Can I Rant a Little?

[insaneinthebrain]

So, for a large portion of my life I've had issues with porn addiction. It's not something I'm proud of, but it is something God has been dealing with for the last several years. (I finally broke down and confessed to a friend that was involved with a Christian organization that deals with sexual addiction. Not the most fun I've ever had, but definitely what needed to be done. In addition, I recruited another good friend to hold me accountable via Covenant Eyes (http://covenanteyes.com/), which has helped TREMENDOUSLY)

Anyway, this brings me to my rant. I cannot deny that we live in an overly-sexual society, which makes keeping thoughts pure very difficult. However, for reasons that are totally beyond my understanding, I seem to have ended up with a free subscription to Stuff for Men magazine, which features mostly-nekkid women on the cover and throughout the magazine. I called and cancelled this a few months ago, but THEY KEEP SENDING THEM!

Why? Why must the scabs on my life be picked at by outside forces?

[Bruce101]

You didn't think that it was going to be easy, did you?
HaSatan knows how to push each one of our buttons. He knows our weak spots, so when you draw the line and say, "no more!", HaSatan says, "hmm, we'll see."

Bruce
BTW, I am praying for you. Strengthen your spirit man and stay strong!!

[Tishri1]

maybe your friend can help...(I had an idea...ask your friend if you can use their address and fill out a change of address for the trashy mag.)....I too will be praying for ya friend:thumbsup:

[christinepro]

I think it is very good that you are honest with yourself and confess. That is a great step in healing. My big one was astrology. It was quite an addiction and I finally asked God to help me with this one. I have not checked my fortune for a couple of months now. It is much nicer living day by day than worrying about the future.

[Henaynei]

isn't this some sort of violation - unsolicited sleeze via public mail?? call your post office and see if there is some other course of action you can take....

:pray: for you dear brother :)

[Mikhail]

So, for a large portion of my life I've had issues with porn addiction. It's not something I'm proud of, but it is something God has been dealing with for the last several years. (I finally broke down and confessed to a friend that was involved with a Christian organization that deals with sexual addiction. Not the most fun I've ever had, but definitely what needed to be done. In addition, I recruited another good friend to hold me accountable via Covenant Eyes (http://covenanteyes.com/), which has helped TREMENDOUSLY)

Anyway, this brings me to my rant. I cannot deny that we live in an overly-sexual society, which makes keeping thoughts pure very difficult. However, for reasons that are totally beyond my understanding, I seem to have ended up with a free subscription to Stuff for Men magazine, which features mostly-nekkid women on the cover and throughout the magazine. I called and cancelled this a few months ago, but THEY KEEP SENDING THEM!

Why? Why must the scabs on my life be picked at by outside forces?

Shalom Achi,
I know what you mean it took many years after receiving Yeshua for me to overcome this area.

I prayed I fasted I claimed the blood I rebuked the devil until I came to the gradual realisation that I did these things because I got fleshly enjoyment out of it albeit it breifly with a lot of regret and always having to come to the Father via a series of repentance.

At one point I fasted 1 day a week to try and deal with this as I could hardly allow my mind to wonder on wrong things if I was fasting this helped but still it was not the panacae that I was hoping it would be.

The weeks I fasted I was stronger and able to deal with these things better.
But I realise now that it was not the fasting but the day of not allowing my mind to wonder that is meditate on the filth of this world that made the difference.

I had to ask him to help me change my mind and heart and decide to stop beleiving the lies the enemy was using such as you can't hold out forever it is only a picture or doesn't hurt anyone all fo shich are tools the enemy uses to wear us out mentally.

I am free of this now but I still have to be careful just like a alchoholic I cannot afford to put myself in the position where I allow even for a 30 seconds to allow my mind to wonder on things that it should not be thinking about.

The greatest part of having overcome this is that I can come into the presence of the Father without having to go thru the repentance routine wheneve I come ot him in prayer.

I do not have a TV, I do not read Magazines as they are all full of innapropriate pictures even the womans mags in waiting rooms are not good.

I a very selective about what I read some of this I did for a few years but still I would slip back into old ways of thinking.

A useful tool I used was to continually reprogramming my mind that I did not find these things enjoyable even though my fleshly mind said yes you do I had to learn to take control of my soul back, away from the carnal mind that seeks only after fulfilling it's every craving, overeating likewise is really the same thing as these are both a sympton of allowing our carnality to do what it wants.

It is so good to be free of this cursed thing I can tell you so clean before abba all the time instead of the rollercoster ride I used to experience.
Shalom,
Mikhail ben Gino

[visionary]

It reminds me of when I kicked the cigarette habit. Oh, I tried in my own strength many times, but celebrated my little victories with a cigarette. FInally one night the Lord gave me a dream where I was standing before Him. Well, I am not worthy to stand in front of Him and look at Him in the eye so I looked at His chest. I am not worthy to look at His chest, so I looked at His feet. I soon felt I was not worthy to look at His feet, so I looked at my own. There at my feet was a pack of cigarettes, now I can not stand before the Lord with a pack of cigarettes at my feet, so I kicked them away. They reappeared. I kicked them again... They reappeared. I was so caught up in the re-appearing and kicking that I forgot the Lord was in front of me until He asked me if I wanted to get rid of them. I shouted "yes" in frustration and woke myself up. I did not touch a cigarette since that day but boy did I go through 40 days and forty nights of hallications, temptations, and agony. My biggest thought through this whole time period was, "How can I pick up what the Lord has taken away?" So to this day I have no desire to smoke.

