Another published article...

I just wanted to send out here a link to all of you. I was recently published through another ministry that deals with men & women who struggle in the area of sexual purity. I am not going to post the blog here because of my agreement with xxxChurch.com but I am providing the link in case some of you here are interested in reading the post. 

(The link to my full article posted on the xxxchurch website can be found here.)

This is very a very humbling thing. It's not easy to speak out on a topic that you almost never hear talked about in any church. Yet in my experience more people, Christians even, deal with this issue on some level. It seems that the more I am open and transparent about this topic the more God opens doors for me to share bits and pieces of my own personal journey. I'm not ashamed because I know it's in my weakness that His strength is oh so perfect. 

Men: If you are interested in being a part of a private men's online group please let me know. I open this to men because I believe men should get in the trenches with like-minded men who understand the nature of the battle. Unless you've dealt with this topic personally you honestly don't have any idea of magnitude of the battle. 

Women: That's not to say that women don't deal with this but for obvious reasons women should seek out like-minded women. If you are a woman and deal with this I can direct you to a resource, if needed; xxxchurch.com is a great place to start. But I will not be involved with any form of counseling or accountability with women.

Still not convinced that this is an issue. I'll leave you with some staggering statistics.

• The average age today's children are exposed to pornography is 11

• $3,075.64 per second is spent on porn (PER SECOND)

• Vistors to pornographic websites consist of 72% male and 23% female

• Every 39 minutes: a new pornographic video is being created in the United States.

• Every second - 372 Internet users are typing adult search terms into search engines.

• Every second - 28,258 Internet users are viewing pornography.

• 53% of men attending "Promise Keepers" admitted to viewing pornography the week prior to attending this men's Faith-based event.

• 47% of Christians surveyed stated that pornography is a "Major Problem" in their own homes.

• In the United States alone $13.3 billion is spent annually on pornographic websites (The pornography industry is larger than the revenues of the top technology companies combined: Microsoft, Google, Amazon, eBay, Yahoo!, Apple, Netflix and EarthLink)

If you'd like to view the entire statistical list it can be found here.

Take Care & God Bless,

-E

Earning Grace?

It’s been a while since I shared and that’s not because God isn't moving. He's actually doing some very deep and intense things not just in my life but in the lives of many. For the past few weeks I have been stuck on Titus 2:11-14. I shouldn’t say “stuck” more like amazed, awestruck and in at times in unbelief. Please let me attempt to explain.

The book of Titus is actually a letter that the Apostle Paul wrote instructing his young protégé, Titus, on how a church should look like. Now I’m not going to ask you if your current church reflects some of these qualities today because chances are….well, let’s just leave that topic alone, for now. Throughout this letter Paul also warns about false teachers and in Chapter 2 verse 11 Paul writes about the Grace of God.

The passage reads in the New International Version:

For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness sand to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. (Titus 2:11-14)

Now I’d like to speak to the followers of Christ who still do struggle from time-to-time with things, not to the religious folks. Most of us would admit we all have something(s) we deal with on an ongoing basis, drinking too much, lying, greed, gossip, putting other things above God, lust, pornography, fear, etc this list could literally go on and on. Those of us that do deal with things will try and try to “be good” right? We take stands and make promises to God only to find ourselves right back in the thick of it years, months, weeks, days or even hours later. We think we can change our behaviors and when we inevitably fail we find ourselves back in the same cycle over and over again.

According to this passage in Titus, it’s not anything we do that will teach us to live pleasing lives and to say “No” to ungodly behaviors; it’s the Grace of God. Wait what!?? Grace is defined as unmerited divine assistance. So in essence it’s God’s unmerited divine assistance that will teach us how to live godly lives. When you really let that soak in is it truly is liberating. Now I know some will just stop there and say, “Sweet, so it’s all about grace..? Nice then I can do anything I want and lean on grace!” And if this is the thought that comes to mind after reading this passage then I strongly urge you to pray and read it again…and again…and one more time if needed.

I don’t really believe we can fully understand or comprehend all the mysteries in God’s Word but I believe through diligent study and prayer God gives us life-changing revelations on what is being said within it. For me to say that I totally understand God’s Grace and now I am all good and you should be too; well that would be a lie. But I do believe that God has begun to show me things regarding my own personal journey and that it’s not about what I can or cannot do; it’s about what He has done and what He will do once I get myself out of the way.

Take Care & God Bless

-E