A new edition of Soulfully Gay explores mysticism from a gay perspective. See "Gay Mystics Take the Direct Route to God." Here's how the piece begins:
First there comes a belief in spiritual realities. Beyond belief, there is faith. When all faith is spent, the mystics say, then there may come a direct experience of the divine.Read more...There have been mystics in virtually every religion and even among those with no religion. The dictionary defines mysticism as "the reported experience of mystical union or direct communion with ultimate reality." Mystics report that direct knowledge of God, spiritual truth, or ultimate reality is the deepest core of spirituality.
Gay men, bisexuals, and lesbians have been among the mystics who have reported a union with ultimate reality. Andrew Harvey and Jim Marion are two contemporary gay men whose lives bear witness to encounters with ineffable mysteries.
My passion as far as Homosexually is not to direct hatred toward Homosexuals. But to warn them that is wrong for them to think that it is okay, especially to the point that they are teaching in the church. All Homosexual churches are willfully living a sinful lifestyle, and all Heterosexual churches accepting Homosexual churches are condoning the lifestyle. Homosexuality is simply a stronghold directed by the Angel of darkness “Satan”, and it will lead all of them straight to the pit of Hell. I have also noticed that scripture backs up all my opinions. Please note all Bible based churches will accept all people as they come, but to come and then decide not to allow the Holy Spirit to change all your sinful behavior is not acceptable period. Why go to church if you’re going to continue to willfully sin, just stay in the world, because both will go to the same place for eternity.
Homosexually
“Scripture’s to confirm why most Heterosexuals are strongly against the Homosexual lifestyle”
Genesis 2:23,24
The man said,
This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh she shall be called woman, for she was taken out of man.
For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.
Bible notes
God gave marriage as a gift to Adam and Eve. They were created perfect for each other. Marriage was not just for convenience, nor was it brought about by any culture. It was instituted by God not Man.
Leviticus 18:22
Do not lie with a man as ones lies with a woman; that is detestable.
Bible notes
Several abominations, or wicked actions, are listed here: (1) having sexual relations with close relatives, (2) committing adultery, (3) offering children as sacrifices, (4) having homosexual relations, and (5) having sexual relations with animals. These practices were common in pagan religions and cultures, and it is easy to see why God dealt harshly with those who began to follow them. Such practices lead to disease, deformity, and death. (AIDS is one in the homosexual community big time). They disrupt family life and society and reveal a low regard for the value of one-self and of others. Society today takes some of these practices lightly, even trying to make them acceptable. But they are still sins in God’s eyes. If you consider them acceptable, you are not judging by God’s standards.
Romans 1:21,24,26,27
For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.
Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another.
Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.
False Teachers
Jude 1:3,4,7
1. The danger of false teachers
Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James, To those who have been called, who are loved by God the father and kept by Jesus Christ: Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance.
The Sin and Doom of Godless Men
Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints. For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.
In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.
Bible notes
Many people don’t want to believe that God sentences people to “eternal fire” for rejecting him. But this is clearly taught in Scripture. Sinners who don’t seek forgiveness from God will face eternal separation from Him. Jude gives this warning to all who rebel against, ignore, or reject God.
Hebrews 4:12,13
For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.
Bible Notes
The Word of God is not simply a collection of words from God, a vehicle for communicating ideas; it is living, life-changing and dynamic as it works in us. With the incisiveness of a surgeon’s knife, God’s word reveals who we are and what we are not. It penetrates the core of our moral and spiritual life. It discerns what is within us, both good and evil. The demands of God’s Word require decisions. We must not only listen to the Word; we must also let it shape our lives.
2 Timothy 3:16,17
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
1 John 1:5-7
This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son purifies us from all sin.
Galatians 5:13-24
You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature, rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law. The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery, idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this WILL NOT INHERIT THE KINGDOM OF GOD. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law, THOSE WHO BELONG TO CHRIST JESUS HAVE CRUCIFIED THE SINFUL NATURE WITH ITS PASSIONS AND DESIRES.
Proverbs 3:1,2,5-6,11,12
My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you prosperity.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and He will make your paths straight.
My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those He loves, as a father the son he delights in.
1 Thessalonians 4:3-6
It is God’s will that you be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him. The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you. For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you His Holy Spirit.
Luke 6:46 “Jesus was speaking here”
Why do you call me, Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? I will show you what he is like who comes to Me and hears my words and puts them into practice.
Romans 6:12-16
Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey it’s evil desires. Do not offer the parts of your to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to Him as instruments of righteousness. For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace. What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey Him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey – whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness.
