A Guide for Spiritual Cleansing – by John Edmiston

A GUIDE TO SPIRITUAL CLEANSING BY JOHN EDMISTON

Testimony

In 1984 began using a form of this prayer to help spiritually oppressed people to become free and to find joy and liberty in Christ Jesus. Since then I have seen hundreds of people set free as they pray the prayer twice a day for about two weeks.

Hardly a day goes by now without someone telling me how it has changed their lives.

As the ‘spiritual tone’ of their life changes there is often an immediate inner clarity. People think better, act better and are more emotionally together. Their relationships improve and so do the circumstances of their lives. Occasionally there is even physical healing. Most people who pray this prayer ‘as prescribed’ come back and say that it has been a turning point in their lives.

The Symptoms…

Christians cannot be fully possessed by the Devil (because they have the Holy Spirit) but they can be oppressed, hindered and harassed. Such spiritual oppression often stems from things such as involvement in the occult, false teaching, and sexual immorality, or from keeping idols or magic books in the house (Deut. 7:24-26).

Oppression can also come from outside through curses and witchcraft or from within ourselves because we harbor hatred, bitterness , malice and unforgiveness in our hearts (Matthew 18:21-35)

The symptoms of demonic oppression include:

Hopelessness, despair, loss of confidence, spiritual anguish and struggle, the constant feeling of accusation or of being ‘unclean’ in some way.

The sense of being cursed or of being the victim of some malicious spiritual force. A feeling that hatred, malice or envy is being directed at you in order to destroy you.

An out-of-control thought life, very vivid fantasies and daydreams, being unable to think straight. Numerous fears.
A sense of being ‘blocked’ or stifled in one’s Christian life. A pronounced loss of enthusiasm for spiritual things.

Addictions, compulsions, lying, impulsiveness, habitual folly, excessive materialism, being hyper-critical, outbursts of anger, a long line of broken relationships.

The feeling of being attacked, strangled or seduced by spirits during one’s sleep. Seeing dark shapes. Hearing seducing, accusing or very demanding voices.

Unusual , even bizarre accidents and illnesses, constant financial problems, a continual lack of success in life despite one’s best efforts.

Ephesus—City Of Spiritual Warfare

Acts 19 tells us that Ephesus was full of occult activity such as Jewish exorcists, magicians, idol manufacturers and above them all a gigantic temple to Diana (also known as Artemis).

The apostles Paul and John both ministered there and Ephesians and 1 John tell us much about how to combat spiritual oppression.

Here are some of the main points:

The powers of darkness are real (Ephesians 2:2, 6:12)
But Christ has conquered them (Ephesians 1:19-23, 4:8, Colossians. 2:15) and they must submit to His Name (Philippians 2:10,11)

Jesus Christ has ascended into Heaven (Ephesians 1:19-23, 4:8-10) and Christians have been seated with Him in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 2:6) so we also have spiritual authority (1 Corinthians 6:2,3).

If we admit our situation and honestly confess our sins we will be forgiven and the blood of Christ will cleanse us from all sin (1 John 1:7-9)

So we see that through Christ we have a right to spiritual cleansing. (Hebrews 9:14)

We must renounce the hidden deeds of darkness (Ephesians 5:11-14) including the occult, sexual immorality & covetousness (Ephesians 5:2-5) and all hatred (1 John 2:9-11) and decide to walk in the light as He is in the light (1 John 1:5-7, Ephesians 5:8-10).

This is often called removing the ground the enemy has in our lives.

After this we should then ask for the filling of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18) and put on each piece of the whole armor of God by prayer (Ephesians 6:10-20)

The Prayer

I honestly confess my sins (list them) including any occult involvement of my parents and ancestors (list them)
(Exodus 20:5, Deuteronomy 5:9, 2 Samuel 21:1)

I renounce the Devil and all his works. (this may include destroying occult objects such as magic books & idols )
(Acts 19:17-20, Deuteronomy 7:24-26)

I forgive others (list their names) just as Jesus Christ has forgiven me. (Ephesians 4:32, Matthew 6:12-15,)

I claim my spiritual cleansing by the blood of Jesus Christ whom I confess to be my Savior and my Lord.
(1 John 1:7-9, Hebrews 9:14)

I now give any ground that Satan may have had in my life over to the Lordship of Jesus Christ and I ask for God to fill me with the Holy Spirit and with joy. (Ephesians 5:1-18)

I take up my spiritual authority as one seated in heavenly realms with Christ Jesus and in the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth I command Satan and all his demons to depart from me. (Ephesians 2:6, 1:20, Mark 3:15, 16:17,18; Luke 9:1)

I claim that all curses spoken and written against me are broken by the cross of Jesus Christ. (Galatians 3:10-14, Colossians 2:13-15)

and that I have all the spiritual blessings in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 1:3) including the blessings of Abraham (Galatians 3:14,29) for God has out-blessed the curse (Psalm 109:28) and turned it into a blessing (Deuteronomy 23:5)

And I now prayerfully put on each piece of the full armor of God (name each piece see Ephesians 6:10-20) and I will walk in the light as He is in the light ( 1 John 1:5-7).

