Our culture is constantly bombarding us with media. The question is,"How are we to navigate through our media-saturated culture in a Christ-like way?" Have we been captivated by the media all around us? Are we a slave to it, or do we use it to advance God's kingdom? Are we simply being entertained, or are we actually being edified? Is there too much media in our lives? Do we need to cut back on how much we use it? Are we constantly on guard against Satan's schemes, or do we shut our brains off and just relax when we turn on the computer, radio, or TV?
I really appreciated the message of Captivated, a wonderful film that caused me to evaluate the way I use media in my own life. Its message convicted me. I hope you take the time to watch Captivated. Do not just watch it, but evaluate your life and ask the Holy Spirit to show you if you need to make any changes in this area of your life. Semper reformanda is a Latin term that means "always reforming." Every area of our lives must be reformed to the glory of God. May we glorify God in our media choices; may we be conformed to the image of Christ; and may we never stop reforming!
Showing posts with label entertainment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label entertainment. Show all posts
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Ashamed of the Gospel
I finished reading "Ashamed of the Gospel (When the Church Becomes Like the World)" by John MacArthur! It is an amazing book that I would recommend to anyone! I came away wishing there was more to read, and with a greater wealth of knowledge and passion for the purity of the Church and the gospel! This book deals with the pragmatism that has infected many churches. Many churches are so consumed with entertaining the goats, that they forget to feed the sheep. Not only this, but many pastors will dance around others feelings trying not to offend them. However, their job is not to make others feel comfortable but let them know the danger they are in and the hope that we have in Christ! If we do not tell others the danger they are in, they will not see their need for Christ. The gospel is offensive often, but that is what we are called to preach. This book is not only helpful for pastors, but all Christians. We are all called to share the gospel. The question is are we ashamed of it?
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Worthless
All around us there are things to see, do, hear, taste, and touch. Sometimes we observe these things on accident, and sometimes we set them before ourselves purposely. For instance, when you walk into a store you may glance at a television that is playing as you walk by and turn your gaze away if it is not God honoring. If you, however, rent a movie and watch it that would be setting it before you. We cannot always control what we encounter; however, we can control what we set before our eyes.
The Psalmist declares in psalm 101:3, " I will set no worthless thing before my eyes..." I find it interesting that he used the word worthless. In Hebrew the word translated as worthless actually means: "Without profit, worthlessness, (by extension) destruction,wickedness."How does this verse apply to us when evaluating what we put before ourselves? What sort of questions should we use to find out whether we should put something before us? When we evaluate what we are going to put before ourselves our question should be neither, " Does this have anything bad in it?"nor, " Does this have any thing good in it?". Here's why. It is very challenging to find movie, magazine, or book (besides the Bible) devoid of anything bad because corrupted people create corrupted matterials; on the other hand, just because there is one good thing in something, that does not make it valuable. The question we should ask is, "Is this valuable?".
It is true that there may be nothing inherently wrong with playing a race car video game, but is there any value in it? Not all things are a sin, but not all things are a good use of our time. Our culture has given too much room for time wasting and labeled it entertainment. In Ephesians 5:15-17 we read " Therefore be careful how you walk not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish but understand what the will of the Lord is." You can almost hear Paul's urgency through the verses on this page. The days are evil. Satan is seeking whom he may devour. He wants to destroy you and use you in the destruction of others. We are in a war. It may not be a sin to be entertained, but we are on the front lines and cannot afford to be distracted. This is an old military tactic. You distract your enemy and sneak in on them. Do you not think Satan is doing just that? He has got us so distracted that we do not even have a hand on our weapons! Far too often, we are just relaxing and amusing ourselves! We will give an answer to God for how we use the time He has given us; therefore, we must not waste it!
We should avoid wasting time by not setting worhtless things before us and seeking to glorify God in whatever we do. It is time for reformation in this area of our lives! We must be intentional with what God has given us including the time He's entrusted with us. This life is but a breath, but let it be a fragrant aroma to the Lord.
Your Servant in Christ,
Dallas
The Psalmist declares in psalm 101:3, " I will set no worthless thing before my eyes..." I find it interesting that he used the word worthless. In Hebrew the word translated as worthless actually means: "Without profit, worthlessness, (by extension) destruction,wickedness."How does this verse apply to us when evaluating what we put before ourselves? What sort of questions should we use to find out whether we should put something before us? When we evaluate what we are going to put before ourselves our question should be neither, " Does this have anything bad in it?"nor, " Does this have any thing good in it?". Here's why. It is very challenging to find movie, magazine, or book (besides the Bible) devoid of anything bad because corrupted people create corrupted matterials; on the other hand, just because there is one good thing in something, that does not make it valuable. The question we should ask is, "Is this valuable?".
It is true that there may be nothing inherently wrong with playing a race car video game, but is there any value in it? Not all things are a sin, but not all things are a good use of our time. Our culture has given too much room for time wasting and labeled it entertainment. In Ephesians 5:15-17 we read " Therefore be careful how you walk not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish but understand what the will of the Lord is." You can almost hear Paul's urgency through the verses on this page. The days are evil. Satan is seeking whom he may devour. He wants to destroy you and use you in the destruction of others. We are in a war. It may not be a sin to be entertained, but we are on the front lines and cannot afford to be distracted. This is an old military tactic. You distract your enemy and sneak in on them. Do you not think Satan is doing just that? He has got us so distracted that we do not even have a hand on our weapons! Far too often, we are just relaxing and amusing ourselves! We will give an answer to God for how we use the time He has given us; therefore, we must not waste it!
We should avoid wasting time by not setting worhtless things before us and seeking to glorify God in whatever we do. It is time for reformation in this area of our lives! We must be intentional with what God has given us including the time He's entrusted with us. This life is but a breath, but let it be a fragrant aroma to the Lord.
Your Servant in Christ,
Dallas
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Sailing Through the Sea of Music
In Philippians 4:8 we read, "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
Many times when people are listening to music, they are not really evaluating the message that it is conveying. The music we chose to listen to affects us though. We must be careful to use music correctly. It is a tool, and we should use it to enjoy its beauty, and to worship God.
If the lyrics of the song could not be described by Philippians 4:8, we should not be listening to it. Even if we think that the melody is pretty, and we just want to enjoy the musical aspect of the song. If the lyrics are not good, we should not be listening to the song. The questions we should ask ourselves are,"What is the message of this song?", "Is this glorifying to God?", and "Does this direct my attention towards or away from God?" God gave us music. We should praise God for and through it.
Many times when people are listening to music, they are not really evaluating the message that it is conveying. The music we chose to listen to affects us though. We must be careful to use music correctly. It is a tool, and we should use it to enjoy its beauty, and to worship God.
If the lyrics of the song could not be described by Philippians 4:8, we should not be listening to it. Even if we think that the melody is pretty, and we just want to enjoy the musical aspect of the song. If the lyrics are not good, we should not be listening to the song. The questions we should ask ourselves are,"What is the message of this song?", "Is this glorifying to God?", and "Does this direct my attention towards or away from God?" God gave us music. We should praise God for and through it.
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