I really struggled about whether to post this because I dont want it to appear as gossip or like I'm pointing fingers at someone.

1) it can't be gossip since he has already gone public with this and is proud of his sin.

2) I'm not pointing fingers, but rather asking the brethren to be in prayer for this deceived man.

Ray Boltz, who is famous for the songs "Thank You (For Giving To The Lord)" and "I Pledge Allegiance To The Lamb" has admitted to having struggled with homosexuality for decades, and has embraced the lifestyle as a gift from God.

This is tremendous deception and delusion, and we need to be in prayer for this man.

Here is what has been written about it.

[color=FF0000][i]September 12, 2008 4:24PM

[b]Ray Boltz Comes Out[/b]

ChristianityToday.com
Mark Moring

Ray Boltz, who sold about 4.5 million records before retiring from Christian music a few years ago, came out of the closet Friday to announce that he's gay.

In an interview with the gay magazine The Washington Blade, Boltz said he came out to his family and some close friends in December 2004, but only now decided to go public with the news.

“I’d denied it ever since I was a kid," Boltz, 55, told the magazine. "I became a Christian, I thought that was the way to deal with this and I prayed hard and tried for 30-some years and then at the end, I was just going, ‘I’m still gay. I know I am.’ And I just got to the place where I couldn’t take it anymore … when I was going through all this darkness, I thought, ‘Just end this.’”

One reason Boltz decided to come out now might be because he's performing Sunday at Jesus Metropolitan Community Church in Indianapolis, and then next Sunday, Sept. 21, at the Metropolitan Community Church of Washington, D.C. Both congregations are a part of a denomination that embraces the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) community.

Boltz is perhaps best known for his song "Thank You," about a dream in which a Christian thanks the Sunday school teacher who led him to Jesus. It was the GMA song of the year in 1990. Other Boltz hits include "Watch the Lamb," "The Anchor Holds," and "I Pledge Allegiance to the Lamb."

Boltz also told The Blade that [b]he doesn’t want to get into debates about Scripture[/b] and has no plans to “go into First Baptist or an Assembly of God church and run in there and say, ‘I’m gay and you need to love me anyway.’”

For him, the decision to come out is much more personal.

“This is what it really comes down to,” he says. “If this is the way God made me, then this is the way I’m going to live. It’s not like God made me this way and he’ll send me to hell if I am who he created me to be … I really feel closer to God because I no longer hate myself.”

Earlier, Boltz had alluded to the issue on his official website, saying that if people “knew who I really was, I would never be accepted."[/i][/color]

Interesting that he doesnt want to debate scripture. "Don't confuse me with the truth!" When the Word of God convicts you of your sin you have two choices... repent, or dump the Word of God.

Unfortunately in Ray Boltz's case he has chosen to ignore God's Word.

It's very sad, especially considering his sin led to his divorce, and caused much hurt for his 4 children.

We should pray that God will lead him to true repentance... which is going to be a miracle because now Boltz is playing in gay churches where no doubt he will be raised up as their poster child. He will find human acceptance there and it will be like herion to a junky.

Krispy

This truly is heartbreaking. I will pray for the truth to penetrate the darkness. It seems certain sins have such extra negative connotations with them, homosexuality definitely being one of them. I think because most of us can't relate to the struggle at all, it is easier to point fingers. (not alluding that is your intention) But, if homosexuality is the weakness of ones flesh then I see it as no different than other "struggles" of the flesh. It is a desire that has to be crucified by way of surrendering your will to His. It is the same for a whore munger who must crucify his lust or a glutton forsaking their idol or fill in the blank. I've always heard the argument from the gay community saying God made me this way. That's ridiculous. God is not the author of sin. He didn't make people gay anymore than he made them fornicators or gluttons. It is a choice to yield to our sinful nature or to yield to his perfect will.

That said, I do sympathize with him. I understand because I have struggled with gluttony all my life. And there is a fine line between striving against the said sin with our own strength versus laying down our right to it. Any time we rely on our own strength to fight against sin, we will lose. And one grows weary when they battle sin this way. When you simply surrender it, it is so much easier.

Please do pray for Ray Boltz. His music has been an encouragement to many believers over the years. The first time I heard Watch the Lamb I nearly had to be peeled off the floor.
Hope

You have to feel sad for his family. What they have gone through and will go through, emotionally, and the remarks others will make, both Christian and non-Christian, well, let's leave it to guess work.

You have to wonder how many more 'Christians' are there like him.

Enough said.

He left a comment on his websight:

http://www.rayboltz.com/

WOW!! I think about in the last days sin WILL grow worse and worse...

I know of a "evangelical" chuch that allows gay people serve in the church and sing in the choir. The church doesnt stop them because they feel "we all have sin" and if we stop them from serving in the church then they wont hear the gospel and ruin the chances of them getting right with God.

_________________
Brent

brentw,

The thing is, compromise won't get them right with God either.

So either way, they perish, unless God Himself moves on their hearts.

At a church our family attended awhile back they had a youth leader who my oldest kids discerned was gay. He would not openly say he was gay but you could discern that he was by his behavior ect..One time he suggested that we make all of the kids shirts pink.

The pastor of the church even preached (I believe prophesied)once that he believed eventually homosexuals would push their agenda on the church not realizing it was happening in his own congregation. I told the youth pastor about it and warned him to do something so the blood is not on my hands.

I don't know if they ever did do anything about it but it's in the Lord's hands now.

Yea, I know a guy who was the music director at a Pentecostal church. I consider him a friend. I know there had been some rough patches in his marriage, but he never has gone into any detail... but by his mannerism I get a real sense that it had to do with him struggling with homosexuality.

Now, I can say pretty safely that he is dying to those desires daily. In that particular case I dont have a problem with that. There is no difference between him seeking the Lord's strength to die to homosexual desires as there is me asking God to give me the strength not to look upon a woman with lust.

You can't really control what tempts you. Some are tempted by alcohol, some lying, almost all lust. The issue is what we do about it. If we hit our knees and rely totally on God's strength being sufficient for us... then we are clean before our Lord. If we gleefully indulge in our sinful desires with no repentance at all ... we are seperated from God.

Krispy