Participants: Ron Woolsey (Host), Wayne Blakely (Host), Lance Williams, Mike Carducci
Series Code: PC
Program Code: PC000044
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00:01 The following program discusses sensitive issues.
00:03 Parents are cautioned that some material 00:05 may be too candid for younger children. 00:40 Welcome to Pure Choices. 00:42 I'm Ron Woolsey and with me today 00:44 are my friends and guests Mike Carducci and Wayne Blakely 00:49 that are also with me in Coming Out Ministries. 00:52 And we also have our good friend Lance Williams 00:56 and a guest that will be discussing with us today 00:59 this issue that generally meets with little or no discussion. 01:05 The subject today is kind about taboo issue 01:09 I would believe in, 01:10 one involved in shame and remorse, a secret sin. 01:15 We're going to talk about the issue of masturbation. 01:18 And it is very difficult to even bring up 01:20 or talk about self abuse and its negative effects 01:23 upon one's image, self image, 01:26 self worth and the spiritual life. 01:30 We have some amazing words f council on this subject 01:33 which I think must surely be inspired. 01:37 One of my favorite authors Ellen White from a book 01:40 called "Selected Messages" page 286 in volume 3. 01:45 "The sinful practice or self abuse in this age 01:48 is almost universally practiced." 01:51 I found that to be startling. 01:53 And, of course, this is written a long time ago. 01:56 But almost universally practiced 01:59 and this practice weakens the physical, the mental 02:02 and moral powers and bars the way 02:05 to everlasting life. 02:07 That is very sobering. 02:10 We read also in a book "Child Guidance". 02:14 "The effect of such debasing habits 02:16 leave some to a time suffer keenly from feelings of remorse 02:21 and they feel degraded in their own eyes 02:24 and to lose self respect." 02:26 And from the same book, page 441. 02:32 It refers to the exceeding sinfulness 02:34 of this degrading sin. 02:37 "Self abuse results in weakening the mind 02:39 and dimming the brilliancy of the intellect." 02:43 So with these thoughts and these words of council 02:47 which I do feel are very inspired. 02:50 We're going to talk about this subject 02:53 and you know, Mike, I want to commend you 02:57 because you so boldly talk about this issue 02:59 but it's not something you're comfortable with, 03:02 but you're willing to take it on. 03:03 I give you much credit for that. 03:08 And your openness and your transparency 03:11 is apparent that you are selflessly burdened 03:13 to help others overcome in this area 03:16 because there's a need. 03:17 In fact, you know, all of us, 03:19 we're here today talking about the issues 03:21 that none of us are comfortable with. 03:23 That's right. If we think about our... 03:25 Well, if we selfishly think about our reputations 03:29 and our image and so forth, who wants to talk about 03:32 all of these things from our past. 03:34 But we're here sharing because we know that 03:37 our experiences are not unique. 03:42 There's a prevalence in these areas. 03:43 And so I want to thank all three of you today 03:46 for being here and being willing 03:49 to talk about this issue. 03:52 Mike, I know you have openly stated that 03:55 his was something that you struggled with in. 03:57 Can you share with us 03:59 at what age this problem developed with you? 04:03 At what age did you began practicing this issue? 04:07 You know, Ron, it's a topic that I get 04:10 more and more comfortable with as ugly 04:12 as it is to even bring up, 04:14 but when I have opportunity to speak to young people, 04:16 when I speak in academies and high schools 04:18 and even elementary schools, you know, 04:20 talking to young man and young woman 04:22 about the evils of this pernicious habit 04:25 that took me over for 30 some years. 04:27 You know, it's incredible when I see 04:29 a young person come forward in private and tell me that 04:31 they were praying that God would send someone 04:33 they could talk to, that they were struggling 04:35 with the addiction of masturbation. 04:36 I don't mind saying that ugly word, 04:38 I don't mind telling my story over and over again 04:41 because if I can help somebody stop the addictive cycle 04:44 at an early age and spare them what I went through, 04:47 I don't mind being the spokesperson 04:49 for that ugly thing. 04:50 And that's what so important about 04:51 what we're all trying to do here. 04:53 As we see people respond, it emboldens us 04:57 to even be more open with these issues 05:01 and I appreciate that. 05:02 Sure. For me it was 13 years old. 05:04 I was a late bloomer, and I was raised 05:07 by single mom and three sisters. 