LGBTQ — So, why did you write The Father’s Heart On Homosexuality…

LGBTQ — So, why did you write The Father’s Heart On Homosexuality…

Q:  Pastor Walter L Smith III:  What's your personal reason for writing #TFHOH, since you have never struggled with homosexuality yourself?

A:  As a survivor of multiple childhood molestations by adolescent females, I KNOW the battle associated with sexual trauma, identity crisis, and pervasive fear, struggle and intimidation.  As an adult, an experience from twenty-six years ago that led to the transformation of an LGBT youth, as well as a blog that went viral in West Hollywood nearly thirteen years later -- God just kept dealing with me; giving me favor with hurting people in the LGBTQIA+ community; and helped me to identify with their struggle through my own childhood molestation and struggle in my early adolescence; with adolescent masturbation, promiscuity, and fear. WS-3

WHAT IS THE “FATHER’s HEART” FOR LGBTQIA+ COMMUNITY?

1. To devote all of your efforts, energy and allegiances that have been shown in relationships, in alliances and in community to GOD, with an even greater intensity of passion, purpose and patience as you pursue!

2.  To understand that your hearts and struggles don’t place any limitations on getting to know, encounter, or relate to GOD, unless you put things or people before your relationship with HIM!

3. To surrender your deepest desires and devotion to GOD as a first resort and not a last resource; especially when you’re hurting, struggling or doing destructive things in your life!

4. To know in your heart that no matter: how long, how dark, how awful, how fearful, how isolated, how distant, how difficult, how dirty, how filthy, how ugly, how wretched, how strange, how bankrupt, how used, how unloved, and how condemned you may feel — The Lover of your soul, Jesus Christ, is waiting with unlimited power to change, deliver, heal, and transform YOU right here and now; if you’ll say “yes”!

KEYS:

1. Don’t be ruled by your feelings, frustrations or fears — that’s NOT scientific, and definitely should NOT be what takes precedence in important medical decisions or procedures being considered.

2. Don’t make a permanent or irreversible decision for your life based upon a temporary resignation that is subject to change, because once you gain more experience, understanding, and lack of peer pressure or confusion, those feelings will no longer move you to uncertain ends.

3.  Be fully informed about the long-lasting traumatic affects and impacts of gender altering procedures, drugs and therapies that may ascetically change your appearance, but don’t have the power to change your heart.

MY EARNEST CONVICTIONS FROM GOD 

So, if JESUS CHRIST solved the issues relating to humanity’s sin once for all through His Perfect Substitutionary Sacrifice, and has been accepted, received, and appropriated through our repentance; what is the church’s responsibility on earth in this world, in our New Testament Reality “in Christ”!

We ALL KNOW the Church (Body of Christ Universal) is NOT “perfect” and has many things to gain mastery of to be/become the Consecrated Body that Jesus died and prayed for in John 17...

How? By PERFORMANCE?  By JUDGMENT?  By POLICING?

No! By AGREEMENT, By ENFORCEMENT, and By PRESERVING!

Evangelical Christianity has struggled with whether the complete mission of God’s Kingdom should focus only on the “spiritual dimensions” of life (eternal life), or whether it should also include addressing the physical/material things like homosexuality, poverty, and social injustice in the world today.  

For those who believe that our witness should be both in word (spiritual) and in deed (natural), the exact nature of the work to be engaged is not clear from scripture.  Many contest that we shouldn’t stress ourselves or get uptight about addressing these issues, because we’re powerless to deal with things that individual people control in their own lives.

THAT’s JUST THE WAY IT IS 

So, how do we as followers of Christ respond to the world’s realities, like: homosexuality, poverty and evil that confront us in our globalized world? A human reaction, whether one is a Christian or not, is to resign ourselves with a pragmatic response “that this is just the way the world is supposed to be, we’re not supposed to change it...”

As an illustration, when we focus on helping the poor meet with the basic necessities of life, we act and pray earnestly to create a social program to try and address the person’s situation, which may have been caused by their individual choices.

As we focus on fostering social justice, we hope that lasting and enduring change can happen. But many of us choose to “abdicate our authority” around various social issues, because these things represent a great frustration and untold challenges in our “temporal world”, which we’re NOT supposed to love anyways; and that we can’t save by our willpower or social programs alone. 

