Prayers and Tips for Overcoming Addiction to Pornography by Porn-Star-Turned-Christian

Overcoming An Addiction To Pornography

Brittni De La Mora

This is such a taboo addiction simply because it is glorified in the world and not spoken about enough in the Church. Whether you’re a male or female, if you are addicted to porn, you are not alone. The Adult Industry is a multibillion-dollar industry for a reason.

However, I don’t believe you came here for statistics. I believe you came here for help. As many of you know, I am a former Adult Star. I got into the industry at the age of 18. I did not have very much time to develop a porn addiction because I went straight into filming it.

However, what I have learned is that like any addiction pornography is an escape. It is an escape from boredom and an escape from pain. Addiction can bring forth an external euphoria that makes one forget about their internal trauma.
Have you ever been heartbroken?
Have you ever been rejected?
Have you ever felt unloved or unlovable?
Has it been challenging for you to truly forgive and let go of the pain that a person has caused you? Because often a broken heart is most susceptible to addiction.

The pain of a heart is real and out of the brokenness of one’s heart, one will look for healing or numbing wherever they can get it. For example, if you had a severe toothache but for some reason, we're unable to make it to the dentist, then I would imagine that you would take some Aspirin and put some Novocain on it until you could make it to the dentist. Right? You wouldn’t allow yourself to remain in pain, would you? The same is true for our hearts. When our heart is in pain, but we can’t find the healer, then we will naturally look for a quick fix to numb the pain. Aspirin will not cure a toothache, only the dentist can do that. Pornography will not cure a heartache, only Jesus can do that.

If you are serious and would truly like help to overcome this addiction I would like for you to boldly pray this prayer,

Brittni De La Mora on her wedding day with husband Pastor Richard De La Mora  

   “Father, I am powerless over this addiction, but you are not. I ask that you would forgive me for my sins and heal my broken heart. Right now, I forgive all who have hurt me. Jesus, I make you my Lord and Savior and I pray that you would transform me and restore my purity and innocence to me. I command the spirit of addiction and lust to leave my life now in Jesus's name. Lord, I thank you because 2 Corinthians 5:17 calls me a new creation in Christ. The old has passed away and the new has come for me. I am a new creation. I am not a product of my past nor my mistakes. In Jesus's name, Amen.”

    If you prayed this prayer I would like to encourage you to take a few more steps so that you can walk in the victory that Christ has given you.

1      Get plugged into Church - Make friendships by serving in Ministry. If you’re new to all of this, send me a message & someone from my team can help you out.

2      Read the Bible - every day. Pray - every day. Worship with a song - every day. Google Hillsong United have great worship music.

3      If you want stability, then you need accountability. Ask someone to hold you accountable (a leader in the Church would be a great choice.)

4      Have systems and platforms that will block you from going onto pornographic websites.

5      Do Not feel ashamed. Jesus died to give us freedom over our mistakes so don’t allow your mistakes to hold you as a prisoner to your past. Walk into your future, and if you slip up, don’t beat yourself up. Just get back up again.




If you have any questions, we are here for you!

Love,

Brittni De La Mora

Visit her blog for more details

Your Testimony - God’s Story in You

You have a story and if your story is God’s story in you, then that story is a testimony and can be a powerful witness for Jesus Christ. Sharing your story requires thought but no special training. “You are an expert on what happened to you!” And you can share your testimony anywhere with anyone and give them the “reason for the hope that is in you.”

You can share about Jesus Christ through your story - what God has done for you, what He is doing, and how you have experienced his grace and goodness in your life.


Here’s a question for you: Are you ready to share your faith story with others and how God’s story has transformed your story?  please use the contact us form or send an email via businessofchrist@gmail.com

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It’s a Difficult Time for Us’ Wife of City Harvest Church Pastor

Sun Ho, Wife of City Harvest Church Pastor Kong Hee, Says After Verdict: ‘It’s a Difficult Time for Us’

City Harvest Church, Singapore

Ho Yeow Sun, co-founder of Singapore-based City Harvest Church and wife of pastor Kong Hee, disclosed their loved ones is going through a tough time following the High Court on Friday passed down the jail terms for Kong and five other leaders of the church.

