My God is Mighty to Save

[sphsjags]

Have you ever heard that if you tell a lie long enough then you'll start to believe it? Well, I think it can work the other way around. If you're told something long enough then you can start to believe it.

My parents divorced when I was 4, so my dad wasn't ever really around to do the whole "let's go throw the ball" or anything. Because I never got into sports like the other guys in elementary school, they figured I must be gay. Also, since I didn't play sports, I wasn't popular and nobody would believe me when I told them I wasn't. Until senior year in high school or so, I became familiar with all of the derrogotory gay names.

In 7th grade, since no matter what I said or did nobody would believe me, I figured they must be right. So, even though it never quite felt right to call myself gay, from 7th-11th grade I believed I was. I made a mistake in 8th grade, but it was the only time.

During the summer between 11th-12th grade, I went to Costa Rica with my Spanish class. On the flight back home, a friend heard me talking with some girls about what had happened on the trip. He told me he wanted to talk to me. We ended up talking on AIM because it was more feasible than trying to meet. He told me about how he'd struggled with inappropriate contentography, but how God had helped him turn away from it. He said He could do the same for me. By then it had already been 4 years... I thought about it for the next few days. One afternoon, I found myself on my knees crying harder than anything and praying for God to save me and change me. It wasn't what I wanted for myself and I knew it wasn't what God wanted for me [homosexualiy]. It was then, at 17, that I accepted Christ as my personal Lord and Saviour.

I told my friend what had happened and began going to church with him the next Sunday. I ended up rooming with him and 2 other friends from school/church my freshman year in college. I became very active in a church at school and am going to lead a freshman Bible study this next year.


UPDATE: Last summer (2010) I was interning in Mobile with a friend from school. He told me he is gay, which I kind of suspected. We ended up going to a gay bar on the weekends; because that's his 'scene' and because they had good dance music. I felt myself slipping back into the mentality I had before I accepted Christ. I'm currently not as involved in church as I was freshman year of college (I'm a senior, now), but things are getting better again. (3/21/2011)

UPDATE 2: I still feel a connection to the gay community, such as DADT, especially since I considered going into the military for so long. When I'm not occupied in other ways, I find my mind easily fixates on that sort of stuff. I don't currently identify as gay, or any 'predefined' sexual orientation. I'm just me: no real 'physical' response to attractive people. I don't have any real desire to do anything sexual with anyone. I would like to get married to and have kids with a woman. However, the lack of a more clearly defined orientation or attraction scares me away because I do not want to realize later that I'm not really attracted to my wife and ruin both of our lives. (6/28/11)

"Everyone needs compassion / Love that’s never failing / Let mercy fall on me
Everyone needs forgiveness / The kindness of a Saviour / The hope of nations

Saviour / He can move the mountains / My God is mighty to save / He is mighty to save
Forever / Author of salvation / He rose and conquered the grave
Jesus conquered the grave"

"Mighty to Save" -Hillsong United

 

[sphsjags]

I can't wait until school starts and I get to meet my Bible study guys!

 

[Sadiegrl]

yay! Glad you were able to find God and he delivered you! Praise God always!

 

[JoeNah]

Very good! I was inspired! GLORY TO GOD!

You bring up an interesting and a very important point: You heard others use the derogatory slang terms for homosexual, when they referred to you, whether you were present or not. I'm guessing that in some cases, others talked about you, as if you were not present, but they knew you were, and/or were at least within earshot.
But the point is, is that others used those terms, and did it so much that, after a while, it began to take on greater and greater significance.

I'm not a scientist, so don't attach any scientific value to this, but it seems to me that this is a major factor in why some people believe that they were born homosexual:
because they heard others say it so much, and so often, that they began to question their own thinking processes and ability to reason, and possibly began to think that EVERYONE ELSE must know something they don't.

Contrast the person who grew up in a home where there was lots of love, encouragement, acceptance, and praise for accomplishments, with the person who grew up in a home where dad was either physically or emotionally absent, or was an alcoholic, and/or abusive.
You were called all kinds of names and told you were worthless. Both of my parents told me that I was stupid.

But God is good, and God is great!

 

[T Man]

Man I am so happy for you, God be praised. I can't write that well, so my words are in my heart. Love your story, keep looking foward in Him..
T Man

 

[AnthonyMichaelPraisesGod]

I myself struggle with homosexuality in my past, and it is hard to overcome in the present.
I enrolled in a program called A Door Of Hope online, at settingcaptivesfree.com. Might be worth a look into. But hey, if nothing else, you still have us at the forum! :-D
And even better yet, you have Jesus!! Hooray for Jesus! Victory at the cross!
Thanks for posting.

