God, the one beyond the ages, calls us into visions bigger than ourselves and we at TRM have sensed a vision much bigger than one family, one organization, one church. Early on we realized the need for Christians to build authentic relationships with LGBTQ+ peoples so they might have encounters with God and choose Him over everything. The opportunity for Encounter comes from the Believer’s connection to heaven’s authority through the holy person, Jesus, the Messiah. These authentic relationships are our bridges and what we mean when we say we are building bridges.
The Ladder
Jesus prophesied over Philip’s friend, calling out his character and his physical location where he was before meeting Jesus (Jn. 1:47-48). To this, Philip declared his faith in Jesus as “..the Son of God..the King of Israel” (Jn. 1:49). Jesus recognized his accurate faith and told him he would see, “…greater things…heaven open, and the angels ascending and descending on the Son of Man” (Jn. 1:51). This story beckons back to Jacob’s ladder in Genesis (Gen. 28:12) and marks another Encounter that made Jacob aware of the living God and His promise , His power, His goodness, and His protection (Gen. 28:10-22). It became clear to both Jacob and to Philip and Nathanael that Jesus was the ultimate anointed King of Israel and His connection to heaven would forever change not only their lives but the lives of the many who would have Encounters through Jesus and His followers.
“The love, mercy, and understanding, and adherence to biblical Revelation shape an attitude which we believe most pleases God and therefore strengthens our Connection, our ladders
Many Ladders
Towards the end of Jesus mission, it became apparent that those who followed Him would have to now take heart and keep following Him through the Holy Spirit. Jesus comforted them and assured them of their eternal place with Him but also amazingly mentioned to them that they would continue the work and even to a greater extent, in Jesus’ place (Jn. 14:12). Essentially the one with the Ladder would empower them to have their own ladders.
Although some might debate this, you and I have the ability to have our own ladders and advance the Kingdom of God because of our Connection. It is in this connection wherein we can most effectively serve, love, and provide Encounters for LGBTQ+ people in our own lives.
So, in this day and age, my own son Justice, had a spiritual dream. Jesus was teaching a crowd and tons of injured and sick people where gathered around him when ladders came down from heaven. The sick climbed these ladders and were amazingly healed. This was an Encounter for both my son and I. It would prove that the living God was speaking something special about ladders and this has started to inform our ministry and our calling in building bridges.
We realized that we were to help people strengthen their connection to heaven. We believe this is in accurately understanding God through His Word, Presence, Revelation, and His Promise. We long to help the Believer to strengthen their Connection. By the way, we also believe that this means how our attitudes are shaped towards LGBTQ+ peoples. The love, mercy, and understanding, and adherence to biblical Revelation shape an attitude which we believe most pleases God and therefore strengthens our Connection, our ladders.
Many Bridges
We have become convinced of the simple need to build authentic friendship with LGBTQ+ peoples and Believers. People need to be authentically themselves, in both camps, for any important relationship to take place. We seek Believers who will go after Jesus and become more gracious and more truth filled with LGBTQ+ peoples in their lives. The effectual outcome of these authentic, mutually enriching relationships would be greater faith in what Jesus did on that cross 2000 years ago and in the engagement in discipleship with Him through a Believer a little further down the journey.
An Illustrated Ladder and a Bridge
In our Identity Pastoral Care and Counseling work, we seek to help Christians be more connected to heaven for the sake of LGBTQ+ peoples around them. Sometimes this includes parents and when we see parents repenting for how they’ve treated LGBTQ+ background children, we are overjoyed because we know a ladder is strengthening and a solid Connection can be made.
Repentance is a work of God, cessationists and non-cessationists alike, can agree on this (2 Cor. 7:10). A story of a repentant parent where the names and other identifying details will be kept anonymous would be apt to share here. Also, LGBTQ+ background Christians or LGBTQ+ persons in general might be interested.
A child came out to their parents but the parents didn’t take it well, and neither did the child. One of the parents reached out to us for help and over time shared their sense of failures in the relationship. This parent was sorrowful how they had handled their son’s coming out. He was also humbled by his own sin and wrote out a thank you letter to me at one point wherein he began to connect with Paul’s message to Timothy, “[h]ere is a trustworthy statement worthy of full acceptance, Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the worst” (1 Tim. 1:15). This parent took initiative to see themself as needy of the Gospel, humbled themself in their own journey, and started reaching out to their son with tangible increases in their relationship. This dad still holds a historic position but has grown leaps and bound in empathy. This child has accepted the pursuits of their parents. These parents are ladders and this relationship is a bridge.
We invite you to journey with us to strengthen our ladders and build bridges so Christian leaders come up from among LGBTQ+ peoples. Join our next online learning community.
