Identity https://www.truefreedomtrust.co.uk/ en Finding rest from anxious thoughts https://www.truefreedomtrust.co.uk/finding-rest-anxious-thoughts <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--title--article.html.twig x field--node--title.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--title.html.twig * field--string.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <span property="schema:name">Finding rest from anxious thoughts</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-image--article.html.twig * field--node--field-image.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-image.html.twig * field--image.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'image_formatter' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/fields/image-formatter.html.twig' --> <div class="item-image"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'image' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/image.html.twig' --> <img property="schema:image" loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/articles/finding%20rest%20from%20anxious%201170%20x%20330.png" alt="family reading the bible" typeof="foaf:Image" /> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/image.html.twig' --> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/fields/image-formatter.html.twig' --> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--uid--article.html.twig x field--node--uid.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--uid.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <span rel="schema:author"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'username' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> <span lang="" about="/user/92" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="">Owen</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--created--article.html.twig x field--node--created.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <span property="schema:dateCreated" content="2024-06-03T13:07:03+00:00">Mon, 03/06/2024 - 14:07</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--body--article.html.twig * field--node--body.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--body.html.twig * field--text-with-summary.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <div property="schema:text" class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"> <p>I was privileged enough to be born to Christian parents. They both are brilliant parents and brought me up in the faith. My father would read the Bible to me and my brothers every night, right until the end of primary school. I owe a large amount of my Bible knowledge to him and my mother. This knowledge has been really helpful as I have learned to deal with same-sex attractions (SSA), so I am incredibly thankful to my father for that.</p> <p>I remember my parents leading me in a very simple sinner’s prayer when I was about 6. Even though I maybe didn’t understand everything that was involved in being a Christian, I believe God honoured my prayer and has been in relationship with me ever since. As a result, my relationship with God did not start with a single defining moment of salvation. My testimony will therefore be more a story of how I grew in my Christian faith.</p> <p> </p><div class="widget gsc-quote-text no-border" style="background:#59adc4;">&#13; <div class="widget-content">&#13; <div class="content" style="color:#fff;"><i style="color:#fff;" class="icon fa fa-quote-left"></i> OCD is not something you can combat on your own </div>&#13; </div>&#13; </div> &#13; <h3>About SSA in my Life</h3> <p>As a kid, I was much more interested in creative things, such as art and music, rather than the stereotypical things that boys enjoy, such as sport. However, all my crushes during my primary school years were on girls and not guys. I did have one or two intense friendships with guys, which were probably early signs of SSA. Like many pre-teen boys (I suspect), I had a lingering fear that I might grow up to be gay.</p> <p>I started experiencing SSA during puberty. I remember the first time I had an attraction to a boy. It was about 2 days before my 14th birthday. It completely freaked me out and, for some reason, I told my parents about my fear of being gay. I don’t think they really believed me though. I think they thought it was just a phase I was going through and that I did not really understand what it meant to be gay. We had a chat and they calmed me down. I remember believing that it would go away after a while.</p> <p>As you might expect, the SSA did not diminish. I cannot remember much about my early high school, but I do remember a lot of anxiety - especially regarding my sexuality. I was petrified that people would find out and so I kept it to myself and tried pretending to be straight. However, not dealing very well with my new experience, led to unhealthy ways of coping. I wish I had reached out for help sooner, but I was so ashamed of my feelings that I preferred to suffer alone and pretend that everything was fine. </p> <p>I was convinced that the fact that I experienced same-sex feelings was in itself a sin against God and I needed to somehow stop these attractions. I did not understand the difference between a temptation and a sin. I thought that experiencing an attraction to a guy was in itself a sin, like stealing is a sin. This led to an almost constant state of guilt and shame, since I could control who I was attracted to. (See towards the end of the article for the difference between sin and temptation.)</p> <p>All this came to a head around the time my grandmother died when I was 16. Since I had already learned to suppress my feelings, my family thought I was OK. In the two years that I had been experiencing SSA, I had learned to cope with my emotions through a form of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). To deal with the shame and guilt, I would “confess my sins” non-stop, over and over again, until the bad feeling went away.  This might seem like a good thing, but because being same-sex attracted is not a sin, the temptations have no need to be confessed and the guilt was unwarranted. Confessing doggedly, in that manner, was not the correct way to deal with those feelings of guilt and shame.</p> <p>Once my grandmother died, the OCD grew to become an all-encompassing reality as I tried to suppress the SSA as well as the grief associated with her death. Thankfully, at that time, I had been meeting with a pastor who was discipling me. He noticed that something was not right. He suggested to my parents that I go for counselling to sort through the issues that were clearly causing me distress. My parents organised for me to see a local Christian psychologist. We worked through the OCD, and he gave me some useful techniques to deal with the negative emotions, the most noteworthy being that instead of confessing to get rid of the unwarranted shame and guilt, I needed to remind myself of God’s love for me. That, as well as some meds I was put on, really helped. My mood greatly improved and the OCD also decreased. I am thankful to my parents who continued to love and support me despite not knowing what to do. I am thankful to my counsellor who reminded me of the gospel. I am also thankful to God whose Word brought great comfort to me at that time. The Psalms came alive to me too.<br /> Here are some instances of what I have learned along the way:</p> <h4>Temptation is not intentional sin</h4> <p>Everyone is tempted differently depending on their make-up. Some are tempted to eat too much, some struggle with greed, others with envy. However, just because one is weak in a particular area, does not mean that they are sinning by being tempted. Even Jesus was tempted with his own unique temptations (Matthew 4), yet the Bible makes it clear that He was without sin (Hebrews 4:15). In the same way, just because we find members of the same sex attractive, does not make those attractions wrong. It becomes a sin if you entertain it through something like lust or porn.</p> <h4>Feelings can be deceptive</h4> <p>Until recently, I believed that if the feeling was strong enough, then it must be God who is causing it. For example, if the feeling of guilt is so strong, then it must be God convicting me. That lie did mean that I was at the mercy of my feelings. Following that line of thinking meant that I was forced to obey whatever the feelings told me to do. If I was overcome with an intense sense of guilt, there would always be something that I could do to make it go away (i.e. the compulsion). However, that compulsion never did decrease the feelings for long. The feeling would resurface again a few days or weeks later.</p> <h4>Don’t be afraid to ask for help!</h4> <p>OCD is not something you can combat on your own. Find a few trusted friends whom you can chat to; chat to a counsellor or your pastor. I have needed my friends to help me sort out the truthful thoughts from the lies. </p> <h4>Fight the OCD using God’s Word</h4> <p>For me, one of the reasons the OCD feelings have so much weight is because I convince myself that if I do not obey the compulsions, God will reject me. Bible verses that speak against that are, for example, Jeremiah 31:36-37:<br /><em>“If this fixed order departs from before me, declares the Lord, <br /> then shall the offspring of Israel cease from being a nation before me forever.” Thus says the Lord:<br /> “If the heavens above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth below can be explored,<br /> then I will cast off all the offspring of Israel for all that they have done,<br /> declares the Lord.”</em></p> <p>God will only abandon me if the heavens above can be measured and the fixed order falls apart. We can be assured that we are safe with God and our very lives are safely hidden with Him in heaven, where no one can steal them away (Col 3:3). We can be sure that He will never abandon us.<br /> Your “core fear” might be something else. Let me urge you to find verses that will encourage you with truth to counteract any lies you may be believing.</p> <h3>My current experience with OCD</h3> <p>Ironically, while I was writing this article, I was experiencing OCD like I experienced at high school. I hadn’t been on medication for OCD for many years, but I needed it. That was the only thing that gave me significant rest from the thoughts and feelings. Honestly, I was angry with God for not healing me as I needed. I had expected Him to take the thoughts and feelings away as I prayed to Him and read the Word, but that is not how He chose to help me. He chose to help me through medication. He gave many intelligent men and women talents and insight to create these medications. God does not always heal in the supernatural way that we sometimes expect.<br /> This was also a very humbling experience as I learned that all my methods and means of dealing with my disorder did not work - some of them being religious means. It left me realising how dependent I am on God for everything.</p> <hr /><p>This article was originally published in the Spring 2024 edition of the TFT magazine, <em>Ascend</em>. Click the button below to download your copy.</p> <p>&#13; <style rel="stylesheet"> <!--/*--><![CDATA[/* ><!--*/ #button-zhtxl0nezaev{background:#fff;color:#000;border-color:#00599c;} #button-zhtxl0nezaev:hover{background:#00599c;color:#fff;border-color:#00599c;} /*--><!]]>*/ </style></p><div class="clearfix"></div>&#13; <a href="https://truefreedomtrust.co.uk/sites/default/files/newsletters/2024Q1ascend.pdf" class="gsc-button medium " id="button-zhtxl0nezaev">&#13; Download the Spring 2024 edition of Ascend </a> &#13; &#13; </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'links__node' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * links--node.html.twig x links.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/navigation/links.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/navigation/links.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-post-format--article.html.twig * field--node--field-post-format.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-post-format.html.twig * field--list-string.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-post-format field--type-list-string field--label-hidden field__item">Personal Story</div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-post-category--article.html.twig * field--node--field-post-category.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-post-category.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-post-category field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/accountability" hreflang="en">Accountability</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/identity" hreflang="en">Identity</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/supporting-others" hreflang="en">Supporting Others</a></div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-more-information--article.html.twig * field--node--field-more-information.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-more-information.html.twig * field--text-long.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-more-information field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"> <p><em>Please note that any external resources below are intended to complement the main answer given above and may not entirely match TFT's position.</em></p> <p>***for FAQs ONLY, replace this text with links to further articles, books, audio and video. Examples below for each media type.</p> <p> </p><div class="widget gsc-icon-box left text-dark">&#13; <div class="highlight-icon"><span class="icon fa fa-link"></span></div>&#13; <div class="highlight_content">&#13; <a href="***URL LINK"> <h4>Living Out article: 'Is it ok to be gay?' '</h4>&#13; </a> <div class="desc">This article (click link above) goes into more of the biblical passages.</div>&#13; &#13; </div>&#13; &#13; </div> &#13; <p> </p><div class="widget gsc-icon-box left text-dark">&#13; <div class="highlight-icon"><span class="icon fa fa-video-camera"></span></div>&#13; <div class="highlight_content">&#13; <a href="***URL LINK"> <h4>ERLC video: 'Is it ok to be gay?' </h4>&#13; </a> <div class="desc">***CHANGE VIEW MODE TO SOURCE HTML AND INSERT SHARED EMBED CODE FROM YOUTUBE HERE, BUT CHANGE WIDTH TO 100% TO MAKE IT MORE RESPONSIVE*** This video sets out some more arguments on the matter.</div>&#13; &#13; </div>&#13; &#13; </div> &#13; <p> </p><div class="widget gsc-icon-box left text-dark">&#13; <div class="highlight-icon"><span class="icon fa fa-headphones"></span></div>&#13; <div class="highlight_content">&#13; <a href="***URL LINK"> <h4>UCB podcast: 'Is it ok to be gay?' </h4>&#13; </a> <div class="desc">This podcast (click link above) details...</div>&#13; &#13; </div>&#13; &#13; </div> &#13; <p> </p><div class="widget gsc-icon-box left text-dark">&#13; <div class="highlight-icon"><span class="icon fa fa-book"></span></div>&#13; <div class="highlight_content">&#13; <a href="***URL LINK"> <h4>IVP book: 'Satisfaction Guaranteed' </h4>&#13; </a> <div class="desc">This book (click link above) details...</div>&#13; &#13; </div>&#13; &#13; </div> &#13; </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-author-information--article.html.twig * field--node--field-author-information.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-author-information.html.twig * field--string.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-author-information field--type-string field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item">Written by Richard</div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> Mon, 03 Jun 2024 13:07:03 +0000 Owen 659 at https://www.truefreedomtrust.co.uk A God of many chances https://www.truefreedomtrust.co.uk/god-many-chances <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--title--article.html.twig x field--node--title.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--title.html.twig * field--string.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <span property="schema:name">A God of many chances</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-image--article.html.twig * field--node--field-image.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-image.html.twig * field--image.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'image_formatter' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/fields/image-formatter.html.twig' --> <div class="item-image"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'image' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/image.html.twig' --> <img property="schema:image" loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/articles/a%20god%20of%20many%20chances%201170%20x%20330.png" alt="women sitting" typeof="foaf:Image" /> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/image.html.twig' --> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/fields/image-formatter.html.twig' --> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--uid--article.html.twig x field--node--uid.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--uid.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <span rel="schema:author"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'username' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> <span lang="" about="/user/92" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="">Owen</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--created--article.html.twig x field--node--created.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <span property="schema:dateCreated" content="2024-04-20T11:29:20+00:00">Sat, 20/04/2024 - 12:29</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--body--article.html.twig * field--node--body.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--body.html.twig * field--text-with-summary.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <div property="schema:text" class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"> <p>As a child I was definitely not a girly girl. I was very much a tomboy, preferring my brothers Action Man over my Sindy doll, hating dresses and generally thinking life was so unfair that I was a girl. I first became aware of my same-sex attractions during puberty, when I was confused about my sexuality and identity. It was not a subject that I could talk about, as the other girls in my form were daydreaming over the new male boys PE teacher whilst I preferred the girls female PE teacher! I did however have a best friend from the age of 14, Kevin, who has actually been my husband for the past 33 years. I married my best friend. Despite my mother’s frantic actions to ballet lessons, Brownies and Girl Guides, I hung out with Kevin and his mates and avoided all the girly hair and make-up chats! I did find an activity I really enjoyed for its sense of adventure and that was the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme. However, it was during my late teens on a DofE summer camp week that I was raped and subsequently sexually abused by a male youth leader, who was in his mid-50's.