is about wanting to be loved. I think if a heterosexual man took the time to embrace a gay man, and could show him how men love each other without being sexual, some of that past hurt may begin to heal. Just having someone to listen to your pain helps, but having someone share your pain, not being afraid to put their arm around you, and tell you they love you, no matter what, heals. Unlike most heterosexual men, God is not afraid to open His arms to a homosexual.
My Message
Opening song: Keith Green, “Asleep in the Light.”
There were tax collectors and other notorious sinners who often came to listen to Jesus teach. This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain that he was associating with such sinful people—even eating with them!
So Jesus told them this story: “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders. When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’ In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!
“Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Won’t she light a lamp and sweep the entire house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she will call in her friends and neighbors and say, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost coin.’ In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents.”
To illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story: “A man had two sons. The younger son told his father, ‘I want my share of your estate now before you die.’ So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons. “A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living.
About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve. He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs. The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything.
“When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.”’
“So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.’
“But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’
(Luke Chapter 15)
As Christians, most of us have heard these stories. We hear them as children in Sunday school and again from the pulpit. They are great stories about God’s love and how He cares for the lost. As Christians, most of us say we have no problem caring for the lost or showing God’s love to sinners, but what does that mean? What are we doing that proves that? Is just saying it enough? Is that all Jesus requires us to do? Jesus didn’t just “say” He cared, He left the 99 sheep to search for the one who was lost, and when He found him, what did He do? He carried him. He lit a lamp and swept the house carefully until he found the lost coin, and when He found it, He rejoiced.
If you notice, most Christians tend to hang out with other Christians. We naturally socialize with people who share our interests, views and are like us. We feel uncomfortable around those who are different from us, and we are taught not to socialize with the unrighteous or ungodly.
But I see Jesus doing just the opposite. The Pharisees and teachers who taught the law were upset because Jesus was associating, and even eating with some notorious sinners.
All through the Bible we see Jesus doing things that seem odd. He defends a woman caught in adultery. He hangs out with a prostitute. If you notice, He usually chooses the outcast.
Defending an Adulterer, hanging out with a prostitute, befriending an outcast, we wouldn’t think of it! So I ask you, why do we call ourselves followers of Christ if we don’t follow in His footsteps?
What did Jesus mean when He said, “the harvest is great, but the workers are few?” Matthew 9:37
Jesus commands us to go (Keith Green)
Jesus said in Matthew 15:13 “You (Christians) are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.
And that is just how the world see’s us, worthless. Why? Because we say we care, but our actions, reactions and lack of actions prove that we have lost our flavor. We have lost sight of what Jesus came to do. Most of us can quote John 3:16 at the drop of a hat, but who can quote John 3:17? “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”
Galatians 6:1-3 says, “brothers and sisters, if anyone is overcome by some sin, you who are Godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important.
You may be wondering where I am going with this message. I have a heavy burden on my heart, and as difficult as this may be for me, I can no longer remain quite. Some of you may shun me and turn me away, but that’s okay, I am more concerned about those who are lost than those who choose to reject me. You don’t have to love me.
20 years ago, I lost my mom to cancer. She said something to me that I will never forget. She told me she thanked God she had cancer. I could not understand how she could be thankful for the pain and suffering she had to endure. She said if God had not allowed her to have cancer, she would never have had the opportunity to meet those she met who were dying. She would not have been able to relate to the suffering, loneliness, and fear so many felt. As a healthy Christian, she probably would not have taken the time to care for the sick and dying. So she was grateful to have been chosen to hold the hands of strangers as their lives were coming to an end. It was because of her sickness that many lives were touched and changed. She could have chosen to feel sorry for herself and been angry at God for allowing the life of a 45 year old woman to end so soon. But she realized that God needed her to do something, to reach those no one cared for, and she was willing to go.
I understand now what she meant. God has allowed me to suffer in a different way. I have spent many years full of anger, frustration, bitterness and hatred towards the Church and Christians. But those feelings have turned to compassion. I realized that maybe God needed me to experience extreme rejection, and abuse to bring to the place God where He needed me to be. I needed to learn that reaching people who were outcasts was more important to God than blending in with a group of Christians who do nothing to reach out to the lost. He chose me to feel the pain and rejection so I could understand and relate to those in need. Like mom, God allowed me to choose what to do with my pain. I could become bitter, or I could show compassion to those who are hurting just like me.
