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Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Open Letter to the LGBT Community


Dear World Wide LGBT Community,

Greetings in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ!

After 7 years of prayerful consideration, and a thoroughly transparent vetting process, today, November 22, 2011, I am proud to officially give my full support to Eagle Mountain International Church as a safe space for LGBT people to worship!  I am writing today to share my reasons for doing so with the World Wide LGBT Community.

Throughout the month of November 2011, God has been opening the door to His House of Prayer for All People wide enough to include ALL people, as the Church becomes aware of additional information from the Word of God regarding LGBT people that has simply not been recognized before.  As they do, obviously there is going to be a period of exploration and examination of these findings from Scripture as shared throughout The Bed Keeper.  As you know, there's a LOT of Scriptural territory to cover, and this process will not happen overnight.

However, already there is one church taking the lead on embracing us, and I believe we should give prayerful consideration to responding to their efforts.  While many in the LGBT community may remain as rightfully skeptical as many Christians will be of the new findings from Scripture, it is important that we do not lose momentum toward identifying and securing (as well as financially supporting) those brave few Shepherds who are now beginning to step up and take Jesus up on His challenge to find ALL the lost sheep.

Since this is something new for all of us, it is important to recognize that missteps from the Church AND the LGBT community will most likely continue to be a part of life as we move toward each other on this journey, but that should never be a reason for us to lose ground, retreat from the challenge, and give up hope of mainstream Christianity at long last embracing the LGBT community as full participants in God's Kingdom as Brothers and Sisters.  If we don't do it for ourselves, we must at least do it for generations of LGBT youth who come after us.   Having found a Church willing to begin the process, it would be a great travesty for us to fail to respond.

I recognize many in the LGBT community have been Christians all their lives, and have felt sentenced to politely knocking outside the Church door instead of being welcomed with open arms, just as we are.  As the Church begins to recognize that Jesus taught we are born this way from our mother's wombs, and have a significant, and prophetically critical role to play in God's House of Prayer, the walls are indeed coming down, eyes are being opened, and hearts are being filled with the love of God and His people; all of His people.  That is not however a reason to expect that every Christian has fully embraced these findings from Scripture, but it instead presents an opportunity for all LGBT people and our families to help facilitate their understanding.  I believe The Bed Keeper will help.

As this process rolls out across America, and indeed throughout Christendom around the world, I write today to especially encourage your patience, your prayers, and your persistent study of the findings in The Bed Keeper, so that you are empowered to share the Good News the Gospel has for LGBT people with those in the Christian faith who have traditionally been taught it was silent. 

Patience is key!

Prayer is power! 

Persistence is vital! 

When it comes to the role LGBT people play in God's Kingdom, we are dealing with prophecy, not philosophy.  We are dealing with truth, not traditions.  We are dealing with revelation, not rights.  These are spiritually discerned, and can be cumbersome to convey with mere human language.  It is my hope that The Bed Keeper will help all Christians come to a fuller understanding through further study; line upon line, precept upon precept, just as God teaches all other principles pertaining to the Kingdom of God throughout His Word.

Some LGBT people may be asking why Eagle Mountain International Church?  It would take many answers to fully answer that question, such as my long following of their ministry for the past 18 years, and my growing appreciation for the quality of accurate Scriptural teaching from their ministry regarding The Holy Spirit, Prayer, Compassion--and especially LOVE--which they (and their associate ministries) provide the entire Body of Christ as a matter of course.  But there is no greater confirmation I can direct anyone to than a unique prophetic utterance given by Brother Justus Du Plessis in August 1996 regarding LGBT people coming to Eagle Mountain.  I provide a detailed analysis and interpretation of the events God proclaimed through Brother Justus here.  While this prophecy was uttered so long ago, it seems it would take the help of those from the LGBT community to interpret its meaning as fully as The Bed Keeper has attempted to do, before the Church recognized exactly to whom the prophecy was directed (aside from Eagle Mountain).