05:09 So I remember renting a book or, you now, leasing a book 05:12 out of the library at school about sex, 05:14 and I guess it was something on my mind 05:17 and I would look at the images in the book 05:18 that were very clinical and medical, 05:20 and I try to figure out or stimulate 05:23 that experience and, you know, I recognized 05:25 I guess at that age that there were something 05:27 stimulating about that. 05:29 Praise God, I was never abused as a child, 05:31 I was never molested, 05:33 and so this experience was something that I believe 05:36 was being brought on through the enemy 05:38 through no other source than just my own imagination. 05:41 Well, okay. Well, thank you, Mike. 05:43 And, Lance, did this begin with you 05:46 at a very early age or about what age were you? 05:49 Yeah, about 10 years old. About 10 years. 05:51 And see that's amazing to me 05:53 because in my mind 10 years old is before puberty. 05:57 And so why would anyone even now be lead to that. 06:02 But I mean, there are circumstances 06:04 and we'll talk about that. 06:05 But I think a lot of people in the audience today 06:08 would be rather shocked that this could be 06:12 a behavior manifesting itself in someone 10 years old, 06:16 but I understand it can even be earlier than that. 06:19 Wayne, do you have anything to offer on that? 06:22 Yeah, I was introduced to masturbation 06:26 basically through the sons of my parents' best friends 06:31 who we used to go camping with 06:34 and I didn't know anything about it, 06:39 I began to see it as an association 06:42 with the same gender, 06:43 and so not only was I developing the habit that 06:47 I certainly didn't need to participate in my life, 06:50 but it was beginning to reaffirm 06:51 my same gender attractiveness in as well. 06:54 At about what age? 06:56 About 13. About 13. 06:58 And I suppose with many children 07:02 it is more common at the age of puberty 07:05 or after puberty begins. 07:07 Mike, your family, what was that like 07:12 at the time that you began indulging in this behavior? 07:16 And could that have been a contributing factor? 07:18 Absolutely. 07:20 Again I was raised by single mom. 07:22 So we were living actually in a situation, 07:25 my parents were divorced, my father left my mother 07:28 and I'd already rejected, you know, 07:30 masculinity through my dad, 07:32 so my fantasies became homoerotic. 07:35 My mom also was devastated by the loss of her husband, 07:39 the sexual revolution was in full swing 07:41 and so my mother was having multiple partners 07:46 that sometimes she would be out whole night, sometime, 07:49 you know, she would bring them home. 07:50 So, you know, a young kid doesn't necessarily recognize 07:53 what's going on or know what's normal, 07:55 or even acceptable, or moral. 07:57 And so I'm not angry at my mom, 08:00 I believe that she was doing the best that she could 08:02 based on what she had, but I also know that 08:05 those contributing situations also made sex like 08:10 more of like an openness about it. 08:13 And what it did, it also isolated me 08:16 'cause I wasn't relating to anyone else in my family. 08:18 I was experiencing the hormones that come naturally 08:22 that God has given to each one of us at that age. 08:25 And so I had nobody to guide me, 08:27 I had nobody to direct me, 08:29 and so it's completely under the control 08:31 of whatever powers that were going out 08:34 at my house at the time. 08:36 So from what you're saying, it seems to me like 08:39 education is very important, parental education... 08:42 Guidance, absolutely. 08:43 About sexuality before they reach the age 08:46 where they would be experimenting. 08:49 And we probably all were lacking in that area. 08:55 You know, Ron, I just want to add something 08:57 really quick there is because I didn't have that education, 09:00 hadn't been told about it in school 09:02 or from my parents or anything. 09:04 What happened as a result of my learning that behavior 09:08 as I engaged with other boys, 09:10 I also wanted to teach them that behavior. 09:13 So it's like a chain reaction that was happening. 09:16 So with education, you know, God can help, you know, 09:20 can work through us and help prevent this 09:22 from happening to other people. 09:25 You know, I've heard it said and I believe it is very true 09:27 that what children don't learn from their parents, 09:32 from proper education sources, 09:35 they will pick up in this subject 09:37 or in sexual subject, 09:38 they'll pick up from the streets. 