</p> <p> </p><div class="widget gsc-quote-text no-border" style="background:#59adc4;">&#13; <div class="widget-content">&#13; <div class="content" style="color:#fff;"><i style="color:#fff;" class="icon fa fa-quote-left"></i> I thank God for TFT’s hugely supportive ministry, which is a lifeline </div>&#13; </div>&#13; </div> &#13; <h3>Depression and hopelessness </h3> <p>I started working in the travel industry and for some reason in the late 80s the travel industry was a magnet for gay people. I worked on the Greek party island of Spetses, where every rep was gay and proud...sun, sea, sand, same-sex and lots of ouzo was an average working day. My job took me to Spain too. It was full of old people looking for winter sun; I hated old people and couldn't wait to get home. </p> <p>Kevin and I married and before long I found myself at home, a mum of 3 children under 5 and very depressed. I made a serious suicide attempt and ended up sectioned into a psychiatric hospital. It was a cycle I went through several times.</p> <p>In September 2002 I was existing, which meant being irresponsible, abusing prescription drugs, abusing alcohol, smoking cigarettes and cannabis. I was not the ideal mother or wife of a hard-working husband. Despite depression plaguing me for many years with several psychiatric admissions, I wasn’t taking responsibility for my own life. The downward spiral I was on led me to being arrested and locked in a police cell. I had hit an all-time low and I couldn’t deny it. Social services had given me enough chances to ‘get my act together’ and I was faced with drastic action. I had been given a choice either to stay away from my children, my husband and my home or the children would be taken away with an emergency protection order. As I stood in the rain looking up at the dark sky, my tears mixing with the rain on my face, I knew I didn’t want to live a minute longer. I had nothing left.</p> <h3>Help from Samaritans</h3> <p>I was going to end my life, but somehow I found myself banging on the door of my Doctor’s surgery. It was shut, but all of a sudden the door opened and there was my GP. He had forgotten something in the office, but needed to dash off again to a meeting. I don’t remember the conversation really, but I do remember that he would see me at 8am the following morning. The finer details of how I managed to find myself sitting in the Samaritans office, in another town, with an elderly gentleman, drinking tea at 5am in the morning are beyond me! He had arranged for a friend of mine to come and accompany me back to High Wycombe. I will always be grateful to the Samaritans. The next morning my GP referred me to the community mental health team, who got me a place to stay. </p> <h3>Christian crisis centre</h3> <p>I was taken to The Ark, a Christian crisis centre and the only place that was willing to take me given my circumstances. I didn’t like Christians. I thought they were pushy and opinionated, wore socks and sandals, were judgmental and needed to be avoided at all costs. I decided to avoid them and go out all day, but we got snowed in and I had to spend 3 days talking to Wendy, the Christian lady who ran The Ark! She accepted me for who I was and showed me love and support. She offered me friendship for the next 3 months, even though I must have driven her mad, even when I got drunk once and she was supposed to ask me to leave. One day I was being particularly difficult and shouted at Wendy and she said “I really don’t know what to do with you. You need Jesus in your life!” I shouted back at her “Your Jesus isn’t interested in someone as bad as me.” My barriers fell away. Wendy told me about Jesus and gave me a Bible. I read Psalm 139 and cried and cried. I went for a long walk, fell on my knees in a cow field and gave my life to Jesus. I had an independent psychiatric assessment in London and was in court as part of the care proceedings. I was anxious. I decided to pray, telling God how sorry and scared I was and how much I loved my family. I couldn’t deny the bright light and an audible voice saying “Stick with me and everything will be OK.” I then believed that I would get my children and husband back. I just had to stick with God.</p> <h3>Salvation and renewal</h3> <p>I began to make huge changes in my life. I was given a diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), which helped me understanding of the confusion in my head. I never touched cannabis or alcohol again. Smoking would go too but that did take a further 5 years! I completed an in-depth anger management course, attended parenting classes and enrolled myself on adult education classes. I fought my addiction to tranquilizers and I started taking my medication properly. I engaged with the mental health team and worked with social services. Eventually I was given more supervised contact with my children. By September 2004 I had demonstrated in court that I was capable of change. I was given a two-year supervision order to see if it was possible for us to be reunited in the future as a family. </p> <p>Things continued to go well. I did have bad days, but with God’s help I kept on track. My mental health team and social worker were amazing. My social worker was a Christian, who helped me in extraordinarily kind ways and my children’s health visitor became a brilliant friend. </p> <p>A year into the supervision order I was visiting my GP when he asked what had given me the strength to turn my life around. Sheepishly I said that I had become a Christian. He replied he too was a Christian and reminded me of the night I had turned up at the surgery wanting to take my own life. He had got his whole church to pray for me that evening! God was protecting me that night; he answered their prayers for me and brought me through to new life as a child of God. </p> <h3>Returning home</h3> <p>I had increased contact with the children, having home visits, then home overnight stays and then increasing my overnight stays. I finally moved back home in October 2007. I had lived at The Ark for almost 5 years. After I returned home, I did miss the close Christian community where I had come to faith, but I was also far more thankful to God for giving me a second chance at family life. Everything was good for about 3 years, until my eldest daughter became pregnant at 16 and had my grand-daughter. My daughter got involved with a partner who used drugs and a serious incident happened involving social services. Our grand-daughter was placed our care (there was an irony in that, having previously being forced to live apart from my children!) Police panic alarms were installed in the house.</p> <p>My daughter upsettingly turned against me, the panic alarms served to make me feel scared, as opposed to safe, and the child protection conferences we had to regularly attend brought back a lot of tough memories for me. I felt very vulnerable. I was contacted by one of the staff where my daughter worked and she invited me for a coffee. There were red flags flying, but I thought I was strong.</p> <h3>Battles with sin</h3> <p>Gen was the same age as me, but she was openly gay. In all the chaos of my infidelity, I heard God talking to me as His child several times saying "This is not what I want for your life.". Things got messy when I told Gen that I couldn't see her anymore – she Facebooked my children about our affair and turned up at my church ranting about how church didn't allow me to be myself. The worst thing was I had let God down after he had given me a second chance and I had hurt the people who I loved most.<br /> God is good. He is a God of many chances. Kevin was aware of my same-sex attraction, but the infidelity hurt him a great deal. God has used the mess I created for good. We are now able to talk openly about my same-sex feelings, which helps me and God has healed the hurt I caused and strengthened our marriage.</p> <h3>Joining TFT</h3> <p>During the healing process from Gen, I went online searching for support and came across TFT. I joined and attended my first National Conference in 2017. Meeting others who understand the struggle with same-sex attractions is truly a gift from God. I thank God for this hugely supportive ministry, which is a lifeline in what has been a long and lonely road for nearly 40 years.</p> <p>God does have a sense of humour, considering my hatred of old people when I lived in Spain. He has, through a programme called “Growing leaders”, which I attended through my church, called me into the area of older people’s ministry! He has given me a passion and heart for the elderly. I'm part of the pastoral care team at my church, do home visits to the elderly, as well as care home and sheltered housing visits with services and talks... everything elderly and I love it. </p> <hr /><p>This article was originally published in the Spring 2024 edition of the TFT magazine, <em>Ascend</em>. Click the button below to download your copy.</p> <p>&#13; <style rel="stylesheet"> <!--/*--><![CDATA[/* ><!--*/ #button-78v2867ysbjl{background:#fff;color:#000;border-color:#00599c;} #button-78v2867ysbjl:hover{background:#00599c;color:#fff;border-color:#00599c;} /*--><!]]>*/ </style></p><div class="clearfix"></div>&#13; <a href="https://truefreedomtrust.co.uk/sites/default/files/newsletters/2024Q1ascend.pdf" class="gsc-button medium " id="button-78v2867ysbjl">&#13; Download the Spring 2024 edition of Ascend </a> &#13; &#13; </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'links__node' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * links--node.html.twig x links.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/navigation/links.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/navigation/links.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-post-format--article.html.twig * field--node--field-post-format.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-post-format.html.twig * field--list-string.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-post-format field--type-list-string field--label-hidden field__item">Personal Story</div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-post-category--article.html.twig * field--node--field-post-category.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-post-category.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-post-category field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/identity" hreflang="en">Identity</a></div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-more-information--article.html.twig * field--node--field-more-information.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-more-information.html.twig * field--text-long.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-more-information field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"> <p><em>Please note that any external resources below are intended to complement the main answer given above and may not entirely match TFT's position.</em></p> <p>***for FAQs ONLY, replace this text with links to further articles, books, audio and video. Examples below for each media type.</p> <p> </p><div class="widget gsc-icon-box left text-dark">&#13; <div class="highlight-icon"><span class="icon fa fa-link"></span></div>&#13; <div class="highlight_content">&#13; <a href="***URL LINK"> <h4>Living Out article: 'Is it ok to be gay?' '</h4>&#13; </a> <div class="desc">This article (click link above) goes into more of the biblical passages.</div>&#13; &#13; </div>&#13; &#13; </div> &#13; <p> </p><div class="widget gsc-icon-box left text-dark">&#13; <div class="highlight-icon"><span class="icon fa fa-video-camera"></span></div>&#13; <div class="highlight_content">&#13; <a href="***URL LINK"> <h4>ERLC video: 'Is it ok to be gay?' </h4>&#13; </a> <div class="desc">***CHANGE VIEW MODE TO SOURCE HTML AND INSERT SHARED EMBED CODE FROM YOUTUBE HERE, BUT CHANGE WIDTH TO 100% TO MAKE IT MORE RESPONSIVE*** This video sets out some more arguments on the matter.</div>&#13; &#13; </div>&#13; &#13; </div> &#13; <p> </p><div class="widget gsc-icon-box left text-dark">&#13; <div class="highlight-icon"><span class="icon fa fa-headphones"></span></div>&#13; <div class="highlight_content">&#13; <a href="***URL LINK"> <h4>UCB podcast: 'Is it ok to be gay?' </h4>&#13; </a> <div class="desc">This podcast (click link above) details...</div>&#13; &#13; </div>&#13; &#13; </div> &#13; <p> </p><div class="widget gsc-icon-box left text-dark">&#13; <div class="highlight-icon"><span class="icon fa fa-book"></span></div>&#13; <div class="highlight_content">&#13; <a href="***URL LINK"> <h4>IVP book: 'Satisfaction Guaranteed' </h4>&#13; </a> <div class="desc">This book (click link above) details...</div>&#13; &#13; </div>&#13; &#13; </div> &#13; </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-author-information--article.html.twig * field--node--field-author-information.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-author-information.html.twig * field--string.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-author-information field--type-string field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item">Written by Sue</div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> Sat, 20 Apr 2024 11:29:20 +0000 Owen 656 at https://www.truefreedomtrust.co.uk Designed for Happiness https://www.truefreedomtrust.co.uk/designed-happiness <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--title--article.html.twig x field--node--title.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--title.html.twig * field--string.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <span property="schema:name">Designed for Happiness</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-image--article.html.twig * field--node--field-image.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-image.html.twig * field--image.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'image_formatter' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/fields/image-formatter.html.twig' --> <div class="item-image"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'image' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/image.html.twig' --> <img property="schema:image" loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/articles/designed%20for%20happiness%201170%20x%20330.png" alt="painted stones" typeof="foaf:Image" /> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/image.html.twig' --> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/fields/image-formatter.html.twig' --> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--uid--article.html.twig x field--node--uid.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--uid.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <span rel="schema:author"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'username' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> <span lang="" about="/user/92" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="">Owen</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--created--article.html.twig x field--node--created.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <span property="schema:dateCreated" content="2024-03-27T12:12:54+00:00">Wed, 27/03/2024 - 12:12</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--body--article.html.twig * field--node--body.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--body.html.twig * field--text-with-summary.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <div property="schema:text" class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"> <p>Happiness begins and ends in Jesus Christ. That’s it. Full stop. Surely it can’t be as simple as that? We all have friends and family who will encourage us to think something quite different. The argument is often that happiness can only truly be found in the arms of another person, in a sexual union of some sort. We hear voices saying that having Jesus is all well and good, but in this life, you can’t just rely on Him. You need something or someone else that is more tangible and immediate. Someone, or something that will give you that dopamine rush of excitement, that helps you forget your troubles and, even if it is just for a short while, gives a sense of being OK, normal and feeling loved. </p> <p> </p><div class="widget gsc-quote-text no-border" style="background:#59adc4;">&#13; <div class="widget-content">&#13; <div class="content" style="color:#fff;"><i style="color:#fff;" class="icon fa fa-quote-left"></i>We have been designed to be happy God's way</div>&#13; </div>&#13; </div> &#13; <p>I don’t want to be trite. I acknowledge that being human in our world means experiencing sin and sinfulness in all its diverse shapes and sizes. This pervasiveness of sin influences our minds far more than you and I fully grasp. We find ourselves drawn to false ways of thinking that promise happiness. Brothers and sisters, it may often feel tough and counter-cultural, but I want to argue for the better way, the way of happiness in Jesus Christ. It is a way that is healthier for mind and body and prepares us for heaven. </p> <p>My argument in this brief article will begin with the reality that we have been designed to be happy God’s way. Secondly, and drawing on the work of Andrew Fellows in his excellent book “Smuggling Jesus Back into the Church” (IVP, 2022), I will consider the influences that encourage us to believe less about Jesus as our source of happiness. Finally, I want to encourage us to conform our thinking Christ-wards rather than to the world.</p> <h3>Designer happiness</h3> <p>The Bible tells us that God is happy. He is full of joy. It’s in His very nature to be so. The first chapter of Genesis tells us that God experienced happiness as he made the world and us. He saw it was good (e.g. Genesis 1:4,10,12). His creation brought joy to His heart. It still does. He is the unchanging joyful God (e.g. 1 Kings 10:9, Matthew 25:21, John 17:3, Hebrews 12:1-3, 1 Timothy 1:11). Eternity for the Christian will be enjoyed in the presence of a joyful God (e.g. 1 Chronicles 16:27, Psalm 16:11, Romans 14:17). We are made in His image, and so we have in our DNA a desire for lasting happiness that can only be met in one person - this person is Jesus (e.g. John 15: 9-11, Colossians 3:10, Ephesians 4:24, James 3:9).