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Questor
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Joined: 2008/12/25
Posts: 78


 Re: Sexuality

by roadsign on 2012/1/24 14:15:58

Quote:
there is a propensity to homosexuality in some 5% of mankind



Funny, I expected the statistics to be much higher – in view of the attention homosexuals get.


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Some claim that 10% is more accurate these days...perhaps because more among the GLBT community are so open about their lifestyle choice, particularly in the Western countries, but I think the 5% of the world population remains relatively constant.

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by roadsign on 2012/1/24 14:15:58

Compare that to these recent statistics:

- One of every four adolescents in the U.S. is currently at serious risk of not achieving productive adulthood.
- 21 percent of U.S. children ages nine to 17 have a diagnosable mental or addictive disorder associated with at least minimum impairment.
- 20 percent of students report having seriously considered suicide in the past year.
- Our waiting lists are too long.

Imagine the effects this will have on our civilization in a very few years! I'm wondering if God's people shouldn't be giving more attention to correcting these issues - or rather, ministering hope into the lives of suffering people?


I agree with the above reference to the fallen nature. It is really the starting place, isn't it - beginning with ourselves.

Diane

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Is this not part of our duty...to protect those that we have contact with through the Assemply, and then to offer relief in Yeshua for those that are torn into pieces by their desires and bad choices?

All are fallen...all have choices to make moment after moment, some adding up to tragic consequences such as homosexuality, suicide, depression, anorexia...it really matters very little what we call the sin.

We make choices, others make choices, and the ripples of all our actions affect one another. All we can do is choose to act in a way that is loving, kind, and compassionate to those caught in a large, encompassing sin such as homosexuality, reaching out in love, to protect the young ones among us, and pray to be able to intervene in someone else's confused life, and help them see that their sin can be abandoned, repented from, and that they can be free in Yeshua the moment they choose to.


Q

 2012/1/25 6:44Profile
roadsign
Member



Joined: 2005/5/2
Posts: 3777


 Re:

Quote:
We make choices, others make choices



Once a pastor’s wife shared with me her struggle with homosexuality as a youth. For her trying to resist was extremely difficult. She told me how her arms ached to fulfil her longing. Fortunately the object of her drive was a female who happened to be a godly Christian leader who, she realized, would never fulfill her craving. She told how she was finally able to say “No” and eventually the desire faded – and she went on to live for God. This woman, it should be noted, was surrounded by strong Christian influence, which both helped and harmed. Her father, a zealous Charismatic, believed in literally following the Bible, but in his efforts, he severely deprived his daughter of the love she needed. It was a sickly form of “denial” - not what Jesus was talking about.

The point is, we assume that homosexuals always make a conscious choice to be one. But it is more likely that they don’t. Instead, they have failed to make a choice to resist becoming one, and so their initial participation in it ultimately reinforces their orientation and helps make it become a way of life. If I understand correctly, many who explore homosexual behavior in youth, do not end up being one. It’s not likely because they are less “sinful”, but due to other factors.

It is also important that we put less focus on those presenting behaviours which repulse us, and consider other issues - like a failure in a healthy formation of sexual identity. As I noted earlier, that weakness also underlies the anorexic condition …. and many other prevalent conditions and behaviors in our present society and church. Christians can be hampered by it too.

The statistics I raised refer to those who are at immediate risk. Not all homosexuals are in that category. I don’t know what percentage. Regardless, trying to tell anyone they have a sin problem when they are doing quite fine – is like trying to doctor someone who is not sick.

Jesus himself said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.” If we want to walk with Jesus on the dusty paths of life, we need to give up any overly narrowed focus on what disturbs US, and have the heart of Christ for others. Or we will merely be trying to remove speaks from people’s eyes, and increase the resistance to the gospel.

Meanwhile the harvest is white ...

I was told once: We are to be in a place in people's lives that when, down the road, they do find themselves in the place of need, they will know we can be trusted.

Otherwise, we will not be able to help them spiritually and emotionally when they most need it. We will not have earned their trust.


