PLEASURE IS PAIN

by Glenice Mills

Isaiah 5:20 Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil;

Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness;

Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

We live in an age where we see this happening more and more. It is subtle and we often don’t recognize where it is happening.

There is a perverse muddying of the waters in our society where the enemy is slowly numbing us into accepting a lie that is from the pit of hell.

We as Christians need to be on the alert for this perversion that many are succumbing too.

With the release of the movie ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ and the popularity of the books this movie is based on we are seeing a subtle turning of something that is good into something that is evil.

How come pain inflicted on another is called pleasure? Where did sexual intimacy become something that is distorted and perverse by inflicting of pain to bring great pleasure?

There is something seriously wrong in this and we must speak up about it.

How have we come to a place where pleasure comes by inflicting pain?

Somehow pleasure and pain have been distorted and we as Christians need to stop sticking our heads in the sand and hoping this issue will go away.

It is like intertwining chords of compromise bringing blindness, and deception.

If we accept this as right what is the next level of depravity as we become numb to this way in our sexual relationships?

There is a mindset in women that says ‘I deserve pain’. It goes back to the fall where women are still paying the price for Eve’s sin. It is founded in a wrong thinking that says ‘we have to bear a life time of shame’ because we are deemed ‘lesser than’ and we must suffer because of it. This has opened the door for enemy access that sadly has led to many women coming into great bondage.

Unfortunately the church has not been blameless in this with their false doctrine of ‘submission’. There is a thinking that says ‘Just submit yourself to whatever is inflicted on you because that is counting the cost, of suffering just like Jesus did.

That is a cross you have to bear.’ Jesus died on the cross for all sin, and He took all curses on the cross. We have been redeemed, as have men. Our sin is no worse than a man’s and we should not have to carry the burden of this. It is a lie!

Come on church leaders, men and women stand for what is right! Be courageous and speak out about this. Let’s talk about it in our church services, with the youth at their youth group meetings, in the work place and other areas where we socialize. Let’s call some things for what they are – evil!

I find it interesting that the main male character in ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ is called Christian. Is this not founded in mockery? Is this not a subtle plan of the enemy to challenge what it is to be a male and a Christian? Of all the male names this character could be called it had to be Christian. What is behind this? It is subtly saying this man’s behavior is all right and a perverse word association with Christian and the name Christian.

Maybe at the foundation is a thinking ‘let’s get Christian men into believing this way of treating a woman is right’.

It is interesting that God is highlighting domestic violence both here in Australia as well as internationally. It must be exposed. The enemy loves secrecy and this is one issue that has been taking place ‘behind closed doors’. We have conveniently shut our eyes and ears to it but God is saying this must be exposed for what it is.

Isn’t the abuse of women as promoted in ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ a form of domestic violence? It is and to say otherwise is delusion.

Let’s be careful we don’t dumb down some words and misuse them in such a way to make them seem okay. Let’s call things for what they are. Pain is pain, pleasure is pleasure. They are complete opposites and should not be distorted. That is perversion.

God has a standard, a righteous way of living. Let’s be careful we don’t get entrapped with believing the enemies lies. Let’s expose the enemy’s plans and help those who are both the perpetrators and victims of pornography and struggles with issues such as hatred and violence. This word is not to condemn but to expose what the enemy is doing. The first step is to talk honestly and openly about some of these issues. Freedom comes when secrets are exposed.  Let’s shine the light into darkness.

WHY ARE CHRISTIANS NOT IN AN UPROAR? 'FIFTY SHADES OF GREY'

by Glenice Mills


I wonder how many Christians are going to see the movie "Fifty Shades of Grey?'
I wonder how many male pastors and leaders are going to see this movie?
I wonder how many women leaders and Christian women are going to see this movie?

Men: This is not the way to love a woman. It is abuse of power. Don't open your eye gate by viewing this. 
Women: Surely your self-esteem is not so low that you subject yourself to this? You are a child of the Most High God. You are made in His image. You are precious in His sight.

The core issue is 'submission'. The church has a lot to answer for here with their wrong doctrine and teaching about submission.

Let's call things what they are and not hide behind fancy words. Soft porn, hard porn, erotica - lets call it for what it is. It is sexual perversion! It is EVIL!!! Let’s speak out against this movie. Let’s call it for what it is – sexual perversion! It is evil!!!

1 Thessalonians 4:3-5 (Amplified Version)
For this is the will of God, that you should be consecrated (separated and set apart for pure and holy living): that you should abstain and shrink back from all sexual vice,
That each one of you should know how to possess (control, manage) his own body in consecration) purity, separated from things profane) and honour,
Not to be used in the passion of lust like the heathen, who are ignorant of the true God and have no knowledge of His will.

Following is a very good article by Lee Grady about the movie ‘Fifty Shades Of Grey’.


When the novel Fifty Shades of Grey was published three years ago, critics described it as "dull and poorly written," "depressing" and "a sad joke." Yet, it sold 100 million copies.