09:40 Mike, you have something to share on that? 09:42 Right, you know what's incredible is 09:44 because of my circumstances and my history, 09:46 I've a relative who is talking to a young son 09:49 at three years old and he was curious about, 09:52 you know, his private parts and she confront to him, 09:55 she goes, yes, that feels good, doesn't it? 09:57 And she said, you know, God gave you your fingers 09:59 and your toes and she said, he also gave you that 10:02 and said that's supposed to be special only to him. 10:05 And then when the time is right, you know, 10:08 she would share appropriately you know 10:11 with what he could understand at his age 10:13 that he probably shouldn't do that. 10:14 And then as he became in his teens, 10:17 she sat down with him and discussed 10:19 "Listen, you're at the age now 10:20 where you gonna be feeling things 10:21 and talking about, you know what, 10:25 I've gone through and use my as an example." 10:27 And as she related to this young boy about 10:30 what I'd struggled with, 10:31 you know, he started to see that 10:33 there was something that needed to be held back and check 10:36 and that he needed to be deliberate about 10:39 what his goals were 10:41 and to know that if he were to indulge 10:43 masturbation or experimentation 10:46 that it could open up this huge addiction for him. 10:48 So I thought that that was a great example 10:50 of starting very early teaching your children 10:53 about what their parts are and how they perform 10:56 at an age appropriate level. 10:59 I want to turn to another question. 11:01 Thank you, Mike. 11:02 I want to turn to another question here 11:04 because I'm thinking after these 11:09 first initial experiments with self-abuse, 11:13 and Lance will ask you this question. 11:15 How did you feel when it was over? 11:17 Did you feel guilt or shame or what was the feeling after? 11:23 I felt very, very perverted. I felt dirty. 11:29 I felt that it wasn't appropriate. 11:34 Did you feel that way because of having been told 11:38 that this was wrong or did that feeling of shame 11:42 and dirtiness and guilt, they did just come naturally? 11:45 They just came naturally to me I don't know why, I just did. 11:47 You know, before I was a Christian. 11:49 You know that tells me that 11:52 even by nature we know right from wrong in many areas. 11:58 When we go against what God has created us to be, 12:02 there is something that happens that lets us know 12:06 this was wrong, it's against nature 12:08 even if we were not schooled in it. 12:11 I think that's a fascinating revelation there 12:14 that even without that training you felt guilt. 12:17 How about you, Wayne, did you feel guilt and shame? 12:20 Yeah, I did. I felt dirty. 12:22 It wasn't something that was promoted, 12:25 obviously it's something that wasn't been 12:26 talked about in my family, 12:28 so that was a big clue that I was, 12:30 must be doing something that wasn't natural. 12:34 You know, too many people today I think they see it 12:36 as something that's normal and natural, 12:38 but that's because of where we've come 12:40 in our openness about our sexuality 12:42 instead of putting the focus back on Jesus Christ. 12:45 And a pastor recently mentioned to me 12:48 in stating the word to think about this masturbate. 12:53 It is the masturbate that Satan uses 12:57 for a lot of people to engage them 12:59 in this behavior, this ectopidy. 13:01 It's a very interesting term 13:03 and also what we're seeing today is that 13:07 this as we grew up this was a taboo issue 13:11 even though it may have been indulged, 13:14 it was considered to be wrong, there was guilt, 13:17 but there's a strong effort today in social circles 13:21 to conditioned children as young as four years old 13:24 that, "This is normal human behavior, it's okay" 13:27 and even teaching them how to do it. 13:29 And as I recall back in the olden days 13:34 is my children would say when I was four years old, 13:39 I wasn't thought anything about sexual behavior, 13:43 you know, from parents or... 13:44 It was too early is what I am saying 13:46 that such an early age to be teaching it. 13:50 But it is becoming more and more accepted and promoted 13:54 and it shows me how Satan is working against God 13:57 in this area and against God's children. 13:59 That's right. 14:01 Mike, did you feel conviction or at what point 14:04 did you feel conviction that this was wrong 14:07 and that maybe you needed to change? 14:09 But maybe there's more you would like to say 14:11 about your life, how it was caught up in this? 14:16 I think, you know, I was listening 14:17 to everybody else. 14:18 I didn't have the conviction necessarily that Lance had. 14:21 Again, this was kind of my own discovery. 14:23 I was trying to change thinking about, 14:27 you know, homosexual thoughts. 14:28 I was trying to change it around 14:30 to heterosexual thoughts through experimentation. 