Why do kids raised in church leave the faith? Today we interview Marine veteran, author and pastor Peter Martin on growing faith.
President of Running Light Ministries, Peter Martin, takes a hour to sit down with host Adrian Van Vactor to discuss his journey in becoming a follower of Jesus, the Christ.
We are all capable of anything. Do you agree? One thing that human history has shown is that this is true. With sexually it is true too! Any kind of sexual behavior seems to have been done before. Today’s pornography is a great way to understand this. Popular porn has changed as time has moved forward. What was once ‘fringe’ is now common. Lesbian, Gay, Bi-Sexual, Transgender, Questioning etc.. is all popular porn (well maybe not questioning). And you need to remember that porn is just a reflection of the human mind.
We all need to remember too that LGBTQ has always been in the world! There is nothing new under the sun. In the United States our history is largely influenced by a religious purity movement which currently is being replaced by humanism. Just look at the educators of the country (i.e. John Duey). What was considered right sexual behavior has changed. But don’t get this wrong; it is not new! Could it be that the reason that the purity movement gained a following is due to the LGBTQ movement of old? Of course, I understand that LGBTQ lifestyles were never mainstream or having the legal rights of a man and his wife. But when you look into the different societies of the past, all of them had various legal issues regarding sexual behaviors. True autonomy was not a part of most societies. Though LGBTQ behavior was tolerated on some levels, they were not accepted lifestyles. True human autonomy needed to be allowed, plus the integration of medical/technological advancements. (Don’t underestimate how technology has played a role in the LGBTQ movement. It actually might be the main reason the movement has a voice today.)
When given the opportunity to move any way we want in our sexuality humans will go in every way possible. There is nothing that we won’t do if allowed. Nothing! LGBTQ is the norm of human beings when given the allowance. The more autonomy we are given the greater the vastness of our sexual behavior. This is normal. What is not normal is resisting the urges to do what you want to do. Do you think there is a rightful place in your life to resist any “temptation?” Do animals resist? Or do they indulge? Is there a government that is holding them back from acting out on their sexual instincts? But we are different aren’t we? We can act out on our sexual urges in every way possible when given the allowance to do so. But do you realize that human beings have something more than instinct that we are working with? We have an interesting capacity to not only follow our urges but also resist them. We can even think through things, using our reasoning ability! We are amazing in this way. But if you want to live like an animal and move away from resisting our sexual urges then what would the outcome be in a society? In the animal kingdom which animals dominate? Do we shame them in how they dominate?
LGBTQ is normal, as is heterosexual sexual relationships. But to live with reason means to have an ability to think through our sexual desires, to resist or choose what is the right thing to do about them. How does my actions affect the future of the species? This is a question we can answer, but we can ignore as well. What questions are we wanting to answer and what questions are we wanting simply to ignore. To reason through our sexual behavior will lead to resisting various actions, which at some level most humans do. But to ignore the ability to reason will move us into fulfilling our urges like an animal does, whether you identify as LGBTQ or heterosexual.. This is what we will do if we have total say as to what we desire to do sexually. Every human has the ability to be base. It is unfortunate that we even have to have LGBTQ as a movement. But it makes sense if a society has been legislating against a particular sexual behavior. Our country’s purity movement has maybe dulled our understanding of human nature. It is hard for me to believe that humans are shocked by the sexual desires of other humans. If there is one thing that pornography shows us is that it is a reflection of us! What is in our hearts, our minds, the cravings that go on in secret is all in pornography.
When sexual desires are legislated and humans are criminalized for all but the “norm” over long periods of time then culture will become shocked, appalled and violent of what is actually the normal tendency which follows our hearts sexual desires. But when laws are implemented to suppress our desires the general public will find it appalling to desire in the first place, only to shame a person for such an action. This is how things have been done (Nazi Germany and Mao in China) and continue to permeate the planet. We are a bit in between worldviews in our country today. It blows my mind that a famous person cheating on their spouse or a person of popularity watching porn would be ‘news’ and given air time. We humans cannot simply allow everyone to do what they sexually desire to do yet! There is a great fear of what could happen, or actually what would happen. We wear clothes for a reason don’t we! It’s not only the weather that keeps clothes on us isn’t it? We all could have a deep understanding of what it was like in our past history of being taken advantage of when naked. Perhaps we hold a remnant in our minds of a time of such sexual atrocities. Like the animals we did what our instincts said. Nothing more, nor less.