You read this and probably am wondering what has this got to do with your temptation. Well, it has to do with your relationship with the Lord. What is more important?

[Mikhail]

It reminds me of when I kicked the cigarette habit. Oh, I tried in my own strength many times, but celebrated my little victories with a cigarette. FInally one night the Lord gave me a dream where I was standing before Him. Well, I am not worthy to stand in front of Him and look at Him in the eye so I looked at His chest. I am not worthy to look at His chest, so I looked at His feet. I soon felt I was not worthy to look at His feet, so I looked at my own. There at my feet was a pack of cigarettes, now I can not stand before the Lord with a pack of cigarettes at my feet, so I kicked them away. They reappeared. I kicked them again... They reappeared. I was so caught up in the re-appearing and kicking that I forgot the Lord was in front of me until He asked me if I wanted to get rid of them. I shouted "yes" in frustration and woke myself up. I did not touch a cigarette since that day but boy did I go through 40 days and forty nights of hallications, temptations, and agony. My biggest thought through this whole time period was, "How can I pick up what the Lord has taken away?" So to this day I have no desire to smoke.

You read this and probably am wondering what has this got to do with your temptation. Well, it has to do with your relationship with the Lord. What is more important?

Amen that is so true it is all about our relationship with him and removing the idols from before our lives whatever they may be.

Rom 6:16 Don't you know that to whom you present yourselves as servants to obedience, his servants you are whom you obey; whether of sin to death, or of obedience to righteousness? Rom 6:17 But thanks be to God, that, whereas you were bondservants of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching whereunto you were delivered. Rom 6:18 Being made free from sin, you became bondservants of righteousness. Rom 6:19 I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh, for as you presented your members as servants to uncleanness and to wickedness upon wickedness, even so now present your members as servants to righteousness for sanctification. Rom 6:20 For when you were servants of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. Rom 6:21 What fruit then did you have at that time in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. Rom 6:22 But now, being made free from sin, and having become servants of God, you have your fruit of sanctification, and the result of eternal life. Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Messiah Yeshua our Lord.

I would rather be a bondeservant to righteousness (rejection of sin and iniquity in my heart) it is peace and joy in the ruach hakodesh.
Shalom,
Mikhail ben Gino

[Bon]

Thank you for your honesty...for letting us into a secret part of your life.

It is often a public confession such as yours, that really reveals convincing evidence that you are truly ready to move forward in this matter.

:prayer: for you IITB.

Shalom be with you

Bon

[Andyman_1970]

Shalom insaneinthebrain,

I too spent many years with the same problem you had, I too had a "come to Jesus" moment where I had to confess (not because I wanted to but had to....long story) to a dear brother, it was the hardest and one of the most painful things I've ever had to do.

I can't say I have any "nuggets" of advice for you, but I do watch what I watch on TV, and am quick to let my wife know when I'm feeling tempted. We also have internet filtering on the ISP side, so I can't sidestep the filter, my wife is the only one who has the password to turn the filter off, and the only one who has the password to order pay per view on our satellite.

Anyway, I wish you well brother and feel free to PM me if you ever need someone to talk to about that.

May He give you His Shalom...............

[Mikhail]

maybe your friend can help...(I had an idea...ask your friend if you can use their address and fill out a change of address for the trashy mag.)....I too will be praying for ya friend:thumbsup:

An even better idea is to simply RTS - Return to sender.
Shalom,
Mikhail ben Gino

[MyLittleWonders]

You are also in my prayers. My husband has dealt with the same demons and still has days when it is harder than others. He read the book Every Man's Battle (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1578563682/qid=1123173387/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/002-9194813-0465635?v=glance&s=books&n=507846), which is an amazing book by two very upfront Christian men. I too have read most of the book to help get a glimpse into what it is like living with the recovery of sex addiction. Continue to be open with your accountability partner (that was a huge help with my husband - knowing he had to "fess" up to others), and definitely do all you can to get that magazine stopped. Through Yeshua you can beat hasatan! Remember the victory is already won; you just need to keep running the race to realize that. :)

[Andyman_1970]

That book is awesome, both me and my wife have read it, I highly recommend it.

[plum]

Oh Heavenly Father! Your grace awes me. Your astounding mercy floors me, hits my heart with blunt force. Before your love, I fall to my knees. You are my redemption, my cover, my shelter. Save me, Father. The testimonies of your children move me. In YOU alone do we find freedom...

*sigh* My heart is racing. Do you all realize what a testimony can do for a sister or brother in the Body?

[Henaynei]

missju - your bring honor to your Master with your gentle sweet spirit...:amen: