Not Animals, But Ships: God Wants to Turn Us Completely

 I love Chang Tou Chen's testimony from TrueLove.Is. He shared so much of God's Word, and there is always so much revelation when you receive more of God's WORD!

I wanted to focus on this part of his testimony next:

So I started to realize that this same-sex desire was the desire of my flesh, and I was under addiction to this desire of the flesh. And I started to realize that my spirit born of God has the same desire of God. But because the flesh and the spirit are contrary to each other, there’s a war.

There were decisive moments, when I trashed all the gay porn videos, and all the baggage that reminded me of my previous self. But I was still struggling, clicking on the same gay porn sites, reactivating my cancelled subscriptions, seeking new sources of junk to look at.

I asked God, “Why?”

And God showed me in James 3: “Look at the horses. You turn the bit, and the horse will turn. But look also at the ships. Though they are large ships driven by fierce winds, it is steered by a small rudder. And God revealed to me, for some of us, breaking from of this condition is the experience of a horse. For a horse, when you turn, the horse will turn immediately, and a horse will turn completely.

For the very large ship that’s driven by winds, resisted by fierce winds, when you turn the rudder on the ship, it is turning and it will turn, and it will turn completely, but it won’t turn immediately.

Here's the whole passage that he refers to from James' Epistle:

"3Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body. 4Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth. 5Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!" (James 3:3-5)

This was a telling revelation from God's Word, and I am so grateful to Tou Chen for sharing this revelation with the public.

What I believe, however, is that the experience for every person is that of the ship. God does not want us to be like the horse turned with a bit:

"Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee." (Psalm 32:9)

God wants us to receive understanding from Him! The previous verse declares God's heart for us:

"I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye." (Psalm 32:8)

God wants us to guide us personally, intimately.

He does not wantus to be driven around with a bit. He wants the change that occurs in us to be complete and consummate. 

Consider what the Psalmist shares here:

"22So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before thee.

"23Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou hast holden me by my right hand.

"24Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory." (Psalm 73: 22-24)

So, the proper example or comparison for us is to the ship. That makes sense.

The bit in the mouth of a horse is separate, foreign, distinct from the horse. Sure, the rider of the horse can make the horse change directly quickly, but it's not lasting change, nor a contribution to character development. In contrast, the rudder of a ship is an integral part of the ship, like the soul of the vessel, if you will. It's an essential aspect within the ship that guides the ship on the course to go.

In the same way, God wants to guide us from within. In fact, when we believe on Christ Jesus, He comes to live in us (Colossians 1:27).

His Holy Spirit lives in us:

"Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come." (John 16:13)

And

"But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things." (1 John 2:20)

and then

"But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him." (1 John 2:27)

God wants to turn us completely. He does not want us to be turned on the outside, but on the inside we still insist on going the wrong way. 

God wants our hearts enlightened, not just our actions changed:

"The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints," (Ephesians 1:18)

God is interested in mind renovation, not behavior modification:

"And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." (Romans 12:2)

The good news? The Spirit of God does that work of tranforming us!

"17Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." (2 Corinthians 3:17-18)

The more that we see Jesus in the Word, the more that the Spirit of God transforms us. Yes!

And, God showed me something else that we can do, that can assist and help hasten the turning of our "ship", so to speak.

In James 3, the rudder and the bit are compared to our tongue:

"5Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! 6And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell." (James 3:5-6)

Now, James talks about the tongue in a bad light, as an unreal evil.

However, for those of us who are saved, who are in the Body of Christ, our tongue can accomplish great good. In fact, we can pray in the Spirit, i.e. pray in tongues!

"Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;" (Ephesians 6:18)

and

"He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church" (1 Corinthians 14:4)

And

"26Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God." (Romans 8:26-28)

So, if we want to expedite the turning of our ship, let's start praying in tongues, praying in the Spirit!

Final Reflection

Tou Chen's revelation about how our lives, our walk before the LORD changes, turns is very compelling. Indeed, all of us are like the ship, in that the changes that God wants to make in our lives will take longer, but those changes will be lasting changes. We can pray in the Spirit, and allow the Spirit of God to transform us, heart, mind, and body, so that we grow in grace and reflect more of His glory in our lives. Amen!