Without any restraint, what would we do?
This is a excerpt from the first Chapter of my new book.
There are a few things that you must understand about Christianity. First, that God is personal. What this means is that just as a friend gets to know you, so God is knowable. That’s not all Christians think about the nature of God, but for now you simply need to trust me that this is a truth we hold. Someone might ask for scripture references and I could give them, but really, the entire Bible is about God being available for people to communicate with, sometimes as one friend talks to another.
Second, that God is the first cause of all things. This means that God is the creator of all. But not just that! Everything that is created declares a glory or value of His being. So when the Bible says, the Heavens declare the Glory of God (Psalm 19:1), it means that when I look up into the sky and see the stars, sun, clouds, or planets, I get some kind of truth about the creator. In the case of Psalm 19:1, God is amazing. In what way? Well, the more we understand about the stars, sun, clouds, or planets, the more we get a greater understanding of God’s amazingness. That’s one way to look at it.
In this same line of thinking, humans are said to be made in the image of God. I find it so fascinating that after the Creation of man and woman, he declares they are made in His image (Genesis 1:27)! So Christians believe that man and woman are made in this image of God. The more scientists study the body the greater our appreciation is for how we are put together. In every area of study of our body scientists are pleasantly surprised by our delicate intricacies. What does all this amazing complexity tell us about God? From a Christian point of view, it shouts glory to the creator. He is the master scientist. But even more than that, the glory that this human precision shows is that God must be complex, for not only are the heavens complex, but we are! I remember before I was a Christian trying to make up a god. What would my god be like? I gave the god human attributes and likeness, qualities that I found worthy of a god. I fashioned a god that I could understand completely. Overall, he was quite the simple deity! Now this god, as you understand him, might be ok for a moment or two, but to Christians, God is not to be fully comprehended (Isaiah 40). No matter what kind of god I construct in my mind, it is nothing like the inventor who created my mind. So Christians believe that God is complex and unique in His nature.
The last thing we need to understand to move forward to answering the question, “why God created sex,” concerns an insight into the intimacy of God. How God is complex and unique is seen in the functionality of man and woman. I find it fascinating that the declaration of praise that Adam (or mankind) has upon seeing Eve (life) speaks of becoming one flesh. “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh (Genesis 2:24).” The first command God gave to Adam concerning his relationship with Eve was to be intimate with her. And they would become one. This is God’s doing in his creatures that bear His image and likeness. We are intimate, simply because…God is.
What a powerful interview Bethany finished up with Ben! In listening to this I find great hope in the promises of Christ! Thank you Ben for the great courage in sharing your story with us at R.L.M.
Could you imagine what it would be like to go through such a trial? Many have with the statistics for men having an affair at 21% and women around 15%. We live in a world that has been strongly influenced by the Christian virtue of chastity. Not only that but the Christian doctrine of marriage has spread it’s wings over the entire globe seen in monogamous marriages. Even in our culture today an affiar is heartbreaking and potentially un-restorable.
Can you recover from an affair? How?
The Bible gives us a great birds eye view of a world that has gone astray after other lovers only to find that they don’t satisfy.
“When she runs after her lovers, she won’t be able to catch them. She will search for them but not find them. Then she will think, ‘I might as well return to my husband, for I was better off with him than I am now.” Hosea 2:7
Jesus was the rescue mission to make reconciliation possible between God and his creation.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-29
It’s a story that all stories come out of. That’s why it is called “The Greatest Story of All Time.”
Be encouraged as you listen and may the Lord give you great hope!
“But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:31
In the Hopes of teaching up and coming Pastors a Biblical approach to sharing sexual topics from the pulpit, we are putting together a presentation that we will make available after we finish it up!
You might ask why this is important. And that’s a good question! The Bible tells us that nothing is new under the sun. And sex is a part of that ‘nothing.’ For many in the ministry sexuality, sex and sensuality is avoided! This is quite odd to us as our Bibles are filled with intimate topics. There are many reasons why teaching Pastors will stray away from such a sensitive subject. And we hope to help!