In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

The Process…. (How To Go About Praying This Prayer)

Many people have found that it is very helpful to pray the prayer for spiritual cleansing twice a day for about two or three weeks.

As you pray you will begin to feel ‘lighter’ spiritually and the heaviness of the spiritual oppression will fade away.

God may bring things to mind that you have to do, such as apologizing to someone or repaying a debt. As you follow these leadings of the Holy Spirit you will find relief.

During this time you should pray and read the Bible daily, especially Romans 8, Ephesians and 1 John. Continue going to your local church. Please study all the bible verses I list above, you will be amazed at the life-giving teaching they contain.

It is good to pray this prayer with some help from your pastor or another mature Christian leader.

If you are on any medication (say for anxiety or depression) do not go off your medication. Always obey your doctor in this regard.

Remember that there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1,2) and that God wants to help you every step of the way. It is the gracious loving power of God that will set you free!

Blessings in Christ Jesus!!

John Edmiston

Observations of My Lifestyle In God’s Word and Outside of HIS Will

The more I get to know God and His Word, the more I realize my life is a 2-edged sword.

I find myself praising God one minute, reading his Word, listening to my favourite gospel preachers, and asking forgiveness of the Lord for my sins.  The next minute I fall into temptation, begin living in the Flesh, and then feel guilty afterwards. The cycle seems to never end and I certainly do not want to live the rest of my life like this!

Today, I decided to make a list contrasting my life in God’s Will and when I am living for myself.

Living for God

1. Inner Joy is released from my Spirit into my Soul
2. That Joy makes me want to reach out to others.
3. Reading God’s Word strengthens me and helps me to overcome fear, sadness, guilt, shame, anger and resentments.
4. I sleep so much better at night; sleeping soundly and having pleasant dreams.
5. Time seems to be added to my day and I can accomplish so much in what seems a short period of time.
6. I smile to others as I pass them by and strangers approach me to talk for no apparent reason.
7. I don’t experience hangovers because I am not looking to escape though alcohol.
8. I experience weight loss because I am out and about doing things instead of isolating myself indoors.
9. My speech with others builds them up instead of tearing them down with disgusting speech.
10. I am able to handle every situations with more success because the Holy Spirit speaks back God’s Word to me.
11. I give thanks to God for everything that comes to my mind, and I pray faithfully each day.

Living For Myself (Out of God’s Will)

1. I become selfish, self-centered, self-righteous, judgmental, and easily agitated.
2. I look at some of God’s children with lust and as objects for my sexual satisfaction.
3. I drink excessively, and lower my inhibitions and morals to the point of disgust.
4. My attitudes become more aggressive.
5. Insomnia plagues me incessantly, and I find myself grinding my teeth during sleep.
6. My time is wasted on distractions such as Internet use, silly arguments, and memories of past wrongs.
7. I no longer smile nor wish to socialize with others; thus isolating myself for long periods of time.
8. No longer do I speak to God or have the courage to ask His forgiveness.
9. No longer can I hear the promptings of the Holy Spirit and God’s Word.
10. Weight gain is inevitable as I become less active and more bitter.
11. I feel more pitiful and far less powerful to invoke positive changes to my situation.

 

I welcome all to know these experiences I go through. It is hoped that it can help someone else who may be going through the same thing.

God Bless!

 

Why Study the Bible? – by Erik Olsen

An article take from The Letters of Christ.

 

Why Study the Bible?

