SODOM REVIVED: GAY PRIDE PARADE

Lot, nephew of Abraham separated from him because there was a strife between the herdsmen of Abraham's cattle and Lot's herdsmen. The two of them separated and Lot chose the well watered plain of Jordan and he pitched his tent toward Sodom. The sins of the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked (Genesis 13:12). Sodom was located with its sister cities Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboim and Zoar at the southern end of the Dead Sea.

The righteous God wanted to destroy Sodom but before He did it, God appeared to Abraham to inform him of His plans. Abraham pleaded with God not to destroy Sodom if there were fifty righteous men. Eventually he bargained down to ten righteous men but there was not even ten in the city. When Lot pleaded to his sons in law to flee to the mountains, he was disbelieved (Genesis 19:14). Lot fled with his wife and two daughters, but his wife was turned to a pillar of salt for looking back to Sodom. The wrathful God destroyed the city of Sodom and sister city of Gomorrah (Genesis 19:23-28).

Throughout history warning upon warning was given about the destruction of Sodom and the other cities. Deuteronomy 29:23- 27states: "And that the whole land thereof is brimstone, and salt, and burning, that it is not sown, nor beareth, nor any grass groweth therein, like the overthrow of Sodom, and Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboin, which the Lord overthrew in his anger, and in his wrath: ... (v. 26) For they went and served other gods, and worshipped them, gods whom they knew not, and whom he had not given unto them. ..."

OLD TESTAMENT

Isaiah 1:9 Except the Lord of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah.

Jeremiah 23:14 ... they commit adultery, and walk in lies: they strengthen also the hands of evildoers, that none doth return from his wickedness: they are all of them unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah.

Lamentations 4:6 ... the punishment of the sin of Sodom, that was overthrown as in a moment.

Amos 4:11As God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah ...

NEW TESTAMENT

Romans 9:29 Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been like unto Sodom;

The apostle Luke described in Chapter 17:27-29: "They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. (v.28) Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; (v.29) But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.

Jude 7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh , are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

June 27-29, 2008 The federal NDP Leader Jack Layton and his wife, NDP Olivia Chow, (New Democratic Party), many members of the Liberal party, especially Energy and Infrastructure Minister George Smitherman, and Toronto Mayor David Miller are among the proud supporters of Pride Parade. "The glaring absence would be the federal Conservative party," says Fatima Amarshi, Pride Toronto's executive director.

Soldiers march in Toronto Gay Pride parade 29 Jun 2008 ... For the first time, members of Canada's Armed Forces represented the military in Toronto's annual Gay Pride Parade, held Sunday.

www.cbc.ca/canada/ottawa/story/2008/06/29/gay-pride.html?ref=rss

CANADIAN TELEVISION

Thousands of spectators celebrate Pride in T.O.

Updated Sun. Jun. 29 2008 7:14 PM ET CTV.ca News Staff

Downtown Toronto was bursting with Pride Sunday as a million spectators gathered to watch a colourful celebration of gay rights and lifestyle.

The annual Gay Pride Parade kicked off at 2 p.m. on Bloor Street East and then headed south on Yonge Street before heading back to heart of the Gay Village on Church Street.

The Pride Parade has been taking place for nearly three decades but this year was the first time members of the Canadian Armed Forces took part in the procession.

Pride Flag History:

The Rainbow (or Gay Pride) Flag was created by artist and vexillographer Gilbert Baker, a friend of the late Harvey Milk, in 1978. The flag debuted at the San Francisco Gay and Lesbian Freedom Day Parade. It has since been used around the world as a symbol of LGBT.

Colors of the Rainbow Flag:

The original flag had eight stripes from top to bottom: pink (sexuality), red (life), orange (healing), yellow (sunlight), green (nature), turquoise (magic), indigo/blue (serenity), and violet (spirit). Within a year, the flag had shed two of its stripes-pink and violet. According to Gilbert, they "ran out of pink dye." The violet stripe was later taken out to create an even number of stripes on the flag.

