new member, long struggle

[rkr4jesus]

well, i missed the speaches because i went to a prolife mass in the national basilica, but the crowd was huge and young. not many harassers this year, which i think is a good sign. but the number of of people was enormous... my school and i were towards the front of the march; but after, while we were in union station, people were still flooding in even at 5-6 o 'clock

[rkr4jesus]

hey guys, so fallen yesterdauy.. please pray for me... and respond if you do, this is rather discouraging and i cuold really use some christian fellowship

[JoeMS]

I'm sorry to hear about your struggle but believe it is good to keep coming back, to continue to struggle and ask for God's forgiveness and healing grace.

I try to reflect on what happened and ask God for help. I ask for help to avoid the tempting situations or help to respond more forcefully when faced with the temptation.

[danandbevsfarm]

Hello rkr4jesus; I want you to keep in mind that though you fail at times \, you ARE NEVER A FAILURE!!!!! We men tend to forget that we are loved and have NO SIN in God's eyes because of what Jesus Christ has done on our behalf. The struggles that we have are a growth experience so that we can be more like Christ. Well then, why don't I sin more so that I can have more grace? In Romans, Paul says NO WAY!!!!

Romans 7

15I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature.

Romans 8

1Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,[a] 2because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.

18I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. 20For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21that[i] the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.
22We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? 25But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

Check out verse 24 and keep this in mind. Do you want the struggle to be over rkr4jesus? Hang on a little longer and it will be over. Jesus guarantees that it will. When you look at our struggles now they seem big deals, but in the light of eternity they are only a speck. You can do this rkr4jesus. Pray in the morning for wisdom and strength and the Lord will be overjoyed to give them to you for Jesus says that His grace is sufficient. Please continue staying in touch with us because we are here to support and pray for you. As a young man, you have a BIG, BRIGHT future ahead with only a little suffering for now. Hang in there because you can do it!!!!

[JoeMS]

Thanks for those quotes. I needed them this evening.

[rkr4jesus]

thank you guys so much.. i know i won't always have the vigour of a freshly encouraged and renewed spirit, so i hope i can come back to these posts and experience God speaking through them again and again. you were right, btw, about taking a special look at verse 24... it was really profound

[danandbevsfarm]

Hello rkr4jesus; Great post

i know i won't always have the vigour of a freshly encouraged and renewed spirit, so i hope i can come back to these posts and experience God

Apostle Paul told the Corinthian church ALL of us believers situation in this fallen world when he said;

2 Corinthians 4:16 (New International Version)

16Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.

That IS our purpose, to renew EACH OTHER day by day so that ALL of us can have a right spirit within us. Please keep coming back!!!!!

Galatians 5:22-25 (New International Version)

22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

[JoeMS]

This is a followup to rkr4jesus's statement that he missed the speeches at the Pro Life rally. It is off the topic but a reminder of the power of God to change our minds and hearts.

If you don’t know her story yet, Abby was the former director of the Planned Parenthood abortion center in Bryan/College Station, Texas — the facility that was site of the first-ever 40 Days for Life back in 2004.

Abby watched six 40 Days for Life campaigns occur outside of her abortion center before experiencing a profound spiritual conversion during last fall’s 40 Days for Life campaign — after witnessing an abortion via ultrasound for the first time.

She not only resigned her job, but has devoted herself to speaking out for life every chance she gets — and Abby now regularly prays outside of her former workplace.

Only by the grace of God!

Now, can you imagine what it will be like when the director — or another worker — at the abortion center nearest to you experiences a conversion and joins the pro-life movement?

It really can happen.

We never expected it to happen when 40 Days for Life first began … but God’s plans are bigger — and much more amazing — than ours.

Expecting GREAT Things,

David Bereit
National Director
40 Days for Life

WFL 2010 Abby Johnson
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xtkac15nWGY

Abbey J part 2 4 min
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCtaLY_iP00

[rkr4jesus]

that's beautiful. i hope that all can experience that conversion.. isn't it just that way? when one finaly excepts God's extended hand, we hate the thing that held us and made us blind. this is one of my most recent favorite bible quotes about manliness and our walk with Christ

Philippians 3:12 (New International Version)
12Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.