</p> <h3>Thinking happy</h3> <p>I grew up with very difficult emotions. I realise now that what I experienced were severe attacks of anxiety. As a child, I found different ways of what we might now call ‘acting out’ in order to soothe my anxious feelings. As I grew older, these became sexualised and I found that my feelings could temporarily be calmed by sexual behaviour and habits. These patterns became entrenched. My thinking was focussed on how I might hide these behaviours from others. Now I realise that my thinking was the source of my anxiety. I had wrongly assumed that my feelings would drive my thinking. Does this make sense? And I now see that it is really the other way around. I have come, very slowly, to realise that what I think and believe triggers my feelings, including feelings of happiness. Feelings do not just come out of thin air, nor do they simply resolve and go away. Paul hits the nail on the head when he says in Romans that we need to be “transformed by the renewing of our minds” (Romans 12:2). It is in renewing our minds that our whole selves will be transformed. What will this transformed self look like? We will think and look more like Jesus. In doing so we will also experience the happiness of Jesus. Speaking of Jesus, the writer of the letter to the Hebrews says of Him:<br /><em>“You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions” - Hebrews 1:9</em></p> <p>As we follow Jesus in loving good and turning away from sin, so the oil of gladness will overflow in our lives.<br /> Therefore, if you or I want to be happy, we need to stick close to Jesus, to steadily become more like Him in the joy we feel. Jesus teaches in John 15:<br /><em>“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.”- John 15:9-11</em></p> <h3>Distracted from happiness</h3> <p>When our thinking is distracted from considering Christ as our joy, churches and individuals may be tempted to think that happiness lies elsewhere. This, in a nutshell, is Andrew Fellows’ argument. I’m using some of his insights as the basis for my own reflections on how happiness goes wrong. </p> <p>Firstly, we think of ourselves first and foremost. We assume that we are at the centre of our world - what Fellows calls egoism. Our faith in Christ is essentially a self-improvement programme. We think that the more we do the ‘right’ things, the more we will find satisfaction in life and so happiness and positivity will be our daily experience. Once we have achieved our full potential, we will be happy. This is a big lie. We are tempted to replace trusting God with our ego. Far from joy or happiness, this is a way of thinking that leads to joylessness. We can never deliver to ourselves that which we are spiritually lacking. Nothing we try is ever enough.</p> <p>A second lie is what Fellows terms naturalism. We are tempted to believe that the only real things are those we can see and touch. In effect we lose sight of God, who is spirit. Our thinking focuses on how we can make the most of the material world. We believe that somehow, we will find happiness from the world. This is a distraction from Jesus and He gets excluded from our thinking. Ultimately, if we are honest with ourselves, we are left feeling hollow. The joy of a wonderful sunset can never eclipse the joy of meeting the Creator who made that sunset for our pleasure. </p> <p>Thirdly is the lie of hedonism. This is the idea that the best life, the happiest life we can lead, is to have our senses gratified. The end result is a craving for more and more sensations from what we can see and touch. We seek out sex from whomever and whenever, we seek love from men and women, and we crave the next dopamine high to flood our minds with warm fuzzy feelings. It does not matter where the buzz comes from because here is all we have and we deserve to be made happy. Does this sound familiar? A friend of mine recently turned his back on Christ. The reason he gave (albeit dressed up with more words) is that sex with men delivers happiness where Christ does not. Does that shock you? My guess is that most of us know people who have said and done something similar. In a hedonistic mindset, feelings are king/queen and everything else is to be subjugated to them.</p> <p>Finally, Fellows talks of politicism, the quest for justice and meaningful change in society as a route to life satisfaction. I feel happiness in my healthcare work when I think I have made a difference for people. Activism can offer a sense of happiness and joy. However, when we see this as our primary role in the world, and the source of our greatest joy, we quickly lose sight of Jesus. We become busy, distracted and ultimately disillusioned. </p> <h3>Walking back to happiness</h3> <p>How do we do this? We come back to Jesus. We engage in the spiritual disciplines of worship, prayer, listening to God speak through His word and joining with God’s holy people in the local church. We repent of sin and we seek to obey. As the great old hymn says: <br /><em>“Trust and obey, for there's no other way<br /> To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.”</em></p> <p>As you reflect on this article, maybe you can take some time out to think about your thinking! Does that sound odd? It’s called reflexivity and is the practice of stepping back from thoughts, feelings and habits and asking questions. How come I think this way? How do these thoughts serve me in my walk with Jesus? What purpose has this habit had in my life? What fresh, more Christ-like ways of thinking can I adopt? What support do I need to change my thinking? Building reflection into your routines can help you stay alert to the many temptations to think wrongly. </p> <p>As Paul said in the letter to the Philippians:<br /><em>“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things” - Philippians 4:8</em></p> <p>He is pointing us to Jesus. Happiness begins and ends in Jesus Christ!<br />  </p> <hr /><p>This article was originally published in the Spring 2024 edition of the TFT magazine, <em>Ascend</em>. Click the button below to download your copy.</p> <p>&#13; <style rel="stylesheet"> <!--/*--><![CDATA[/* ><!--*/ #button-3ft9rhpnfwrx{background:#fff;color:#000;border-color:#00599c;} #button-3ft9rhpnfwrx:hover{background:#00599c;color:#fff;border-color:#00599c;} /*--><!]]>*/ </style></p><div class="clearfix"></div>&#13; <a href="https://truefreedomtrust.co.uk/sites/default/files/newsletters/2024Q1ascend.pdf" class="gsc-button medium " id="button-3ft9rhpnfwrx">&#13; Download the Spring 2024 edition of Ascend </a> &#13; &#13; </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'links__node' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * links--node.html.twig x links.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/navigation/links.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/navigation/links.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-post-format--article.html.twig * field--node--field-post-format.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-post-format.html.twig * field--list-string.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-post-format field--type-list-string field--label-hidden field__item">Article</div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-post-category--article.html.twig * field--node--field-post-category.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-post-category.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-post-category field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/contentment" hreflang="en">Contentment</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/identity" hreflang="en">Identity</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/singleness" hreflang="en">Singleness</a></div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-more-information--article.html.twig * field--node--field-more-information.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-more-information.html.twig * field--text-long.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-more-information field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"> <p><em>Please note that any external resources below are intended to complement the main answer given above and may not entirely match TFT's position.</em></p> <p>***for FAQs ONLY, replace this text with links to further articles, books, audio and video. Examples below for each media type.</p> <p> </p><div class="widget gsc-icon-box left text-dark">&#13; <div class="highlight-icon"><span class="icon fa fa-link"></span></div>&#13; <div class="highlight_content">&#13; <a href="***URL LINK"> <h4>Living Out article: 'Is it ok to be gay?' '</h4>&#13; </a> <div class="desc">This article (click link above) goes into more of the biblical passages.</div>&#13; &#13; </div>&#13; &#13; </div> &#13; <p> </p><div class="widget gsc-icon-box left text-dark">&#13; <div class="highlight-icon"><span class="icon fa fa-video-camera"></span></div>&#13; <div class="highlight_content">&#13; <a href="***URL LINK"> <h4>ERLC video: 'Is it ok to be gay?' </h4>&#13; </a> <div class="desc">***CHANGE VIEW MODE TO SOURCE HTML AND INSERT SHARED EMBED CODE FROM YOUTUBE HERE, BUT CHANGE WIDTH TO 100% TO MAKE IT MORE RESPONSIVE*** This video sets out some more arguments on the matter.</div>&#13; &#13; </div>&#13; &#13; </div> &#13; <p> </p><div class="widget gsc-icon-box left text-dark">&#13; <div class="highlight-icon"><span class="icon fa fa-headphones"></span></div>&#13; <div class="highlight_content">&#13; <a href="***URL LINK"> <h4>UCB podcast: 'Is it ok to be gay?' </h4>&#13; </a> <div class="desc">This podcast (click link above) details...</div>&#13; &#13; </div>&#13; &#13; </div> &#13; <p> </p><div class="widget gsc-icon-box left text-dark">&#13; <div class="highlight-icon"><span class="icon fa fa-book"></span></div>&#13; <div class="highlight_content">&#13; <a href="***URL LINK"> <h4>IVP book: 'Satisfaction Guaranteed' </h4>&#13; </a> <div class="desc">This book (click link above) details...</div>&#13; &#13; </div>&#13; &#13; </div> &#13; </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-author-information--article.html.twig * field--node--field-author-information.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-author-information.html.twig * field--string.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-author-information field--type-string field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item">Written by Stefan</div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> Wed, 27 Mar 2024 12:12:54 +0000 Owen 655 at https://www.truefreedomtrust.co.uk Receiving God’s refreshment https://www.truefreedomtrust.co.uk/receiving-gods-refreshment <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--title--article.html.twig x field--node--title.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--title.html.twig * field--string.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <span property="schema:name">Receiving God’s refreshment</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-image--article.html.twig * field--node--field-image.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-image.html.twig * field--image.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'image_formatter' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/fields/image-formatter.html.twig' --> <div class="item-image"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'image' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/image.html.twig' --> <img property="schema:image" loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/articles/relaxing%20in%20god%27s%20refreshement%201170%20x%20330.png" alt="man sitting under tree" typeof="foaf:Image" /> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/image.html.twig' --> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/fields/image-formatter.html.twig' --> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--uid--article.html.twig x field--node--uid.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--uid.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <span rel="schema:author"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'username' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> <span lang="" about="/user/92" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="">Owen</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--created--article.html.twig x field--node--created.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <span property="schema:dateCreated" content="2024-03-16T11:17:29+00:00">Sat, 16/03/2024 - 11:17</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--body--article.html.twig * field--node--body.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--body.html.twig * field--text-with-summary.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <div property="schema:text" class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"> <p>I shouldn’t feel like this. I’m a Christian.” “I feel so guilty.” “Do you think I am possessed?” Many times I have heard these, or similar statements, from those experiencing some form of mental or emotional distress or dis-ease. Sometimes this has been fuelled by a person’s engagement with scripture, the teaching they have received or the implicit ethos of the faith group they belong to. </p> <p>But is this how God wants us to think and feel? What is God’s response to His people when they are struggling with anxiety, depression, psychoses and a myriad of other mental health issues? It is true that His word tells us to ‘Rejoice in the Lord always’ (Philippians 4:4) and ‘Do not be anxious about anything’ (Philippians 4:6). However, taken out of context, this can lead to the belief that our mental ailments are due to spiritual poverty.</p> <p> </p><div class="widget gsc-quote-text no-border" style="background:#59adc4;">&#13; <div class="widget-content">&#13; <div class="content" style="color:#fff;"><i style="color:#fff;" class="icon fa fa-quote-left"></i>We need to care for our bodies, as well as our minds and souls </div>&#13; </div>&#13; </div> &#13; <p>It is important to understand that the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual parts of our beings all interact. And God knows this! Perhaps nowhere is this highlighted more than in the way God deals with Elijah. Why not pause and read 1 Kings chapters 18 and 19 and then we will look at how God met Elijah in his hour of need?<br /> Elijah went from the heights of Mount Carmel to the depths of not wanting to be alive. He went from a place of great confidence in God, to a place of hopelessness. Elijah, who was a man just like us (James 5:17) must have been ecstatic at the top of Carmel. His God had shown Himself to be the ruler by decisively defeating the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18:16-46). Elijah would have been on a real spiritual and emotional high. </p> <p>Yet a short while later we see the low of Beersheba: fear, running for his life, wishing he was dead, isolating himself and the loss of confidence in God. If he was not doubting God, he was certainly doubting His plans: depression, despondency, despair and self-pity.What a contrast to the bold, courageous Elijah who confronted King Ahab and the prophets of Baal! Perhaps when we see Elijah in this state, we more easily identify with him being human, just as we are. God knew exactly what Elijah needed. He dealt with him in a holistic way.</p> <h3> God cares for our bodies</h3> <p>God cared for Elijah physically, giving him the food, water and sleep that he needed (1 Kings 19:6-8). Sometimes we can ignore or lessen the importance of our physical well-being. After all, it is the spiritual part of us that matters, isn’t it? Elijah is emotionally and physically spent. He had just run 17 miles after all. But here God’s first approach to Elijah isn’t for the angel to tell him to believe more or have more faith. Elijah needs to sleep and eat. Twice the angel comes to him, telling him to fill himself with sustenance for the journey. It is important that we do what we can to care for our bodies, as well as our minds and souls.</p> <p> </p> <h3>God renews our minds</h3> <p>Elijah had an unbalanced view of things (1 Kings 19:10, 14). But God challenged his thinking by asking him the same question twice: ‘What are you doing here Elijah?’ (1 Kings 19:9,13). Cognitive Behavioural Therapy isn’t new!! The way we think really does affect the way we feel and behave: “be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12: 1-2). We don’t all have the same intellectual capacity. But we should allow the Holy Spirit to renew our minds and to think things through if we are able. We shouldn’t be afraid of this either. Truth is truth and it will prevail in Christ.</p> <p>So, God demonstrated His power again, albeit in a different way: by meeting Elijah’s physical and emotional needs.  Then Elijah set off again, journeying for 40 days and 40 nights (1 Kings 19:8). He went to the same mountain where Moses met with God, Mount Horeb (Mount Sinai). God again asked Elijah, “What are you doing here?” Elijah once more answered rather grumpily and negatively, “I am the only one left and they are trying to kill me too.” (1 Kings 19:10)</p> <h3>God refreshes our spirits</h3> <p>God refreshed Elijah’s spirit by displaying His power, glory and tenderness (1 Kings 19:11-15). Sometimes we need to have God speak to us in powerful ways that force us out of our comfort zones. In this instance, God was not ‘in’ the wind, the earthquake or fire. He was ‘passing by’. I must admit this is one of the most puzzling parts of this account. It perhaps reinforces the surprising nature of God. Where Elijah probably expects God to manifest Himself in the powerful displays of wind, earthquake or fire, He instead shows up in a gentle whisper, a still small voice. Elijah’s senses are likely still on high alert after the great victory on Carmel and then the descent into despair. So, God, lovingly, speaks to him in a gentle whisper, a still small voice. </p> <p>Elijah recognised the voice of God. Learning to discern God’s gentle nudges can take time and practice. But if we incline our spiritual ears and our hearts, we will hear Him. As we test out what we believe God is saying, checking it against scripture, perhaps talking with a trusted Christian friend, we will grow in confidence and trust. </p> <p>Despite Elijah’s wobble, God does not sideline him. Instead, He gives him fresh instructions and tasks. He is reminded he is not on his own. In fact, God gives Elijah a team to be part of: the kings and his successor, Elisha (1 Kings 19:15-21).</p> <h3>God is with us</h3> <p>As God was with Elijah, so He will be with us.</p> <p>Christians are not immune to struggles with our mental health - why should we be? It is part of being a member of the fallen human race, in the same way that physical illness is. Those who experience same-sex attraction are no less likely to battle with mental health than anyone else. The internal conflict, the isolation, and the battle against sinful thoughts and behaviour, can all be a factor in destabilising the mental health of the person who seeks to follow Christ. </p> <p>But we have a gracious, compassionate, loving God who comes alongside us and will deal with us gently. He knows our needs. Through His word, His Spirit and our fellow believers, He will minister to our bodies, minds and souls.