The Nature of Homosexuality

by Frederick Hoehn, copyright 2013, all rights reserved.  

Chapter 1

When future Psychologists and Psychiatrists are studying in preparation for their careers in those fields, they study abnormal behavior in humans.  

Homosexuality is one of those abnormal behaviors since the approximately seven billion people in the world wouldn't be here if it had depended on the homosexuals to produce them.  Homosexuals don't produce children.

Of course, there is such a thing, apparently, as a bisexual--a person who is attracted both to males and females.  But I believe that a bisexual is a homosexual not fully developed into the homosexual that he will become.

When we speak of homosexuals, that term usually means male homosexuals.  There are also female homosexuals, but they are usually referred to as lesbians.

God forbids male and female homosexuality in his book, the Bible.  In 1 Cor. 6:9,10 God says homosexuals ("the effeminate") don't go to heaven.  There is a heaven and a hell, Jesus said, and everyone goes to either one or the other after their lives on earth.  Since homosexuals don't go to heaven, they do go to hell.

Romans chapter 1 also condemns male and female homosexuality. 

I believe, however, that there is the possibility for a homosexual to repent of their sins, become a Christian, and go to heaven.  

“For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion.”  (Ecclesiastes 9:4)

But it seems like homosexuals don’t convert to Christianity very often.  One reason for that is that homosexuals generally are not thinking in terms of the long-term consequences of their behavior, but of the short-term pleasures they are hoping for.

I’m aware that there’s one or more groups that consider themselves to be gay Christians.  They are mistaken.  You can’t be both a practicing homosexual and a practicing Christian.  You might think you can, but God says you’re on the road to hell.  

Of course, it is a normal thing to desire sexual gratification, but God has provided marriage between a man and a woman to meet that need.  People who try to solve the problem in some way other than God's plan provoke God to anger, which is very much not a wise thing to do.      

Psychologists and Psychiatrists generally do not believe in demons, and are generally not aware of demons.  

Some people scorn the notion of the existence of demons.

I’ve heard that among the vocations of Psychologists and Psychiatrists there is a significantly higher rate of suicide than among other vocations.  I believe the best explanation of that is probably the severe frustration of very low cure rates due to the fact that those professionals are not well equipped to solve people’s mental problems without understanding that they’re dealing with demons and how to get rid of demons.  

No discussion of homosexuality would be complete without discussing the relationship of homosexuality with demons.  In fact, demons are at the very heart of the issue of homosexuality.  

Dr. Lester Sumrall of LESEA Broadcasting was an authority on demons, who also wrote the excellent book, "Demons, the Answer Book."  An important chapter in that book is titled, "Bitten by Demons," about a woman in the Philippines who had been bitten by demons.  The fang marks were visible in her arm.  They were clearly not the imprint of human teeth.

Sumrall cast the demons out of that woman.  It was a national news story in the Philippines decades ago.  They said, "The devil is dead."  That statement, of course, was incorrect.  The devil wasn't dead, but the demons had been cast out of that woman.

Another woman with demons was Mary Magdalene, out of whom Jesus cast seven demons (or, devils).  

I've heard Lester Sumrall speak several times.  A very illuminating statement from Sumrall on this subject was, "Homosexuality is a demon that gets into the person, and it gets in through lust."

This statement goes a long way toward explaining homosexuality.  When Sumrall says "it gets in through lust," I believe he means that ordinary heterosexual lust can turn into homosexuality.  Thus, a young man attracted to females, not males, can get into lust so far, such as by unwisely using pornography, that it opens him up to the temptation to become a homosexual.

The use of pornography is wrong because Jesus said, "He that looks at a woman to lust for her has committed adultery with her already in his heart."  So then God condemns both pornography and homosexuality.

Another authority on the subject of demons is Dr. Norvel Hayes, out of Cleveland, TN.  His website is  nhm.cc   Dr. Hayes learned some of his knowledge about demons from Dr. Sumrall.  

