Alone in the Darkness!
Thesis: When you are alone the Darkness starts to lure you to come into its web of deception. The Dark side entices you to come to it by pornography, then sexual immorality and even by theft. It seeks to ensnare you and then destroy you, your family and your society.
Opening Scripture: Proverbs 4:19 “But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness;
they do not know what makes them stumble.”
Introduction: This weekend marks the big opening of the final Star Wars Movie. The movie is about a Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker who turns to dark side. The movie paints a portrait of how this once good knight gets seduced to the dark side. He eventually yields his total life over to the dark side for control. I know from watching the other Star Wars movies that his son is instrumental in getting his father to eventually switch back to the good side called the Force. He in the end destroys the evil emperor who deceived him into yielding to the dark side. But our story about Anakin is not unlike many people here on earth today. There is a dark side pulling at us, luring us, beckoning us to come join forces with them.
It promises fame, power, control, victory over death, and the like but it really only delivers death, bondage, helplessness, hopelessness, and despair.
I pulled this quote off a dark side - gothic website which spoke about their love for the darkness.
Deep into that darkness peering,
long I stood there, wondering, fearing,
Doubting, dreaming dreams
no mortal ever dreamed before.
This site was full of infatuation with the dark side of life. It glorified sin, the dark ways and Satanism. It spoke of the pleasure and the satisfaction of the dark side of life. It told stories of people committing suicide and about using drugs for new found experiences. It was a website dedicated to the dark side of this world and it motioned for the viewer to come join in its sinful dark pleasures. Listen closely the dark side is seeking to get you too to convert to the dark side.
What amazes me is the utter darkness that is encircling people today in our society! Yet they do not even realize that they are being herded to their slaughter.
Darkness lurks out there ready to engulf and destroy people’s lives. It’s a destructive power luring the innocent into its grasp so as to kill, steal and destroy their lives. We see a fascination with the dark side of life and the internet has made it available at the click of a finger.
I have observed that our society is full of the dark side’s presence. We have forces luring us into the dark side on the internet, in movies and on TV. They tell us to say, “Yes!” to the dark side. The dark side entices us to fall in love with it. It says lies like, “Bondage to me is so satisfying.” The dark side promotes that porn and lust is really the way to great love. The darks side pushes sexual immorality and promises great rewards for this type of lifestyle. The dark side says, “Go ahead commit adultery you deserve the pleasure and besides your spouse is not worthy to stay pure too.” The dark side says, “Go ahead steal that money you deserve more than they do.” These are some of the beliefs being promoted by the twisted words of the dark side. It promises power and self esteem while stealing more away from the people that buy into its distorted beliefs. It is a force that lures and entices the young – the middle aged - the old and especially the innocent into its web of deception.
Being alone in the darkness will corrupt you, being alone in the darkness will control you, being alone in the darkness will crush you. And that is exactly what the dark side wants to do to you and all that are alone in the darkness. The dark side is not a friend it is a fiend bent on destroying you because you were created in the image of God. He hates God and anything that looks like Him.
The dark side will tell you to believe what you want. It will convince you with thoughts like these:
Allow hate to control you!
Allow that hate to be unleashed in your life it will give you power!
Allow the flesh to be satisfied. Feed it what it wants and let it loose!
Allow your lusts to be released and fed!
Allow all your wants and desires to be fulfilled because you deserve it!
But Scripture repeatedly tells us to resist the dark side to overcome the dark side. Listen to another thought from the Word about the dark side.
Isaiah 5:20 “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light
and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.”
T.S. - The darks side wants you to buy into the devastation of its secret sins: The first secret sin I am going to talk about today is the sin that is escalating at a rapid rate in our society today.
I. Alone in the darkness with pornography
a. From Illustrate Volume II (Bluefish): This clip shows how pornography ensnared Phil and Michelle and it’s impact on their marriage and on their family.