So, is the answer — “leave it be, we can’t change it”!  Or is the answer to celebrate and support anyone we find tackling the issues?  Because it’s ultimately not in God’s will for us to try to change it, no matter how beneficial our sacrifices and our actions may be...

Sometimes, we choose to demonize and impute condemnation on anyone who doesn’t appear “quick enough” to realize — “it’s human nature that we can’t shake or change”.  So, what we do in and with our own lives, is really “our own business”!  And, to do what we think is right, is what it’s all about. And wisdom says, we should just leave these things alone; and let things be!

REAL TRANSFORMATION REQUIRES GOD’s POWER 

While the desire to ‘change the world’ is always worthy of pursuing, the reality is that real spiritual transformation is also very complex and often will not be properly understood or realized by us human beings apart from Christ. So, we have to pick and choose which battles to fight. Right?

What we have to accept is, transformation cannot happen just by addressing the physical realities of the world we live, or by focusing only on a mere aesthetic improvement in the quality of life. Transformation is also not achieved by engaging in a set of busy nitpicking activities, through intense sweat, or by crying many tears!  True transformation in the spirit, requires a power source that’s not human at all.  And, the key is looking to God to be that Eternal Power Source, with every single life and situation that openly welcomes and invites Him in...

In fact many projects and initiatives that do not address the underlying “spiritual” values and attitudes, have a high probability of failing and making no difference.  For “real change” to be both possible and sustainable — attitudes, values, and ethics must have their foundations based in the “spiritual dimensions of life”; to be thoughtfully addressed and attacked, by simply relying upon His Supernatural Power and Wisdom to get the work done right!

ADDRESSING INDIVIDUAL MATTERS OF THE HEART 

As we all know, homosexuality is a complex issue.  Because it’s necessary to both address and manage the particular and the peculiar of a person’s —mental, emotional, relational, sexual, psychological, and spiritual aspects of the interdisciplinary challenges and interpersonal relationships that are deeply tied to their identity and individuality, which is very private and personal to every individual's preference and heart.

The simple answer to spiritual transformation that’s established through TFHOH, is — Get to know the “Father Heart of God” and let Him reveal “in you” and “to you” — His Transforming Presence; and we’ll never be the same again when we abide in Him!  

This eternal transformation and change are called “repentance” — through the change of mind, change of attitude, and change of direction, as each person relies upon His Inexhaustible Power to change, to transform and to renew themselves, by His Grace, His Goodness, and His Presence alone, when we seek Him with our whole hearts!!

GOD DISAGREES WITH YOUR OPINIONS

1. "For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." John‬ ‭3:16-17‬ ‭CSB‬‬
2. ""I pray not only for these, but also for those who believe in me through their word. May they all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us, so that the world may believe you sent me. I have given them the glory you have given me, so that they may be one as we are one. I am in them, and you are in me, so that they may be made completely one, that the world may know you have sent me and have loved them as you have loved me. "Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, so that they will see my glory, which you have given me because you loved me before the world's foundation. Righteous Father, the world has not known you. However, I have known you, and they have known that you sent me. I made your name known to them and will continue to make it known, so that the love you have loved me with may be in them and I may be in them.""  John‬ ‭17:20-26‬ ‭CSB‬‬
3. "Therefore, every one of you who judges is without excuse. For when you judge another, you condemn yourself, since you, the judge, do the same things. Now we know that God's judgment on those who do such things is based on the truth. Do you think — anyone of you who judges those who do such things yet do the same — that you will escape God's judgment? Or do you despise the riches of his kindness, restraint, and patience, not recognizing that God's kindness is intended to lead you to repentance? Because of your hardened and unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath, when God's righteous judgment is revealed. He will repay each one according to his works: eternal life to those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor, and immortality; but wrath and anger to those who are self-seeking and disobey the truth while obeying unrighteousness. There will be affliction and distress for every human being who does evil, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek; but glory, honor, and peace for everyone who does what is good, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek. For there is no favoritism with God." Romans‬ ‭2:1-11‬ ‭CSB‬‬

LET’s BE REAL..