14:32 So, you know, it sounds ridiculous 14:35 but it was almost like a scientific experiment for me. 14:37 Oh, therapy, self therapy. Right, right. 14:40 But I know that there was shame involved 14:42 because, you know, of course I did in secrecy. 14:44 You know, I didn't want anyone to find out, 14:46 and I think it had to do with when it really started 14:48 going into fantasy rather than experimentation, 14:51 you know, my thoughts I knew were dirty. 14:54 I didn't necessarily know that the act was dirty, 14:56 but I knew what my thoughts were 14:58 and the conviction really came when I became a Christian 15:00 or when I got baptized at about 14 years old. 15:04 I knew then that the thoughts in my mind were not, you know, 15:08 what Jesus had intended, and I believe that 15:10 that was the time when the sin was conceived 15:14 was when I entertain those thoughts 15:17 which of course the behavior followed. 15:20 Well, I wanted to do a little follow up 15:21 question here, a two part. 15:25 Where did the masturbation take you 15:28 and then where did the conviction take you, 15:31 or when the conviction that it was wrong? 15:36 Well, the masturbation was just an absolute addiction 15:39 from the earliest time. 15:40 I would say about the time I was 14 years old 15:43 I would do it, sometimes 10 times in a day. 15:46 I remember crying out to the only God that I knew 15:50 that I was punitive and arbitrary 15:52 and not recognizing necessarily that he could change me, 15:56 but I believe that I had to change myself, 15:59 not wanting to give into sex but, you know, 16:02 definitely it brought around homoerotic thoughts. 16:05 It confirmed to me that my suspicions were true 16:08 that I was gay. 16:10 And then what happened is it became sexualized in academy 16:14 when I was, you know, exposed to that 16:16 by a roommate in academy. 16:18 And then again trying to, you know, 16:20 do the behavior stuff but, even when I was 17 years old 16:23 and cried out that God would take my life. 16:25 I believe that God knew I wasn't ready 16:27 because I still was indulging in this habit 16:30 that I was absolutely out of control. 16:32 I even know that, 16:33 that several of the guys in the dorm, you know, 16:35 when we would do the room grades, you know, 16:37 we would catch guys 16:39 in the act of masturbation as well. 16:40 But of course, you know, the dean never confronted it, 16:43 never had a... 16:44 You know or talk about the dangers of it, 16:46 or what the Bible said. 16:48 So my senior year, the senior Bible teacher 16:51 took the boys aside and the girls apart. 16:53 And on the day for the boys, he said, "Listen, 16:56 'cause 99% of all males masturbate." 16:59 And he said, "And one percent lie." 17:01 And right then being a 17-year old, 17:03 I basically said, "Oh, 17:05 I guess Jesus just can't help me." 17:06 Well, let me just interject right there. 17:09 If you hear that kind of a number, 17:12 does that not confirm you in it 17:15 rather than make you want to turn from it? 17:17 It was that point where I just said, 17:19 "I got free license." 17:20 You know, if God can't help me on this, 17:22 I guess it's not that bad. 17:24 I think that his words especially coming 17:26 from a leader in a church, somebody that we respected, 17:29 the Bible teacher, you know, I guess I thought, well, 17:32 I guess that make sense, that must be right 17:33 because I'm out of control with it. 17:35 So I took that as a free license. 17:37 Well, with that free license then how did you ever choose 17:41 to come out of masturbation, the habit of masturbation? 17:44 Well, I believe that God just never gave up on me. 17:46 And when I finally got victory over masturbation 17:50 I was in my 40s. 17:51 So from 17 until the time I was in my 40s, 17:54 you know, between sexual conquests 17:57 and this vile habit in between. 18:00 In my 40s I finally came under conviction, 18:02 I knew that some of the quotes that I read, 18:05 Romans 8:13 saying, 18:06 "If you live after the flesh, you shall die." 18:11 It couldn't be more plainer than that. 18:13 I realized that I was out of control 18:15 but he didn't necessarily know how to gain control, 18:18 but as I started to realize or gain knowledge 18:22 from other pastors, 18:23 it just would be talking about other things 18:25 and reading Ministry of Healing in particular 18:27 that God wanted to give me the power to overcome, 18:30 that I wasn't left up to my own to just say, 18:32 no, don't do it, don't do it because that never worked. 18:34 And so as I would ask God to assist me 18:37 in the process of overcoming this, 18:39 I started to gain victory very slowly. 