1. The Devil likes to ensnare men and women into this trap and then destroy them, their families, and their society.
2. Pornography Addiction - Did you know?
a. ...that pornography consumption can be as mood altering and as addictive as narcotics? (Richard Drake, assistant professor at Brigham Young University College of Nursing) In fact, some studies have indicated that pornography can have the same effect on the brain as cocaine. Images can be permanently "burned" into the memory by epinephrine, a chemical in the brain.
b. ...that according to Nielson Net Ratings, 17.5 million people visited porn sites in January 2000? (U.S. News & World Report, 3/27/2000)
c. ...that there are more outlets for hard-core pornography in this country than there are McDonalds restaurants?
d. ...that rape statistics are proportionately higher in those states with higher pornography sales and lower in those states with lower pornography sales?
e. ...that cyberporn sales - including videos and accessories ordered online - accounted for 8% of 1999’s $18 billion E-commerce pie? (U.S. News & World Report, 3/27/2000) That’s nearly $5.25 for every man, woman, and child in the United States!
f. ...that boys ages 12-17 are one of the largest consumers of pornography and pornographers target them for that reason? If the pornographers can arrange for the young person to become addicted, then a steady flow of income is assured. (Information received from Enough Is Enough, Morality In Media, and National Coalition For The Protection of Children and Families.)
b. Scripture warns us not to fall prey to the darkness of lust:
1. Job 31:1 -4:
1 “I made a covenant with my eyes
not to look lustfully at a girl.
2 For what is man’s lot from God above,
his heritage from the Almighty on high?
3 Is it not ruin for the wicked,
disaster for those who do wrong?
4 Does he not see my ways
and count my every step
a). Job knew the importance of making a covenant with his eyes so as to honor God and his family.
b). I am not sure that many Christians today are willing to do the same.
2. Colossians 3:5-10: Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. 7You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.
a). Scripture says to rid yourself of these sins. Quit telling yourself and others the lies admit you are into the sin of lust.
b). When we have put on the new stuff of Jesus it becomes imperative to rid ourselves of anything that will bring us down in our walk with the Lord.
c). This secret sin has brought down more ministers than others.
3. 1 Peter 4:3-6: 3For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. 4They think it strange that you do not plunge with them into the same flood of dissipation, and they heap abuse on you. 5But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. 6For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so that they might be judged according to men in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit.
a). Many in our society do think we are strange for not practicing sin with them and so they get mad at you and heap abuse on you. Have you ever wondered why? The bottom line is the dark side has engulfed their lives and it hates what you represent which is the light of the world, the Lord Jesus Christ.
b). But we must not yield to the temptation to switch to the dark side instead we must live for God and be led by His Spirit.
4. 1 John 2:16-17: “For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.”
a). The term world referenced here is representative of the dark side and it’s alluring draw to join forces with it so as to combat the force – the good side of life.
b). The Dark side is not from the Father and it and its desires will pass away and one day be destroyed by the King of Kings Jesus Christ!
c). The Dark side has a predictable pattern on the way it ensnares the innocent into its dark lifestyle.
1). Scripture here tells us that sin entices us to want more and more of it.
2). It seeks to enter our minds through the eyes, then our hearts and eventually it controls our lives.
3). The other predictable pattern is as it takes root in the heart it will actually start to boast about how great it is to be in sin. “Be Proud!”
c. Pornography Addiction has a deadly progression says Tom Buford a converted porn addict, “Our thanks to Morality In Media for the use of the following information from Healing Sexual and Pornography Addictions by Dr. Victor Cline.”
1. FIRST STEP - ADDICTION - "The first change that happened was an addiction-effect. The porn-consumers got hooked. Once involved in pornographic materials, they kept coming back for more and still more... The pornography provided very exciting and powerful imagery which they frequently recalled to mind and elaborated on in their fantasies."
a. "Once addicted, they could not throw off their dependence on the material by themselves, despite many negative consequences such as divorce, loss of family, and problems with the law (such as sexual assault, harassment or abuse of fellow employees)."
b. "... many of my most intelligent male patients appeared to be most vulnerable—perhaps because they had a greater capacity to fantasize, which heightened the intensity of the experience and made them more susceptible to being conditioned into an addiction."
c. "... It is difficult for non-addicts to comprehend the totally driven nature of a sex addict. When the "wave" hits them, nothing can stand in the way of getting what they want, whether that be pornography accompanied by masturbation, sex from a prostitute, molesting a child, or raping a woman. These men are consumed by their appetite, regardless of the cost or consequences. Their addiction virtually rules their lives."
