Welcome again to
Digital Disconnect.
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I'm your host Scott Ritsema
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and I'll tell you:
episode 11, The Lust Trap, is
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one of the most
urgent and pressing issues
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in this whole series. The
#1 media addiction there is
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is online pornography.
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So a really important
disclaimer as we begin:
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this would be a sensitive
topic, an age-appropriate topic.
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Be aware that we will be
discussing these very mature
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issues and these
very important issues
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in a spiritual way and
in a Bible-centered way.
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So I want to also mention
as a matter of disclaimer
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most of the research and discus-
sion on the online pornography
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epidemic and addiction is
geared toward what's happening
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among men in our society.
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And we're well aware, of course,
this plagues both genders.
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However, so much of the
documentation and the addiction
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recovery assistance
is geared toward men
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and so much of what
will be said in this session
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will be with that
sort of intended audience.
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However, everybody listening
in will be able to benefit
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very much from the
principles that we will cover...
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even though a lot of it
has to do with the male brain.
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I want to very much begin
with prayer in this session
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as we do every time.
But chains of addiction are
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fastened upon people,
and they can be broken free
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by the power of the Living God.
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So will you pray
with me as we begin?
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Father in heaven,
we are so thankful
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that we can come to You
claiming the Bible promise
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right out of the gates
here that thanks be to God
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who gives us the victory
through our Lord Jesus Christ.
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And that is Your promise
to us that we own and claim
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right now in our own lives.
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In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.
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I want to begin with
a story from the Bible.
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Are you familiar
with the story of Balaam?
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In Numbers 25 Israel was
about to enter into Canaan.
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They're right on the border.
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You've got the Jordan
River. Israel's about to go
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into the Promised Land.
Well, Satan had something
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in mind, didn't he? He wanted
to get a curse upon Israel
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and prevent them
from doing God's will.
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So Balaam was sent out
to curse the Israelites.
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How did that go? It
didn't go very well for Balak
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who had hired Balaam to do that.
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Balaam only blessed Israel.
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So you can imagine
Satan just wringing his hands
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going: "How can I
prevent this redemptive move? "
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Ah, the lightbulb goes
off in his evil, genius mind
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and the Moabite
women are sent in.
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You read at the beginning
of Numbers chapter 25 that
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they entice the Israelites
into sexual immorality.
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There's a statement in a
book called... in a publication
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called Review and Herald
that I want to read to you.
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It says now here
in the last days:
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This is a clue about
what's coming in the last days.
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And you don't even need
the reference there to know.
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Look around us. We're
living in a hyper sexualized
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21st century culture
that is meant to ensnare men
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on their weak points
of character in this area.
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In fact, Christian men are
really struggling with this
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today. According to the
data even men in the church
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who want to pursue God
50% of them when surveyed
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admit that they are addicted is
the word used in the survey...
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addicted to pornography.
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70% admit they have
viewed it in the previous year.
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There was a Canadian
researcher who launched a study.
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He wanted to see how
the brains of young adult
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men would be impacted
by showing them their first
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imagery of a
pornographic nature.
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What a horrible
study that would have been
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if it had
transpired. It didn't transpire.
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The researcher could not
find a single young adult male
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who had not already
been viewing these things
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so that he couldn't carry out
his study of showing it to them
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and seeing how it changed
the brain from the start.
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The conclusions he came
up with were reported in the
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UK Telegraph newspaper
and the journalist wrote -
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quoting the researcher -
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"These were the
findings of my study:
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guys who do not watch
pornography do not exist. "
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'Cause he couldn't find a single
one who had not already been
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watching. A little bit of
a hyperbolic statement there
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of course because there are many
who are gaining the victory.
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But he couldn't find a single
one who hadn't been viewing it
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showing the serious
nature of this addiction.
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The circuits of the
brain are kind of like pathways
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in the forest. Have you
ever heard of this before?
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The concept of
you're going on a hike.
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You're going on a trail.
Maybe it's not a very well-worn
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trail and you're kind of
having a hard time following
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where does it go.
What happens over time
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as person after
person walks that trail?
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Well the trail
becomes more well defined.
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It becomes wider; it becomes
easier to walk, doesn't it?
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Well, the brain
pathways are the very same way.
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The circuits that we utilize,
the thoughts and the patterns
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of thought, the words,
the habits, the actions
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that we engage in form
pathways that become habitual
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as the neurological
pathways become wider by use.