But why is there such a disconnect with Pastors on topics of sex, sexuality and sensuality? And how can leaders in ministry share these topics with grace and honesty and still be a leader? How do ministers deal with the topic of pornography or homosexuality? Is there a place for ministers who battle sexual thoughts in the ministry? Is there a correct way to teach these topics from the pulpit? What examples of teaching do we have from the Bible that can help us? What kind of leaders do we see in the Bible?
All these questions and many more will be a part of this presentation. We believe it will be important for any minister that is engaged in the teaching ministries within the body of Christ!
Many people worry about pornography and it’s affects on the family. When I wrote my first book in 2007 my introduction painted a picture of a undetected killer that lurks within all of our homes. This killer was in the form of erotic material on your Cable and internet. The Church world is full of these kinds of descriptions of the dangers of pornography. I am just another pawn that has described visually sexual images in such a way.
I am known to meander through my blogs and talks. It is my style I guess. So I will do my best not to let anyone down in this blog as well. Though the kinds of pornography that ‘lurks’ in your homes potentially could be harmful if watched it for 10 hours a day, most do not watch it that much. With the many facets and genres of sexual images ranging from the normal to the brazen, one would think, if given enough time, a person would get sick of it after such exposure. Give a person who likes sweets sugar on end, and enough is enough. There is a moment of simply being done.
But there is a new porn to which I am amazed by how people continue to take in repeatedly, hour upon hour. Every day, every month, every year. This new porn has such a pull and lure on the human that they cannot give it up so easily. If they turn off the TV, they watch it on their phone. If they throw away the phone, the TV comes back on. The impact this new porn has on the viewer or listener is gripping without release. It is all the time; constant! Twenty-Four, seven. The sea of depression is where it leads. Your body will grow old with sorrow, your life zapped, but you still go to it. It is a trap, a trap it is…there is no stopping our appetites towards it!
A continual dripping from a leaky faucet this is! This ‘new porn’ wakes us up at night in panic! It says, “Update! Tune in now!” (Did I mention the fear that this kind of giving in does to us as a society?)
We look at one another different, objectifying one another as we can no longer see the straight…we are tainted, stained, manipulated…we become disillusioned, no longer able to see properly anymore. There is too much in our heads our hearts. And did I mention the fear? Oh, of course I did…the fear! Fear of them… afraid of what it might mean for us!
But what if someone finds out what I am watching daily? What if they knew the inner secrets of my heart, my mind. I’m afraid of that too! What does it say about a civil society (or me!) that claims to be civil yet at the same time watches more and more?
If they only knew my dreams that have been daily squashed due to my inability to turn it off! I desire so much to be a joyful person, but oh how can I with this giving over to the new porn I so love. You are my rose of Sharon!
I do not see the error of my ways. Everyone else does it, and they are fine… aren’t they? What a common issue I have, what could possibly be the danger? It is certain I am locked in place, unable to move where I would wish. Too much fear, too much fear! Who do I look to? Where to turn? I know! I will once again turn on the Faithful One for 10 hours a day. I can watch it with others in the home without shame now, for it is good! Yes, it is good!
Oh, I am tricked again! The music that was once in me, is gone. At one time, so long ago, my life was embellished with graceful chords and scales that filled the page, but now all I can hear is a simple little ditty over and over again. No more beautiful scale runs…no more gorgeous arpeggios, just that simple little ditty… over and over again.
The NEWS. That is the new porn! It ravishes hearts, and steels life, feelings and dreams. It brings out the worst in the human condition, as it feeds confusion and contradiction! So confused you will be! But you will be beyond recognizing this illness! As it births fear, so fearful you will go! And you thought I was talking about pornography!? Ha… gotcha!
If only… Imagine a world without the mainstream news…just image…
There are many prophets of today, but none like you! “You that moves nations!”
Just turn it off I might say. Just stop it, don’t watch it! Don’t you know your eyes are a lamp? Why do you click? Why do you tune in? Don’t you see what it is doing to you? Don’t you feel your fear, your hatred?
Your shrinking away. All your dreams you once had are long gone.
You make lunch and it is in the room with you. At night before bed you watch more…more and more till you are full.