2. SECOND STEP – ESCALATION- "The second phase was an escalation-effect. With the passage of time, the addicted person required rougher, more explicit, more deviant... sexual material to get their "highs" and "sexual turn-ons." It was reminiscent of individuals afflicted with drug addictions. Over time there is nearly always an increasing need for more of the stimulant to get the same initial effect."
a. "... Their addiction and escalation were mainly due to the powerful sexual imagery in their minds, implanted there by the exposure to pornography."
3. THIRD PHASE – DESENSITIZATION - "The third phase was desensitization. Material (in books, magazines, or films/videos) which was originally perceived as shocking, taboo-breaking, illegal, repulsive, or immoral, in time came to be seen as acceptable and commonplace. The sexual activity depicted in the pornography (no matter how anti-social or deviant) became legitimized. There was an increasing sense that "everybody does it" and this gave them permission to also do it, even though the activity was possibly illegal and contrary to their previous moral beliefs and personal standards."
4. FOURTH PHASE - ACTING OUT SEXUALLY - "The fourth phase was an increasing tendency to act out sexually the behaviors viewed in the pornography, including compulsive promiscuity, exhibitionism, group sex, voyeurism, frequenting massage parlors, having sex with minor children, rape, and inflicting pain on themselves or a partner during sex. This behavior frequently grew into a sexual addiction which they found themselves locked into and unable to change or reverse—no matter what the negative consequences were in their life."
a. About the author Tom Buford:
1). In 1983, Tom’s dreams came true when he was hired to drive buses for entertainers. At age 22, he had been hired by Trailways and thought then he had attained heaven, but now the skills of nearly ten years and a million miles driving intercontinental motor coaches had paid off. He drove for a number of stars in all genres, from Twisted Sister to music legend Johnny Cash. He was in the "big leagues" and was almost ten years into marriage with his sweetheart Mera. Life just couldn’t have been better!
2). Tom’s world had become a place where truth and fantasy would collide — a place where the heaven of luxury hotels, limousines, and prestige met the hell of loneliness, heartache, and spiritual death. Dreams gave way to nightmares as all those temptations his father had preached — more than he ever imagined — were paraded within his grasp. Long-ago sermons resounded in his ears as he found himself spiraling downward into pornography addiction, homosexuality, gambling, alcohol, more — addictions that eventually demanded the ultimate ransom. Life, he was sure, was over.
3). But if Tom had spent most of his early years in church, he had yet to meet the Author of life, the meaning of God’s grace and mercy, and the importance of forgiveness. In 1991, the Lord he had turned his back on decided it was time for Tom to come home. A powerful event took place in his life that caused all literal hell to break loose — more than four hours of speaking in a growling, dog-like voice in an all out battle against the demonic forces that had controlled him. He was freed at last from his addictions. Tom Buford is the author of Riding a Dead Horse: Carousel to Hell, the story of God’s miraculous redemptive work in his life, and Fires of Darkness, the novel. His writing and this ministry are the fruits of his experience as he found his way back home.
4), Tom now lives in Tennessee, where he remains happily married to his best, most faithful friend, Mera. He is in the process of writing his next project, Two Moons Rising, a suspense novel.
d. Tom tells the addict that there is hope:
1. The porn addict... There is hope!
a). Millions of people in America and around the world go through their daily lives merely existing, with no peace and no joy. Their existence often consists only of a steady diet of compulsive or addictive behavior. Such behavior may involve drugs, alcohol, pornography or perverted sexual desires. Whatever form it takes, it controls the person while never contributing anything to soundness of mind, peace, happiness, job security, or family togetherness. Worst of all, it does nothing to improve one’s walk with his or her Creator. Instead, it invariably drives a wedge, blow by blow, between that person and the relationship he or she desires to have with God and with those people who live and work around him or her. I lived that life for more than twenty years, most of the time believing that the dark side of my life was hidden from everyone around me, including those people who cared most deeply for me. When I made Jesus Christ the Lord of my life, I saw for the first time how ugly darkness can be when seen from the outside looking in. A person who has never experienced light rarely recognizes darkness as being anything undesirable. He thinks darkness is all there is. I pray that something you read in Fires of Darkness or on this web site will help to make a difference in your life if you or someone you know is living in the lonely darkness of pornography addiction, homosexuality, or other forms of perversion. I pray that the chains of sin which have bound you will be broken and that, perhaps for the first time in your life, you will be privileged to know the Peacemaker.
