BABYLON ON
DISPLAY
I watched
the first quarter of the Super Bowl and then I fell asleep. I present that so
no one will believe I am pristine in the matter about which I will address. Let
me say that I would not have watched the half time show, however if it were
Paul McCartney or something along those lines I may have. But I want to expose
the entire event as a colossal display of hedonism along the lines of the Roman
coliseum spectacles. Let us be honest here unless we wish to disregard God’s
Word: Things like the Super Bowl come completely unapproved by the Spirit.
All of us
have been on some level affected and even infected by the culture. And the
Super Bowl is as Babylonianish as it gets. It is a carnival for the flesh even
without the halftime strip club routines. Man’s devotion to his own abilities
and talents is almost measureless, and even the poor love to watch millionaires
play games. It is a multi-billion dollar industry arriving at the summit when
the Super Bowl arrives. Almost the entire nation is mesmerized by the game
itself. But even the commercials have become carefully crafted spectacles.
But the
event provides an unobstructed view of how far a fallen culture has gone. Money
is no object when it comes to entertainment, thrills, and just the pleasure of
distractions from the mundane. Excitement and the thrill of competition is a
narcotic in our humanistic culture. And then some believers who purposely do
not watch the Super Bowl will use that as a platform for self righteousness.
The entire issue is a melee.
But even
though some of us may have watched the game, how is it that churches could show
it? It was the third most watched Super Bowl ever, and to say that things like
that do not desensitize people to sin is simply untrue. But we have all been
systematically desensitized to sin by the culture. And things like the Super
Bowl including the halftime show would have almost been illegal a few decades
ago. And to think that Beyonce began singing in church as did many of these
modern sex symbols. And many of these athletes profess to be believers even though
their lifestyles say anything but being a follower of Jesus.
If this
Super Bowl had been televised in 1962 we all would have been shocked even if we
were not a believer. We as believers must realign our hearts and minds with
God’s Word and in so doing we would most definitely be shocked by what we see.
We live in a culture that is absolutely at odds with God and His Word, but
because men love darkness, we ourselves have been desensitized. Let us be
painfully honest here. The entire spectacle, including the football, is at odds
with spirit of the New Testament and the Person of Jesus Christ, and as I said,
I watched part of the game.
But this
should, this must reveal to us just how assimilated we have become inside the
culture. Things that we accept and even enjoy would be considered worldly in
the 1950’s. So that either means that believers in the 50s were legalistic
prudes, or that we have been infected and desensitized by our surroundings. The
word “Babylon” when used like I do means a system that is constructed to
elevate man and his pleasures and is against the Spirit of God.
And in times
past a believer could be tempted and then receive strength and correction by
the man of God and the church he attended. But not only is that no longer the
case, but most evangelical churches in America have bought into this Babylonian
system. And some will rail against the half time show in order to show how pure
they are, but they refuse to examine to totality of both the culture and their
own ecclesiastical construct. The church at large is now dead to Christ and
alive to Babylon. It may be impossible for any of us to fully realize the depth of
the compromise and even apostasy.
So this
year’s Super Bowl can be used by the Spirit not just as a target for our self
righteousness, but as a rod of correction for our own spiritual condition. If a
display as outlandish as the half time show is what is necessary to elicit our
disapproval, then we are without remedy. Our spiritual plight requires much
deeper and more penetrating repentance that is far greater than throwing stones
at the unsaved. We ourselves need to pursue personal repentance on a scale that
will bring forth many tears and produce much fruit. Do not pacify yourself with
a detached review of the world’s sinful ways.
If you are
waiting for a church to lead you, you will have a long wait. If you do not take
up a radical spiritual journey of your own you will stay where you are. The
question remains, do you desire more of Jesus? Yes the world around us is in
full decay mode, and yes these kinds of displays will only increase. But what about
us? Are we prisoners of the culture who cannot do anything but float along with
it? Or can we set our faces like a flint toward Christ and seek to humbly come
under the totality of His Lordship?
Make no
mistake, we live in Babylon. But make no mistake, our lives are in Christ. From
which well will you draw your water? The situation is desperate. Are you?
