Pure Life Ministries in KY?

[joelahurstjr]

One more thing I will add is that repentance is the way to life if you want to live die if you want to go up go down if you want to succeed fail if you want to increase decrease the more need you have the more God is attracted to you. There was no possible way that any human can live up to the law that God has placed over us the only way we can have true relationship with God is by humbling ourselves, repenting of our sins and coming to him and brokenness, and truly seeing Jesus as the only way to victory too often as humans like fast things we want to be fixed now we want to be free now we want to have our food now. Spiritual growth is not this way. It takes time. It takes effort and it’s a fight but there’s one who is strong that’s on our side and if we just humbly except that we can’t do it by ourselves, and we need Jesus to cover us with his blood and to give us strength to fight against the pose of the world he is so ready to reach his hand down and to love us .Repent for the kingdom of heaven is soon here.

[joelahurstjr]

Is this Pure Life Ministries program about sex addition or porn addiction? They are two different things.

I think they cover about any sexual deviance. That's my understanding from their website. As far as the above, I'd think one would follow the other, at least in the people I've known to have problems.

This isn't my area of expertise. But my understanding is that they aren't the same thing. Plenty of people read or watch porn but are otherwise celibate or faithful to their spouse. While sex addicts seek out anonymous sexual liaisons and may not actually use porn at all. But probably spend their internet time seeking sex partners on sites like Tinder or out in hookup bars.

OK, I understand your point of view, but what do you think about the verse where says you have heard the commandment that says you must not commit adultery, but I say anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery and his heart with her. This is the new covenant, the new Commandment that God has given us looking at porn online is no different than going out and hooking up with some woman or a guy whatever your struggle is just because it might seem like a different thing. It is the same spirit and it is still sin, and if you choose to look at things as one is worse than the other or one is better than the other, you’re just justifying looking at porn and that’s wrong when you look at porn, you’re lusting you’re taking that which is not given to you, God has given you a wife to love and to hold higher than any woman on this earth that’s your duty and if you can’t fulfill that commandment, then you probably were not ready to get married if a young man who is not married, is able to keep pure and to stay away from porn another sexual misconduct when he enters into marriage, he is ready to go. He already knows how to fight those temptations and he will be able to keep himself only for his wife if you feel like your wife is not fulfilling your sexual desires then I would check your heart motives. Why did you get married cause in the Bible? It says husbands love your wives and be not bitter against them.

[JoyE]

From my former student's letter:

I am 64 years old and for the majority of my past 60 years I thought myself in the Kingdom of God; I read the Bible, memorized, taught (or led) many individuals and families, had an amazing Proverbs 31 wife with 6 children whose reputation spoke well “of me and my training.” After 20 years that was gone as if a breath, but I girded up my earthy loins and began again, with great alacrity I pushed forward to justify myself and my own direction; believing that “success” would vindicate me as genuine man of God AND silence my critics. I failed again and after 15 years of insolence, rebellion, and an indomitable inclination to sin, I found myself saying “Woe is me, I am undone…”

....By God’s Spirit and Truth, I knew I had never repented. Repentance is a turning AWAY from my current active path along a broad and easy way. In doing so I turn to the narrow hard way that leads to life…expounded: I MUST “un-cleave” or “un-cling” from all sin, all vanity, all temporal beauty and desire and CLING TO HIM.

[cmbl]

From my former student's letter:

I am 64 years old and for the majority of my past 60 years I thought myself in the Kingdom of God; I read the Bible, memorized, taught (or led) many individuals and families, had an amazing Proverbs 31 wife with 6 children whose reputation spoke well “of me and my training.” After 20 years that was gone as if a breath, but I girded up my earthy loins and began again, with great alacrity I pushed forward to justify myself and my own direction; believing that “success” would vindicate me as genuine man of God AND silence my critics. I failed again and after 15 years of insolence, rebellion, and an indomitable inclination to sin, I found myself saying “Woe is me, I am undone…”

....By God’s Spirit and Truth, I knew I had never repented. Repentance is a turning AWAY from my current active path along a broad and easy way. In doing so I turn to the narrow hard way that leads to life…expounded: I MUST “un-cleave” or “un-cling” from all sin, all vanity, all temporal beauty and desire and CLING TO HIM.