Keith Green, Open Your Eyes
As a child, I was sexually violated by a few family members. I remember the first incident when I was around 4 years old. This continued for many years. At the age of 5, I met a classmate who was also being molested. Neither of us talked about it, but we became sexually involved with each other all through our school years. In the late 60’s and early 70’s there wasn’t as much talk about sexual molestation as there is today. I was a child, I didn’t know that what was happening to me was wrong. I didn’t even know what the word homosexual meant until I was in 7th grade. I heard the word and asked my mom what it meant. She said they were evil people that went to hell.
As I reached High School age, I became aware that I was sexually attracted to the other guys in school. I never told anyone about the struggle I was having inside. My high school years were full of pain and rejection as most people made fun of me. It didn’t help by having a father who had no interest in me, and only spoke to me when he wanted to tell me how stupid and worthless I was.
I went on co-op my senior year in High School. My boss paid a lot of attention to me. He was always looking out for me. He invited me to Church with his wife and kids. I got close enough to Keith that I felt I could confide in him about what I was feeling inside. When I spoke to him, he told me he felt the same way, and it became a sexual encounter. I remember being terrified and thinking that God was going to kill me on my way home.
I secretly struggled with my sexual attraction for many years. There were times when I wished I could talk to my mom about what was going on in my life, but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. Mom was a very compassionate person, and she never judged any one, but I knew if I told her, it would have broken her heart. She was suffering with cancer and I didn’t want to cause her any more pain. I remember her last week. We had many conversations. We shed a lot of tears together. I remember two of our conversations. She asked me who was number one in my life. I said, “you are mom.” She said, “Danny, I can’t be because I’m not always going to be with you, but God will never leave you or forsake you.” Then she proceeded to tell me that God showed her what was going to happen in each of her children’s lives because she was not going to be here to see it. When I asked her what she saw, she said, “I can’t tell you because you would not believe me.” She said, “all I can tell you is that you are talking to crowds of people.” A few days mom passed away.
In desperation, I turned to the Church. I confided in the Pastor, I was told I was one of those unlovables. I went to another Church, I was told I have committed the ultimate rebellion against God. Another Pastor told me that I literally make God want to vomit. I continued searching. More Pastors, more Christians. I even moved out of town at the advice of a Christian friend. I was told I made my bed now lie in it. One Pastor told his church it was okay to pray for me but no one should get close to me. I literally wrote to hundreds of churches looking for help. I have had Christian friends tell me they could no longer be my friend. One suggested that I buy Playboy magazines and look at them every day until I start lusting after women. I had a Pastor come to my home personally to tell me I was not welcome in his church.
Of course, I have met some who agreed to meet with me and offered some kinds words, but when I asked for help they were nowhere to be found.
I never asked any Pastor, Church or Christian to accept homosexuality, I only asked for help, but the doors were always closed.
I could have very easily turned to a church that supported and affirmed homosexuality as a lifestyle that God approved, but I did not. Instead, I turned to the Bible for the answers I needed. Yes, I have made a lot of wrong choices along the way. But I also found the Jesus my mom knew, He is so unlike most Christians I know. He was full of compassion.
Matthew 6:34 says, “And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.
There are many references to God showing compassion. He wasn’t looking at what sin’s people had. He was the shepherd for the lost. It doesn’t say He judged them because of their sins, it says He was moved with compassion and He taught them many things.
Why did the woman who was caught in adultery follow Jesus? Because He did not condemn her and, He showed her compassion. She followed Him willingly because of his words and actions even though she knew she was wrong. How do you think she would have reacted if Jesus would have thrown the first stone?
Unfortunately, most Christians throw stones. What we don’t realize is that throwing stones doesn’t only apply to those who reject and judge other’s, it also applies to those who stand by and do nothing.
Keith Green, Go to the Hungry Ones
The Bible teaches us that there is no sin greater than another. James 2:10 says, “If you obey all the Laws but one, you are as guilty as the one who has broken them all.”
