King Jesus Rains on St. Louis Pridefest 2007

June 25, 2007

Written by Angela Michael

Leviticus 18:22 “Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable.” 

 

            Clouds were building as the eighth annual Pridefest parade was underway outside Tower Grove Park . Just as the parade was beginning, the skies opened and a deluge poured out on parade-goers and on the parade. Can you hear God now? One parade-goer shouted, “It’s raining on our parade! The Baptists are rejoicing!”

            What was expected to be a record breaking crowd of over 80,000 appeared to be less than half of that. Thank you God! He used the weather and unknown circumstances to keep them away.

            The most revealing part of how God works is that He answers prayers. Last year, if you remember St. Louis Pridefest 2006, we personally walked out into the parade and rebuked St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay and Police Chief Joe Mokwa. We told them what an abomination their representation in leading this parade was, and that sodomy was still illegal and on the books. We asked them to repent and stay home next year.

   <last year>  

            Guess what? The mayor’s car held only the driver. The mayor was a no-show! Chief Mokwa another no-show!  

            We addressed the Catholic Church in the parade last year and let St. Louis Archbishop Burke know about this abomination. More answer to prayer: no representation from the Catholic Church in the parade and no Catholic booths inside this festival of decadence. Praise God!

            When the rain stopped, their pride showed through and it wasn’t pretty. Topless, overweight, older men trudged along the parade route in shorts and chains. Drag queens were also present.

              

            The smell of alcohol and cigarettes permeated the air. Mixed-in were banners and floats from Boeing, Pfizer, AT&T, Citibank, Mini Cooper, Macy’s, Starbucks, and Pulaski Bank and also from various local bars.

            What was really a reproach in this parade was the church representation carrying banners and signs that we noticed contained scriptures. Not one time did they mention sin. They misconstrued the scriptures and took God’s Word out of context.

            Churches represented in the parade included: United Unitarians, United Church of Christ, Metropolitan Community Church, United Methodists, Episcopalians and a few non-denominational. One car had an oversized Bible on top of it saying on the side, “Educate others about being the whosoever in John 3:16.”

            We are to love the sinner but hate the sin. We can’t let these people die in their sin. That’s why we were there. We had many conversations this day with homosexuals.

            Andrea, a Muslim holding her puppy Sherbet, talked of how she was just coming out and if her Muslim father knew, she would be beheaded.        

            Mitch, a 58-year-old homosexual from Illinois , shared with me of how his wife of 7 years was mean to him and drove him into another man’s arms looking for companionship. He almost hated women for a time because of his former wife’s temperament. You couldn’t help but feel for these people. Every one of them was hurting and looking for love, but finding it in all the wrong places. They need J-E-S-U-S!

            We didn’t support this parade, “But I come in peace.” They asked about my family and ministry. They were amazed that we could be so peaceful with them even though I told them that I did not support this parade or this abomination. “Don’t you want to scream at us?” I said, “I don’t think Jesus would do that.”

            The young girl standing next to me said she was introduced to homosexuality in high school. “When you get a chance read this.” It was a Stephen Bennett tract, how he came out. I was looking for her to drop it on the ground, but instead she put it in her pocket.

            The parade lasted approx 90 minutes.

            

            After that, some Hope Clinic employees came up the steps and greeted us. Yes, NARAL was in the parade and we recognized a few escorts. You see, abortion and homosexuality go hand in hand; both serve the same master: the devil.

       

            Before we left, the young girl came up the steps and thanked me for the talk and gave me a hug and left the area.

            We entered the park and visited the booths; typical stuff but the attendance was really down. Most of the participants were gravitating to the entertainment stage to listen to the entertainers.

             

“There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.”  Proverbs 14:12