COM Newsletter - July 2023
HIGH PLACES
Ephesians 6:12,13 KJV. “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”
“We have to teach people to separate the practice of homosexuality from the person. Homosexuality is not the person. It’s the sexual behavior they are practicing. His/her spiritual strongholds are rooted in brokenness. These may include but certainly aren’t limited to influences from spirits of lust, promiscuity, rage, perversion, pride, confusion, fear, and idolatry. They can enter a person’s life through open doors of unaddressed issues of rejection, abandonment, resentment or unforgiveness. They can influence a person to entertain or engage in the homosexual lifestyle, preventing them from finding freedom through God.
However, we must be mindful that this type of bondage can be extremely tormenting for the one battling it. They may not be able to distinguish between the spiritual influence and his or her actual self. When helping someone overcome these strongholds, the goal is to get to the root issue and figure out where the door was opened that allowed these demonic influences to take hold. Once establishing trust, it is important to begin to understand what some of the issues they secretly battled with before coming out were and, in some cases, are still secretly battling with.
Please understand that being gay is never the root issue. It’s always the result of root issues. A person desiring freedom must gain the courage to address the root issues in their heart. As they began to see their homosexual/transgenderism behavior as a coping mechanism born out of their deep hunger for same gender parent nurture or other unpleasant events, they will become able to challenge their behavior.”
The previous section is taken with permission from Tyeesha Holt’s book, ‘The Way Out’.
Chapter Title: Understanding the Spiritual Influences Behind Homosexuality.
To order her book, go to TyeeshaHolt.com
In her book, ‘The Way Out’, Tyeesha Holt describes the spiritual battle taking place in the hearts of those struggling with homosexuality or transgenderism. The Scriptures make it clear that we are indeed fighting a spiritual battle and that out of our hearts flow the issues of our lives. (See Ephesians 6:12,13 and Proverbs 4:23).
As parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, or friends of loved ones who are battling LGBT issues or any other sin, we can often forget that the real battle is a battle that we never see. It is happening in “high places”, with principalities, and powers, with the rulers of the darkness of this world. This is a battle between Satan’s realm of demonic forces and God’s holy angels. This battle rages between Satan and Jesus and while our loved one may be caught up in practices that go against God’s Word, the influences that inspire that lifestyle come from these “high places”.
The battle is not between our loved ones and us, it is so important for us to keep this in mind. We too, are likewise subject to our fallen natures and the sinful issues that flow from our own hearts. Thus, we all are in the same battle together. These spiritual battles are for our very souls. While these battles may appear very differently, they all stem from “high places”.
So how do we fight this battle for the souls of our loved ones? How do we work together with Christ to influence our loved ones to salvation? Do we debate with or put pressure on our children, friends, or family members? Do we attempt to battle their ideas and their practices? Do we isolate from them or become frustrated or angry with them when we see things that concern us and go against God’s Word?
While in times of conflict, boundaries that are firmly guided by the principles of God’s Word may need to be set, our focus and battle strategy must always be firmly rooted in demonstrative love and in the realm of spiritual warfare. This can only take place in prayer under a close and intimate walk with our Savior. Our Lord Jesus Christ is the One who fights our battles. He is the One who engages His angelic forces to rearrange circumstances, soften hearts, open eyes and weave about a network of influence that leads to full surrender to Him. This is a work far beyond what we can ever attempt to do. The ONLY way to connect a soul to Christ is through prayer.
Our Father hears every cry, every prayer we utter and sees every tear we shed. He has promised to answer every prayer that agrees with His will. His will is to reach every soul and so what WONDERFUL ASSURANCE we have that He IS in pursuit of our loved ones-whether we see anything for ourselves or not. Remember, this battle takes place in “high places” not before our sight!
“The love of God still yearns over the one who has chosen to separate from Him, and He sets in operation influences to bring him back to the Father’s house.” COL 202. Let us stand lovingly, firmly, patiently, and faithfully (full of faith!) while we wait to see this happen before our eyes! Remember, we live by faith not by sight! (2 Corinthians 5:7)
SPECIAL MESSAGE
Q&A
Question: Is it possible to overcome my homosexual urges? Does anybody have a magic answer to this?
