Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Turning the World Upside Down - Part 5

This article has been updated and compiled into the book, "Turning the World Upside Down" The Spirit of Homosexuality and the Last Days"

This article is part of a series which might be better understood by starting at the first post.

At the Center of Self is a Sodomite

One key descriptor that sums up Satan's character is selfishness. He thinks only of himself and places himself above all others. "For God so loved the world that He gave..." (John 3:16) Love gives of one's self for the benefit of others; selfishness takes from others for the gratifying of one's self. God is self-less and sacrifices Himself for man (and calls for us to do the same), while Satan sacrifices man for himself.

The inverted soul is by nature a sodomite because it is focused on itself only. Not able to hear from God because the spirit of man is held captive by the soul, such persons are only able to receive input from the soulish, demonic realm. Just as a woman operating in false authority allows the devil to set-up a stronghold in the natural, the soul operating in false authority allows Satan to set-up a stronghold in the spiritual.

Man was created to be conscious of God and what He desires, but the inverted soul (fallen man) is only concerned with what he wants. This is why the full manifestation of the sodomite nature is seen in homosexuality. Homosexuality is an act of self-love. Because man is so in love with himself, he can only desire that which is just like himself. So women only desire other women; and men only desire other men.

Every inverted soul is a sodomite; homosexuality is merely the culmination of that nature. Satan takes man on a journey into degradation which starts with a rejection of God's order for creation. Let's break down Romans Chapter 1:18-28 which describes Satan's plan for mankind:

"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:"

What may be known of God has been made manifest in us. We are created in His image and as a reflection of His Godhead. There is no excuse for man not knowing who God is because He has established creation in a way that would accomplish just that (impart to us the understanding of who He is).

"Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things."

Although the nature of God is obvious in His created work, sinful man challenges God's representation of Himself. Man makes himself the arbiter of who God is and creates a perverted image of God to justify the upside down kingdom his rebellion has established.

"Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen."

The next step in Satan's plan is an introduction to sexual sin. Any sex outside of the boundaries that God has ordained IS sin. This includes masterbation, fornication, oral sex (even between hetereosexuals), anal sex, etc. If you have participated in any of these acts, you WERE on the road to becoming a homosexual - and still are if you have not repented and turned to the Lord in those areas.

Sodomy is not just an act performed by homosexuals. Sodomy is defined as: 1). anal or oral copulation with a member of the opposite sex; 2). copulation with a member of the same sex. Engaging in oral or anal sex with a member of the opposite sex is sodomy. Once you have engaged in acts of sodomy, you become a full candidate for homosexuality. It is merely the next step of your digression into the sodomite nature.

Sex, as designed by God, is a self-less act. This is completely contrary to worldly thinking where sex is something for "me". It is to be an expression of love and giving to be shared with one's spouse (I Corinthians 7:3-5). This is how the marriage bed is kept in honour (Hebrews 13:4). Yet every act of sexual sin is an attempt at self-gratification.

Fornication has been so romanticized in our society, that it is uniformly presented as the natural expression of love between people. In truth, fornication is an act of hatred. If you loved someone, you would not engage in activities that alienate them from God and damn their souls to Hell just to satisfy your own lust. When you love someone you want to esteem them, not degrade them by having them perform acts only a dog would do. In each of these instances, someone is driven by a need to satisfy their own desires at the expense of others. It is a manifestation of the selfish sodomite nature.

This is why God accuses man of worshipping and serving the creature more than the Creator in the above text. Who is the creature being worshipped? Yourself! You ignore the dictates of God and destroy others for your own selfish fulfillment.

"For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: and likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;"

Here we see the full effect of reprobation: blatant homsexuality. God calls these desires "vile affections." Please note that it is God who gives man over to these vile affections. For this cause - the cause that man continues to worship himself in sexual sin - God gives man over to the full manifestation of that selfish, sodomite nature.

Don't think that you can just choose how far in sin you will go. You may start off choosing sin, but sooner or later, sin is going to choose you. You may start off experimenting, but soon you become the experiment. Without the grace and mercy of God to restrain the sin nature, sin will take you over. When God removes that restraint, you will do things you never thought you would do.

Ask anyone who has ever had an addiction. No one ever starts out in sin thinking that it will bind them, but that is the genius of Satan's plan. You start off thinking that you are in control, but with each step into sin, Satan places more of himself in you - often undetectable by you until it is too late. Eventually, you become so demonized that he no longer needs your complicity to engage in sin. Even when you no longer want to, you are driven to feed the appetites of the unclean spirits that have made you their home.