Women were fascinated by the dark tale of a 21-year-old college student, Ana Steele, who falls in love with a handsome but mysterious young billionaire named Christian Grey after she interviews him for a newspaper.

The book was accurately dubbed "mommy porn" because it is sexually graphic and full of crude language, and also because Christian expects his girlfriends to totally submit to his sexual tastes—which involve whips, chains, handcuffs and gray neckties. This is not just mainstream porn. This is mainstream bondage porn. And it's coming to a theater near you, just in time for Valentine's Day.

The movie version of the book will hit theaters on Feb. 13, and Fandango says Fifty Shades of Grey is already breaking records for advance ticket sales. Presumably, fans of the book will be lining up at the cineplex to watch Christian abuse Ana in his bedroom, which she calls the Red Room of Pain.
Critics expected the film to be rated N-17. (After all, the actor who plays Christian, Jamie Dornan, visited a sex dungeon to prepare for the role.) But the Motion Picture Association of America announced last week that Fifty Shades will be rated R. That means (1) the sex scenes were edited carefully, (2) teenagers can see it legally, and (3) the movie will probably make a ton of money.

I think I'm going to be sick.

We Americans get really angry when oil companies spill toxic fuel in our oceans; yet we applaud when Hollywood dumps a tanker of poisonous garbage like Fifty Shades of Grey on our country—with no offer to clean up the damage. We should be outraged. I'm not going to picket my local theater when this movie debuts, but I'm urging people to think before they spend $10.50 to flush what's left of American decency down the toilet.

Here are three of the biggest reasons why we should urge everyone to cover their eyes and run from Fifty Shades of Grey:

1. It encourages sexual deviance. In the novel, Christian invites Ana to become his sexual partner, but he asks her to sign a document that spells out what he plans to do to her—and he demands that she tell no one about it. The contract says: "The Submissive shall accept whippings, floggings, spankings, canings, paddlings, or any other discipline the Dominant should decide to administer, without hesitation, inquiry or complaint." Ana finds out that Christian has had relationships like this with 15 other women—and yet she still pursues him, agrees to the painful sex and enjoys it. There might have been some redemptive value in this movie if Ana called the police or ran out of Christian's penthouse and refused his advances because she respected herself. But no—she submits to the abuse, and signals to women everywhere that there is pleasure in pain. The film also tells women that it's OK to be a mindless sexual slave, especially if your boyfriend is rich, handsome and has his own helicopter.
2. It glorifies violence against women. Last year a researcher from the University of Michigan did a study on the effects of Fifty Shades of Grey on women readers. It showed that women who read the books (it is actually a trilogy) were 25 percent more likely to have an abusive partner; 34 percent were more likely to have a partner who stalked them; and 65 percent were more likely to engage in binge drinking. Just as there is a link between violent video games and violent behavior in teen boys, this study showed that women who read graphic porn novels tend to gravitate toward the types of abusive relationships depicted in books like Fifty Shades. The study also showed that these women were more likely to have eating disorders. (Interestingly, the dominant male character in Fifty Shades carefully controls his girlfriend's eating habits.)
3. It totally perverts the meaning of love. In one scene in the book, Christian buys Ana a platinum and diamond bracelet so she can cover the bruises on her wrists—which she got after being tied to her boyfriend's bed. The message from Ana's lover: I will hurt you, but I will buy you nice gifts so you will stay with me. That's twisted. And couples are going to see this movie on Valentine's Day?
One of the most bizarre moments in the book occurs after Ana leaves Christian and then goes back to him. She says: "The physical pain you inflicted was not as bad as the pain of losing you." Any psychologist will tell you that is the mentality of an abuse victim, who is brainwashed to believe that the attention she gets from her abuser is better than no attention at all.

True love is not about pain, domination or control—but Hollywood is happy to serve big helpings of this slop if people are willing to pay for it. Please protect women. Please defend decency. Please don't support this movie.

J. Lee Grady is the former editor of Charisma. You can follow him on Twitter @leegrady. He is the author of '10 Lies the Church Tells Women' and other books. You can learn more about his ministry, The Mordecai Project, at themordecaiproject.org.

The Glory of The Lord

by Tony Clark


“They marvelled, and they glorified God” – Matt 9:5-9

To glorify God is one of our greatest purposes. He is high and lifted up! And needs to be, in our minds, and hearts, in our beliefs, in our testimony.

“And the fame of him went out into every place of the country round about.” Luke 4:37, “How can they hear without a preacher?” Rom 10:14

The Word of God is the instrument of unlocking the glory of God on Earth – the testimony of His works, and demonstration of His power, that The Lord may be glorified. It is for a predestined time that the “For the earth shall be FILLED with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD” Habakkuk 2:14

People are in bondage because they don’t know Him, and don’t have the hope that is in Him. It is the revelation of His Person that brings us to life, and elevates us to our true place of existence where The Lord is glorified, and the knowledge of Him fills us. There is such a joy in the heart of the man or woman that glorifies God, because they have seen something of Him that brings hope and relief. People LOVE to see the POWER of God. The demonstration of His person.

