GIVE US BARABBAS!  Part Three!

 (The mindset of a murderer!)

"But they cried out all together, saying, Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas: --
 one who for a certain insurrection made in the city, and for murder, was cast into prison."  Luke 23;18-19

 They profess that they know Yahweh; but by their works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate."  Titus 1:15-16

Sub-Criminal Psychopaths:

Many psychopaths wind up in prisons or other correctional facilities time and again. The characteristic pattern is a lifelong bouncing from one job or another into jail and then back onto the streets, into and out of prison, perhaps into a mental health facility and quickly out, once the staff realizes they have on their hands a patient who is bound to make trouble and disrupt the institutional routine. The net effect in the typical case is that of Ping Pong ball out of control.

However, many psychopaths never go to prison or any other facility. They appear to function reasonably well—as lawyers, doctors, psychiatrists, academics, mercenaries, police officers, cult leaders, military personnel, businesspeople, writers, artists, entertainers, and so forth—without breaking the law, or at least without being caught and convicted. These individuals are every bit as egocentric, callous, and manipulative as the average criminal psychopath; however, their intelligence, family background, social skills, and circumstances permit them to construct a facade normalcy and to get what they want with relative impunity.

Some commentators refer to them as “successful psychopaths.” Others argue that individuals of this sort benefit society. Just as they are able to ignore society’s rules, the argument goes, intelligent psychopaths are able to transcend the bounds of conventional thought, providing a creative spark for the arts, the theater, design, and so on. Whatever the merits of this argument, they are more than offset—in my view—by the broken hearts, shattered careers, and used-up people left in their wake
they cut a zigzag route through society, driven by a remorseless need to “express themselves.”

Where man cannot enter, is found the true darkness.  Only Yahweh can see into the innermost recesses of the human mind.  The thoughts and intents of the heart (mind) are known and revealed by Him.  What can be considered astounding is those who portray a good wholesome persona, but; in truth, they are corrupt.  Outwardly they appear righteous unto men, but; inwardly they are filled with wickedness.  This can be especially seen through the choice between the righteous one; Yahshua and the wicked one; Barabbas!  Which one would you have chosen had you been there?  Yahweh knows! 

As previously mentioned; people that you thought you could trust, can be Psychopaths!  They cross all lines and spectrums of professions and can be inconspicuous and/or in conspicuous locations.  Imagine; trusting your life to a Doctor that turned out to be a pervert!  Of course lawyers are thought of as bottom feeders, so enough said on their vocation. But; Police officers?  Doctor's in general?  Ministers?  Specifically those that teach from the Holy Word?  Are they really Psychopathological?  Yes; they can be, and; contrary to thought, many of today's ministers are really corrupt!  Is this any different than the Scribes and Pharisees of Yahshua's time? Hardly!

Certain people whom I shall term non-arrestable criminals, behave criminally toward others, but they are sufficiently fearful so that they do not commit major crimes. We all know them: individuals who shamelessly use others to gain advantage for themselves. Having little empathy, they single-mindedly pursue their objectives and have little remorse for the injuries they inflict. If others take them to task, they become indignant and self-righteous and blame circumstances. Such people share much in common with the person who makes crime a way of life. Although they may not have broken the law, they nonetheless victimize others.  Have you ever met or know someone like this?  These types are very self-centered and selfish.  They believe the world revolves around them and the world was created specifically for them!  This is nowhere more apparent than the stereotypical self-righteous minister.

 "Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, Yahweh, I thank you, that I am not as the rest of men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
 I fast twice in the week; I give tithes of all that I get.
 But the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote his breast, saying, Yahweh, be you merciful to me a sinner.
 I say to you, This man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalts himself shall be humbled; but he that humbles himself shall be exalted."  Luke 18:10-14

Let's get to the real core and truth of this matter!   Your innermost thoughts are known by Almighty Yahweh.  What are you thinking?  How do you feel about your fellow man?  Do you harbor any hatred or grudges against anyone?  Is there a penchant a proclivity towards sin in your mind?  Do you do secret evil things when you think no one is watching you?  Do you practice evil in the solitude and darkness of your mind?