I began following Eagle Mountain International Church in 2004.  This prophecy was given in 1996.  It was included on a taped teaching of Sister Billye Brim in her teaching series, "Daniel," that I purchased in (I think 2006) and is available from her website in CD format here.  

It is a vital teaching for any LGBT person who wants to more fully understand this important Book from Scripture.  In this series, she teaches from Eagle Mountain International Church, and Pastors George and Terri Pearsons give insights into the details of how that day in August 1996 unfolded, share the prophecy from Brother Justus Du Plessis with Eagle Mountain's congregation, and how part of it began to unfold in October 1996 as Sister Billye shared and taught on the Book of Daniel (a significant directive from the prophecy).  I think you will see that it provides any thinking person with the same conclusion; Eagle Mountain International Church has been designated by God Himself to be the epicenter of the new ingathering of LGBT people into Christendom, through the prophetic gifts and leadership of The Holy Spirit, Himself!  It should help to assure the skeptics that this is not just a randomly chosen church for the LGBT ingathering, but in fact is much more than any of us could hope, think, or dream.

Some LGBT people may be asking why choose a ministry associated with Kenneth Copeland Ministries, whom most of us are aware of only through news accounts of alleged shortcomings?  I share in detail both our community's awareness of these past reports, as well as our expectations that future issues will be adequately addressed by KCM leadership in this open letter.  I hope it provides assurance to the LGBT community that these are past issues which we are not turning a blind eye to, but we must indeed forgive as Jesus forgave, with the confident expectation that future issues don't thwart the newest move of God in His Church as pertains to full LGBT inclusion.  We also have to keep in mind that news reports only shared allegations.  There has never been any "proof" of any wrongdoing by either Eagle Mountain International Church or Kenneth Copeland Ministries.  We cannot allow our skepticism to blind us to this important realization.  I more fully explained the purposes of the open letter to KCM as well as more recent issues that may tend to impact the LGBT community in a negative way in this open letter to Eagle Mountain International Church. 

I have no doubt they will do everything they can to ensure both ministries remain above reproach, but recognize there are times when both may take actions or make statements many will disagree with.  Again, we cannot allow such instances to keep us from the promises of God, and with the new revelations from God's Word concerning our community, I am certain both ministries will take steps to ensure the very highest quality ministry teachings, products and services throughout the entirety of their vast ministry network.

Nobody is perfect, and that's just as true of individual Christians as it is of each Christian ministry (and each LGBT person).  While we will not remain silent if further issues arise, I am encouraging us all to handle each instance with sincerity, respect, truthfulness, and professionalism.  It is also important to recognize November 11, 2011 as the "line of demarcation" between the Old days in the Church and this new Day in Church, marked distinctively through a prophecy led by Brother Kenneth Copeland himself which you can read here. 

In short, if further issues arise we should keep in mind that the leadership, staff and people of Eagle Mountain International Church and Kenneth Copeland Ministries are indeed advancing the cause of Christ to the LGBT Community as best they can.  We as an LGBT community must keep in mind this is all brand new and NOBODY has ever done it before in all of human and Church history!  That doesn't mean we shouldn't try, but it does mean I believe we should be patient with each other as the process moves forward, and recognize that as human beings, mistakes are bound to happen.  But we as the LGBT community can no longer afford to simply take offense and shrink back in defeat when issues come up from time to time.  Our new relationship with Eagle Mountain and Kenneth Copeland Ministries is just that; a relationship.  All relationships must remain flexible enough to allow room for disagreement from time to time, or they will inevitably become brittle and break.  Remember, even Jesus' Own Disciples disputed amongst themselves here and there.

Our own personal resurrections as well as those of every Christian who has ever lived is on the line, as well as the establishment of safe secure places of worship within mainstream Christianity that we have all so patiently waited for already.   Diligence will be part and parcel to the successful implementation of this process, regardless of the ministry involved.  It will however also require a greater degree of patience from the LGBT community.  To whom much is given, much is required.