So many times people share their regrets of, "I never thought I would..." or "I always said that I would never..." Let me tell you, sin will take you places you never wanted to go. Sin is not an inanimate act, it is a nature with lusts that cannot be appeased. You aren't just dabbling in a little fun; you are being taken purposefully on a journey down a road to reprobation. What you might see as momentary and lightweight is really the unfolding of Satan's strategic plan to make of you what he is: a sodomite. You may not see how Satan is directing your path, but that doesn't mean your destination is any less sure outside of intervention by Jesus Christ alone.

Turning the World Upside Down


11 comments:

  1. hey hope you can get back to me! i have a question to ask you concerning homosexuals, some homosexuals say that they know they have been gay since they were very young and you say homosexuality is manifestation of the sin of self love...so i was wondering is it sin in their parents lives that has caused this manifestation in the lives of the children..thanks..

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  2. HI Anonymous,

    I believe it is true that some have claimed to have these desires since they were young. By explaining how homosexuality reflects the epitome of the fallen nature in man (self-love as represented in Romans Chapter 1), I don't mean to deny the spiritual underpinings of this condition.

    In other words, I am speaking more to what the manifestation of homosexuality represents and not necessarily how one becomes a homosexual.

    The roots of homosexuality (as with any other sinful stronghold) is demonic. Such can be inherited through family bloodlines or one can participate in activities which open you up to it. Also, child molestation is a major vehicle for imparting a homosexual spirit. So that can be another reason why people start recognizing these feelings in childhood.

    It is not much different in this regard from other strongholds, i.e. gambling, alcoholism, etc.

    I hope that helps.

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  3. thanks very much.. by the way i think your blog is very informative and teaches the kind of message , that christians and indeed every on needs to hear these last days, as there is a lot of watering down of the gospel in churches these days

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  4. Assallamu alaikum Peace be upon you

    While I found the information of great value in warning people, especially our young against ostensibly 'harmless' 'entertainment' and thank you for this, I was shocked and disgusted to read of the utterly baseless allegation linking Islam and the holy name of God=Allah to moon worship etc. Please do not be tempted by shaitaan into making prejudicial asumptions based upon profound ignorance of this blessed monotheistic faith which unites the Family of those given the Holy Scriptures, the Ahl Al Kitaab, those believing in the Torah, the Psalms, the Gospels and finally, the Koran. As the 'West' sinks further into the decadence of nudity, paganism/polytheism/worship of Shaitaan, Muslim men, women and children strive to protect their dignity and that of the family cherishing the young and elderly alike. May God protect you from rascism and deception and guide all those who love and honour the blessed commandments of God. Please research the Prophet Ibrahim/Abraham building the Kaaba, truly, the first house of God and note the millions of devoted pilgrims who perform Hajj each year to honour God and pray for guidance in these end of times days. Research Hagar, mother of Ishmael, father of the Arabians too. Please do not insult us and understand that Islam eradicated and utterly forbade the worship of false gods, this being the worst of sins and the very sin which would not be forgiven. Shalom, Salam and Peace. Sister Sarah.

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  5. Hello Sarah,

    Thanks for sharing your comments here.

    You say the comments about Islam are prejudicial. May I ask you, "Where does prejudice begin and truth end in your mind? Does not the truth by nature discriminate against that which is a lie?"

    The intent of this article - or any other on this site - is not to offend. However, a lie is still a lie whether people believe in it or not. We must proclaim God's truths regardless of who likes it, understands it, or agrees with it.

    You are familiar with Abraham, but do you know the Scriptures? The child of promise was not conceived by Hagar and neither did God's chosen people come from her loins.

    "Nevertheless what saith the scripture? CAST OUT the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. " Galatians 4:30

    The True & Living God of the Scriptures is not the same as allah. Islam is not righteous, but is a defiled perversion of God's truth coming from Muhammad's demonic visitations.

    You say that Islam forbids the worship of false gods, yet allah is a false god. If you study the Scriptures you will see that these God's are not the same. For example, either Jesus Christ is the begotten Son of God or god has no need of a son. Both cannot be correct.

    There is a false move going around trying to put forth that allah and Jehovah are the same. This is not true in the least.

    ALL must repent from every false way and every false idol and turn in faith to Jesus Christ, the only name by which man MUST be saved.

    I have no interest in debating the merits of false religion. My sole purpose is to proclaim the word of the Lord. To those who have ear to hear, repent for the time is at hand.