Deuteronomy 11:26-28
See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse – the blessing if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today; the curse if you disobey the commands of the Lord your God and turn from the way that I command you today by following other Gods, which you have not known.
1 John 2:15-17
Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world - the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does – comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.
Psalm 119:105-106
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. I have taken an oath and confirmed it, that I will follow your righteous laws.
Bible Notes
To walk safely in the woods at night we need a light so we don’t trip over tree roots or fall into holes, In this life, we walk through a dark forest of evil. But the Bible can be our light to show us the way ahead so we won’t stumble as we walk. It reveals the entangling roots of false values and philosophies. Study the Bible so you will be able to see your way clear enough to stay on the right path.
Joshua 1:8-9
Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; mediate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.
In closing weather or not you want to believe it or not the homosexual lifestyle is wrong and a sinful lifestyle. I have heard many responses like Sodom and Gomorrah wasn’t destroyed because of sexual sin well if that is true then I guess some of you are saying that God is a liar. Then some of you say that the Scripture was written by men, and they used they’re own opinions. Then some say that the Bible in English is all wrong, and that the original one written in Hebrew is completely different then the one in English. It’s amazing how Satan can get people to believe his lies to no end. Real Christians believe the complete Word of God “Bible” they don’t pick and choose what they wish to and what they will ignore because it goes against they’re sinful flesh. Real Christians also Die to self and surrender completely to Lord Jesus Christ. Real Christians have the following attributes
1. Repentance
“A 180 degree turn away from sinful behavior and towards Godly behavior
2. Thankfulness
“A thankful heart that is grateful for what God has done…and shows itself in a cheerful disposition.
3. Good Works
“A life that becomes others centered (helping the aged, feeding the poor, teaching children, visiting the sick & those in prison), not self-centered (all free time consumed in personal hobbies and interests).
4. Fruit of the Spirit
“ An ever-growing capacity of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness and self-control in the life of the believer.
5. Fruit of Righteousness
“ Doing the right thing according to the way God defines it in His Word…not according to the way man defines it in his own mind.
Please don’t view it email has hate. I’m simply obeying the Holy Spirit within me. This was important enough to the Holy Spirit within me, so it’s important to me also. I used to walk by my mind, but now I walk as the Holy Spirit directs me.
MY TESTIMONY R. Nolen Miller
I should have known that there was a greater purpose for my life. When I was still but a whisper of life in my mother’s womb, my biological father tried to kill us both by shooting her. By some miracle, we both survived. And the life I am here to tell you about was allowed to begin. My life.
I had a pretty normal childhood, for America in the 70’s and 80’s. My mother and the man she married (who I consider to be my father in every way) stayed together long after they had given up on their own relationship. They stayed together for me and my sisters. So, although it was a rather dysfunctional situation, we children were well cared for and brought up well. I found my real niche in life through school athletics. Having many victories in track and field and football gave me an identity that was consistent with every American boy’s idea of success. It also gave me the considerable ego and pride that naturally comes from being admired as an athlete in this society.
To maintain the joy that I had gotten used to as a youth, I continued in the sport of football as a coach after my school years were over. This fed into my competitive spirit and love for the game. Football was a big focal point of my life, from which I derived a great deal of satisfaction.
After some years in the military, drinking alcohol became a much sought after diversion. I drank a lot, even after it landed me in jail. I liked to drink and party and do all the things that young men are led to believe is perfectly normal behavior. I was also a womanizer. My sexual addiction led me into many situations I should not have been in. But, like any other red blooded American, I thought the more sex I was having with the more women, the better a man I was. What a destructive lie we allow this society to drill into our heads. Well, as addictions go, I always looked for more, and became addicted to pornography and the philosophies regarding sexual behavior that pornography promotes.
I thought I was on top of my game. I was 35, in good physical condition, had a smooth little sports car, my own crib, a good job, a woman I loved, and still the freedom to do whatever I wanted. One night I exercised that right to do whatever I wanted. I lied to my woman about my plans, went out to party and entertain my deviate desires. The decision I took that night would, unbeknownst to me, shape the rest of my life.
I woke up a week later, unaware of who I was or where I was. I couldn’t speak, I couldn’t eat, I had tubes coming out of my body everywhere I Looked. I had just woken up from a coma that I was not supposed to have been able to wake up from. Evidently, on my exciting night out on the town, I had been hit by an automobile while drunkenly running across the street to get the attention of a prostitute. The car hit me, instantly breaking my leg, forcing the bones to protrude through the skin in two places. Following the impact, the force threw my body up and my head went through the windshield of the car. I was then thrown back to the road, where my shoulder was dislocated and the skin was scraped off of various parts of my body. It was after 3 o’clock in the morning. Gratefully, the driver was able to call for help and I was air lifted to the hospital.