Posts
33 comments:
My dear brother – this message really hits home for me. I was very involved in basketball in high school, military and recreation leagues until my mid 30’s and then church softball teams. I was also heavily involved with cars (racing, shows, etc.). I spent a LOT of time and money on both. It has taken a LONG time for me to understand what the Spirit of God was saying regarding these matters and it would take pages to explain. But let me just say they aren’t from God or drawing me along a narrow path. As you so aptly stated these things are “at odds with spirit of the New Testament and the Person of Jesus Christ”. For me personally, these particular verses are ringing in my ears and spirit. “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’ Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock.” I think this whole paradigm is a lot more serious than we realize and for sure what is being taught and preached from pulpits. And this applies especially to me.
When we draw from the beatitudes (Matthew 5-7) verses like what you reference Least Brother I'm reminded just how much the Law of Righteousness informs me that as one coined the beatitudes that they are meant to be more as the bewaritudes. The more and more my spirit is opened to the Spirit of Grace and Truth so my inner man as well as outer can be washed clean by the blood of Christ and the Word of God the more I see what the intent is for the Words Jesus spoke there as recorded at Matthew 5-7 and just how profound this verse that informs of this reality about my own inner lawlessness and unwillingness to be something other than the Head who is Christ.
Here is that verse:
Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law. (Romans 3:31 ESV)
The reality is very simple. We need Grace and Mercy daily and maybe as one brother once exclaimed in disgust at just weak his flesh and proned to enter back onto the broad way, minutely.
These articles Rick is publishing is increasing an awareness just how antichrist my flesh is and equally just how easy it is to be gratified by the things this present world has to offer to drawn my attention away from Christ and Kindom Life on earth as it is in Heaven.
I'd focus my remarks now pointing to some verses from the book of the Revelation to John to underscore the need to separate from this world and all her spirits Satan being the god behind them as the god of this world:
And the kings of the earth, who committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her, will weep and wail over her when they see the smoke of her burning. They will stand far off, in fear of her torment, and say, "Alas! Alas! You great city, you mighty city, Babylon! For in a single hour your judgment has come." And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn for her, since no one buys their cargo anymore, cargo of gold, silver, jewels, pearls, fine linen, purple cloth, silk, scarlet cloth, all kinds of scented wood, all kinds of articles of ivory, all kinds of articles of costly wood, bronze, iron and marble, cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and slaves, that is, human souls. "The fruit for which your soul longed has gone from you, and all your delicacies and your splendors are lost to you, never to be found again!" The merchants of these wares, who gained wealth from her, will stand far off, in fear of her torment, weeping and mourning aloud, "Alas, alas, for the great city that was clothed in fine linen, in purple and scarlet, adorned with gold, with jewels, and with pearls! For in a single hour all this wealth has been laid waste." And all shipmasters and seafaring men, sailors and all whose trade is on the sea, stood far off and cried out as they saw the smoke of her burning, What city was like the great city? And they threw dust on their heads as they wept and mourned, crying out, "Alas, alas, for the great city where all who had ships at sea grew rich by her wealth! For in a single hour she has been laid waste. (Revelation 18:9-19 ESV)
Sorry, another two part comment:
Part one:
God's Love is truly Great, and beyond our understanding. No wonder His Word is written for the believer only. For it is only the believer who can understand, by the power of the Holy Spirit, that God seeks to destroy sin and the sinner, but then at the same time shows and tells us a way to avoid that destruction and judgement to come. And knowing our weakness, gives us a way to stay on the straight and narrow. Please see all the scripture pertaining to my comment below:
Psalm 9:8
And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness.
Matthew 10:15
Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.
Romans 1:32
Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
Hebrews 9:27
And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
1 John 4:17
Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
Romans 8:1
There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Romans 8:3
For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
Hebrews 10:23
Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
1 Thessalonians 5:24
Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.
1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Galatians 5:1
Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
Galatians 5:13
For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.
