Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Forn is Porn!

Hello all! I've come back from the dead! It has been nearly five years since I've done anything with this blog and now I believe it is time for me to return to it.  If you are still out there and following, please read this article.

First, I would like to tell you that this article has a lot to do with my personal testimony.  When I was 13 years old, I was first exposed to the awful sin of pornography. I was out playing basketball with my "friends" at the time and they started talking about porn.  I did not know what they were talking about so I asked them what it was. They said, "You don't know what porn is?!"  I said, "No, I do not." One of them had went to go get a picture of it while I stayed outside with the other friend of mine.  I knew something bad was about to happen but didn't want to be thought of as a coward. Well, the other friend came out and showed me the picture. As I stood there, I felt so guilty because I knew it was wrong. It was something I should not have seen.  That was ten years ago, and the image is still there. I became an addict of pornography for several years. God has given me victory over it, but I know that it's an every day process of dying to self and letting God have the victory. It is the only way to conquer the sin in my life. It is through His blood, and through His power that I can be an overcomer. Pornography is everywhere today and my heart goes out to those who have fallen prey to it.  I have written this article in hopes to help you realize the dangers of pornography.  If you do not see the greatness of this sin, you won't ever want to get out of it.  Please read this with much consideration.



Forn is Porn!

1 Corinthians 6:18, “Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.”

1 Thessalonians 4:3-8, “For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour; Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God: That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified. For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.”

The word “fornication” according to Noah Webster’s 1828 dictionary says that it is “the incontinence or lewdness of unmarried persons, male or female; also, the criminal conversation of a married man with an unmarried woman.” It is adultery.  Fornication comes from the Greek word “pornea” where we get the term “porn”, and it means sexual immorality.  “Graph” has to do with images or material seen or displayed (photograph, pictograph, phonograph, etc.).  Pornography is the depiction of graphic images or material visualized in the mind of the sexual organs of the opposite gender.  In other words, it is the parts of the body that should never be seen or looked upon! Ever since the Garden of Eden, it has only been natural for a lady and man to be ashamed when their underparts of the body are exposed. Unfortunately and very sadly, you cannot go to a store at a checkout line without seeing inappropriate and sinful images as you pass by.  This is everywhere. 

When Adam and Eve sinned in the garden, they both immediately knew that they were naked and were ashamed.  We are missing that shamefacedness in America, and throughout the world! The Bible even speaks of that and commands it! In 1 Timothy 2:9 we read what Paul said under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, “In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array;” That word “sobriety” just simply is another word for “moderation” or “temperance”.  In other words, women ought to dress in a way to not make a statement; but rather to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ.  1 Timothy 2:9 speaks of “modest apparel”.  Crossing the street over to Proverbs 7:10, we have the “attire of an harlot”.  This attire is the very opposite of “modest” and is the wardrobe for the strange woman.  Is this where pornography was stemmed from?  The way women dress themselves? What about the heart of a man? Matthew 5:28 tells us that a man who looks at a women with lust in his heart has committed adultery already with her in his heart. Thus, this is an issue of both parties, not just one. But where did it start? Why is sexual immorality at its highest point it has ever been in America? 

Allow me to give you some history of pornography. First, we must understand that Satan is the god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4) and the prince of the power of the air (Ephesians 2:2­) and also a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44). Satan has his hand in pornography being plastered in front of you.  He is a liar.  The first time pornography was ever depicted, it was said to be healthy for sexual life.  This is a bold faced lie! But that’s what people were led to believe.  The first picture of pornography was said to be drawn out by a caveman 1,000 years prior to the first written document (source).  I do not know how valid that is, but there might be some truth to it.  I do not believe that the first picture of pornography was found on the internet, but that it was drawn by someone else.  It is also said that it was at first drawn for the intentions of instruction purpose, not for sexual pleasure.  That is another bold faced lie from the devil! When the devil tempted Jesus to turn the stones into bread, do you think there would have been anything wrong with Jesus doing that? Yes, and it is not because it was a sin to turn stones into bread. It was because Jesus would be yielding to the devil, and that is a sin. Jesus was hungry after all, and His intentions would’ve been not wrong.  However, His actions would be. Thus, to say that the intentions for pornography were only good is not a valid statement.  Someone could intend to rob a bank to provide for his family, but the Bible says “thou shalt not steal”.  Satan is a liar and the father of it when he throws out the saying “the intentions are only pure” when it comes to pornography.  Satan is also the prince of the power of the air.  This means that Satan’s dominion is the media and that is including the TV, the Internet (and computer), the radio, etc.  We should not be surprised at the trash seen on TV or the Internet, or even that there is not a good radio station to listen to in our car. Satan owns it all. It has been said that many that are addicted to pornography would not be if it was not for the internet.  That is sad.  And yet you can go online to search for this filth any time of the day, and however long you want to look at it.  You see, the devil always promises the good now but does not tell you about the consequences to follow.  A pastor became victim to the sin of pornography.  He and his wife never had a TV in their house until just recently when a family in the church donated theirs to them.  The pastor used to have a problem with pornography but it has died off.  When he got the TV, they purchased cable and as the pastor would search through channels on it, he would come across the old channels that he used to watch with his buddies when he was addicted.  He would pass by them and think he could control it, but soon the remote control had controlled him.  Not telling his wife about his temptation, he kept coming passed those channels and had ended up selecting one of them.  He had to purchase them and what did the pastor do? Did he decide that it wasn’t worth it? Did he decide that it’s not worth destroying his testimony or his relationship with my wife? No! I wish he would have! Instead, he purchased those channels.  For weeks, he would stay up late watching those channels and being aroused by what he watched while his wife was in bed sleeping. His wife was so concerned and why he was up watching TV so late at night.  One night she could not sleep so she sneaked her way down the stairs and saw what he was doing.   She went back upstairs in tears and for the longest time she kept it to herself.  Finally, she let it out to him.  Did he repent in bitter tears? No! He got frustrated with her.  His addiction to what he was watching on TV destroyed his church, ministry, marriage, and worse, his testimony.  Do you think things would have been different if he didn’t take the TV? Yes, absolutely.  There were other things that should have been done, but the point is that the TV helped feed on his carnal appetite that was put away for so long. Satan is the prince of the power of the air.  He is also the god of this world.  You don’t have to go far before a picture of pornography is right in front of you. Just by walking to Walmart and seeing the way people are dressed is ungodly right off the spot.  It does not help that you cannot get out without being distracted by what you see at the checkout line, and as you go home you see an ad on a billboard with a half-naked lady advertising for beer. Pornography is everywhere.  It wasn’t until the camera was invented (shortly afterward) that pornography was on the rise.  Now it is ramped.  It has escalated to the point where it’s just a normal thing for people to search for on the internet.  God forbid! Satan has been deceiving man since the Garden of Eden when he said, “Yea, hath God said?” People are being deceived into thinking that pornography is healthy and it helps you view the opposite sex better. Nothing could be further from the truth! Pornography is a sin! It is a sick and demented look at women.

