Complimentary Story
Let me tell you about a young lady named Alisha. Alisha is 20 years old. She grew up in a typical American family. She was not a victim of sexual or other abuse at home; her parents were quite normal and average. In fact, her childhood years were basically pretty unremarkable, pretty normal, pretty average.Her parents were not church-goers. In fact, as part of the ‘60s “free love” generation, they looked into many different religious practices over the years. Like many in their time, they toyed around with eastern religions, meditation, Islam, the new age, you name it, they tried it. Everything except Christianity, because in college, they were enlightened as to how Christianity was simply an antiquated, barbaric institution designed to control and enslave their minds to a repressive deity who didn’t really exist. They didn’t really learn much else in college, but that lesson they took to heart -- because it gave them the freedom to live their lives as they chose, to find their own path, to live life without guilt and without having to submit their will or be accountable to anyone.
At times, the void they felt in their hearts at having rejected the God of their youth, the God their parents served, left them searching for something more, and so they tried to fill this void with other things. In the end, they decided adherence to any religion was just too restrictive, too confining. They tried many things for a while, but it was never worth the sacrifice, so they simply opted to take the label “agnostic.” Not that they were denying the existence of God, just that they really didn’t know, and truthfully, really didn’t care.
So it’s safe to say Alisha grew up in basically a secular, humanist family. She heard OF Christ, of course, but everything in her world told her it was all just fantasy, like Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny.
As an adolescent, Alisha had some problems. She was not the prettiest girl in school, and so never got much attention from boys. She wasn’t the most popular either, being socially awkward and shy. Having never been asked on a date, by the time she was in high school, she often suffered from anxiety and depression. She was terribly lonely. Her parents were kind to her, but she really had no real close friends, except for Emily. Emily was a lot like Alisha -- she didn’t have the body of a supermodel, was never asked out on a date. Boys paid no attention to her. If it weren’t for Alisha, she’d have no friends at all.
Alisha and Emily became close. As human beings we are social creatures. We not only desire friendship and intimacy, we need it. It’s in our DNA. As best friends, the two girls would do everything together... shopping at the mall, going to movies, hanging out after school and sometimes having sleepovers on the weekends.
The two told each other their deepest, most personal secrets, things they would never share with anyone else... and so on one occasion, Emily shared that she thought a particular movie actress was, as she put it, “sexy.” In school, in health class (and many other classes), they had learned about homosexuality, how it is just another lifestyle choice, an option that many people are exploring now. The teacher told the class that it’s perfectly normal to have feelings of attraction to people of the same sex, and she taught how “gay” people had been repressed and persecuted for centuries, and the great injustices that were done to them by hateful, bigoted, prejudiced people.
On TV, there were a lot of programs about homosexuality. Even their favorite sitcoms featured lovable, happy characters that were “gay.” Clearly, this lifestyle was a bit different, but it was also very acceptable, and even the “in” thing to do.
And then one night, during one of their weekend sleepovers, Alisha had secretly stolen some whiskey from her parents’ stash, and the two girls “partied” until they were slightly “buzzed.” Feeling uninhibited in their intoxicated state, the two began to explore. It felt wrong to Alisha, at first, but then the connection to another human being also felt so good.... she had been lonely for so long. For so long, she just yearned to feel an intimate, loving connection. As human beings, this is normal. We all want to feel loved, and we all want to give love to others.
Having never received any attention from boys, this was the only sexual attraction she knew... and her experiences with Emily became easier and more frequent. Encouraged by so many celebrities “coming out of the closet” and proudly declaring their choice to be “out, proud and loud” homosexuals, eventually Alisha announced to her parents that she, too, was “gay.”
Her parents were a bit surprised and taken aback at first. But then they realized that Alisha must “follow her own path,” and of course, they were not willing to pass judgement on their dear daughter. If this is who she is, so be it. They were happy for her and encouraged her to be open and affirming, and true to herself.
At school, others were also “coming out of the closet.” Not a lot of kids, but enough to where she actually now had a larger circle of friends to hang out with. FINALLY, she thought, she fit in somewhere. She cut her hair short, boy-style. She started wearing clothes that were more masculine, and less feminine. She even got a rainbow tattoo. This had become her new identity.
Friends, Alisha’s story is also all too common. You see, in our country today, homosexuality, which at one time was labeled as a mental disorder, has not only become accepted, but acceptance has been mandated by law, homosexual “marriage” has been legalized in 37 states and the number is growing. Those who hold differening opinions on the matter are quickly silenced by the government and media; dissention is not allowed... you cannot even have a contrary thought. If you dare object on religious or moral grounds, you are quickly labeled as a bigot and a hater, ostracized by society.
It is especially sad for the young people, like Alisha. During the early teen and adolescent years, there is a natural awkwardness that all children go through. They want desperately to fit in, to be accepted and to be loved. At this stage in life, they need more than the love of their parents... they need that validation through friendships and peer groups, and because of the heavy, sexualized culture we live in, kids today now believe they need validation and love in a sexual way too. If they do not receive that validation and love from the opposite sex, they become depressed, confused, and ripe for deception.
Homosexuality is nothing new. It is one of the devil’s oldest schemes. Scripture calls it an abomination, and it has been present since ancient times. This is the sin that brought down Sodom and Gomorrah. But it has caused the collapse of other civilations as well, including the great Roman empire. Indeed, Satan has used this vile practice to steal, kill and destroy countless hearts and souls for eons. Satan loves it because it is the OPPOSITE of God’s perfect plan, and goes completely CONTRARY to nature.