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I want to quote a
great neurological researcher
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and addiction
recovery specialist.
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His name is Dr. Wm. Struthers
and he writes in his book
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Wired for Intimacy:
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That reminds me of
another quote that I read
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in the book Desire of Ages.
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And it says that when
we become submissive to
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God and His Spirit's leading
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that we can get to the point
where we are just carrying out
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our own impulse
in doing His will.
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Can we really get there?
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I want to start out with
that great hope from science
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and from inspiration that will
give us the promise of victory
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because if the
brain is powerful enough
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to get you
addicted to a behavior
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'cause you went down
that corrupted pathway
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well guess what? The
brain is just as powerful
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to get you addicted to a
new behavior, a new pathway.
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Listen to Dr. Struthers
one more time. He says:
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That is a beautiful promise!
You know, it says in Romans
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chapter 6 verse 16 basically
we're either going to be slaves
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to sin or slaves
to righteousness.
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I want to be so
compulsively obedient
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that in carrying out God's will
I'm just doing my own impulse
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that has become the
habit and the joy of life.
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Now why is it such a deep and
difficult habit among so many
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men in our society?
Well there's a statement from
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a book called Mind,
Character, & Personality.
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I'm going to quote that book and
refer to it a number of times
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'cause it's a fantastic
work on understanding the mind
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and the character. And
it says that moral principle
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is exceedingly weak when
it conflicts with established
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habit. Most people who are
engaged in the disgusting habits
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are abhorred by it.
When they look back on what
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they've done...
"Ah, that's terrible!
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It's morally impure.
It's wrong; it's a violation
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of the commandments. " Well
there's an established habit
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that is conflicting and
confronting the moral principle.
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And the established habit for
so many is gaining the mastery
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in the addicted person.
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And it's much like a drug.
Listen to what the scientists
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are saying about
this. Dr. Jeffrey Satinover
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stated the following:
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And here's another one:
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Now what you're about to see
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is one of the most sobering
and eye-opening brain scans
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that I've ever
been confronted with.
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I want to have on
the screen the graphic
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of a normal brain. Under a SPECT
scan this is a good looking
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brain compared now to the
brain of a pornography addict.
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Look at the prefrontal region
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there at the bottom of the image
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and the holes and
areas of no functionality.
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You know there's another
statement in Mind, Character,
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and Personality that says the
sensitive nerves of the brain
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have lost their healthy
tone when people engage in
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a morbid excitation to
gratify sensual indulgence.
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It literally is changing the
brain structure of the addict.
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This one was even
more eye-opening to me.
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This is a
cocaine addict's brain.
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You can see from a
different angle this time
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but a whole bunch
of damage in that.
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This is a
pornography addict's brain.
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Which one is worse?
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The Bible says in
I Corinthians 6:18
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"He who commits sin sexually -
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sexual immorality -
sins against his own body. "
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We are literally
altering the brain
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in ways we maybe never knew
till recent research has brought
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this eye-opening
information to us.
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So we take this ultra-seriously.
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But at the same time
some people see these images
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with such horror and such shock
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and somebody's been
engaged in this behavior
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and they go: "I've
ruined myself spiritually!
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I'm lost forever.
" You're discouraged.
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Don't be discouraged. The
devil is the accuser you see.
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He wants to get people in
that state of self-loathing,
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self-deprecating.
"I've been cut off from God.
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I'm lost. " No, no,
no, no. Those are the words
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of a liar, a deceiver.
He does not speak the truth.
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The Bible speaks the
truth and the Bible says...
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Well, let's take
the prodigal son story.
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How does the
father feel about the son
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in his rebellion? In
his: "I want my inheritance
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now. I'm out of here. "
And he goes off and wastes it
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on prostitutes, doesn't he?
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Does the father say:
"Good riddance! I don't want
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anything to do with him? " No,
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after his son
comes to his senses
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he says to himself: "I
could at least be a servant
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hired by my father. "
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And he comes back and
he's humbling himself.
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He's getting ready to say
"I've sinned against heaven
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and against you. " But
even before he gets that
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confession out
what is the orientation
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of the father at that point?
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Before the son gets there
when he is yet a long way off
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the father is standing
toward him. He sees him.
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He begins
running toward the son.
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That's God's attitude toward us.
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While we were still
sinners Christ died for us.
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Have you heard
the gospel before?