There are many men and women who struggle with homosexual attractions. Many of them want help but are afraid to open their mouth. They struggle secretly and live in fear of being found out. These feelings are not a choice, but they are a reality. People can only take so much rejection until they give up and find acceptance somewhere. They will find acceptance, and unfortunately, most of them will find it outside of the Church. It is sad, because Jesus Himself said in Mark 2:17, ““Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come not to call those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”
The Church is so full of people who think they are righteous and they are not allowing sinners to come in! How do we ever expect the world to come to Christ? We are nothing like Him!
We are so involved in our own lives. We are concerned about our possessions, our jobs, and the pleasures of life. There are so many people caught up in the doctrine of “prosperity”, and it makes me sick. We focus on things that will not last. God doesn’t care how much money you have, how big your home is, what your title is at work or how popular you are. No matter how rich and famous you are, it won’t last. When you die, all you will have is a box, and you will be in it. The only thing that will matter at that point is what did you do with God, and what did you do for Him. I hope your answer isn’t going to be “nothing.”
How can we as Christians reject anyone because of a sin in their life? There is no one who is righteous, no not one. (Romans 3:10)
I have had my share of rejection, and I don’t want to see anyone have to go through all I had to. It is not necessary. It is the Churches responsibility to find the lost sheep, to carefully search for the lost coin, and welcome home the Prodigal son. But it doesn’t stop there, more importantly, we need to care for them and show compassion. You are the representative of Jesus Christ, what does your Jesus look like?
I want Christians who are willing to be a friend to homosexuals, who will invite them into your home, to love them and show them who Jesus really is. Many of them will be able to tell you horror stories about how they were treated as a child, how they were mistreated by their families and their Church. Many of them are hurting, they need your love. They need your compassion and most importantly, like all of us, they need Jesus.
I know this is a lot to ask of you. But I am not going to leave you stranded to figure it out on your own. I understand your fear, and I understand you may be uncomfortable, that is why I am here. I will be having a weekly meeting for all of those who are interested in helping with this ministry. During those weeks, I will be open to any questions you may have. I will lay my life out in the open. We will discuss what the Bible says concerning homosexuality, and what is being taught within the “gay” church communities. I am not perfect, I have many faults and struggles, but I can’t make it alone, I admit I am weak and I need your support. We just need to be able to look beyond the faults of others and see their need.
Jesus asked Peter, “Do you love me” he replied Yes, Lord you know I love you, Jesus said, “then feed my sheep.”
Do you love Jesus?
If you do, will you help me find my lost friends?
Keith Green, “here am I, send me”
There were tax collectors and other notorious sinners who often came to listen to Jesus teach. This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain that he was associating with such sinful people—even eating with them!
So Jesus told them this story: “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders. When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’ In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!
“Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Won’t she light a lamp and sweep the entire house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she will call in her friends and neighbors and say, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost coin.’ In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents.”
To illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story: “A man had two sons. The younger son told his father, ‘I want my share of your estate now before you die.’ So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons. “A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living.
About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve. He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs. The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything.
“When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.”’
“So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.’
“But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’
(Luke Chapter 15)
As Christians, most of us have heard these stories. We hear them as children in Sunday school and again from the pulpit. They are great stories about God’s love and how He cares for the lost. As Christians, most of us say we have no problem caring for the lost or showing God’s love to sinners, but what does that mean? What are we doing that proves that? Is just saying it enough? Is that all Jesus requires us to do? Jesus didn’t just “say” He cared, He left the 99 sheep to search for the one who was lost, and when He found him, what did He do? He carried him. He lit a lamp and swept the house carefully until he found the lost coin, and when He found it, He rejoiced.
If you notice, most Christians tend to hang out with other Christians. We naturally socialize with people who share our interests, views and are like us. We feel uncomfortable around those who are different from us, and we are taught not to socialize with the unrighteous or ungodly.
But I see Jesus doing just the opposite. The Pharisees and teachers who taught the law were upset because Jesus was associating, and even eating with some notorious sinners.
All through the Bible we see Jesus doing things that seem odd. He defends a woman caught in adultery. He hangs out with a prostitute. If you notice, He usually chooses the outcast.
Defending an Adulterer, hanging out with a prostitute, befriending an outcast, we wouldn’t think of it! So I ask you, why do we call ourselves followers of Christ if we don’t follow in His footsteps?
What did Jesus mean when He said, “the harvest is great, but the workers are few?” Matthew 9:37
Jesus commands us to go (Keith Green)
Jesus said in Matthew 15:13 “You (Christians) are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.