In Christ, You Are No Longer an Abomination

 "Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination." (Leviticus 18:22)

The topic of homosexuality (and transgenderism) is becoming more contentious in the world and particularly in the Body of Christ.

No doubt, this is an issue, because of the many sins against which God warns His people Israel, and which God calls us to abandon in our new life in Christ, there is no sin which receives such opposing praise and celebration in the world than homosexuality.

This discussion came up in the latest episode of "Ask Me Anything" from the TrueLove.Is ministry based in Singapore. (Click here)

For today, I am not going to look specifically at the sinful act, but the word "abomination", and the revelation which we can receive about our Lord Jesus Christ, and everything that He has accomplished for us at the Cross.

In the original Hebrew, "abomination" is "toevah":

תּוֹעֵבַה

The first mention of abomination in the Old Testament has nothing to do with sexual sins, but rather how the fallen world, the Gentile world, viewed abominations in contrast with the Isrsaelites. The scene from the verse below arises from Joseph (at the time, disguised as the viceroy of Egypt) dining with his brothers:

"And they set on for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians, which did eat with him, by themselves: because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews; for that is an abomination unto the Egyptians." (Genesis 43:32)

The Egyptians refused to eat with the Israelites. Egypt and Egyptians are types of the world, types of the fallen world specifically. In Hebrew, Egypt is called "Mizraim", which means "double straitness" or anguish. Egypt also speaks of a man-centered, flesh-centered life, as opposed to the life of grace which God called His people to receive in the Promised Land of Canaan.

I sought greater revelation from the Lord about this passage. Why did the Egyptians find the Israelites to be an abomination, such that they did not want to dine with them?

The next mention of "abomination" in the Old Testament may give us a clue:

"That ye shall say, Thy servants' trade hath been about cattle from our youth even until now, both we, and also our fathers: that ye may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination unto the Egyptians." (Genesis 46:34)

So, the Israelites are an abomination to the Egyptians because they are shepherds. Still, it's not clear to me. The third mention of abomination in the Old Testament will shed still further light on the matter:

"25And Pharaoh called for Moses and for Aaron, and said, Go ye, sacrifice to your God in the land. 26And Moses said, It is not meet so to do; for we shall sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians to the LORD our God: lo, shall we sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians before their eyes, and will they not stone us?" (Exodus 8:25-26)

The Israelites are an abomination because they are shepherds and because of the sacrifices they are going to sacrifice. What's the full explanation here?

The Egyptians worshipped sheep. One of their gods, Khnum, was a sheep!

What's the deeper revelation we can draw out of this, and what can God show us about the term "abomination" and its deepest meaning to God? What does He find essentially to be an abomination to Him?

The Egyptians worshipped sheep. One of their gods was a sheep. But wait a second ... we worship " a sheep", right: the Lamb of God, Jesus, do we not?

"The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." (John 1:29)

and

"Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing." (Revelation 5:12)

In a much broader, holier sense, we worship a "Lamb", too. But there is a telling difference between Egyptians' worship and our worship today.

The Egyptians worshipped a lamb, and they had to serve him.

We worship the Lamb of God, because He first served us, He first loved us (1 John 4:19). In fact, He deliberately came down to our level and died on the Cross for all our sins! Such a notion, that God would become man and die for us, is indeed an abomination to the world, and the world despises us for believing in Jesus:

"Being defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day." (1 Corinthians 4:13)

The Egyptians performed rituals for their god. Our God, the Lord Jesus Christ, performed great miracles and completed a perfect work for us at the Cross!

So, "abomination" in the Old Testament can give us a window into learning more about Jesus.

Consider the word toevah in the original Hebrew:

תּוֹעֵבַה

It has five letters, the number of grace. It starts with the letter Tav, which represents the Cross. It ends with Heh, which represents grace.

