(Rom 6:9,10 KJV) Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.

On Jan 9, 2009, the Rev Ed Bacon declared on Oprah Winfrey that “Being Gay is a Gift From God”. Stunned, Winfrey responded, "Well, you are the first minister I've ever heard say, 'Being gay is a gift from God,' I can tell you that." Four days later on Jan 12, invited back to further expound on his controversial comments, "I meant exactly what I said," Bacon responded. "It is so important for every human being to understand that he or she is a gift from God, and particularly people who are marginalized and victimized in our culture. Gay and lesbian people are clearly outcasts in many areas of our life, and it is so important for them to understand that when God made them, God said, 'You are good.'"

It may not be a surprise that many gays don’t consider their orientation a gift as they have been through so much suffering from others as a result, and due to the strong condemnation of the church. For the more conservative, they would quickly claim that it is not in the bible. However, they would agree that Sexuality is a gift from God. Surely, homosexuality proceeding from sexuality is likewise a gift. Inconsistently, such strict demands are not made of heterosexuality. Some even call it a “lust” instead of a gift, but the biblical examples of “lust” refers to heterosexuality. Is sexuality then a “sin”? The Homosexual acts in the bible were done by straight people in the context of religious worship and practices and not out of love or same sex orientation. It was condemned by God because they went out of their way to please the gods that they worship instead of pleasing Jehovah God. Is the same sex action by itself a sin or do we judge by the motive?

Homosexuality is a gift, for Life is a gift from God. When we start to deny a part of our innate make up such as our sexual orientation, we begin in essence to reject this gift of life from God. This is called self hatred and it leads to self rejection. Gays suffer so many inferiority complexes because it is hard for them to love themselves. Without loving ourselves, how do we love our creator God? Life then becomes filled with internalized conflicts and struggles brought on by the unhealthy self condemnation of something that is innate and God given. We are fighting a civil war over a fictitious issue created by others. We may hide our sexuality, and outwardly tries to behave and act as a straight person and get married, but we all know that this contrary to how we are hard wired, and we are only doing do because of someone else false theology. For Gays, the strong condemnation from the church drowns out of own internal cry of humanity until our lives are like stormy waters. We lose our life and humanity amidst the loud cry of the majority religious will. Many live a life as if suffering from post traumatic stress syndrome caused by this deep and inner struggle especially for the more religious.

When we realized that Life is a gift from God, our life given as a Gay person, we begin to embrace our sexual orientation and live a fruitful well adjusted life instead of living a lie created by others who don’t care much of the harm and the pain they caused for the sake of their narrow religious dogma. There are those who illogically equate being gay as a disease and criminal abuse but they don’t apply the same biased test to straight people since they are straight. Therefore, Gays are guilty simply by their association and hypothesis so that they can conveniently explain the bible. Some Gay Christians even say it is the result of a fallen nature, ie from the fall of Adam. They live in denial, and I don’t blame them, for many Christian gays it is a reason used just to survive and to retain their faith walk in the midst of a deeply antagonistic religion. Christianity is filled with people who for their own selfish motives and religious convenience forced this interpretation upon this group of beautiful people, and have the audacity to call it a gay agenda when the only agenda is their unchristian and unholy attempt to lie, cheat and steal the lives of gay people. Therefore, our life as a gay person is God given and precious. Don’t ever let them take it away from you.

(Psa 91:1 KJV) He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

Coming out as a Gay Christian, I was fortunate. My internal conflicts have been alleviated somewhat by my relationship with God where I spent many a times of prayer, reflection, and reading the word of God. So the Word of God was indwelling within me, the written word, and also, the Holy Spirit. When young, I used to enjoy long hours of reflection and prayer. When I read the bible, It seems so real as if I was really there. When Jesus spoke in the bible, I could see Him speaking. I truly loved God, not only because He died for me, but because I have a relationship that is real, abiding and meaningful. When I was young, I will spent days dwelling in the presence of God, praying, reading the word, having communion with God. It was the presence and touch of God that I had desired most. I could spent hours speaking in tongues. I have set my heart and my love to Jesus Christ. He is my lover and my first love.