2. About the author - Been there! "He [Tom] has personally wrestled the demons of addiction of every kind. He has been swallowed up in temptation. He has fallen prey to an enemy of every description. But Buford has courage. It shows in his writing because it shows in a life that relented to the love of the Father. A life that was totally delivered from the tyranny of its enemies..." Alan Smith Publisher, Ncubator Christian Resource Directory
3. The Following information is from http://www.firesofdarkness.com/answers/index.htm
T.S. – The secret sin of the dark side is not just pornography but it is also the lifestyle of sexual immorality.
II. Alone in the darkness with sexual immorality.
a. From Illustrate Volume II (Bluefish): This clip shows the impact of sexual immorality on Jeff and Wende and their family.
1. The dark side does not attack all at once it is very clever in chipping away at your moral values one chip at a time. It works slowly and meticulously chip here a chip there and then it eventually has you convinced that your sexual sin is okay- even with God!
b. The Bible tells “Do not even have a hint of sexual immorality” because even a hint will destroy your life.
1. We are warned by Scripture not to even have a little bit of sin let alone a full blown lifestyle dedicated to sexual immorality.
2. Sexual immorality encompasses sex outside marriage, cyber sex, adultery, and homosexuality. It really means anything sex orientated outside the parameters of a marriage relationship of a man and a woman under God.
c. Scripture has a lot to say about mot falling prey to the dark side of immorality.
1. Proverbs 6:32 “But a man who commits adultery lacks judgment; whoever does so destroys himself.”
i. The biggest lie of the dark side when it comes to committing adultery is it will not affect any one. What is the big deal!
ii. Who will know!
2. 1 Corinthians 6:12-20: 12“Everything is permissible for me”—but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible for me”—but I will not be mastered by anything. 13“Food for the stomach and the stomach for food”—but God will destroy them both. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also. 15Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! 16Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.” 17But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit. 18Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. 19Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.
i. Paul tells us that God did not design our bodies to commit sexual immorality. They were designed to be used by the Lord for his good work. They were created and designed to honor God not dishonor him!
ii. Paul reminds us that our bodies are part of Christ Himself.
1. If we understand that we are part of Jesus then why would we unite Jesus with a prostitute?
a. Seems insane to even think to do this!
b. It does not even make sense the one is of the dark side and the other is the good side and they do not mix!
c. Light and darkness do not mix!
2. Paul also warns us that this sin will impact our own bodies.
a. There will be consequences to our physical body if we allow this sin to happen.
3. He also reminds us that our bodies are the Temples of the Holy Spirit. It’s in these temples were the Holy Spirit lives.
a. Yes it is true – if you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior then the Holy Spirit lives in you.
b. Therefore if we have been born again this body belongs to the Lord and we need to keep pure and holy it is not to be defiled and stained with the dark side of sin and sexual immorality.
4. So we must honor God with our bodies and keep them pure and Holy until He returns!
a. This is actually a spiritual act of worship to God.
d. The secret sin of Adultery is becoming less and less secret and once again the internet is playing a role: There are websites dedicated to helping you have and affair listen to one of the web sites reasons and excuses to entice people in to committing an extra-marital affair:
1. “Statistics suggest that the majority of North American and European adults do not maintain permanently monogamous or "closed" relationships. In fact, it is estimated that some 50 - 60% of men and 40 - 50% of women will engage in an extramarital affair or romantic tryst at some point. People have affairs or seek open relationships for many different reasons. Some people want change, novelty, excitement, or risk. Unfortunately, many find that the initial lure and level of sexual activity with their familiar partner fades as the relationship matures and eventually stabilizes. Anthropologists have found that there are fundamental physiological changes that take place during the course of a relationship that contribute to the lack of long-term fidelity. Initial hormonal changes that sexually attract one person to another diminish over time and sex may become less exciting, boring or monotonous.
Many choose to recapture this sexual energy and excitement by embarking on an affair or open relationship. Extra-marital affairs and open spousal relationships offer an opportunity to re-experience the excitement and stimulation associated with dating and courtship.” Copyright The Ashley Madison Agency, Limited. 2001-2005
2. The site goes on to infer that this whole extramarital affair could be good for a marriage.
e. Sexual Addiction is from the dark side and those who struggle with it need deliverance. This is only possible by surrendering your life over to the Lord Jesus Christ – Lets look at the symptoms of a sex addict:
1. Sexual acting out despite serious consequences and repeated attempts at control.
2. Inability to stop (or powerlessness) despite adverse consequences, with frequent use of denial, rationalization, and minimization to hide both the problem and the underlying shame.