Jesus became an abomination, became SIN for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21). He took on all the wrath of God for our sins (Romans 3:24-26). He took all the penalties for our sins, and by His stripes, we are healed (Isaiah 53:5)

If we are honest, we were all abominable, full of pride (Proverbs 16:5), making self-serving sacrifices just to please ourselves (Proverbs 15:8), engaging in corrupt dealings (Proverbs 11:1), or living in anger (Proverbs 3:32)

But Jesus became sin, because the greatest abomination, that we might be made not just righteous, but attaining, becoming the righteousness of God in Him! We are no longer rejected, by accepted, highly favored in our Beloved Savior (Ephesians 1:3-6).

In fact, even in the Old Testament, we have a picture of God's grace already at work. Notice that God does not say that the individuals who engage in same-sex behaviors are an abomination. He calls the behaviors themselves an abomination. 

Today, if you believe in Jesus, you are no longer an abomination, but a cherished child of God, one with Christ Jesus.

Confessing Our Sins Is Not Enough -- So What Else Is Needed?

TrueLove.Is is an incredible, new ministry for me.

It was really good to see young people, who on the outside at the very least are down to earth, not crazy, flamboyant, or just plain weird--and they struggled with same-sex issues.

I noticed a theme in two of the stories.

First, there's Jason Yolt:

He talked about the joy he had when he shared about his same-sex struggles with his small group of fellow-believers. However, he then admitted that he would still indulge in his same-sex desires. He would still fool around.

Confession of his sins, his struggles, did not set him free.

Then there was Raphael. His story is quite poignant, too.

He talked about the struggle with same-sex desires as early as 13 years old. My, such pain that he had to face as a youth, and the sense of emptiness which must have overwhelmed him, and for so long!

He later found a mentor, or it seemed that this mentor found him. Raphael later shares how this man helped him to understand the struggles of his father, how he was doing the best that he could. Raphael also commended his mentor for showing him a father's love, something that he did not receive from his own father.

Yet like Jason, Raphael continued to struggle with loneliness, the lack of love in his life, the hurt and pain. He still went after same-sex relationships, one-night stands, and chance sexual encounters.

Once again, confessing one's sins, sharing one's hurts, is just not enough. It does not set us free.

Let me clarify: sharing one's sins, hurts, and pains with others is a start, in that we stop feeling ashamed. But it does not solve the problem, resolve, the issue, dissolve the pain.

So, what does?

The Love of the Father!

"15Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever." (1 John 2:15-17)

No offense to Raphael's friend and mentor Jason, but his love could never rise up to, let alone equal, God the Father's love!

It just can't. It's not the same love. It never can be enough.

What changed for these two that delivered them?

I notice first of all that they came to God directly. Nothing held them back. They admitted to their loving Father, they came boldly to the throne of grace in time of need (Hebrews 4:16)

Second, they began to experience a greater love, the love of the Father, and we can experience that when we just come to Him, just like the prodigal son!

"20And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him." (Luke 15:20)

Just one little move toward your loving Father, and He will rush towards you with His love!

It's not enough to confess that we have bad feelings, bad thoughts, bad desires, and bad actions.

It's not enough to get rid of the bad. We need something better. 

Why else do so many of us, do ALL of us, choose to run after lusts of the flesh, the eye, and the pride of life? We don't have, we don't know, we have not allowed in THE BEST!

And that is the Love of the Father. Not the Love for the Father, i.e. our love for Him, but His love for us!

This is an enriching, never-ending love!

Confessing our sins is not enough. Why are we sinning? Why are we resorting to these empty lusts which cannot satisfy us? We should not get down on ourselves to confess our sins. We need to deal with that deeper need within ourselves.

We need to let the love of the Father in!

That's what is most needed! And that's what both of these men did!

“True Love Is” Helping People Come Out, Come Home

In the United States, there is growing awareness within churches as well as in the general public that homosexuality, transgenderism, and related paraphilias must be confronted fully. All the talk about seeking “religious liberty” as a point of compromise is not working. But in the church, there are few real ministries to help individuals, especially Christians, who struggle with same-sex desires. It’s scary enough to be honest with oneself about sexual feelings, intimacy, and identity. How does one “come out” to others, in the hopes of getting not just support, but truth to be set free?

