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On this earth - whether christian or non-christian, beleive or non-believer, we will face temptation and struggle with sin issues. We are living in a fallen world. We who know Jesus as our Saviour - are on a journey, we are growing day by day. As we lean on the Lord and trust in him - giving to him all our worries and our faults and failings - he gives us the grace and stregnth we need to become overcomers. It is not always an instantaneous thing - we struggle as we grow in God. But God can give us all we need as we look to him and put our live in his hands completly.
You have asked Jesus to be your personal Saviour and KNOW you are a new creation in him? If you're not sure, you need to get that SPIRITUAL part right. If it is right - then you have to DIE. Jesus said "Take up your cross and follow me" - that cross for you may be a struggle with homosexuality, but as you die to yourself, you will find new life in Christ.
You need the help of the Holy Spirit - you cannot live the christian life on your own. So, make sure the SPRITIUAL side is right. Then crucify YOUR wants, YOUR needs, YOUR desires - Take up that cross and die to yourself. You will then find new life in Christ - and with the Holy Spirits help - daily, you can be stronger than you have ever been. Knowing the Peace, Joy and Love of God.
Like I said, this is a fallen world. But as christians we have been redeemed back to God - from darkness into the light. You can walk in the Light. But it has to be in the above steps - Godbless you as you seek to follow the Lord. Your reward is in heaven. Keep Looking Up.
Understand that it is never God's WILL for you to commit sin. God may allow it but it is not his will. Haven't y'all ever had a situation where it was your will for someone to do one thing but that person did another thing instead? It's pretty much the same thing. God gives us the ability to make our own choices... without that, we'd be nothing but robots. Therefore we need to choose to be within God's will. If God says that homosexuality is wrong, God will not "will" anyone to live a homosexual life.
God may allow us to be tempted with bad things that appear oh so good, to see what we're really made of... but God will not "will" us to be something such as homosexual.
Thanks for the condescending post, but I have never gotten the memo that you spoke for my God. Until then, I will continue to believe that homosexuality is not a sin. I will refrain from judging you and those of your ilk, although I have been a backslider in that area from time to time.
Chris --- You're at such a tough place in your life right now. I've been that age and dealt with the same struggle between faith and flesh. First, while I know you must love your family, it truly grieves me that a church and its pastor teach homosexuality in the way you've described. Does God approve of homosexuality? No. However, I also believe that your church is showing more hate toward people than love. I can't see Christ in the actions you've described.
Chris, you have such a tough decision at such a young age. Early twenties is still pretty young to be dealing with issues like this. When I dealt with my homosexual feelings I looked to everyone to help me make my decisions. I knew in my heart what I truly wanted, but was not emotionally strong enough to step out and act on that decision.
You and I both know that no one can fully understand the depth of this problem if they have not had a strong religious upbringing and also have to deal with homosexual feelings. If you could make your choice tonight on which direction you would choose, what would it be? Do you want to be gay? Do you want to be straight? You do have a choice in which direction you go. I can't tell you what to do. No one here can tell you what to do. We can give advice and opinions, but you get to make that decision.
I know it's tough. I really know. Whatever you decide, look at the big picture of life, but then go back to being 23 and living day to day, week to week. Don't worry about what is going to come, what may or may not happen. Take that decision one step at a time.
And please, please do not hate God because of this life situation. God does love you. You've prayed and prayed for this to go away, and yet you haven't received an answer. Patience is an extremely tough thing to endure. Just because you haven't heard does not mean God isn't listening. It doesn't mean He has stopped caring or loving you. He is with you right now. He is with you always.
Lastly, please disregard all the hateful posts about gay people, about Christians and all the bickering between the various posters. Everyone has such strong opinions about this subject and that's to be expected. Look to the posts that have your best interests in mind and pray that God will direct you. Pray for him to give you clear direction.
I'm prayin' for you!! Really prayin'. Keep your chin up and know that you are an amazing guy! I may not know you personally, but it's evident what a strong, courageous and wonderful guy you are.
Wow hoosier, of all the posts, that was one of the only ones I saw displaying genuine love and concern. Simply as Christ would show. Bchris02, i posted earlier that I am in a similar situation and know you are in my thoughts and prayers. I will keep holding onto the hope that God will give us guidance and direction.
All my life I have been struggling with homosexual desires. I was raised by a family so conservative they make Pat Robertson and Jerry Fallwell look like left wing nuts. I wouldn't put it beyond my dad to kill me if he ever found out about this. I would be disowned entirely by my family nonetheless. That said I was raised in a very conservative church just a little to the left of Westboro, where gays were usually blamed for various events as God's judgment for our nation's tolerance of homosexuality. I still believe in God however and have prayed numerous times for Him to take this burden from me, but it has not happened. In addition, I live in an extremely conservative area where it would be next to impossible for me to live as an open gay man. I would have to leave my church, friends, and family and would be completely alone. I don't think I could bear that. Not that in addition to a very possible reality that I would burn in hell for eternity for it. So I am basically stuck in a pathetic existence and I need to be prepared for a long lonely life. For whatever reason God will not lift this burden from me. To my fellow Christians, what advice do you give? I can't go to my church minister about this because I'll be excommunicated from the church. I can't go to my friends and I sure can't go to my family. I know on this board i've said some things about gays that I shouldn't have but that is due to my conservative surroundings and me fighting these desires. I apologize to those ive offended.