And that is just how the world see’s us, worthless. Why? Because we say we care, but our actions, reactions and lack of actions prove that we have lost our flavor. We have lost sight of what Jesus came to do. Most of us can quote John 3:16 at the drop of a hat, but who can quote John 3:17? “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”
Galatians 6:1-3 says, “brothers and sisters, if anyone is overcome by some sin, you who are Godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important.
You may be wondering where I am going with this message. I have a heavy burden on my heart, and as difficult as this may be for me, I can no longer remain quite. Some of you may shun me and turn me away, but that’s okay, I am more concerned about those who are lost than those who choose to reject me. You don’t have to love me.
20 years ago, I lost my mom to cancer. She said something to me that I will never forget. She told me she thanked God she had cancer. I could not understand how she could be thankful for the pain and suffering she had to endure. She said if God had not allowed her to have cancer, she would never have had the opportunity to meet those she met who were dying. She would not have been able to relate to the suffering, loneliness, and fear so many felt. As a healthy Christian, she probably would not have taken the time to care for the sick and dying. So she was grateful to have been chosen to hold the hands of strangers as their lives were coming to an end. It was because of her sickness that many lives were touched and changed. She could have chosen to feel sorry for herself and been angry at God for allowing the life of a 45 year old woman to end so soon. But she realized that God needed her to do something, to reach those no one cared for, and she was willing to go.
I understand now what she meant. God has allowed me to suffer in a different way. I have spent many years full of anger, frustration, bitterness and hatred towards the Church and Christians. But those feelings have turned to compassion. I realized that maybe God needed me to experience extreme rejection, and abuse to bring to the place God where He needed me to be. I needed to learn that reaching people who were outcasts was more important to God than blending in with a group of Christians who do nothing to reach out to the lost. He chose me to feel the pain and rejection so I could understand and relate to those in need. Like mom, God allowed me to choose what to do with my pain. I could become bitter, or I could show compassion to those who are hurting just like me.
Keith Green, Open Your Eyes
As a child, I was sexually violated by a few family members. I remember the first incident when I was around 4 years old. This continued for many years. At the age of 5, I met a classmate who was also being molested. Neither of us talked about it, but we became sexually involved with each other all through our school years. In the late 60’s and early 70’s there wasn’t as much talk about sexual molestation as there is today. I was a child, I didn’t know that what was happening to me was wrong. I didn’t even know what the word homosexual meant until I was in 7th grade. I heard the word and asked my mom what it meant. She said they were evil people that went to hell.
As I reached High School age, I became aware that I was sexually attracted to the other guys in school. I never told anyone about the struggle I was having inside. My high school years were full of pain and rejection as most people made fun of me. It didn’t help by having a father who had no interest in me, and only spoke to me when he wanted to tell me how stupid and worthless I was.
I went on co-op my senior year in High School. My boss paid a lot of attention to me. He was always looking out for me. He invited me to Church with his wife and kids. I got close enough to Keith that I felt I could confide in him about what I was feeling inside. When I spoke to him, he told me he felt the same way, and it became a sexual encounter. I remember being terrified and thinking that God was going to kill me on my way home.
I secretly struggled with my sexual attraction for many years. There were times when I wished I could talk to my mom about what was going on in my life, but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. Mom was a very compassionate person, and she never judged any one, but I knew if I told her, it would have broken her heart. She was suffering with cancer and I didn’t want to cause her any more pain. I remember her last week. We had many conversations. We shed a lot of tears together. I remember two of our conversations. She asked me who was number one in my life. I said, “you are mom.” She said, “Danny, I can’t be because I’m not always going to be with you, but God will never leave you or forsake you.” Then she proceeded to tell me that God showed her what was going to happen in each of her children’s lives because she was not going to be here to see it. When I asked her what she saw, she said, “I can’t tell you because you would not believe me.” She said, “all I can tell you is that you are talking to crowds of people.” A few days mom passed away.