00:12:11.16\00:12:12.66
Hear it again! I know
so many times we want to
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have such a high standard
and we go: "Oh, I don't meet
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that standard. " And
the devil grabs on that
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well-intentioned
thing to push us down.
00:12:20.84\00:12:23.51
God says: "I'm
going raise the standard
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and raise you right up to it. "
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Because then the father throws
the robe of the righteousness
00:12:27.14\00:12:30.08
of Jesus Christ around
that son and he embraces him.
00:12:30.28\00:12:33.98
That's God's
attitude toward you.
00:12:34.72\00:12:36.55
So never let the
accuser make us think:
00:12:37.19\00:12:39.89
"Oh, you know, I
can't gain the victory. "
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"Oh I can't be forgiven; I've
sinned one too many times. "
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The Bible actually says a
righteous man may fall 7 times.
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Have you read
that in the Proverbs?
00:12:48.40\00:12:49.73
A righteous man
may fall 7 times.
00:12:49.80\00:12:52.40
And this isn't to excuse sin
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but it says he can get back up.
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ALL have sinned and
fallen short of the glory of God
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and Jesus came to save sinners.
00:13:01.54\00:13:03.81
There's a wonderful
quotation that I love to share
00:13:04.01\00:13:06.28
with audiences when
people are feeling discouraged.
00:13:06.48\00:13:08.68
There's a statement that says
00:13:08.88\00:13:10.82
"Satan may say to you:
'Oh, you're just a sinner. '
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You say back to him:
'Jesus came to save sinners. ' "
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So there you go... checkmate.
00:13:18.66\00:13:20.86
That's what His name is:
Yeshua, Yahweh, salvation.
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He says: "I did not come
to condemn but to save. "
00:13:24.97\00:13:28.54
And when we sit there with the
self-loathing and the flogging
00:13:28.74\00:13:32.04
of ourselves and
ruminating over our failures
00:13:32.24\00:13:34.38
you know what
we're doing actually?
00:13:34.58\00:13:35.91
This is the
devil's terrible scheme.
00:13:36.04\00:13:37.65
He gets you cut off from God
and discouraged and at a dark
00:13:37.85\00:13:39.91
place of the muck and the mire
AND you are actually widening
00:13:40.12\00:13:42.92
the very circuits of the
misbehaviors you engaged in
00:13:43.12\00:13:46.62
'cause you're thinking about it.
00:13:47.02\00:13:48.36
And that's exactly
what we want to NOT do.
00:13:48.39\00:13:51.59
God says: "I separate the
sin from you as far as the east
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is from the west. I blot
the sin out of the books.
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I can blot it out of you, too. "
00:13:57.10\00:13:59.00
So if we start thinking
and thinking and thinking
00:13:59.20\00:14:01.67
and talking and
talking about our own sins,
00:14:01.87\00:14:04.07
it actually
reinforces those sins.
00:14:04.27\00:14:07.41
There was a T-shirt
a while back: SINNER.
00:14:07.81\00:14:10.05
Well, Jesus wants to
say: "I've got a new T-shirt
00:14:10.25\00:14:13.08
with a new name written
on a white stone in heaven
00:14:13.28\00:14:15.12
that I'm going to give to you
00:14:15.32\00:14:16.65
and it says NEW CREATION. "
00:14:16.69\00:14:18.25
That's an even better theology.
00:14:18.45\00:14:19.79
Yes, we are all sinners
but Jesus came to save us
00:14:19.99\00:14:22.26
and He's making us anew.
00:14:22.46\00:14:23.79
Now I thought about
this issue of intimacy
00:14:24.06\00:14:26.19
as I was reading Dr. Struther's
book Wired for Intimacy
00:14:26.39\00:14:28.96
and it made me think about
the research that's been done
00:14:29.16\00:14:32.43
that men who struggle with these
lust issues are more likely
00:14:32.63\00:14:36.74
to have come from
emotionally disengaged homes.
00:14:36.94\00:14:40.41
It's perhaps that
you're starved for intimacy
00:14:41.34\00:14:43.91
and you bite at the first
thing that poses as intimacy
00:14:44.11\00:14:47.05
even though it's a
total fraud and counterfeit.
00:14:47.25\00:14:49.18
It's kind of like when
you're starving for food.
00:14:49.58\00:14:51.65
Say you're on a long drive
and you haven't had anything
00:14:51.85\00:14:54.29
to eat and you walk
into the gas station.