Norvel Hayes told of a homosexual that he ministered to, who then went back to normal relations with the man's wife.  

Howard Pittman, out of Foxworth, MS, also taught on the subject of demons.  From Pittman, I learned that demons (or devils) are specialists, not general practitioners.  Thus, the demon that tempts someone to rob a bank is not the same demon that tempts people to blaspheme God.

And what, exactly, is a demon?  Demons started out as angels.  There used to be more angels than there are now.  Satan himself was created as an angel named Lucifer.  But Satan was lifted up with pride.  He was corrupted "by reason of his brightness."  He wanted to be worshiped.  He said, “I will be like God.”  

When Satan rebelled against God, some of the angels followed him.  There is a scripture that suggests that it was about one third of the angels that followed Satan, at which time those fallen angels became demons, or devils.  

Demons don't have flesh and blood bodies like we do.  They exist in a different dimension called "the spirit world," and are not normally visible to humans.  Satan is called, "the Prince of the power of the air."  Angels and demons are also in the air, and demons can get into humans, and demons very much want to get into humans.  

But when demons get into humans, those demons aren't there to do you any good.  They are there, like Jesus said in John 10:10, "to steal, to kill, and to destroy." 

In the Army, I met and worked with Sergeant First Class Catlett, and we became friends.  SFC Catlett had a career in the Army, but he also raised Collie dogs.  

He spoke of breeding the dogs.  He controlled the breeding of the dogs.  I asked what may have been kind of a dumb question.  Since he was controlling their breeding, I asked, "How do you keep them from mating?"  Catlett answered, "By keeping them separate."

So then Catlett must have had a fence or a wall where he kept his Collie dogs.  On one side were the males, and on the other side were the females.  Yes, I can see that that would keep them from mating.  

And then when an adult female Collie went into heat, Catlett would no doubt decide which of the male Collies would breed with her. 

Without the fence, the breeding of the Collie dogs would have been uncontrolled, since, in the animal kingdom, the male animals are attracted to the female animals, and vice versa.  

Male penguins build a nest, hoping to attract a female penguin.  Male peacocks strut their colored plumage, hoping to attract a female.  Male lions mate with female lions and produce lion cubs.  And so for tigers, and so for elephants, and so for cows, and so for horses.  Male cows are referred to as bulls.    

It is the natural thing for males of the species to be attracted to the females of the species. 

Homosexuality is not a normal, natural thing.    

Chapter 2

I was sitting in a waiting room, and in front of the sofa, there was a tea table on which was a book.  There wasn't much else to read there, and as I recall, no TV.  

The title of the book was, "Everything you always wanted to know about sex."  (Don’t remember for sure, but it might have been Volume 2)  Had I not been sitting there with nothing to do, I would probably not have looked at a book with that title.  But I picked up the book and read a little of it.  It was in the Question and Answer format.

A question would be posed, and the doctor who wrote the book would answer the question.  One of the questions asked was, "Are homosexuals promiscuous?"  The doctor answered, "Oh, promiscuity is the very nature of homosexuality, homosexuals are always looking for new partners."

So then, it can be expected that the numbers of homosexuals are likely to increase since they are always trying to recruit. 

While I was in the Navy, while attending Electronics Technician "A" School, Treasure Island, CA, one of the other male students in my company asked if I wanted to go into the shower with him.  What?  Shall I give up Jesus and going to heaven for some insanity with that servant of Satan?  Of course not.  

It seems that the government now is tolerating gays in the military.  That the government would do that indicates the government has lost sight of what God has said on the subject, or that the government thinks it's smarter than God (which it is not).

Howard Pittman was taught about demons by an angel.  Pittman had something wrong with his body.  An internal blood vessel had burst, and blood was pouring in to his body cavity; he was bleeding internally, and he knew he was dying.  An ambulance transported Pittman to a hospital.