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  6. Thank you for this post, it has given me a lot to think about in my walk and desire to please the Lord. Every sexual sin is listed in the Old Testament, and we know they were considered a sin because the punishment was death, and also the blood sacrifices for those sins, but where is the sin for masterbation listed? I understand masterbation is often times associated with pornagraphy and such, or obsessively doing this act, but what is a maried man to do if he is away from home, or a widower has a need.....is it possible to masterbate simply to relieve the sensation and do it in a pure way? I mean, just for relief and not with thoughts and such? What about a young boy.... he has wet dreams......are we supposed to tell him he's dirty and never to touch himself? Afterall, God did make us and gave us the bodies we have, are we never to explore them.....and where in scripture are we directed not to masterbate as you said because it is a sexual sin. It may not be the best thing and not prefered, but is it a sin by the word of God? He listed with much detail all the sexual sins in Lev., and the list is extensive...but why would we tell our children it is sin and not be able to direct them to the Word of God to teach them. We know that intercourse between a married man and women is blessed by God, but the same act is a sin to married man/woman with a married neighbor....isn't fornication tied to adultery and not unmarried people? If an unmarried man has sex with an unmarried woman, scripture says they should get married, but they were not instructed to be put to death right? I just wanted to see where you determined masterbation is a sexual sin by the word of God or is it just your opinion? We must be careful of the things we instruct others to do or not do, because it must be found in the word of God, and not just our opinions. What do you think I should tell my son about the way God made him, that he must never touch himself because it is evil and dirty, a sexual sin even though you have little control over it since it happens in your sleep, this is a difficult subject indeed and I will continue to seek the Lord in prayer, Thank you

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  7. Hi Mid Acres,

    The first question we must consider is, “What is the purpose of sex?” People often believe that sex is primarily for personal pleasure, and that attitude is what contributes most to sin in this area.

    The NT word for fornication is the Greek word porneia. It references all types of illicit sex; not a specific reference to unmarried sex. Every use of sex in a way God has not ordained is fornication (porneia).

    The argument you raise is also used to defend lesbianism. “No explicit Scripture says it is wrong for a woman to lie with a woman.” some will say, “So, it must not be sinful.”

    If that logic is enough for you to approve of masturbation, then you must also approve of lesbianism. After all, we must not go beyond what is written, right?

    When I Corinthians 4:6 says not to go beyond what is written, it is speaking of not thinking too highly of men. Scripture itself attests that it does not record all of the mind and works of God; no book could contain it all.

    The purpose of Scripture is not to outline every sinful act (or even every righteous one). It's given so that we can know the character of God and be conformed to His image by His Spirit. We can know that lesbianism is wrong simply by looking at the purpose and design He has given for sex; and we can likewise know the same for masturbation.

    Scripture shows that sex is reserved for a husband and wife; and it is not done for self-gratification.

    “Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband. The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife. Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.” I Corinthians 7:3-5

    The terms “hath not power of” and “defraud ye not the other” attests that sex is NOT about what satisfies me, but what I give to please my spouse. This does not mean that sex is not pleasurable for the “giver”, but it denotes that self-pleasure is not the motivation behind the gift.

    This is a relfection of God’s ways. We are called to live a life of self-DENIAL, laying down our lives for the benefit of others; even in our marriage relationships. God is so great, that He even makes our giving of ourselves a benefit and pleasure for us. YET, the motivation behind our acts must still be selflessness, for that is true love.

    This is the issue addressed in this article. All acts of selfishness or self-seeking are from the fallen nature of man. What about me? What about what I like? What about what pleases me? All works of the fallen, fleshly nature is sin.

    Going beyond the selfish motivation behind masturbation, we could also speak to the illicit fantasies and imaginations which are required in fuel it in order to gratify one’s self. Scripture is also clear in these areas (Matt. 5:28; II Cor. 10:4-5).

    The bottom line is that it’s not good enough to simply look for what is explicitly addressed in Scripture. The question we should seek to ask is, “What is pleasing to God?” If we seek to know His will and His character, then He will reveal these things to us. It is clear in the Scriptures how sex has been designed by God and masturbation does not fit those requirements, but is diametrically opposed to them. It is not an act of love in giving of ourselves to our spouses, but an act of self-gratification where we put our individual desires against what God has ordained.

    Thanks again for your feedback and I hope this has given you additional food for thought as you seek the Lord for clarity here.

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  8. First of all, I want to thank LDM and commend you for your integrity in upholding the truth of the Scriptures and for your love towards those who comment in a negative way. Not only was the blog well written and informative, but I was especially impressed with your replies to both "Sarah" and to "Mid Acres". Your replies were well thought out, quite extensively researched, well balanced, accurate, uncompromising of God's Word, and spoken in love. PRAISE GOD!