"Keep my family in prayer," she told Asia One. "It's a difficult time for us."
Kong was found guilty of three charges of criminal breach of trust. Just last year, the judge found him along with the five other CHC leaders guilty of misappropriating church funds amounting to S$50 million or about US$8 million. Kong was sentenced to eight years in jail, but after filing an appeal, his jail term was reduced to three years and six months.

Kong, as well as the team, were said to have funneled S$24 million into sham bonds to help promote the music career of Kong's wife Sun Ho by means of what the church called Crossover Project, that was allegedly a method whereby the gospel could possibly be preached. They used another S$26 million to cover traces of the misappropriated funds.

Justice Chan Seng Onn, one of three judges who heard the case, said the Crossover Project was obviously a "very extravagant" way of spreading the gospel. The case involved the largest amount of charity funds which had been misappropriated in Singapore. Sun Ho herself was caught in a controversy after a number of her controversial music videos raised some eyebrows.

Involved with the case were former CHC fund manager Chew Eng Han, who had previously been sentenced to three years and four months in jail; deputy senior pastor Tan Ye Peng, who was sentenced to three years and two months; former CHC finance manager Serina Wee, who was sentenced to two years and six months; former CHC finance committee member John Lam, who was sentenced to one year and six months; and former CHC finance manager Sharon Tan, who was sentenced to seven months.

Pastor Kong Hee and wife 

Kong said Friday that he was grateful his sentence was reduced.
"While the conviction being upheld is not what I have expected, I am grateful that the sentence has been reduced," he said in a Facebook post. "Once again, thank you so much for all the love you have given to me and my family."

On Sunday, Kong was greeted by a loud cheer as he went onstage. He asked the church for forgiveness for "all the hurt, all the disappointment and all the painful ordeals" it had gone through because of the trial.

"I really, really, really wish that I was and am a better, wiser leader," he said, according to Straits Times. "Pastor is sincerely sorry and genuinely asks for your forgiveness. Please forgive me."
The Singaporean government said the CHC case is "not over yet" and that it will seek counsel from the Attorney General's Chambers. Law and Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam said the outcome of the CHC trial could have "serious implications" on other cases involving corruption and on the government's "zero-tolerance approach," according to Today.

Among the many issues that may be brought up was the fact that during the trial, the prosecution did not concentrate on "any gain to third parties for its case on conviction and sentence, even though this may have been suggested in the charges."
Judge of Appeal Chao Hick Tin agrees.

"While the Prosecution did, in its oral submissions before us, attempt to make the point that a benefit had accrued to Kong Hee's wife, Sun Ho, this point was not raised in its written submissions for the appeal and was also not raised before the Judge," he said.




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'Unqualified' to Lead Church Says Perry Noble

Perry Noble Admits He is 'Unqualified' to Lead Church in Wake of Alcohol Abuse, Divorce

 NewSpring Church

Perry Noble, the former pastor of NewSpring Church, had admitted he's still "unqualified" to begin a new church at least a year after being taken from his position as a result of alcohol addiction and other concerns.

"Back in July, it was announced I have filed the paperwork to one day begin Second Chance Church. Ever since then there have been individuals on the internet who had been quite consistent in conversing to me I am 'unqualified,'" Noble said in a Facebook post on Tuesday.

On top of losing his church, Noble revealed in October the "deeply personal and painful" news which he together with his wife of 17-years, Lucretia, are getting a divorce.

"I've deliberately not cleared up that accusation specifically until recently...and also to that accusation I say...Those who are calling me 'unqualified' are absolutely correct," he continued. "Taking a look at this Scripture I will point out why I feel unqualified..."