 

[snowfam]

I myself struggle with homosexuality in my past, and it is hard to overcome in the present.
I enrolled in a program called A Door Of Hope online, at settingcaptivesfree.com. Might be worth a look into. But hey, if nothing else, you still have us at the forum! :-D
And even better yet, you have Jesus!! Hooray for Jesus! Victory at thecross cross!
Thanks for posting.

I was born a filthy sinner and struggled with many sins don't let whatever your particular sin is get you down. If you were gay before Christ so what I was a drug user and have done great damage to my body which is His temple and we will struggle with sins when we get away from Christ and other Christians.

I used to think it was ok to hate homosexuals so I want to apologize to all who were and are gay as I was wrong. I love every human but hate all sin now that Christ has set me straight.( no pun intented)

 

[AnthonyMichaelPraisesGod]

Psalms 34:19-22 Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.
He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.
Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate.
The LORD redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.

 

[AnthonyMichaelPraisesGod]

Titus 1:15 To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their mind and their conscience are defiled. Romans 8:30-31 Whom he predestined, those he also called. Whom he called, those he also justified. Whom he justified, those he also glorified.
What then shall we say about these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 1 Corinthians 7:17, 20-22, 24 Only, as the Lord has distributed to each man, as God has called each, so let him walk. So I command in all the assemblies.
Let each man stay in that calling in which he was called.
Were you called being a bondservant? Don't let that bother you, but if you get an opportunity to become free, use it.
For he who was called in the Lord being a bondservant is the Lord's free man. Likewise he who was called being free is Christ's bondservant.
Brothers, let each man, in whatever condition he was called, stay in that condition with God. Romans 8:32-35 He who didn't spare his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how would he not also with him freely give us all things?
Who could bring a charge against God's chosen ones? It is God who justifies.
Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, yes rather, who was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Could oppression, or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? John 4:23 But the hour comes, and now is, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such to be his worshippers. John 4:24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth."

 

[AnthonyMichaelPraisesGod]

If a deer in the woods is gay, should we go out and shoot it or tell it to stop sinning? If your children do drugs, do you drag them out in the street and beat them and chastize them and hate them in your heart?
Ephesians 4:25-32 Therefore, putting away falsehood, speak truth each one with his neighbor. For we are members of one another.
"Be angry, and don't sin." Don't let the sun go down on your wrath,
neither give place to the devil.
Let him who stole steal no more; but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing that is good, that he may have something to give to him who has need.
Let no corrupt speech proceed out of your mouth, but such as is good for building up as the need may be, that it may give grace to those who hear.
Don't grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, outcry, and slander, be put away from you, with all malice.
And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, just as God also in Christ forgave you.
God is and was and will be; eternal; sovereign; redemption; justice; freedom. For all.
Luke 11:13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?" or forgiveness? Or love?
Proverbs 20:10-11 Differing weights and differing measures, both of them alike are an abomination to Yahweh.
Even a child makes himself known by his doings, whether his work is pure, and whether it is right.
Why ostracize the minority?
Proverbs 20:9 Who can say, "I have made my heart pure. I am clean and without sin?"
When the majority is just as corrupt?
Proverbs 20:8 A king who sits on the throne of judgment scatters away all evil with his eyes.
It is God who saves and loves us, not men.

Romans 14:22 Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God. Happy is he who doesn't judge himself in that which he approves. Romans 14:24-26 Now to him who is able to establish you according to my Good News and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret through long ages,
but now is revealed, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, is made known for obedience of faith to all the nations;
to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever! Amen.

 

[AnthonyMichaelPraisesGod]

Luke 11:39-41 And the Lord said unto him, Now ye the Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the platter; but your inward part is full of extortion and wickedness.
Ye foolish ones, did not he that made the outside make the inside also?
But give for alms those things which are within; and behold, all things are clean unto you. Luke 11:45-46, 52 And one of the lawyers answering saith unto him, Teacher, in saying this thou reproachest us also.
And he said, Woe unto you lawyers also! for ye load men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers.
Woe unto you lawyers! for ye took away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered.

The law is dead. Jesus fulfilled it. We live under grace. The grace of our Heavenly Lord, Who died that we could be free from sin.

Genesis 3:10-11 The man said, "I heard your voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself."
God said, "Who told you that you were naked?