I've been seriously struggling with sin.....

Desires Light · Jun 5, 2018

WhoIsLikeGod? · Jun 5, 2018

Hi Kay, I too, struggled with internet inappropriate content for many years. Eventually, when I entered a relationship with a woman, I felt guilty. I could not quit watching the inappropriate content because it fulfilled some sort of fantasy for me. But even though I was not physically cheating on her, I felt in my heart that I was not being faithful to her. And in fact, Jesus taught this. Matthew 5:27–30 says, "You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman [or man] lustfully has already committed adultery with her [or him] in his [or her] heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell."
I'm not saying you should gouge out your eye or cut off your hand, but I once considered getting a tattoo of a cross on my wrist to remind me of my purity. For me, this passage just emphasized the seriousness of the sin. But every young person struggles with lust at one point or another; it's built into our nature. I think God, who created us, understands this and is forgiving when we ask it. I kept praying and asking God to help me with my lust, and it took a while, but he actually did. I'm actually disgusted when I see women dressed like harlots now because I know that their ways are corrupt. Another passage that helped me was Proverbs 5. The whole chapter is addressed to Solomon's sons so it's written to the masculine, so I'm not going to insert feminine brackets. But you can use your imagination and convert it in your head for someone like yourself. "My son, pay attention to my wisdom, listen well to my words of insight, that you may maintain discretion and your lips may preserve knowledge. For the lips of an adulteress drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil; but in the end she is bitter as gall, sharp as a double-edged sword. Her feet go down to death; her steps lead straight to the grave. She gives no thought to the way of life; her paths are crooked, but she knows it not. Now then, my sons, listen to me; do not turn aside from what I say. Keep to a path far from her, do not go near the door of her house, lest you give your best strength to others and your years to one who is cruel, lest strangers feast on your wealth and your toil enrich another man's house. At the end of your life you will groan, when your flesh and body are spent. You will say, 'How I hated discipline! How my heart spurned correction! I would not obey my teachers or listen to my instructors. I have come to the brink of utter ruin in the midst of the whole assembly.' Drink water from your own cistern, running water from your own well. Should your springs overflow in the streets, your streams of water in the public squares? Let them be yours alone, never to be shared with strangers. May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth. A loving doe, a graceful deer—may her breasts satisfy you always, may you ever be captivated by her love. Why be captivated, my son, by an adulteress? Why embrace the bosom of another man's wife? For a man's ways are in full view of the Lord, and he examines all his paths. The evil deeds of a wicked man ensnare him; the cords of his sin hold him fast. He will die for lack of discipline, led astray by his own great folly."
I actually would go get a glass of water every time I was tempted to watch inappropriate content, and drink it reciting this passage. It would help! I can honestly say I'm not turned on by inappropriate content anymore; it disgusts me. I hope this helps!

dqhall · Jun 5, 2018

Jesus taught adultery and lust are wrong. Paul taught fornication is wrong. The Greek root word for fornication is inappropriate contenteia. inappropriate contenteia was used to describe sexual immorality as in sexual relations involving strangers or the type sexual relations found in brothels.

Ridding oneself of inappropriate contentography and masturbation is a cleansing of the mind. One may need help from God to get such healing. Occasionally someone in Christian Forum wrote about being free from masturbation. It is a worthy goal.

In my opinion psychics, palm readers and fortune tellers are a waste of time and money.

KayH85 · Jun 5, 2018

Thank you so much for sharing your story! It does help!

faroukfarouk · Jun 5, 2018

The daily habit of prayer and the Scriptures is a supremely wholesome replacement for whatever else may fill a void.

Willing-heart · Jun 5, 2018

When the bible talks about self-control - the fruit of the spirit in Galatians, it does not mean self-mastery, nor self-improvement, the bible is talking about self-surrender to the Holy Spirit. Self-control is being empowered by the Holy Spirit of God, but self-mastery is dependent entirely on one's power and will. Even at it best, anyone practicing self-mastery will know that things are truly out of control when their soul is naked before God.

All our struggles day in day out is NOT against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Hence, it’s not our fight, for the battle is the Lord’s (2 Chronicles 20:15). He fights our every battle and the battle has already been won. If God is for us, who can be against us? He is our Rock and Salvation, and we have assurance time and time again as revealed in the Bible that our strength only comes from the Lord, and through Him, we can do all things. “It’s not by our might nor by power, but by my Spirit,”says the LORD Almighty (Zechariah 4:6).

In the book of Revelations, John had a real vision of the resurrected Christ Jesus, and He had seen the blood of Jesus flowing from His nail wounds. In the Bible, when John wrote that Jesus freed us by His precious blood, he did not have to imagine that blood. He simply remembered it vividly. In fact, If he lived to be million years old, he would never be able to erase the sight of that blood from his mind. Only the blood of Jesus saves, frees, and breaks the power of sin, shame, and addiction

Defeating Addiction

Babel is the Hebrew word for Babylon. ‘Bab’ is the same word in Hebrew, Aramaic and Arabic, and the word means door. ‘El’ is a name of God as revealed throughout the Bible (for example, El-Shaddai which means God Almighty). The name Babel is of Akkadian origin, and it means “gateway to god.” Nimrod and the people wanted to make names for themselves by creating a backdoor to God. But, as a result of their defiance, God turned their language upside down, and since then, the word Babel was referred to mean – a state of confusion.

In Genesis 11, the implication of the Babylonians’ figure of speech, “reaches the heavens,” is that the top of their tower would be dedicated to the worship of the heavenly bodies. Some people think that back then they were either so foolish or way too advanced in technology than we are to really think they could build a tower that would reach all the way to Heaven. But that was not what they were doing.

What they were really trying to do was to build a civilization that would not only make the God of their ancestors obsolete, but they were trying to build a civilization that was opposed to the very God of their ancestors, with a tower atop the city dedicated to the worship of the occult such as zodiac (a front for Satan). The building of the tower was a symbolic way of them saying they wanted to worship the stars as their god. They thought that the stars could speak to them (just like so many people still think today), and they wanted to know what the stars had to say to them personally.

Astrology is based on the zodiac and associated with self-worship. It originated in Babylon, and from Babylon, it went all the way to Egypt. As a matter of fact, when astrology came to Egypt and got mixed up with all the local animism of Egypt, it produced the pyramids and the Sphinx. This comes about because the pyramids of Egypt were constructed mathematically in relationship to the stars. Even the sphinx has astrological significance. The Sphinx has the head of a woman (which symbolises Virgo a sign of the zodiac), and the body of a lion (which symbolises Leo another zodiac sign).

“The one thing,” says the apostle Paul (in Philippians 3) is that “I forget those things which are behind me and then I’ll strain forward.” When you read something like this from the life of the apostle Paul, you have to be convinced that this is something he struggled with, a temptation that he constantly fought, the haunting of his past sins, the heavy weight of his past blasphemy, the painful vivid memory of the stoning of Stephen which he witnessed and approved, the nightmare of arresting innocent Christians and putting them in prison.

Just like the apostle Paul did, we also need to keep on nailing our sins to the cross, burn those bridges of idolatry in our lives, and press on toward the goal to win the prize of God’s heavenly calling in Christ Jesus.

Insight into the Subtle Sin of Idolatry

The7thColporteur · Jun 5, 2018

You are not saved, neither delivered. You are still in sins. This needs to be repented of also.

King Saul died after going to a witch, and is eternally dangerous to go to any psychic [who gets their messages from satan]. They can tell you nothing of the future, whatsoever.

Christ Jesus knows the future, and can tell you what you need to do. Why seek the living among the dead in trespasses and in sins? That psychic is just as much in a hole as you presently are right now. Consider Christ Jesus upon the Gethsemane and at Calvary upon the Cross [naked before all the world for the shame of your personal sins], for this is the answer, and will break all addiction to inappropriate contentography [I know what I speak about, in the depths of satan].