My fiancée stuck by me through all of this and describes my recovery, which I have very little recollection of. Suffice it to say that I had to learn everything over again, from the most basic functions. I was in the hospital for almost two months. I had to learn how to eat, use the bathroom, talk, think clearly, and later how to walk again.
After I came home to my fiancee’s apartment following the hospital stay, life was hard. I was happy to be home with her, but I hated the limitations I had as a human being. She had to lift me in and out of my wheelchair, drive me to work, do all the cooking and cleaning that I was unable to help with. It was so frustrating as a man who was so used to being “the man”, in control of everything. I was brought to a place where I realized that I had no control, and I realized that I never really had control when I thought I did. It was another of life’s illusions.
During these times, I struggled within myself, trying to come to terms with what had happened and what my identity was as a person, now that the temporary façade of my former identity was taken from me in a mere second. I fought off thoughts of suicide, wanting to live for my children’s sake as well as my fiancee’s. I thought about the things my fiancée had told me, how she had received emails from all over the world, parts of Africa and the Middle East, from people who were praying for me while I was in a coma. Complete strangers…praying for me. I thought about the rainbow that she had seen that first day as she drove across the bridge towards the hospital. She said it was the biggest, boldest rainbow she had ever seen. It stretched from ground to ground over the entire city of Tampa, the hospital being roughly right at the center point of the rainbow. She had cried when she saw it, not because she was sad, but because she knew that it was her sign from God that He was gonna hold me in His arms, it was gonna be okay.
As I thought about all these things, I began to ask God why I was here. I talked to Him often,yelled at Him sometimes, told Him all my frustrations, and asked Him to help me know what it all meant. I asked Him every day it seemed. One miraculous morning I woke up and all the answers were there. I just knew. God had completely emptied me of all the clutter that I had accumulated in my life, He stripped it all away, the house, the car, the perfect health, the ego, the deviate lifestyle, the addictions…all my earthly crutches. He took me back to my real self, the essence of who I really was on the inside…and then He filled up the emptiness of my heart with all the Love that He could give me. I felt such indescribable joy, such peace, such a clear sense of purpose. And I have been singing His praises ever since.
I knew almost instantly that my purpose was to talk to others about God and His Son, Jesus; and to share with others how I’ve come to learn that we are victims of a huge deception, and that the Truth is available to all of us. Whether working through prison ministry or whatever path God chooses to lead me, I will follow and share with as many as I can the amazing Truth of the Gospel. An athlete at heart, I am still running a race, Jesus is the rabbit, I follow Him around the track and I know He will lead me to victory.
Although I am still left with a handicapped arm, the rest of my body has been healed: and I have faith that when I am ready, the arm will be healed as well. According to the values of the world, I may have lost a lot. But I received so much more than I ever thought possible. And I’ve never been happier in my life. I am a living testimony to the Love of our Creator.
There is a story I have heard about me, when I was quite small, walking down the street with my family, and a man of God stopping to tell me that I was going to be a preacher someday. “All things work together for good for those who love the Lord.” I took a few dead end roads along the way, but my Father led me home.
R. Nolen Miller
Walk by Faith not by Sight
2 Corinthians 5:7
Posted by: R. Nolen Miller | March 11, 2005 at 03:16 AM
My friend, behavior is not sinful. People are sinful. We all are. The greatest sin is to hate. "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone."
Posted by: X | January 05, 2010 at 11:57 PM
well...i guess people who don't involve themselves much with original thinking are always willing to jump on bandwagons. everything you write here has been shoved down every homosexual throat to the point of making us gag.
instead of the tired, used us old ways of quoting your own interpretations of scripture why don't you try something new. instead of hate and virulent anti-godliness...try love. try a pro-God approach. try to bring people to the Lord instead of chasing them off.
instead of preaching and praying as the pharisees do, try sharing and loving in the manner of Chirst. instead of demeaning and belittling try encourgement and uplifting rhetoric.
the fact is....homosexuality is not an intellectual or religious matter...it is a sexual orientation...you, nor anyone else on this planet is going to change it one little bit. that is not going to happen.
try this prayer:
"God, grant me the serenity to accept those things i cannot change.
the courage to change those i can,
and the WISDOM to know the difference.
if it is really God's work you want to do, apply your talents and energies in places where you can make a difference. preach against hate and isolation. preach against greed and selfishness preach against killing and maiming in useless wars. there is so much that could be done if people of good will would focus on the possible instead of banging your heads against stone walls.
much love and hope. pj
Posted by: pennyjane | January 06, 2010 at 07:19 AM