If you don't currently belong to an LGBT affirming church, I encourage you to explore your new Church Home by visiting EMIC.org.  Get to know your new Pastor, George Pearsons, and watch some of his more recent sermons, especially from 11.6.11  where he informs his congregation that we'll soon become part of Eagle Mountain's sanctuary, both in person and online.  Also, be sure to meet your new Co-Pastor, his wife, Terri Pearsons and learn how to pray with power in the Holy Spirit, with her and Pastor George here.

You can also watch other various sermons, and explore the website to see other ways to connect with this vibrant, modern ministry.  If you're not in the Ft. Worth, Texas area, you can be part of the online congregation, and watch history unfold before your very eyes, become encouraged in your spirit to be all you were born to be, and be provided with an opportunity to be living prophecy yourself, by bringing your offerings to God's altar, as He promised to accept them in Isaiah 55:11-56:8.  While I understand many people think all churches want is our money, as it pertains to LGBT Christians, our offerings are prophetically linked to an aspect of God's manifestation called "the glory" of the Lord. 

What matters most is that you fully understand it is much more than "giving money."  It's about fulfilling prophecy.  Isaiah 55:11-56:8 doesn't simply depend on the Church including LGBT people for fulfillment.  It also prophetically mandates LGBT people to bring our offerings to His altar.  Without both, the prophecy is still not fulfilled, and Jesus cannot return! (see Luke 24:44). You can read more about that here, and you can participate in this most holy calling from God toward LGBT people here. 

If you are not in the Ft. Worth, Texas area but would prefer to bring your offerings to God's altar in person, KCM and EMIC offer a vast, global network of safe spaces to worship near you!  Simply click here to input in your location, and find a safe space to worship in your part of the world!

Finally, if you are a pastor (or anybody else), and are shaking your head asking, "what in the world is going on at Eagle Mountain?" you can learn more by reading the Open Letter To Pastors here.

In closing, let me once again encourage everyone to remain patient, and to more closely explore Eagle Mountain International Church for yourselves!  As far as I can tell, they are not only God chosen to lead this new move, but are the epicenter of the Great Awakening to God so many around the world have been praying for. 

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to email me at
thebedkeeper@gmail.com

May God bless you and yours richly and always!

God loves you! I love you!  EMIC and KCM loves us! 

And remember:  JESUS IS LORD!


Sincerely,

Brian Anthony Bowen
Author, The Bed Keeper



PS:  I recommend ministries that have helped "ME" grow in "MY" faith.  They may not help you, and that's okay!  Keep searching!  As Jesus said:

Keep on asking and it will be given you; keep on seeking and you will find; keep on knocking reverently, and the door will be opened to you.

For everyone who keeps on asking receives; and he who keeps on seeking finds; and to him who keeps on knocking, the door will be opened.
Matthew 7:7-8

DISCLAIMER:  Some views expressed in this open letter do not necessarily reflect those of Eagle Mountain International Church, Kenneth Copeland Ministries, Billye Brim Ministries, or any ministry within the KCM ministry network. 

This is a personal recommendation from Brian Anthony Bowen only!

This message is not to be construed as an approved message from EMIC, KCM, or BBM.   


I have not received (nor will I accept) any financial payment for my endorsement of these or any other ministries.

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THANK YOU for your generous support of this work!
Let him who receives instruction in the Word of God share all good things with his teacher, contributing to his support.  Galatians 6:6


10% of all donations received by this ministry are tithed to my personal Home Church.
The remaining 90% are used exclusively to purchase necessary equipment, to cover fees related to funding our ministry website, to produce, advertise, publish, and distribute teaching media, books, and videos, and to fund regular operational costs incurred in the process of reaching out to Churches and Pastors to share these teachings with their Congregations.
We couldn't do it without YOU!
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