Category: Sex - IRONSTRIKES-men forging men

Conquering sexual sin

10/4/2014

Sexual sin once robbed your heart of something very precious. Every little boy sees the fight for right and desires to be an agent of good, to be the good guy who saves the day.

Every little boy has dreams and visions of one day being someone great and doing something great, but sexual sin often steals these dreams away. God wants to recapture those dreams and restore them for God's man on the battlefield. Victory restores these hopes and renews the dreams that were once vaporized in the midst of sexual sin.

The dream lives! Now, with a sanctified heart, you know what you can do in Him. You feel it. You're a fighting machine, confident as you approach any battle. You've proven that your Command Officer can trust you with much as long as you abide in Him. And He's proven that you can trust Him to supply all you need in battle.

Battles test and transform soldiers, and this test revealed the depth of your love for Him. You're stronger, and you're changed. God is a strong God, and He wants strong, confident soldiers in His kingdom who are good in a fight, even when facing daunting odds that seem overwhelming.

Taken from Every Man's Challenge, pp 33-34.

Would Jesus do that?

9/30/2014

This picture represents an important concept in gaining ground on addictions and compulsions.

If you observe this startling picture you will notice various things. I don't even understand all that the artist intended as he has made several statements with this picture.

However, what stands out to me the most is the left arm of the man shooting up. If you look carefully, you will see that it is actually Jesus' arm that is receiving the drug.

There is an important concept to be learned here. Did you know that what you do to yourself, you do to Jesus? If you think this is a goofy idea, know that it is true. Paul stated, "Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never!"

Do you abuse your body? Do you abuse alcohol and/or other drugs? Then you're causing Jesus to abuse his body.

Do you engage in sexual sin? Do you let your mind wander into lust? Then you're causing Jesus to sin sexually.

Does your mind ruminate on hateful thoughts? Then you're causing Jesus to hate.

This concept is also consistent with David's statement to God, "Against you and you only have I sinned..." All of our sin, is ultimately sin against God.

Understanding this concept is important in conquering addictions and compulsions. Pray, asking God to show you that when you sin, you are sinning against Him and involving Jesus in your sin. Ask God to have His Holy Spirit prompt you, when you start entertaining sinful thoughts, to remember that you will be sinning against Him and involving Jesus in sinfulness.

BE HOLY
BE A MAN

Marriage Hacks: Free e-book

8/11/2014

Marriage is an increasingly unnatural and confusing thing for many couples today. In light of this, Tyler Ward—author of Marriage Rebranded—recently asked 25 leaders for their single best marriage advice. The level of insight and wisdom he received is guaranteed to help many navigate this uniquely beautiful relationship called marriage.

Marriage Hacks is a compilation of the best marriage advice from 25 leaders including:

• Gary Chapman, The 5 Love Languages
• William Paul Young, The Shack
• Gary Thomas, Sacred Marriage
• Danny Silk, Keep Your Love On
• Jeremy Cowart, Celebrity Photographer
• Jonathan Jackson, Emmy-Award-Winning Actor
• And many more...

The book speaks to some of the most common questions in marriage including...

• how to keep things from never going stale
• how to handle personality difference
• show to cultivate emotional intimacy
• how to spice things up in the bedroom
• what to do when your spouse isn’t as intentional in your relationship as you are
• and more...

If marriage is hard for you at the moment, this read will simply comfort you to know you're not alone.

If marriage is amazing and fruitful, it will help you sustain.

If marriage is confusing, it will offer some insight on this unique union.

If marriage feels pointless, it will add purpose and depth.

To download this free e-book, go to: http://books.noisetrade.com/tylerward/marriage-hacks

10 Ways Cyberporn Damages Marriage

7/22/2014

Here are ten of the leading ways in which a man’s use of Internet pornography can damage marital love, according to Dr. Richard Fitzgibbons of the Institute for Marital Healing:

Growth in narcissism, the major enemy of marital love.
Lack of refinement in self-giving to the romantic aspect of marriage and to the intimate relationship.
Obsession with one’s own pleasure.
Decreased self-giving to one’s spouse.
Diminished communication with one’s spouse and harm to the marital friendship.
Damage to the wife’s ability to trust and then to experience pleasure with her husband.
Marital loneliness, anger and conflicts.
A disordered view of beauty, goodness, the human person and sexuality.
Increased vulnerability to commit adultery.
Marital separation.