You really are a poster boy for the damage the religious fundamentalist lunatic fringe can cause. First you need to accept you've been emotionally damaged by your hateful and mentally ill family and community. You need to make a decision whether to live a lie to please dysfunctional, mental cripples or accept yourself and live your life to your full potential. There's no need to be a martyr and come out to people who would crucify you (Ironic isn't it?). Just start reaching out slowly and quietly (like you've done here) and prepare yourself for the day you'll free yourself of that loony bin. The way to stop struggling is to accept yourself. You DON'T NEED their approval! You DON'T NEED their permission. Give yourself permission. Part of being an adult is finding your own way. You are not alone. If you accept and love yourself as you are others will accept and love you. Have faith in yourself not in hate filled fairy tales, fantasies and delusions. Don't cling to those who would enslave and oppress you. Break free! You deserve it!
All my life I have been struggling with homosexual desires. I was raised by a family so conservative they make Pat Robertson and Jerry Fallwell look like left wing nuts. I wouldn't put it beyond my dad to kill me if he ever found out about this. I would be disowned entirely by my family nonetheless. That said I was raised in a very conservative church just a little to the left of Westboro, where gays were usually blamed for various events as God's judgment for our nation's tolerance of homosexuality. I still believe in God however and have prayed numerous times for Him to take this burden from me, but it has not happened. In addition, I live in an extremely conservative area where it would be next to impossible for me to live as an open gay man. I would have to leave my church, friends, and family and would be completely alone. I don't think I could bear that. Not that in addition to a very possible reality that I would burn in hell for eternity for it. So I am basically stuck in a pathetic existence and I need to be prepared for a long lonely life. For whatever reason God will not lift this burden from me. To my fellow Christians, what advice do you give? I can't go to my church minister about this because I'll be excommunicated from the church. I can't go to my friends and I sure can't go to my family. I know on this board i've said some things about gays that I shouldn't have but that is due to my conservative surroundings and me fighting these desires. I apologize to those ive offended.
I'm sorry to hear that you are struggling with homosexuality. But prayer is not magic. There are things that only the Holy Spirit can do in your life. Dealing with Homosexuality is a spirit of homosexuality and you must allow the Holy Spirit to come into your life to help you change.
You and I both know that no one can fully understand the depth of this problem if they have not had a strong religious upbringing and also have to deal with homosexual feelings. If you could make your choice tonight on which direction you would choose, what would it be? Do you want to be gay? Do you want to be straight? You do have a choice in which direction you go. I can't tell you what to do. No one here can tell you what to do. We can give advice and opinions, but you get to make that decision.
From what he has said, he is homosexual, not bi-sexual. He has no attractions to women, so how can he choose to "be straight"?
Bi-sexuals can choose to only have "straight" relationships with people of the opposite sex and not follow their attractions to people of the same-sex.
I had other immoral desires which were probably equally as strong as yours, if not stronger. It's all on the same playing field.
....
Likewise, I didn't choose to have burning desires to sleep with women to whom I wasn't married. I mean, think about this... I know what's the right thing to do... I know that sex is supposed to be for marriage. But then this situation comes along... woman I'm dating says she wants to have sex with me, and deep down I'm thinking "I REALLY WANT IT TOO!". All I would have had to say is the "YES!!!" that I was thinking, and I'd have been able to fulfill one of my deepest desires. I had an aversion to the idea of having sex with someone for whom I wouldn't have been their first, since I was a virgin, but there were a couple of virgin girls along the way who told me they wanted to lose their virginity to me. Words can't describe how badly I wanted to have sex with them... and all I would've had to have done is say "all right!". Within two seconds I could've had something I wanted with almost every fiber of my being.
But I didn't say "all right". I said "no".
Life would have been a heck of a lot easier had I never had those desires... it would've been great if my sex drive had kicked into overdrive only after I got married. But that was not my lot in life. I didn't choose to have the immoral desires... I had to choose to resist them. Every time I had to make that choice, it was not easy... and I always ended up thinking "I wanted her, I still want her, and I could've had her right then and there... but I passed up the opportunity..."
This is why I do not call anybody "gay". In my mind there are no "gay people". There are people who are attracted to the same sex and choose not to resist those desires. This is why I say that they choose a homosexual lifestyle. I burned with desire to commit adultery. You burn with desire to commit homosexuality. Ultimately it's all immoral and it's all sin in the eyes of God. I do understand where you're at. You have to make the choice NOT to sin. We all do. You didn't choose to get homosexual desires but you have to make the choice to do what is right. I can promise you... you'll feel much better about it in the end.
NWPAguy, imagine how you feel about women or specifically your wife. Your desire for her, everything about her you love, all the things that make her female that you love, the way she looks, smells, thinks, acts, looks at you and smiles seductively at you, or looks at you with love in her eyes. Imagine how you felt when you first fell in love. The "burning desire" her, wanting to be with her as much as possible and how you felt when you married her - how your heart welled up with love for her - that this was the person you wanted to be with for the rest of your life.
Now imagine that you were suddenly changed into a woman, but everything you feel for this woman is still the same. You would be a lesbian because you were a woman. That's what it is like for a homosexual.
Alternatively, imagine you are as you are, a man who loves and desires women, but you live in a culture with a religion that tells you that loving and desiring a woman is a sin and is "detestable" and you must only fall in love with, be attracted to, and marry a MAN. How would you go?
Do you think you could make yourself feel attracted to a man? One that you could marry? Could you convince yourself to desire and love a man on an emotional, sexual and mental level? One with penis and testicles and hairy chest to boot? Can you imagine kissing a man and gently stroking his slightly stubbly cheek as you look deep into his eyes and feel an overwhelming love and desire for him. That you want to spend the rest of your life with him ....Or does the very idea turn your stomach a little?
Telling a homosexual that they can choose to be straight, is like telling you that you can choose to be attracted to, desire and love men...if only you try hard enough.
If you CAN imagine falling in love with a man, having sex with a man and marrying a man, then you are not entirely "straight".
Last edited by Ceist; 02-19-2009 at 06:25 AM..
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