• We don't die to save anyone as we attempt to reach them for Christ; discipleship is the goal.
• We are never called to judge anyone in the world in a self-righteous way. We all need the same faith and grace to be saved, forgiven and reconciled.
• We cannot "win" anyone that we don't relate to. Your good advice from scripture sharing, has weight when your actions, intents and words don't betray you.
• When you get beneath the surface with most people, there's normally some outlet for building bridges with them if you "relate".
• There are people in the LGBTQ community that are committed to Christ that are "denying themselves" because of serious convictions they have from the Holy Spirit. Don't judge what you know nothing about.

THE STRUGGLE IS "REAL"

There is probably NOT a community more isolated, ostracized, and misunderstood than the LGBTQIA+ in the United States. Although many people deem the fate and struggle surrounding those in the LGBTQIA+ community "their fault" — being the struggles are all about their own personal decision making and lifestyle choices. Too often, this attitude neglects to see the great burdens, debilitating circumstances and deep complexities that brings each person into the LGBTQ environment differently — as broken, fearful and without familial support or community trust and understanding in most cases.

Additionally, there are NOT very few strong bridges of communication and cooperation between the LGBTQ and Christian communities, which I believe further contributes to a more painful, personally troubling and polarizing journey at first. What we all too often see is persecution, name-calling and belittling, instead of witnessing, listening and effective discipleship ministry to the broken and hurting people in our world, who need a consistent witness, defense and support system that doesn't attack, belittle or despise them; after all.

WHY IS GOD SO "MERCIFUL"?

When God chooses "to use the foolish things of the world to confound the wise", God does NOT force or suggest that we conform or relax towards the things (SINS) that don't align or agree with His Holy Word. The fact that GOD allows "it" (contrary things or realities) to challenge and potentially oppose what is "absolutely true" (according to scripture) is a big part of GOD helping to broaden our understanding beyond the scriptures; so that we are fully knowledgeable and prepared to do business in HIS Name.

It's ONLY a sleeping and impotent church, the devil, and self-righteous people that don't want LGBTQIA+ persons to "come out" and get free in the full expression of their heart's passions, desires and purposes, because it's an embarrassment or shameful to them. Because they (impotent church folks) LACK POWER to affect healing that leads to transformative change. May the Remnant of Christ's Church take up our primary responsibility and mandate to "occupy till HE comes", and thoughtfully minister to the weak, vulnerable and lost that won't need to continue suffering out of ignorance, negligence, disobedience, or consent.

LEADING THEM TO JESUS

With every LGBTQ person (especially the children and youth) the following issues are important to address when commitments have been made to accept Christ and actively serve in the Kingdom of God. These must become their roadmap for learning to walk with Jesus:

• secure Christ Identity and peace
• prioritize and focus on intimacy with God, not behavior modification 
• pray and relate for every important relationship to them
• bridge their brokenness, only if/when appropriate and spiritually led
• hold them accountable for intimacy with God alone, the transforming agency of every person
• building blocks (emotional and spiritual intelligence) demolishes arguments and high things that attempt to exalt themselves above the knowledge of God
• spiritually "close" and "open" doors during every ministry exchange, when they express the desire to change or move on

OUR AIM FOR INVESTING IN LGBTQIA+ COMMUNITY

To PROMOTE and ENCOURAGE —

the LGBTQIA+ Person to pursue:

#1 — Healthy Self Love

#2 — Healthy Relationships

#3 — Healthy Choices

#4 -- "Organic" Change that the Spirit Wills

BEWARE OF THE OPPONENTS AND PROPONENTS

• Allies/Enemies = bring balance to arguments without manipulation, if we require them to keep their distance
• Informed/uninformed = bring unnecessary headaches and questions, if the Word of God is not their first priority
• Careless/convicted = with the LGBTQ community so "hot-buttoned" around so many issues, the right approach is the one that keeps you loving, level-headed and faraway from legalistic opinions
• Casualties/cacklers = like to be entertained by all the controversy and gossip; guard and protect your heart from "paper champions", political pundits and overzealous parades
• Practitioners/Puppets = these strategic players are on the frontlines and advance the cause; but pay attention to their motives at all times
  
