Homosexual activists claim change is not possible, that homosexuals are "born that way" and there is nothing they can do about it, but the evidence is clear that it is.
They might as well claim the alcoholic must embrace his alcoholism because he was "just born that way," or that the adulterer must embrace his adultery because he was "just born that way."
Not only have homosexuals like Joe Dallas and others helped by ministries like Exodus International been able to get freedom from this sin, people have been breaking free for thousands of years.
The Bible records in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 that homosexuals had been set free from the sin of homosexuality:
Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
This piece today by Christine Sneeringer at the Baptist Press is an inspiring story of change and a life redeemed from a world of hurt.
Christine is a young woman who tells of how she came to be susceptible to the temptation of homosexuality:
I had grown up in a home where women were either objects of a man's lust or victims of his abuse.
My father was addicted to pornography, and he was verbally and physically abusive to my mother. Once I saw him hit her with a tennis racket. I vowed in my heart that I would never let any man hurt me like that. I resolved to be tougher and stronger than any man.
I hated being a girl because I didn't want to be a victim like my mom. I mistakenly believed that to be feminine was to be weak, so I gravitated toward showing masculine behaviors.
She tells of how she received the illusion of love and acceptance through homosexual relationships. But God had better plans for her.
I was a lesbian for six years and thought I would always be that way, and I never knew that change was possible. But in my early 20s, I met some Christians who showed me a better love -- the love that God had for me. Still in a homosexual relationship, I joined a friend's church softball team. I just wanted to play ball, but God had other ideas.
Over the course of time, God opened her eyes and her mind and made her ready for the biggest and best change of her life:
One Sunday night in October, 1989, Kelly led me in the prayer of salvation as I knelt beside my bed in my dorm room.
When I stood up, I knew that deep down something had changed. I knew that I wanted God more than my homosexuality. But becoming a Christian was only the beginning of my journey. It didn't instantly resolve my homosexual feelings. I broke up with my partner, but I continued to struggle with unwanted same-sex attractions.
Thankfully, I found out about a ministry that helps people overcome their homosexuality, and I began to attend a local support group. There, I discovered the root causes of my homosexual desires, including sexual abuse, gender confusion, a breakdown in the relationship with my same-sex parent, an abusive father and peer rejection.
Through the healing power of Christ, any person can change. But they have to want to change.
When I was a drunk, I knew that getting drunk all the time was causing problems for me, but while I didn't like those problems, I didn't want to give up the booze, either. I didn't change because I didn't really want to change.
But there came a time when I came to the end of myself and my own strength, and God got through to me. It was like I had been standing in front of a brick wall for years, and all of a sudden, God made it vanish and I couldn't escape the truth about myself any longer.
There were still plenty of times for several months after that when I would hit a rough patch and would have the impulse to return to that old crutch. But God was kind enough to remind me that I'd run as hard as I could down that road and found...nothing. There was nothing to return to there. So I trusted God and stuck it out.
Eventually, the desire for a good drunk completely went away. I could be disappointed, hurt, angry, lonely, misunderstood or mistreated...and I no longer wanted to reach for the bottle.
I'm told leaving other lifestyle sins like homosexuality are also hard to break free of. But like drinking or doing drugs or gambling or any sin, deliverance is possible...if you really want to be free.
I think Christine would tell us all that it's worth it.
15 comments:
Give Christine 5-10 years and see if she's still an "ex-gay". That's usually the amount of time it takes for 80% of homosexuals who "convert" to heterosexuality revert back to being homosexual.
As hard as they may want to, no amount of religious yearnings is going to change your sexual orientation. You can either spend the rest of your life fighting it only because you want to be accepted by those who tell you homosexuality is wrong.
Or you just accept who your same sex urges and revert back to being happy with who you are and not what others are trying to make you into something you are not.
It's no different than trying to change someone who's heterosexual to become homosexual. If it's not really "who they were born to be", then it can't be done. Although they might have homosexual encounters, ultimately their preference is to remain heterosexual.
Equally, if someone feels they are born into the wrong sex, no amount of religious conditioning is going to change their feelings they should have a sex change to be what they feel they should have been rightly born.