1. Spiritual Food: Just like the body grows, there is a sense in which the spirit also grows; and just like the body needs physical food in order to grow, so the spirit needs spiritual food in order to grow. That is why Jesus said, “Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” (Luke 4:4) The Bible is a supernatural book. The Bible is actually food for your spirit! In Hebrews 5:13-14, Paul referred to spiritual food and spiritual growth when he said that “solid food” belongs to those who are “full of age,” and “milk” belongs to those who are “babes.” 1 Peter 2:2 — “as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word that you may grow therebye.” At a certain maturity level, the human body not only requires food in order to grow, but it also needs exercise. Athletes don’t build their muscles by just sitting around and eating. They reach their peak physical condition by lifting weights and exercising. It is the same with the human spirit. We not only have to feed our spirit but we have to exercise our spirit. That is why Paul said in Hebrews 5:14, “solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” And James 1:22 states, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only.” The apostle Paul exhorts us to go about our spiritual training in the manner that athletes go about pursuing the gold medal. In 1 Corinthians 9:24-25 he writes: “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.” In Luke 6:46-49, Jesus spoke about being doers of the word and not hearers only when He said, “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do the things which I say? Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock. But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great.” It’s important to recognize that we can’t be a doer of the word unless we are first a hearer. We know what to DO by first HEARING. So we must first open up our Bible, bow our heads, and talk to Jesus, ask Him to teach us His truth by His Spirit. In John 16:13, Jesus promised the apostles that after He returned to heaven, He would send the Holy Spirit to take His place on the earth and personally teach us His truth. That promise has already been fulfilled. Jesus is in heaven right now and the Holy Spirit is here on earth available to teach you His truth. The apostle Paul spoke of the work of the Spirit in 1 Corinthians 2:9-10 when he said, “‘Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.’ But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit.” Then in the middle of verse 11, he writes, “Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.” Then in verse 14: “But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” The Spirit of God helps us to understand the Word of God.

2. Spiritual Warfare:

In the world that we see with our eyes, the Bible is just another book on the shelf, often collecting dust; but if you look beneith the surface into the spiritual dimension, that book is transformed into a mighty weapon — what Ephesians 6:17 calls the “Sword of the Spirit.” The Bible is a supernatural book. It is a spiritual sword that is, in the words of Hebrews 4:12, “sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit.” Sharper than any two edged sword means that it is sharper than any physical sword. Piercing even to the division of soul and spirit means that it reaches beyond the physical dimension into the spiritual dimension.

Ephesians 6:10-13 states “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”

The world is a spiritual battlefield, and the “Sword of the Spirit” is our weapon. Every time you study the Bible, you are actually sharpening your spiritual sword!

We must be carefull, though, because the battle reaches all the way to the inside of the church. Whenever man’s wisdom is added to the Bible or substituted for the Bible our sword is either dulled or replaced by a fake, plastic sword, often without us realizing it. Satan, the one whom Jesus calledthe father of lies, is the mastermind behind this danger.

In the Garden of Eden we see Satan first questioning the Word of God when he said to Eve, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” (Genesis 3:1) After Eve answered, “God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die,'” (Genesis 3:3) Satan took it one step further and outright denied God’s Word by saying, “You will not surely die.” Then he added, “For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:5). This lie is the root of all of man’s wisdom. You will be like God, knowing good and evil; in otherwords, your wisdom will be equal to God’s wisdom — you don’t need to listen to God’s Word, you can rely on your own ideas…

The Roman Catholic church is a classic example of satan’s lies being mixed with God’s truth. In 1665 William Gurnall published his 1,200 page magnum opus called The Christian In Complete Armour. C.H. Spurgeon considered the subject of spiritual warfare to be so critical that he said if he was stranded on an island and could only have two books with him, he would choose the Bible andThe Chrisitan In Complete Armour. In it William Gurnall wrote about the Catholic Church:

Look into his armour, and hardly a piece will be found armour of God. They fight in the pope’s armour. His authority is the shop wherin their weapons are forged…which they load silly souls–too heavy indeed for the broadest shoulders among them to bear…. Their masses, matins, vigils, pilgrimages, lent-fasts, whippings, vows of chastity, poverty, with a world of such trash! –where is a word of God for these? Who hath required these things at their hands? A thousand woes will one day fall upon those impostors, who have stripped the people of the true armour of God, and put these reeds and bulrushes in their hands… [and] force us to venture the life of our souls in such paper-armour, when God hath provided better. (The Christian in Complete Armour, William Gurnall)

The “bulrushes and reeds” and “paper-armour” that Gurnall mentioned is man’s wisdom substituted for God’s wisdom. Paul warned about this when he wrote, “Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ” (Colosians 2:8-9). Paul also warned that man’s wisdom can have the appearance of God’s wisdom — “These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh” (Colosians 2:23).

