How Anger Exposes A Porn Problem

Mike Leake

I’m not a news junkie. Not even close. But I do check FoxNews and CNN about every morning just so I can read the headlines and see what I’m supposed to be angry about every day. I find myself baffled on a daily basis with some of the things these outlets consider “news”. What really shocks me is that on a daily basis there will be at least one article on FoxNews about some celebrity rocking some type of bikini. (I could care less and I never click on the articles).

This isn’t new. I wrote about this in 2014—that was a brief moment before we went completely insane politically. But I got to wondering the other day why in the world does FoxNews (the platform for the supposed conservative and moral party) highlight such things. Here’s my theory—it might be a bit crazy.

Lust leads to shame. And shame leads to anger and attempts at self-justification. And anger is the fuel the feeds FoxNews. Keep feeding the angry mob lustful opportunities (even if it’s of the “can you believe what Beyonce is wearing variety”) and you’ll keep yourself in the outrage business.

Studies have shown that pornography use breeds anger. And I’m thoroughly convinced that there is a connection between the pornography epidemic and our outrage culture. Show me an angry man who is passionately engaged in non-essentials and I almost guarantee that his search history includes pornography.

What’s the connection?

For those who are more religious, I believe it’s an attempt at self-atonement. Pornography use leads to an incredible amount of shame—especially among those who are religiously affiliated. Magnify that by a ton if you have a ministry leader ensnared in pornography. In order to deal with the guilt and shame of being addicted to pornography some will hide behind theological correctness, or political wrangling, or warring on social issues in order to somehow even the scales. Perhaps the thought is that “if I can somehow show myself to be ‘right’ and ‘fight for the truth’ maybe God will overlook my pornography issue. Maybe I’m not so bad.”

Another factor is anger towards those who have “made you fall”. Sexual revolution comes from the liberal side. Blame-shifting comes with the territory of one indulging in pornography. And pornography dehumanizes. Connect the dots there and you’ve got a warrior hell-bent on taking down those evil people on the other side and doing so without considering personhood.

For those who are indulging in pornography without shame because they are “liberated” they aren’t free from the consequences. Even secular studies are becoming aware of the damaging effects of pornography use. But from a biblical perspective we know that idols always leave us empty. And emptiness leads to anger. When our idols disappoint us we get infuriated (Proverbs 19:3).

Solution

I know that my FoxNews theory is a bit out there. I seriously doubt that someone has intentionally come up with this strategy. But there is a connection between our outrage culture and the pornography epidemic.

My plea here is to believers in Jesus. If you’re battling pornography (or if you’ve even given up the fight) you need to know that your atonement isn’t going to come through anger. The anger of man does not accomplish the righteousness of God.

Step back from trying to save the world from “the other side” and do the brave thing of looking at your own soul. Jesus tells us that we’re saved from the fires of hell not because we’ve blown up the correct number of enemies but because we’ve cut off our own hands and plucked out our own eyes. Unplug from all the arguments and wrangling on social media and deal with your own soul.

There really is freedom in Jesus. Self-atonement isn’t going to help. Conservatism won’t merit you salvation and neither will being a social-justice warrior. Dig into your union with Christ. It’s here that you’ll find ammunition for your battle against pornography. And even more importantly it’s here where you’ll find life that is truly life.

And stop looking at porn. Right now. No excuses. No more hiding. Grab the axe and start chopping.

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Photo source: here

I Tweaked a Spurgeon Quote, Am I A Politically Correct Sell-Out?

Mike Leake

There is a Spurgeon quote from Zechariah 3 that I absolutely love. I’ve shared it about every time I’ve preach on that text. Here it is unaltered from the pen of Spurgeon:

“So it is with the child of God. What is he at the best? Till he is taken up to heaven, he is nothing but a brand plucked out of the fire. It is his daily moan that he is a sinner; but Christ accepts him as he is: and he shuts the devil’s mouth by telling him, ‘Thou sayest this man is black – of course he is: what did I think he was but that? He is a brand plucked out of the fire. I plucked him out of it. He was burning when he was in it: he is black now he is out of it. He was what I knew he would be; he is not what I mean to make him, but he is what I knew he would be. I have chosen him as a brand plucked out of the fire. What hast thou to say to that?’ Do observe that this plea did not require a single word to be added to it from Joshua.”

This is my edited…I’ll just share the smaller portion that I edited:

“…‘Thou sayest this man is [charred] – of course he is: what did I think he was but that? He is a brand plucked out of the fire. I plucked him out of it. He was burning when he was in it: he is [charred] now he is out of it…”

I changed the word “black” to “charred” and I did it intentionally because every Sunday I know that I’ll have those with darker skin in our congregation. So am I a sell-out? Am I just being a politically correct social justice warrior afraid to offend millennial snowflakes? Am I too worried about offending someone? Should I just man-up and boldly proclaim what Spurgeon said in the original and forget if it might offend someone who is being too sensitive?

I don’t think so. Here is why I changed the quote. I don’t think for one second that Spurgeon had any racist undertones in this quote. He didn’t for one moment intend or even have in his mind to equate “black” with “sinful”. But that’s how one could read/hear it. And so because of that I change the word to “charred” because that is Spurgeon’s meaning. And I do that because I don’t want there to be any stumbling block but the gospel of Christ.

