Finally! An Encouraging Story On Same-Sex Attraction!

[Tinky]

Pastor Defines His Identity Not in His Same-Sex Attraction, but in Christ

 

NPR featured a surprising story for last week’s Weekend Edition Sunday about a pastor who has same-sex attraction but married a woman. Rachel Martin of NPR interviewed Allan Edwards and his wife Leeanne, who are expecting their first baby in July. Allan pastors Kiski Valley Presbyterian Church in Pennsylvania, a congregation in the conservative Presbyterian Church in America denomination.

 

Allan explained how he wrestled with attraction to men in high school, but he waited until college before he opened up about it. Although he expected his friends at his small Christian liberal arts college to ostracize him, he experienced quite the opposite: “I actually was received with a lot of love, grace, charity: some confusion, but openness to dialogue.”

 

When Rachel asked why he didn’t just join a Christian denomination that welcomes same-sex relationships, he explained that he really considered it. But his interpretation of the Bible compelled him to do otherwise. “The center of Christianity is the Bible,”he proclaimed, and starting from this premise he studied whether the Scriptures permitted homosexuality.  He concluded that he could not simultaneously follow the Bible and his same-sex attraction, “I studied different methods of reading the Scripture and it all came down to this: Jesus accepts the rest of the Scripture as divine from God. So if Jesus is who he says he is, then we kind of have to believe what he believes."

 

Key paragraph: Allan provides a noteworthy example not only to believers wrestling with same-sex attraction but to any Christian who has desires that conflict with Scripture: and that’s all of us! First, he opened up about it with other believers who could provide encouragement and grace. Second, he resolved to follow God’s Word even if it clashed with his desires. And third, he determined to define himself not by his desires but by how God defines him: a redeemed disciple of Christ.

 

 

The Full Story: http://www.christianity.com/christian-life/marriage-and-family/pastor-defines-his-identity-not-in-his-same-sex-attraction-but-in-christ.html

[OakWood]

Very encouraging. May God bless him for his efforts.

[kwikphilly]

Blessings Tinky,

    Good article,good for him & I know of others that have been delivered from those strongholds,after all---thats all it is,Glory to God(He who is in us is GREATER than he who is in the world!       

 

King James Bible
Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.                                                       1 John 4:4

                                                                                                                                                        With love-in Christ,Kwik

[Pete66]

Imagine....taking Christ at His word!  Now if that don't bring one closer to deeper intimacy with God, I don't know what will.

[Cyrus]

.

"... as it was in the days of Lot. "

.

[poetwithablog]

What a great story! How encouraging!

[enoob57]

It is clearly the path from sins we must all take in order to say to our God we love you...

1 John 5:2-5

2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.

3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world,

even our faith. 5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

KJV

It is just that simple isn't it- we have desires that are not God's desires due to the twisted element of sin.

Bless this man who has stood as light among the darkness of homosexuality and won! Love, Steven

[Fro]

I agree this man has been bleesed

[Aver]

We all have to make the choice of Serving GOD IN CHRIST JESUS, THE CREATOR OF The Heavens and The Earth and everything therein ~or~ the anti-CHRIST, Satan because it is either one or the other. We all must understand that when JESUS Said, What GOD has joined together, let no one put asunder, HE was not just talking about a Man and a Woman getting Married, but the very concept, the Institution, the doing things in decent and in order as HE has arranged it. These are the things and ways we the people are not to knowingly and willingly tamper with. THE GOD OF THE BIBLE, THE GOD OF Israel, HE IS GOD and there is none other beside HIM.

[Rodion_Raskolnikov_]

Wow! This an amazing story. Thank you for sharing.

As I've gotten older I've found myself listening (almost exclusively) to talk radio, mostly conservative. I do listen to NPR, sometimes, to get a different opinion. I missed this one. Thanks again for informing me.

Wow! Again.

This is more than encouraging. I want to see more (of this thing).

Wow! Yet, again.

When I listen to liberal talk radio it usually confirms my conservative beliefs (through their ignorance, bias, and flat out lies). This one threw me for a loop.

A pleasant surprise Again, I'm glad you shared. I like to think that liberal perspectives can be aligned with conservative (however it may occur).