On the other hand, the Sword of the Spirit has the power of God behind it! On the battlefield there is a mysterious partnership between each Christian and the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit actually does the fighting for us when we are using the Sword of the Spirit. As we proclaim truth, it’s as if the Holy Spirit clasps His hands around our hands and swings the Sword of the Spirit to advance His Kingdom. The apostle Paul spoke of this dynamic in 1 Corinthians 2:4-5 when he wrote, “my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.”

We can experience the same dynamic when we follow Paul’s exhortation in 2 Timothy 2:15: “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

In the book of Acts we read of the Bereans who exemplified this. “Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. Therefore many of them believed…” (Acts 17:10-12)

2 Timothy 3:16-17 — “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work”

3. Love:

“Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment.” (Matthew 22:37-38)

Another reason to study the Bible is to love God with “all your mind.” It’s easy to miss this reason because we can do all the right external things without loving God. He points this out in his letter to the Ephesian church by first listing all the right things they were doing and then saying in Revelation 2:2-5, “Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen…”

Studying the Bible out of love for God becomes natural for the Christian when we realize how JESUS CHRIST is the CENTRAL THEME of the Bible. Jesus Christ is the bridegroom of the church (the one spiritual body of all true Christians), and heaven will begin with an event called the “marriage supper of the Lamb” mentioned in Revelation 19:9. It is natural for Christians to learn as much as they can about Christ through the Bible just like it is natural for a bride to learn as much as possible about her bridegroom. When you study the Bible with the attitude of love for God, the Bible is transformed into a personal love letter from God.

The Apostle Paul summarized the centrality of Christ while standing before King Agrippa during his trial. Acts 26:22-23 records his words: “Therefore, having obtained help from God, to this day I stand, witnessing both to small and great, saying no other things than those which the prophets and Moses said would come — that the Christ would suffer, that He would be the first to rise from the dead, and would proclaim light to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles.”

In John 5:39 Jesus said, “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.

I have found that the more I love God with my mind by studying the Bible, the more I learn about His love for me — about the depth of my sin, about how much He has forgiven me, about how much it cost for Him to pay for my sins, about the future He has planned — and this knowledge of His love is inspiration to love Him more.

J.C. Ryle, in his book Holiness, published in 1879, wrote the following narrative about loving God:

‘Man,’ said a thoughtless, ungodly English traveller, to a North American Indiuan convert, ‘Man, what is the reason that you make so much of Christ, and talk so much about Him? What has this Christ done for you, that you should make so much ado about Him?’ The converted Indian did not answer him in words. He gathered together some dry leaves and moss and made a ring with them on the gound. He picked up a live worm and put it in the middle of the ring. He struck a light and set the moss and leaves on fire. The flame soon rose, and the heat scorched the worm. It writhed in agony, and after trying in vain to escape on every side, curled itself up in the middle, as if about to die in despair. At that moment the Indian reached forth his hand, took up the worm gently and placed it on his bosom. ‘Stranger,’ he said to the Englishman, ‘do you see that worm? I was that perishing creature. I was dying in my sins, hopeless, helpless and on the brink of eternal fire. It was Jesus Christ who put forth the arm of His power. It was Jesus Christ who delivered me with the hand of His grace, and plucked me from everlasting burnings. It was Jesus Christ who placed me, a poor sinful worm, near the heart of His love. Stranger, that is the reason why I talk of Jesus Christ, and make much of Him. I am not ashamed of it, because I love Him. If we know anything of love to Christ, may we have the mind of this North American Indian! May we never think that we can love Christ too well, live to Him too thoroughly, confess Him too boldly, lay ourselves out for Him too heartily! Of all the things that will surprise us in the resurrection morning, this I believe will surprise us most, that we did not love Christ more before we died. (Holiness, J.C. Ryle)

What caused the indian in this story to passionately love God? He loved God because he had experienced and understood God’s love for him.

“We love Him because He first loved us.” (1 John 4:19)

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A Confession

This is an open confession to my reading audience and to the Lord My God Himself.

Since mid Summer I have been absent from blogging here. In my private time I have also been absent from communicating and spending time with the Lord. What is the reason for all this?  To be perfectly honest it is SHAME that has caused it. Shame that I brought onto myself by doing things that are not pleasing to God, and to cause the Holy Spirit to convict me time and time again.

Basically I have been isolating myself from others as much as possible, while indulging in desires of the flesh. Sin isolates you from God and from all others. It is Satan’s way of keeping you from doing what God has planned for your life. I allowed myself to indulge in excessive liquid spirits, and to fill my mind with pornographic images from the Internet. I even went so far as to begin another blog that concentrated on promoting earthly desires and totally devoid of God. It did not take very long before I was in very deep and far away from the spiritual progress I had made in the past couple of years. While I thought I was enjoying myself by playing with the forbidden fruit so to speak, I began to realize that others were noticing. As such, I began to attract a different type of energy towards myself that I had not done before. Like attracts like and those who indulge themselves in the same practices find others like them very easily.