18:43 And so shame and regret and remorse and low self esteem 18:47 would come in everytime I would fall. 18:49 But, you know, the scriptures that say, 1 John 1:9, 18:52 "If we confess our sins, He is faithful 18:54 and just to forgive us of our sins 18:56 and then to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 18:58 Those simple words, I had to realize 19:01 I wasn't the one that was called to be faithful, 19:03 I couldn't be faithful, I had to claim His faithfulness 19:07 whether I stayed strong or whether I fell 19:09 to recognize that He was the same goodness 19:11 whether I was in the pit or out of the pit. 19:13 And I guess that my history from my own father 19:16 and the rejection that I felt, 19:18 I thought how could God love me if I'm indulging in this, 19:20 but I believe that that was actually keeping me 19:22 from the knowledge of knowing that 19:24 God wanted to pick me up. 19:26 Let me suggest here the shame, the remorse 19:29 Lance and Wayne also this shame, and remorse, 19:33 and the guilt that you felt 19:36 or would perpetually feel after masturbating. 19:40 Could God have been using that to work in you 19:44 to develop a hatred for sin, a hatred for this 19:48 because it's when we feel remorse, and shame, and guilt 19:52 that's when we are reminded there is an alternative. 19:57 Wayne, you were going to say something I believe. 19:59 Well, I think that some of the viewers 20:01 may be sitting there going, 20:03 "What is the big deal they're talking about 20:05 masturbation, it's natural. 20:07 What's the problem here?" 20:08 And, you know, I think we have to take a look at that 20:11 and that is in this that, you know, what, 20:15 whatever is taking our focus off of Jesus, 20:18 whatever is putting our focus on someone else, 20:21 or what is that putting in our self our focus on our self 20:25 and the adoration of somebody else 20:29 or putting up a figure, images 20:32 that have become idols in our lives. 20:34 This is where the deception is coming in by the enemy. 20:38 This is where they built in emotion for a lot of people 20:41 after this act brings about the shame and the guilt, 20:44 because it's not according to God's plan. 20:47 And so, I reflect to the verse Philippians 2:5 that says, 20:52 "Let the mind of Christ be in you." 20:54 And so, it is something that I think 20:57 I want the viewer to contemplate 21:00 if you're sitting there wondering, you know, 21:02 what's the big deal about masturbation, 21:04 think about the images of Jesus Christ 21:06 and what He would have take place in your own life. 21:08 That verse alone, I remember one time 21:11 stepping into the shower after I gotten the victory 21:14 and I was surrounded by soap 21:16 and, you know, what I'm talking about 21:18 just then the thought to masturbate was so strong 21:22 and I knew it wasn't coming from God. 21:24 And I remember that verse 21:25 and I said very plainly, go, Lord, 21:27 I'm giving you permission to take my thoughts right now 21:29 and if you don't do it, 21:31 I'm going to masturbate right now. 21:33 And as soon as I just gave God permission, 21:35 there was nothing else that I did, 21:37 but my next conscious thought was about baseball 21:40 and I hate baseball. 21:41 And so immediately the victory came 21:44 and that has actually been a tool for me, 21:46 that simple verse, Wayne, 21:48 and it doesn't have to be complicated. 21:50 But recognizing that I can't do it on my own, 21:52 but I can solicit the help of the one who can, 21:55 and the victory has been sweet and consistent. 21:58 And here's a thought that has come to me 22:00 as we're having this discussion. 22:02 And it's kind of a provocative thought maybe. 22:07 Could it be that masturbation feeds into homosexuality 22:14 simply because you are now actually participating 22:18 in same gender sex? 22:20 That's right. That's right. 22:21 If you are prone to that in the first place, 22:26 and then you indulge in masturbation, 22:27 you are carrying out the same gender sex? 22:31 So imagine how many heterosexual men 22:33 would be horrified to think that 22:35 when they indulge in that behavior 22:37 that they are actually having homosexual sex. 22:40 Yes, I mean, that thought came to me 22:42 as we're having this discussion. 22:44 I think that would be rather alarming. 22:47 We need to move on here. 22:49 How did this maybe, Lance, this would be a question 22:54 that you can help us with? 22:56 How did this come to an end in your life? 22:59 Did you have another thought prior to that? 23:01 Well, this will kind of fits in well 23:03 I'm going to say actually you know. 23:04 So many people I think you guys know, 23:05 so many people say there's no verse in Bible 23:07 that says anything about masturbation. 