My First Gay Thread

[Praxeas]

Originally Posted by Hoovie

I think we can agree here, as long as that is not a springboard for someone saying God is accepting or created the attraction.

No, no more than God is of the heterosexuals attraction to someone elses wife or husband

[Truthseeker]

Originally Posted by PastorTLArt

I am currently single, and I believe that any type of intimate relationship outside of the bonds of Marriage is sinful, so No, I am not currently "practicing". But I am sure that when the Lord sends me the right person and we enter our covenant that we will live our life just like any married couple.

Are you saying God could send you a man to marry?

[Jermyn Davidson]

Originally Posted by jediwill83

I'm not speaking of God's tolerance or LACK OF tolerance for any sin....I'm simply speaking of our effectiveness in our witness and ministry.You can save yourself alot of trouble and overcome alot of defensiveness when you use a lil wisdom in your approach.They usually expect a negative reaction from a Christian...and when thats not what they encounter those shields sometimes drop.Some would say that from my LACK of a negative reaction I am by default supporting that lifestyle...not so.Just like the man I witnessed to one time...was in his house there to repo his washer and dryer...I let him finish his laundry and we sat and talked...his family all around...we talked about the Lord and how good God is....and how He can change a life...all the while he was knocking back shots of wild turkey and chain smoking...didnt offend me in the least...and the man was visibly moved that I would speak with him in the way that I did.You see...people know that they are a sinner...I dont have to tell them...I dont have to scream it at them...they already feel condemnation within themselves...I'm not here to bring MORE condemnation...I'm here to point the way to freedom.When we hold the light of Christ up to our life it illuminates our every fault for us to see...we see our sin in contrast to His Holiness.Jesus never told Zaccheaus he was a sinner...He just came to His house...but I believe in coming in contact with Him he realized there had to be a change which led to his repentant actions.

I loved reading this post.

I will NEVER forget the chains that satan used to try to destroy my life and I hope I never lose my compassion for the sinner and for the struggling believer-- regardless of the circumstances.

If not for the Grace of GOD in my life, I'd be dead already-- and I'm not exaagerating.


Still my question to you is how does one reach a person in sin who thinks that they are saved just the way they are?


Other than pray for them, I don't know what else to do.


Fellowshipping a sinner who knows they are a sinner is different from fellowshipping someone who says they are a Christian but embraces blatant sin as something that is not sinful.

Give me something practical-- if I have the wrong spirit about this, I want to be corrected and taught better.


How can anyone conquer anything if they can't perceive their slavery?

[Truthseeker]

Originally Posted by Jermyn Davidson

How can anyone conquer anything if they can't perceive their slavery?

That right there is a great question.

[CC1]

Originally Posted by Jermyn Davidson

I loved reading this post.

I will NEVER forget the chains that satan used to try to destroy my life and I hope I never lose my compassion for the sinner and for the struggling believer-- regardless of the circumstances.

If not for the Grace of GOD in my life, I'd be dead already-- and I'm not exaagerating.


Still my question to you is how does one reach a person in sin who thinks that they are saved just the way they are?


Other than pray for them, I don't know what else to do.


Fellowshipping a sinner who knows they are a sinner is different from fellowshipping someone who says they are a Christian but embraces blatant sin as something that is not sinful.

Give me something practical-- if I have the wrong spirit about this, I want to be corrected and taught better.


How can anyone conquer anything if they can't perceive their slavery?

Rarely are you and I on the same page but with your post here you have hit the nail on the head and made a very important point.

I had a college friend who came out as gay a few years later. All of his church friends pretty much immediately abandoned him. When my wife and I would visit in the town he lived in I would meet him for lunch, etc and kept the friendship alive despite the talk I know it generated.

I did that to be a lifeline to him, a connection back to church and God. For a few years I counseled with him, prayed with him over the phone long distance, etc, etc. However at some point our lives were just too divergent and the contact became less and less and now I have not spoken to him in over a decade.

[coadie]

Originally Posted by CC1

Rarely are you and I on the same page but with your post here you have hit the nail on the head and made a very important point.