<br />  </p> <hr /><p>This article was originally published in the Spring 2024 edition of the TFT magazine, <em>Ascend</em>. Click the button below to download your copy.</p> <p>&#13; <style rel="stylesheet"> <!--/*--><![CDATA[/* ><!--*/ #button-4i5mfui63s6v{background:#fff;color:#000;border-color:#00599c;} #button-4i5mfui63s6v:hover{background:#00599c;color:#fff;border-color:#00599c;} /*--><!]]>*/ </style></p><div class="clearfix"></div>&#13; <a href="https://truefreedomtrust.co.uk/sites/default/files/newsletters/2024Q1ascend.pdf" class="gsc-button medium " id="button-4i5mfui63s6v">&#13; Download the Spring 2024 edition of Ascend </a> &#13; &#13; </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'links__node' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * links--node.html.twig x links.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/navigation/links.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/navigation/links.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-post-format--article.html.twig * field--node--field-post-format.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-post-format.html.twig * field--list-string.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-post-format field--type-list-string field--label-hidden field__item">Article</div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-post-category--article.html.twig * field--node--field-post-category.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-post-category.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-post-category field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/bible" hreflang="en">Biblical Teaching</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/identity" hreflang="en">Identity</a></div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-more-information--article.html.twig * field--node--field-more-information.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-more-information.html.twig * field--text-long.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-more-information field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"> <p><em>Please note that any external resources below are intended to complement the main answer given above and may not entirely match TFT's position.</em></p> <p>***for FAQs ONLY, replace this text with links to further articles, books, audio and video. Examples below for each media type.</p> <p> </p><div class="widget gsc-icon-box left text-dark">&#13; <div class="highlight-icon"><span class="icon fa fa-link"></span></div>&#13; <div class="highlight_content">&#13; <a href="***URL LINK"> <h4>Living Out article: 'Is it ok to be gay?' '</h4>&#13; </a> <div class="desc">This article (click link above) goes into more of the biblical passages.</div>&#13; &#13; </div>&#13; &#13; </div> &#13; <p> </p><div class="widget gsc-icon-box left text-dark">&#13; <div class="highlight-icon"><span class="icon fa fa-video-camera"></span></div>&#13; <div class="highlight_content">&#13; <a href="***URL LINK"> <h4>ERLC video: 'Is it ok to be gay?' </h4>&#13; </a> <div class="desc">***CHANGE VIEW MODE TO SOURCE HTML AND INSERT SHARED EMBED CODE FROM YOUTUBE HERE, BUT CHANGE WIDTH TO 100% TO MAKE IT MORE RESPONSIVE*** This video sets out some more arguments on the matter.</div>&#13; &#13; </div>&#13; &#13; </div> &#13; <p> </p><div class="widget gsc-icon-box left text-dark">&#13; <div class="highlight-icon"><span class="icon fa fa-headphones"></span></div>&#13; <div class="highlight_content">&#13; <a href="***URL LINK"> <h4>UCB podcast: 'Is it ok to be gay?' </h4>&#13; </a> <div class="desc">This podcast (click link above) details...</div>&#13; &#13; </div>&#13; &#13; </div> &#13; <p> </p><div class="widget gsc-icon-box left text-dark">&#13; <div class="highlight-icon"><span class="icon fa fa-book"></span></div>&#13; <div class="highlight_content">&#13; <a href="***URL LINK"> <h4>IVP book: 'Satisfaction Guaranteed' </h4>&#13; </a> <div class="desc">This book (click link above) details...</div>&#13; &#13; </div>&#13; &#13; </div> &#13; </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-author-information--article.html.twig * field--node--field-author-information.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-author-information.html.twig * field--string.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-author-information field--type-string field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item">Written by John</div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> Sat, 16 Mar 2024 11:17:29 +0000 Owen 653 at https://www.truefreedomtrust.co.uk The works of the Spirit https://www.truefreedomtrust.co.uk/works-spirit <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--title--article.html.twig x field--node--title.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--title.html.twig * field--string.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <span property="schema:name">The works of the Spirit</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-image--article.html.twig * field--node--field-image.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-image.html.twig * field--image.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'image_formatter' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/fields/image-formatter.html.twig' --> <div class="item-image"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'image' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/image.html.twig' --> <img property="schema:image" loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/articles/Works%20of%20the%20spirit%201170%20x%20330.png" alt="women talking" typeof="foaf:Image" /> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/image.html.twig' --> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/fields/image-formatter.html.twig' --> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--uid--article.html.twig x field--node--uid.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--uid.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <span rel="schema:author"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'username' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> <span lang="" about="/user/92" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="">Owen</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--created--article.html.twig x field--node--created.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <span property="schema:dateCreated" content="2024-02-08T15:19:56+00:00">Thu, 08/02/2024 - 15:19</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--body--article.html.twig * field--node--body.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--body.html.twig * field--text-with-summary.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <div property="schema:text" class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"> <p>I grew up in a Christian home. My Mum is a Spirit-filled, born-again believer of Christ, and brought up my sister and I to attend church and Sunday school. My Dad left my Mum under quite heart-breaking circumstances when I was just 2 and moved about 30 miles away. We usually saw him at the weekend. He and Mum had been elders at a local Church of England, but upon his sudden departure, Mum felt unable to return to church.</p> <p>It took Mum some time to recover from Dad’s leaving and, alongside ill health and having two young daughters, she took a 3-year break from church. When I was 5, my godmother introduced us to a new evangelical church about 6 miles from home. This was a turning point for Mum, and my sister and I quickly got stuck into Sunday school. Our congregation were Bible-believing and Spirit-filled and we grew up with an awareness of God’s law.</p> <p> </p><div class="widget gsc-quote-text no-border" style="background:#59adc4;">&#13; <div class="widget-content">&#13; <div class="content" style="color:#fff;"><i style="color:#fff;" class="icon fa fa-quote-left"></i> The lady cried when she heard what I’d been going through; we cried together </div>&#13; </div>&#13; </div> &#13; <h3>Bullying and feeling different</h3> <p>Once I reached secondary school age, I realised that the niceties of primary school were over. Even though I attended a Catholic school with good safeguarding, I was bullied from day one all the way through to year 11. I was picked on by boys for being ugly and from girls for not making myself look pretty enough. I was frequently told that I was gay, but to be honest, I didn’t really understand what it meant, as I’d had no sexual feelings. I just thought I was a tomboy and was never one to follow the crowd.</p> <p>I do remember that when girls around me talked about pop artists and bands and raved about guys they thought were attractive, I’d generally think in my mind that the girls were more attractive. Prom night came in year 11 and I decided to make an effort with my appearance. Suddenly those people who’d bullied me for years were not insulting and were actually nice. I wore a beautiful dress, had a spray tan and wore heels, but I felt out of place. I felt like that wasn’t really me and people were accepting me for someone I wasn’t really like.</p> <p>The end of my school years and start of sixth form was difficult. My Dad took my sister and I on holiday and revealed to us that he had secretly re-married 5 years earlier and had another daughter. We found out we also had 3 stepsisters, all of whom knew everything about us and we knew nothing of them. Additionally, one of the elders (whom I saw as a father figure) at church died suddenly of cancer. As a 16 year old, I was heartbroken at his death and couldn’t make sense of what was happening in my life. I stopped going to church. In fact, I didn’t return until about 10 years later.</p> <h3>Boyfriends and same-sex feelings</h3> <p>I moved out of home at 19 to live closer to my work. When I was 21, I broke up with my long-term boyfriend (who I’d met at 11) because he didn’t want to come and live with me. I then joined a Christian dating site and, at 23, met another boyfriend who I did live with. My poor Mum tried to tell me that this wasn’t biblical, but I wasn’t interested. All my friends were living with boyfriends and I didn’t want to be left out. The relationship wasn’t a happy one. Three days after my boyfriend moved in he lost his job and we were both living off my low salary. I lost my virginity to him, but it didn’t work out and we broke up when I was 25.</p> <p>It was around this time where I started to feel sexual attractions towards women rather than men. I’d had sex and I knew what those feelings felt like - but those feelings were only naturally being roused by women and not towards men. At the same time, I felt I really needed to get back to church. I hadn’t really been happy since I left and realised that I couldn’t do life without God. </p> <p>Finding a home at church</p> <p>I started going to a church local to my house, where all the sermons seemed appropriate to what was happening in my life at the time (aside from my same-sex temptations). Outside of church the same-sex attractions were getting out of control. It felt like it was all I could think about. I was looking up gay celebrities, using porn sites, thinking about secret crushes I had at work and looking at gay dating websites. I stopped looking at women as people and more as sexual beings. I also started telling certain friends about what was happening. I so longed to go to a nightclub and just have a one-night stand, but something within me said no. I knew deep down that it was against God’s will, and once I opened up that path it would be difficult to come back from it.</p> <p>Unbeknown to her what was really going on, Mum invited me to a Christmas service at my childhood church at Christmas 2016 - I was 26 then. I heard God’s voice during that service: “It’s time to come home.” There had been a change in leadership since I left 10 years prior and most people in the church didn’t know I was Mum’s daughter. I was seen as myself, Jax. Everything felt different, lighter, exciting. I was obedient and left my church near to home to came back to the church I had known as a child.</p> <h3>Battling same-sex temptations</h3> <p>The worship and fellowship there were just amazing and I felt myself growing spiritually. However, this intensified the battle with same-sex feelings going on in my head. It was getting more and more difficult to cope mentally. After 6 months I plucked up the courage to tell two ladies separately at church how I was feeling. The first (one of our senior leaders) gently said to me, “We don’t love you any less knowing this information about you”, and that she didn’t believe that acting on my feelings was God’s best for me. I nearly cried at the love which was shown towards me. The second lady cried when she heard what I’d been going through; we cried together. The Holy Spirit moved her to tears. Both ladies helped me go through the Bible, counteracting with Scripture this battle going on in my head.</p> <p>We read Galatians 5:13-26, which talks of the Spirit and flesh being at war with one another. These verses almost jumped off the page and suddenly I could make sense of what I was going through. I prayed hard, “Lord I don’t want to feel like this. I choose to live by the Spirit, I CHOOSE THE SPIRIT.” Gradually this battle in my head lifted. I grew in such confidence at church, finding courage to firstly pray out loud, then pray for others out loud. God replaced my battle-weary head with peace of mind. I can’t say the same-sex attractions completely went away, but on the occasions where thoughts popped into my head, I always had the strength to speak Scripture at them and feel peace again. </p> <h3>God’s plan for me</h3> <p>I had reached an age when I started to feel quite depressed that I wouldn’t find a husband, and being married was a desire in my heart. The thought started creeping into my head that every man was either gay or married already! In summer 2019, my Mum felt God say, “Just see where Jax will be in two years.” When COVID lockdown came, I remember washing up in my kitchen and praying. “Lord you know my heart, you know what’s best for me, and you know better than me who would make me a good husband. I trust and lay in your hands that you will find me a husband.” I felt peace and any time a negative thought popped into my head I spoke “No, I trust you Lord” in response. Within 5 weeks I had a message on Christian Connection from my now husband. We got married in August 2021 - what an answer to my prayers and my Mum’s word from God!</p> <p>We are happily married and are both on fire for the Lord. I can’t say the same-sex feelings have ever completely gone, but I am open with my husband and there are no secrets. I know with using Scripture I can come against temptations. I believe God is calling me to use my testimony to help others. I was so excited to hear about TFT and to know that there is a support network out there for Christians with these attractions.</p> <h3>Ministering to others</h3> <p>There is a lot of talk about conversion therapy, which I am pleased to see that TFT do not agree with. My own testimony shows that these feelings may still exist, but we don’t have to act on them. They do not have to control us, because God is in control. He can use those who have same-sex attractions to help others. If God did remove these feelings from born-again believers, how could we minister and help others?</p> <p>Let’s see where God takes things next!</p> <hr /><p>This article was originally published in the Winter 2023 edition of the TFT magazine, <em>Ascend</em>. Click the button below to download your copy.</p> <p>&#13; <style rel="stylesheet"> <!--/*--><![CDATA[/* ><!--*/ #button-zg8seip7sye2{background:#fff;color:#000;border-color:#00599c;} #button-zg8seip7sye2:hover{background:#00599c;color:#fff;border-color:#00599c;} /*--><!]]>*/ </style></p><div class="clearfix"></div>&#13; <a href="https://truefreedomtrust.co.uk/sites/default/files/newsletters/2023Q4ascend.pdf" class="gsc-button medium " id="button-zg8seip7sye2">&#13; Download the Winter 2023 edition of Ascend </a> &#13; &#13; </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'links__node' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * links--node.html.twig x links.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/navigation/links.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/navigation/links.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-post-format--article.html.twig * field--node--field-post-format.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-post-format.html.twig * field--list-string.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-post-format field--type-list-string field--label-hidden field__item">Personal Story</div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-post-category--article.html.twig * field--node--field-post-category.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-post-category.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-post-category field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/accountability" hreflang="en">Accountability</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/church" hreflang="en">Church</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/identity" hreflang="en">Identity</a></div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-more-information--article.html.twig * field--node--field-more-information.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-more-information.html.twig * field--text-long.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-more-information field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"> <p><em>Please note that any external resources below are intended to complement the main answer given above and may not entirely match TFT's position.</em></p> <p>***for FAQs ONLY, replace this text with links to further articles, books, audio and video. Examples below for each media type.</p> <p> </p><div class="widget gsc-icon-box left text-dark">&#13; <div class="highlight-icon"><span class="icon fa fa-link"></span></div>&#13; <div class="highlight_content">&#13; <a href="***URL LINK"> <h4>Living Out article: 'Is it ok to be gay?' '</h4>&#13; </a> <div class="desc">This article (click link above) goes into more of the biblical passages.</div>&#13; &#13; </div>&#13; &#13; </div> &#13; <p> </p><div class="widget gsc-icon-box left text-dark">&#13; <div class="highlight-icon"><span class="icon fa fa-video-camera"></span></div>&#13; <div class="highlight_content">&#13; <a href="***URL LINK"> <h4>ERLC video: 'Is it ok to be gay?' </h4>&#13; </a> <div class="desc">***CHANGE VIEW MODE TO SOURCE HTML AND INSERT SHARED EMBED CODE FROM YOUTUBE HERE, BUT CHANGE WIDTH TO 100% TO MAKE IT MORE RESPONSIVE*** This video sets out some more arguments on the matter.