Since, many variations of the flag have been created. For instance, a black stripe is added to some symbolizing those lost to AIDS. There are also variations to represent bisexual people, bears and others.

HELP FOR THE HOMOSEXUALS

CRIES FOR HELP

I've been praying about this matter for almost a decade now, but practically nothing has changed. I feel so helpless, so depressed. I've been a loner all my life with no friends at all. I just can't seem to ever make friends. I tried and tried again, but nothing ever works.

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I need Jesus to help me desperately. I am a firm believer in Christ. I& #39;m 15 years old and am attracted to other guys. I've had crushes on girls too and I even have a girl in mind that I think would be great to marry. But I'm so confused. I hate these feelings; I want Jesus! I don't want this, I need his help. I don't want to have to deal with this, I know it's for a reason (I'm going to be a Youth Minister...go figure.) I need advice and prayer. Please help.

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I am 35. I want to go to my pastor, but I am afraid what he might think. The deal is I have been having homosexual thoughts. I don't know how to quit feeling this way. Can you help me?

I'm seeking guidance and assistance. I am 19 years old and I'm gay. But please don't stop reading. I have had these feelings for as long as I can remember. I was raised in a Christian household so I am familiar with the Bible. I know it says in many places that homosexuality is a sin but are the feelings sinful, or the acts? I just feel so lost. Please just pray for me. Please!

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Believe me, I did not ask to be attracted to the same-sex. I am tormented constantly; I live my life in solitude because of it. Is there any help for me? Where can I go for help? Who can I confide in? Being that I have never given in to these urges, do I have a place in heaven? Or do my homosexual desires damn me? Should I just give up? What future is there? I appreciate your help.

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This is a desperate cry for help. I'm 16. I don't have money to buy books. I can't seek help through people I know because I will definitely be shunned or shot. Those "happy coming out with your homosexuality stories" would definitely not apply to me. This is my situation. Sometimes I just want to be held. I think there's something missing that I'm searching for - the comfort - protection of a man.

About Cross Ministry

Cross Ministry, Inc. is a nondenominational Christian organization giving visibility to the reality of change for the homosexual through Jesus Christ. Cross seeks to glorify God through the Lord Jesus Christ who is the Bridegroom of the Church, in the unparalleled power of the Holy Spirit.

http://www.crossministry.com/ 

Over the years, Tim Wilkins has spoken to thousands of people in hundreds of different venues across the country and around the world--from Saddleback Community Church where Rick Warren is pastor, to Amsterdam where Tim spoke for the Billy Graham Association-from the Exodus World Conference in England to historic First Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas. 

His redemptive, compassionate and yet firm response to this heated issue has caught the attention of Chuck Colson's Prison Fellowship, BBN, and National Public Radio (NPR). It is no wonder that Gary Chapman, best-selling author of The Five Love Languages not only endorses Tim's ministry, but serves as an Advisory Board member. 

Such wide exposure has generated a multitude of testimonies from individuals and churches which have been impacted by Cross Ministry. A few of those testimonies follow. 

"I could not discuss my son¹s homosexuality until I met you. Nor could I have asked others to pray for him until I stopped being ashamed. Your ministry made his deliverance possible!" -- A father from Louisiana

"We invited our (lesbian) daughter to hear you speak. She sat next to us with her arms begrudgingly folded, frown on her face, and jaw clenched. As you spoke of Christ¹s power in your life, she listened intently. At the close, our weeping daughter was the first to bolt out of the pew and up front. God bless you!" -- A mother from North Carolina

It is possible that some homosexuals may change their orientation or way of life. Even if the number is still quite small, the reward is great. There is no one perfect person in the world, but if he changes, God would accept him with open arms, "I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance" (Luke 15:7). "Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth" (v.10).The option is open to those who seek. Praise the Lord.

COME ALL YOU WHO ARE DISTRESSED AND WISHED TO HAVE A BETTER LIFE. COME TO JESUS!

Jesus Christ Saved Me from 27 Years of Homosexuality