00:14:54.49\00:14:55.82
That's not a good place by the
way to get a good healthy meal
00:14:55.99\00:14:58.96
in most cases. And so
you go up and down the aisles
00:14:59.16\00:15:01.70
and you see the
Twinkie. It's like: "Aaahh...
00:15:01.90\00:15:05.03
come and grab me
and gobble me down. "
00:15:05.23\00:15:07.14
Wait. You know a
Twinkie is not good for you.
00:15:07.34\00:15:09.14
Nothing against Hostess
but this is just pure sugar,
00:15:09.34\00:15:12.87
isn't it? Can we
do better than that?
00:15:13.07\00:15:14.64
If you are
especially hungry and starved
00:15:16.75\00:15:19.58
and you're not in your right
mind, you might make the...
00:15:19.78\00:15:21.92
the bad choice to
eat something unhealthy.
00:15:22.12\00:15:24.19
But let's change the analogy.
00:15:24.39\00:15:25.92
What if you have just
eaten a good, healthy meal?
00:15:26.12\00:15:29.26
A big salad and you know
lots of good healthy stuff
00:15:29.46\00:15:32.23
and you're full.
00:15:32.43\00:15:33.76
Does that Twinkie have the
same allure and pull to you?
00:15:33.96\00:15:37.40
You see, if we are fulfilled
spiritually, relationally
00:15:37.60\00:15:41.64
with the intimate
relational connectedness that
00:15:41.84\00:15:44.51
God has created for us
00:15:44.71\00:15:46.24
then the attractions of
the counterfeit "intimacy"
00:15:46.44\00:15:49.81
out there don't
have as much of a draw.
00:15:50.01\00:15:53.11
God is a God of
intimacy, is He not?
00:15:53.31\00:15:55.38
Father, Son, Holy
Spirit for ages past.
00:15:55.58\00:15:58.42
Creating man in His image.
00:15:58.82\00:16:00.19
"It's not good
that man be alone. "
00:16:00.39\00:16:01.82
Unity: the
combining of man and woman.
00:16:02.02\00:16:04.56
And if you're not
in a marital situation
00:16:04.96\00:16:06.63
friendship, the brotherhood
of the church of God.
00:16:06.83\00:16:09.40
The family of God. Some people
are not in a family right now
00:16:09.60\00:16:12.73
but you're in a
family. It's the church of God!
00:16:12.93\00:16:15.00
Jesus is the elder brother
in our faith it says in Hebrews.
00:16:15.20\00:16:18.21
"He was not ashamed
to call us brethren. "
00:16:18.41\00:16:20.18
You see all the
relational language? The Father
00:16:20.38\00:16:22.61
and the family of God.
00:16:22.81\00:16:24.81
If we can be
fulfilled in those areas,
00:16:25.41\00:16:28.12
we can tackle this with greater
promise, with greater hope.
00:16:28.32\00:16:32.25
And so seek those relationships
and know that we can't live
00:16:32.45\00:16:35.19
this life in an isolated way.
00:16:35.39\00:16:37.03
I want to share with you some-
thing called the lust cascade.
00:16:37.23\00:16:40.00
Some people in the scientific
community have referred to
00:16:40.20\00:16:42.00
the stress cascade. I want
to coin a new term I guess:
00:16:42.20\00:16:45.53
it's the lust cascade: the
practice that the brain goes
00:16:45.73\00:16:47.77
through in being dragged down
into... from the image that you
00:16:47.97\00:16:52.77
see on the billboard
or the computer screen
00:16:52.97\00:16:54.64
all the way down to the end.
00:16:54.84\00:16:56.58
This is the area of the
brain that is hardwired.
00:16:56.78\00:16:59.91
It's not changeable
malleable plastic if you will.
00:17:00.12\00:17:02.98
It's called the hypothalamus.
00:17:03.18\00:17:04.69
This is where the drive center
for food, for water, for sex is
00:17:04.89\00:17:09.02
and it's not going anywhere.
00:17:09.26\00:17:10.69
It's not really
actually the problem.
00:17:11.16\00:17:13.19
It's part of our
designed nature that we have
00:17:13.53\00:17:16.87
that built within us: attract-
tiveness to the opposite sex.
00:17:17.17\00:17:20.44
This is part of Adam and
Eve... part of God's creation.