I am always glad to hear of people who learn repentance and the amendment of life, be it at Pure Life Ministries, some other similar program, or outside of any such program as it was for me.

That said, one wonders how men are memorizing Bible, teaching and leading individuals and families, and finding what they later put in scare quotes as "success" as a man of God, if they have not truly repented. Or, in other words, what kind of Christian culture values these things so highly that they can be put on as "success," when the first lesson of the precious New Testament of the Son of God has not been learned? And how can we build Christian cultures that value that first lesson?

[JoyE]

From my former student's letter:

I am 64 years old and for the majority of my past 60 years I thought myself in the Kingdom of God; I read the Bible, memorized, taught (or led) many individuals and families, had an amazing Proverbs 31 wife with 6 children whose reputation spoke well “of me and my training.” After 20 years that was gone as if a breath, but I girded up my earthy loins and began again, with great alacrity I pushed forward to justify myself and my own direction; believing that “success” would vindicate me as genuine man of God AND silence my critics. I failed again and after 15 years of insolence, rebellion, and an indomitable inclination to sin, I found myself saying “Woe is me, I am undone…”

....By God’s Spirit and Truth, I knew I had never repented. Repentance is a turning AWAY from my current active path along a broad and easy way. In doing so I turn to the narrow hard way that leads to life…expounded: I MUST “un-cleave” or “un-cling” from all sin, all vanity, all temporal beauty and desire and CLING TO HIM.

I am always glad to hear of people who learn repentance and the amendment of life, be it at Pure Life Ministries, some other similar program, or outside of any such program as it was for me.

That said, one wonders how men are memorizing Bible, teaching and leading individuals and families, and finding what they later put in scare quotes as "success" as a man of God, if they have not truly repented. Or, in other words, what kind of Christian culture values these things so highly that they can be put on as "success," when the first lesson of the precious New Testament of the Son of God has not been learned? And how can we build Christian cultures that value that first lesson?

Let me give you an example. Judas Iscariot was undoubtedly considered a success--he was the treasurer, and when Jesus stated that one would betray Him, the others thought of themselves, with no indication of suspicion regarding Judas. I wouldn't question the "Christian culture" of Jesus' twelve followers, would you?

[cmbl]

...
I am always glad to hear of people who learn repentance and the amendment of life, be it at Pure Life Ministries, some other similar program, or outside of any such program as it was for me.

That said, one wonders how men are memorizing Bible, teaching and leading individuals and families, and finding what they later put in scare quotes as "success" as a man of God, if they have not truly repented. Or, in other words, what kind of Christian culture values these things so highly that they can be put on as "success," when the first lesson of the precious New Testament of the Son of God has not been learned? And how can we build Christian cultures that value that first lesson?

Let me give you an example. Judas Iscariot was undoubtedly considered a success--he was the treasurer, and when Jesus stated that one would betray Him, the others thought of themselves, with no indication of suspicion regarding Judas. I wouldn't question the "Christian culture" of Jesus' twelve followers, would you?

At the risk of quibbling, I would not say Judas was undoubtedly considered a success - John 12 indicates that he was a thief. This is before he betrays Jesus in the narrative, though I recognize the gospel was written after the fact.

More substantively, I've posted more about a particular Christian culture that I question over on Barnhart's thread. I do question that Christian culture, and others like it. I do so without questioning the Christian culture of Jesus' twelve followers.

[JoyE]

What I said was, he was considered a success or he wouldn't have been allowed to be treasurer, and the same with when Jesus referred to the coming betrayal. Do you think the other disciples knew he was a thief? I think it likely that he taught, the same as they did.