He first pointed to 1 Timothy 3 which lists the various qualifications for biblical leaders, including "to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money," among others.

Noble highlighted how he has fallen short of each requirement: "Like I said before - I absolutely do not dispute the fact that, according to the letter of the law laid down by Paul in this passage...I am unqualified," he stated.

"AND...I am POSITIVE there are actually those on Facebook who will be more than pleased to fill in the gaps of the things I left out that point even more so to the fact I am unqualified...O God to be an awesome one day as those who attack others on social media!"

However, the former pastor contended he doesn't know anyone "batting 1,000 on all of these qualities" and reiterated that he has never felt qualified in his life.

"I am also UN-wavering in the fact people who slip need a Second Chance, and I'm called to start a church not for perfect people, but for those who want to get back up!"
He added, "I am UN-willing to allow those who don't know my story to try to tell me what my future should look like."

"I am UN-able to give my life to anything apart from the local church. I am UN-phased by those who want me to quit. I am UN-afraid of the future God has for me.
"And I think it is UN-real that God still would like to used a messed up, a busted and unqualified guy like me to take the Gospel to as many people as possible."

Christianity Today notes that a few months ago, leaders at NewSpring-which spans across 15 locations in South Carolina-reiterated that Noble is still unfit to be restored to the pulpit.
"We have been asked why Perry can preach at other churches but not at NewSpring," said teaching pastor Clayton King. "We cannot speak for other churches and how they make decisions. For us, Perry currently does not meet the biblical qualifications of a pastor, teacher, shepherd."

At the time, Noble reacted to the comments in a Facebook live video: "There may be quite a few things I did wrong as senior pastor of NewSpring Church; however, I preached Jesus weekly that I had the opportunity to serve at NewSpring Church," he said. "They can continually talk about my sins. They can talk about how I'm seemingly unrepentant-although I would say in order to determine if someone is repentant, you have to have a relationship with them because it's hard to call out repentance from the cheap seats-but while I will allow those things to go on, I will never allow anyone to talk about my motives for ministry."

As reported by a 2015 survey by Barna Group and Pepperdine University, nearly 1 in 5 pastors have struggled with drug or alcohol addiction. Those pastors were divided on whether or not being open about their own addiction could possibly have an unfavorable (46%) or favorable (41%) impact on their ministry.



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Churches and Christmas Sunday Services

Some Churches to Not Hold Services for Christmas Sunday

Christmas day for this year is going to be celebrated on Sunday. Result in several of the churches wondering should they would hold services for December 25 as most of them will celebrate Christmas along with their families. Many of them, nevertheless, was considering adjusting the services activities in order to make up for the celebration of Christmas.

Megachurches, like North Point and Buckhead Tower Point, are well-known to withhold services on a Sunday usually in the Christmas week to allow time to the volunteers in catching up with the family.

"We're 15 years old and we've always done it," said Bill Willits, Director of Ministry Environments of North Point. "Our volunteers are very, very grateful because it's such a busy season."
Willow Creek Community Church also received fire in 2005 after they made a decision to give out DVDs for anyone to watch on a Sunday for Christmas season.

"I consider this in numerous ways as a capitulation to narcissism, the self-centered, me-first, I'm going to put me and my immediate family first agenda of the larger culture," said Ben Witherington III, professor of New Testament interpretation at Asbury Theological Seminary, according to New York Times.

"If Christianity is an evangelistic religion, then exactly what message is this sending to the larger culture -- that worship is an optional extra?"

This current year, on the other hand, Willow Creek thought to carry out several Christmas Eve services plus one Christmas Day service. According to Church Executive Pastor Heather Larson, the church will deliver nine services up till Christmas Eve and start the Christmas Day service at 10 a.m.

"This year, on Dec. 25, Teaching Pastor Steve Carter and I will be leading with our families. It will be a great Christmas service for all," he said in an interview with Christian Post. "Our services, dates and times vary as the calendar varies. It's a true celebration of our Lord's birth and that is our focus every year."