00:17:20.64\00:17:23.20
But when the image -
let's say the alluring image -
00:17:23.41\00:17:26.17
pops up on front of the eyes
00:17:26.37\00:17:27.74
there are a number of
steps that many will take
00:17:28.24\00:17:31.78
down the lust cascade
where it goes into sin.
00:17:31.98\00:17:35.12
The first step is actually
something else that's hardwired
00:17:35.32\00:17:38.92
into us. It's called
the LGN in the brain:
00:17:39.12\00:17:41.42
it's a part of the
thalamus in the brain.
00:17:41.62\00:17:43.26
And this is another area
that is not very plastic.
00:17:43.46\00:17:46.83
It just automatically sends
the visual image to step 2:
00:17:47.03\00:17:50.57
the occipital lobe.
00:17:50.77\00:17:52.13
This is where we make
decisions and have control.
00:17:52.33\00:17:55.40
This is the part of the
brain at the back of the brain
00:17:55.60\00:17:58.07
where we
process images visually.
00:17:58.27\00:18:01.24
Men particularly have a lot
going on here when it comes to
00:18:01.44\00:18:04.28
attractive images.
00:18:04.48\00:18:06.11
So this is a critical step.
00:18:06.31\00:18:07.95
Do you hold the image?
Do you enhance the activity
00:18:08.35\00:18:12.15
in the occipital lobe by
beholding the alluring image?
00:18:12.35\00:18:15.59
By capturing it;
grabbing it and pondering it...
00:18:15.79\00:18:18.39
looking a second time.
00:18:18.59\00:18:20.00
'Cause if you do... if
you hang out on step 2...
00:18:20.20\00:18:22.70
you're going
down the lust cascade
00:18:22.90\00:18:24.63
which is kind of like
you've gotten on the on-ramp
00:18:24.83\00:18:26.74
to the highway.
You know what I mean?
00:18:26.94\00:18:28.27
If you ever get on the on-ramp
and you're: "Oh no! I'm going
00:18:28.40\00:18:31.01
east instead of west! "
Well, you're on that on-ramp.
00:18:31.21\00:18:34.11
You don't want to
get on the on-ramp.
00:18:34.31\00:18:35.71
You don't want to hang
out there with that visual.
00:18:35.91\00:18:37.95
The
physiological process begins.
00:18:38.55\00:18:40.42
The heart rate increases
and when the heart rate gets to
00:18:40.62\00:18:43.28
100 beats per minute
with this process going on
00:18:43.49\00:18:46.05
the prefrontal
cortex is shutting down.
00:18:46.25\00:18:48.02
That's self-regulation. That's
the will, the self-control.
00:18:48.22\00:18:50.96
And so you're just like
high containment walls on this
00:18:51.36\00:18:53.73
highway it's going to
be difficult to re-route
00:18:53.93\00:18:56.20
from that point so you
want to catch it early.
00:18:56.40\00:18:58.20
Step 3:
00:18:58.40\00:18:59.73
Which again, we're way
down the pathway on this now.
00:19:11.98\00:19:15.58
You don't want to go there
'cause this usually just leads
00:19:15.78\00:19:17.65
to step 4 which would be
you could say the sexual act
00:19:17.85\00:19:20.69
itself... which
enormous quantities of dopamine
00:19:20.89\00:19:23.99
and endogenous
opiates as you read.
00:19:24.19\00:19:26.59
In a marital context
that's a wonderful and beautiful
00:19:26.80\00:19:28.96
design from God, but
when we are pleasure seeking
00:19:29.16\00:19:31.73
and we are hitting the
pleasure/reward centers of
00:19:31.93\00:19:33.84
the nucleus accumbens in a
way where it's just a quick fix
00:19:34.04\00:19:37.31
this is causing the
cingulate cortex of the brain
00:19:37.51\00:19:40.41
and the pleasure
centers to fire off unnaturally.
00:19:40.61\00:19:43.78
That's why you heard
about an unnatural excitation
00:19:43.98\00:19:47.35
with a morbid... or not
a morbid but an unhealthy
00:19:47.55\00:19:52.09
and unholy tone of the brain.
00:19:52.29\00:19:53.82
So after satisfying the carnal
desire in the brain the amygdala
00:19:54.22\00:19:57.79
then becomes calm. It had
clamored for what it wanted
00:19:57.99\00:20:00.80
and it got what it wanted.