Do you want freedom child? Do you want life? Do you want real intimacy and relationship? Do you want love or lust? Choose this day.

[1] Go here - Myers Media

Listen to Chapters 74-81 at least. All at once. Think about what you are listening to. Pray. Ask for the Holy Spirit to bring the conviction needed to confess your sins unto God. All of them, in their specifics. God already knows. Hide nothing. Pour it out unto Him. Your Heavenly Father looks down and sees you, knows you, hears you, understands where you are, and think upon His great heart of mercy and tenderness and compassion, and think of how He must feel to see you suffer. Let your heart cry out after God, Jesus and Father!

[2] Christ Jesus will set you free, but you must make the decision to do what He asks you to do.

Completely Delete all inappropriate contentography on your computer. All of it. Right now. Delete all of your saved bookmarks, and ever place you know that you access it. Go to your email, delete and unsubscribe, etc. Mark them as spam. Every film, movie, picture, cartoon, game, etc. Physically tear up and throw away all other inappropriate contentographic materials that are in your house. Leave nothing remaining, and do not throw it away into a place you have access to. Take it and cast it away out of the house.

[3] Watch this introduction, and make the decision today and purchase the series and watch it:

A Greater Lust

Make the decision.

You have to know that without Christ Jesus you are lost, and cannot overcome your addiction to lust, and will die eternally. Know this. It is not a joke. Do not play games with your own heart. Know that all your promises and vows before this moment were as ropes of sand, and were useless. Realize that you need Christ Jesus right now, and call upon His name in all recognition that if you do not, it could be the last day for you. TODAY child, is the day of salvation. TODAY is the day of new beginnings, and the burial of the past sins in the blood of Christ Jesus. Surrender. Cry out unto Jesus Christ, and say "LORD Jesus save me", I do not want to die. LORD Save me, as Peter did, when drowning ... you are drowning child, but if you look up, and take hold of that almighty stregnth which is offered to you, you will be saved. It is promised by the GOD who cannot lie:

Romans 10:13 KJB - For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Whosoever is you child.

Only Christ Jesus can deliver you as He did for the woman caught in sexual sins. He can deliver you from the rape and will of satan, who torments your heart, body, mind.

Without this, you will die child [it may not be today, but soon enough all sin will perish], and God desires that you live.

Let your heart be broken for the love of God, and let Him heal that which you cannot fix. He will do it.

His precious promise to you child, is "I will ... be thou clean.", "Neither do I condemn thee, but go and sin no more." "Live, yea, live." For God has found a ransom for you, in Christ Jesus. He provided not Christ Jesus in vain, but for the deliverance from all sin. You will be accepted in the beloved, even as you are already loved of Heaven, and on earth. Precious valuable child.

Know ye not that ye are of more value than many sparrows? Ye were valued at the life of the Son of God.

If you found a 100 dollar bill on the ground and it was covered in filth, has it lost its value? Would you throw it away? Would you not clean it off and cherish it as a gift from God? Of how much more value are you? A unique and precious person, created to have relationship with God Himself, and all His children.

Listen to the Holy Ghost child, do what He says. Do not delay.

I personally already know what you are going through. There is victory. It is real. There is relationship. It is real. Listen to God's words.

Just as Hosea went after Gomer, so Christ Jesus goes after you. He will bring you "home", and give you "peace". A "peace" which no one will be able to take from you.

You want a man? You need "the man" Christ Jesus, the only real man there is.