Is this all something triggered mentally or genetically? Probably so. Is it easy to force someone to change this feeling? No, because if it's not really in your nature, it's hard to try to make someone change into something you are not. They can pretend, but ultimately the failure rate is high.
And for those "ex-gays" that marry and have children, ultimately it leads to broken marriage so it's best to avoid trying to be something you're not for the sake of the children... that's a better choice than making a wrong decision.
Bob, you wouldn't understand this because you're ignorant to this reality... you can believe what "ex-gays" say, but please do find at least 50 "ex-gays" that have been that way for 10-15 years and you're going to find very few of them.
That's the nature of the beast within us.... and religion isn't going to tame it... Sorry Guy!
Bob Ellis, latest poll news from California on Proposition 8 is not looking good:
FOXNEWS.com
August 27, 2008
A majority of California voters oppose a ballot initiative to ban gay marriage, according to a new poll released Wednesday.
A majority of likely voters, 54 percent, oppose ending gay marriage, compared with 40 percent who support it, the poll said. The result is similar to the findings of a Field Poll in July, which found that 51 percent of likely California voters opposed ending gay marriage, while 42 percent said they supported it.
The new poll indicates that those opposed to gay marriage will have to mobilize voters if they are to be successful in November, Baldassare said.
"The burden is always on the yes side to convince people there is good reason to vote for the measure," he said.
The institute surveyed 2,001 California residents, including 1,047 likely voters, in English and Spanish from Aug. 12 to 19. The poll has a margin of sampling of error of 2 percentage points for all residents and 3 percentage points for likely voters.
First Massachussets, now California... who knows, next New York, New Jersey, then South Dakota?
Sorry Bob, but God isn't working on your side... he seems to be favoring tolerance of the homosexual, maybe because they are his children/creation too and because his son Jesus teaches us to love and tolerate our wayward neighbors, not rant negative things against them.
Appears your strategy is failing miserably. Ya think God maybe has forsaken your cause or what?
Most alcoholics and drug addicts don't make it to permanent sobriety, either.
So they shouldn't try, apparently.
It also seems apparent that you don't want Christine to make it, do you?
That would threaten your illusion that you can't help it, right?
That might illustrate that you could change to, right?
That might illustrate that you really do have a choice, and that you really do have moral culpability for this choice, right?
But it's easier to wish this girl back into her misery again, isn't it?
How pathetic! And how incredibly selfish of you! You'd rather see other people suffer than accept your own need to change.
At least we now have a clear picture on why some homosexuals are so militant.
Pahaha, and you're not militant, Bob?
How hard is it to understand that you are EXACTLY like a homosexual activist in your methods and attitude, not to mention your level of ignorance and unwillingness to admit when you're wrong about ANYTHING? The only difference is which side you're on.
Well, that, and the fact that I'm right about everything I've said here, and that what I've said is proven by Christine, Joe Dallas and countless other homosexuals who've been set free.
And the fact that I've had a mind open enough to learn these things, rather than trying to drag others down to hide my error.
I wonder if your mind is open enough to admit the possibility that, as the first poster said, in 5-10 years' time we'll really see whether these people have truly changed.
Given Bob's level of homoophobia, I'm praying for him.
Anonymous 7:28, I believe I've already stated that.
The real question is: is your mind open enough to admit that possibility--and that many already have been changed for 5, 10, 15 and more years?
Yes, Curtis, I am scared to death of sameness.
Right, and "agorophobia" has no other meaning than being literally afraid of the marketplace. For God's sake, grow up, Bob.
That's what "homosexual" means: "same sexual."
So if one is "homophobic," one is fearful of sameness.
For your own sake, get an education.
Bob Ellis wrote: "But it's easier to wish this girl back into her misery again, isn't it?
How pathetic! And how incredibly selfish of you! You'd rather see other people suffer than accept your own need to change.
At least we now have a clear picture on why some homosexuals are so militant."
Bob, this is the first writer and of course I don't wish Christine or anyone to suffer or have a miserable life.
You apparently "read" what you wanted to read and not what I actually wrote. I said, check with Christine in 5-10 years to see if she's still an "ex-gay".