Diane


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Diane

 2012/1/25 7:43Profile
Questor
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Joined: 2008/12/25
Posts: 78


 Re: Sexuality & Choices

by roadsign on 2012/1/25 1:43:38

Quote:
We make choices, others make choices



Once a pastor’s wife shared with me her struggle with homosexuality as a youth. For her trying to resist was extremely difficult. She told me how her arms ached to fulfil her longing. Fortunately the object of her drive was a female who happened to be a godly Christian leader who, she realized, would never fulfill her craving. She told how she was finally able to say “No” and eventually the desire faded – and she went on to live for God. This woman, it should be noted, was surrounded by strong Christian influence, which both helped and harmed. Her father, a zealous Charismatic, believed in literally following the Bible, but in his efforts, he severely deprived his daughter of the love she needed. It was a sickly form of “denial” - not what Jesus was talking about.

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Odd how the choices of this girl's own parent fostered her quest for love in the wrong places, presumably because he chose to follow a strict form of fundamentalism with strict behvior patterns, rather than bend a little, and love his child in the way she needed to be loved. Not that he probably ever knew her need, nor perhaps even expected her to have such desperate need of love and fulfillment. We all act so much in ignorance and carelessness that without Yeshua making all things to work out for us that love Him, and are indeed called according to His Purpose, we would find no righteous fulfillment without Him. But we can pray to be used of Him to help these young ones.

The sexual side of the matter I am sure did not come up in the beginning for her either, but merely the longing for a truly satisfying love. She was blessed to find her way out of the intricate pattern of choices she would have to have made to foster, much less remain in any homosexual relationship, and the more blessed that she recognized the object of her initial desire would never accept the sinful side of love that she thought would fulfil her.

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by roadsign on 2012/1/25 1:43:38

The point is, we assume that homosexuals always make a conscious choice to be one. But it is more likely that they don’t. Instead, they have failed to make a choice to resist becoming one, and so their initial participation in it ultimately reinforces their orientation and helps make it become a way of life. If I understand correctly, many who explore homosexual behavior in youth, do not end up being one. It’s not likely because they are less “sinful”, but due to other factors.

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Actually, I am sure that in the earliest stages of a improperly directed love interest the reality of there being anything deliberately chosen by the child is few and far between. The choices for ill are made by the actions and modeling of others long before the end result in the wrong kind of seed takes root, much less before it blossums in a recognizeable form to the child.

Confusion and despair are usually the lot of any child coming up against any complex set of feelings and behavior patterns that are a stumbling block for the child, and that long use and practice with the ill choices of those older than the child are necessary to develop into anything sinful at all. Unfortunately, the choices being made and acted upon can leave much damage behind without anyone meaning any ill to the child at all.

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by roadsign on 2012/1/25 1:43:38

It is also important that we put less focus on those presenting behaviours which repulse us, and consider other issues - like a failure in a healthy formation of sexual identity. As I noted earlier, that weakness also underlies the anorexic condition …. and many other prevalent conditions and behaviors in our present society and church. Christians can be hampered by it too.

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Truth, Sister, although I am surprised that anyone truly loving a child young in the pattern that leads to sin would be repulsed by the presenting behaviors in someone acting out. Saddened certainly, particularly when one is the only person noticing the occasional wrongness in the presentation behavior.

I have been blessed by sufficient exposure to wrong modeling and behavior while young myself to have grown to be relatively unaffected by homosexual and bi-sexual behavior patterns, but I find that in the confusion of the young still trying to find their way that I am hurt by the behavior, for their sakes, rather than repulsed by it.

The difficulty even after recognizing the pattern is connecting in an appropriate way with the child in danger, for the child generally understands too little to avoid bad choices to begin with, while those around the child are oblivious to the danger, or hiding from the knowledge of it.

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by roadsign on 2012/1/25 1:43:38

The statistics I raised refer to those who are at immediate risk. Not all homosexuals are in that category. I don’t know what percentage. Regardless, trying to tell anyone they have a sin problem when they are doing quite fine – is like trying to doctor someone who is not sick.

Jesus himself said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.” If we want to walk with Jesus on the dusty paths of life, we need to give up any overly narrowed focus on what disturbs US, and have the heart of Christ for others. Or we will merely be trying to remove speaks from people’s eyes, and increase the resistance to the gospel.

Meanwhile the harvest is white ...

I was told once: We are to be in a place in people's lives that when, down the road, they do find themselves in the place of need, they will know we can be trusted.

Otherwise, we will not be able to help them spiritually and emotionally when they most need it. We will not have earned their trust.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Yes, very difficult for any of us to act directly when the issue is so sensitive and awkward to open a discussion about.