23:09 I hear this over and over again but Romans 6:13 23:13 has been a verse that spoke to me, it says, 23:16 "Neither yield you your members 23:18 as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin, 23:20 but yield yourselves unto God 23:22 as those that are alive from the dead, 23:23 and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God." 23:26 So he's talking about members, what does that mean to you? 23:30 My body parts. Body parts, isn't that amazing. 23:33 And when we read about presenting your bodies 23:36 a living sacrifice that goes along with this. 23:39 We are to surrender our body parts, 23:41 our members to the God who created them 23:43 and use them in the way He designed it to be used. 23:47 You know, Ron, another thing 23:49 not just when you're indulging in the act 23:51 or you're doing a homosexual act, 23:53 but you're actually engaging in sex with demons. 23:56 And a quote from Desire of Ages, 23:58 page 36 says, 23:59 "The senses, the nerves, 24:01 the passions, the very organs of men 24:04 were worked by supernatural agencies 24:07 in the indulgence of the vilest lust. 24:09 The very stamp of demons 24:11 was impressed upon the countenances of men." 24:14 Isn't that a frightening thought 24:16 that here someone in the privacy 24:19 of his or her own home or room, closet, 24:22 whatever is deceiving him or herself 24:27 into thinking this is just me, 24:29 it's private, no one needs to know. 24:31 What a frightening thought to think that, no, 24:33 you're not there alone, demons are there assisting you, 24:37 and God's angels are also observing. 24:40 You are not alone, we are never alone, are we? 24:44 On this note, I think it would be good to bring out 24:47 some scriptural references that would bring 24:50 hope and encouragement 24:52 and lead us to thoughts of victory in this 24:55 and any other area of sin. 24:58 I have one, Romans 6:6-8 says, 25:02 "Knowing this our old man is crucified with him, 25:04 meaning Christ, 25:06 that the body of sin might be destroyed 25:09 that from now on we should not serve sin, 25:11 for He that is dead is freed from sin, 25:14 now if we be dead with Christ, 25:16 we believe that we will also live with Him." 25:20 That's a powerful text. 25:21 That, Lance, did you have one or, Wayne, 25:24 you have one that comes to mind? 25:26 I don't have the specific reference 25:28 but I know it's in Romans where Paul tells us that 25:31 we need to die to the flesh daily 25:34 to die to ourselves daily. 25:36 And that's just something that I'm reminded of 25:39 whenever I have physical temptations 25:42 is about dying to self and letting them. 25:45 Again Philippians 2:5, 25:46 letting the mind of Christ be in it. 25:48 That's interesting because I can just piggyback 25:51 on your comment there. 25:54 For me, it helps me when I realize that 25:57 my old man is dead, it's buried into baptism. 26:01 And so when I have a temptation to do these type of things, 26:04 I always have to remember, oh, no, no, no, 26:05 this is from the past, 26:07 and I'm a new creature in Christ, 26:08 so I'm not going to be doing this anymore. 26:10 You know, Proverbs 19:23, to me actually not 26:14 it's related to the act of masturbation 26:16 because again its self-love, you know, 26:19 nurturing yourself or satisfying yourself. 26:22 And so Proverbs 19:23 says, 26:24 "The fear of the Lord tends to life, 26:27 and he that has it will abide satisfied." 26:30 And so as I was being filled by Jesus, 26:33 as I was pursuing Him and recognizing the goodness 26:36 that He was pouring out to me, I got a satisfaction 26:39 that actually started to break the addictive cycle 26:42 and gave me a satisfaction. 26:43 So this wasn't an overnight, you know, thing for me, 26:46 it was a process of learning 26:48 how to hand it over to the Lord. 26:49 And as He gave me something that satisfied more, 26:52 I actually didn't have the desire 26:54 to not only hook up sexually 26:56 but also broke the cycle of masturbation. 26:59 Amen. Thank you. 27:01 I would like to bring this to a conclusion 27:03 with this quote, 27:04 "When persons are addicted to the habit of self-abuse, 27:08 it is impossible to arouse their moral sensibilities 27:11 to appreciate eternal things, 27:13 or to delight in spiritual exercises. 27:16 Impure thoughts seize and control the imagination 27:19 and fascinate the mind. 27:21 And next follows an almost uncontrollable desire 27:25 for the performance of impure actions." 27:29 Again this is from a quote from Ellen White. 27:33 We want to thank you for joining us today 27:36 on our program of Pure Choices. 27:38 And again, we wish that God will continue 27:42 and hope that God will continue to bless you 27:44 in your daily walk with Him as you make pure choices 27:48 each and every minute and hour of every day. 27:51 Thank you again for watching Pure Choices. |
Revised 2017-10-09