It’s Time To Rise Up!!

This was an article I had published in the Fellowship of Ministries and Churches magazine. It is affiliated to Christ For the Nation’s Bible College, where I graduated.

We are in a time like no other. We see the things of this world that we once valued with less significance, but now we can see what truly matters. We are making decisions on what is truth, and what isn’t. We need to ask ourselves, what hill are we willing to die on? I hope our answer is, “I’ll die on the hill of Calvary with Jesus!”

As much as we have all learned about eschatology, I still find myself in disbelief watching prophecy play out right before our very eyes. The Lord said there would be apostasy before His return. We read about this in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3, 2 Timothy 4:3, and Hebrews 3:12. But even though we know these things must take place, we can’t sit back and wait for someone else to do something about it. WE must rise up, and we must believe God’s Word is 100% infallible.

We cannot only believe the Word; we must be doers of the Word as well.

Deception is absolutely on the rise. Satan always overplays his hand.

I believe we are in a time when the Lord is separating the wheat from the tares, the sheep from the goats. But praise be to God—He will have a pure and spotless bride.

In my research of church history, I have read about a period of time when the Church had a strong influence in every sphere of society. In fact, there were times when legislators conferred with pastors on laws yet to be passed. We sure don’t see that happening much anymore! In fact, some churches have resorted to preaching an anemic Gospel—removing the things that sinners need to hear in order to be convicted of their sin; and to allow the flow of the Holy Spirit to convict sinners of what separates them from God, and from the things Paul said, “so easily ensnare us.”

These days, rather than the church influencing the world, the world is influencing the Church—and it’s time for it to stop!!!

So, I am writing this article to remind all of us that Jesus transforms—PERIOD!

We read in Romans 12:2, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God”

The word “transformed” in Greek is metamorphoo, which is where we get the English word, metamorphosis, which means to change or to be transfigured.

While it is true, we were all born separated from God and in need of a savior; and we all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God—each one of us needed (and still needs) a Messiah! So, why is it that so many people in churches believe God created the entire world and galaxies; they believe God can heal the drunkard, the fornicator, and the prostitute; but they don’t believe He can transform someone like me who was transgender for over three decades?

Either we believe God and His Word are truth, or we don’t.

After Jesus was baptized, He went out, fasted, and was tempted in every way. After 40 days, He went to the synagogue, opened the scroll, and read Isaiah 61, “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound.”

The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead lives in every one of us who has been baptized in the Holy Spirit. He didn’t withhold part of Himself from any one of us!

To whom did Jesus say, “Those who believe will do great exploits?” Those who BELIEVE! 

Everyone has experienced brokenness or trauma, and we often come to a place where we just learn to live with our brokenness, or to live out of that brokenness. One example is prostitution. Many people who prostitute themselves have experienced some sort of trauma. Not only sexual trauma, but trauma in general.

We develop coping skills, but is that what God wants? Coping skills? NO. HE SETS US FREE!

Beloved, Jesus transforms! God can’t help but transform people. It’s who He is, it’s what He does. It’s the nature of God to transform people into His image. Why do you think we have the Gospel? Was God just being cute? Emphatically, No! “It’s the POWER of God, onto salvation, for everyone who believes.”

At Agape First Ministries, we train and equip churches and ministries to understand the nuances that are associated with people who (like me at one time) need help connecting to Jesus. It is not my responsibility to make a gay person straight, it’s my right—my responsibility to connect people to God. It is the responsibility of all of us, to bind up the brokenhearted and to set captives free.

It was the prayer of Jesus’ heart in John 17 that we would know we are one! United in Him! When we are united, strong, and working together, we establish God’s authority in the land, and there is nothing that can stop us.

Consider the Chickens, O Wounded!

A friend of mine recently began sharing with me some of the frustrations of raising chickens. She began talking about pecking order and the precautions that need to be taken to protect those birds lowest in pecking order. I couldn’t help but see the allegorical social similarities between chickens and kids in junior high. For those of you, like me, who were of the “lowest pecking order” amongst our peers in school, you will soon see that we need not stretch the imaginations far to see the lessons to be learned by observing a chicken coop.

Here is an excerpt from the website ChickenKeepingSecrets.com:

Pecking at each other is normal chicken behavior. It’s probably the most used form of communication amongst a flock. Sometimes when a chicken is molting, it will have bald spots. Normal pecking will often result in a wound. The chickens doing the pecking don’t necessarily aim for the bald spot, it just happens.

But when chickens draw blood, they go a little berserk. For some reason, blood sends everyone into a frenzy, and they further attack the already-wounded animal. The more blood there is, the more they attack; and most often, this will end in death for the wounded animal.

Sometimes, I will have a chicken that just gets picked upon constantly. She’s most likely towards the bottom of the pecking order. If she has wounds, I’ll be more likely to remove her from the flock and put her in our chicken infirmary until her wounds are completely healed. If she is molting, I’ll keep her until she is fully feathered again.