Part two:
I do not pretend to know more than anyone else, especially those called to preach. But when I read these scriptures it tells me something. It says that God sent His Son because He needed to find a better way to draw us to Him. Israel was to be an Holy Nation, a Peculiar people, to demonstrate to the world how to follow God. They did not fulfill this due to hardness of heart, stubbornness, weak flesh. A fine example of mankind. So He sent His Son who took on human flesh although sinless, he felt and experienced the things we feel and experience every day. He then became our ransom so that we would not have to pay the penalty most justly due us. Then through those He chose to teach and start the Body of Christ, weak men as we are, He began to build upon His foundation He set when He walked the earth, and then died for us. But He knows us, every cell in our bodies, every thought before we have them, He knows. Can't get more naked than that. But, to those who call upon His name, He hears them and saves them. He has His Word for us to learn. We will fail Him, so what does He do? He makes a way for us to repent. And repent we must EVERY DAY if not moment by moment. We seem to forget we are still in this wretched flesh, but will be like Him when He comes to call us home.
I know I sin and I hate it. I hate the fact that I will continue to do so until I can take off this flesh. Paul spoke about this because if we do not have hope, we will die in our sins! How many people say to me, "well since I sin and I will continue to sin, what good is following Jesus?" They think that when they accept Jesus as Lord and Savior that they will be perfect. This is just not true. As much as it pains me, if I say I no longer sin, I am a liar. I watched the superbowl, parts of it, but I did not watch the half time part because I know what they do in these sinful spectacles. And God forgive me, I enjoyed the competition. But I by no means think that Ray Lewis is a Godly man, no more than I think Tim Tebow is because their lifestyles say other wise. But their kind of "christianty" is what my husband admires. They are happy he says, not full of woe like me. Full of woe because I know what is in store for my husband is he doesn't repent.
I am not giving license to sin, but I watch tv, but I do not let it take over my life. I am working to increase my time in the Word, and fellowship with my brothers and sisters in Christ. I run here every day to learn and fellowship. I am accused, Praise God, of spending too much time in the Word. I grimace because I don't think I spend enough!
If watching the superbowl is a sin, then I repent. I repent in general because even if I am not aware of it, I know I sin. Flesh still on me.
I do most certainly believe though Pastor that your blog is to bring us back to our knees and to repentance when we do stray. So my prayer is that God continue to use you for His Glory, and those who comment and fellowship here continue to edify and uplift, and correct one another in love to the profound Glory, Honor and Praise to our Heavenly Father, and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
your sister in Christ Jesus,
Cherie c.
1 Peter 2:15-17
15 For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:
16 As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.
17 Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.
"It says that God sent His Son because He needed to find a better way to draw us to Him."
Point of clarity. God sent His Son because He loved the world and so that the world through Jesus might be saved. It had not6hing to do with a better way. It was the only way. The Law was just an incubator waiting for the cross.
It's so true how saturated in the culture I was, and still am. It's like we're in sticky glue. We can't seem to find anything un-babyloniaish. Everywhere we turn, it's there, luring us.
My husband and I just spent a couple of hours without power in this blizzard; the house was getting very cold and our water usage is dependent on electricity, so no water pressure, or no phone, because our phone is powered through our cable company and when the power is down, our internet, cable and phone services are nil. We sat and talked about bible things. It took all those piped in worldly things to stop before we could actually have a discussion without any interruptions.
It makes me realize how dependent and addicted we are to being 'connected'. Either by cellphone, i-phones, i-pods, internet, texting, communicating, keeping updated moment by moment on every happening, every scores on favorite games. How can anyone have time to commit to thinking on God and prayer?
We are distracted at every turn. Distracted by news, facebook friends, etc. I've refused to get a cellphone, because there's too many voices and distractions. When I'm in stores, so many people are hooked up to their headsets or cellphones, texting or talking to someone telling them what aisle they're shopping in and what they're doing every second.
I don't know if people can undo the habits that they've formed with this constant attention-seeking, But if the church doesn't, we will never see any revivals. I don't know what it takes for us to wake up from this technological slumber.
In case the power goes out again, I'll just publish this for now and am thinking on this good post from Bro. Rick.