(Psa 91:14,15 KJV) Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.

Homosexuality is a gift, for it brings us close to the Father heart of God In 1998, when reading Isa 54, I felt God spoke to me, gently telling me that I am an Eunuch! and that He will take special care of me in His house. It couldn’t believe it because I am not missing any parts, but Eunuch could mean natural eunuchs! I just cried the whole night, for God has told me what I had already knew deep within that I was Gay. I wanted to deny what I am and how God created me, but God had no part in it. He called me as how He had created me, wonderfully and beautifully. I saw it as a curse, something undesired, but God saw me precious and wonderfully created. Seeing myself as how God sees me, has allowed me to accept myself, to start a journey of faith and trust which I am still on.

Homosexuality is a gift, for it brings us into the grace of God. When I was young Christian, I was faithful, holy and pious and what many others would see as a real potential to go into missions. Overnight, being gay bought by own sense of self righteousness and self worth to nothing. I thought I was a good Christian, but now I was the least and most despised. I was humbled by something that was innate within me. All my boasting whether outwardly or inwardly came to nothing. In order to accept myself, I had to come to a point of Grace, where I die to myself, my religious pride, ego, good works, abilities, and all that I had done for God. Nothing matters anymore, all of it now forever lost. People would see and judge me differently. When we reach the point of Grace, we lose ourselves, and everything now becomes centered on Christ, our life, our will, our all. The old man has died; we are now a new creation in Christ by the grace of God.

Homosexuality is a gift, for it brings us into the forgiveness of God. I have lost much because of my sexuality. I realized that I have hidden and suppressed by sexuality so deep inside my sub conscience that it had caused tremendous trauma and post traumatic stress syndrome. I sometimes find it hard to talk and relate to others and fear comes over me because the traumatic wounds that have taken place. I would have gone on far further in life (work, family, and financially) if not for the wounds caused by suppressing my sexuality. It becomes my weakness just as Moses had difficulty to talk. But God is my rod and staff and He will take me to rest beside the still waters of life. I have learnt and am learning to forgive the trespasses of others, the people and pastors speaking condemnation of homosexuality that have caused so much injury in my younger childhood days. Bearing the secret within and having to be quiet and be in hiding causes so much brokenness and wasted years. I had to forgive and in that depth of forgiveness not wanting anything back to judge them, I too have received the depths of forgiveness in Christ.

I believe that understanding that being Gay is a gift from God cannot be understood my mere intellectual agreement or because it was mentioned at the Oprah Winfrey show. It must be lived out and found in that journey of doing what best God has given us that we find it to be a precious gift from a loving Father. It is when we seek and find, that it becomes precious gift in the process. It is a journey of faith, that first starts when we reconciled with God, our sexuality. It is a journey of trusting in God, knowing the depth of grace that we have been given, and through it all going through this valley of the shadow of death and condemnation as a gay person, having and being dead to ourselves to live a resurrection life. Live no longer as the condemned, but live as a free person, alive and risen in Christ, and beautifully and wonderfully created in the image of God as a Gay person. Be blessed and be embraced in His presence and love.

O Lord, Heal us today. Heal us of our deep pain and woundings. O Lord, Give us new sight to today, to see ourselves as dearly beloved and previous. O Lord, help us today to accept ourselves as a gay person, for You have knit us and created us wonderfully. Give us the Grace, mercy, and wisdom, to live a life pleasing to You and may Your presence lead us to gentle waters and to the deep springs of eternal life. May all honour and Glory, Be unto You, Now and Forever. May we no longer live to ourselves but to You alone and for Your glory. Amen.

It's no longer I that liveth,
But Christ that liveth in me.
It's no longer I that liveth,
But Christ that liveth in me.

He lives, He lives,

Jesus is alive in me!
It's no longer I that liveth,
But Christ that liveth in me.