I had a college friend who came out as gay a few years later. All of his church friends pretty much immediately abandoned him. When my wife and I would visit in the town he lived in I would meet him for lunch, etc and kept the friendship alive despite the talk I know it generated.

I did that to be a lifeline to him, a connection back to church and God. For a few years I counseled with him, prayed with him over the phone long distance, etc, etc. However at some point our lives were just too divergent and the contact became less and less and now I have not spoken to him in over a decade.

If a gay repents and leaves the lifestyle, he will face alienation, verbal attacks and abuse. There are samplings out there that the number of people that participated to various extents in the gay lifestye and left are more in numbers than there are actual gays both out and gays still in the closet.
Gays insist that they can't be changed. Under what basis do they insist God created and God doesn't have the power to change?

[PastorTLArt]

Originally Posted by Truthseeker

Are you saying God could send you a man to marry?

In keeping with the Admins wishes that I not speak about my lifestyle and I not promote an "agenda", I will answer any question anyone has but I will only answer it in a private message, I will not post anything that deals with my personal life or my beliefs in this matter on the open forum.

If anyone has any questions or would like to discuss an issue please feel free to send me a private on here or just request my e-mail addy and I will take my answers totally out of the forum.

Thanks and Blessings

[Truthseeker]

Originally Posted by PastorTLArt

In keeping with the Admins wishes that I not speak about my lifestyle and I not promote an "agenda", I will answer any question anyone has but I will only answer it in a private message, I will not post anything that deals with my personal life or my beliefs in this matter on the open forum.

If anyone has any questions or would like to discuss an issue please feel free to send me a private on here or just request my e-mail addy and I will take my answers totally out of the forum.

Thanks and Blessings

I'll take that as a yes.

[Dagwood]

Originally Posted by jediwill83

I believe having homosexual tendencies can come from several different sources...Physical, Spiritual and the Environment one is raised in...and I HAVE no agenda and yes I know what the Bible says on the subject.I dont focus on peoples sins or faults...perceived or otherwise...cause I'm trying to make it to heaven as well...and knowing well my own imperfections I'm usually too busy trying to remove the log from my own eye.Homosexuality is one of those things that I think are harped on way too much...yes again I KNOW what the Bible says...and I also see our divorce rate and I'm thinking "Hmmm you rail against homosexuals saying they are tearing down the tradtional family unit...but the heterosexual family unit has enough problems within it own walls that it needs to focus on without railing against the gays till you're purple in the face."Harping on a sin or soapbox issue is never a good substitute for true ministry and showing the love of Christ.I'm not saying my opinions are right...they are just what I feel...I believe that some things just get way too much priority while others silently crumble into oblivion.I've never felt uncomfortable around homosexuals...and I've worked with alot of em.

Good way to put things into perspective. I agree, honestly...

[Dagwood]

Originally Posted by jediwill83

I'm not speaking of God's tolerance or LACK OF tolerance for any sin....I'm simply speaking of our effectiveness in our witness and ministry.You can save yourself alot of trouble and overcome alot of defensiveness when you use a lil wisdom in your approach.They usually expect a negative reaction from a Christian...and when thats not what they encounter those shields sometimes drop.Some would say that from my LACK of a negative reaction I am by default supporting that lifestyle...not so.Just like the man I witnessed to one time...was in his house there to repo his washer and dryer...I let him finish his laundry and we sat and talked...his family all around...we talked about the Lord and how good God is....and how He can change a life...all the while he was knocking back shots of wild turkey and chain smoking...didnt offend me in the least...and the man was visibly moved that I would speak with him in the way that I did.You see...people know that they are a sinner...I dont have to tell them...I dont have to scream it at them...they already feel condemnation within themselves...I'm not here to bring MORE condemnation...I'm here to point the way to freedom.When we hold the light of Christ up to our life it illuminates our every fault for us to see...we see our sin in contrast to His Holiness.Jesus never told Zaccheaus he was a sinner...He just came to His house...but I believe in coming in contact with Him he realized there had to be a change which led to his repentant actions.

Gotta agree with you there, too!