Category Archives: gay and lesbian Christians

TV Evangelist Sent Out a False Peace

09 Monday Jan 2012

Posted by in false peace, fear, gay and lesbian Christians, John Osteen, peace, tv evangelists

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The Apostle Paul wrote to the Romans, “Let the God of peace fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost.” (Romans 15:13 )To the Colossians,Paul wrote “Let the peace of God rule in your hearts.” (Col 3:15)  Yet there is such a thing as a false peace. I just watched Oprah’s interview of Joel Osteen, and what manifested clearly is a false peace  by a self-proclaimed blessing. Although he took a stronger stand on the Lord as the only way to the Father than he has in the past,  Osteen hesitated with tongue in cheek as he made it clear that homosexuality is a sin.Yet he equated sodomy on a  with “telling a lie or being proud.”

  When a Osteen struggles to not offend anyone and   he tells a tv audience that homosexuals shall go to heaven,  he detracted from the word of God.  Paul wrote and warned the Corinthian believers that effeminates shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Does inheriting  the kingdom equate to “going to heaven?” Not completely, but it certainly is a part of the overall package. To be absent from the body is to be present with the LORD “IN HEAVEN” while He remains there. Consequently, Osteen has sent out a platitude  of a” false peace.”Commonsense ought to tell Osteen that  since  God destroyed Sodom primarily because of homosexual activity, it’s a sin far more damning than a lie or pride.. To not be truthful with the gay community is in itself, a lie. Along these same lines, when preachers expound on the escape of a lukewarm, deluded Laodicean age through a pre-tribulation rapture or messages that uphold financial prosperity for all, a  false peace prevails.

Yet when the evil day comes, we will need the peace of God to rule. In this country, we have the expectation that happiness is ours by our American birthright, so we are in constant pursuit of it, particularly on the weekend.  I should spell it “weak end.” Many are speeding in are cars, fighting  in parking lots and pushing forward in various malls and supermarkets, with dentist appointments, diets,  vacations, manicures, gyms, and restaurants on our minds.  The irony is that as a nation in pursuit of happiness, “our weak end” is that we find no peace.

Moreover,  there is coming a day when all of our material comforts shall fail us and the fundamentals of food, water and shelter shall ascend in priority.  I know because I have seen it in the spirit.What usually causes us to lose peace is a lack of understanding that leads to confusion. In other words, what we don’t know brings stress. Therefore, in 2012, I offer a few points that will help you to let the peace of God reign.

  1. Learn how to thank God for “the answer.” The answer might be that “you will not get an answer in the way that you expected.”We must wait for the Lord’s answer in peace. Very often, the Lord has already given us the answer but we did not hear Him because we were too preoccupied and consequently, too stressed. We cry “speak to m,e, Lord and He has already spoken.”
  2. Learn how to stop trying to figure Him out. Most believers have a misunderstanding of prayer because they have been led by false doctrine and habitual expressions like “prayer changes things.” God does not need our prayers for Him to act.  We do not control God with our prayers.  Prayer changes us, not things.  Prayer is what brings the peace of God that confounds human understanding.  Prayer does not change God.  Most of the time, we do not know God’s will.  When we don’t, then we need to pray and ask Him to reveal His will.  Once His will is revealed in a particular situation, then peace will automatically rule in our spirits.
  3. Learn how to walk in the light as He is in the light.  I have an expression that brings me peace.  It goes “TO KNOW, BOW LOW.” When the brightness of the gospel falls upon us, we should immediately prostrate ourselves under His light and declare “Lord, I accept your sentence. I agree with your judgment. I seek mercy in this matter.” Meekness before God will prepare you to receive light, revelation or in other word, “enlightenment.” Enlightenment leads to deliverance and deliverance brings forth discernment, wisdom and freedom.

In the New Year, many google for prophecies because they have no peace in uneasy times. A wet blanket of worry, fear and stress has fallen on multitudes of professing Christians who search the web for a prophetic messages. Since they are reading the signs of the times, believers are looking for confirmation and assurances that we will make it beyond December 21, 2012. In the New Idolatry you will find these words:”Doubt can be a good thing, particularly when those fictitious, religious foundations upon which a captive has built his pride system become shaky.”

Yet in the final analysis, the message that should give you peace is both spiritually historic, prophetic and biblical. Simply put, if you be in Christ, He has already spoken peace to your troubled spirit t when He he prophesied that “if you endure to the end, you shall be saved.” (Matthew 24:13)

This ministry is about preparing the elect of God to “endure to the end,” through publications, deliverance counseling, deliverance mentoring, and deliverance training. Ours is a Christ centered, a spiritual warfare and a spiritual empowerment strategy.  So our help is available to you. Send an email to pamsheppard911@yahoo.com or call 518-477-5759.

