????"?Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it?. (Proverbs 22:6)

Ministry Update from Garry Ingraham

As we launch into a new year of ministry, there is so much opportunity before us within the Church. As sure as the function and law of gravity, those who reject God and His design for human thriving will experience the consequences of their sin. Some will harden their hearts and double-down. Others will recognize the connection between their choices, their emotional pain, and the dysfunction of their lives. For these men, women, and young people, repentance and new life ? birthed out of surrender to Jesus Christ ? is near at hand. Jesus? statement, ?the fields are ripe unto harvest? (John 4:35) is as true today as it?s ever been. The Church is not meant to be in a defensive posture ? just holding the line on morality and truth. Rather, in love and service, we are to be in a position of offense as an extension of the work of God on the earth ? sharing the transformational light of Christ with everyone.

Of course, the statement that Jesus makes in Luke 10:2 ? ?The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest? ? is also true today. The planet is not lacking in people who have made professions of faith, but rather, Christ-followers who are being discipled and making disciples, willing to go into the ?fields? to share the love and salvation of God with lost and hurting people. The fields are our neighborhoods, our schools, our workplaces, our gyms, etc.

I never tire of hearing how God is at work in the lives of His sons and daughters. Their powerful stories of transformation bear witness to the kind of everyday work God does in the lives of those yielded to Him ? this is simply the stuff He loves to do for His kids; it?s the normal Christian life. Ongoing sanctification is a process that every true follower of Christ experiences. Christians can get off in the weeds of life struggling with familiar addictions, attitudes of the heart, etc., but a surrendered, Spirit-filled son or daughter comes to his/her senses and returns home to their Father. See Luke 15:11-32.

We?re living in some pretty dark days as a country and world. Confusion, rebellion, sexual immorality, pride, selfishness, disregard for human life, racism, government overreach, anti-Christ sentiment, and chronic fear are just a few realities on the rise.

Despite all that?s happening around us, we?re incredibly hopeful because God is never confounded. He is never caught off guard. His Kingdom advances regardless, and we are privileged to be called alongside Him in His magnificent work of redemption for those who will believe and surrender their lives to Him. The light of the true gospel shines brightest in dark places.

Melissa?s and my boys are voracious readers, and as homeschoolers we spend a lot of time in the library. Of all the places in the public square that ought to be safe for kids and full of great history, science, knowledge, and imagination, a library should be just that. However, alongside great literature is a rapidly growing body of anti-God garbage, polluting minds and hearts.

Whether it?s ?Drag-queen story hour? for kids, the celebration of prominently displayed immorality, anti-family ideologies in expanding collections of LGBTQ+ writings, or public school systems driving these ideologies every day, our children are constantly bombarded from pre-school to post-graduate university.

For example, my wife took our boys to the local library where at the entrance of the children?s area they walked past the loud-and-proud display of the LGBTQ+ section. One book, in particular, caught Melissa?s attention. The boys went on to search through the children?s fiction area, and Melissa stopped to flip through ?Raising Them? by Kyl Myers, published by Topple Books.

The publisher of ?Raising Them? states, ?How do we fight gender norms? We reinvent childhood?, and ?This book is for those who are passionate about ?Queering? parenting. What would the world look like if we allowed people to choose their own identities beyond boy or girl? Who would we be if we were encouraged to play with our genders from a young age?? I can answer these questions in two words: confusion and chaos!

These people would love to see the destruction of binary gender (according to God?s design) by painting rosy mental images of ?reimagining gender? as a world of beautiful rainbows and unicorns where you can be anyone/any-gender. But in fact, confused adults ?reinventing childhood? in this way demonstrate nothing short of cultural experimentation, abuse of children who were designed by God as either a boy or girl, and unraveling the basic fabric of what it means to be human (made in the image of God in our maleness and femaleness).

I have watched as activists within my former community (LGBTQ+) have cried for tolerance, while they themselves appear to be exempt from offering the same to anyone else.

In the 1989 book entitled ?After the Ball ? How America will overcome its fear and hatred of Gays? by Hunter Madsen (a marketing professor at Harvard) and Marshall Kirk (a neuropsychologist) ? both of whom identified as gay ? the following is written: ?It is not good enough that anti-gay bigots become indifferent to us, or merely tolerate us. We are safest in the long run if we make them like us. We must despise the love the person/hate the sin mantra and crush them. They must love us and our lifestyle. We will release a program of unabashed propaganda firmly grounded in long-established principles of psychology and advertising. We will emotionally manipulate them so we can desensitize them. We must jam their senses and muddy the waters of their beliefs by portraying such institutes as the church as antiquated, backwards, and out of touch with reality. We mean conversion of the average American?s emotions, minds, and will through a planned psychological attack in the form of propaganda, fed to the media and the schools.?