So what brings me back here now?

God knows all that I think and will do even before I do it myself. He knew all about me before He called me into this world. The Lord has already started a great work in me and will continue on until it is finished. As Joyce Meyer always says, “He who is in me is stronger than he who is in this world”.

When I was more conscientious about spending time with God and reading His Word, truth had been revealed to me in scripture. Those Words remain in my spirit and do speak to me when I stray from my path. Those Words point out the lies and remind me of God’s plan for my life. The continuous conviction of the Holy Spirit to do what is right has worked in spirit to bring about my return here.

Thank you to all for listening and thank You Lord for ever being by my side, never leaving me nor forsaking me.

~Raymond Glen

In HIM – The Lessons of Ephesians 2

Ephesians 2 Amplified Bible (AMP)

 

 ¹AND YOU [He made alive], when you were dead (slain) by [your] trespasses and sins

    ²In which at one time you walked [habitually]. You were following the course and fashion of this world [were under the sway of the tendency of this present age], following the prince of the power of the air. [You were obedient to and under the control of] the [demon] spirit that still constantly works in the sons of disobedience [the careless, the rebellious, and the unbelieving, who go against the purposes of God].

    ³Among these we as well as you once lived and conducted ourselves in the passions of our flesh [our behavior governed by our corrupt and sensual nature], obeying the impulses of the flesh and the thoughts of the mind [our cravings dictated by our senses and our dark imaginings]. We were then by nature children of [God’s] wrath and heirs of [His] indignation, like the rest of mankind.

    ⁴But God–so rich is He in His mercy! Because of and in order to satisfy the great and wonderful and intense love with which He loved us,

    ⁵Even when we were dead (slain) by [our own] shortcomings and trespasses, He made us alive together in fellowship and in union with Christ; [He gave us the very life of Christ Himself, the same new life with which He quickened Him, for] it is by grace (His favor and mercy which you did not deserve) that you are saved (^[a]delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ’s salvation).

    ⁶And He raised us up together with Him and made us sit down together [giving us ^[b]joint seating with Him] in the heavenly sphere [by virtue of our being] in Christ Jesus (the Messiah, the Anointed One).

    ⁷He did this that He might clearly demonstrate through the ages to come the immeasurable (limitless, surpassing) riches of His free grace (His unmerited favor) in [His] kindness and goodness of heart toward us in Christ Jesus.

    ⁸For it is by free grace (God’s unmerited favor) that you are saved (^[c]delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ’s salvation) through [your] faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [of your own doing, it came not through your own striving], but it is the gift of God;

    ⁹Not because of works [not the fulfillment of the Law’s demands], lest any man should boast. [It is not the result of what anyone can possibly do, so no one can pride himself in it or take glory to himself.]

    ¹⁰For we are God’s [own] handiwork (His workmanship), ^[d]recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live].

    ¹¹Therefore, remember that at one time you were Gentiles (heathens) in the flesh, called Uncircumcision by those who called themselves Circumcision, [itself a ^[e]mere mark] in the flesh made by human hands.

    ¹²[Remember] that you were at that time separated (living apart) from Christ [excluded from all part in Him], utterly estranged and outlawed from the rights of Israel as a nation, and strangers with no share in the sacred compacts of the [Messianic] promise [with no knowledge of or right in God’s agreements, His covenants]. And you had no hope (no promise); you were in the world without God.

    ¹³But now in Christ Jesus, you who once were [so] far away, through (by, in) the blood of Christ have been brought near.

    ¹⁴For He is [Himself] our peace (our bond of unity and harmony). He has made us both [Jew and Gentile] one [body], and has broken down (destroyed, abolished) the hostile dividing wall between us,

    ¹⁵By abolishing in His [own crucified] flesh the enmity [caused by] the Law with its decrees and ordinances [which He annulled]; that He from the two might create in Himself one new man [one new quality of humanity out of the two], so making peace.

    ¹⁶And [He designed] to reconcile to God both [Jew and Gentile, united] in a single body by means of His cross, thereby killing the mutual enmity and bringing the feud to an end.

    ¹⁷And He came and preached the glad tidings of peace to you who were afar off and [peace] to those who were near.