</div>&#13; &#13; </div>&#13; &#13; </div> &#13; <p> </p><div class="widget gsc-icon-box left text-dark">&#13; <div class="highlight-icon"><span class="icon fa fa-headphones"></span></div>&#13; <div class="highlight_content">&#13; <a href="***URL LINK"> <h4>UCB podcast: 'Is it ok to be gay?' </h4>&#13; </a> <div class="desc">This podcast (click link above) details...</div>&#13; &#13; </div>&#13; &#13; </div> &#13; <p> </p><div class="widget gsc-icon-box left text-dark">&#13; <div class="highlight-icon"><span class="icon fa fa-book"></span></div>&#13; <div class="highlight_content">&#13; <a href="***URL LINK"> <h4>IVP book: 'Satisfaction Guaranteed' </h4>&#13; </a> <div class="desc">This book (click link above) details...</div>&#13; &#13; </div>&#13; &#13; </div> &#13; </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-author-information--article.html.twig * field--node--field-author-information.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-author-information.html.twig * field--string.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-author-information field--type-string field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item">Written by Jax</div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> Thu, 08 Feb 2024 15:19:56 +0000 Owen 647 at https://www.truefreedomtrust.co.uk Hearing the truth in Love https://www.truefreedomtrust.co.uk/hearing-truth-love <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--title--article.html.twig x field--node--title.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--title.html.twig * field--string.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <span property="schema:name">Hearing the truth in Love</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-image--article.html.twig * field--node--field-image.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-image.html.twig * field--image.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'image_formatter' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/fields/image-formatter.html.twig' --> <div class="item-image"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'image' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/image.html.twig' --> <img property="schema:image" loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/articles/testimony%201170%20x%20330.png" alt="2 women having coffee" typeof="foaf:Image" /> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/image.html.twig' --> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/fields/image-formatter.html.twig' --> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--uid--article.html.twig x field--node--uid.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--uid.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <span rel="schema:author"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'username' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> <span lang="" about="/user/92" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="">Owen</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--created--article.html.twig x field--node--created.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <span property="schema:dateCreated" content="2023-11-07T10:21:26+00:00">Tue, 07/11/2023 - 10:21</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--body--article.html.twig * field--node--body.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--body.html.twig * field--text-with-summary.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <div property="schema:text" class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"> <p>I’m proudly South African and I recently came to the UK as a seasonal farm worker - at least that is the reason on my visa application and what pays for my food! I have come to realise, though, that God brought me to Britain for so much more than picking fruit and driving tractors. The following testimony may be a testament to my stubbornness - that God had to bring me to a different continent for me to listen to Him - or rather a statement of God’s faithfulness to His children. The change that has occurred in me is undoubtedly all to the glory of our loving and faithful Father and His lavish, abundant grace. </p> <p> </p><div class="widget gsc-quote-text no-border" style="background:#59adc4;">&#13; <div class="widget-content">&#13; <div class="content" style="color:#fff;"><i style="color:#fff;" class="icon fa fa-quote-left"></i> God loved me and was speaking truth to me </div>&#13; </div>&#13; </div> &#13; <h3>My searching question</h3> <p>As a woman with same-sex attraction, I have a history of running away from God and suppressing the conviction of adhering to biblical holiness that He graciously placed on my heart. In my country, same-sex attractions are neither generally spoken about, nor properly addressed in churches,. Therefore, it’s quite easy to not only to compromise belief, but to avoid accountability for ungodly living and keep under the radar. There is a global movement towards embracing same-sex relationships and it feels like the majority of those left disapproving prefer to ignore the issue, rather than address it. Therefore, the question I have recently been faced with is this: “how is the church, as the body of Christ, living differently to the world to live distinctively regarding sexual activity between those of the same sex?”</p> <h3>Compromise and conviction</h3> <p>I need to go back at this point and put this question into the context of my life. In 2021, four years into my university degree, living far away from home, I was trying to keep my head above water with my never-ending studies. I’d made a handful of good friends and one day decided to share some news with them that I believed was wonderful - I’d entered into my first same-sex relationship. My friends reacted with boisterous support and even elation. I received statements of affirmation like “love is love” and “Ah, don’t worry. The Bible is an old book that is no longer relevant today”. They obviously felt that this was worthy moral support. I wanted to be ecstatic at their response - my close friends were loving and kind, rejoicing that I had found a partner.  And yet, something jarred within me. I was constantly and uncomfortably aware of a small voice of conviction of sin in my heart, but I ignored it. My friends, who professed to be Bible-believing Christians like me, told me that my choices and lifestyle were perfectly acceptable and to be celebrated. They endorsed my wrong thinking and I just tolerated the prodding of the Holy Spirit within me.</p> <p>A few weeks later, I sat with my aunt at the dinner table and shared with her about my same-sex relationship. The words came out much more carefully than with my friends. Being from an older generation, I was worried that she would condemn me into the fiery pit for my behaviour. To my relief, she listened intently and patiently. Then she slowly said: “Thank you for opening up to me. I can imagine this must be hard for you. I want you to know that we love you no matter what. Our door is always open with a warm welcome waiting inside. We will not be treating you any differently than before. Yet, I believe it’s important that I stand on the truth of the Word of God. It tells me that engaging in same-sex relationships is wrong.” At this, my shoulders relaxed, as my stomach tied itself in knots. </p> <h3>Truth and grace</h3> <p>These words were uncomfortable and challenging, but to that constant quiet voice inside me, they were like honey. They were the sweet sound of amazing grace. God loved me and was speaking truth to me. My conviction was calmed and momentary peace was brought to the spirit in me, because the Holy Spirit shared the same truth, the truth I had yet to step into. From that point onwards, I then started to lean much more on my aunt’s support, and her advice on responding to my same-sex feelings, than that of my friends. I knew I needed the truth, despite not being ready to step into it. </p> <p>In hindsight, I am so grateful that my Aunt’s statement was loving in its truth. It was evident that explaining scripture was more loving toward me, than saying she loved me a hundred times. This question has been answered for me – “how am I, and how is the church, to live distinctively?”. We are called to abide in God’s word, seeking to flourish in truth and grace. We are called to stand on the truth and still show up.  We are called to love our neighbour as we ourselves want to be loved. I am both inspired and challenged by what people from one gay community had to say about Pastor Edward Dobson after he’d reached out to them in service: “We understand where you stand, and know that you do not agree with us. But you still show the love of Jesus, and we’re drawn to that.” Can the world say that of us today? Are we committed to being a people who display the same love that Jesus showed, regardless of our cultural, political or sexual orientation? </p> <hr /><p>This article was originally published in the Autumn 2023 edition of the TFT magazine, <em>Ascend</em>. Click the button below to download your copy.</p> <p>&#13; <style rel="stylesheet"> <!--/*--><![CDATA[/* ><!--*/ #button-9c4hachq8hd1{background:#fff;color:#000;border-color:#00599c;} #button-9c4hachq8hd1:hover{background:#00599c;color:#fff;border-color:#00599c;} /*--><!]]>*/ </style></p><div class="clearfix"></div>&#13; <a href="https://truefreedomtrust.co.uk/sites/default/files/newsletters/2023Q3ascend.pdf" class="gsc-button medium " id="button-9c4hachq8hd1">&#13; Download the Autumn 2023 edition of Ascend </a> &#13; &#13; </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'links__node' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * links--node.html.twig x links.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/navigation/links.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/navigation/links.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-post-format--article.html.twig * field--node--field-post-format.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-post-format.html.twig * field--list-string.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-post-format field--type-list-string field--label-hidden field__item">Personal Story</div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-post-category--article.html.twig * field--node--field-post-category.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-post-category.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-post-category field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/contentment" hreflang="en">Contentment</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/identity" hreflang="en">Identity</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/singleness" hreflang="en">Singleness</a></div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-more-information--article.html.twig * field--node--field-more-information.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-more-information.html.twig * field--text-long.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-more-information field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"> <p><em>Please note that any external resources below are intended to complement the main answer given above and may not entirely match TFT's position.</em></p> <p>***for FAQs ONLY, replace this text with links to further articles, books, audio and video. Examples below for each media type.</p> <p> </p><div class="widget gsc-icon-box left text-dark">&#13; <div class="highlight-icon"><span class="icon fa fa-link"></span></div>&#13; <div class="highlight_content">&#13; <a href="***URL LINK"> <h4>Living Out article: 'Is it ok to be gay?' '</h4>&#13; </a> <div class="desc">This article (click link above) goes into more of the biblical passages.</div>&#13; &#13; </div>&#13; &#13; </div> &#13; <p> </p><div class="widget gsc-icon-box left text-dark">&#13; <div class="highlight-icon"><span class="icon fa fa-video-camera"></span></div>&#13; <div class="highlight_content">&#13; <a href="***URL LINK"> <h4>ERLC video: 'Is it ok to be gay?' </h4>&#13; </a> <div class="desc">***CHANGE VIEW MODE TO SOURCE HTML AND INSERT SHARED EMBED CODE FROM YOUTUBE HERE, BUT CHANGE WIDTH TO 100% TO MAKE IT MORE RESPONSIVE*** This video sets out some more arguments on the matter.</div>&#13; &#13; </div>&#13; &#13; </div> &#13; <p> </p><div class="widget gsc-icon-box left text-dark">&#13; <div class="highlight-icon"><span class="icon fa fa-headphones"></span></div>&#13; <div class="highlight_content">&#13; <a href="***URL LINK"> <h4>UCB podcast: 'Is it ok to be gay?' </h4>&#13; </a> <div class="desc">This podcast (click link above) details...</div>&#13; &#13; </div>&#13; &#13; </div> &#13; <p> </p><div class="widget gsc-icon-box left text-dark">&#13; <div class="highlight-icon"><span class="icon fa fa-book"></span></div>&#13; <div class="highlight_content">&#13; <a href="***URL LINK"> <h4>IVP book: 'Satisfaction Guaranteed' </h4>&#13; </a> <div class="desc">This book (click link above) details...</div>&#13; &#13; </div>&#13; &#13; </div> &#13; </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-author-information--article.html.twig * field--node--field-author-information.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-author-information.html.twig * field--string.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-author-information field--type-string field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item">Written by Ansunel</div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> Tue, 07 Nov 2023 10:21:26 +0000 Owen 632 at https://www.truefreedomtrust.co.uk What our sacrifices reveal https://www.truefreedomtrust.co.uk/what-our-sacrifices-reveal <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--title--article.html.twig x field--node--title.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--title.html.twig * field--string.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <span property="schema:name">What our sacrifices reveal</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-image--article.html.twig * field--node--field-image.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-image.html.twig * field--image.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'image_formatter' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/fields/image-formatter.html.twig' --> <div class="item-image"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'image' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/image.html.twig' --> <img property="schema:image" loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/articles/looking%20at%20fence%201170%20x%20330.png" alt="looking through a fence" typeof="foaf:Image" /> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/image.html.twig' --> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/fields/image-formatter.html.twig' --> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--uid--article.html.twig x field--node--uid.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--uid.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <span rel="schema:author"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'username' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> <span lang="" about="/user/92" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="">Owen</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--created--article.html.twig x field--node--created.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <span property="schema:dateCreated" content="2023-10-26T09:12:12+00:00">Thu, 26/10/2023 - 10:12</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--body--article.html.twig * field--node--body.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--body.html.twig * field--text-with-summary.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <div property="schema:text" class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"> <p>There are many superficial indicators of faith in my life:</p> <ol><li>I marked myself as ‘Christian’ on the most recent census. But plenty of people select that as a mere label.</li> <li>I have lots of Christian books on my bookshelves. But you could take the view that I’m just an interested student: after all there are plenty of atheists studying theology!</li> <li>I attend church on a Sunday. But you might say that I just go because I enjoy the social side and it makes me feel better about myself!</li> </ol><p>Of course, there’s nothing wrong with any of these trappings of faith. But each of them can be easily explained by motives that have nothing to do with saving faith. If these surface-level indicators are all I’ve got, how can I know that my faith is real in the eyes of God? Sacrifice reminds us that we are done with sin</p> <p> </p><div class="widget gsc-quote-text no-border" style="background:#59adc4;">&#13; <div class="widget-content">&#13; <div class="content" style="color:#fff;"><i style="color:#fff;" class="icon fa fa-quote-left"></i> We need to value God’s favour more than we fear the criticism of the watching world </div>&#13; </div>&#13; </div> &#13; <p>In the book of 1 Peter, the Apostle Peter writes about living godly lives in the midst of a society that does not know the living God. He tells believers that they belong to another kingdom, and so will be “<em>foreigners and exiles</em>” in this life (1 Peter 2:11). He prepares Christians to expect to “<em>suffer for what is right</em>” (1 Peter 3:14) and that non-Christians will “speak maliciously against your good behaviour in Christ.” In itself, this sounds rather tough and a bit discouraging. But. actually, Peter intends to show us how this position of being distinctive and facing opposition actually helps to remind us who we really are:</p> <p><em>“Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin.” </em>– 1 Peter 4:1</p> <p>Choosing to suffer with Jesus (or make sacrifice for Him) is exactly when faith becomes real. It’s easy to “do Christianity” when it is comfortable. At the point when following Jesus becomes truly sacrificial, this can be for many people the decisive moment when His lordship is made clear. If we take a stand against our culture’s values and surrender everything to God, it is then truly apparent (to our culture, to God and to ourselves) that we are serious about our faith. But “taking a stand” here isn’t so much about external actions, like signing petitions or lobbying decision makers in power. Rather, it is for me to have a serious conversation with myself about whether I am going to take up my cross and live for Jesus in a way that is costly.