It's so true, my maturity is not reached yet, and Gods plans for my future will not always come without my failing far too many times... but what excuse is that to give up, or give half harted tries towards that great goal? I know i have low self motivation, but if anything should inspire love, and will recieve diligence from me then it is the effort to become and MAN IN CHRIST! He knows how to make it happen, and he will... but he can only fix me when i've given myself to him, if i choose this world over him he'll respect that... and i would hate beyond all the trials of this world to be left alone by my Lord.
...Dear Jesus, Brother, High Priest... make me a man as your step father Joseph was, a manhood you made perfect as you made all things perfect. bring me into your kingdom as a man who served you well in this world, so that i might enjoy your rest and peace in the next. make me a man who can serve you, make me a man you can use... make me a man at all, no longer a boy. with the immaturities of boyhood, but a man in virtue and wisdom. Grant me a fear of you, Lord... a reverential trembling and anxiety to please you, for this is the beginning of wisdom. the best of all the companions of kings and men... thank you Jesus... thank you Jesus... i love you. bless me, your most humbled of servants, Amen.

[JoeMS]

Praise God!

[rkr4jesus]

Fallen today... please dear jesus. I love you!!!! don't take your eyes off of me, even when i take mine off of you. Hold me up as i prepare for easter. i can't believe i'm this weak, luckly... you knew i'd be and promised to love me all the same. make me strong through easter, let me give you that a a gift. let me greet from your victorious return in a way fitting for your victory over hell and satan. I love you. I will show you this better in the future, Amen

[danandbevsfarm]

No advice for you rkr4Jesus; just keep pressing on. Confess and move forward; you are still in our prayers and asking for strength and wisdom for you to know His will.

[switchfoot118]

Hey guys, well P and M happened again. I go for like a week or 2 and then it happens all over again. Sometimes I just get so angry at myself for this, I just cant deal with this anymore. I believed the lie for too long and I know that but its just that I cant break free. Sometimes I just wish that I was better for myself and for those around me. I wish I could follow God with everything Ive got. Sometimes I just feel like I say all the right things but then I dont always live it and what I mean by that is well this. Ill say all the right things, that this is wrong and that God fills me up and then this happens. And I just dont know what to do, feels like I cant connect with any of my friends on this. Feels like they will judge me.

[danandbevsfarm]

Hello switchfoot118; somehow we missed your post but I want to catch up with you and encourage you to continue. You are in the most difficult part of the restoration right now. You succeeded getting off drugs yourself and that is GREAT

Then i got saved and thought my problems would be over and went through my own therapy to get rid of the drugs. But then i got hit with the huge problem of lust because I wasnt having sexual relations with girls anymore so I turned to P and M. And well for the longest time I thought it was ok and didnt deal with it and got rlly hooked to it. Then just this year I broke free of P but am still struggling with M, so therefore I am still having a struggle. I feel like Im letting myself down and God.

What I know you have found out now is that stopping drugs is "a synch" compared to P & M. My wife worked with addicts in the Teen Challenge Program for 15 years, one of the leading programs for drug addicts. But the program would not take those that had sexual addictions because those are VERY MUCH more addicting than drugs as you are finding now. The ONLY way to overcome P & M is to TOTALLY give yourself, heart, mind,soul, and spirit to the Lord and let Him turn you around. Our nature DOES NOT have the ability to stop sexual sin on its own. The attitude of "I beat drugs, I can beat P & M" just won't work. The Holy Spirit MUST do the work in you and then He will only start when the heart is given over to Him through a broken, repentant, heart-felt yielding to the Spirit. Words won't do it, feelings won't do it, crying won't do it. You will know when you have yielded your heart to Him, you just know. He then begins to hammer out the dents that you have put into your life through the addictions. He uses what you have left Him to create something beautiful that glorifies the Lord. Like taking that old beatup 56 or 57 Chevy Belair convertible and restoring it to NEARLY new condition. Why not new condition? Because the scars of your life will be used as a testimony to others that the work was done on the INSIDE not on the outside, although the outside was spiffed up a bit. But He WON"T DO IT MAGICALLY!! He is NOT in the magic wand business!! You will fail as you are seeing, but you pick yourself off the floor and begin again and over time, the attraction to lust goes away. Since we are still in the body of flesh, the "old nature" is greatly diminished but DOES NOT disappear. It is just that trusting the Lord for the STRENGTH to overcome the lust increases greater than the lust so that you are able to overcome. I am so sorry that we missed your post switchfoot118, but stick with us for your strength, support, and an occasional shoulder to cry on. Get back in prayer and stay in prayer, read the Word, especially the book of John because John emphasizes all the things Jesus did so that you might believe Him!!!