    ¹⁸For it is through Him that we both [whether far off or near] now have an introduction (access) by one [Holy] Spirit to the Father [so that we are able to approach Him].

    ¹⁹Therefore you are no longer outsiders (exiles, migrants, and aliens, excluded from the rights of citizens), but you now share citizenship with the saints (God’s own people, consecrated and set apart for Himself); and you belong to God’s [own] household.

    ²⁰You are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Christ Jesus Himself the chief Cornerstone.

    ²¹In Him the whole structure is joined (bound, welded) together harmoniously, and it continues to rise (grow, increase) into a holy temple in the Lord [a sanctuary dedicated, consecrated, and sacred to the presence of the Lord].

    ²²In Him [and in fellowship with one another] you yourselves also are being built up [into this structure] with the rest, to form a fixed abode (dwelling place) of God in (by, through) the Spirit.

Pondering EPHESIANS 4 Today

Ephesians 4  Amplified Bible (AMP)

 

 ¹I THEREFORE, the prisoner for the Lord, appeal to and beg you to walk (lead a life) worthy of the [divine] calling to which you have been called [with behavior that is a credit to the summons to God’s service,

    ²Living as becomes you] with complete lowliness of mind (humility) and meekness (unselfishness, gentleness, mildness), with patience, bearing with one another and making allowances because you love one another.

    ³Be eager and strive earnestly to guard and keep the harmony and oneness of [and produced by] the Spirit in the binding power of peace.

    ⁴[There is] one body and one Spirit–just as there is also one hope [that belongs] to the calling you received–

    ⁵[There is] one Lord, one faith, one baptism,

    ⁶One God and Father of [us] all, Who is above all [Sovereign over all], pervading all and [living] in [us] all.

    ⁷Yet grace (God’s unmerited favor) was given to each of us individually [not indiscriminately, but in different ways] in proportion to the measure of Christ’s [rich and bounteous] gift.

    ⁸Therefore it is said, When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive [He led a train of ^[a]vanquished foes] and He bestowed gifts on men.

    ⁹[But He ascended?] Now what can this, He ascended, mean but that He had previously descended from [the heights of] heaven into [the depths], the lower parts of the earth?

    ¹⁰He Who descended is the [very] same as He Who also has ascended high above all the heavens, that He [His presence] might fill all things (the whole universe, from the lowest to the highest).

    ¹¹And His gifts were [varied; He Himself appointed and gave men to us] some to be apostles (special messengers), some prophets (inspired preachers and expounders), some evangelists (preachers of the Gospel, traveling missionaries), some pastors (shepherds of His flock) and teachers.

    ¹²His intention was the perfecting and the full equipping of the saints (His consecrated people), [that they should do] the work of ministering toward building up Christ’s body (the church),

    ¹³[That it might develop] until we all attain oneness in the faith and in the comprehension of the [^[b]full and accurate] knowledge of the Son of God, that [we might arrive] at really mature manhood (the completeness of personality which is nothing less than the standard height of Christ’s own perfection), the measure of the stature of the fullness of the Christ and the completeness found in Him.

    ¹⁴So then, we may no longer be children, tossed [like ships] to and fro between chance gusts of teaching and wavering with every changing wind of doctrine, [the prey of] the cunning and cleverness of ^[c]unscrupulous men, [gamblers engaged] in every shifting form of trickery in inventing errors to mislead.

    ¹⁵Rather, let our lives lovingly ^[d]express truth [in all things, speaking truly, dealing truly, living truly]. Enfolded in love, let us grow up in every way and in all things into Him Who is the Head, [even] Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).

    ¹⁶For because of Him the whole body (the church, in all its various parts), closely joined and firmly knit together by the joints and ligaments with which it is supplied, when each part [with power adapted to its need] is working properly [in all its functions], grows to full maturity, building itself up in love.

    ¹⁷So this I say and solemnly testify in [the name of] the Lord [as in His presence], that you must no longer live as the heathen (the Gentiles) do in their perverseness [in the folly, vanity, and emptiness of their souls and the futility] of their minds.

    ¹⁸Their ^[e]moral understanding is darkened and their reasoning is beclouded. [They are] alienated (estranged, self-banished) from the life of God [with no share in it; this is] because of the ignorance (the want of knowledge and perception, the willful blindness) that is ^[f]deep-seated in them, due to their hardness of heart [to the insensitiveness of their moral nature].

    ¹⁹In their spiritual apathy they have become callous and past feeling and reckless and have abandoned themselves [a prey] to unbridled sensuality, eager and greedy to indulge in every form of impurity [that their depraved desires may suggest and demand].

