SOUTHERN DECADENCE – NEW ORLEANS, LA

SOUTHERN DECADENCE – NEW ORLEANS, LA
Report from Flip Benham
Paraphrased by Kristene O'Dell

On Sunday night, Sept 5, 2004, Flip, his wife Faye, and their daughter Abby joined the saints in New Orleans as they confronted the homosexual community in a fiasco called “Southern Decadence.” This is Bourbon Street 's annual gay pride lust fest. Gathered together with about 70 brothers and sisters in Christ and led by Brother Bill Shanks and Pastor Grant Storm, they brought the theology of the church house to downtown Bourbon Street. As Christ entered the city streets through the foolish things of this world , nothing was easy in the “Big Easy.” Here is Flip's report:

Those who scream tolerance the most are truly the most intolerant of all. Through the beer, cigarette burns, and jeers, brothers and sisters in Christ entered into many conversations with those lost and enslaved by the lust of sodomy. Hundreds of conversations took placed in the streets with those who were filled with passion and a fierce combativeness to state that not only are they homosexuals, but that they are also Christians. We encountered this over and over again. From their youth, many had realized that they were different and were conflicted knowing that their behavior did not line up with the principles of the Bible. During this confliction, they gave in to the evil desires of their sinful nature and came to the conclusion that God loves them just the way they are. They are desperate to believe that God doesn't judge them and that He made them that way. They insist that the ones confronting them and judging them are the unloving ones.

In the midst of seeing this horrible shocking behavior, we knew that we were looking into Sodom and Gomorrah . If the truth be known, they would have killed us if they could have gotten away with it. The messenger is always a target.

Many asked us if any good come about from what we did. The answer is, “Yes, yes, and a thousand times yes!” Whether or not anyone gave their heart to Christ that night is not our reason for going to them. We came to be truthful witnesses. It tells us in the Bible that a truthful witness saves lives. (Proverbs 14:25). We were a truthful witness for God concerning what He says about homosexuality. Many know now what they did not know before. Homosexuality and Christianity cannot possibly walk hand in hand. One might be a practicing homosexual, but he will know, because those in the church have made it known, that he is not a Christian. Love calls us to be a truthful witness. For the wounds of a friend bring healing.

Why is it that there are so many homosexual “churches” sprouting up all over America? Because there is a desire in the homosexual to be right with God. They have been struggling within themselves for years. The suicide rate within the homosexual community is extremely high. Unlike others that are lost who just go about their daily business earning a living and trying to be a good person, the homosexual has had to ask the hard questions. But instead of repenting and fighting the battle within, they are now being told that God made them that way. Jesus, however, is the sworn enemy of sin. He is the answer to sin. Each one of us is born with a self-destruction mechanism – sin. It must be bridled. It must be conquered. It must be repented of. Education cannot conquer it. Psychology cannot conquer it. Only the blood of Jesus can save us from ourselves. He doesn't affirm us in our sin. He conquers it on a daily basis when we realize that we are sinners in need of a Savior.

One guy did give his heart to Christ. Pastor Bill's daughter Stephanie led him to the Lord. She is fierce in her Christianity. She saw his soft heart and did not let go of him until he gave his life over to Jesus.