This post was written by Dr Fitzgibbons. For the original post, go to: http://www.foryourmarriage.org/ten-ways-cyberporn-damages-marriage/

Greek Uncleanness

4/22/2014

Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these: Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness.

Yesterday we discussed adultery (porneia).  Today, we are going to talk about uncleanness and tomorrow, conclude this three part series on Galatians 5:19 with a look at lasciviousness.

The word uncleanness is the Greek word akatharsia, which is the word kathairowith prefix a added. The word kathairo means cleansed or pure but when you add the prefix a, the condition is reversed, making the object dirty or unclean. In the New Testatment, akatharsia refers to lewd or unclean thoughts that eventually produce lewd or unclean actions. So, there is a strong suggestion that actions begin in the mind as unclean thoughts before they manifest as unclean deeds.

"And there was in the synagogue a man with an unclean spirit..." The Greek actually says that this man was "gripped by the control of an unclean spirit." It seems that this man had pondered on lewd thoughts for so long that he had thrown open the door for these to seize and control him. In this verse the word akatharsia is used. It implies that a demon found entrance into this man's life because he had committed mental prostitution. He allowed his mind to dwell on things that were forbidden.

"A man with an unclean spirit met him..."   Here akatharsia is used in describing the man possessed by a legion of demons. In Mark chapter one and now in chapter five, we have two men who are in the grip of an unclean spirit. It appears that their demon-possessed condition started with impure, lewd, dirty thoughts, since the Greek word akatharsia is used in both verses. Did Satan lure them into the pornography of unclean ideas or into adultery, and then build a stronghold of uncleanness so robust in their minds that he was able to eventually cause unclean actions to be manifested in their lives and thus completely control them?

Whatever you give your mind to will eventually be your master.

Tomorrow, we will discuss the word lasciviousness.

This study is taken from Sparkling Gems from the Greek

BE HOLY.
BE A MAN.

Male sexuality quiz: Answers

3/21/2014

Yesterday, we had a quick quiz on nine commons areas of male sexuality. Today, we are giving the answers.

1. FALSE. Some start as early as eleven. Generally, though it
is between fourteen and seventeen.

2. FALSE. Many physical reasons can cause impotence, including hardening of the penile arteries, disease, medication and hormonal fluctuations.

3. TRUE. Many elderly people report strong sexual interests into old age.

4. FALSE. Often psychological reasons (guilt) may inhibit orgasm but so can temporary stress in most men.

5. FALSE. Reflex circuits, such as when the bladder is full, can cause nocturnal erections.

6. TRUE. Forget about trying an aphrodisiac. The best love-producer is old-fashioned caring and tenderness.

7. FALSE. No evidence supports this belief. Sex serves many functions but normal sex does not drain energy.

8. TRUE. In older men, men with certain physical conditions or with certain medications, the ejaculant goes into the bladder (retrograde ejaculation) due to the valves not working properly. The ejaculant is expelled with urine. There is nothing wrong with this unless the man and his wife are trying to conceive.

9. TRUE and FALSE. Men have been known to have heart attacks during sex but also during sleep. Sex is no more risky than mild exercise but men should get treatment anyway for any heart problem.

Taken from The Sexual Man: Masculinity without guilt

Male sexuality quiz

3/20/2014

Here is a quiz to test your knowledge about male sexuality. Don't be surprised if you get many of the answers wrong. You're in good company, because many studies have shown that the average person knows little about sexuality and even less about male sexuality.

Answer True or False to the following questions:

1. The earliest age at which the average male adolescent has sexual intercourse is fourteen.

2. Impotence, or difficulty sustaining an erection, is always psychological in origin.

3. Sexual desire and sexual activity in the male often extend well into old age.

4. A man's failure to achieve orgasm is a sign of dysfunction.

5. When a man experiences an erection while sleeping it is because he is having a sexual dream.

6. There is no food or drink that is especially effective as an aphrodisiac.

7. Sex the night before a sports event will drain an athlete's energy.

8. A man can reach orgasm without ejaculating.

9. Sexual intercourse is dangerous for a man who has had a heart attack.

Tomorrow we will discuss the answers.