However, the Virginia megachurch mentioned that the church is going to be performing a Christmas Sunday service unless weather conditions turn worse.

"We usually have held a service on Christmas Sundays unless we have been completely snowed out. Sometimes we intend to cancel our first two Sunday morning services due to inclement weather and at least try having one service at 11," Pastor Steve Holley said.

Pastor Holley also reiterated the necessity of celebrating the time of worship and it is the church's obligation to encourage the people to observe this holy obligation.

"I also find it hard to help support any claim of inconvenience in worshiping on Christmas Day when there are Christians all over the world suffering persecution would you welcome both the comfort and freedom that churches like ours have in the U.S," he said.

Other Roman Catholic churches in the East that are covered with a committed Catholic population see the attendance of a Mass in Christmas as a no-brainer considering that the whole idea of performing a service of worship is to celebrate the presence of God, particularly in Christmas.




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‘Fairly Serious Error’ Reading of Quran in Church Service

Queen’s Chaplain Steps Down, Calls Reading of Quran in Church Service a ‘Fairly Serious Error’

Rev. Gavin Ashenden

One particular chaplain to the queen resigned right after his criticism with the reading of the Quran within the church service held at St Mary's Episcopal in Glasgow recently.

The Rev. Gavin Ashenden, in a blog published on his website, explained he necessary to resign from his post, that he held for nine years, in order to avoid any confusion that his statements against what occurred in the service were released on behalf of the Queen.

As among the 33 chaplains for the Queen, his behavior could possibly be misinterpreted as representing the monarchy. When deciding on to vacate his post, although being able to freely “speak on behalf of the faith,” he said.

“If I did decide to speak out, really should be integrity and responsibility, I should not do it while I was in possession of the office of ‘Chaplain to the Queen,’” Ashenden wrote. “Because I think it a higher and more compelling duty to convey out on behalf of the faith, than to retain an open honor which precludes me performing this at the moment, I resigned my post,” he continued.

Ashenden got involved with a controversy when he openly criticized the reading of the Quran during a church service at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in celebration of the Feast of Epiphany. As reported by the church, Muslim worshipers were invited and permitted to participate in the service as part of the church's efforts to bolster interfaith relationships.

Having said that, while in the service, passages from the Quran saying Jesus was not the Son of God were read in Arabic, causing many Christians to feel offended that this was allowed at a church service, particularly one which was intended to celebrate the wise men’s visit to Jesus when He was a child as an acknowledgment of Him being God in human form.

 Muslims believe Jesus is a prophet but does not believe He is God.
Ashenden felt compelled to share out up against the Quran reading, that he thought to be “a fairly serious error.”
“To have a reading from the Koran at that point was a fairly serious error for the Christian worshipping community, but to decide on the reading they chose doubled the error,” he told BBC Radio 4 in an interview. "Of all passages you could have read likely to cause offense, that was one of the most problematic.”

In a letter he wrote for The Times, he also demanded that the church apologizes to Christians who are enduring intense persecution from Muslims.

"The challenge with what actually happened in Glasgow was that even though it was presented as a way of building bridges and a way of educating people it was done badly in the wrong way in the wrong place in the wrong context.,” he said. “It must not occur in the Holy Eucharist specifically a Eucharist whose principal purpose is to celebrate Christ the word made flesh come into the world.”
Ashenden said he made a decision to resign after meeting with officials from Buckingham Palace.

The Scottish Episcopal Church released an announcement stating that while developing strong interfaith relationships is one of the commitments of the church to cultivate the work of reconciliation, efforts to do so “must be founded on truth.”

“We approach others with open hearts but we stand in the truth of the gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,” the Scottish Episcopal Church said. “Those who are looking for to operate in the area of interfaith relationships must consider thoroughly perhaps the choices which they make are suitable or otherwise.”





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