But for those that are old enough to read these pages, and are already in relationship with some child at risk, they can know that choosing to be waiting in love for an opportunity to give comfort and right teaching can be a very valuable thing. To be walking in love around those in danger of wrong choices, and modeling correct action and behavior, while remaining friendly and kind without fail to the child at risk is the best choice that a Believer can make.

Acting upon that belief in gentleness and with a caring and compassionate heart by simply reaching out to that child while demonstrating strong personal boundaries is a choice that will be blessed and aided by the Ruach haKodesh.


Q

 2012/1/25 9:00Profile
roadsign
Member



Joined: 2005/5/2
Posts: 3777


 Re:

Quote:
But for those that are old enough to read these pages, and are already in relationship with some child at risk, they can know that choosing to be waiting in love for an opportunity to give comfort and right teaching can be a very valuable thing. To be walking in love around those in danger of wrong choices, and modeling correct action and behavior, while remaining friendly and kind without fail to the child at risk is the best choice that a Believer can make.



So true. Good, healthy relationship is one of the most powerful deterrents to bad ones.


_________________
Diane

 2012/1/25 9:07Profile
carters
Member



Joined: 2011/5/24
Posts: 138
Australia

 Re:

Hello everyone again,

Reading this interesting topic and wondered what DEADn meant by "preaching to the angels".

Which angels? And why would you need to preach to the angels?




_________________
Mrs Carter

 2012/2/2 2:01Profile
DEADn
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Joined: 2011/1/12
Posts: 1395
Lakeland FL

 Re:


----"Reading this interesting topic and wondered what DEADn meant by "preaching to the angels""


This is when you just begin preaching and no one is in the room. This guy I referred to earlier said he used to do it all the time in his bedroom and he would tell me about it. When I stayed at a his house on a few ocassions we both began doing the same thing. Don't let the phrase cause you to think it is some spiritual or super spiritual thing. It is just a label he and I used to define what we were doing.

------"Which angels? And why would you need to preach to the angels?"



Are you really serious with this question? Does it matter? In essence it would be the heavenly host since the message of the gospel if somewhat of a mystery to the angels of heaven.
I don't know that I should respond to the last question because it is really rhetorical. Seemingly being too fundamentalistic becuase the action may be line up with scripture somewhere. Does that really matter?

I am curious as to what you asked that last question. Is there a motive there or are you just simply curious? Also, if you had a kid who said they preached to the angels would you think there is cause for concern there or would you think the kid may be used of God?


_________________
John

 2012/2/3 8:56Profile
ArtB
Member



Joined: 2004/4/27
Posts: 431
New York

 Re:

[quote DEADn]
Are you really serious with this question? Does it matter? In essence it would be the heavenly host since the message of the gospel if somewhat of a mystery to the angels of heaven. I don't know that I should respond to the last question because it is really rhetorical. Seemingly being too fundamentalistic because the action may be line up with scripture somewhere. Does that really matter?

I am curious as to what you asked that last question. Is there a motive there or are you just simply curious? Also, if you had a kid who said they preached to the angels would you think there is cause for concern there or would you think the kid may be used of God?




Methinks you are over-reacting to the poster's post, Deadn.

I never heard of preachings to angels, it is new to me too. Now that I read this post of yours, I may now understand what you were saying.

I too had friends who practiced their preaching by going into State Parks where they preached out loud to the TREES, in order to polish their delivery of the gospel message. As a matter of fact, after a while, he got so good at it, that when he gave the alter call, two trees came forward.


_________________
Arthur Biele

 2012/2/3 17:18Profile
DEADn
Member



Joined: 2011/1/12
Posts: 1395
Lakeland FL

 Re:

Art

Yeah, you have some humor with your post about the trees, don't you? lol

Carter may mean well, I don't know. I do know that if christians get serious with questions such as that then there is trouble in the camp.


_________________
John

 2012/2/3 18:33Profile
ArtB
Member



Joined: 2004/4/27
Posts: 431
New York

 Re:

Yeah Deadn,

But it is true that two of my friends had indeed, separately at different times, preached out load in State Parks to practice giving sermons.

May God richly bless you!


_________________
Arthur Biele

 2012/2/3 18:56Profile





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