KayH85 · Jun 5, 2018

Thanks so much!

marineimaging · Jun 5, 2018

There was also an episode of Star Trek in 1991 when alien video game technology caused the entire Enterprise crew to become addicted to the game. The addictive qualities of the game are linked to sexual pleasure which is very clear to any adult watching the TV series. In addition to sexual pleasure and addiction the games become vehicles for mind control and an alien invasion. Now, where do you think the writers got that idea from? We know from the medical, psychological, and scientific sectors that inappropriate content (and what goes with it), and illicit drug use are almost identical in that there is a release of endorphins in the brain. With more use the event is more addictive and that is were the habitual misuse comes from. Just like drug use the user has to want to be free of the addiction before they can begin healing. And it is healing that must happen because the mechanism for happiness with our Savior is broken, torn asunder. You already know that psychics are bogus - but did you get a rush going in to see one? Was it more about needing to see if there was proof that you had already messed up your potential mate because of your history with inappropriate contentography or were you just after the pleasure of sinning? Please listen, there is no way we can be married to Christ and hiding from Christ at the same time. If you enter marriage with a person you think you love, but you don't disclose these issues with them, or you think you want to change later and become "religious" you need to align your path with righteous living and do in private only that which you are willing to do in public. The direction you are going is destructive to your health and destructive to your relationship with the Lord.

KayH85 · Jun 5, 2018

Thank you! There is a website that I frequent and people were mentioning how they were getting amazing readings from psychics, I had just gotten out of a toxic relationship and going through other personal things and I was feeling kind of lost so I figured why not try a psychic.

ThatCanadianDude_88 · Jun 5, 2018

Hello

I can totally relate, I fell down the inappropriate content spiral as well and wallowed in the gutter for a long time, and it was very severe. But I encourage you, for all things are possible with God in Christ!

To be blunt, inappropriate content addiction is a disastrous epidemic. Viewing inappropriate content is like drinking spiritual poison, out of all the habitual sins you can get trapped in, this is by far the one that has potential to cause the most harm to the soul, and its at our fingertips constantly (if you let it be). However, no matter how grim the situation, the power of Christ is infinitely greater and His light overwhelms the darkness. At the very most basic level, you need to trust Christ! Know and believe that He is the truth, submit yourself to His lordship, turn your life over to Him.

First of all, there needs to be understanding, both on the spiritual and physical side in terms of whats going on with this type of addiction.

inappropriate content addiction is very similar to drug addiction in the sense that both activities release endogenous chemicals in the body which are what cause the physiological addiction to inappropriate content. Drug addiction is substance abuse, meaning you need to actually administer the drug into your body for the "experience". The reason why inappropriate content addiction is so difficult to deal with is because it creates a behavioral pathology that is triggered very easily with something as simple as a thought or visual cue, and due to the intense nature of the physiological addiction, it can become insanely hard to resist and not give in.

It begins in the mind. The more you consume inappropriate content and engage in sexual sin, the more your brain becomes literally wired that way. This is the process by which you build neurological pathways in your brain, its the same paths that you keep "walking" over again and again as you keep engaging, these paths become more worn and larger, they quickly turn into super highways through which more and more brain activity gets funneled into. Ever notice how easily you can see sexual things in the most ordinary of places, where there isn't anything even sexual about it? That's evidence of this very process.

If your hand causes you to sin, CUT IT OFF and cast it from you. This is Christ telling us how serious sin is, and how seriously we need to deal with it.

The first step is to get inappropriate content completely out of your life, period! Provided you are serious, determined, and willing to do what it takes - it all begins here. There is no point doing anything else until this is addressed. I have a laptop with a web filter, and an iphone + ipad with restrictions (no browsers or apps) and I am accountable to my parents. Are you ready to do what it takes and sacrifice?

Accountability is also key, very important. Let me be clear, this is not something you can do on your own. Find someone you trust, it may be difficult but this is where humility comes in. You need to deal with this issue in the light, openness and honesty is crucial! Because of the nature of inappropriate content, you cannot allow yourself to struggle on your own! Trust me, I tried it. Bringing it out into the light is what will disarm the isolation and everything that comes with it.

Once you have cut off the flow of poison, you can now address the spiritual side.