We touched on this last week, but it bears repeating; when a chicken has been removed from the flock, it will lose its place in the pecking order and be treated as a newcomer. Newcomers are treated terribly by the existing flock and must prove themselves if they are to be anywhere but the bottom of the pecking order.

For this reason, it’s important that you always introduce, or reintroduce, chickens to an existing flock in groups of 2 or more so that they get a break from the harassment until the new pecking order is established. It is also important that newbies are in top condition with no bald spots or wounds before being brought back to the coop.

At Agape First Ministries, we talk a lot about how the Church has both wittingly and unwittingly mishandled, hurt, damaged, and in some cases even downright rejected or driven off, same-sex attracted individuals and those coming out of the LGBTQ lifestyle. People who are searching for community—safety, love, acceptance—family.

I wonder if there is something to be learned here? By removing these individuals from the flock (the larger church body/megachurch lobbies and gatherings), bringing them into a soul infirmary (one-on-one personal discipleship and relationship building), and then introducing them back into the Church coop with “2 or more” gathered around them (think in terms of Aaron and Hur, holding Moses’ arms up throughout the battle).

In God’s economy, the first shall be last and the last shall be first. If this isn’t a verse about pecking order, I don’t know what is! This verse shows us that when Jesus walks into the Christian Coop (aka the Church), He searches out those lowest in the pecking order, He gently picks them up, and holds them in His arms—safe from the frenzy of clucking and pecking—heals their wounds and sets them back on their feet. He is also there to watch over that fledgling, newly healed bird, ensuring that they move up the pecking order from last to first.

I have seen Him do this in my own life. How beautiful that He has baked this process into observable creation—in a chicken coop, of all places! Solomon once said, “Consider the ant, O sluggard!” To which I say, “Consider the chickens, O wounded!” And to the Church I say, WHO are you in this scenario? The loving farmer, tending to His much-loved bruised little birdie…or one of the chickens with the smell of some wounded bird’s blood filling your nostrils?

Truth be told, I believe we have all been on both sides of the beak. The good news is, there is hope and healing for all of us. 

Agape First Ministries Testifies at Minnesota Legislative Hearing

On March 2nd, 2022, leaders from Agape First Ministries testified at the Minnesota House of Representatives related to the Minnesota House Bill HF2156 introduced by Democrat Representative Athena Hollins (DFL) of St. Paul. The bill is described as “Conversion therapy with children and vulnerable adults prohibited, medical assistance coverage prohibited, and misrepresentation of conversion therapy services or products prohibited.”

AGAPE FIRST MINISTRIES BELIEFS

Transformation is available to all who call upon the Name of Jesus. Our belief at Agape First is simple: when the kingdom of God manifests in the life of a repentant sinner, transformation occurs. Yes, it is a process that lasts until the day we meet Jesus face to face, but the moment we turn to God He begins a good work in us. A work He promises to be faithful to complete.

It is our desire to offer the life changing power of Jesus to all people—the LGBTQ+ community included. There are many faithful followers of Christ who desire to bring their sexuality into agreement with their faith. We believe each one of these precious men and women deserve the dignity to choose lives of obedience to the teachings of Jesus. A transformed life under the leadership of Jesus is not harmful or abusive, but freeing and life-giving to sincere followers of Christ.

Additional Agape First Ministries belief statements can be found here.

HF2156 IS HARMFUL

HF2156 bill is harmful to the Christian individuals and families in our community, but also to the LGBTQ community themselves. Pastor Luca Groppoli shared her heart toward the LGBTQ community and those who have stepped out to follow Jesus. She is concerned about and the healing options that would be taken off the table by this bill given her own experience which she shared during the hearing. 

TESTIMONY OF CHANGE VS CAN’T CHANGE

A large portion of the narrative behind ‘conversion therapy bans’ are the demonic lies (1 Timothy 4:1) that people are born gay, and that they cannot change. This of course denies God’s created order of everyone being heterosexual by design and the ability of the human mind to adapt, heal, and change, and the powerful work of redemption and sanctification Jesus does in His disciples.

Today we heard many ‘experts’ claim that it is impossible to change sexual orientation or to detransition from being transgender. However, there were many of us who testified of being changed and restored. What sticks out as particularly harmful is how this kind of legislation comes with the explicit denial of the (ex-LGBT) Christian community. Even though we do exist, the LGBTQ lobby and their supports blatantly say we do not exist. It seems by necessity to keep their illogical narrative afloat that they must deny that we exist or their legislation and religious beliefs are made out to be an obvious error and harmful to us and others.