Courage is all gone now. Courage is gone. You sit and stare, aroused by the screen and await death.
“And they will drink and stagger and go out of their minds”
At Running Light Ministries we desire to stay clear of the label of sex addiction. We have blogged and done Podcast on this issue on many occasions and I imagine we will do more in the future, Lord willing. We are not opposed to its general use, but we try our best to not overuse this term which has become quite popular in our media and Christian recovery climate regarding sex & pornography.
Here are reasons why we believe the way we do.
“The great tragedy is not mainly masturbation or fornication or acting like a peeping Tom (or curious Cathy) on the internet. The tragedy is that Satan uses the guilt of these failures to strip you of every radical dream you ever had, or might have, and in its place give you a happy, safe, secure, American life of superficial pleasures until you die in your lakeside rocking chair, wrinkled and useless, leaving a big fat inheritance to your middle-aged children to confirm them in their worldliness. That’s the main tragedy.”
Pastor John Piper
With great beauty in Christ, a humbled group of us gathered to worship the Lord last weekend. It was a pleasure to worship along side those that have been a part of the work of Running Light. Some were leaders in the ministry and others simply attend one of the groups. My heart was welting with emotion as I thought of the past 15 years. God is good, so merciful and kind. His compassion is new every morning, great is His faithfulness!
Two of our previous leaders who moved out of our area are back in Tucson now! Both were leading the service and both exalted Christ in using their gifts in ways that encourage us all. Bethany is our Beauty For Ashes leader and Katy has been one of our public speakers on lustful attitudes that women fall into. The later took opportunity during the service to share her personal testimony with us. This was a day I was looking forward to for years now. She shared with great vulnerability which came of so strong! Strong vulnerability? Is there such a thing? “Let the weak say I am strong, in the strength of our Lord!” I was thinking that when listening. As failures were shared to the audience with such quietness covering the room, grace and mercy were exalted. The Fatherhood of God came forth in His discipline in her life. Always so caring and gentle through such difficulty.
Hebrews 12:11 says, “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.”
The fruit of this kind of Fatherhood is a holiness the scriptures tell us.
Hebrews 12:10 “but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness.”
And this holiness begins here with the hope of a future grace of complete holiness! This hope allows us to “strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. 13 “Make level paths for your feet,”[b] so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.” (Hebrews 12:12)
You too might have biffed it pretty good. Is there hope for you? Oh there is! We hope that Running Light Ministries is a place to hear our own stories of God’s grace and goodness.
Isaiah 40:31 “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”
Today is a new day to wait upon the Lord. Let’s do that together!
Being involved in a ministry that discusses pornography over the past 15 or so years has it’s interesting moments. Nothing has been so interesting as hearing what other people in the Church culture say about it. It, being pornography. Over the years there is a constant sound as to the dangers of pornography; erectile dysfunction, not wanting to have sex with a real person, escalating to child pornography are to name a few. But the list could go on; sex addiction…you’ll go blind! We’ll… not the you’ll go blind talk, but we have to remember that it used to be one! And there were many other ideas as to lustful behavior and how to curb it.
Many desire to grow in there walk with Jesus yet still find the lure of pornography a real thing. I know. I and some of my colleagues do too. I was talking to a thirty year old today and sharing with him something that I have shared on Podcasts over the years. ‘The normal thing for human beings to do is to watch other people! We are voyeurs at heart! We love to watch people. Pastors at times will use animals… a wolf, tiger or cheetah to show a Biblical truth. Just as a animal does this or that, so we should be fierce like the wolf, alert like the tiger or fast to follow God like a cheetah. I’m sure you’ve heard those kind of talks. But I haven’t found one that uses Bonobo’s! Bonobo monkey’s are narly! And humans have the potential to act like one! If not in our actions…in our minds. We are voyeurs . Haha…I laugh at this. Think of it this way…do you want to go to a empty mall and walk around? No! We actually have a empty mall by our house and we find know one wanting to congregate in it! People rarely desire to congregate to a mall at Christmas time when it’s dead. Life is what we want to see, and that means people! And with sex it is the same. People want to see others. What prevents us many times from watching one another is shame, guilt or embarrassment. And these issues plague their hearts and tear at them repeatedly. But don’t get this wrong…watching people is normal.