There is nothing like being chosen by Jesus.

WHAT'S THE PROBLEM - LEADERSHIP?

by Glenice Mills


As I observe the leadership problems in both our state and federal governments, I have wondered what is going wrong?

In the Northern Territory there was nearly a leadership take over and then the issues were sorted. All this took place in the dead of night. In Queensland we are awaiting on final numbers as to who will lead this state. Meanwhile in federal government there is discontent brewing with talk of a leadership spill.

So what is going on here? How come our governance is so unstable? There appears to be a serious problem going on, much of it behind the scenes. We know there is a scrambling for power – who will do the best job, but unfortunately it appears to be birthed out of a lust for power and position, rather than a desire to serve the people. It appears noble however I have serious doubts whether the best intentions are for the greater good.

The truth is Australia has a leadership problem. Leaders are dishonoured, their position is mocked and sadly we have all been subjected to what feels right rather that doing what is right. Everyone is being swept on the 24-hour news cycle and there is much stirring up by media that is often not a true reflection of what the people really think and feel. Power has gone into the wrong hands. This is a dangerous thing. Media and its push on emotions have swayed us.

More concerning is the reaction of most Australians which is ‘what’s in it for me’ and ‘how is it going to affect me’, ‘it’s all about me’. It is extremely selfish, and more importantly, seriously damaging to the true governance in this nation, both in the state and federal areas of government. We have a serious problem.

There is an instability that has the potential to have detrimental flow on effects. So long as there is instability it affects confidence in business and the bigger picture of this nations economy. Uncertainty is pervasive, it eats away until people react out of fear and wrong decisions end up being made. This is dangerous.

I have been shocked at the level of venom against some government leaders; in fact it seems borderline libelous. There is a stirring by different factions all with selfish demands that try to sway opinions by the spreading of lies. This is in order to stir up people’s fears and try and win them over to their side of thinking. It is surprising how gullible the average person is, and how easily swayed to come under these lies.

If this is happening in our day-to-day governance what is going to happen when evil really increases and we have very serious economic and social problems?

The problem is actually a leadership problem. Leadership is so derided here in Australia that it has bred problems that are coming to the fore now.

When a leader is put into position and they actually lead, they make decisions for the better of the state/nation. How come when this happens they are then shot down? We want and expect them to lead but don’t like it when they do. There is something wrong in this.

Leadership is not necessarily a popularity contest. It is about actually taking the lead and inspiring people to follow. Somehow we don’t want to follow. That is the problem!

There are some roots that need to be dug up. Following are some deep pervasive mindsets of the people of this nation:

REBELLION: Just like the Israelites who demanded a king (leader) and God in His mercy gave them the one they wanted. It is the ‘give me a king’, but not honouring the King.

DISHONOUR: Australians do not honour those in God given positions. This is not only in our areas of governance but also with the leaders in the body of Christ.

MOCKERY: There is a mockery and deriding of leaders often at a very personal level. The lines of personal attack against beliefs have become blurred.

MISTRUST: There is something very deep that does not trust easily. It is rooted in fear. When we mistrust we are actually saying we can do it better. The reality is we can’t, and if we think we can then maybe we should do something about it.

IMMATURITY: Australians are very immature. Their behavior is like a recalcitrant child. It is demanding – give me what I want now! It is time to grow up. You can’t always have what you want when you want it!

UNGRATEFUL: Australians are a bunch of whiners. I have never heard so much negativity spoken. We are truly ungrateful for what we have in this nation. We have a welfare state that is the envy of other nations. There is talk about poverty. We have no idea what real poverty looks like.

RESISTANT TO CHANGE: We probably like to think of ourselves as a progressive nation. However this is not really the case. We actually don’t like change.

This may seem critical but we really have to stop and consider what a great nation Australia truly is.

I have written this about the issue of governance, however, we in the body of Christ also need to look at the areas where we too are joining in with the dishonouring of leaders. We need to examine where we have dishonoured, mocked, been ungrateful and are immature in our behavior – not only to our government but also more importantly with church leadership.

We have to be careful what we say, and what we write – on Facebook, Internet. If we pull down our leaders we are no different from everyone else. If we remain silent when others are speaking scathing of leaders we come into agreement with their opinions. We need to be very careful about what we say and what we do.

There are principalities and powers that are stirring up dissension and chaos to unsettle. Unfortunately they use people. We need to be very careful we are not used of the enemy. We do not want to also add to the unrest. We need the gift of wisdom like never before.

Nehemiah 9:16,17

But they and their fathers acted proudly, hardened their necks,
And did not heed Your commandments.
They refused to obey,
And they were not mindful of Your wonders that You did among them.
But they hardened their necks,
And in their rebellion they appointed a leader to return to their bondage.

But you are God, ready to pardon,
Gracious and merciful, slow to anger,
Abundant in kindness
And did not forsake them.

Lord we need Your mercy in this nation of Australia!