COM Newsletter - September 2020
TESTIMONY
Did you know that ‘Coming Out’ Ministries has been serving for ten years! We began with 5 individuals who had a vision of bringing the message of victory to the world and in the last 10 years God has certainly moved us in ways that we never could have dreamed of! To kick off our tenth year, we hosted a webinar in August addressing the sexual purity issues that many have asked us to speak on.
Were you able to watch this very first Webinar? We had 5 powerful speakers share on the topics that you have requested to hear - messages that “Inspire, Enlighten and Equip” you in the areas that affect our lives and our Church. The webinar was recorded live on August 15 on the‘Coming Out’ Ministries Facebook and Youtube channels. Currently you can access the entire 8+hour broadcast on Facebook on our ‘Coming Out’ Ministries page. Please LIKE our page while you’re there.
Here are a few emails we received about the event:
“During this time of quarantine there have been many opportunities to watch online seminars, meetings, etc. I have watched several online conferences from varying ministries. “Coming Together” Conference was so well organized that I was riveted to it. As a ‘straight’ person listening to the presentations I received instruction on overcoming sin for myself. The speakers are living examples of what the everlasting gospel can do for anyone struggling with sin. They spoke the truth in love. Always love.
The speakers were interspersed with testimonials that were so inspiring. Anyone can have victory and can overcome by God's grace. I would suggest watching this amazing conference from start to finish. Don't delay. You will be encouraged, inspired and energized with hope for victory over sin and intercession for others!”
—from California
//////////////////////////////
“I was impressed to send my daughter the link for the “COMING TOGETHER” webinar on August 15th.
First off, she wanted to know if she had to watch the whole webinar from 12-7! Yikes! I assured her that she should at least register and then choose what she wanted to watch.
She also declared that as soon as anyone began talking about "praying the gay away" she was shutting her phone off!
Guess what? She watched Michael's and Lisa's presentation , "Can you pray the gay away?" in it's entirety!
She went on to watched Andrea's talk, "When your world is falling apart, attitude is everything." Andrea shared what it's like being a parent on the journey with her daughter who is gay. This presentation REALLY resonated with both myself and my daughter as our experience was very similar. Afterwords, my daughter texted, "I get it! That must have really sucked for you!" referring to our journey together.
Kezia’s presentation on porn and sexual addiction was next. We recalled that we had visited the Messiah's Mansion in OshKosh during camporee. What a clear picture of the plan of salvation. Well done, Kezia!
Congratulations to ‘Coming Out’ Ministries on its 10th Anniversary and the beautiful, Spirit filled, compassionate way it was celebrated in “Coming Together”! I am praying for the Lord to continue to use this ministry to fulfill Isaiah 61:1 before His soon return!”
—from Canada
//////////////////////////////
“This past weekend’s ‘Coming Out’ Ministry conference was excellent. It was very informative and being able to have it on FB and YouTube was awesome! The speakers covered all the issues very well and answered the questions well. The ability to ask questions was great and interact with others was very nice also. The in-between segments were powerful and on point! The information running at the bottom was great also! Thank you so much for a great conference!!! Praise the Lord!!! Looking forward to the next one!”
—from North Carolina
SPECIAL MESSAGE
Q&A
Question: Understanding that homosexuality is not in accordance with the will of God, am I guilty of sin because of continued homosexual temptations?
Reply: In response, I would like to share with you a passage I read this morning in our family worship from a book titled Our High Calling, page 87:
“Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. (James 1:12)
It is not the order and will of God to shield His people from temptation... When truth takes possession of the heart, the Christian will be brought into conflict... There are opposing elements in his own household, even in his own heart, and nothing but the free Spirit of God can ensure for him the victory.
The beginning of yielding to temptation is in the sin of permitting the mind to waver, to be inconsistent in your trust in God. The wicked one is ever watching for a chance to misrepresent God, and to attract the mind to that which is forbidden. If he can, he will fasten the mind upon the things of the world. He will endeavor to excite the emotions, to arouse the passions, to fasten the affections on that which is not for your good; but it is for you to hold every emotion and passion under control, in calm subjection to reason and conscience. Then Satan loses his power to control the mind. The work to which Christ calls us is to the work of progressive conquest over spiritual evil in our characters. Natural tendencies are to be overcome ... Appetite and passion must be conquered, and the will must be placed wholly on the side of Christ.
We pray to our heavenly Father, "Lead us not into temptation," and then, too often, we fail to guard our feet against leading us into temptation. We are to keep away from the temptations by which we are easily overcome. Our success is wrought out by ourselves through the grace of Christ. We are to roll out of the way the stone of stumbling that has caused us and others so much sadness.
Temptation and trial will come to us all, but we need never be worsted by the enemy. Our Saviour has conquered in our behalf. Satan is not invincible... Christ was tempted that He might know how to help every soul that should afterward be tempted. Temptation is not sin; the sin lies in yielding. To the soul who trusts in Jesus, temptation means victory and greater strength.”
Victor
Q&A text taken from:
INSPIRATIONAL THOUGHT
2 Timothy 3:5, “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.”
This is a very “in your face” kind of warning and it is so clear, there is no questioning the significance of what Paul is saying. But what is it’s relevance to us today? Plenty.
It wasn’t until I understood the application of this verse that I knew how to respond to someone who believed that homosexuality (LGBT) is acceptable by God Himself and that therefore we are to accept it too. You can’t argue with folks that say we have been unloving and unkind to this group of people for many decades...even centuries! But are they unloveable? Absolutely not!
As someone who used to identify within the Gay Culture, I have met incredible men and women that were much kinder than most Christians that I knew. With the hatred and rejection that I had experienced myself, both inside and outside of the church, it seems that today Christians are starting to understand the need to be more Christ-LIKE. Does that mean the only way we can love is to accept what God has clearly stated is unacceptable and even worthy of eternal death? No, but I would be totally confused on this issue if the Bible was not so very clear.
I was constantly looking for a way to keep my “Gay” life yet at the same time I was experiencing a new loving relationship with Jesus Christ. If He loved me so much, why did He tell me that I had to give up my boyfriend; the greatest love I had ever known up to that point? Because all power and authority has been given to Jesus when He arose from the tomb and therefore, if He calls something a sin, He has to have the remedy for it. A greater love...in Him! Would He ask me to walk away from something great unless He has something even greater? Jesus gives VICTORY over sin, not excuses and permission to sin. Anyone that denies the power of Jesus to give us victory is denying the very power that cost Jesus His life. He gave us a perfect example to show us that we too can overcome sin. That my friend, is REAL love.
So the next time you think about a love message that God Himself has given to anyone who struggles with what God calls a sin, remember that “His grace is sufficient” (2 Corinthians 12:9) to not only give us POWER over sin, but also to give us victory over it’s hold on us. To deny this important fact, is not loving someone, it is leaving them lost and cut off from His precious blood-stained gift. That dear friend, is not love...it’s lost!
SPECIAL MESSAGE
Please consider making a donation to our ministry to help spread the message of God’s love and redemption! Kindly visit our website www.comingoutministries.org and select the Donate button, or you may send a check or money order directly to
‘Coming Out’ Ministries at PO Box 107, Tilly, AR 72679.
May God bless you for your support!