Ex-Lesbian Who Turned to Jesus Expecting Baby; Ministry Responds to 'Brainwashing' Accusations

Christian Post ^ | 01/17/2018 | Stoyan Zaimov

[SeekAndFind]

(Screenshot: Facebook/Anchored North)Emily Thomes in a Facebook video posted on December 28, 2017, talking about her journey.

A Christian speaker and blogger behind a viral Facebook video, detailing how she left behind homosexuality, is expecting a baby with her husband. The ministry behind the video has, meanwhile, been responding to death threats as well as media accusations that the churchgoer has been "brainwashed."

Anchored North's video about Emily Thomes has now been viewed over 2.1 million times since it was posted late in December, prompting significant controversy and disturbing death threats.

One Facebook user wrote last week to the ministry that he wishes he could "come there and kill every last one of you," wishing a "slow painful death" to the staff's families.

Greg Sukert of Anchored North, which uses "media and evangelism to reach the lost with the gospel," told The Christian Post in an email on Monday that the death threats are "unsettling."

"However, they ultimately serve to advance the glory of God because: 1) They serve as living proof of Jesus' words, 'If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you' (John 15:18). 2) They validate the fall of mankind as outlined in Genesis 3: that humans have sin natures capable of murderous anger," Sukert said.

"3) They direct us to trust in God's sovereign plan. We believe that we will live the exact amount of days God always intended us to (Psalm 139:13). 4) It gives us an opportunity to respond with kindness and prayer for the threatening individuals who need their life transformed by the gospel of Jesus Christ."

Many publications (look here, here, and here) from the mainstream news media argue that Thomes was "brainwashed" into thinking she is no longer gay, and that her testimony causes harm to LGBT people through the suggestion that they can change their sexuality.

In the viral video, Thomes details how she was "super wild" and in "serial relationships with women" during her young adult years. She was even engaged to a woman. But after being invited to a Bible study at 22 and then searching through the Bible, she realized homosexuality was a sin and then turned to God.

"I'd twisted those Scriptures before, I'd argued them down, I'd say 'judge not' to them like that mattered, and then that day it was like my eyes were really opened. I was amazed at the grace He'd shown me," she said. "It's not gay to straight. It's lost to saved. God calls us not to heterosexuality but holiness."

Sukert told CP that it is "incredibly dishonest and childish to dismiss someone's story and personal account as 'brainwashed' just because they disagree with the position of the individual."

Sukert, a video producer who has been preaching the Gospel through creative media and evangelistic campaigns, noted that critics like to argue that Thomes is either lying to herself, or was never gay to begin with, or is bisexual.

He argued that evangelicals hold that salvation is a miracle, however.

"Miracles by definition cannot be explained by natural or scientific law. Instead, salvation is God's incredible act that brings a person's heart from spiritual death to spiritual life. It's a movement that draws upon the same great power that resurrected Christ from the dead; only God Himself holds this power," he said.

"If God can speak the world into existence ex nihilo (out of nothing) and raise people from the dead, it should come as no surprise that He can change the sinful desires of mankind, including sexual immorality and homosexuality."

The producer said that Thomes "is an intelligent, thoughtful, funny, and bold woman. She has a genuine story of a life transformed by the gospel. Anyone who dismisses her account to 'brainwashing' should be ashamed by their attempts to wrongfully silence the validity of her life experiences."

What is more, he said that Anchored North does not believe in conversion therapy, contrary to what many are suggesting.

"Conversion therapy is defined as the pseudoscientific practice of trying to change an individual's sexual orientation using psychological or spiritual interventions," he noted, and argued that same-sex desire is no more of a choice than the spots on a leopard's back, pointing to Jeremiah 13:23 in the Bible.

He said that it is through God that people are able to "turn from evil."

"When God Himself brings the spirit from death to life, the individual will respond by repenting of sin, turning to Christ, and becoming born-again. Because if any man is in Christ, he is a NEW creation," Sukert continued.

"We believe in God miraculously changing hearts and desires – not in humans modifying the sexual orientation of others through conversion therapy."

"God's ultimate will is not to make humanity heterosexual. God's ultimate will is to demonstrate His glory through the salvation of the unrighteous, including those with same-sex attraction," he stressed.

Thomes held her baby shower over the weekend, and said that God has blessed her.

"We're getting ready for my baby shower and Mom is over the top emotional... She's playing all of 'our songs' (I Saw God Today, When You Say Nothing At All, Life's a Dance, etc) and tearing up and nodding her head at the significant parts of each song," she wrote on Facebook Saturday.