00:20:01.00\00:20:02.33
And then a chemical
called norepinephrine comes in.
00:20:02.46\00:20:04.83
Sorry for all the
science here. This is like
00:20:05.03\00:20:07.24
that awkward middle
school science class
00:20:07.44\00:20:09.34
or whatever but anyway...
00:20:09.54\00:20:11.01
It burns the initial
arouser in the memory
00:20:11.21\00:20:14.11
in what's called
the salience network.
00:20:14.31\00:20:16.48
This is the emotional
memory, and the brain says:
00:20:16.68\00:20:18.71
"That was
significant; that was salient;
00:20:18.91\00:20:20.48
that was a psycho-
logically important event
00:20:20.68\00:20:23.32
and super pleasurable
and I want it to happen again
00:20:23.52\00:20:25.69
and again. " So the pleasure
seeking has been laid down
00:20:25.89\00:20:28.82
and it will more likely
arise because of the pathway
00:20:29.02\00:20:32.39
that it's gone down.
00:20:32.59\00:20:33.93
So the big question of course
is how to stop this lust cascade
00:20:33.96\00:20:37.40
from happening. I was
alluding to it at the beginning.
00:20:37.60\00:20:39.67
You stop it before it starts.
00:20:39.87\00:20:41.34
First of all, can we put
ourselves in situations...
00:20:42.70\00:20:45.67
avoid putting
ourselves in situations
00:20:45.87\00:20:48.44
with media, with
watching spectator sports,
00:20:48.64\00:20:51.48
with certain places where you
know that there's going to be
00:20:51.68\00:20:53.72
more tempting
imagery coming your way?
00:20:53.92\00:20:55.65
Of course. We want to be
prudent on how we live our life
00:20:55.85\00:20:58.02
and not live with presumption
and going wherever we think
00:20:58.22\00:21:00.59
we want to go. We
want to be appropriate
00:21:00.79\00:21:03.12
in the context we
place ourselves in.
00:21:03.32\00:21:04.79
But then images
will come our way.
00:21:04.99\00:21:07.06
We live in the world...
we are not OF the world.
00:21:07.26\00:21:09.66
And we can get a good
way away from worldliness but
00:21:09.86\00:21:12.13
there will be occasions where
you've gotta gain a victory
00:21:12.33\00:21:15.17
over an image
that comes your way.
00:21:15.37\00:21:16.91
So we're going to stop it
on that step 2 right there
00:21:17.11\00:21:20.78
immediately when the
visual cortex is receiving that.
00:21:20.98\00:21:23.75
In a millisecond.
That's really step 1.01.
00:21:23.95\00:21:27.22
I mean, it's like
the first step in a way.
00:21:27.42\00:21:29.38
Taking a deep
breath is a good way
00:21:29.88\00:21:32.42
to help with the process. 'Cause
when we take a deep breath
00:21:32.62\00:21:35.39
there's a nerve that
links up into the limbic system
00:21:35.59\00:21:37.99
in the bottom of the brain
called the dorsal vagal nerve
00:21:38.19\00:21:41.00
and a deep
respiration soothes the nerves.
00:21:41.20\00:21:43.97
I'm quoting from a book called
Ministry of Healing there.
00:21:44.17\00:21:46.20
And literally the
dorsal vagal nerve will calm
00:21:46.40\00:21:48.90
with a deep breath. I'm
not talking about New Age
00:21:49.10\00:21:51.37
meditation. Just
good, proper breathing...
00:21:51.57\00:21:53.48
diaphragm breathing. The
prefrontal cortex will get
00:21:53.68\00:21:56.04
more oxygenated as
the blood in the brain
00:21:56.24\00:21:58.41
is receiving a
proper amount of oxygen
00:21:58.61\00:22:00.92
when we breathe properly
and that gives us greater
00:22:01.12\00:22:03.42
ability to manage that with
the frontal lobe where we gain
00:22:03.62\00:22:06.86
the mastery. Now of
course it goes without saying
00:22:07.06\00:22:09.42
on a practical level you
don't look a second time, right?
00:22:09.62\00:22:11.99
You say: "I'm going to have
the strength of Jesus Christ.
00:22:12.19\00:22:14.80
I'm not going to
look. " But hold on...
00:22:15.00\00:22:16.70
That's a challenge. I
want everybody right now
00:22:16.90\00:22:19.37
to not think about an elephant.