In desperation, I turned to the Church. I confided in the Pastor, I was told I was one of those unlovables. I went to another Church, I was told I have committed the ultimate rebellion against God. Another Pastor told me that I literally make God want to vomit. I continued searching. More Pastors, more Christians. I even moved out of town at the advice of a Christian friend. I was told I made my bed now lie in it. One Pastor told his church it was okay to pray for me but no one should get close to me. I literally wrote to hundreds of churches looking for help. I have had Christian friends tell me they could no longer be my friend. One suggested that I buy Playboy magazines and look at them every day until I start lusting after women. I had a Pastor come to my home personally to tell me I was not welcome in his church.
Of course, I have met some who agreed to meet with me and offered some kinds words, but when I asked for help they were nowhere to be found.
I never asked any Pastor, Church or Christian to accept homosexuality, I only asked for help, but the doors were always closed.
I could have very easily turned to a church that supported and affirmed homosexuality as a lifestyle that God approved, but I did not. Instead, I turned to the Bible for the answers I needed. Yes, I have made a lot of wrong choices along the way. But I also found the Jesus my mom knew, He is so unlike most Christians I know. He was full of compassion.
Matthew 6:34 says, “And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.
There are many references to God showing compassion. He wasn’t looking at what sin’s people had. He was the shepherd for the lost. It doesn’t say He judged them because of their sins, it says He was moved with compassion and He taught them many things.
Why did the woman who was caught in adultery follow Jesus? Because He did not condemn her and, He showed her compassion. She followed Him willingly because of his words and actions even though she knew she was wrong. How do you think she would have reacted if Jesus would have thrown the first stone?
Unfortunately, most Christians throw stones. What we don’t realize is that throwing stones doesn’t only apply to those who reject and judge other’s, it also applies to those who stand by and do nothing.
Keith Green, Go to the Hungry Ones
The Bible teaches us that there is no sin greater than another. James 2:10 says, “If you obey all the Laws but one, you are as guilty as the one who has broken them all.”
There are many men and women who struggle with homosexual attractions. Many of them want help but are afraid to open their mouth. They struggle secretly and live in fear of being found out. These feelings are not a choice, but they are a reality. People can only take so much rejection until they give up and find acceptance somewhere. They will find acceptance, and unfortunately, most of them will find it outside of the Church. It is sad, because Jesus Himself said in Mark 2:17, ““Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come not to call those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”
The Church is so full of people who think they are righteous and they are not allowing sinners to come in! How do we ever expect the world to come to Christ? We are nothing like Him!
We are so involved in our own lives. We are concerned about our possessions, our jobs, and the pleasures of life. There are so many people caught up in the doctrine of “prosperity”, and it makes me sick. We focus on things that will not last. God doesn’t care how much money you have, how big your home is, what your title is at work or how popular you are. No matter how rich and famous you are, it won’t last. When you die, all you will have is a box, and you will be in it. The only thing that will matter at that point is what did you do with God, and what did you do for Him. I hope your answer isn’t going to be “nothing.”
How can we as Christians reject anyone because of a sin in their life? There is no one who is righteous, no not one. (Romans 3:10)
I have had my share of rejection, and I don’t want to see anyone have to go through all I had to. It is not necessary. It is the Churches responsibility to find the lost sheep, to carefully search for the lost coin, and welcome home the Prodigal son. But it doesn’t stop there, more importantly, we need to care for them and show compassion. You are the representative of Jesus Christ, what does your Jesus look like?
I want Christians who are willing to be a friend to homosexuals, who will invite them into your home, to love them and show them who Jesus really is. Many of them will be able to tell you horror stories about how they were treated as a child, how they were mistreated by their families and their Church. Many of them are hurting, they need your love. They need your compassion and most importantly, like all of us, they need Jesus.
I know this is a lot to ask of you. But I am not going to leave you stranded to figure it out on your own. I understand your fear, and I understand you may be uncomfortable, that is why I am here. I will be having a weekly meeting for all of those who are interested in helping with this ministry. During those weeks, I will be open to any questions you may have. I will lay my life out in the open. We will discuss what the Bible says concerning homosexuality, and what is being taught within the “gay” church communities. I am not perfect, I have many faults and struggles, but I can’t make it alone, I admit I am weak and I need your support. We just need to be able to look beyond the faults of others and see their need.
Jesus asked Peter, “Do you love me” he replied Yes, Lord you know I love you, Jesus said, “then feed my sheep.”
Do you love Jesus?
If you do, will you help me find my lost friends?
Keith Green, “here am I, send me”
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