All so true. And it reminded me of how a church we used to attend had become so dependent on all the trappings of being media-savvy. The services were video-taped. There were cameras pointing in all directions. Not just for the pastor, who delivered the sermon, but on people sitting in the pews. Then, they installed projection screens on the walls as well. Then, when the pastor would travel overseas, he'd transmit a message to our church through streaming video. It started to feel, to me, like we were being watched while we tried to listen and learn. I personally don't like a camera streaming on me, so, it felt invasive. I know it started out in a well-meaning fashion. But, pastors, like the world, can become gadget freaks.
Whatever the newest invention on the market is, they're the first ones at the store openings. In fact, our pastor used to be seen at the big box tech stores trying to outdo one another (LOL).
Living in a Babylon system which is everywhere, is becoming increasingly hard to keep on solid christian ground. If it's not vices and additions that keep christians from growing, it's "distraction" of our robotic that is entertainment and pleasure oriented all the time. Left and right of me, everywhere I go, 9 out of 10 people are either leaving or just arriving from a tropical vacation. My bank has this screen showing beautiful sandy beaches, luring me to want to be on warm and sandy beaches. It's sometimes too much, because I've never even been to Florida and I start to feel sorry for myself. I need to seek a quiet place and remember how thankful I need to be. If I step out of my home into the world, I'm hit with all these expectations that the world has. And because I can't afford the lifestyle, my peers (even those in church) don't find me a very interesting person.
Just sharing my thoughts on how difficult it is getting, trying to live in a society that is always keeping up with the Jones. And for a christian, it makes us just that more filled with matter.
Pastor, Clarity received and appreciated, but didn't Jesus come to Israel first? When training the Apostles, didn't He first admonish them not to go to the Gentiles? The law became a source of rule over the people on the behalf of the Pharisees and Scribes didn't it? Jesus came to fulfill the law, but they rejected Him. Then the plan was to save the Gentiles so that Israel would become jealous. Please clarify further. Thank you Pastor.
Anonymous,
If I may offer what I do. I covert my mornings for quiet time with the Lord (need to spend longer in prayer though), Bible reading and then I come to this blog to learn and fellowship. I really get withdrawal when I am not in the Word some days. This time is so precious to me. It is truly the best part of my day. Saturday and Sunday I get very little time because everyone is home and I must be keeper of the home, although I have on occassion spent an entire Saturday in the Word, listening to preaching, in fellowship much to my husbands...well let me say, he is not happy about it. I want to burst forth and tell him all I have learned but he tunes me out or gets on me for doing so. I get discouraged, but it doesn't stop me from continuing in the Word.
Actually, I spend time doing this as much as possible during the day and evening in between other things I do. At work I go to Bible-gateway and listen to Bible while I work. I really love this! Makes the day go faster, and I so love to hear the Word.
But in the morning, it is quiet, no one is awake and I get to spend time with the Word, my Lord, and my brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus. What a banquet! What a privilege! I wouldn't change it for all the tv programs in the world. The only time I get out of sorts with not having the internet is when I cannot fellowship. This blog and those here are all I have when it comes to brothers and sisters. I want to be here. I want to read the Word, I want to pray. This took some time and great denial to get to this point, and I have a ways to go. I am truly Blessed!
I am delighted to know you had some time with your husband to spend talking about God. I pray you two make it a point to schedule times like that in the near future and that God give the increase in that time. I will lift you and your husband up to the Lord and pray that He will increase the time you both spend in His Word and with each other in the Lord. Please have a blessed day!
Love you all,
Cherie c.
The methodology Jesus employed was varied. However God so loved the world that He sent His Son. And Jesus was the Lamb slain before the foundations of the world. God's plan was always meant for the entire world. It did not change due to circumstances. :)
Thank you Pastor, Simply put, completely understood. Learning. =D
Cherie,
God's Word isn't written for the believer only. I was privileged to be blessed by God's word decades before I became born again, for God is a teacher and rewarder of non-believers too!