Repentance. The problem with sin is that it numbs us spiritually, especially when we are swimming in it, we are unable to truly feel the gravity of it in the moment. Repentance doesn't mean you need to feign certain emotions, it doesn't mean you need to force yourself to feel bad. Godly sorrow begins with understanding and agreeing with God by agreeing with His word on what sin is, what it does, and what it's consequences are. Namely, that it separates us from Him, that it grieves our holy and loving Father and that it required Him to crush His own precious Son on our behalf to pay for its gruesome penalty. There is nothing more precious and beloved to God than Christ, yet He made Him to become a curse on the cross for the sake of our salvation, that He might reconcile us back to Himself through Christ and restore the intimate fellowship with Him for which He designed us for. If you are having a hard time on this point, be honest and open with God and admit it. You need to bear all before Him. Ask Him to open your eyes.

Whatever you do, do it from a desire to honor God. Understand that our ways are death and that His ways are life and joy everlasting, ultimately the reason you should want to do this is to truly walk with the Lord.

It's normal if you find yourself physically acting out as you work through the process, be honest with God and ask forgiveness each time, "...for He is faithful and just to forgive...". Provided you are genuine in your desire to be free, are living out your repentance by turning away from sin and are doing what it takes to move forward, it will get better.

Next step is to renew your mind. Born again Christians have the Holy Spirit living inside of them. He is the Spirit of Christ who resides in us. The same power that created the worlds and raised Christ from the dead resides in your spirit, the deepest core of your being. He is the One who brings us spiritual salvation, regenerates our spirit and sanctifies us. He is God's agent of recreation, the third person in the trinity.

Freedom from this type of thing is not a gift that is just given to us, it is a process we need to work out with focused determination. Regardless of the circumstances, we are the ones who chose to walk into the tunnel, and we need to pick ourselves up and walk out.

Here is the key word: saturate.

In the same way that we meditated on lust and lewdness and saturated ourselves in sin, you now need to saturate your mind with the things of God. You wont be able to do this perfectly, but that doesn't matter. Do it to the best of your ability. As we do this, the Holy Spirit is the one who will work in us to transform us. I'm talking about the whole 9 yards. Find a solid church community to join, get plugged into a network. Most importantly, develop a personal devotional and prayer life. Set your mind on the things above - anything that is good, pure, and holy. Have a memory verse each day you meditate on. Get as close to Christ as you can, let His word abound in you.

Most importantly, meditate on Christ Himself. Above all else, the absolute most important thing - know, understand and believe in your new identity in Christ and the position you have in Him. Search for these scriptures, the Bible has a LOT to say on this, lay down this spiritual foundation of truth onto which you will build. Make your faith in Christ and your desire to know and please Him the superior pleasure.

God Bless You

Anguspure · Jun 5, 2018

Good that you're struggling. Now fix your mind on what the Spirit wants you to think.
If you are in Him your sin is no longer yours. So when you stumble come back to Him and fix your mind on His stuff, don't dwell on your failures (they are no longer yours).
Keep up the struggle but rememeber it is a struggle towards Him, not a struggle away from sin.

Valetic · Jun 5, 2018

I think to put it simply, you are confused about your salvation. If you are truly born of God, you should know where you are going when you die. As for the sin, please read the entirety of Romans 7. Paul said, "I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do." showing us that it inevitably happens.

Jesus said in John 3:3 "Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again."

So you say you are born again. Great . What does this mean for you now?

1 John 3:9 No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God.

In essence what I am saying to you is that you as a believer walk as a believer in Christ simply by putting faith and acceptance in him as Lord and Savior. You are NOT going to hell because you are called a child of God.

Also Ephesians 1:13-14 13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession--to the praise of his glory.

So as Jesus said in John 14:1, "Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me."

Back to sin, in Light of these things concerning you, I cannot offer much as I do not know much, but I have heard from multiple Christians that we "lose our seat in fellowship" when we sin. Obviously when we sin it leaves us feeling something wrong in our connection with God. We are on our way to God but sometimes we fall, so we must get back up and keep going.

Jesus said not to store up for ourselves things that moth and rust decay, but to store up treaures in heaven that are imperishable. And that wherever are heart is, there our treasure will be also.