3. Neglect or sacrifice of important social, family, occupational, or recreational activities because of sexual behavior.
4. An ongoing desire or effort to limit sexual behavior.
5. An inordinate amount of time spent in obtaining sex, being sexual, or recovering from sexual experience.
6. Risk taking.
7. Living a double life.
8. Decrease in one’s spiritual or religious life. A constant violation of one’s value system.
9. Endangering one’s professional and family life.
10. This information is from http://www.firesofdarkness.com/answers/index.htm
f. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, “Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”
1. These types of people will not inherit the kingdom of God unless they repent and ask for forgiveness and surrender their lives to Jesus for His glory and honor.
T.S. – Sexual immorality is a lie promoted by the dark side and it is intended to draw you in so that it can destroy you personally, then your family and then your society. Its goal is to destroy your temple so that the Holy Spirit cannot reside in it. The other secret sin I want to address to day is stealing.
III. Alone in the darkness with acts of theft.
a. From Illustrate Volume II (Bluefish): Jim embezzled money and this clip shows the impact it has had on his life, his family life and even the society he lives in.
a. This lifestyle is driven by the dark side. The dark side likes to steal from others and justify that it is right in doing its dark action.
b. But our text that we just read makes it clear that those who steal from others will Not inherit the kingdom of God!”
c. The dark sided enemy wants you to take from others and then convince you that it’s okay.
d. He himself has been trying to steal everything that belongs to God since his rebellion. He is trying to steal as much as he can from this earth, from you and from the kingdom of Heaven.
e. His twisted mindset and deceptive words convinces people to steal from others.
i. So they go ahead and steal and the Devil smiles and God frowns!
b. Scripture is not silent on this secret sin either:
a. Exodus 20:16-17: “You shall not steal. 16“You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. 17“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”
i. Scripture is clear “do not steal” what belongs to others.
b. Ephesians 4:28 “He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.”
i. Stealing is not a useful way to use the hands that God has given you.
c. Matthew 15:19-20 “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. 20These are what make a man ‘unclean’; but eating with unwashed hands does not make him ‘unclean.’”
i. Theft is a heart issue and it is what makes a person unworthy to go to Heaven.
d. Malachi 3: 8, 9: “Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. “But you ask, ‘How do we rob you?’ “In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse—the whole nation of you—because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.
i. I placed this Scripture in my sermon at this point to remind you that taking what belongs to another for your personal use is theft and many do it to God on a regular basis.
ii. I still get amazed how people can justify stealing from God!
iii. They think they are exempt from the rules and God will understand.
c. Current issue: The connection between gambling and rising theft statistics:
a. Gambling and Crime -- December 11, 2003 Revised by Chad Hills (Originally written by Ron Reno). Data from gambling communities across the country indicates that gambling does indeed foster a significant increase in crime.
i. Polls show that most Americans assume an association between gambling and increased criminal activity. The gambling industry offers hearty denials and various statistical manipulations attempting to counter this perception. Data from gambling communities across the country, however, indicates that gambling does indeed foster a significant increase in crime.