    ²⁰But you did not so learn Christ!

    ²¹Assuming that you have really heard Him and been taught by Him, as [all] Truth is in Jesus [embodied and personified in Him],

    ²²Strip yourselves of your former nature [put off and discard your old unrenewed self] which characterized your previous manner of life and becomes corrupt through lusts and desires that spring from delusion;

    ²³And be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude],

    ²⁴And put on the new nature (the regenerate self) created in God’s image, [Godlike] in true righteousness and holiness.

    ²⁵Therefore, rejecting all falsity and being done now with it, let everyone express the truth with his neighbor, for we are all parts of one body and members one of another.

    ²⁶When angry, do not sin; do not ever let your wrath (your exasperation, your fury or indignation) last until the sun goes down.

    ²⁷Leave no [such] room or foothold for the devil [give no opportunity to him].

    ²⁸Let the thief steal no more, but rather let him be industrious, making an honest living with his own hands, so that he may be able to give to those in need.

    ²⁹Let no foul or polluting language, nor evil word nor unwholesome or worthless talk [ever] come out of your mouth, but only such [speech] as is good and beneficial to the spiritual progress of others, as is fitting to the need and the occasion, that it may be a blessing and give grace (God’s favor) to those who hear it.

    ³⁰And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God [do not offend or vex or sadden Him], by Whom you were sealed (marked, branded as God’s own, secured) for the day of redemption (of final deliverance through Christ from evil and the consequences of sin).

    ³¹Let all bitterness and indignation and wrath (passion, rage, bad temper) and resentment (anger, animosity) and quarreling (brawling, clamor, contention) and slander (evil-speaking, abusive or blasphemous language) be banished from you, with all malice (spite, ill will, or baseness of any kind).

    ³²And become useful and helpful and kind to one another, tenderhearted (compassionate, understanding, loving-hearted), forgiving one another [readily and freely], as God in Christ forgave you.

   

Help For Pornography Addicts

http://www.truthminers.com/truth/help_for_porn_addicts.htm

If either you or a loved one has become addicted to pornography, there is help available. You DO NOT have to continue in slavery to pornography! Yes, you are a slave. You just think you are free to do as you will, but the nature of addiction is absolute enslavement. There is no freedom.

This first section will deal with my own advice regarding this addiction to the addict. The second section will have a host of services that can help you. Some of the helps listed here are counseling services, accountability and content monitoring software services or self-help books. I am not paid to recommend ANY of these.

If you are a Christian, you must begin with the realization that ANY addiction, by it’s very nature, is your god. You have another god before the true God, I AM. You cannot serve God and your addiction. The addiction controls you. It doesn’t matter whether that addiction is to some kind of drug, nicotine, alcohol or other physical addiction, or whether it is strictly and emotional/mental addiction such as pornography. Whatever it is, it is your god. It tells you what to do and when to do it. You can’t be full of that addiction and full of the Spirit. What may have begun as a simple sin or failing is now your full-blown lord. I think that lack of this realization may be a great hinderance to getting past any behavior associated with the addiction. Realization, confession and repentence of the original sin problem needs to come first. If you are REALLY serious about getting free, everything written here will be helpful to any addiction.

“Wisdom is knowing reality and adjusting yourself to it”

(1) Tell someone you trust about the addiction. The power of sin is in its darkness. When sin is brought out into the light, it loses a lot of steam. The best idea is to enlist an accountability partner with whom you will promise to be honest. The Word of God tells us that we need to confess our sins not just to the Lord, but to each other. If you are married, you need to make confession to your spouse. If you are a minor, you need to confess to your parents. Whoever has been wronged by your actions needs a confession. That brings up another issue: is pornography a victimless problem?

(2) Pornography is not victimless. The addict is the first victim. I will discuss that in more detail below. Spouses are victims. If married, you have left the sanctity of the marital vows. What? Just by looking. Un huh. Jesus said that the sin has been committed when the mind is engaged, remember? The action is just the result of the actual sin. If unmarried, you have already cheated your future mate. All matters regarding our sexuality were created for a two-fold purpose within marriage. One is for procreation. The other is for a sort of bond or cement to the marriage vows. God’s Word is clear on His created purpose for human sexuality. There are clear boundaries. Going against the created purpose of the universe is butting one’s head against reality. There WILL be consequences. Just like in an athletic game, staying within the boundaries allows you to not only keep playing, but to win. Those who continually go out of bounds either get sidelined or lose. They will never be happy or find any joy in it. Love is not a feeling, but a daily act of commitment to the well-being of the beloved. By its very nature addiction to porn is a self-centered, self-absorbed way of life. It’s all about you. That was not God’s intent for marital love and commitment.