Knowing that he was dying, Pittman prayed, asking God to give him the opportunity to stand before the throne of God and present his petition for longer life on earth.  The medical personnel pronounced Pittman dead.  His spirit left his body.  At that moment, Pittman said, "I passed through a dimensional barrier."  He passed into the dimension that is the spirit world.  

He did go up near to heaven and spoke with God, but first, an angel took him on a tour of the spirit world.  The angel showed him how there are warring demons that go around causing wars on earth.  The angel showed Pittman that demons of sex perversion have shapes like frogs.

There are four categories of demons listed in Ephesians 6:12.  

The angel took Pittman to another room of the hospital where a man and a woman were talking.  Pittman could see them, but they couldn't see him.  Pittman could also see a demon of sex perversion (because of its shape like a frog).  That demon was stalking the man like an animal stalks its prey in the wild.

As the man and woman talked, it was the demon's desire to enter the man.  The demon wanted to seduce the man.  At some point, the man yielded to the temptation  ("Resist the devil and he will flee from you," the book of James).  When the man yielded to the temptation, the demon entered the man through the pores in the man's forehead.  

What Pittman said was, "I saw the demon possess the man."  I believe that was not the correct terminology.  To me, demon possession suggests pretty much total control of the human by a demon, or demons.  What Pittman witnessed was a demon entering a man.  But later, possibly, demons in that man would go on to possess him.

God granted Pittman’s request for a longer life.  Pittman’s spirit went back into his body, and he recovered.  Seems like he had another five or six years of life on earth.  

Win Worley was pastor of the Hegewisch Baptist Church in Highland, IN.  Worley was a pioneer in exorcism and an authority on the subject of casting out of demons.  One of his books is "Battling the Hosts of Hell."  Worley has taught that when demons are in a person, one of them is the head, and referred to as "the evil strong man."  The other demons in the person obey the evil strong man in that person.

Just as Pittman saw a demon stalk a man, and then enter the man.  Demons are doing that all the time, stalking humans, tempting them, and hoping to enter those humans.  

But we must resist the devil, and he will flee from us.  (James 4:7)  But not everyone knows that scripture.  Some scorn the Bible.  Some say there's no God.  

God has something to say about people who say there's no God, and my Dad was one of those people.  God says, "the fool has said in his heart there's no God."

People who say there's no God, and people who disregard the Bible make the work of demons easier for the demons.  

If you believe there are no demons, not only are you mistaken, but also you won't be doing anything to resist them if you’re of the opinion that they don’t exist.  At age 91, my Dad died and went to hell.

I didn’t want that to happen, but my efforts to get him saved were unsuccessful.  You can’t force anyone, against their will, to fear God.  

There are demons of homosexuality.  There are demons of addiction to gambling, addiction to illegal drugs, addiction to soap operas.  There are demons that cause cancer and other diseases.  We have institutions called "insane asylums," that are populated with insane people.  What is it that makes them insane?  It's the demons in those people that make them insane.  

It is sometimes said about a crazy person, "He's not all there."  But no, I believe that terminology is not correct.  It’s not that he’s missing something, but rather, he has something superfluous.  He has one or more demons.  

We give names to some of the mental diseases, Schizophrenia, Kleptomania, Bipolar Disorder, Epilepsy, a disposition to having seizures, and many others.  But homosexuality is another form of insanity, and at its roots it is demonic. 

Further evidence that homosexuality is insanity is provided by insane behavior by the gays.  I was in San Diego having trouble finding electronics work, so I took a temporary job as a Word Processor for the County of San Diego.  We would transcribe audio cassette tapes from Parole Officers and Probation Officers into printed documents for Municipal and Superior Court.  

Though I didn't encounter many of the cases myself, other Word Processors there told me of insane behavior by homosexuals in cases they had typed up.  In one case, two gays were in the same dwelling place.  A pot of soup was on the stove.  The one gay took the pot of boiling soup and poured it on the other gay.  Why?  Because gays have demons in them that produce insane behavior.  