 "Woe to them that devise iniquity and work evil upon their beds! when the morning is light, they practice it, because it is in the power of their hand."  Micah 2:1

 "The transgression of the wicked says within my heart, There is no fear of Elohim before his eyes.
 For he flatters himself in his own eyes, That his iniquity will not be found out and be hated.
 The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit: He hath ceased to be wise and to do good.
 He devises iniquity upon his bed; He sets himself in a way that is not good; He abhors not evil."  Psalm 36:1-4

"Will not Yahweh search this out? For he knows the secrets of the heart."   Psalm 44:21  Sin originates in the mind!  Mark 7:21

How bad is the corruption in religious organizations?  Read the following and you tell me!

Flood of pornography breaching the ch--ch
By Jerry Pierce/Southern Baptist TEXAN
Jul 6, 2007



GRAPEVINE, Texas (BP)--Divorce lawyers are noting its increasing influence.

In Great Britain, it's blamed for a 20 percent jump in sexual assaults perpetrated by kids as young as 11.

In the United States, the adult film industry sees it as a $13 billion a year business -- more money than mainstream Hollywood generates.

The numbers are staggering: up to 45 million "unique" users visited adult websites in a recent month, as tracked by Nielsen Net Ratings.

With the advent of wireless handheld devices, porn is accessible via mobile phones and similar devices.

"Certainly, this is going to make it easier to view porn in more places than ever," Pamela Paul, author of "Pornified: How Pornography Is Transforming Our Lives, Our Relationships and Our Families," told USA Today.

"The flood of pornography in our culture has desensitized society and has contributed to the fact that our nation is wandering aimlessly in dangerous, uncharted territory," Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, said in a statement e-mailed to the Southern Baptist TEXAN.

That flood has entered the Ch--ch doors, leaving anecdotal and documented evidence that families and Ch--ches are being damaged, mostly by Chr--tian men -– some of whom are ministers -- who succumb to what Land calls a cheap imitation of G-D-designed sex.

"Sexuality is a far bigger and more troubling issue in the Ch--ch than any other moral issue," Land said.

The National Council on Sexual Addiction and Compulsivity reports that an estimated 2 million Internet users are addicted to pornography. Chr--tian men are among them.

In an August 2000 survey of its readership by Chr--tianity Today magazine, 36 percent of laymen who responded had visited a sexually explicit Internet site, of which 44 percent visited such sites "a few times" in the past year.

Additionally, the six-year-old research showed that 51 percent of pastors admitted pornography was a possible temptation, 37 percent said porn is a struggle and 33 percent had viewed Internet pornography at least once a year.

A PASTOR'S REPORT

One pastor who spoke to the TEXAN about the problem said the incidence of sexual immorality in the Ch--ch, with pornography as the culprit, has increased in the last five years.

The pastor, speaking on condition of anonymity, said he has counseled two fellow ministry leaders regularly over the last year who have lost their ministries because of porn and related problems. One lost his marriage and the other is fighting to keep his, the pastor said.

One was a para-Ch--ch leader whose wife discovered his addiction. "He's doing treatment, he's doing counseling, he's doing accountability," the pastor said. "He's doing everything he can do."

The man did not have extramarital intercourse, but "he was doing the pornography, topless bars.... He spent thousands of dollars on this type of stuff. This guy was in a ministry."

The pastor estimated that "80 percent of all young ministers have at some point struggled with this on some level. Now, that may be as simple as he got sent a naked picture and he looked at it and that was the end of it. But on some level, I would say virtually every minister under the age of 30 has had some kind of experience with it in their adult lifetime."

He added: "If you're talking about just men in general under the age of 40, I'll tell you it's well above 50 percent that at least occasionally use pornography. I'm saying Chr--tian men. Statistics show that as well."