I suggest you begin to condition yourself to pray constantly in your mind. While you are eating (not just before) be praying, when you are lying in bed, be praying, while you are listening to the sermon at church, be in an attitude of prayer at all times. This is to condition you to pray in Spirit. This is a role you have as a Christian. Focus on God and the peace of his presence. Delight in His presence.

I also suggest you to read your bible more and study parts of it that interest you.

This will all help you to strengthen your relationship with the Lord which is obviously what you want as a Christian.

I hope this helps!

discipler7 · Jun 6, 2018

Watching inappropriate content may not be a sin/evil-deed/law-breaking if it brings no harm.

ROMANS.7:7 = I would not have known sin except through the law.

MATTHEW.7:12 = Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

MATTHEW.22: = 37 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’
40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
(IOW, the Law = do not hate or offend or harm God/Jesus, your neighbors/friends and yourself.)

Anand Prabhu Antony · Jun 6, 2018

How one will overcome sin?
Only the "fear of GOD" in you will stop you from doing sin. But, we humans sometimes forget that GOD is watching us always.

Exodus 20:20
Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. God has come to test you so that his fear will be before you so that you do not sin.”

Job 28:28
Look, the fear of the Adonai is wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding.’ ”

Psalms 97:10
"You who love GOD, hate evil. He protects the lives of his faithful".

Do we always have the fear of GOD? nuh. If we really love our GOD, then we should ask Him to discipline us hardly, because one who truly loves GOD will hate evil only because of the discipline that He gives.

Hebrews 12:6,8
For the LORD disciplines the one whom he loves, and punishes every child whom he accepts....., If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all.

Romans 13:14
"...make no provision for the lusts of the flesh, but clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus.."

As per the scripture you are not only sinning against GOD, but are sinning against your own body, and your body is not yours.

1 Corinthians 6:18-20
"Every sin that a person commits is outside his body, but the one who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from GOD, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God with your body".

1 Corinthians 3:17
"So if anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you yourselves are that temple".

Kindly marry a good believer in Christ after you become good in faith.
1 Corinthians 7:9
"..for it is better to marry than to burn with sexual desire..."

Have Fear of GOD and hate evil. Earnestly pray to GOD to discipline you well. The pain that comes through His discipline will mould you well, and you will stop sinning.

GOD bless you dear sister.

Desires Light · Jun 6, 2018

Why would we fear someone we ultimately love? Is it for us to be afraid of what God will do to us due to sin. Or is it for us to understand the fear of lacking wisdom, which help's us be teachable.

mukk_in · Jun 6, 2018

You need the power of the Holy Spirit sis. It's amazing how quickly "the Son sets you free. " My guess is that you've already received that power. You just need to start believing in Him who lives in you. Your marriage will happen in God's good time. God bless and don't worry so much

.

Valetic · Jun 6, 2018

As a child I loved my mother. But when I smoked cigarettes in the 4th grade and found out that Mom found out, I was terrified. That didn't stop me from loving her, even though I was afraid of receiving the consequences from her. How much more would it be for our Father in Heaven.

Desires Light · Jun 6, 2018

Maybe you were wrong to fear her.

lastofall · Jun 6, 2018

We must needs make a covenant with our eyes as did Job, so that we may stop our thoughts from thinking upon evil things: knowing that the light of the body is the eye, which is why we must turn our eyes away from eye, and keep them on one single thing, namely the Lord Jesus Christ.

(Job 31:1) "I made a covenant with mine eyes, why then should I think upon a maid."

(Matthew 6:22-23) "The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!"

I've been seriously struggling with sin.....

Refreshingly different.

Active Member

Well-Known Member

Member

Fading curmudgeon

In Christ Alone.

Well-Known Member

Member

Texas Baptist now living in Colorado

Member

Active Member

Kaitiaki Peacemakers NZ

Addicted to CF

Well-Known Member

Active Member

Refreshingly different.

Yankees Fan

Addicted to CF

Refreshingly different.

Active Member

Similar threads