Of course, homosexuals ("gays") will argue with you about that.  They will say they have a right to their sexual preference.  And under the laws of the land, in some places gays are accorded "gay rights."  But the laws of the land don't change God's position on the subject.  God says gays don't go to heaven, so then they do go to hell.  

No one will ever persuade God to change his mind about this.  So we have the choice to either do things God's way, or suffer the consequences of being an enemy of God.   

So then if gays have demons, is the solution to cast out those demons?  Gays surely have a need to have their demons cast out, but in many cases those demons can't be cast out, as we see from Kenneth E. Hagin, another important authority on demons.  His books are available at Rhema.org   

Hagin was ministering in one place, and a man brought his wife for Hagin to cure her.  Hagin was a teacher who would also minister to sick people with a high cure rate among those he ministered to.

After Hagin spoke, people lined up to be ministered to.  When the man and his wife got up to Hagin, he told them, "I'm not going to minister to you right now.  After the service is over, you and your wife come to the Pastor's study.  The Pastor will be there, and I'll be there."

So the man and wife went to the Pastor's study.  Hagin told the man that the Lord had shown Hagin that the man had brought his wife to some big-name evangelists and they hadn't cured her.  The man held a bit of a grudge against those evangelists because they hadn't cured his wife.  Hagin said the same thing would have happened if Hagin had tried to minister to her.  

Hagin said the Lord showed him the woman was hearing voices, and the demons behind her hearing those voices couldn't be cast out because the woman liked hearing those voices.  

The man turned to his wife and asked her, "Well, do you like hearing those voices?"  The wife answered, "Yes, I kind of like hearing those voices."

So then, demons can't be cast out of someone if that person wants to keep their demons.

Chapter 3

Mayor Bloomburg of New York City spoke some words a while back to the effect that he thought gays should be tolerated, "as long as they are not hurting anyone."

No, Mr. Mayor, you are mistaken.  Gays can not avoid hurting people because of the demons in them.  Demons that are always looking to recruit other men to become gay.  What it boils down to is that homosexuality is a growing cancer that is destroying lives and souls.

Alcoholism has destroyed lives, marriages, careers, families, and sent people to hell.  Many are already aware of that.  Homosexuality produces similar results, except that it probably works faster than alcoholism.

One of the Olympic athletes several years ago who was gay complained about gay partners who were too violent.  But the fact is, that's what you're signing up for if you choose to become a homosexual.  Be God-fearing, and choose not to be gay. 

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”  (Psalm 111:10) 

Though demons could be cast out of gays if they were willing, a more important activity would be to teach the fact that homosexuality ruins lives and sends people to hell.  If future recruits to homosexuality can be prevented, the number of gays will be diminished.  

I've mentioned two places in the New Testament forbidding homosexuality.  In the Old Testament, God says, "Man shall not lie with man as with woman." (Lev 18:22)

The Bible is, to a large extent, a book of history.  In the Old Testament, there were kings of Israel, and kings of Judah.  As we read the history of those kings, the good kings came down against the Sodomites, while the bad kings did not.

God destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah because of homosexuality.  

The Apostle Paul mentions that he is from the smallest of the tribes of Israel, the tribe of Benjamin.  

How did it happen that Benjamin was the smallest of the tribes?  It happened because Benjamin turned to homosexuality and sex perversion, so God more than decimated Benjamin.  That's how Paul came from the smallest tribe.

God says, “Today…I have set before you life and death…therefore choose life.”  (Deuteronomy 30:19)

But to choose homosexuality would be to choose death, and going to hell, where their worms don’t die, and where the fire is not quenched, where there’s crying and gnashing of teeth, says Jesus.  My Dad is already there, not for homosexuality, but for Atheism.  Don’t join him there.  You would surely regret it forever.  

My mother was a God-fearing, born-again Christian.  Please go to heaven where she is, and as I will when my time comes to leave earth.  