Reply: Yes, of course, it is possible to overcome your homosexual urges. I left that lifestyle behind myself more than 30 years ago. Now, don’t expect to be relieved of the urges immediately. It is a process, a process of starving the old and feeding the new. We have several resources that address this in our website www.comingoutministries.org.
In the meantime, rather than looking for a “magic answer” to this, I would encourage you to look in God’s Word for the answer, for there is power in the Word. “By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. For he spake and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast” (Psalm 33:6,9).
Second Corinthians 5:17 tells us that, “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” This simply and profoundly means that when a person is truly born-again, he can overcome every inherited and cultivated tendency to wrong, that a genuine conversion changes both inherited and cultivated tendencies and results in new motives, new tastes, and new tendencies. (Not necessarily overnight.) This is a marvelous concept, and it is truth in verity.
This does not mean that you will never be tempted again in this area, but remember, temptation is not sin. The nature of your temptation need not define who you are. Jesus was tempted in all points like as you are, yet He was without sin. So don’t be discouraged by the nature of your temptations. Rather be encouraged by the promise of Jesus that “My grace [divine power] is sufficient for thee” (2 Corinthians 12:9). And when He promises to save you from your sin, you can know that “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed” (John 8:36).
Be of good courage!
Victor
Q&A text taken from:
Author: “Victor J. Adamson”
(Ron Woolsey)
THE DECLARATION
OF INDEPENDENCE
AN OBJECT LESSON
The month of July is one of my very favorite months of the year, for various reasons. But to name just a few, my older daughter was born in the middle of July. My younger daughter and one of my sisters were both born on the 4th of July. Our nation was supposedly born also on the 4th of July. This day is one of the holidays that, as a Christian, I can fully embrace, because it’s all about the joy of deliverance, freedom, liberty! What an object lesson we find embedded in our Declaration of Independence!
The first sentence asserts as a matter of Natural Law the ability of a people to assume political independence and acknowledges that the grounds for such independence must be reasonable, understandable, and ought to be explained. Look!
“When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.”
Making a spiritual application, I immediately think of Revelation 12:11 – “And they overcame him (the enemy) by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.”
Just as our freedom as a nation came at the great cost of the blood of many thousands who sacrificially gave their lives, so my freedom from the bondage of homosexual addiction came at the great cost of the blood of Jesus Christ who sacrificially gave His life for me. And I need to be willing to do the same for Him and for others, and to unashamedly declare my independence from the enemy through Jesus’ love and power.
And, Psalms 107:1,2 – “O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy.”
This passage was shared with me by an editor when once I submitted my testimony as an anonymous article for publication. “How is this a testimony,” he asked, “if it’s anonymous…?”
“Good point!” I acquiesced. So, I resubmitted it with the requested identity, including pictures of myself and family. It was then a testimony and published.
The next section of the Declaration of Independence, the famous preamble, is an assertion of what is known as the “right of revolution”: that is, people have certain rights, and when a government violates these rights, the people have the right to “alter or abolish” that government.
Think of this in application to the government of the enemy Satan.
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
Friends, we are robbed of these God-given rights by the enemy of souls. But our Creator is also our Re-Creator. And He has made the way for all these rights to be restored. “The wages of sin, [in the government of Satan], is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” And, “If the Son therefore shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.” “I have given you an example,” said Jesus, “that you should do as I have done… If you know these things, happy are you if ye do them.” (Romans 6:23; John 8:36; 13:15,17)
And there you have it—Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness, restored through the precious blood of our Savior Jesus Christ.
Now, I encourage you, dear friend, to declare your independence from the government of Satan and your new life of freedom and happiness as you daily choose to live “in dependence” upon the grace (power) of Jesus Christ.
“Go home to your friends,” said Jesus, “and tell them how great things the Lord has done for you, and [how He] has had compassion on you.” (Mark 5:19)
Pr. Ron Woolsey
SPECIAL MESSAGE
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