God intended man to have only one sexual partner! Hebrews 13:4 says, “Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.” God intends marriage to be one man and one woman for life! Mark 10:7-9 says, “For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.” Did you know that every time you lay your eyes on pornography, whether a picture, video, or even a captured image in your mind, than that person you perceived becomes your sexual partner? “How can that be?” you ask.  Even though you are not physically doing anything with her, you are mentally doing something with her. Your mind is given over to someone who is not your spouse.  You are getting sexual pleasure from someone that is not your spouse.  Do you know what that makes you? A thief! You are stealing from your future spouse (or your current one, sadly)! Those moments of pleasure (which are but for a season, like every sin is) you have on the Internet or on your TV, or even in your MIND, are moments of pleasure that are supposed to be received from your spouse! The person that did the video is just as guilty for portraying their body to someone that is not their spouse.  I want to be very straightforward because that is what we need more of is some straightforwardness and truth from the heart.  Would you say “I love you” to any of those people in the pictures and videos of pornography you are looking at? NO! I don’t know of a single person that would answer that with a yes.  Do you ever intend on marrying them? NO! Then let me ask you this: why are you seeking pleasure from someone who is NOT going to be YOUR spouse? Men, God intended one lady for you. Ladies, God intended one man for you.  That person is the most beautiful person to you, and you may not even know it yet because it is not God’s timing.  God made it that way; just like He made Eve the most beautiful woman to Adam (he didn’t have much to choose from).  As you fill your mind with these filthy pictures and videos and wicked imaginations, that physical beauty in that one slowly begins to deteriorate.  Listen to me.  Pornography is a fantasy.  Pornography portrays women with perfect bodies and that is not the real thing! You will not be satisfied with it – I promise! Pretty soon after watching the video that seems to arouse you for a while will “get old after a while” and you will want something different.  YOU CANNOT DO THAT WITH YOUR SPOUSE! Your spouse will get old, have physical ailments, and even get moody at times but by the grace of God; they will still be YOUR spouse! That is a blessing from God! And by looking at pornography, you are only walking all over God’s blessing.  It is as if you are running over a field of beautiful roses with muddy shoes just to catch a bug.  What God wants you to have is that field of roses, your future spouse.  What you are going after is pornography that bug.  You’ll never get that bug, and you know it.  In disappointment, you will turn around and see that field of roses all stepped on and try to put it back together but it will not happen.  God is gracious, however.  He will forgive you.  Listen to what Job said in Job 31:9-12, “If mine heart have been deceived by a woman, or if I have laid wait at my neighbour's door; Then let my wife grind unto another, and let others bow down upon her. For this is an heinous crime; yea, it is an iniquity to be punished by the judges. For it is a fire that consumeth to destruction, and would root out all mine increase.” You need to give your wife the proper respect that she deserves and by looking at pornography, you are disrespecting her.  She deserves your respect. Do you love your future spouse? If yes, then stop looking at or engaging your mind on pornography and keep your mind and heart only for her.  Job said “it is a fire”.  Are you playing with fire? Pretty soon it will consume you to destruction.  You think you can handle it, but eventually it will handle you. After holding onto a snake for a while, you’ll soon realize that the snake will have a hold on you.  That’s what sin does, and that’s what the sin of pornography does.