___James chapter 1
 1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes that are dispersed around, greetings.
 2 My brothers, count it all joy when you fall into various temptations,
 3 Knowing this, that the testing of your faith works patience.
 4 But let patience have its perfect work, so you'll be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God for it, who gives to all men liberally, and won't find fault, and it shall be given to him.
 6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.  For he that wavers is like a wave of the sea driven by the wind and tossed.
 7 For let that man not think that he'll receive anything from the Lord.
 8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
 9 Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted,
 10 But the rich, in that he is made low, because as the flower of the grass he'll pass away.
 11 For the sun has no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withers the grass, and the flower of it falls, and the grace of the fashion of it perishes, so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.
 12 Blessed is the man that endures temptation, for after he's been tested, he'll receive the crown of life, that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
 13 Let no man say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God," for God can't be tempted with evil, nor does he tempt any man,
 14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed.
 15 Then when lust has conceived, it produces sin, and sin when it's finished, produces death.
 16 Do not err, my beloved brothers.
 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, nor shadow of turning.
 18 He chose to father us with the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.
 19 So, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger,
 20 For the anger of man doesn't accomplish the righteousness of God.
 21 So, lay apart all filthiness and the unnecessary naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
 22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like a man seeing his natural face in a mirror,
 24 For he sees himself, and goes his way, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.
 25 But whoever looks into the perfect law of liberty, and continues in it, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
 26 If any man among you seems to be religious, and doesn't bridle his tongue, but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is for nothing.
 27 Pure religion and undefiled before God the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

___James chapter 2
 1 My brothers, don't have the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.
 2 For if a man with a gold ring comes to your assembly in fancy clothes, and a poor man in dirty clothes comes in also,
 3 And you have respect to him that wears the fancy clothes, and say to him, "Sit here in a good place," and say to the poor, "Stand there, or sit here under my footstool,"
 4 Aren't you then partial in yourselves, and have become judges with evil thoughts?
 5 Listen, my beloved brothers, hasn't God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him?
 6 But you have despised the poor.  Don't rich men oppress you, and bring you before the judgment seats?
 7 Don't they blaspheme that worthy name by which you're called?
 8 If you fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, "You shall love your neighbor like yourself," you do well,
 9 But if you have respect of persons, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as sinners.
 10 For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
 11 For he that said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not kill."  Now if you don't commit adultery, yet if you kill, you've become a breaker of the law.
 12 Speak in such a way, and do, as those who'll be judged by the law of liberty.
 13 For he shall have judgment without mercy, that has shown no mercy, and mercy rejoices against judgment.
 14 What does it profit, my brothers, though a man says he has faith, and doesn't have works?  Can faith save him?
 15 If a brother or sister needs clothes, and lacks daily food,
 16 And one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you don't give them the things that are needed for the body, what good is that?
 17 Even so faith, if it doesn't have works, is dead, being alone.
 18 Yes, a man could say, "You have faith, and I have works, show me your faith without your works, and I'll show you my faith by my works."
 19 You believe that there is one God, you do well, the devils also believe, and tremble.
 20 But don't you know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
 21 Wasn't Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son on the altar?
 22 Do you see how faith worked with his deeds, and by works faith was made perfect?
 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness, and he was called the friend of God."
 24 You see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
 25 Likewise also wasn't Rahab the prostitute justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?
 26 For like the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