Hard-hitting and accurate once again. Rick, your final paragraph hit me especially hard, and the italics, too. I grieve a little because the journey of repentance and consecration seems a solitary journey right now, and thus all the more difficult to sustain. Thanks be to the Lord Who calls us, keeps us, Who is at work in us both to will and to do His good pleasure!
Not so solitary with the fellowship here!
Victoria
1 Corinthians 7:14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.
I have a question which has burdened me forever, Rick. I am a believer and try to talk to my husband about Jesus. He believes more now since he was healed of lung cancer but hasn't made a confession of faith. What does the above verse mean? We all have our own choices to make. I just don't want to spend eternity w/o my husband. -Noel
I agree with Victoria :) - Noel
Hi Reine,
But did you understand it? Only Born Again, Spirit filled believers can understand God's Word, and I believe this due to my son. He read the Bible and this honor student could not comprehend what he was reading and still does not. He is however, I can see struggling with this. Praise God. My prayer for him is to be broken and draw close to the Lord so that he does not face eternity separate from God.
your sister in Christ Jesus,
Cherie c.
Noel - This verse is somewhat of a mystery, however I believe it to mean that a marriage is still legitimate in God's eyes even when only one partner is a believer. It cannot mean that both are saved. So God is saying that a believer should stay married to an unbeliever since God approves of it.
But if an unbeliever chooses to leave then the believer is not to blame and can let the unbeliever depart. BTW _ In heaven we will not see someone as our former spouses. That is a misnomer.
If only God decides who He will enlighten than praying for our children is moot since God may not decide to enlighten them. Jesus said, "If I be lifted up I will draw ALL MEN unto Me." God will enlighten those who seek Him. He is not willing that any should perish.
Cain found no repentance because he could not undue what he had done. This is not the forum to teach any form of Calvinism. Sorry.
John 1:9 He was the true Light which ENLIGHTENS EVERY MAN coming into the world.
Mark 4
King James Version (KJV)
4 And he began again to teach by the sea side: and there was gathered unto him a great multitude, so that he entered into a ship, and sat in the sea; and the whole multitude was by the sea on the land.
2 And he taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in his doctrine,
3 Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow:
4 And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up.
5 And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth:
6 But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.
7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.
8 And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred.
9 And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
10 And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable.
11 And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables:
12 That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.
13 And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?
14 The sower soweth the word.
15 And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.
16 And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness;
17 And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended.
18 And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,
19 And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.
20 And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.
But out of the four types of hearts that have been ENLIGHTENED only ONE hears the Word and receives it (SALVATION) and IS BORN AGAIN and will bear fruit.
Matthew 7:13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for WIDE is the gate, and BROAD is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and MANY there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and NARROW is the way, which leadeth unto life, and FEW there be that find it.
Rick you say "God enlightens those who seek after Him."
What do you mean? This implies there is at least some good in some of us.
My understanding comes from:
Romans 3:10, and also
Romans 3:11 There is none that understand, there is none that seek after God.
Shannon
I believe in a God given free will. But I will not entertain that redundant disussion here. Everyone can believe what they want. Peace.
Cheire - Soemtimes the comment does not show which post. That is the case in your last one. Which old post was that?
The posts from 2006 Pastor. The New Covenant, The one about the Anti-Christ and a few others. I have been praying for greater understanding and the last few days the Lord has lead me to your beginning posts from 2006. Back to basics I am thinking. But by doing so it has wrought a sorrow I cannot explain. Seeing Jonathan's testimony reminded me of my sons. The Lord awoke me at 5:18 this morning and it had been very grievous for me ever since.
And then seeing the posts here today has broken me some more. Why all the contention here!? This is a place of learning from the Lord! A place of fellowship! Why all the cantankerousness? I am grieved at this. Are we forgetting who we are?
Conviction comes from the Holy Spirit, not from each other. Victoria I like your comment. Noel, I too want my sons and husband to spend eternity with us.
Victoria, dear sister please pray for me. Having a really tough day.
Love to you all.
your sister in Christ Jesus,
Cherie c
This really needs to be re-posted.