Henry Rogers, corporate chaplain at Dallas-based Interstate Batteries and author of the book "The Silent War: Ministering to Those Trapped in the Deception of Pornography," told the radio audience of "For Faith & Family" that porn's proliferation is "ripping the soul out of the American male."

Rogers said the problem is "within the Ch--ch walls and not only in the pews but in the pulpit as well."

The mind is the battlefield, Rogers said, noting the crucial Chr--tian discipline of taking thoughts captive.

"We have an adversary who wants to take us out," Rogers said. "He may wait 10, 15, 20 years. There is no age at which we can relax, thinking we are immune to sexual temptation."

Rogers added: "Confession is a powerful deterrent to temptation."

HOPE FOUND IN A BOOK

Stephen Lawhon, 32, a member of Central Baptist Ch--ch in College Station, Texas, and a longtime Chr--tian believer, said he attempted to fight the temptation of pornography for years until he found hope in the simple warnings of Scripture.

Lawhon said that even though he grew up in a Chr--tian family, his occasional encounters with porn as a kid led to a problem that he recognized as early as age 15.

"I started seeing porn at 11 or 12 years old. There would be a dirty magazine outside somebody's house. It just escalated from there. I always had an unquenchable thirst for it."

All the while, he was a leader in his youth group. He even recalled talking to his youth minister once about it.

"He prayed with me and patted me on the back and said, 'Hey, it's going to be alright.' That was it. And that's not a slam on him. We just didn't know what to do with this back then. We just didn't talk about that stuff," Lawhon said.

In college at Texas A&M, Lawhon said he joined Central Baptist and was in college ministry leadership there, though he still battled pornography.

"I was leading this double life. I had this secret compartment tucked away. When it really took off for me was when it became available online. I would never get caught dead buying pornography. But I would download it in my room. It scares me to think where I'd be now if I had the access that kids and men have today," he said.

He once got rid of his external computer modem, then he got rid of his computer altogether. But his compulsion led him to the school computer lab, where he'd download porn on floppy disks, he said.

After meeting his future wife, he told her he had struggled with pornography, but he said she underestimated the problem. He thought that once he was married he would no longer desire pornography, but he was wrong.

"The pastor who married us told us whatever problems we bring into our marriage would be magnified in the marriage. He was right, and I nearly lost my marriage over it."

Lawhon said he bought book after book on the subject, but, "It wasn't until I picked up the Bible that [G-D] really showed me He wrote the book thousands of years ago on this subject. It wasn't until I was truly broken that I started climbing out of it."

Lawhon said he has found hope and strength from his Ch--ch family, his wife and, more than any other resource, the Bible, particularly Proverbs 7 and the warning about the harlot who lurks on every corner.

He said King David was in the wrong place when he lusted after Bathsheba and committed adultery with her, while Joseph faced his temptation with Potiphar's wife while tending to his responsibilities. Lawhon said that through the lens of Proverbs 7, one can see that Joseph had an advantage because he was where he was supposed to be while David, who should have been at war, wasn't.

"The Bible talks about how we will not be tempted beyond what we are able to endure, and when we're tempted G-D will provide a way out. What does that mean? What does that look like in real life? The Holy Spirit is huge in overcoming this. The Holy Spirit will bring accountability in my life. When I feel temptation coming on, I start to drift where I'm not supposed to drift ... and the phone will ring and it's a friend from Ch--ch," Lawhon said.

"My point is, the Holy Spirit brings accountability into our lives. And when that way out presents itself, I have to make a choice to walk that way out."

Instead of offering "burnt offerings" by going to Promise Keepers or reading a book or attending another conference, Lawhon said he realized "I was choosing pornography over what G-D had for my life. I wasn't living in the grace of J-s-s Chr--t."

Lawhon spends much of his time working with college students, many of whom are struggling through many of the battles he went through. He advises them to continually renew their minds by memorizing Scripture and dealing with only one day at a time, because overcoming sexual temptation is fought one battle at a time.