___James chapter 3
 1 My brothers, don't be many masters, knowing that we'll receive the greater condemnation.
 2 For in many things we offend all.  If any man doesn't offend in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.
 3 See, we put bits in the horses' mouths, so they'll obey us, and we turn around their whole bodies.
 4 Look also at the ships, which though they're so large, and are driven by fierce winds, yet they're turned around by a very small helm, wherever the captain wants.
 5 Even so, the tongue is a little member, and boasts great things.  See how great a matter a little fire kindles!
 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of sin, so is the tongue among our members that it makes dirty the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature, and it is set on fire by hell.
 7 For every kind of animals, and of birds, and of snakes, and of things in the sea, gets tamed, and has been tamed by mankind,
 8 But no man can tame the tongue, it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
 9 With it we bless God, the Father, and with it we curse men, who are made after the likeness of God.
 10 Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing.  My brothers, these things ought not to be.
 11 Does a fountain send out at the same place sweet water and bitter?
 12 Can the fig tree, my brothers, produce olive berries?  Or a vine, figs?  So no fountain can yield both salt water and fresh.
 13 Who is a wise man, possessing knowledge among you?  Let him show out of a good lifestyle his works with meekness of wisdom.
 14 But if you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, don't glory, and don't lie against the truth.
 15 This wisdom doesn't descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.
 16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.
 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be reasoned with, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
 18 And the fruit of righteousness is planted in peace by those who make peace.

___James chapter 4
 1 Where do wars and fightings among you come from?  Don't they come from your lusts that war in your members?
 2 You lust, and don't have, you kill, and desire to have, and can't obtain, you fight and war, yet you don't have, because you don't ask.
 3 You ask, and don't receive, because you ask wrongly, so you can consume it on your lusts.
 4 You adulterers and adulteresses, don't you know that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God?  Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world is an enemy of God.
 5 Do you think that the scripture says for nothing, "The spirit that lives in us lusts to envy?"
 6 But he gives more grace.  So he says, "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble."
 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God.  Resist the devil, and he'll run away from you.
 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.  Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double minded.
 9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and cry, let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.
 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he'll lift you up.
 11 Don't speak evil about each other, brothers.  He that speaks evil about his brother, and judges his brother, speaks evil about the law, and judges the law, but if you judge the law, you're not a doer of the law, but a judge.
 12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy, who are you that judges someone else?
 13 Go on now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we'll go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and make a profit,"
 14 Actually, you don't know what will happen tomorrow.  For what is your life?  It is a puff of steam, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away.
 15 For you ought to say, "Lord willing, we'll live, and do this, or that."
 16 But now you rejoice in your boastings, all such rejoicing is evil.
 17 Therefore to him that knows to do good, and doesn't do it, to him it is sin.

___James chapter 5
 1 Go on now, you rich men, cry and howl for your miseries that shall come on you.
 2 Your riches are corrupted, and your clothes are moth eaten.
 3 Your gold and silver are rusted, and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh like fire.  You've heaped treasure together for the last days.
 4 See, the wages of the laborers who have reaped down your fields, which you've kept back by fraud, shouts, and the shouts of those who've reaped have entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabbath.
 5 You've lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton, you've nourished your hearts, like in a day of slaughter.
 6 You've condemned and killed the just, and he doesn't resist you.
 7 Be patient therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord.  See, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, and has long patience for it, until he receives the early and latter rain.
 8 You also be patient.  Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is getting near.
 9 Don't grudge against each other, brothers, so you won't be condemned, see, the judge stands at the door.
 10 Take, my brothers, the prophets, who've spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.
 11 See, we count them happy that endure.  You've heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord, that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.
 12 But above all things, my brothers, don't swear, not by heaven, nor by the earth, nor by any other oath, but let your yes be yes, and your no, no, so that you don't fall into condemnation.
 13 Is anyone among you afflicted?  Let him pray.  Is anyone merry?  Let him sing psalms.
 14 Is anyone sick among you?  Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord,
 15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up, and if he has committed sins, he'll be forgiven.
 16 Confess your faults to each other, and pray for each other so you'll be healed.  The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man is does a lot of good.
 17 Elijah was a man subject to the same kind of passions that we are, and he prayed earnestly that it wouldn't rain, and it didn't rain on the earth for three years and six months.
 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.
 19 Brothers, if any of you strays from the truth, and someone converts him,
 20 Let him know, that he that converts the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.