• Sincere/insincere = Willing helpers that ooze of their passion and intentions; employ them as best you can

OPPOSING THE RELIGIOUS SPIRIT

• No conversion therapy, as a forceful exercise of the strong dominating the weak
• No aggressive proselytizing by attempting to manipulate decisions for Christ. 
• No making fun/teasing or allowing culture influencers to belittle, demean or shame
• No negative judgments from a self-righteous posture and lack of grace-filled love
• No corrupt dealings or imbalanced approaches in managing your business affairs

PHASE 2 "KEY" PROGRAMMATIC PARTNERS

Behind the scenes, I'm in discussion about the possibility of employing ABA Parent,  The Life Model and The Search Institute's 40 Developmental Asset Framework in partnership around the LGBTQ Adult and Youth Training & Development Center, with a VPN (Virtual Private Network) or web portal that provides a simple, but friendly, robust and comprehensive format for answering questions, providing key resources, and clarifying/studying the "sound" biblical/theological position on homosexuality for those Christians interested in completely surrendering their lives in every way to Christ. The curriculum being formalized that attaches with the manuscript "The Father's Heart On Homosexuality" (Subtitle: Building Bridges in the LGBTQIA+ and Christian Communities) is called "LIFE: Making sense of it all". We'd like to conduct webcasts, conferences, and healing retreats. 

NOTE: During the time I worked with the Wicomico/Dorchester County Local Management Boards in Salisbury/Cambridge, Maryland region, I have extensively engaged in the use of the 40 Developmental Assets Framework; and its AWESOME!

MINISTERING TO THE NEEDS

Both The Life Model and The Search Institute's research points to three critical aspects of relational culture, just like the book:

1. Supporting structures 
2. Intentional, inclusive, and equitable climate
3. Peer to Peer learning and instruction are more important than parroting and manufacturing "educated robots"

FYI...

1. CARM RESEARCH has given us permission to use their exhaustive research for populating the content in the development of the book and website, as well as a companion workbook for the manuscript. https://carm.org/homosexuality
2. There is also a survey that demonstrates "how" the emphasis around "Christians" either upholding the Holy Scriptures as inerrant, infallible and immutable, or buying into a compromised — postmodern, post truth, post Christian, or humanistic/secular view, is one of the reasons a segment of the Christian community is divided over LGBTQIA+ issues.

THE CHURCH HAS FAILED

“It’s the Lord’s kindness that leads us to repentance.”

1. FORGIVE US (the Church-at-Large) for demeaning and demoralizing people in their identity and sexuality, by abdicating in our responsibilities to be courteous, decent and informed in the way that we approach the subject matter without anger or malice by forcing our personal opinions, prejudices and partiality onto others out of fear and indifference.
2. PRAY WITH US (the Church-at-Large) as we learn to engage and relate with society according to God’s Word on a very controversial and contemplative matter that involves the most personal of issues that must be handled with dignity and care.
3. REASON WITH US (the Church-at-Large) as we open our hearts and minds towards having the necessary debates and interactions with others, with different morals, values and worldviews on the subject matter.  In order to dramatically reduce the bigotry, hatred and offense, respect for one another’s views and a willingness to be civil in addressing the controversies and changing laws around the issues is critical.

WHAT NEEDS TO BE CORRECTED?

• Misrepresentation in the Body of Christ, is not just about giving a wrong, unhealthy or biased impression, but living far beneath the "blessed privilege" we have in occupying till HE comes

• Mismanagement of the LGBTQ community is recognizable by the lack of integrity, longevity and consistency in relationships. Why we believe that criticism, stones and derogatory references is a way to reach and "win" the community is foolish.   We have to relate and then win.

• An Uncertain Sound speaks of the lack of understanding (futility) in the Body of Christ, concerning the disposition of making knowledge dominant in every relationship (knowing more than others) instead of "love conquering all" without fail!

• Mastery of Love is supposed to be one of the major signs associated with our representation of the King in living-out our Christian faith.