Taken from The Sexual Man: Masculinity without guilt

What is normal? - Answers

3/19/2014

Yesterday, we took a quiz on sex for men. Today, we will explore the answers:

1. Somewhat true. Regardless of what some say, many men say they felt forced into unwanted sex to either prove themselves or comply with peer pressure.

2. True. Data suggests that "very religious" men are more vulnerable to sexual sin than "religious men."

3. True. High cholesterol can inhibit full erections.

4. False. Men do not experience menopause. Hormones decline gradually but the majority of men remain sexually interested until they die. However, frequency of sexual behavior does decline.

5. False. At first, when married, men decrease the frequency of their masturbation. However, the behavior of masturbating to pornography that was learned in adolescence is often difficult to break.

6. True. Men in American culture are obsessed with giving and receiving oral sex. However, many women find this type of sexual activity quite repugnant.

7. False. When men get married, lust does not subside. Men must learn to redirect their arousal back to their spouse.

8. True. A sexually repressed upbringing creates excessive guilt around sexual feelings and may set up an obsessive need for masturbation.

9. D. Most men think about sex several times a day, often several times within the same hour. This does not change as a man grows older.

10. D. 70% of men complain that they don't get enough sex compared with 58 % of women.

11. B. The average American male has his first sexual encounter at age 16. However, as the age of puberty continues to drop, there are reports that many males have their first experience at age 11 or younger.

12. D. Most males have their sexual beliefs shaped by pornography. Pornography distorts a man's view of how women feel about sex and what can be reasonably expected from sex and sets them up for disappointment. Real women cannot possibly measure up to the air-brushed, color-enhanced, glossy photography that pornography teaches men is the standard.

Adapted from The Sexual Man: Masculinity without guilt

What is normal? - A quiz

3/18/2014

Men have many concerns. One of every man's concerns is wondering if he is normal, especially in regard to his sex life.

Ponder your answer to these questions, and tomorrow, we will discuss the answers:

The first eight questions are answered "TRUE" or "FALSE"

1. More men that women have experienced unwanted sexual intercourse.

2. More "very religious" men cheat on their wives than religious men.

3. Just as fat in the bloodstream can block arteries in the heart, so it starts to block blood flow in the penis preventing adequate erection.

4. Men also experience a male menopause.

5. After marriage, most men stop masturbating.

6. According to most sex counselors, what most men complain about is not getting enough oral sex.

7. Getting married remedies all the problems men have with lust.

8. Boys who were sexually repressed while growing up are more likely to become obsessed with masturbation and pornography when they are grown up.

Choose which answer you believe is most correct for the remaining four:
9. How often does the healthy, average male think about sex?
a) once a month, b) once a week, c) once a day, d) once an hour

10. How many men complain that they don't get enough sex?
a) 20%, b) 35%, c) 50%, d) 70%

11. The average age at which the American male first has sex is:
a) 14, b) 16, c) 18, d) 20

12. From where does the average young male learn about sex:
a) parents & siblings, b) friends, c) books, d) pornography

Adapted from The Sexual Man: Masculinity without guilt

Is fantasy healthy?

3/17/2014

Choose yes or no in response to the following questions:

Can you only become sexually aroused if you imagine having sex with someone other than your partner?

Do you use fantasy to make up for what you believe is missing from your love life?
When you are troubled or anxious do you tend to turn to sexual fantasies to forget about your problems?
Do your sexual fantasies involve activities that you wouldn't dare do in real life?
Are your fantasies such that you would never share them with your spouse?
Do your sexual fantasies occupy a lot of your working hours, taking you away from other activities?
Do you believe deep down that your fantasies hurt your relationship with your spouse, causing you to be unhappy or dissatisfied with your marriage?

If you answered "yes" to any of the previous questions, your fantasy life is not healthy and is undesirable. The more questions you answered yes, the greater a problem your fantasy life is to your sexuality.

Taken from The Sexual Man: Masculinity without guilt