Reverend Daren Mehl was particularly concerned about the infringement of parental rights because the language of the legislation requires that parents and therapists affirm the transgender identity of a child, regardless if the parent believes it is not authentic to who the child is. Reverend Mehl shared a very tragic story of a parent whose child was ‘transgendered’ behind the parents back at school. Reverend Mehl also shared a story about sharing The Changed Movement book with his representative which documents dozens of testimonies of people who have changed..

CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS

Reverend Mehl pointed out the Constitutional crisis we are in at this time. When elected officials knowingly and brazenly break their oath to uphold The Constitution, with the example of his (former) representative Bierman boldly proclaiming his desire to stifle free speech and religious speech, specifically the testimony of redemption and sanctification by faith in Jesus Christ. Representative Bierman doubles down on his Constitutional oath breaking here: https://youtu.be/1_pbg3YNTCQ

LEGISLATION PASSED COMMITTEE

The horrendous piece of legislation HF2156 that was passed through committee today on party lines (Democrats Yay, Republicans Nay) is harmful to the Christian community we are called to minister to when licensed therapy is necessary. When working with individuals in pastoral care situations, it sometimes becomes clear someone is suffering from past traumatic sexual abuse or other significant events in their life that requires licensed talk therapy practitioners, and so we would refer for additional care.

LICENSED THERAPY AT RISK

It is often times the right thing to refer for the mental health and spiritual growth of the individual. However, in good conscience, we cannot refer to a licensed therapist who would knowingly work against the best interest of the Christian disciple by affirming them in a false identity other than what God planned for them.

Because every person holds a religious worldview bias, licensed therapists included, it is necessary to know that a referral therapist would be willing to allow a Christian disciple their self directed goals of diminishing sinful behavior or seeking to align their behaviors to their beliefs.

This legislation would prevent any referral to licensed therapy because every therapist would have to deny the Christian clients goal of seeking their authentic identity as created by God. It would also discriminate against Christian therapists by forcing them into a LGBTQ religious belief system which denies our Creator. It would be precluding them from working in a direction of their clients choosing, deny parents’ rights to direct their children in medical and spiritual care, and prohibit access to therapy based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

CONSUMER FRAUD LANGUAGE

On a final note, this bill is particularly dangerous to the rights of Agape First Ministries (and churches in Minnesota) to host our conferences and sell our discipleship materials in Minnesota. The language in the bill infringes on our Constitutional rights by prohibiting what they call promotion, sales, services of ‘conversion therapy’, which they’ve made clear includes our ministry conferences, books, and pastoral care sessions.

MORE INFO

Agape First Ministries encourages everyone who loves their neighbor and desires to love God to write to their Minnesota representatives, senators, and even the Governor of Minnesota, and let them know your concerns about the harm the bill will have it is passed into law.

Bill Information: (It exists as two bills, different numbers in House and Senate)

HF2156 on Minnesota House of Representatives website
https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=House&f=HF2156&ssn=0&y=2021

SF1871 in Minnesota Senate Website
https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?f=SF1871&y=2021&ssn=0&b=senate

The full hearing can be viewed here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gSlcDYZmKs

The full audio can be downloaded here:
http://ww2.house.leg.state.mn.us/audio/mp3ls92/prehealth030222.mp3

All of the information provided as testimony for the hearing is provided here:

Audio & Video Archive – Minnesota House of Representatives

Daren Mehl Written Testimony:
Daren Mehl Testimony – Minnesota HF2156

Daren Mehl Spoken Testimony:
Daren Mehl Spoken Testimony HF2156

Nate Oyloe Written Testimony:
Nate Oyloe Testimony HF2156

Dr. Laura Haynes IFTCC Testimony:
Dr. Laura Haynes Testminoy HF2156

 

 

What it takes to heal

At Agape First Ministries, one of the things we talk about and emphasize on regarding SSA and the brain, is how our feelings and emotions affect how we live. 

Secular neurologists, brain scientists, have discovered how our feelings which are hard wired in our brains, and how we respond to them.

Let’s see what they have concluded.

They discovered these feelings, and emotions, which are listed as sadness, shame, fear, disgust, anger, and hopelessness, and how they are regulated in our brain.

We know that fear and anger, and not necessarily bad, fear tells us when we are in danger, and anger can tell us when something is unjust. 

Proverbs 27:3 says so a man thinketh in his heart so is he. 

So just how do our thoughts affect how we live? 

God created us with emotions, joy being a main emotion which allows us the opportunity for growth, by being securely attached and connected to godly healthy people, in order for us to grow to fullness as God designed.

We read in Psalm 16 You make known to me the path of life;

you will fill me with joy in your presence,with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

Joy, which is mentioned throughout Scripture, helps us connect to people. What is the meaning of joy? It can mean someone is glad to be with me,I’m honored and celebrated. Someone likes me.

Joy helps us to feel safely connected, first to Mom and Dad, and in return can feel safely connected to God and others.