</p> <h3>Unglamorous acts of worship</h3> <p>Such sacrifice is not glamorous and it’s rarely going to win acclaim from those around us. The way of the cross is a quiet, often unnoticed discipline. It should not feed our pride, nor be trying to impress God. But living distinctive lives, where our sacrifice is real to us every day, reassures us that we are truly His. We will be prepared for when hard times come, when opposition is fierce, and when doubts emerge in our own minds. We will already have trodden the path of decisive discipleship. We will look back and see that we chose this narrow path a long time ago, and we will be less inclined to turn back.</p> <p><em>“As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God.”</em> – 1 Peter 4:2</p> <p>Let me be clear that I’m not proposing sacrifice for its own sake. Going on a tough diet or making yourself take cold showers does not make you holy! Indeed, many non-Christians make huge sacrifices for their career, their children, their body image or even to set themselves up for a dream retirement. But these kinds of sacrifices are not what Peter is calling us to here. In Colossians 2:23, the Apostle Paul challenges the value of self-denial as an end in itself: “<em>Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.</em>” Rather, our sacrificial choices must be acts of worship that align us with our suffering Saviour: “<em>[we] do not live the rest of [our] earthly lives for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God</em>”. The purpose of our sacrifice is all-important: if we sacrifice out of obedience to God, it can transform a decision from one of grim determination into one of joyful service.</p> <p>For the same-sex attracted believer, their sacrifice may become very apparent in their relationship decisions. Some people will sense a call to singleness - their unmarried state will be a constant reminder to them that they are set apart from the world’s insistence upon an active sex life. Instead, their spiritual life comes from their obedient determination to stay sexually pure. Other same-sex attracted people may be able to get married to someone of the opposite sex: often these marriages can be wonderful, albeit not without their challenges. But, even for those who marry according to the biblical definition of marriage, their decision to resist the lure of a same-sex marriage is a reminder to them that they have chosen the narrow way.</p> <h3>Getting off the fence</h3> <p>Sometimes faithful Christians look at the debauchery of the world and think, “They look like they’re having fun. Am I missing out?” But Peter reminds us that we are now to consider those behaviours as being from a past life:</p> <p><em>“For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do - living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry.”</em> - 1 Peter 4:3</p> <p>Do we ever look back on memories of old sin with fondness? If so, we need to take Peter’s words here to heart. Our past lives may have been governed by sensual indulgence. But that was the past life. Indeed, that was a wasted life. Nothing in those behaviours has any lasting value. On the contrary, that old way of living darkened our lives and took us further away from God. The closer we are aligned with the will of God, the more we will see the past life as a waste of time and lose our appetite for it. In contrast, the longer we sit on the fence, and toy with old desires, the more we will taunt ourselves with old passions, and risk returning to the wasted life. If we can not only get off the fence, but walk well away from the fence, then we will increasingly see the old ways of living as consigned to history. We won’t be tempted to peek through the knotholes in the fence at old temptations, and they will increasingly lose their grip on us. Practically speaking, this probably starts with the radical disposal of any objects or contacts that connect us with that past life. But other people may be offended by our choice to abstain from their way of living:</p> <p><em>“They are surprised that you do not join them in their reckless, wild living, and they heap abuse on you.”</em> - 1 Peter 4:4</p> <p>We need to be ready for criticism. Leaving behind “wild living” will certainly stir up surprise. And Peter tells us that people may respond to our withdrawal from these behaviours with abuse, perhaps interpreting our abstinence as being judgemental. We certainly shouldn’t adopt a disapproving posture towards them, but we can’t stop our pure living shining a light on their lives. Indeed, we enjoy fellowship with God when we walk in the light (1 John 1:7). To prepare for inevitable criticism, we need to value God’s favour more than we fear the criticism of the watching world.</p> <h3>The reality of our faith</h3> <p>Do we ever doubt the reality of our faith? How can we convince ourselves that we are true believers and not just superficial ones? After all, Jesus told his disciples that “<em>Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven</em>” (Matt 7:21).</p> <p>In summary, 1 Peter 4:1-4 shows us a way to demonstrate that our faith is real. If we can look back on genuine sacrifices that we have made in our Christian lives, then we can see decisions that only make sense if we have faith in God. We will be encouraged and assured that our faith is real. And as we continue to put distance between our new life and our old “wasted life”, we will know that we are set apart from the world and its ways. Our attitude to costly living need not be a reluctant, self-pitying one. Peter calls us to “<em>arm [ourselves]</em>” (1 Peter 4:1) with Christ’s attitude of embracing sacrifice, because it sets us apart and helps us to know that we are His forever.<br />  </p> <hr /><p>This article was originally published in the Autumn 2023 edition of the TFT magazine, <em>Ascend</em>. Click the button below to download your copy.</p> <p>&#13; <style rel="stylesheet"> <!--/*--><![CDATA[/* ><!--*/ #button-86moudb8x1g6{background:#fff;color:#000;border-color:#00599c;} #button-86moudb8x1g6:hover{background:#00599c;color:#fff;border-color:#00599c;} /*--><!]]>*/ </style></p><div class="clearfix"></div>&#13; <a href="https://truefreedomtrust.co.uk/sites/default/files/newsletters/2023Q3ascend.pdf" class="gsc-button medium " id="button-86moudb8x1g6">&#13; Download the Autumn 2023 edition of Ascend </a> &#13; &#13; </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'links__node' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * links--node.html.twig x links.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/navigation/links.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/navigation/links.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-post-format--article.html.twig * field--node--field-post-format.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-post-format.html.twig * field--list-string.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-post-format field--type-list-string field--label-hidden field__item">Article</div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-post-category--article.html.twig * field--node--field-post-category.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-post-category.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-post-category field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/bible" hreflang="en">Biblical Teaching</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/contentment" hreflang="en">Contentment</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/identity" hreflang="en">Identity</a></div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-more-information--article.html.twig * field--node--field-more-information.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-more-information.html.twig * field--text-long.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-more-information field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"> <p><em>Please note that any external resources below are intended to complement the main answer given above and may not entirely match TFT's position.</em></p> <p>***for FAQs ONLY, replace this text with links to further articles, books, audio and video. Examples below for each media type.</p> <p> </p><div class="widget gsc-icon-box left text-dark">&#13; <div class="highlight-icon"><span class="icon fa fa-link"></span></div>&#13; <div class="highlight_content">&#13; <a href="***URL LINK"> <h4>Living Out article: 'Is it ok to be gay?' '</h4>&#13; </a> <div class="desc">This article (click link above) goes into more of the biblical passages.</div>&#13; &#13; </div>&#13; &#13; </div> &#13; <p> </p><div class="widget gsc-icon-box left text-dark">&#13; <div class="highlight-icon"><span class="icon fa fa-video-camera"></span></div>&#13; <div class="highlight_content">&#13; <a href="***URL LINK"> <h4>ERLC video: 'Is it ok to be gay?' </h4>&#13; </a> <div class="desc">***CHANGE VIEW MODE TO SOURCE HTML AND INSERT SHARED EMBED CODE FROM YOUTUBE HERE, BUT CHANGE WIDTH TO 100% TO MAKE IT MORE RESPONSIVE*** This video sets out some more arguments on the matter.</div>&#13; &#13; </div>&#13; &#13; </div> &#13; <p> </p><div class="widget gsc-icon-box left text-dark">&#13; <div class="highlight-icon"><span class="icon fa fa-headphones"></span></div>&#13; <div class="highlight_content">&#13; <a href="***URL LINK"> <h4>UCB podcast: 'Is it ok to be gay?' </h4>&#13; </a> <div class="desc">This podcast (click link above) details...</div>&#13; &#13; </div>&#13; &#13; </div> &#13; <p> </p><div class="widget gsc-icon-box left text-dark">&#13; <div class="highlight-icon"><span class="icon fa fa-book"></span></div>&#13; <div class="highlight_content">&#13; <a href="***URL LINK"> <h4>IVP book: 'Satisfaction Guaranteed' </h4>&#13; </a> <div class="desc">This book (click link above) details...</div>&#13; &#13; </div>&#13; &#13; </div> &#13; </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-author-information--article.html.twig * field--node--field-author-information.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-author-information.html.twig * field--string.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-author-information field--type-string field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item">Written by Stuart</div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> Thu, 26 Oct 2023 09:12:12 +0000 Owen 631 at https://www.truefreedomtrust.co.uk We are not called out to blend back in https://www.truefreedomtrust.co.uk/we-are-not-called-out-blend-back <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--title--article.html.twig x field--node--title.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--title.html.twig * field--string.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <span property="schema:name">We are not called out to blend back in</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-image--article.html.twig * field--node--field-image.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-image.html.twig * field--image.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'image_formatter' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/fields/image-formatter.html.twig' --> <div class="item-image"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'image' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/image.html.twig' --> <img property="schema:image" loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/articles/salamander%20image%201170%20x%20330.png" alt="Salamander" typeof="foaf:Image" /> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/image.html.twig' --> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/fields/image-formatter.html.twig' --> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--uid--article.html.twig x field--node--uid.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--uid.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <span rel="schema:author"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'username' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> <span lang="" about="/user/92" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="">Owen</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--created--article.html.twig x field--node--created.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <span property="schema:dateCreated" content="2023-09-20T08:41:47+00:00">Wed, 20/09/2023 - 09:41</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--body--article.html.twig * field--node--body.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--body.html.twig * field--text-with-summary.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <div property="schema:text" class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"> <p>The title of this article was spoken by a pastor of mine many years ago. She was summing up a dozen or so scriptures on the topic of making our election sure, and what a powerful word-picture this statement brings to mind! As Christians, we’ve been called out—we are God’s ekklesia, his representatives on earth. Even so, how strong is the lure to take on the various hues of the world and literally blend back in—just like a salamander.</p> <p>For the same-sex attracted (SSA) Christian, God’s “calling-out” can feel like double jeopardy – battling on two fronts at the same time. We have the responsibility of “<em>shining our light</em>” in darkness (Matthew 5:13-15) and being “<em>in the world, but not of the world</em>” (John 17:14-16; Romans 12:2). But more and more we feel called out even within the church, as biblical morality is questioned and swapped for something more “affirming.” In this climate, being called out feels less like standing firm and more like swimming upriver. It can be exhausting and, at times, lonely. We aren’t alone, of course. Christ promises us His presence in our struggle (Matthew 28:20) and even offers to make our burden “light” (Matthew 11:30). Like Him, we choose to be “in, but not of.” But what exactly does this mean for us in the day-to-day?</p> <p> </p><div class="widget gsc-quote-text no-border" style="background:#59adc4;">&#13; <div class="widget-content">&#13; <div class="content" style="color:#fff;"><i style="color:#fff;" class="icon fa fa-quote-left"></i> By keeping to God’s ancient paths, we will find enduring rest for our souls </div>&#13; </div>&#13; </div> &#13; <h3>Called out—for what? </h3> <ul><li>Called out means standing out. This means we are to be different from non-Christians. The most distinctive feature of our lives is the cross, which we both fall before and take up daily (Matthew 10:38). This means we set Christ’s commands above our own whims, knowing that doing so affords us blessing, both in this life and the next:<br /><em>“Everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.”</em> – Matthew 19:29</li> <li>We seek the approval of God more than that of other people—including, perhaps, that of fellow Christians. In doing so, we keep close to our hearts Paul’s instruction not to “<em>conform to the pattern of the world</em>” (Romans 12:2). Since we have hope beyond this life, we live according to a higher perspective.</li> <li>We stand out among “revisionist” Christians. By submitting to the plain teaching of the Bible even when it doesn’t coincide with our intuition, we keep to the ancient path spoken of by Jeremiah 6:16, trusting that by doing so, we will find enduring rest for our souls. Our actions shine light on false teaching and give us confidence to contend for the truth.<br /><em>“Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls” </em>– Jeremiah 6:16</li> <li>We stand out among homophobic Christians. Being regenerated by Christ, we strive to be “<em>full of grace and truth</em>” (John 1:14), proclaiming an unswerving gospel tempered with compassion and forgiveness. Christ welcomed sinners into His presence and was not afraid to spend time with people different from him.</li> <li>We seek to build up the downtrodden. More often than not, the sacrifices and denials of being tempted towards those of the same sex have equipped us with special sensitivity to the hurts and needs of others, especially those worse off than we are. By challenging such social ills as bullying and inequality, we remind the world that the muscular love of Christ is alive and well.</li> <li>We are not superior or judgmental, but rather we humble ourselves even in adversity, since we have a strong, trustworthy advocate. Nor do we avoid those who disagree with us; though we are “<em>shrewd as vipers</em>” in our engagements with the world and even with fellow Christians, we remain in all our activities “<em>as innocent as doves</em>” (Matthew 10:16).</li> </ul><h3>Specific ways Christians stand out:</h3> <ul><li>We season our conversations with those who disagree so as to be “<em>full of grace</em>” (Colossians 4:6) and the “<em>salt of the earth</em>” (Matthew 5:13).</li> <li>We shine our light clearly to all, not just to friends, family, and fellow believers (Matthew 5: 43-47), keeping in mind that we are “<em>the light of the world</em>” (Matthew 5:14).</li> <li>We are not easily discouraged when the world and its institutions respond to us with hostility or even hatred. Christ has warned that it will hate us because it hates Him (John 15:18-25):</li> <li><em>“You do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.”</em> – John 15:19</li> <li>Despite all this, we take strides to “<em>keep [ourselves] from being polluted by the world</em>” (James 1:27).</li> </ul><h3>Ways SSA Christians stand out:</h3> <ul><li>We don’t “fit” worldly expectations of marriage and family and may even be viewed as curiosities in our marital status—or absence thereof. We may be single (and not seeking a spouse) or married to a person of the sex to which we are not primarily attracted.</li> <li>We defend and uphold the biblical definition of marriage, even though it doesn’t fit our personal orientation.</li> <li>We might feel little in common with “straight” people and “straight” culture (sport, entertainment, social activities); at the same time, we might express little or no commonality with the mainstream LGBTQIA+ community. </li> </ul><p> All of these points can be summed up with Paul’s exhortation to the Galatians: “<em>Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up</em>” (6:9). By cooperating with our calling—to stand out without blending back in—we not only attest to Christ’s love and grace but also secure a great reward, in this life and the next. </p> <hr /><p>This article was originally published in the Autumn 2023 edition of the TFT magazine, <em>Ascend</em>. Click the button below to download your copy.</p> <p>&#13; <style rel="stylesheet"> <!--/*--><![CDATA[/* ><!--*/ #button-o0xyajf2giu4{background:#fff;color:#000;border-color:#00599c;} #button-o0xyajf2giu4:hover{background:#00599c;color:#fff;border-color:#00599c;} /*--><!]]