An interesting thought is that Adam and Eve were naked. They did not wear cloths (Peter and I discuss this a bit in our Leviticus Podcasts). Their kids (if had) along with mom and dad would not have worn clothes. What a interesting thought. The point is that seeing a naked body would have been normal. And this truth makes many quite uncomfortable. But why? It might say something of our own issues of shame, guilt and embarrassment with our bodies, especially our sexual organs. But when you are married, you tend to see your spouse naked all the time. Or is that just us! And it’s not like you are aroused every time you see your spouse naked or immediately need sex when skin is shown. That would seem weird. But there can be a enjoyment of seeing your spouses body. A thankfulness of your commitment to another or even a intrigue of what their body looks like! Enjoying looking at a naked body is normal to most people on the planet. Watching pornography is a endeavor in watching. I believe a crooked one, but none the less, one.
Now another interesting note about this is that this has not always been the case. You can get an idea from Christian influenced Europe that nakedness was seen as a bad thing. Even with your spouse! Just read over the early church fathers on there views of women and sex. Yikes and hold on when reading them. Seeing a naked body, no matter who’s you were looking at could initiate the carnal lusts. So sex would be under the sheets or done with most of ones cloths on. Long skirts would be lifted up and men cloths would have frontal flaps. So what did the world do, of old, to help there lusts? Nothing but rape, have mistresses, go to brothels, enjoy polygyny and concubines! Sounds great right!? Really grievous if you ask me. Reading over the Bible can be such a grievous adventure knowing how women were treated in a middle eastern culture filled with lustful, patriarchy on steroids. Do you like to look at your spouses body? That could be seen as a evil thing in the past. A step towards escalation only maybe to wind up drinking and spending the household fortune on whores.
There is not a simple cause and effect here. Seeing a naked body will make you do this… or that… Some will desire sexual things when they don’t see a naked body at all, and others will desire sexual things when they do see a naked body. Which person will go right? or left? or straight? We can’t tell. There are countries where they bare it all and others that don’t allow any woman’s skin to be shown. Both cultures lust and both have ill, sexually violent, misogyny. And in both cultures women will be blamed for men’s lust. There is something more complex going on in us, then a simple equation of: see naked body = uncontrolled lust
One man (of the ancient world) will have sex with his wife of 14 and have such fun and excitement that he will want more and more sex. So much more than any one young lady could take! And his desire for more just continues until he finds others to indulge with. Another man, of old, will have sex with his wife and not be that excited about the sex at all. Both men could be Church going men yet for one sex has become an event to participate in regardless of the hurt it might cause and for the later it is a family obligation, no matter the hurt it might cause! Sex and nakedness just hit them different. Why, how and what will be the ramifications are all questions people look for even today. Do all people that view nakedness in pornography rape? Do they escalate to child pornography? Chatting? Hookers? Strip clubs? No. But for some the unquenchable lust continues and continues with the only escape is a radical amputation from such a fervor like a rehab or the like. But for others even a rehab will not help.
Now what is a tragic about pornography is the recording of the sexual acts of people on to a technological device to be viewed by millions of us. Did you get what the tragedy really is? It’s the fact that one day the person being filmed will no longer want their video all over the internet to be viewed by anyone at anytime. They will have had kids like most of us do. And would they want there children, student, teen, young adult to watch mom or dad having sex with so many people? Or have there bodies displayed they way it is being looked at? Or how about the teenager that is sexting and years later finds that her picture in on random porn sites! Think of the tragedy of a young lonely man who sends out nude pics of himself only years later to find one of those pictures on social media to his shame. He was lonely. She was lonely. They were bummed at there family life, maybe scared of their parents. They could have felt insecure or simply curious. Maybe the person wanted to make money and had no education for anything else but sex work. Or it could be that others just enjoy sex work and saw a financial opportunity (Rahab?) Let’s hope they do for their entire life, because now days what’s on the web is open source!