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Counseling Gays and Lesbians from a Christian Perspective Part 1

30 Sunday Oct 2011

Posted by in addiction, Christian counseling, gay and lesbian Christians, homosexuals, marriage, organized church

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In an article dated today, 10/30/11, Episcopalians once numbered 3.6 million in 1966. These numbers have decreased to less than 1.96 million as of today.  The article attributes the drop to the fact that thousands exited this denomination because of the 2003 consecration of openly gay bishop Rt. Rev. V. Gene Robinson. Also, in 209, the leadership made a decision to ordain “ALL” baptized members, intended to give approval to practicing homosexuals.

Well, let’s face it. The organized church is still celebrating Halloween and practicing yoga and calling it “Christian.” So pastors have not a clue as to how to counsel gays and lesbians in their various churches.  The archaic approach is either to ostracize them by waving the bible in their faces and portraying ALL Christians as narrow-minded,  judgmental finger pointers, or the church  take the opposite position and allow men dressed in drag to sing in the choir.

So some intelligence and true spirituality must be brought to this discussion.

From a Christian counseling perspective, there are three viewpoints that guide the counseling process: homosexuality as demonic oppression, as a conduct disorder and as an alternative lifestyle.  

Secular counseling professions  view homosexuality as an alternative lifestyle and therefore, therefore see  no need for  cure..  Even some professing Christian counselors, the idea of being a Christian and an active homosexual is vehemently defended.  Their understanding is that there is no biblical condemnation for a monogamous and lasting homosexual relationship within the context of love and whose counterpart would be heterosexual marriage. This is ignorance.

At Sheppard’s Counseling Center, we use the bible as our standard.  Therefore, we only will counsel homosexuals who desire a change in their orientation.  We  do not attempt to counsel professing Christians or non-Christian homosexuals who have no desire to change their sexual orientation. For a gay or lesbian client to enter counseling with the SCC, three (3) things are mandatory:

1. The client must possess great motivation to change.

2. The client must be committed to invest his or her time in the counseling and recovery process.  He or she  must not miss sessions.

3. The client must believe in the existence of demons and be willing to engage in spiritual warfare, signing a disclaimer which states that we have in no way tried to convince or coerce him or her toward a change in sexual orientation.  ie. accepting full responsibility to leave his or her orientation behind.

Our view is that homosexuality can be either  demonic oppression, a conduct disorder and or both.  As demon oppression,  since the cause is “spiritual” then the treatment is also “spiritual.”   Our  point of view is that struggling individuals have no power over what was done to them as children (ie. the orientation) but they DO have power over their own behavior and practices.  This view gives the client a “safe place” which allows the counseling to become fruitful.  The focus of the counseling  is not on who the person is but on the behavior, over which he or she has control.  If there is  literally no control, then demons have successfully gained ground.

There are several theories about the development of homosexuality.  Most cases are linked to childhood sexual abuse. Through incest, rape and sexual abuse, demons of perversion are given ground in childhood.  In other cases where sexual abuse is not a factor, counseling will explore the parent-child relationship, ie. was there a lack of identification with the parent of the same gender, did the client as a child not develop the appropriate sexual role, has the object of sexual desire remained linked to the need for the approval and affirmation of the same-sex parent.  We will examine if the family relationships manifested a history of distrust, sexual abuse, traumatic experiences with the opposite sex,  or whether or not the client chose this lifestyle because  he or she believed  it  to be fashionable.

Our  belief  at SCC is that a change in orientation is possible, as long as the client  desires to change and is dedicated to do so. In Christ, all things are possible.  The client should be warned that the emotional scars from the past may still persist and therefore  may take considerable time to heal.  Those who are truly dedicated to Christ will obey Him, ie.  if thy right hand offend you, cut it off.”  In other words, even though the client may desire to sleep with someone of his or her own gender, we as Christians do not follow the desires of our flesh.  Heterosexual fornicators are in a similar position.  The unmarried are to be celibate or to marry.  Homosexuals have the same two choices.  However, if they marry, it must be to someone of the opposite sex.

 It should be noted that we do not believe that marriage cures homosexuality and should never be sought as such.  A single Christian of either gender is in  the same position as a Christian homosexual or lesbian.  They have two options also: to marry or to be celibate.    Besides marriage to someone of the opposite sex, the only option that a Christian homosexual has is to be celibate, walk in the spirit and not fulfill the lust of his or her flesh.  Simply put,  As Christian counselors, we view all sex outside of marriage as sin.

 If this issue pertains to YOU or someone you know, counseling help is available by the hour by telephone.  So call 518-477-5759