Many churches seem to vacillate among extremes: condemn the behavior; compromise by allowing individuals to identify as “gay”, but instruct the to refrain from same-sex sexual contact; celebrate the entire corrupt LGBT rainbow and highlight such behaviors as normal, even exceptional.

Churches in America are not focusing on what causes these unwanted desires, either. In too many cases, there is no guidance from pastors and parishioners in properly dealing with this contentious issue. The implications of this lack are great, since church attendance is in sharp decline, much of it due to a falling away from the truth on core issues, including marriage and sexuality. Worse yet, compromise and condemnation are both culprits in this matter. What is to be done?

One key ministry which deals effectively with these problems came from Life Site News. They reported the incredibly moving and very personal confession of a young Christian and motivational speaker, Jason Lim, aka Jason Yolt. He travels the world testifying to thousands, telling people that they can—they should strive to—live their lives to the fullest. After all, If You Only Live Twice is the title of his best-selling book.

His spirit to engage others sprang out of his near-death experience while traveling in Cambodia five years ago. That near-tragedy forced him to confront his secret shame, too, which he admits openly: “I like … men.” This was a long-lasting struggle, his same-sex desires, compounded by what possible outcomes would result from coming out to his parents. Thankfully, Jason’s parents responded in a gracious manner. Jason relates: “When I came out to [my parents], they told me that even though they don’t approve of it [acting on my same-sex desires], they loved me because I was their son.”

That is the Gospel response: “Love the sinner, hate the sin.” In the Body of Christ, one should say “Love the saint, hate the sin.” All our sins have been forgiven, and the sin in the flesh has been condemned. Christians still sin, but we break free when we understand that there is no condemnation in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1-3).

This is the blessings of the Gospel which transforms Christians from glory to glory (2 Corinthians 3:18) Sadly, Paul’s revelation, including his exhortation to the Corinthian Church has not settled in the hearts of many believers:

“Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” (1 Corinthians 6:9-11)

We were sinners. Because of Jesus, we become saints, a new identity which causes us to abstain from sin and live godly lives. However, even though we as Christians will still fail, but we remain Christians still. God’s love make us sons, but a lack of revelation will lead us to lusting. John the Beloved writes:

“If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. (1 John 2:16)

If we do not allow “The Love of the Father” into ourselves, we will continue to settle for conditional lusts. From his parents Jason Yolt received unconditional love, a love which included not condoning same-sex behaviors. This love helped him break free. This message is the heart of the Gospel.

Jason’s testimony is not an isolated victory, but is connected to a larger ministry, “True Love Is”, which focuses on God’s true love, which helps to break free from same-sex desires. This ministry is accomplishing what same churches in the United States have failed to do: preaching God’s love without permitting sin.

The Gospel is about God’s grace, about God’s undeserved love, favor in our lives. We were still sinners, lost in our fallen state when God the Father sent His Son to die for us (Romans 5:8). Yet for too many Christians, they believe that following our first step into salvation, we are on our own to live upright lives in order to remain accepted by our loving Father. But David writes: “Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.” (Psalm 32:2) The main point is that the Lord does not impute sin, even when man sins; otherwise, there would be no reason to call anyone “blessed.”

There is no better example of God’s transformative, true love than the Parable of the Loving Father (Luke 15: 11-24). His prodigal son squandered everything, shortly after telling his father basically to drop dead by requesting his inheritance right away. When the destitute prodigal returns home, His father lavishes so much love on him, re-establishing his son’s status, which helps him break away from that old life. God’s unconditional love helps people break free of conditional pleasures, including sexual perversion. The “True Love Is” Movement rejects homosexuality and transgenderism as innate identities, but enhances our true selves as children of our Loving Father.

To help those caught in LGBT bondage, it’s time to announce: Come out, so that you can come home to God’s unconditional love, for that is where True Love Is!