Mark 9:24 (New International Version)

24Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"

[rkr4jesus]

i don't even know what to say for muyself anymore... but i know i have to. i have to keep coming back and owning up to my sins... i can't believe i fell within a week of Easter. I'm so sorry God, and i apologize to all you guys who have been praying for me too. i found some of the earlier posts really inspiring you guys,,, and i hope to come out of this even stronger than i went into it months ago. I go for my missionary work interview in 2 weeks.. please pray that i stay pure in vigil of that... and beyond so that i may be "worthy of the call i have recieved"

[JoeMS]

I go for my missionary work interview in 2 weeks.. please pray

May God bless you for your generosity.
You can bet the evil one does not like that. In my experience I can expect the ''heat'' to be turned up a bit when I attempt to step out in faith. Why do you think the anti Christians in the media are so quick to pounce on a story where a preacher is accused in a scandal?

Ultimately it is God's work; our job is to trust and be faithful. We are at best, those unprofitable servants who have just done what we have been told to do. cf LK17.10.

I was involved in a variety of outreaches when I was a young adult. It was so refreshing to be with so many terrific young people. While there were many challenges, I have so many very fond memories of those years. Two of my three closest friendships were started during such events.

[babymomma]

JoeMS:

Ultimately it is God's work; our job is to trust and be faithful.

Wow, that is so true! Great point, Joe!

rkr4jesus, I'm not sure exactly what you're struggling with...if it's p and m or just m. But if you are struggling with a continual sin in your life might I suggest you put off any kind of missionary/ministry work until this problem has been fully dealt with? The Bible is pretty clear that leaders in the Church are to exhibit certain traits, some of which are sexual purity and self-control. I say this out of love, not condemnation.

Is there someone you trust and respect that you could talk to about this IRL? Perhaps a pastor or elder in your church?

I'll be praying for you. May God give you victory and complete freedom...

[switchfoot118]

Hey guys.
So Ive been trying to fight this off as best as I can with Gods help and its very rewarding to have some freedom. But i feel very conflicted right now. What I truly want is to do what God wants and to follow him with everything Ive got but then theres that human side of me that keeps on trying to drag me back in. Any suggestions on how to stop this?
Also today both p and m almost happened, but right before everything got out of hand I stopped. God is finally speaking through to me even in the most difficult situations. I feel like Im finally breaking free from this after so many years. Its a great feeling. Just thought Id leave some encouraging information. Ive been clean for 4 days now and counting.
God Bless.

[JoeMS]

Praise God, well done.

We need a good battle plan: prayer, short bible quotes like Jesus used when he was tempted, accountability partner. Some guys find it helpful to be careful about their diet, esp sugar and find that some exercise is helpful. I find Christian music helpful while I'm online, including allworship.com. It comes in a wide variety of musical styles. If the temptation occurs at night while I'm in bed I sometimes need to get out of bed.

[switchfoot118]

I feel horrible. Its started to happen all over again and I dont know what to do, I feel like God is just so distant from me right now. I hate it. I had a taste of freedom and then I threw away for the junk of this world. I need help, I want this to stop and I need this to stop. I want to have freedom and I want to see my Saviour one day and I want to honour him and this does not.