Porn Hurts

The world seems to offer so much for the child of God - power, possessions, satisfaction, even a false sense of security and happiness. But, it is a mirage that ultimately will keep us from experiencing God's best. 1st John 2 warns us:
15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16 For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--is not of the Father but is of the world.
17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

We have the choice - God has shown us His truth, that Jesus came to this earth, to set an example for us and to offer Himself up as a sacrifice for our sins. We can accept what He has done and allow His love and power to flow through us, so we can walk in His victory.  Or, we can give in to the lure of this world and power of sin, which leads to death.  We can gain joy and satisfaction through holiness or gain the world and lose our souls through following the lead of the enemy. 

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God has so much in store for each of us, but the enemy of our souls, who Jesus said comes to steal, kill, and destroy, is out to corrupt our hearts and mute our witness. 1st Corinthians 6 tells us:
18 Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.
19 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?
20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.

Last month, I shared a commentary centered around the danger of and prevalence of pornography. God wants our hearts to be pure, and the corruption brought about through allowing material to enter one's consciousness that does not glorify God pollutes the spirit and separates a person from God's best.

The A&E cable channel is actually going to delve into the world of Playboy in an upcoming series, according to Movieguide, which quotes a former "Playboy bunny," Holly Madison, who says, in the trailer for the series, “I didn’t realize that getting into the Playboy world was a dangerous choice,” adding, “There was a side of Playboy that nobody wants to talk about.” The article says:

Alongside Madison, the show features interviews with former Director of Playmate Promotions Miki Garcia, Hefner’s personal valet Stefan Tetenbaum, PJ Masten, Playboy mansion resident Jennifer Saginor, and many of Hefner’s staff.

“He didn’t want people to know what was really going on,” Saginor says in the trailer.

“It was a beautiful world – it looked that way – but it was really ugly,” said another interviewee.

Elaine Frontain Bryant, A&E’s Executive Vice President and Head of Programming, will shed light on the truth behind the glamour of Playboy.

“The fantasy world of Playboy has been shrouded in secrecy for decades and we are proud to lift the veil on these long-hidden stories,” Bryant wrote in the press release.

The article goes on to say, regarding Playboy founder Hugh Hefner:

In 1992 Hefner shared his proudest achievement: “That I changed attitudes toward sex. That nice people can live together now. That I decontaminated the notion of premarital sex. That gives me great satisfaction,” he told The New York Times.

Movieguide describes what it calls, "a major reckoning;" it says, "popular pornography sites must be held accountable for their actions."  The article refers to a previous Movieguide story, which documents a letter sent to Congress by hundreds of sexual abuse survivors:

In a letter submitted to Congress, over 700 survivors of sexual exploitation and victims’ advocates called for a criminal investigation into MindGeek, the leading information technology firm behind the adult site Pornhub.

Over recent months, Pornhub and its parent company have come under fire for enabling sexual exploitation of minors, abuse, human trafficking, and the violation of privacy rights. The letter continues to note the lack of legal consequences for the companies despite Pornhub’s continued publication and even monetization of non-consensual sexual content.

“MindGeek, which owns Pornhub and at least 160 other hardcore pornography websites, serves as a case study of corporate indifference regarding harm caused to women and children on its platform. It has received widespread international condemnation for facilitating and profiting from criminal acts including sex trafficking, filmed sexual abuse of children, and nonconsensually recorded and distributed pornography,” the letter reads.

This type of material, through the proliferation of technology, is available at one's fingertips, corrupting the soul.  But, there is freedom in Christ.  

Joshua Broome has experienced it, but not until after participating in thousands of pornographic films. A small-town kid from Iowa, he went to Hollywood and was lured by the industry.  God Reports states:

Working as a waiter at a steakhouse in LA, Josh wanted to become a star but the attractive ladies at his table offered him a different kind of acting: “adult” movies.

He said, "...I became this person I didn’t even know,” adding, “The more I was willing to care less about myself, the more I was willing to do these movies.”  The article says:

Josh became a “star,” performing in thousands of films in five years.

“I’m, crying myself to sleep every night,” he remembers. “Every time I worked, I would literally shower, and I couldn’t get clean enough because I couldn’t wash off the hurt.”

Finally, his life came to a breaking point; he looked in the mirror and didn't like what he had become. He met his eventual wife, Hope, who pointed him in the direction of God's forgiveness, and Joshua gave his life to Christ.  He will be featured in the upcoming P-Word Conference, which will be offered virtually in the next few weeks.

Pornography almost destroyed Joshua Broome's life; it is wrecking the lives of, I would say, countless thousands whom the enemy is luring in order to corrupt their souls. It is a highly addictive practice, but it is not beyond the delivering power of the Holy Spirit. 

That's the case with all addictions - but it is vital to recognize the life-controlling power that these activities have and go to the source of life for healing and restoration. That's what His Place and Hosanna Home, which are ministries of Harvest Evangelism, do - the founder, Rick Hagans, is coming up on today's program.

Jesus wants us to have abundant life, but that comes as we place ourselves under His control, His authority. If we sell out to the enemy's schemes and patterns of thinking and action, we settle for less than Christ has provided. We can come to Him and experience the power we need to triumph.