Before the LGBT crowd appropriated the rainbow as their symbol, it had a much different meaning. Before that, and for thousands of years, the rainbow represented something entirely different to Christians and people of faith. The rainbow, as defined in the Holy Bible, represents God’s covenant with Noah and all living creatures, a promise to never again destroy the earth by flood (Genesis 9:12-17).
In Ezekiel 1:28, the rainbow is described as a part of the vision of God’s glory, and in Revelation 10:1, it appears around the throne.
Now, however, Nichol Collins, a former transgender, is trying to take the rainbow back, according to the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN).
Collins lived life as a lesbian and drug dealer for 20 years on the streets of Los Angeles. It took a brutal attack for Collins to reassess her life, and she turned herself over to the Lord and became a Christian. She now works as an advocate for God and her faith.
On the streets and in the clubs of LA, she went by the name of Esco with a reputation for hard partying and violence.
“My breaking point was as I was living as a transgender, lesbian drug dealer in Los Angeles, I was attacked by a man from behind with a hammer, and all Glory to God, miraculously I suffered no injury,” she told CBN News. “And so I tell people that God literally used that to knock some sense into me.”
In some ways, that was the easy part. She said giving herself to the Lord and leaving her old lifestyle was difficult.
“It took me seven months to come out of men’s clothes,” she told the outlet. “I didn’t just jump into dresses right away, and my hair was bald, and so all my hair has grown back today,’ but I didn’t always feel so beautiful. I felt very awkward, but as I submitted myself to God, he began to beautify me with salvation.”
Having put her former life behind her, Collins felt a new calling, saying she had been given a “mandate” to restore the biblical meaning of the rainbow.
“I saw a hand coming through the clouds clutching the rainbow, and I saw an inscription in those clouds that said ‘Take Back the Rainbow,’ and I jumped up and began to sketch it out,” she says.
In Genesis 9, God told Noah:
“And God said, ‘This is a sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come. I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth.’”
Collins has developed a Christian clothing line called Globeshakers as a reminder of God’s word.
“The rainbow belongs to God,” she told CBN. “God made a covenant. It was a sign from God, he promised never to destroy the earth by flood, but by judgment by fire [on] the next time. So I just believe that we as Christians can’t be afraid to wear it.”
She said that God is “a very colorful creative personality that has given us the liberty to talk in the vocation wherewith he’s called us.”
Collins has met up with a lot of opposition from the LGBT community, particularly on social media.
“I have a page called ‘Overcoming Homosexuality,’ and I’ve gotten a lot of people saying I need to overcome judgment, just spewing all types of venom,” Collins continued. “Putting gay porn and things like that up on my page. And so, I know that they are not happy.”
Collins, however, remains undeterred by the hate she has gotten from the radical LGBT community and remains more determined than ever to spread God’s message of love.
“I think it’s very important for the church to become educated and partner with people such as myself and those who have testimonies of deliverance to come in and show them how to express the love of God without compromise and to let people know that God loves them right where they’re at.
“And he’s able to change them from the inside out,” Collins said.
Collins is one of a number of LGBT-identifying people to leave that lifestyle behind and embrace Christ.
Ravonne Thornburg grew up as the daughter of a pastor. She said she did all the “right things”. She went to church, prayed and read the Bible, however, admits she didn’t have a personal relationship with Jesus. Being molested at a young age, she understandably developed a fear of men.
As part of the “Changed Movement,” Ravonne said she had her first relationship with a woman in college, although she still “identified” as a Christian. After enduring many what she called “painful breakups,” she turned to alcohol as a crutch. She fell into a tailspin of “depression, self-harm, bulimia, and suicidal thoughts.”
Her substance abuse then evolved into using drugs, leading her to “see and hear demonic entities.” That led to August 8, 2017, when she overdosed. She said that “demons mocked me, and the spirit of death told me I would die that night.”
“I cried out to God in desperation. In that moment, I forgave the people who had hurt me, and I asked for God’s forgiveness. Miraculously, the demons fled, and I became instantly sober in that hospital bed. I redicated my life to Jesus, surrendering everything–even my relationship–and He gave me the strength to walk away.”
Thornburg said that night changed her life. She has transformed her relationship with God, and accepted the fact that “God didn’t just want my Sunday mornings–He wanted my heart. He wanted to be with me in every part of life. I discovered that I am His daughter, deeply loved and valued.”
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“My attraction to women vanished, and a healthy attraction to men soon emerged.”
“My passion is to help others find healing and discover their identity in Christ, just as I have. God didn’t just save my life–He gave me a brand new one.”