In the ?90s, the ideas of this book seemed like a pipedream ? utterly out of reach and unachievable. Today, however, the methods and goals described in this book seem prophetic because of their radical fulfillment.

A newly released report by Dr. George Barna entitled ?Millennials In America? further reveals the extent of the damage. Among many other concerning trends in this population, the report released in October 2021 finds that 30% of Millennials self-identify as LGBTQ+, and in the lower age-range of Millennials it?s 39%. Considering that for decades, based on sound research, the numbers have put the U.S. population of LGBTQ+ at around 1-3%, these are startling findings within the millennial generation (https://www.arizonachristian.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/George-Barna-Millennial-Report-2021-FINAL-Web.pdf).

I was honored to be asked to share my insights on two national Zoom panel discussions with Dr. Barna and a few other Christian influencers regarding the results of this report, and on how the Church can and should respond.

In early January of 2022, Bill C-4 took effect in Canada after being rammed through Parliament and the Senate the month before. C-4 supposedly criminalizes so-called ?conversion therapy?, but in fact it actually attempts to criminalize evangelizing, teaching, and discipling those who want to give their lives to Jesus and receive help living out Biblical sexuality and identity. The law is written so broadly that it isn?t merely a ban on ?conversion therapy? for youth from a licensed counselor, which is also a horrible idea that prevents young people from receiving the care they and their parent(s) desire. Rather, it?s a ban against everyone (child or adult) who desires support and care ? even pastoral discipleship and care. Under this noxious law, even parents could be brought up on charges and imprisoned for 5 years. This is insanity, and sadly many lawmakers in the U.S. have been pushing hard for the same kind of legislation in our country.

In a post by Eric Davis about the passage of C-4, he states, ?I spoke with a long-time Canadian citizen last week who said that the bill is intended to forbid things like actual physical harm, torture, kidnapping, and assault on children under the guise of ?conversion therapy.??

One would think that laws already established in Canada provide sufficient penalties for ?physical harm, torture, kidnapping, and assault on children? (and adults as well). Why then would C-4 be needed? It isn?t. C-4 has nothing to do with protecting LGBTQ+ persons. Rather, it is meant to compel speech, silence a full Christian message, and largely aimed at criminalizing people of faith ? who, by the way, are not doing any of those things to children or adults.

C-4 effectively declares to everyone experiencing unwanted same-sex attraction, gender dysphoria, or identity confusion, ?Too bad. We, as your government, are forcing you to accept only one direction for your life. Your right of self-determination is no longer a right. We don?t care about your faith, your convictions, or your conscience. We will threaten and imprison anyone who dares to help you move in any direction other than the one we have decided for you ? the only direction you?re allowed to change is to become LGBTQ+.? This bill was passed under the guise of compassion, protection, and care, but it is actually just another power-grab and anti-faith legislation.

Podcaster and author, Matt Walsh offers an insightful video critique on this horrible Canadian legislation: https://youtu.be/0EZ1CNOWwrM

As I stated earlier, there are many in high places of leadership in our country who would love to see similar coercive laws passed here. In the meantime, our educational institutions have been indoctrinating kids and young adults for years. One recent example is found in Minnesota Saint Paul Public schools partnering with an organization entitled, ?AMAZE?, which is an equity training and consulting firm, ?catering to young children as well as adolescents.?

What irony that a city named ?Saint Paul? after the apostle who had a dramatic surrender to Jesus, loved & communicated truth, wrote much of the New Testament, and clearly warned against the sin of homosexuality (as well as many other besetting sin patterns) would become a place where children are indoctrinated into anti-Christian, damaging sexual exploration and identity confusion, all under the guise of education.

In a story posted in Yahoo News, ?A Minnesota school district has partnered with an organization (AMAZE) that offers LGBTQ-affirming curricula for students as young as three years old.? Because along with math, science, reading, writing, history, and social studies, this is an added social indoctrination that kids really need? Ridiculous.

?AMAZE advertises ?Pride Resources? for children as young as toddlers for the purpose of ?supporting children with gay and lesbian family members? and ?understanding gender diversity.??