00:22:19.57\00:22:21.00
You just thought about
an elephant, didn't you?
00:22:21.40\00:22:23.24
Stop thinking about an elephant!
You're still thinking about
00:22:23.44\00:22:25.01
an elephant, right? You've
heard this analogy maybe before.
00:22:25.21\00:22:27.51
But you have to fill
the brain WITH something.
00:22:27.71\00:22:30.25
Remember, if the brain
can get addicted to something
00:22:30.45\00:22:32.41
the process of
recovery from an addiction
00:22:32.61\00:22:35.12
is not so much
stopping something.
00:22:35.32\00:22:37.19
It's replacing that
with something else.
00:22:37.39\00:22:39.69
So have a habitual thing
that goes into your mind.
00:22:40.09\00:22:43.16
When the alluring thing happens
you go: "OK, I'm going to go
00:22:43.36\00:22:47.00
to a go-to Scripture song
or a Scripture memory that's
00:22:47.20\00:22:50.13
particularly visual or
whatever. " Maybe a hymn.
00:22:50.33\00:22:53.44
You know, "Thy Word
is a lamp to my feet. "
00:22:53.64\00:22:56.27
And you're imagining
the lamp and the feet
00:22:56.47\00:22:57.81
and the precipice on the
mountains and the presence
00:22:57.97\00:23:01.34
of God's Word is
guiding you on the narrow way.
00:23:01.54\00:23:03.95
Picking something to
fill the mind with...
00:23:04.15\00:23:06.31
particularly that is
visual. You can go to the
00:23:06.51\00:23:08.25
heavenly throne room and
you're in the Most Holy Place
00:23:08.45\00:23:10.82
of the heavenly sanctuary
and you say; "Thank you, Jesus,
00:23:11.02\00:23:13.05
that you can blot out my sins"
00:23:13.25\00:23:15.19
in this heavenly judgment day
00:23:15.39\00:23:17.29
that we are in
in these last days.
00:23:17.49\00:23:19.29
Or you can also pray
for the objectified person
00:23:19.69\00:23:23.93
that's been put
in this situation.
00:23:24.13\00:23:25.67
And you could say: "You
know, that could be my sister,
00:23:25.87\00:23:28.64
my mother. That's
somebody's daughter. "
00:23:28.84\00:23:31.11
It's like this
is a person, right?
00:23:31.31\00:23:34.11
And so when you have that
dignity given back to that
00:23:34.31\00:23:37.31
instead of: "I'm going to
be a user of pornography" it's
00:23:37.51\00:23:39.38
interesting we use
the word loser, isn't it?
00:23:39.58\00:23:41.42
"Consumers of pornography. "
00:23:41.62\00:23:43.89
That is not a consumer
good... that is a human being.
00:23:44.09\00:23:46.19
Pornographic
material we call it.
00:23:46.39\00:23:48.32
Material? No!
00:23:48.52\00:23:50.13
So here's a practical thing from
Mind, Character and Personality.
00:23:50.53\00:23:53.53
We CAN bring every
thought into captivity
00:24:41.74\00:24:44.98
to the
obedience of Jesus Christ.
00:24:45.18\00:24:47.35
And if we want to have a
general big-picture plan,
00:24:47.75\00:24:50.19
too, we want to
have a healthy lifestyle.
00:24:50.39\00:24:52.62
We want to practice all
of those things that bring
00:24:52.82\00:24:54.99
more positive mental
health and build a better brain.
00:24:55.19\00:24:57.99
We want the tool to be able
to tackle all of the emotional
00:24:58.19\00:25:01.60
and tempting
struggles in our lives.
00:25:01.80\00:25:03.53
Practicing gratitude and
optimism. You can journal that.
00:25:03.73\00:25:07.24
You can speak praises
to God throughout the day.
00:25:07.44\00:25:09.27
Praise God for this and that.
00:25:09.47\00:25:11.01
Having positive
social connection.
00:25:11.21\00:25:13.01
Church
attendance. Reading books!
00:25:13.21\00:25:15.28
Getting outdoors;
dwelling on God's love.
00:25:15.48\00:25:18.11
You dwell on God's
love for 12 minutes a day
00:25:18.31\00:25:20.22
and it improves
frontal lobe function
00:25:20.42\00:25:22.42
according to research done at
the University of Pennsylvania.
00:25:22.62\00:25:24.75
I mentioned exercise.