>*/ </style></p><div class="clearfix"></div>&#13; <a href="https://truefreedomtrust.co.uk/sites/default/files/newsletters/2023Q3ascend.pdf" class="gsc-button medium " id="button-o0xyajf2giu4">&#13; Download the Autumn 2023 edition of Ascend </a> &#13; &#13; </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'links__node' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * links--node.html.twig x links.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/navigation/links.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/navigation/links.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-post-format--article.html.twig * field--node--field-post-format.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-post-format.html.twig * field--list-string.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-post-format field--type-list-string field--label-hidden field__item">Article</div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-post-category--article.html.twig * field--node--field-post-category.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-post-category.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-post-category field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/bible" hreflang="en">Biblical Teaching</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/church" hreflang="en">Church</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/identity" hreflang="en">Identity</a></div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-more-information--article.html.twig * field--node--field-more-information.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-more-information.html.twig * field--text-long.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-more-information field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"> <p><em>Please note that any external resources below are intended to complement the main answer given above and may not entirely match TFT's position.</em></p> <p>***for FAQs ONLY, replace this text with links to further articles, books, audio and video. Examples below for each media type.</p> <p> </p><div class="widget gsc-icon-box left text-dark">&#13; <div class="highlight-icon"><span class="icon fa fa-link"></span></div>&#13; <div class="highlight_content">&#13; <a href="***URL LINK"> <h4>Living Out article: 'Is it ok to be gay?' '</h4>&#13; </a> <div class="desc">This article (click link above) goes into more of the biblical passages.</div>&#13; &#13; </div>&#13; &#13; </div> &#13; <p> </p><div class="widget gsc-icon-box left text-dark">&#13; <div class="highlight-icon"><span class="icon fa fa-video-camera"></span></div>&#13; <div class="highlight_content">&#13; <a href="***URL LINK"> <h4>ERLC video: 'Is it ok to be gay?' </h4>&#13; </a> <div class="desc">***CHANGE VIEW MODE TO SOURCE HTML AND INSERT SHARED EMBED CODE FROM YOUTUBE HERE, BUT CHANGE WIDTH TO 100% TO MAKE IT MORE RESPONSIVE*** This video sets out some more arguments on the matter.</div>&#13; &#13; </div>&#13; &#13; </div> &#13; <p> </p><div class="widget gsc-icon-box left text-dark">&#13; <div class="highlight-icon"><span class="icon fa fa-headphones"></span></div>&#13; <div class="highlight_content">&#13; <a href="***URL LINK"> <h4>UCB podcast: 'Is it ok to be gay?' </h4>&#13; </a> <div class="desc">This podcast (click link above) details...</div>&#13; &#13; </div>&#13; &#13; </div> &#13; <p> </p><div class="widget gsc-icon-box left text-dark">&#13; <div class="highlight-icon"><span class="icon fa fa-book"></span></div>&#13; <div class="highlight_content">&#13; <a href="***URL LINK"> <h4>IVP book: 'Satisfaction Guaranteed' </h4>&#13; </a> <div class="desc">This book (click link above) details...</div>&#13; &#13; </div>&#13; &#13; </div> &#13; </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-author-information--article.html.twig * field--node--field-author-information.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-author-information.html.twig * field--string.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-author-information field--type-string field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item">Written by Ric</div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> Wed, 20 Sep 2023 08:41:47 +0000 Owen 628 at https://www.truefreedomtrust.co.uk The unrelenting approach of God https://www.truefreedomtrust.co.uk/unrelenting-approach-god <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--title--article.html.twig x field--node--title.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--title.html.twig * field--string.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <span property="schema:name">The unrelenting approach of God</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-image--article.html.twig * field--node--field-image.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-image.html.twig * field--image.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'image_formatter' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/fields/image-formatter.html.twig' --> <div class="item-image"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'image' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/image.html.twig' --> <img property="schema:image" loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/articles/normal-peopple-1170-x-330.jpg" alt="planting flowers" typeof="foaf:Image" /> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/image.html.twig' --> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/fields/image-formatter.html.twig' --> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--uid--article.html.twig x field--node--uid.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--uid.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <span rel="schema:author"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'username' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> <span lang="" about="/user/92" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="">Owen</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--created--article.html.twig x field--node--created.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <span property="schema:dateCreated" content="2023-09-08T13:33:40+00:00">Fri, 08/09/2023 - 14:33</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--body--article.html.twig * field--node--body.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--body.html.twig * field--text-with-summary.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <div property="schema:text" class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"> <p>I thought I might start by laying my cards on the table. I am someone who experiences same-sex attraction and has done since childhood. I am not only attracted to people of the same sex; I am married, and my wife graciously supports me. My desires are rather carnal than romantic. By which I mean, I have never desired a long-term romantic relationship with a man. </p> <p>Given Christ’s teaching on marriage, sex and relationships, as well as the witness of Scripture as a whole, I believe I am called to deny myself in this area, pick up my cross, and carry it. I nevertheless rejoice in Christ’s teaching, believing it be clear and good news for all - no matter our sexuality.<br /> In part or in whole, those two paragraphs may ring true for subscribers to Ascend. However, it is my hope that a few of you will be coming to the issue of faithful, biblical sexuality for the first time, and so  I wanted to lay out my stall up-front, as well as give you permission to be curious, confused, intrigued, relieved or outraged, by that or any of what follows.</p> <p>Now, let’s backtrack. I don’t remember a ‘moment’ when I realised I was same-sex attracted, but I was certainly young, younger than ten I think. At that time, in the late 1990s, the nuanced categories which now enable us to think through and speak about sexuality, both in church and the secular world, just weren’t available to me or my parents. And at that age, I’m not sure I cared.</p> <p>I am an only child. I was brought up in a Christian home by two doting parents who loved the Lord and took me - mostly willingly, but sometimes not - to church every Sunday. I honestly cannot remember having any teaching in church or youth group on the subject of sexuality during my childhood or teenage years, right up to when I turned my back on the Lord aged seventeen. My departure from Him wasn’t directly related to this absence of teaching, or indeed any sense of sexual confusion, though I’m sure that played its part. It was more that I was bored. </p> <p>I was that most worrying of things: a child of Christian parents who knew all the right answers, but didn’t know Jesus. I could turn up to youth group each week, nod along, spew out a line or two about some fancy doctrine, then pop home having got my dose of ‘religion’. That is what I thought following Jesus was all about: clock in/clock out, know enough of the Bible, and do enough good during the week to put a smile on God’s face. Instead of living in the grace of the gospel of Jesus Christ, I was living with the burden of religion. Of course, I ended up abandoning it.</p> <p>My parents were naturally disappointed, but incredibly gracious at the same time. No demands or threats were made. No insistence that I get out of bed at once and get dressed and get in the car because it was Sunday. They knew I couldn’t piggy-back off their faith in Jesus. If I was to have a true, saving faith it must be mine, and mine alone.</p> <p> </p><div class="widget gsc-quote-text no-border" style="background:#59adc4;">&#13; <div class="widget-content">&#13; <div class="content" style="color:#fff;"><i style="color:#fff;" class="icon fa fa-quote-left"></i>The call to Christian discipleship is radical and life-giving </div>&#13; </div>&#13; </div> &#13; <p>I wasn’t an atheist. I was a pretty reluctant agnostic, looking back on it. I was just really annoyed that God existed because I knew that meant He had an ultimate claim on my life, love and affections, which at that age, I was determined to pour into other things. As a teen, my inner world was a shut-up shop; nothing more so than my same-sex attraction. I wanted to put my fingers in my ears and live a life without God. And so, in His providential kindness, He gave me the life I wanted and let me go.</p> <p>The decade that followed became steadily chaotic. My sixth form and university years, as well as the best part of my twenties, were spent in a drink and drug induced haze (which was frequently a lot more fun than even now I’m willing to admit). Drink and drugs were a useful tool. They helped buffer my sensitive and insecure heart against a brash, self-obsessed culture that demanded I only need look within to find my truest identity, while also shielding friends, family and the few women I dated/slept with from ever getting too close. I didn’t know who I was. And despite all my efforts to prevent it from ever happening, my deepest longing was to be fully known by another.<br /> Some friends came out as bisexual post university and their stories were often familiar: the shame of keeping their sexuality secret; the fear of telling friends; the fear of rejection by parents and family; the longing for acceptance; the ache for peace - it all hit very close to home. I wondered if I would ever display the courage my friends had and confess my secret. </p> <p>Or whether giving my attractions the appropriate cultural label and leaning into them would bring me the deep rest for which I was yearning.As 2018 drew to a close, I had put a rebellious and damaging decade firmly behind me. I was sober and living in a lovely new-build flat in south London with a great flatmate and a job in publishing I enjoyed. There was a lot going for me. But reflecting on the months in early 2019 that led up to the events described below, I realise I had become powerfully skilled at self-deception. I was not alright. The decades long shame I felt at my sexuality had grown overwhelming. I was desperately lonely. Foolishly, I had placed on my sobriety the burden of delivering deep psychic and emotional stability. But it hadn’t. I had asked the same from my work in publishing, which I adored. That too rang hollow. As did independence and dating and everything else in my life.</p> <p>Then one cool May evening in 2019, as I was sitting reading “Normal People” by Sally Rooney (ironically a book about lost and sexually broken - but also whiny - young people), in my armchair in my flat in south London, Jesus showed up.</p> <p>In “Surprised by Joy”, C. S. Lewis’s autobiography of his early life, he describes his conversion: “You must picture me alone in that room in Magdalen, night after night, feeling, whenever my mind lifted even for a second from my work, the steady, unrelenting approach of Him whom I so earnestly desired not to meet. That which I greatly feared had at last come upon me. In the Trinity Term of 1929 I gave in, and admitted that God was God, and knelt and prayed: perhaps, that night, the most dejected and reluctant convert in all England”.</p> <p>That same ‘unrelenting approach’ stalked me every single day in early 2019. I couldn’t wake, sleep, eat, shower, cook, sit, read, talk, watch, listen or laugh without sensing the almost physical presence of the One I had abandoned over a decade earlier. This all climaxed in my room that May evening when, looking up from my book and placing it with care on the armrest next to me, I turned my gaze back to the wall, ‘admitted that God was God’, and wept.</p> <p>As I began my Christian walk in the months that followed, I knew that Jesus’ call to discipleship would, and had to, affect every aspect of my life, including my sexuality. Jesus doesn’t ask permission to come into the house of your heart to re-pot a few plants, re-paint a few rooms, and re-arrange the tatty furniture. He arrives with a wrecking ball to demolish what wasn’t His and to begin construction of a palace fit only for Himself.</p> <p>Four years have now passed and much has changed: marriage, a call to ministry and reconciling with family and friends are just a few works of the gospel’s grace in my life. Of course, my same-sex attraction remains, and I suspect it always will. Discipleship in this area of my life looks like any other: as Jesus’ disciple the only identity that matters now, and will matter on the final day, is my identity in Him. I believe He has spoken clearly in Scripture on this matter, and it is my call to deny myself, pick up my cross daily and follow Him, being enabled with all the grace He so lovingly supplies by the Spirit.</p> <p>As I continue to work out the implications of following Jesus for my same-sex attraction, as well as each and every other aspect of my life, I am made aware of how radical and life-giving the call to Christian discipleship is. Our culture places an unbearable burden on men, women and increasingly children, by calling them to look within and make whatever they find there constitutive of who they most truly and uniquely are. As a Christian, I am so thankful I am called to something greater. </p> <p>My same-sex attractions are part of my story, certainly, but not my identity. The foundation of my identity is Christ and His work on the cross. Nothing more, nothing less. My identity lies not within myself, but without. With another. And because of that it cannot be shaken. It lies utterly secure. It lies nestled in the heart of Him who gave Himself in my place on the cross, who bore the punishment my sin deserved, who called me while I was wandering and still far off, who came running towards me beaming, with open arms thrown wide. He swept me up as a little child on that cool May evening in south London, as I wept at my foolishness for ever abandoning such a tender and loving Saviour.</p> <hr /><p>This article was originally published in the Summer 2023 edition of the TFT magazine, <em>Ascend</em>. Click the button below to download your copy.</p> <p>&#13; <style rel="stylesheet"> <!--/*--><![CDATA[/* ><!--*/ #button-q41t1syvp3ke{background:#fff;color:#000;border-color:#00599c;} #button-q41t1syvp3ke:hover{background:#00599c;color:#fff;border-color:#00599c;} /*--><!]]>*/ </style></p><div class="clearfix"></div>&#13; <a href="https://truefreedomtrust.co.uk/sites/default/files/newsletters/2023Q2ascend.pdf" class="gsc-button medium " id="button-q41t1syvp3ke">&#13; Download the Summer 2023 edition of Ascend </a> &#13; &#13; </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'links__node' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * links--node.html.twig x links.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/navigation/links.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/navigation/links.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-post-format--article.html.twig * field--node--field-post-format.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-post-format.html.twig * field--list-string.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-post-format field--type-list-string field--label-hidden field__item">Personal Story</div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-post-category--article.html.twig * field--node--field-post-category.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-post-category.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-post-category field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/contentment" hreflang="en">Contentment</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/identity" hreflang="en">Identity</a></div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-more-information--article.html.twig * field--node--field-more-information.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-more-information.html.twig * field--text-long.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-more-information field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"> <p><em>Please note that any external resources below are intended to complement the main answer given above and may not entirely match TFT's position.</em></p> <p>***for FAQs ONLY, replace this text with links to further articles, books, audio and video. Examples below for each media type.</p> <p> </p><div class="widget gsc-icon-box left text-dark">&#13; <div class="highlight-icon"><span class="icon fa fa-link"></span></div>&#13; <div class="highlight_content">&#13; <a href="***URL LINK"> <h4>Living Out article: 'Is it ok to be gay?' '</h4>&#13; </a> <div class="desc">This article (click link above) goes into more of the biblical passages.</div>&#13; &#13; </div>&#13; &#13; </div> &#13; <p> </p><div class="widget gsc-icon-box left text-dark">&#13; <div class="highlight-icon"><span class="icon fa fa-video-camera"></span></div>&#13; <div class="highlight_content">&#13; <a href="***URL LINK"> <h4>ERLC video: 'Is it ok to be gay?' </h4>&#13; </a> <div class="desc">***CHANGE VIEW MODE TO SOURCE HTML AND INSERT SHARED EMBED CODE FROM YOUTUBE HERE, BUT CHANGE WIDTH TO 100% TO MAKE IT MORE RESPONSIVE*** This video sets out some more arguments on the matter.