Those who live this lifestyle will argue that they have no choice, that they are born with these same-sex attractions. They say that God made them that way, and therefore they are justified to live out this lifestyle in guilt-free bliss. Notice that in asserting this, they call upon the name of God. “God made them this way.” But in all other areas of their life, they deny His existence, and certainly never consider looking into His Holy Word for guidance and direction.
I’ve often wanted to ask someone who considered themselves to be a homosexual, to consider the following: If you were a farmer, and you were raising cattle on your farm, and suddenly the female cows were attempting to mate with the other female cows, would you consider this natural and normal? Or would you realize that something here has gone terribly wrong?
If you had a business breeding puppies, or kittens or chickens, and the males of the species suddenly developed a sexual attraction to the other males, would you consider this normal and natural? Would you be happy and proud for your animals? Or would you have to admit that something here was not quite right?
You see, in the animal kingdom, they have no confusion over this. God made all creatures male and female, and He made them this way for each other, as a blessing. Yes, I admit that sometimes, very infrequently, even animals will display some sort of same-sex attraction. But it is extremely rare, it almost never happens. And when it does, it is an anomoly. It’s readily agreed that it is not at all normal.
Why, then, do we as human beings, have such a problem with all this? It’s simply because this is an age-old tactic of our enemy, the devil, used to confuse, deceive and eventually kill and destroy God’s children. If they can be deceived into participating in this sort of activity, then they will fall for anything. And because it is so inherently UN-natural, against the very laws of Creation, those who accept it must necessarily also reject God and the Bible.
The lifestyles of professing homosexuals speak for themselves. While many present themselves as clean, upstanding citizens, whenever they are met with opposition, or whenever they are challenged on their lifestyle choice, they are the first to lash out in horrible, hateful ways. As we have seen them attacking the small mom & pop businesses that object to participating in homosexual “weddings,” they will swear and curse violently, they will post obscene, filthy pictures, they will demonstrate and protest -- even in front of impressionable young children -- parading around nearly naked in lewd, vulgar outfits. They will even make death threats, they will vandalize homes, cars and businesses, once again, covering them with filthy language and sexually explicit images... and as we saw recently in Indiana, they’ll event threaten to burn your store to the ground. So much for “tolerance” and “equality.” Where are the equal rights for Christians?
Now, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, based on the 2013 NHIS data, 96.6% of adults in America identify as “straight.” As heterosexual. The research shows that 1.6% of all American adults identify as homosexual. .7% say they are bisexual, and the remaining 1.1% identify as “something else.” We’re talking less than 4% of the population, and this is in a culture that has done its level best to promote this lifestyle and celebrate it as a completely normal and completely acceptable choice.
They push it on your children in school even before kindergarten. Then for the next 12 years they indoctrinate the kids every day, all day in class after class. If someone dares to object, they are immediately labeled a hater, a bully and a bigot, and usually forced to undergo some sort of “re-education” or “sensitivity training.” I’m not making this up, folks, it’s in the news every single day.
If they have not become homosexual by the time they reach college, then the system has one more chance, and they take it. It’s been said that most college professors have two clear objectives when they get each new batch of freshmen: 1) to make them abandon their Christian faith and any sense of moralty and values taught to them by their parents, and 2) to make them question their sexuality. These are said to be their main objectives, and we have seen that college is an ideal time for the homosexual movement to obtain new recruits... many of these kids are lost and lonely, away from home for the first time, they need friendship and a connection with someone, a group to fit in with. It is no coincidence that homosexuals prey on these innocent souls in these situations. They know exactly what they’re doing. They are indeed, predators.
Despite the fact that we know this type of sexual activity is inherently dangerous, as evidenced by the horrible sexually transmitted diseases that run rampant in this culture, our government not only endorses the gay lifestyle, they also demand the rest of us celebrate it as well. By calling it “equality,” and by making it a civil rights issue, they are attempting to quell any and all objections.
What I do not understand is why there is so much support for this behavior in the corporate and business community. A simple Google search for companies that support homosexuality and/or gay “marriage” turns up more than 400 major companies. In contrast, if you try to find a list of companies that support traditional marriage, the most you can find is 7.
Why are we, as a nation, through government, and with the enormous power of financial support provided by more than 400 major corporations, and with their willing allies in the media, making it compulsory, under threat of imprisonment and financial ruin, to celebrate a behavior that is clearly abnormal, that causes serious disease and death, a lifestyle choice that the Bible clearly calls an abomination to the Lord? And remember, despite their best efforts at recruitment, less than 4% of the total population choose to embrace this lifestyle, yet the whole world is forced to bow down to those who live this way. The answer, friends, is that this is not just another lifestyle choice. It’s not simply just a matter of being “born this way.” The reason is that this whole thing is demonic... we are in a spiritual battle and the spirit of homosexuality is one that was successful in bringing down many nations and empires before us -- even ones that were larger and more powerful. This is a perfect weapon for Satan to use against us.
And now, even many of our so-called “Christian” churches are buying into the devil’s lies, declaring themselves and their congregations to be “open and affirming” to this satanic deception. It’s just another sign of the times we are living in. Repeat a lie often enough and eventually people will begin to buy it -- especially so-called “Christians” who know little to nothing about God’s word. Educate yourselves, friends. Educate others. Share the truth. You will not be popular, but you will be right.
And let us pray for those caught up in this lie -- these are precious souls the Lord Jesus died to save. They are not beyond redemption and we must share the truth in love, pray for their salvation and at the same time, push back against the tide of evil threatening to completely engulf our nation. Those of us who care are few and far between, but we’ve been placed here, for such a time as this. Let’s see to it, we are faithful to the work the Lord has set before us, and compassionate to those around us who are lost, suffering, lonely and deceived.