COMPROMISE DOESN'T CHANGE THE TRUTH

Although many of us claim to be knowledgeable by education or experience, the SEXUAL ACTS we've committed "in Christ", have a direct and potentially damaging impact upon the physical + mental + emotional + spiritual areas of our lives. BREAKING SOUL TIES is connected with every "sexual act" not in line with the principles of Holy Matrimony. In order to facilitate the mind renewal that agrees with God's Word, we make renewing the mind a necessity, from a place of deep meditation, study and consistent instruction.

PRECONCEIVED IDEAS help to form an opinion before possessing full or adequate knowledge or experience, but it can lead to "feelings-based decisions" with no real evidence. In this mindset, we borrow from the world and divorce ourselves from the church through God's Word, and end up with deep regrets, as well as irrelevant to the folks that should matter most to us.

PRESUPPOSITION is a mounting problem amongst the curious seekers of the LGBTQ lifestyle, where there are no required or involved persons that know the history of brokenness that preceded the events or conditions that led to many persons joining the LGBTQIA+ community.

PREDISPOSITION is having a particular attitude or acting in a certain way, because of your thoughts on the subject matter or issue. With society being more concerned with social opinion and popular culture than God's Holy Writ.

7 KEYS TO HOLINESS, FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT REALITY "IN CHRIST"

#1 - Christ is "the standard". Christ is "holiness personified" and ultimately realized for the sake of all humanity.

#2 - Christ made holiness possible, by meeting every righteous requirement, and by faith - allowing the "believing disciple" to appropriate HIS Finished Work.

#3 - All things are fulfilled or consummated in Christ, so all the believing disciples must do is appropriate, apply and apprehend - as the Spirit wills.

#4 - Christ Himself said, "Be ye holy, as I am holy."; and this was a commandment for every believing disciple to enter into the rest of HIS finished work. It was not a command to do work outside of believing upon the work HE accomplished; but to explicitly and implicitly believe upon what HE completed at Calvary. As long as the believer is "believing upon HIS Finished Work", we do not place and undue burden upon anyone to perform in their own strength, according to John 6:28-29; because it's not possible. The Law was our schoolmaster, but now grace is our equalizer; and we win, if we depend upon HIM!

#5 - The Finished Work is the completion of all righteousness - through Christ's Perfect Sacrifice. Although this does not give the believer "right or license to sin", it does diminish the mental anguish and struggle associated with "bearing burdens we weren't meant to carry"!

#6 - GRACE is the complete transfer of the Finished Work - in full manifestation, to the believing disciple of Christ who abides. "Grace and peace be multiplied to you through the knowledge of God." As we apply "what we know", we experience the expanding and increasing intensity of HIS amazing grace!

#7 - If we place the burden of holiness on any believer - outside of them explicitly appropriating God's grace, it is a form of Galatianism.

> PLEASE PURCHASE — The Father’s Heart on Homosexuality (#TFHOH)

If you read this manuscript from beginning till the end, you will recognize my commitment to build and lift-up the LGBTQIA+ community through the LOVE OF GOD, by:

- Uncovering important historical truths about the subject matter.

- Exposing theological and philosophical narratives that are debunked.

- Supporting the building of sacred bridges of relationship with Jesus Christ into the Christian faith.

- Dismantling the ideological and religious strongholds through exposing and rooting out the negative representation of so-called Christians.

- Leading struggling LGBTQIA+ people to a real, fulfilling and vibrant relationship with Jesus Christ.

- And, helping family members to relate and to serve the needs of their beloved with dignity, grace and wisdom

BOOK LINKS:

WESTBOW PRESS REVIEW & PURCHASE

https://www.westbowpress.com/.../832720-the-fathers-heart...

TITLE: ABBA FATHER's HEART ON LGBTQIA+ ISSUES (#AFHOLGBTQIA)

Sub-Title: Understanding the Father's Heart Without Judgment

E-BOOK LINKS:

US — UNITED STATES

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D96LSVXQ

PRINT BOOK LINKS:

UNITED STATES

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DDJH513W

**OTHER BLOG LINKS

THE FATHERS HEART ON HOMOSEXUALITY — PART 1-3 BLOGS and other blogs on the subject matter are located at: (https://AskPastorWalter.Blogspot.com) 

"Innovation.  Intelligence.  Integrity."

Walter L. Smith III (WS-3)

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