</div>&#13; &#13; </div>&#13; &#13; </div> &#13; <p> </p><div class="widget gsc-icon-box left text-dark">&#13; <div class="highlight-icon"><span class="icon fa fa-headphones"></span></div>&#13; <div class="highlight_content">&#13; <a href="***URL LINK"> <h4>UCB podcast: 'Is it ok to be gay?' </h4>&#13; </a> <div class="desc">This podcast (click link above) details...</div>&#13; &#13; </div>&#13; &#13; </div> &#13; <p> </p><div class="widget gsc-icon-box left text-dark">&#13; <div class="highlight-icon"><span class="icon fa fa-book"></span></div>&#13; <div class="highlight_content">&#13; <a href="***URL LINK"> <h4>IVP book: 'Satisfaction Guaranteed' </h4>&#13; </a> <div class="desc">This book (click link above) details...</div>&#13; &#13; </div>&#13; &#13; </div> &#13; </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-author-information--article.html.twig * field--node--field-author-information.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-author-information.html.twig * field--string.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-author-information field--type-string field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item">Written by Jonathan</div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> Fri, 08 Sep 2023 13:33:40 +0000 Owen 626 at https://www.truefreedomtrust.co.uk God healed my experience of rejection https://www.truefreedomtrust.co.uk/god-healed-my-experience-rejection <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--title--article.html.twig x field--node--title.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--title.html.twig * field--string.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <span property="schema:name">God healed my experience of rejection</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-image--article.html.twig * field--node--field-image.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-image.html.twig * field--image.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'image_formatter' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/fields/image-formatter.html.twig' --> <div class="item-image"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'image' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/image.html.twig' --> <img property="schema:image" loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/articles/god-healed-my-rejection-1170-x-330.jpg" alt="child getting a plaster" typeof="foaf:Image" /> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/image.html.twig' --> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/fields/image-formatter.html.twig' --> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--uid--article.html.twig x field--node--uid.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--uid.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <span rel="schema:author"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'username' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> <span lang="" about="/user/92" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="">Owen</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--created--article.html.twig x field--node--created.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <span property="schema:dateCreated" content="2023-07-02T12:37:33+00:00">Sun, 02/07/2023 - 13:37</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--body--article.html.twig * field--node--body.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--body.html.twig * field--text-with-summary.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <div property="schema:text" class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"> <p>I grew up in a non-Christian family. No one, even in my extended family, went to church except for the standard weddings, christenings and funerals. I attended a boarding school which was nominally Christian. We had Chapel 5 times a week and I sang in the choir at churches and cathedrals around the country. I went to church a lot, so I knew about God, but I didn’t know Him. My school ran an evening club, where we could hang out after curfew. The club was led by a couple of Christian teachers, and in exchange for getting free table football and crisps, we listened to them tell us about Jesus. I was fascinated by God. Each week I heard more of who Jesus was and what He had done for me. I was convinced there was something in it and so I was confirmed and I called myself a Christian, but in hindsight, I hadn’t actually given my life to Him. I still didn’t really know Jesus.</p> <p>At 16 I came out as a lesbian. I was met with a mixed reaction. My parents and close friends were really accepting, but the wider school community didn’t respond kindly at all. I was already a ‘different’ teen, a geek and a goth, and adding gay to that mix definitely didn’t increase my chances of fitting in. I was already bullied and my sexuality became another weapon used against me. It all came to a head when some of the girls in my boarding house stuck a sign on my door saying, “Do not enter! Rape zone ahead!” I am thick skinned, but that hurt. There were also other students I knew of who were struggling with their sexuality and I hated that how I was treated might force them to hide. </p> <h3>Rejection</h3> <p>I took the poster to my housemistress. She was a Christian, who used every opportunity to speak about faith. She looked at the poster, sat me down and said that she wasn’t going to do anything about the other girls. I was told that my behaviour had upset them and that my coming out was bullying them, as it left them feeling unsafe in their boarding house.  I needed to think carefully, as I might call myself a Christian, but choosing to be gay meant I was wrong and evil and that I was ultimately going to hell. I was moved to a different boarding house, and the staff who led the Christian Union in the school tried hard to tell me who Jesus really was, but the damage to my tentative faith was done. I wanted nothing to do with the cruel God the housemistress spoke of, and even less to do with people who would follow a god like that. I had learnt that church was not a safe place for people like me and that God hated us.</p> <h3>Joining the LGBT community</h3> <p>A year later I went off to Sheffield University. In my first week I joined the LGBT society and I loved it. The LGBT community became my family; everyone looked out for and took care of each other. We all had the shared experience of “being different”. One of the roles of the LGBT society was to campaign for equality. I am a passionate person - marching, petitioning and waving banners are totally my thing. We often ran stalls to signpost people to support and to flag up key campaigns we were running. I spent many hours on those stalls. Over that time Christian students often came to speak to me, some to tell me I was wrong, others more graciously to tell me about Jesus. I was also told on more than one occasion that if I just came to Jesus and prayed, He would cure me of my homosexuality and make me straight, so I could be right with Him. They seemed surprised that I didn’t want curing and didn’t want to be right with a God who wanted to change me before He loved me. </p> <p>Sometimes I would end up in longer conversations and I would tell them of how my housemistress had condemned me. “Why does God hate gay people?” I would ask them. Their replies of  “You must not have heard right'' or “I am sure that isn’t what she meant” or even “Well, we’re all a bit evil and without Jesus we are going to hell, so she wasn’t wrong” at best felt like they were invalidating my experience, at worst blaming me for it. Mine wasn’t the only story like this within the LGBT community. My opinion of the church evolved; it was no longer just “not a safe place”. It was the enemy. If I found out someone was a Christian, that told me all I needed to know about them. My hackles went up, my claws came out and I was ready to fight. I would read the Bible so I could “out-knowledge” Christians. I prepared questions to catch out the ones who came to speak to me.</p> <h3>The truth of the Gospel</h3> <p>I left university and moved back home to Brighton to start training as a teacher. I also met a girl, got engaged and bought a house. To the outside world, it looked like I had it together. But the reality was I was lonely. The vast LGBT scene I had had at university was much smaller now. I had less time to party and my partner was controlling and didn’t like me making new friends. As part of my teacher training, I ended up placed in a Catholic school - not what I would have chosen, especially when my new peer mentor, Matt, turned out to be a Christian.</p> <p> </p><div class="widget gsc-quote-text no-border" style="background:#59adc4;">&#13; <div class="widget-content">&#13; <div class="content" style="color:#fff;"><i style="color:#fff;" class="icon fa fa-quote-left"></i> God says sex is for the marriage of one man and one woman </div>&#13; </div>&#13; </div> &#13; <p>Matt was a friend of a friend and we arranged to all go out for drinks. During the evening the conversation turned to religion and with it my dislike of Christians. I told him about my housemistress. I was expecting the standard reply, and I was ready to fight back, but Matt disarmed me. He apologised. He acknowledged how wrong her reaction had been. He empathised with me over how angry I must be with the Church and God. His empathy, compassion and righteous rage on my behalf completely stunned me. He confessed to me that he wasn’t currently going to church; he was still quite new to the area and as an introvert was overwhelmed with going to a new church and meeting new people. I didn’t want to know God and I hadn't forgiven the Church, but I liked Matt, so I offered to go to church with him. Going to church for the first time was hard. I thought I would stick out, that no one would want me there, that everyone would judge me. I expected to spend my Sunday defending myself. But it wasn’t like that at all. Everyone seemed really excited to meet me and were quick to welcome me back. </p> <p>Then my world crashed. My girlfriend, not happy with my new friendships and independence, broke up with me and kicked me out of our house. Because of her controlling behaviour, I had little access to my money. Matt, my new friend of only a few months, offered me space at his flat for as long as I needed it, rent free.  </p> <h3>Learning acceptance</h3> <p>I continued to attend church with Matt and had now also joined an Alpha course with him. My view of the church was starting to shift. The combination of seeing my way of living fail and of seeing the kindness of someone I thought would be my enemy, allowed the Holy Spirit to speak to me in ways I wouldn't have previously thought possible. What had put me off church was the same thing that pulled me in - feeling like I belonged. I still wasn’t ready to be all in though. I had questions about God and being gay. I knew what the Bible said about homosexuality. But what did that mean for me? I didn’t want to believe in a god who said I was going to hell for being attracted to women, but I also didn't want to believe in a god who would give us a Bible to follow, but say we could believe the bits we wanted. Neither option seemed like something I could build my life on.</p> <p>A few weeks later, I asked Matt, "Doesn't God just hate gay people?" He replied gently, “No, God doesn't hate people. But He does have commands for those who follow Him. He does ask that all those who follow Him lay down their life, just as He lay down His. He does say sex is for marriage and marriage is for one man, one woman." He was honest. It wasn't an answer that was easy to hear and he never pretended it was, but it was an answer I had waited a long time for. It was easier hearing it from someone who I knew cared for me and had shown me Jesus’ grace through his actions.</p> <h3>Welcoming LGBT people</h3> <p>When I look back at my story there are many things that kept me from giving my life to God sooner, not least His perfect timing. From my experience, I think there were three obstacles that put people from the LGBT community off coming to church, that are worth highlighting:</p> <ol><li><u>Feeling judged</u>. When truth is emphasised over and above grace, the Church can look like a place of condemnation, rather than salvation. In John 8, Jesus models a better way when He tells the woman caught in adultery that He doesn’t condemn her, before He tells her to sin no more. </li> <li><u>The “us” vs “them” mentality</u>. This is true of both sides, but as Christians, it’s not something we should be encouraging. We have so much more in common with the LGBT community than we often think. We are both passionate and vocal about our values, we are both committed to doing community well, we both find our identity in something bigger than ourselves. The only difference we should be focused on is that we are saved and they are not. Not only is that difference not something we can take credit for, but it’s also, as 1 Timothy 2 says, a difference God doesn’t want to exist.</li> <li><u>Being seen as an “issue” and not loved as a person</u>. It’s hard to see the God that is love through the actions of someone who isn’t loving you. God knows each of us intimately and pursues us individually. The best way for us to display this is personally. What does the person you are talking to fear? What do they need? How can you be an instrument of God’s blessing to them as a unique, and uniquely loved, person? </li> </ol><h3>God’s heart of love</h3> <p>I gave my life to Jesus straight after that conversation with Matt. I love my testimony. I love how it speaks to the importance of loving people and treating everyone with the grace we have received in Christ. I love how it shows the difference one person can make to another, both negatively (when they fail to represent God well) and positively (when they let God’s love shine through them).  But most of all I love how it shows God’s heart for the lost, in that He pursued me even when I had no interest in Him.</p> <hr /><p>This article was originally published in the Summer 2023 edition of the TFT magazine, <em>Ascend</em>. Click the button below to download your copy.</p> <p>&#13; <style rel="stylesheet"> <!--/*--><![CDATA[/* ><!--*/ #button-rzcxnvk26r63{background:#fff;color:#000;border-color:#00599c;} #button-rzcxnvk26r63:hover{background:#00599c;color:#fff;border-color:#00599c;} /*--><!]]>*/ </style></p><div class="clearfix"></div>&#13; <a href="https://truefreedomtrust.co.uk/sites/default/files/newsletters/2023Q2ascend.pdf" class="gsc-button medium " id="button-rzcxnvk26r63">&#13; Download the Summer 2023 edition of Ascend </a> &#13; &#13; </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'links__node' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * links--node.html.twig x links.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/navigation/links.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/navigation/links.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-post-format--article.html.twig * field--node--field-post-format.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-post-format.html.twig * field--list-string.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-post-format field--type-list-string field--label-hidden field__item">Article</div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-post-category--article.html.twig * field--node--field-post-category.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-post-category.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-post-category field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/church" hreflang="en">Church</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/culture" hreflang="en">Engaging Culture</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/identity" hreflang="en">Identity</a></div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-more-information--article.html.twig * field--node--field-more-information.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-more-information.html.twig * field--text-long.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-more-information field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"> <p><em>Please note that any external resources below are intended to complement the main answer given above and may not entirely match TFT's position.</em></p> <p>***for FAQs ONLY, replace this text with links to further articles, books, audio and video. Examples below for each media type.</p> <p> </p><div class="widget gsc-icon-box left text-dark">&#13; <div class="highlight-icon"><span class="icon fa fa-link"></span></div>&#13; <div class="highlight_content">&#13; <a href="***URL LINK"> <h4>Living Out article: 'Is it ok to be gay?' '</h4>&#13; </a> <div class="desc">This article (click link above) goes into more of the biblical passages.</div>&#13; &#13; </div>&#13; &#13; </div> &#13; <p> </p><div class="widget gsc-icon-box left text-dark">&#13; <div class="highlight-icon"><span class="icon fa fa-video-camera"></span></div>&#13; <div class="highlight_content">&#13; <a href="***URL LINK"> <h4>ERLC video: 'Is it ok to be gay?' </h4>&#13; </a> <div class="desc">***CHANGE VIEW MODE TO SOURCE HTML AND INSERT SHARED EMBED CODE FROM YOUTUBE HERE, BUT CHANGE WIDTH TO 100% TO MAKE IT MORE RESPONSIVE*** This video sets out some more arguments on the matter.</div>&#13; &#13; </div>&#13; &#13; </div> &#13; <p> </p><div class="widget gsc-icon-box left text-dark">&#13; <div class="highlight-icon"><span class="icon fa fa-headphones"></span></div>&#13; <div class="highlight_content">&#13; <a href="***URL LINK"> <h4>UCB podcast: 'Is it ok to be gay?' </h4>&#13; </a> <div class="desc">This podcast (click link above) details...</div>&#13; &#13; </div>&#13; &#13; </div> &#13; <p> </p><div class="widget gsc-icon-box left text-dark">&#13; <div class="highlight-icon"><span class="icon fa fa-book"></span></div>&#13; <div class="highlight_content">&#13; <a href="***URL LINK"> <h4>IVP book: 'Satisfaction Guaranteed' </h4>&#13; </a> <div class="desc">This book (click link above) details...</div>&#13; &#13; </div>&#13; &#13; </div> &#13; </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-author-information--article.html.twig * field--node--field-author-information.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-author-information.html.twig * field--string.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-author-information field--type-string field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item">Written by Nat</div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/gavias_charityplus/templates/field.html.twig' --> Sun, 02 Jul 2023 12:37:33 +0000 Owen 620 at https://www.truefreedomtrust.co.uk