"I used to rationalize my discouragement by saying, 'I'm gonna mess up tomorrow. I might as well mess up today.' The Lo-d told me, 'No, you deal with today, Stephen. I'll deal with tomorrow.'"

Also, the stigma of pornography is greater than alcohol or drug abuse, Lawhon said, which makes coming forward more difficult.

The SBC's Land said in a 2002 radio interview: "You can go to your Sunday School class and say you have a real problem with alcohol and ask the class to pray for you, but if you go to your Sunday School class and say you need prayer for a problem with pornography, it would be like you set off a stink bomb in the room."

RIPPLES IN THE KINGDOM

The pastor the TEXAN interviewed said one of the ministers he is counseling is "going to do everything he can to recover. He turned himself in [to his ministry], started the counseling process, started the accountability, did a contract with his wife and with me and with some other guys."

But even with accountability, vital as it is, "both you and I know that people can lie," the pastor said. "In fact, one of these guys I used to meet with, he did lie to me for a while. When all this started, when he actually was doing some of this stuff, he was lying to me."

The man later initiated a meeting and confessed that he had lied.

"There's no guarantee that goes with accountability. And we're naïve to think that just because somebody sits down and asks the questions that we are always getting the truth. But at the same time, I think it's something important. I think it's something you need to do. It's a process you need to be experiencing, though it's certainly no guarantee."

The pastor said it is crucial that a minister allows friends, staff and fellow Ch--ch members to inspect the cache of his computer anytime to see what sites he has visited.

The ravages of pornography and sexual sin among believers has a ripple effect, the pastor said.

"Particularly when it's someone in ministry. It affects that pastor. It affects his spouse, his family, his children if he has any. It affects his children's friends. It affects his congregation. It affects his immediate family, cousins. It affects his neighbors. It degrades the image of Chr--t for those who are lost and those in the community who look to that Ch--ch and those who are considering the claims of the G-spel, those who have just come to know Chr--t.

"It's enormous when you stop and think about the negative consequences of falling into the trap. Quite frankly, at least half the time they end up losing their family. And nobody thinks that way. Nobody thinks when they first start looking at porn that 'I'm going to lose my family, I'm going to lose my job.'

"Both of the guys I'm dealing with right now, here's what they've lost: They've lost their marriage. They've lost their job. They lost a lot of friends in the sense it will never be the same. They've lost custody of their children and now they are both doing something that they don't really want to do or feel called to do, and they're just trying to get by."

Jerry Pierce is managing editor of the Southern Baptist TEXAN, news journal of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention. TEXAN correspondent Bonnie Pritchett & Dwayne Hastings of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission contributed to this report. Click here to see an earlier Baptist Press story with counsel for women who learn their husbands have a pornography addiction.

© Copyright 2007 Baptist Press
Original copy of this story can be found at http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?ID=26023

Now!  What is wrong with this picture?  Men and women that are supposed to be pure in mind are-NOT!  Corruption has entered and they cannot seemingly conquer this evil mindset.  Once the purity is gone, (like the innocence of a child) there is nothing left!  When a virgin is deflowered by some act of evil passion-i.e. sex outside of marriage , (called fornication) how can she return to a pure state of body and mind? 

"Draw near to Yahweh, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, sinners! And purify your hearts, (minds) double minded ones!   James (Jacob) 4:8

This can only be achieved by sincere repentance cleansing of thoughts, changing of mind.  John 5:14  "After these things, Yahshua found him in the temple and said to him, Behold, you have become well, sin no more that a worse thing not happen to you."  Stop sinning!  Repent and do the good works, or; face the wrath of Yahweh that is soon to come!  Sin begins in the mind according to Yahshua's words in Mark chapter 7.  Will you choose Yahshua, who was sin free, or; will you choose a murdering sinner-Barabbas?  Your choice!

BACK TO PART TWO

Yours in Yahshua, Hawke

©  Truth on the Net Dot Com 2005-21