 

Of course, the so-called ?inclusion, affirmation, and support? are either already taught or coming soon to a school near you, and every other area of the country. As a father of young boys, it angers me that children are being used and exploited in this way. Their simple play, wholesome fun, and healthy exploration through the eyes and experience of a child are intentionally being polluted by an activist agenda, causing kids to doubt, fear, and question their own innate, God-given, binary biology.

As Christians living in a free country, with greater and greater threats coming against our freedoms, we need to stand up on behalf of children and adults who want to receive the care and support they desire for living according to their goals and values.

However, the WAY we express ourselves is vitally important. I stated that I am angry about this indoctrination on the population, and particularly the way the messaging is carefully crafted toward children ? in educational environments, throughout entertainment, on social media, etc. As Christ-followers, I believe we need to act, but not simply re-act the way the world does ? we need to be thoughtful, prayerful, and Spirit-led in our pushback on darkness and the confusion around us.

I need to constantly remind myself that we are in a spiritual battle. Satan and the forces of his kingdom of chaos are my enemy, not people who have been blinded by him to do his will.

?Now flee from youthful lusts and purse righteousness, faith, love, and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. But refuse foolish and ignorant speculations knowing that they produce quarrels. The Lord?s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient with wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.? (II Timothy 2:22-26).

Love & Truth Network?s primary ministry motto is: ?Leading with Love, Anchored in Truth.? So often, an organization?s motto can merely be just a nice-sounding, visionary idea that?s rarely lived out.

As followers of Jesus let?s open our eyes and first examine ourselves. Are we failing in our own sexual wholeness? Are we consistently living below the life that Jesus has saved and empowered us to participate in? If so, seek help for deep and authentic change. Then, be honest about spiritual war waging all around us, threatening our families, our communities, country, and world. As James 4:7 says regarding the proper order of action, ?Submit yourselves therefore to God.? Then, it says afterward to ?Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.?

Testimony of Liz Flaherty

There was no manipulation or shame, just unconditional love

My family moved to a small California town when I was young. I faced a lot of rejection growing up there for multiple reasons, one being that I was overweight and the other that I was a Christian. Attempting to fit in, I continually sought out romantic relationships, smoked pot, and abused alcohol. With plummeting self-worth, I gave myself to any guy willing to give me attention.

During high school, I found my relationship with men to be shallow and became calloused towards them. I found my relationships with women to be much deeper and more fulfilling. I?d experienced same-sex attraction from a young age but hadn?t talked to anyone about it.

One night as I sat with my friends, I had what I believed was my grand epiphany: I was a lesbian. I thought the pieces of my puzzler were coming together.

In college, I joined an LGBTQ community and separated myself completely from my religious upbringing. I believed I had been liberated and could pursue what I knew was best for me. Even with this new ?liberation,? I was still experiencing tremendous pain and depression, which led to medicating myself.

One afternoon as I was high, I became greatly aware of the severity of my depression and feeling of disconnection from God. I began to pray, ?I?m not sure if it?s okay to talk to you when I?m high, but I can?t get myself out of this.? Suddenly, I was overwhelmed with the feeling that God truly loved me. For a few days, I tried to resume my regular routine; however, when I went to smoke again, I felt like I was going to die. I didn?t want to quit, but eventually I realized that, clearly, I was to follow a different path going forward.

After this experience, I renewed my focus on my faith in God, including how it related to my sexuality. And even in the midst of all that, I continued to experience same-sex attraction.

After searching to understand my same-sex attraction, I was introduced to a sexual wholeness program that emphasized finding your true identity. It was led by a married couple who had walked through similar struggles. The group met once a week and formed a loving environment where we could open up, receive encouragement, and seek healing. These leaders let us be our messy selves, all the while helping us to grow. There was no manipulation or shame, just unconditional love. In that season of my life, I grew to understand where my desires and attractions came from and how to get deep emotional needs met in an appropriate and effective way.

These days, same-sex attraction no longer drives me. I know who I am and have a tremendous amount of peace and joy. I?ve been married to a wonderful man for 14 years now. I?m no longer in the painful cycle of trying to fulfill my needs through same-sex relationship with women.

You can find Liz?s story and many, many other wonderful testimonies of God?s grace regarding LGBTQ+ identity and behavior in the book ?Changed?. Order your copy today at: https://changedmovement.com/changed-book

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