    I prefer to remain anonymous for safety and identity reasons, mainly because of the "shame" I feel. However, I wanted to give some feedback and personal history that agree with, and support, LDM views (which I feel are based on the truth revealed in the Scriptures). Hopefully, and God willing, some lives will be changed by what I have to say. I am holding back the tears as I write this reply. This is a “first step” for me in reaching out to others who are bound in the chains and shackles of bondage to homosexuality.

    I am an older man who has struggled throughout my whole life with homosexuality. At a very early age, the spirit of homosexuality entered my life through molestation. There were a few other “roots” of my homosexuality that the Holy Spirit showed me several years ago that I won’t mention here.

    After a brief marriage in my early 20’s in which I fathered two children, I embraced the homosexual lifestyle and became very selfish (as your blog states “selfishness takes from others for the gratifying of one's self”). How very true – I can attest to that and I still struggle with that, today, as well. In fact, I can attest to everything you have written in your blog.

    In my mid 30’s, the Lord began to apprehend me and I began to follow Jesus, knowing that my lifestyle was NOT pleasing to Him in any way, shape, or form. I attended several “deliverance” ministries to extricate myself from this lifestyle and these spirits, but these spirits do not quit, are very tenacious, and don’t want to let you go. They keep trying to drag you back into the “filth” of it all.

    It wasn’t until earlier this year that I took a stand to “obey” the Lord and “totally surrender” to Him that my deliverance came, however, I do still struggle, from time to time, with masturbation coupled with Internet pornography in the homosexual realm. This morning was one of those times and, once again, I felt the guilt and shame that came with it. Shortly afterwards, I was spending time in my daily devotions and was reading in the book of Hosea and came across reference to Baal-Peor worship. Although I had an idea of what Baal-Peor worship was, I began to do some searching on the Internet regarding the subject and ran across the blog about it on your site, as well as watched the couple of you-tube videos from the site. I had to immediately come before the Lord with a repentant heart.

    I have found that it takes an understanding of just exactly what you are opening yourself up to by allowing yourself to be influenced in any way towards homosexuality, sodomy, even in participating in masturbation by yourself, coupled with the determination of a person’s will, obedience and “total” surrender to God to be able to be delivered from this evil realm of homosexuality and Baal-Peor worship. And, of course, there must be brothers and sisters who are willing to stand with you and assist you through their intercession as you exit this realm of sin and make your way to the One who created you.

    I pray my testimony and words here are able to help those who are bound in this awful sin and point them in the right direction. May God speak to your heart and guide you out of the darkness and into His glorious light!

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  9. Dear Anonymous,

    Thank you so much for sharing your testimony. I cannot imagine how hard that must have been. Yet, I know that God honors it. Confession is an integral part to our deliverance, not being ashamed to speak the truth. For it is then that we can start to truly become free, silencing the devil and not allowing him to bind us with condemnation.

    I know that the struggles may seen hard and we might feel powerless at times against the sins which tempt us. But Satan is a liar! God has already given us the victory, we just have to believe Him over the lies of the enemy. Satan may try to claim that we will never be completely free or that our gains in Christ can be wiped away by Him. That is a lie!

    I pray brother that you do not give up the fight. Stay in the battle and see if the Lord does not strengthen your hand. As you say, through "a person’s will, obedience and “total” surrender to God" we will be delivered from those things which binds us.

    The following articles may be helpful as well:

    You Must Be Strong

    You Can Be Free From Masturbation.

    Prayer of Deliverance

    I am sure your testimony will be a blessing to others. I have already shared it with one person whose experience is mirroring yours.

    We will know when we are completely free from a particular sin when the desires of our heart have been changed and such things no longer tempt us. Until then, God is faithful to complete the work in us, cleansing us within and opening our eyes to our own deceptions.

    Be encouraged in the Lord and continue on in this good fight of faith. If God be for you, then who can be against you?

    May God do a quick work in you to crush the head of the enemy in freeing you to the utmost in those areas.

    God Bless!

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  10. Wow! Thank you so much for this post and the post about Baal peor! The Most High has been telling me he has a husband for me and He's been saying this for a while now anyways I met this man and was told through the Spirit that it's him and he wad told the same. We both fear The Most High and agreed to do a fast to make sure this is from Him. We are starting the fast this evening so it's just so profound that this was brought to my attention before the fast. And we were both interested in oral, this is just a test from The Most High to choose Him and His ways over our own wants and desires. (Psalm 34:9) "O fear the LORD, ye His saints: for there is no want to them that fear Him"

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  11. LDM, Thank you for your wonderful work on this important subject. I personally have recently come to the understanding that oral sex is wrong, even for married couples. I have recently contemplated the idea that oral and anal sex between heterosexual couples could be a gateway to homosexuality. Please share any writings or links you have that build upon this idea. I appreciate your work.

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