"In the most desperate phase of compulsive gambling, they will do anything to gamble," Schaff said. "They start stealing money from their spouses, family . . . they’ll get money anyhow, anywhere. They’ll do forgeries, embezzlements, thefts. It’s mostly white-collar crime." -Counselor for the Dept. of Corrections in Wisconsin1
o "We have studies that show for every dollar you bring in gambling revenue, you’ll lose $1.90 in costs to the taxpayer," he said. It’s as simple as ABC, "the addiction, the bankruptcy, the crime and corruption that you already have will just multiply with this expansion." … "If you’re not fighting it, it’s like cancer and will metastasize and take you over," said Tom Grey, President of National Coalition Against Legalized Gambling. 2
o "We arrest 450 to 500 people a year for various types of embezzlement crimes. About 40 percent are employees," Keith Copher, chief of enforcement for the Gaming Control Board in Nevada, validates.3
o Tony Washington’s addiction to gambling was so strong that he robbed to gamble. What began as a flirtation with gambling on weekends, soon suffocated him in unpaid bills. For Washington, a 40-year-old Wisconsin man, the compulsion to gamble led to life in prison. Washington is one of 250,000 compulsive gamblers in Wisconsin and about 8 million nationwide who claim gambling either led them into debt or trouble with their families or the law. Schaff counsels inmates on gambling for the Department of Corrections in Wisconsin.4
o The number of purse snatchings, assaults, rapes, robberies and murders skyrocketed after the casinos opened. FBI statistics show the crime rate per 1,000 residents went from 134.3 in 1978 to a peak of 450.3 in 1988.5
o In the first six years of casinos in Minnesota, the crime rate in counties with casinos increased more than twice as fast as in non-casino counties. According to an analysis by the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the median crime rate in casino counties rose 39 percent during that period as compared to an 18 percent increase in non-casino counties.6
o The total number of crimes within a 30-mile radius of Atlantic City increased by 107 percent in the nine years following the introduction of casinos to Atlantic City. 7
o The Mississippi Gulf Coast experienced a 43 percent increase in crime in the four years after casinos arrived. Harrison County, where most of the Gulf Coast casinos are located, witnessed a 58 percent increase in total crimes between 1993 and 1996. 8
o A U.S. News & World Report analysis found crime rates in casino communities to be 84 percent higher than the national average. Further, while crime rates nationally dropped by 2 percent in 1994, the 31 localities that introduced casinos in 1993 saw an increase in crime of 7.7 percent the following year.9
o The number of court cases filed in Tunica County, Mississippi, went from 689 in 1991, the year before casinos began operating there, to 11,100 in 1996. 10
o The annual number of calls to the Ledyard, Connecticut, police department jumped from 4,000 to 16,700 within five years after the opening of the nearby Foxwoods Casino. 11
o University of Nevada-Las Vegas researchers concluded that the state of Wisconsin experiences an average of 5,300 additional major crimes a year due to the presence of casinos in that state. They also attributed an additional 17,100 arrests for less-serious crimes each year to the existence of casino gambling. 12
o Nevada ranked first in crime rates among the fifty states in both 1995 and 1996, based on an analysis of FBI Uniform Crime Report statistics. Further, the violent crime rate in Nevada increased by close to 40 percent from 1991 to 1996, a period in which the national violent crime rate dropped by approximately 10 percent. 13
o The San Jose, California, police department reported significant increases in crime in the vicinity of a new cardroom in the year after its opening. Narcotics offenses increased by 200 percent, property crimes by 83 percent, petty thefts by 56 percent, auto thefts by 21 percent, and traffic accidents by 55 percent in a single year. 14
o The number of police calls in Black Hawk, Colorado, increased from 25 a year before casinos to 15,000 annually after their introduction. In neighboring Central City, the number of arrests increased by 275 percent the year after casinos arrived. In Cripple Creek, Colorado, serious crime increased by 287 percent in the first three years after casinos. 15
o The annual number of felony cases filed in Lawrence County, South Dakota, has increased by approximately 69 percent since the introduction of casinos to Deadwood.16
o Half of Louisiana District Attorneys surveyed in 1995 noted gambling as a factor in rising crime rates in their jurisdictions.17
o (Chad Hills is the Analyst for Gambling Research in the Public Policy Department at Focus on the Family. Having performed scientific research, he now studies public policy, cultural reformation and social research as they relate to gambling addiction.)
o b. The truth is when we open up our hearts to the dark side things do not get better they get worse because the dark side is only out to kill-to steal-and to destroy!
Conclusion:
1 Corinthians 4: 5, 6, “Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God. Now, brothers, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, “Do not go beyond what is written.” Then you will not take pride in one man over against another.”
Ephesians 5:8-11 “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.
Scripture directs us to not fall prey to the dark side and to make sure we stay standing in the light. We are as children of the Lord required to live as children of the light not children of the darkness. This means that when people look at our life they see the light of the Lord glowing through our good deeds. They are not to see deeds of darkness in our life style.
We are to have the fruit of goodness – righteousness and truth. This is what pleases the Lord and what brings honor to His name.
We are exhorted to make sure that we find out what pleases the Lord and then do it. We are to have nothing to do with the dark side because it only brings death and destruction.
We are required by the Word to expose the darkness and to promote the ways of the Light.
