I prayed for years for God to make me straight. Since He didn't do it, does that me He created me as a gay man?
There have been many people in the Bible who have waited on God for years for the manifestation of a prayer. Abraham didn't see his promise come to pass until he was almost 100 years old. Still the Bible says he was "fully persuaded that God would do what he promised"(Romans 4:12)
To be more direct, however, the answer to your question is no. Just because a person prays "to be straight" or to be "changed to a heterosexual" is no indication that God has created someone homosexual. Neither is it an indication that God will acknowledge it or answer that prayer. Understand that there is a right way to pray and a wrong way to pray.In James 4:3, we are told that when we pray selfish, carnal prayers which are out of line with the will of God, we are praying "amiss". In other words, God does not want just your sexuality, he wants ALL of you. He has always been concerned with the TOTAL restoration of man, not just compartments of life. There are plenty of heterosexuals who do not know God. His purpose is not to change your sexuality, but change you life. Remember the goal is not heterosexuality, it's holiness.
You cannot seek God on your own terms. This is what has created a misguided sense of alienation from God in many gays who claim to have tried prayer to be straight but found it useless. Although the sincerity of the seeker may be 100% true, the manner in which one approaches God is important.
Anyone who comes to God must believe that he is and that he is
a rewarder of those who diligently seek him. Heb 11:6
I would suggest that you go back to him and offer him all of you. If I were you I would say "Lord take all of me, I'm yours completely. Wash me completely and renew a right spirit within me". I believe that if you pursue him with all your heart, you will not be dissapointed.
For I know the plans that I have for you declares the Lord, plans to
prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.
Then you will call upon me and come to me and pray to me and I will
listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all
your heart. Jeremiah 29:11-13
What is homophobia?
Homophobia in it's technical sense denotes an "irrational fear of man". The word homo is from the latin genus which means man. Of course because gay language thieves have hijacked anything that remotely shows them in a negative light, the term "homophobia" has mutated to the extreme awful. It's original (possibly well) meaning is no longer recognizable among straight (no pun intended) thinking men and women.
Homophobia is now as deadly as a gallon of anthrax. Enemies of liberty use it as a weapon of intimidation and discrimination to destroy politicians, religious leaders, neighbors, corporate heads, anyone who would dare disagree with the elitist demagougery of the gay rights movement.
The "official" definition of homophibia as set forth by gay orthodoxy is an "irrational fear and hatred of lesbian and gay people that is produced by bias in a society or culture" (via SIECUS). Note the introduction of the word "hatred."
Homophobia, as well as "tolerance" ,"diversity" would be harmless if left to their original meanings. People are people and have a right to deal with whatever "phobia" they may have, including so-called "homophobia". Christians should resist using this word to describe others because it only fuels the counterproductivity of the gay movement.
What about temptation? If I'm tempted, does that mean Im not delivered?
Temptation is a part of an authentic Christian journey to wholeness, maturity and holiness. Temptation is never a sin, nor is it indicative that one has sinned. Jesus, in his perfectly sinless state was tempted throughout the duration of his public ministry, from the wilderness (Luke 4:1-13) up to while he hung on the cross (Mark 15:29-32). Were temptation a sin, Jesus' very sacrifice would be null and void. It was precisely because he was tempted ---without sin--which qualified him to intimately indentify with us in our temptations Heb 4:15.
Satan, as the tempter, is almost programmed to tempt every Christian, not just once, but for as many times as the availability arises. He seeks time and opportunity to catch us weakened or in a state where the temptation will appeal to us. Temptation is common and we are not to fear it, because God has prepared a door of escape for every person (1 Cor 10:13).
Some individuals "testify" that they have never been tempted by homosexual attractions since they have been delivered. While this may be true, it is only temporary and is unwise to boast in such things, because satan simply waits for time and opportunity. Additionally, it is through temptation that we learn to build up our resistance to satan's tactics. We cannot expext to grow or mature in our faith without the benefit of temptation. The bible actually says that we are "blessed" (James 1:13) when we endure (resist) temptation..
A person (former homosexual in this case) may go for a while without being tempted, but if the individual is not careful, through pride and presumptuousness (1 Cor 10:12), satan will lay a trap and capture such an individual in sin. Our victory over sin and temptation is not due to our shrewdness or human skill, but the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit working within us. One must be careful then to give God the credit for keeping us in the hour of temptation (Jude 24).
Thus, we can conclude that temptation (no matter what type it is) is not sin, but yeilding to it, is.
The other side of the temptation coin is one's personal responsibility in dealing with it. James wrote that we are drawn away by our own lusts, therefore we should not charge that God has tempted us. This does not contradict with satan's attempts to cause us to sin, it simply expands the concept to include our own lusts which supply satan with a cause to tempt us. Satan cannot force us to sin, only influence us. We are to accept our role in the sin and repent. Blaming the devil, is not an acceptable excuse for our sin according to James.
Finally, we are to test all "testimony" or experiences against scripture. The above scriptures clearly indicate that temptation will come to all who follow Christ.
What is sexual orientation?
Sexual orientation is another loaded phrase grafted into societal lexicon after homosexuals and their supporters rejected the original reference "sexual preference". According to the Sexuality Information and Education Council (SIECUS), a prohomosexual sex organization, the rejection came because "sexual orientation is no longer commonly believed to be one's conscious individual preference or choice, but instead thought to be formed by a complicated network of sociological, biological,economic and political factors." Sexual orientation can be caused by "economics"? Politics? Literally, the gay movement woke up one morning and decided their feelings were part and parcel of some massive conspiracy beyond their control. Of course, this shift in thinking served the misguided, money hungry mental health professionals who knew a gay cash cow when they saw it.
There are glaring errors with this train of humanist thought. Social constructionists do not recognize homosexuality as sinful. This allows them then to attach a plethora of victimist causologies (the economy, religious tradition, etc) as the reason for their predicament. Choice, an operative word when speaking of sexual orientation, is a privelege all men have been given by God (Duet 30:15-19). Gay activists contend that homosexal orientation and homosexual behavior are two different things. And while it may well be, both are still connected to the fallen expression of sexuality rather God's intention.
The other reason why the definition of sexual orientation, like homophobia is an important plank in the gay movement is because of the immutability factor. In other words, if sexual orientation can be proven to be unchangeable, the effort to change gays will be effectively condemned. Is sexual orientation fixed at birth?
What is extremely problematic with the alleged immutability of the sexual orientation argument is the gay support of "transgenders". Transgenders (transvestites, transsexuals) were at first grudginly relegated a place in gay rights table i.e "glbt". The "t" is for transgender. But an outcry from the confused men and women eventually brought them into the sexual confusion mosaic. Transgenders presented a problem for gay rights activists because their argument was exactly the opposite of gays. They claim they were not born in the right body/orientation, therefore it must be changed. Gays claim they were born gay and it cannot be changed. Nevertheless these strange bedfellows forged a shaky alliance of distinctly contradicting philosophies.