But what happens when we experience trauma? What is trauma?

Well first of all it’s important to note that there are two types of trauma: there is absence of good or needed things. Trauma is also experienced with the presence of bad things.

Trauma can set in when there are unresolved issues. 

I shall use my own experience to better help you understand.

As a child I had several traumatic experiences, (sexual) abuse, the loss of a parent, and my father shutting down, after the loss of my mother.

Believing I was intrinsically not good enough to be cared for, or protected, I came to several wrong conclusions. When we don’t have answers, our brains will automatically try to figure things out. As mentioned in Building Bounce P.123.” Shame loves to rush in and fill the space between with colorful narratives.”

It goes on to say shame is a disconnector. When we feel shame it sends a Cascade of disconnecting beliefs and emotions that can saturate a person’s whole being and makes you feel detached from your heart, thoughts, feelings, and identity. Shame also sends signals to your true self to hide, which makes you feel even more disconnected from God and others.

I felt disgusted with myself about what I experienced, which was not God’s plan, nor how He felt about me.

Another word we use at Agape First Ministries, is attunement, or, when our emotional needs are noticed, reflected and met.  “I see you, I hear you, I understand.”

The absence of having people tuned in to us, results in these negative emotions.

No one in my family seemed to be attuned to me, enough to notice that there was something wrong with me. I began to feel those big 6 things, secular science mentioned in their studies.

So, there I was, trapped in hopelessness, riddled with fear, disgusted with my own body, feeling shame that I was abandoned. I stayed stuck in these feelings. 

Had someone been attuned to me they would have helped me to feel safe, joyful, and connected. Rather, my experience overwhelmed my capacity.

At that point my relational circuits, or my capacity to stay connected to others, were turned off.

God, in His goodness, intentionally designed us with this default of shutting down, when things are too painful, and through biblical discipleship, we ought to help others get connected to safe people, as well, become safe ourselves.

I’m sure you’ve experienced overwhelming situations, like there’s so much laundry, I can’t take care of my family,but what happens, when a friend comes over, and decides to help you? You feel relief, like someone cares, and helps you feel not overwhelmed, you can face the challenges before you, becauseyou’re no longer alone.

What happened to me was I remained  stuck in these emotions. With no one to help me get reconnected. As a result, I developed dissociative disorder, meaning, I disconnected from myself. I checked out, my relational circuits were all turned off.  Remember, shame is a disconnector.

Knowing I needed to feel connected to someone, I found comfort and acceptance with others who were also same sex attracted.  How wonderful and lovely it was to meet people like I was! Belonging helps us build resilience, knowing that I belong to a group gives me the security of knowing that I don’t have to go through hardship alone.

However, there was an element that was missing, intimacy. Or as some say “into me see” in order to have intimacy, you have to risk vulnerability, and I didn’t find anyone with “my people” who I could be vulnerable with. Sometimes, I would bring up hurtful memories, only to be looked at as if that was not something we talk about.

Again, I was felt feeling empty and alone. But God had another plan, and that experience was just another stepping stone to real freedom to getting unstuck.

From book Building Bounce 

” Bring to Curt Thompson in his book The soul of shame, we have a god-given need to be seen, known and loved for who we are without fear of rejection. However, we each intrinsically understand that the more of me that is exposed to another, the more at risk I am to experiencing pain. That is a conflict that we attempt to solve in a number of ways. We may hide, run, fight, or try to please.

If exposing our weaknesses feels dangerous, we may set out to exterminate vulnerability. We may try to control how others see us, hide away the messy parts. But what if vulnerability isn’t a sign that something is wrong with me? What if it is how I was created? What if God intentionally created us as vulnerable beings because we were never meant to do life on our own? What if we can’t do life without God and without others? What if embracing my vulnerability is actually the bridge that brings the connection my heart has been longing for? We cannot feel loved if we do not feel known, and we cannot feel known if we are not seen.”

By now, I hope you are wondering how I got unstuck? I’m glad you asked. 

There are several people in my life who made a HUGE impact on my life.

Beginning with my spiritual mamma at the church where I gave my life to the Lord.

As well, these women showed NO motives to “change” me. Rather, they invested in me, helped me see clearly who Jesus and the Father are.

They didn’t tell me when I wasn’t living right, that’s the job of Holy Spirit, and they trusted Him who began a good work WOULD, in fact complete that work.

They encourage me, they build me up in my faith. They simply loved me right where I was, I never felt like “I wasn’t enough”

LOVE!!! It was the love of Jesus, that shines brilliantly through these women, and love is what transformed my heart to desire to be like Jesus.

The result of this was my new identity in Christ, I had a new group identity. And as Paul wrote in Hebrews 12:1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.

At last, I was connected to the joy of the Father, and connected to joy of being with others who loved me, and cared for me. In that place, I too am becoming like Jesus.