"She's a bit much, but this is a really special day. She never thought we'd be here, but she always hoped we would be. The Lord has blessed me with a little girl and her with a grand-daughter. His kindness is overwhelming."

[buffaloguy]

People change, particularly after coming to Jesus
Deal with it.

[Crucial]

This lesbian was probably heterosexual anyway. Many of them are but are brainwashed by ultra feminist propaganda.

[dhs12345]

There is massive cultlike support when someone comes out. Massive peer pressure if a person decides to not be gay. Yes, there is brainwashing... from gay orgs and support groups.

[Fai Mao]

The homosexuals will tell you about a guy they know that was married with kids and one day woke up and discovered he was homosexual. They have no problem with that.

Why can’t the opposite happen?

The fag lobby is, or so it appears to me, in violation of the latest leftist bandwagon, gender fluidity.

It isn’t just homosexuals finding a religion that have this happen. The leftist mayor of Ew Yuck City, Michael Bloomberg’s wife is a former lesbian.

[Bodleian_Girl]

“...the mainstream news media argue that Thomes was "brainwashed" into thinking she is no longer gay, and that her testimony causes harm to LGBT people through the suggestion that they can change their sexuality...

Said no one ever to Bill Di Blasio’s wife, former lesbian Chirlane McCray.

[rjsimmon]

"It's not gay to straight. It's lost to saved. God calls us not to heterosexuality but holiness."

Absolutely! Preach it, sister.

[ctdonath2]

A must-read is Rosaria Butterfield's interview An Unlikely Convert or book The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert: she was a feminist's feminist, a lesbian's lesbian, as far Left as you could get, a leader in the movement ... who found Jesus, converted, married a minister and has several kids.

[jonno]

Bless her - I hope she surrounds herself with caring, humble individuals, and not those who would trot her out as “proof” of change.

But there should be no doubt that she has a long row to hoe. There is nothing like death threats & derision to encourage self-doubt. And Satan will tempt her continuously to simply become her “normal-self” again...

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks SeekAndFind. Huh, I guess this means the attack on the DeBlasio freakshow family will begin, with the media atheists and "diversity" advocates tearing them a new one?

[MeganC]

Liberalism is exposing itself as a cult that is just as pernicious as is Islam.

Liberalism and Islam have in common that its adherents advocate death as the penalty for anyone who dares to leave their sick, depraved, and degenerate cults.

[Pravious]

Normal woman who decides not to be homosexual and have babies = brainwashed.

Pervert who cuts his penis off, pretends to be a female and demands we all pretend along with him = perfectly normal.

Uh . . . huh.

[jonno]

From your Rosaria Butterfield interview link:
“...but one big misconception evangelicals have is the wholesale writing off of all people who identify as gay as God-hating reprobates. Another misconception is that a person’s homosexuality is the biggest and most life-defining sin of her life. When Ken Smith, the pastor the Lord used in my conversion, first met me, he knew that being a lesbian was not my biggest sin. My biggest sin was that I was an unbeliever.”

Amen.

IMHO, it is the well-meaning but self-righteous “Christians” who are the greatest impediments to non-believers accepting the Gospel.

[wbarmy]

There is nothing like death threats & derision to encourage self-doubt.

I truly believe that the child that God has given her will do more of that than anything else. I have met others who derided the idea of having children or the effect that children would have on their lives. But the first day that child threw her arms around their neck and told them she loved them, that made everything else disappear and the road was clear ahead.

God knows what He is doing.

[Slyfox]

(cue star trek computer voice)

THE ..... NARRATIVE ..... MUST ..... NOT ..... BE ..... CHANGED

[jonno]

“God knows what He is doing. “

Indeed - you win the thread!
8^)

[carcraft]

I know my life changed when I accepted Christ.

[nonsporting]

In truth ALL OF THE BELIEVER has been washed! Not just the brain.

9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11)

Washed. Sanctified. Justified in the name of the Lord Jesus.

[metmom]

Sukert told CP that it is "incredibly dishonest and childish to dismiss someone's story and personal account as 'brainwashed' just because they disagree with the position of the individual."

Or the agenda of that individual.

So homosexuals can't change to heterosexual, but heterosexuals are heroes if they come out as homosexual?

So once you go homosexual, there's no going back? Your decision is set in stone?

What hypocrites.

[Albion Wilde]

Michael Bloomberg’s wife is a former lesbian.

You meant Bill deBlasio's wife, not Bloomberg.