We become de-sensitized a little bit at a time.

Two teenagers asked their father if they could go the theater to watch a movie that all their friends had seen. After reading some reviews about the movie on the internet, he denied their request.

"Aw dad, why not?" they complained. "It's rated PG-13, and we're both older than thirteen!" :-?
Dad replied: "Because that movie contains nudity and portrays immorality as being normal and acceptable behavior."

"But dad, those are just very small parts of the movie! That's what our friends who've seen it have told us. The movie is two hours long and those scenes are just a few minutes of the total film! It's based on a true story, and good triumphs over evil, and there are other redeeming themes like courage and self-sacrifice. Even the movie review websites say that!"

"My answer is 'no,' and that is my final answer. You are welcome to stay home tonight, invite some of your friends over, and watch one of the good videos we have in our home collection. But you will not go and watch that film. End of discussion."

The two teenagers walked dejectedly into the family room and slumped down on the couch. As they sulked, they were surprised to hear the sounds of their father preparing something in the kitchen.

They soon recognized the wonderful aroma of brownies baking in the oven, and one of the teenagers said to the other, "Dad must be feeling guilty, and now he's going to try to make it up to us with some fresh brownies. Maybe we can soften him with lots of praise when he brings them out to us and persuade him to let us go to that movie after all."

The teens were not disappointed. Soon their father appeared with a plate of warm brownies which he offered to his kids. They each took one.

Then their father said, "Before you eat, I want to tell you something: I love you both so much."
The teenagers smiled at each other with knowing glances. Dad was softening. "That is why I've made these brownies with the very best ingredients. I've made them from scratch. Most of the ingredients are even organic. The best organic flour. The best free-range eggs. The best organic sugar. Premium vanilla and chocolate."
The brownies looked mouth-watering, and the teens began to become a little impatient with their dad's long speech.

"But I want to be perfectly honest with you. There is one ingredient I added that is not usually found in brownies. I got that ingredient from our own back yard. But you needn't worry, because I only added the tiniest bit of that ingredient to your brownies. The amount of the portion is practically insignificant. So go ahead, take a bite and let me know what you think."

"Dad, would you mind telling us what that mystery ingredient is before we eat?"

"Why? The portion I added was so small. Just a teaspoonful. You won't even taste it."

"Come on, dad; just tell us what that ingredient is."

"Don't worry! It is organic, just like the other ingredients."

"Dad!"

"Well, OK, if you insist. That secret ingredient is organic...dog poop."

Both teens instantly dropped their brownies back on the plate and began inspecting their fingers with horror. :eek:

"DAD! Why did you do that? You've tortured us by making us smell those brownies cooking for the last half hour, and now you tell us that you added dog poop! We can't eat these brownies!"

"Why not? The amount of dog poop is very small compared to the rest of the ingredients. It won't hurt you. It's been cooked right along with the other ingredients. You won't even taste it. It has the same consistency as the brownies. Go ahead and eat!"

"No, Dad...NEVER!"

"And that is the same reason I won't allow you to go watch that movie. You won't tolerate a little dog poop in your brownies, so why should you tolerate a little immorality in your movies? We pray that God will not lead us unto temptation, so how can we in good conscience entertain ourselves with something that will imprint a sinful image in our minds that will lead us into temptation long after we first see it?"

What a good lesson about purity! Why do we tolerate any sin? On the day of the Passover, the Israelites were commanded to remove every bit of leaven from their homes.

[i]Sin is like leaven - a little bit leavens the whole lump[/i] (1 Cor. 5:6).

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bill schnippert

Kind of yukky! But you can't help but get the point! We disregard sins of gluttony, laziness, procratination, ungodly entertainment, the list could go on. We are all accountable to God for what we do. Let our account please Him. God bless.

Year ago I saved something what a brother on this forum shared:

"I was ministering to my family, and I asked one of my sons to go get a "clear glass" and fill it almost full of water. When he returned, I asked him to take a small drink of it which he readily did.
Then I went outside and got just a pinch of dirt. I came back in and dropped the pinch of dirt in the glass of water. It quickly settled on the bottom of the glass. The water still looked really clear. I asked him to take another drink. He of course balked quickly. I asked him why wouldn't he take a drink. "Because you put dirt in it". I challenged him that it was only a very small amount of dirt. Yet he insisted that the small amount of dirt rendered the entirety of the water unfit to drink.
I then asked him was this not like going to a movie with only a "few cuss words" or only "one sex scene"? You see, it does not take but one small sin to render our vessel impure. Purity should always be our goal. God will clean us up when we repent. But we have a responsibility to keep guard over our vessel and keep the dirt out. Had my son placed his hand over the opening of the glass, I could not have put the dirt in.
Take note that the small pinch of dirt did not displace the water inside. The water was still there and 100% water. But it was no longer useful for quenching a thirst.
It's the same thing with the living water, beloved. It only takes a small sin or disobedience to the leading of the Holy Spirit to render us ineffective in our witness. Oh you may get a desperately thristy person to drink. But you will generally be refused and ignored.
Oh God how I long to be holy and pure. Help me not to confuse the evil thoughts and temptations of my already crucified flesh with the joy of knowing that the blood of Jesus has made me Holy and Pure. Help me oh God to guard my holiness imputed to me. Help me to value it as a great treasure. Give me the heart and mind of Jesus, that would even suffer death rather than mar the honor of Your glory oh Lord. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen and amen."

Amen.

:-)

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Joe E

Very good... this is something that is missing in the church today. Some churches even use movies as a basis for Sunday School discussions and sermon material. Even tho the movie may have a good moral to it, the teacher is encouraging his listeners to go and see movies with profanity and other worldiness in it.

I remember when Bruce Almighty came out, starring Jim Carrey. Many Christians were excited about it and claimed it was a great movie in which to intiate a conversation about God with their friends. I rented it just so I would know what i was talking about when I rebuked it (because some Christians wont listen to someone like me if we havent seen the movie, read the book, etc.)... and I found that movie to be vile. Every other scene had something to do with sex. Cussing all the way thru. And this movie got good reviews in so-called CHRISTIAN magazines!

And of course, it's not just movies. It's TV, books, music (my personal stumbling stone), etc.

Oh God, teach me what it really means to be pure and holy!!

Krispy