Oh boy! Physical health.
00:25:24.95\00:25:28.32
This is a HUGE one
00:25:28.52\00:25:30.59
but I have to save it for
the next particular session
00:25:30.79\00:25:33.19
because I want to
close with a wonderful
00:25:33.40\00:25:36.03
rendition of the man
lying paralyzed beside the pool
00:25:36.23\00:25:40.90
of Bethesda.
Jesus comes to heal him.
00:25:41.10\00:25:43.64
"By sin we have been
severed from the life of God.
00:25:44.04\00:25:46.91
Our souls are palsied.
00:25:47.31\00:25:49.34
Of ourselves we are no more
capable of living a holy life
00:25:49.54\00:25:52.81
than was the paralyzed
man capable of walking.
00:25:53.01\00:25:55.68
Many realize their helplessness.
00:25:56.08\00:25:57.95
They are longing for
that spiritual life which will
00:25:58.15\00:26:01.06
bring them into harmony
with God and are striving
00:26:01.26\00:26:03.39
to obtain it... but in vain.
00:26:03.59\00:26:05.56
In despair they cry:
'O wretched man that I am!
00:26:06.16\00:26:10.10
Who shall deliver me
from this body of death? '
00:26:10.30\00:26:13.00
Romans 7 verse 24.
00:26:13.40\00:26:15.00
Let these
desponding ones lookup.
00:26:15.20\00:26:18.77
Let these
struggling ones lookup.
00:26:18.97\00:26:21.64
The man lays there...
wants to get into the pool
00:26:21.84\00:26:24.25
where he thinks he'll be healed.
00:26:24.45\00:26:25.78
The Savior is bending over
you, the purchase of His blood,
00:26:25.81\00:26:29.25
saying with inexpressible
tenderness and pity:
00:26:29.65\00:26:32.89
'Wilt thou be made whole? '
00:26:33.09\00:26:35.12
He bids you arise
in health and peace.
00:26:36.12\00:26:38.23
Do not wait to feel
that you are made whole.
00:26:38.43\00:26:40.60
Believe the Savior's words.
00:26:40.80\00:26:42.13
Put your will on
the side of Christ.
00:26:42.20\00:26:43.80
And in acting upon His
word you will receive strength.
00:26:44.00\00:26:46.80
Whatever may be
the evil practice
00:26:47.00\00:26:48.64
the master passion
which through long indulgence
00:26:48.84\00:26:51.84
binds both soul and body
00:26:52.04\00:26:53.84
Christ is able
and longs to deliver.
00:26:54.04\00:26:56.91
He will impart life to the
soul that is dead in trespasses.
00:26:57.11\00:27:00.82
Ephesians 2 verse 1.
00:27:01.02\00:27:02.42
He will set free the
captive that is held by weakness
00:27:02.62\00:27:05.32
and misfortune
and the chains of sin.
00:27:05.52\00:27:07.86
The sense of sin has
poisoned the springs of life
00:27:08.06\00:27:10.59
but Christ says: 'I
will take your sins. '
00:27:10.79\00:27:13.76
He took them at the
cross. 'I will give you peace. '
00:27:13.96\00:27:16.33
'I have bought
you with My blood. '
00:27:16.53\00:27:18.23
'You are Mine. My grace
shall strengthen your weakened
00:27:18.43\00:27:22.10
will. Your remorse
for sin I will remove. '
00:27:22.30\00:27:24.97
So when temptations assail
you; when care and perplexities
00:27:25.17\00:27:28.54
surround you; when you
are ready to yield to despair
00:27:28.74\00:27:31.15
look to Jesus, and the
darkness that encompasses you
00:27:31.35\00:27:35.05
will be dispelled by the
bright shining of His presence.
00:27:35.25\00:27:38.75
Never feel that
Christ is far away...
00:27:38.95\00:27:41.72
He is always near.
00:27:41.92\00:27:43.73
His loving
presence surrounds you.
00:27:43.93\00:27:45.99
Seek Him as one who
desires to be found by you.
00:27:46.19\00:27:49.40
He desires not only
that you touch His garments
00:27:49.60\00:27:52.40
but that you walk with
Him in constant communion. "
00:27:52.60\00:27:55.60
And there's the ultimate answer
to all our media addictions:
00:27:55.80\00:27:58.34
walking with Jesus as Enoch did.
00:27:58.54\00:28:01.28