Should someone with dark sin be able to read this Spurgeon quote and read it with grace and understanding and realize it isn’t meant to make any racial point? Absolutely. But do I really want them to be going through those mental activities while I’m preaching on such a great truth as our rescue in Jesus?

There is a difference between being cautious and sensitive and changing words which could needlessly provide offense. It’s not unmanly or cowardly to work towards this. It’s being pastoral and caring. It’s an effort to meet people where they are. Where we have a problem is when people begin changing the meaning of a text (or quote) because it could cause offense. That is cowardly.

We don’t get jewels in our heavenly crowns for offending people. Because offense is never to be our work. We’ll get some jewels because of boldly proclaiming the offensive gospel—but the offending isn’t in our authority. And if I can work to clear a path for a hearing of the blessed gospel in all of it’s fullness I’m going to do it. I’ll tweak a quote from the Prince of Preachers if it means we better hear the voice of the King of Kings. And I’ll do that unapologetically.

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Photo source: here

Read This! 06.06.19

Mike Leake

Is Every Sin Outside the Body Except Immoral Sex?

I always appreciate the work of Andy Naselli. Here he is weighing whether 1 Corinthians 6:18b is Paul’s statement or a Corinthian slogan.

David Platt prays for the President

This is a video of Platt praying for President Trump. He models how to do it. I appreciate his doing this. I also appreciate his letter after the fact.

Three Symptoms of a Dying Church

Yep.

Our Current Complementarian Brouhaha

I think Dave does a pretty solid job here.

Moms, We Need the Gospel on Repeat

It’s so easy to forget this, isn’t it?

10 Little Things That Can Change Your Ministry As A Pastor

And YOU can do every single one of these—doesn’t require a committee or a business meeting.

7 Lies Christians in College Tell Themselves

This is good.

10 Things I Wish Everyone Knew About Southern Baptists

Our annual meeting is next week. We’ll likely make the news (hopefully not for stupid things). And we’re often misunderstood.

‘Belonging before believing’ seems like a good idea but it isn’t:

How to Take Advantage of Our Culture of Outrage

Mike Leake

If you’re a real go-getter our culture of outrage is providing a tremendous opportunity. None of us can stand against the graceless scrutiny of a civilization hell bent on taking the right of judgment from an all-knowing God and giving the gavel to the angry mobs. Somebody is going to fall every day. Some rightly, others sadly.

But this is good news for you if you’re an Adonijah who notices his father’s impotence and steps into the vacuum. There will be a vacancy of power as leader after leader falls—it behooves the ambitious among us to step into that void.

I know that you’re pretty smart and don’t need much advice, but if you wanted to see how it’s done consider our friend Adonijah. 1 Kings tells the story of his power grab.

Step one, you need to focus on image and appearances. You need an entourage. Today we call that a platform. Adonijah was the first guy to buy Twitter followers. He got chariots and horses with fifty dudes running out in front of him. He was a thought-leader, an entrepreneur, a guy who makes stuff happen, the dude you want to follow. He’s a big deal. So you need a platform, a big one, even if you have to buy it.

Step two, you can’t go this alone. You need to partner with other power-grabbers. For Adonijah he created a coalition with Joab and Abiathar. This way they could retweet each other and their followers became his followers. There is far more power in groupthink and if Adonijah can get these dudes on his side then he’s definitely going to convince the nation that he is legit. So you need to rub shoulders with the big guns. You can’t run in circles with nobodies—you need to show your muscle around the big deals. Even if you have to compromise a bit to do it.

Now you need to look religious—at least if that’s the type of people you are trying to get to follow you. Or you can look super secular. Or incredibly woke. Or an anti-social justice warrior bent on protecting us from the latest heresies. Or so Reformed that you think John Calvin might have been a closet Arminian. Whatever the culture you’re trying to lead you need to convince them that you’re their poster boy. Adonijah sacrificed sheep, cattle, and fattened calves. Sure—he didn’t do it the way that God had prescribed but it didn’t matter.

We let people who are “kind of a big deal” get away with minor infractions so long as they’ve got power and can convince us that they’ll use that power to fatten our wallets. You can get away with about anything if people know you love them. But you can definitely get away with anything if people believe you’re going to protect and benefit them and keep shield them from their biggest fears.

Godliness is always going to be persecuted. Remember that line. When people start calling you to the carpet for your power grabs, or your sacrificing at the Stone of Zoheleth, remember that line. You’re the victim, bro. You’re just a humble guy trying to get into power in order to help people. And you can’t spend your time listening to “toxic people”. You need to cut the Nathan’s out of your life. You need to do whatever you can to silence and lower the influence of the Solomon’s in your life.

Trust me on this.

People all around the land were calling Adonijah the King. The void was filled. People were ecstatic. That could be you, champ! Just follow those steps. Buy a platform. Get important friends. Stir up a controversy. Be somebodies hero. Don’t listen to opposition. Take the throne. There is probably a spot opening up for you even today.

You also might not want to keep reading 1 Kings.

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photo source: here