(3) Pornography is based purely on fantasy. Reality can never match the fantasy. Again, one is living against reality here. There will be an escalating desire for the fantasy to become reality. Eventually escalation becomes necessary. Pornography acts like heroin on the brain. The viewer may start off with very mild porn, but that will cease to excite. They will slowly move into harder forms. When that ceases to excite, some form of acting out will happen. It’s all about choosing reality over fantasy. The reality is fairly dull. This is why so many are disappointed in marriage. Porn addicts are inordinately affected with this issue because the fantasy has become an alternative reality that can and will never be true.

(4) The problem is not in your hormones or your body, but the enemy struggling for control of your mind. The Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Church in Rome, made a statement that is little heeded in our pleasure oriented, self-centered world. He said (this is from the NIV translation), “Do not be conformed to the pattern of this world, but be TRANSFORMED by the renewing of your MIND.” This is not a quick fix. Transformation requires something out of you. Notice that the key to transformation is in changing your MIND. You see, this particular problem stems from the fact that you are able view women (or men) as objects of your pleasure. Transformation comes by changing your mind on this. The problem is in your viewpoint.

You begin by telling yourself the truth – that all human beings, whether male or female, are direct creations of a Holy God, created in His image and that they were not placed on this earth for your satisfaction. As you begin to tell yourself this truth over and over again, you will be unable to continue lusting after the fantasies you have created in your mind because reality will have set in. You will see that nothing in what you are doing now is satisfying and that working towards a solid relationship that includes fidelity, faithfulness, love and respect, will be satisfying. You will begin to believe the truth so much, that even looking at the pictures will making you ill. You will no longer have to constantly be concerned about leaving it aside, it will leave you.

(5) YOU ARE NOT AN ANIMAL (no matter what drivel they teach in public schools), at the mercy of your hormones and physical sensations. God has instilled in humans the ability to think and to reason. In making ourselves to be slaves of the physical, we must put all reason aside and become as animals. This is not how we were created. Naturalism says that we are an accident of nature and just a higher order of animal. Creation says that we are distinct, not only as a species, but each individual. Not only are you not an animal without reason, the person you are looking at is not an animal. At this point, this is how you are treating them. The pleasure you are getting here and now is going to have future repercussions – not only future, but eternal. Nothing we do is for the here and now. Everything thought and action effects eternity (more on that in a moment).

(6) Understand the difference between the immediate and the eternal. Every word, every deed, indeed, every thought has eternal consequences. Again, naturalism has taught you to live in the immediate because there can be no eternal. However, the reality is that there is an eternal and you are part of it. Every thought you have in darkness has negative eternal value because every thought is going to work it’s way outward in how you view and treat others. In reality, your immediate desire is not important in the entire scope of things. Once you get a grip on that reality, you are more willing to reassess what you are thinking. One of the best quotes I have ever read said that, “wisdom is knowing reality and adjusting yourself to it.”

(7) You must realize that this is a PROCESS. It will take time. God is going to be more patient with you if you are willing to do this than you will be with yourself. When we come to Christ, God has to remold us into the image of Christ. Sin has marred the original image. The process is lifelong and sometimes very painful, for both Him and His clay. C.S. Lewis made a great analogy. He said that when God begins that process, we sometimes don’t mind too much because He begins with the seemingly larger, but actually smaller issues. He sweeps house, takes down pictures, covers up a few holes here and there. Not too bad. Eventually though, He starts into the things that are not quite so obvious. He starts tearing out walls and ripping up carpet, etc. Ouch! We think, “what on earth is He up to? That hurts!” Lewis response was that our thinking is wrong. We think he only wants to clean up His new dwelling, but He is the King of Kings. He needs to remake us, His temple, into a palace fit for Him to live in. The issue you are facing seems large, but it is one of the more obvious and actually less painful remakes you will go through in your journey to becoming like Christ. However, if you never get past it, you’ll never get on to the rest of the process and remain pretty much where you are spiritually. My advice is to do whatever it takes now. Maturity is very much worth it. Eternity is very much worth it. Freedom is very much worth it. Reality is very much worth it. Human beings are very much worth it – at least Christ thought so. He was willing to take the punishment we deserved in order to bring us back into relationship with Creator God. Are you willing to begin the process of giving up fantasy for reality, maturity, eternity and for others.