In many Gay churches, without oil of the Holy Spirit, like a car without fuel, the passengers would push the car along and still call it driving, and call it church. Its the heavy yoke on the oxen, the yoke of the law, the focus on the love commandments. The burden is so heavy on the gay community already burdened by condemnation of the mainline churches. No wonder, few attends.

We need the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is holy. He resides when Jesus becomes our righteousness. With the Holy Spirit, its like the boat with a big sail and the passenger sits on the boat doing little work, for the yoke of Jesus is light. We need the Holy Spirit to minister to gays who have lost everything. The Holy Spirit comes when there is righteousness by the cleansing water of the Cross, for He is Holy.

Sadly, the Holy Spirit is often grieved, tarry He may. The pulpit is abused for our own agenda or platform preaching. A word from the bible is quoted, and thereafter they close the bible. The Word of God is not expounded nor interpreted in context. Human ways are expounded based on the historical critical methods. We need to go down the riverside, where the water flows, the cleansing by the blood of the lamb, because gays are thirsty for the living water and fed up of religion.

Many gay churches quote the bible because it is inside the lectionary, nothing more. Hence, the Word of God is not heard and faith is not manifested in the church members. The Cross for many is foolishness for to them surely a loving God would not send Jesus to the cross, nor people to hell!. Surprisingly, even with their intellect, they dont ask why when their church is only 50 to 100 after one decade in a city of a few million where they are the only inclusive church.

1 Cor 1:18,19 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: I will destroy the wisom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.

Gay people dont come to church because gays are fighting, fighting to survive, and the church offers little. Its not about love really because the love of the church has failed us. We are very very angry people stolen of our lives, love and dignity. It is time to lay down our arms beside the riverside. It is a war outside and within. Peace is needed, peace with self, peace with God, real peace that can only be found in Jesus and not man made spirituality disguised in having to do the love commandments.

Many of us are really first century Greek philophers where the miracles, events, and the power of God, and the Cross of Jesus is considered foolish. Having a bible degree makes us no smarter. Trying to save others is ironic, when they themselves are perishing because of the unbelief and doubt. Salvation doesn’t come by our works of love. Gays need to receive God’s grace in our churches.

When the message of the Cross is preached, we go down the riverside. We gather there, our kindoms founded on the cleansing of the Cross by the blood of the lamb. The kindom community is not founded on our love for God nor for each other but what  on what the Cross has done for us. The pool of water, that Jesus brings us to, that gushing river Jordan.

When we gather together drinking the water that make us thirst no more, then there will be  healing, peace, and reconciliation for the Gay community in Jesus Christ. Instead many churches look like a priveleged group of bitching angry queens trying to save themselves by trying to love others and God and playing church.

When we are there at the riverside, the water may not be still for often there will be a gushing wind, the wind of the Holy Spirit to bring revelation of the Word of God into our lives. The fields are ripe unto a rainbow harvest.

Listen, do you feel, the gushing wind of the Holy Spirit, the call unto the deep waters of the Word of God to reveal Jesus as our righteousness and restoration to a very hurting and downtrodden Gay tribe. The bible says that the church will be a house of prayer for all tribes. Only the gay tribe remains, but the church must change for open doors alone is never enough.

We have to take off our sword and shield before we can step into the waters of God’s grace, and let the Holy Spirit comes blowing in. We will never be alone again, for the Holy Spirit is blowing around and in us over and over again when we understand God’s grace in Jesus Christ and not bounded by works. Then, we will anger no more for Jesus will restore all that we have lost and much more.

Gonna lay down my sword and shield

Down by the riverside x 3

Gonna lay down my sword and shield

Aint gonna war no more