The reason I bring this up in a blog is that too many talks on Pornography don’t go very far. Seldom is there even the question asked, “what is pornography.” There are books upon books in the Christian culture now about it. I find most filled with data and statistics that are predictable. It is good fodder for fearful wives or men whose burden by guilt before a holy God is at it’s limit. It also seems useful to those who don’t really like sex or sensuality. They can read and simply agree without thinking. We will find the ramifications of these books in the years to come. Will the Church be more in love with Christ and compassionate thinkers. Or will we be doing what the Church has been doing for years and years…(pointing out the ‘evils’ of sex etc…) We shall see how it all pans out.
In a popular Christian podcast I was listening to the other day, the topic happened to be Christian leadership and it’s compromise of God’s standards for holiness. Men in the pulpit view porn they shared. And that was their example. Out of all the examples they could have shared about compromise in the pulpit of God’s standards for holiness they choose the Pastor who likes pornography. I sat back and laughed and cried inside me. Laughed because I should have known that would have been the example. Yet cried because it was the example. Lack of love could have been the example as in the Good Samaritan. Or it could have been the love of money like with the Rich Young Ruler who approached our Lord. It also could have been the pride that blinded the disciples on who was to be the greatest in the Kingdom of God. But nope…it was pornography. Did they discuss there own lustful inclinations? No. Did I hear any vulnerability or discussion of there own sexual selfishness at times? No. What we can take away from this Podcast? Probably exactly what we can take away from the sermons for the past 70 years or so that are in the same vain. They don’t have a problem with lust. If they did, they would fail the test they are putting others to. And what is the standard? Are you walking in holiness? Like who? Like Jesus! I can only think that if there were any thought given into there personal holiness compared to Christ, they just might…I’m just saying…they might fall just a bit short. Should they stay in leadership? When should they be shelved? Are they blameless? Are they in habitual patters of selfishness and pride like the rich young ruler? I find it very interesting that those that are prideful don’t know they are being prideful. They just are. Jesus encountered religious people who believed to know the truth and to walk in holiness with God and man. Upon encountering Jesus they were confident of this. There leadership was affirmed by such holiness of life and religious duty. There was no doubt of their good deeds. But they were utterly wrong.
To contrast, Jesus picked a motley crew of dudes that had some interesting lives. He continued to affirm his love for them despite there personal failures. They rejected his leadership, mis-understood him, shared there vulnerability at times and confessed there outright sinfulness. I wonder what there sex lives were like? Yet he affirmed his love and commitment to them and called them friends. They were friends of Jesus! The religious people weren’t. The Apostle Paul calls himself, before he dies, the chief of sinners. Such weakness and humility is rare, and there is something beautiful in the scriptures which teach the need to be holy yet the inability to do such a task. Our only hope is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It can put us in our place and provide us the humility which is so needed as human beings. Also it raises up the sinner to new heights of hope that are indescribable and life altering for many! Very awesome indeed.
I have to believe that the leaders on the Podcast really enjoy Jesus. I would ask that next time they go over such a topic that they share there failure for leadership first, then talk about the standard for the Ministry as in 1st Timothy 3 and Titus 1. That’s my opinion and only my opinion. I see a pattern Biblical for such a statement. The reluctance of Jeremiah, Isaiah, Peter, Paul, Moses, Solomon, David. Ah, David! I wonder just what he would have said if on the Podcast. Now that would be a awesome listen, but one you might be kind of shocked to hear!
Our society; the financial world, social world etc…is many times; sinful. We live in it, and we participate in it. There is no way around it. We are up to our eyeballs in it. We are anything but blameless in this culture. We live in a time like judges. In those days people did what was right in their own eyes. And God raised judges to deliver Israel from her adversaries. And leadership in the Church is much like those leaders… Good points, bad points, and some quite horrible points. But the Lord used them and raised them for such a time. Let’s keep working on our personal holiness before the Lord! Let’s continue to talk to other leaders about our issues and use one another as help to leave old behaviors. Some will be a lifelong pursuit! And keep fighting the good fight in the Church! Keep serving and enjoying Christ in the process. If there is no grace, then there is no forgiveness for sin. Remember that! We need grace…not that we used to need grace! For know-one living in righteous in your sight (Psalm 143:2).
Let’s continue to purify ourselves in the fear of God (2nd Cor 7:1).
What a lifelong go of it we are to have!