You are going to find that 80% of people who "convert" to heterosexuality will eventually revert back to being homosexual.
I never said I wish that for her so why would you say I said that? At the same time, unlike you, who says her being gay would make her miserable and suffer, I did say, she shouldn't be ashamed if she decides to be lesbian, transsexual, or bisexual.
As for being militant... who is the militant here? Me, who just stated facts (that apparently you don't want to believe) or You, who interpted what I said to wish this person to suffer and be miserable because she may choose to return back to being a lesbian?
If she chooses to remain heterosexual, I wish her all the best, but at the same time, if she chooses to return back to being homosexual, I again wish her all the best. Whatever she decides, as long as she is happy.
Why can't you just say that too? Why do you have to equate her being homosexual as her being unhappy and miserable?
So, who's the narrow-minded misguided militant person here? It's definitely not me....
Oh no. There wasn't a single bit of "Yeah, you just watch. She'll be back" in your comment.
No, there wasn't a bit of implicit "She's fooling herself. She was born homosexual. It's just a matter of time."
You even said as much: "As hard as they may want to, no amount of religious yearnings is going to change your sexual orientation. You can either spend the rest of your life fighting it only because you want to be accepted by those who tell you homosexuality is wrong...And for those "ex-gays" that marry and have children, ultimately it leads to broken marriage so it's best to avoid trying to be something you're not for the sake of the children... that's a better choice than making a wrong decision...That's the nature of the beast within us.... and religion isn't going to tame it... Sorry Guy!"
Yeah, you were practically doing cartwheels for her, weren't you? Of course not. All you had for this young woman was contempt and an arrogant, "It won't last. She'll be back in the pig pen with the rest of us sooner or later."
If you deny that, you're a liar.
Why are you so desperate for affirmation of this terrible lifestyle that you can't even be happy for someone who has a better life now, and rejoice in her well being?
Bob, you don't really listen to, nor understand what other people write, do you? Your interpretations of what other people are writing is so offbase.
I don't get your readings on what they write. And for a pseudo-christian, you reply with such nasty vindictiveness.
You rarely admit that what others write might be correct... instead you just attack, attack, attack. How mean-spirited a person you have become?
You should be ashamed telling people God has spoken to you through his holy book, because you're reading it all wrong.
Maybe you need some guidance to focus more on the new testament and Jesus' teachings to learn what a good christian is truly all about to stop being so mean-spirited.
Since you're "anonymous" too, I'm not sure whether you're the liar I conversed with before, or someone else. I'll assume you're someone else, but my response varies little either way.
Do you think I was born yesterday? It was obvious beyond question that the previous anonymous was just arrogantly waiting for this girl to backslide into her old sin again. And for what other reason so he could gloat that "See, homosexuals can't change."
I'm not mean, and I'm not attacking. I am thoroughly disgusted that some people so adamantly refuse to see the truth, and are so self-centered that they would rather see themselves and others continue to live a life of sin, just so they can avoid facing their own error.
If you can't even accept the reality that the Bible is very clear that God doesn't approve of homosexuality, then you're in an awful shallow place to lecture me on what it means to be a good Christian. The Lord knows I'm not a perfect one, but thank Him I can at least recognize sin and admit it's wrong.
Would it be mean-spirited and attacking to call someone a hypocrite, a brood of vipers, a wicked and adulterous generation, blind guides, sons of hell, blind fools, blind men, whitewashed tombs, full of hypocrisy and wickedness, and snakes?
That's what Jesus said of arrogant people who couldn't admit their sin and wanted to, as he put it, mislead them into being twice the sons of hell they were?
I haven't even gotten warmed up, compared to Jesus.
Or try reading Stephen's condemnation of the Jewish leaders.
The point is, as Ecclesiastes illustrates, there's a time for a soft answer, and there's a time for a stern rebuke.
And if someone who not only refuses to acknowledge sin, but eagerly hopes others will join in doesn't deserve a stern rebuke, I don't know who does.
That is "nasty vindictiveness" and "mean spiritedness."
Someone ought to be ashamed...but obviously there is no shame.
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