Pastor the Holy Spirit is really speaking here. You wrote this post in 2009: http://judahslion.blogspot.com/2009/04/end-times-i-pet.html
It is amazing how true it has become. All the Glory to God for His warnings.
This is apropos at anytime of the year:
Thanksgiving
Have a blessed Thanksgiving! Remember, most of Paul's references to giving thanks to God were never about material things. Paul never had much of this world's goods, nor did he seek them. His thanks always centered on Christ and all the inherent Spiritual benefits that come with knowing Him. Everything was "dung" compared with knowing Jesus, as it should be with us.
Think about the catch-22 of materialism. Everything we own requires our time, maintenance, thought life, and has a tendency to keep us earth-bound both in heart and practice. It never satisfies, and we are on the treadmill of bigger houses, bigger cars, bigger televisions, bigger salaries, bigger everything that reveal our desires. How about bigger prayer lives, bigger Word lives, bigger mission lives, bigger and deeper surrender to Jesus and His Lordship?
A suggestion: take 5 minutes and spend it just basking in the shadow of His cross with brokenness and thanksgiving. Many servants of Jesus will give thanks for the cultural emendates that we are "entrusted" with, but let us honor Jesus for that which should completely captivate our hearts. Remember, everything of this world was created by just a spoken Word, but our Spiritual heritage cost God the death of His Son!! Thank you Jesus, we could never know how much it cost you on that cross, but we repent and release all the THINGS of this world in the light of knowing and following you, our Lord and King. THANK YOU FATHER, SON, AND HOLY SPIRIT!!!!
Yes, we do, indeed, live in Babylon. Satan has done a really exceptional job of layering the lies so that it is ONLY with the help of the Holy Spirit that we are able to find the WAY, the TRUTH and finally, LIFE. John 6:44tells us:
For no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them to me, and at the last day I will raise them up. (NLT)
I don't know if there is "Chapter and verse" proof of this, but I like to believe that since God does not want anyone to perish that He is drawing all men to himself when Jesus is lifted up. So, we as the body of Christ NEED to be lifting Him up at all times - even and especially when we are living within the Babylonian system (without being enthralled with or bought into the Babylonian sytems). We are all responsible for how much we BUY INTO the Adversary's Babylonian Sytems. The Holy Spirit even convicts me about time I spend watching cooking shows and time spent reading internet blogs (about God!) if I put any of them before HIM! He must be our first, our last and our everything.
I just wanted to address as you have done so often on your blog that many of things we are so comfortable with are things that God does not want us to love, but those things or places bring about situations where we, as His body and messengers, are needed to be in order to spread His message and bring glory to His name. He told us to "Go...", and so in going, we have to realize that we will be in places and seeing things that are not necessarily in our own best interests. We must learn that our allegiance is to Jesus, hate the things of the Adversary's Babylonian world system, and love the lost who actively take part in that system. Every moment can be a "gospel-sharing moment".
Just about EVERYTHING on tv today goes against the way of God....it's influence is negative in every respect and there's an agenda to it. Numbs everyone and causes acceptance of worldly idols and values. Everyone would do best just not to turn the thing on. Even the commercials have me yelling, "DON'T LOOK!"
Awful. Just a clear view of exactly how far we as society have fallen and what is viewed as acceptable, good and entertaining by the masses.
ANM
Although I do believe that TV can become an idol for some, I do not believe it should be avoided completely. As with all things in our life, we need to place it on the list where it cannot become consuming. I use the TV for information. Most American news stations I believe spend more time advertising for themselves then giving the news, but for local weather reports and some local information it is somewhat useful. I try to watch BBC (not BBC America), or euro news because they tell it like it is. Not flowery seqways, just what is happening. We need to be aware of what is going on around us, but not make it a focus like doomsday preppers do.
I enjoy the cooking shows, and listen to some Gospel music at night if I cannot sleep and other shows, usually old western reruns. LOL, most of the time I have it on while I am on the computer (Biblegateway, this blog) with the sound off. Then I just turn it off. But when my husband gets up on a Saturday morning I cringe because instead of just enjoying the quiet, and be at peace, he cannot help but turn it on, then it is on all weekend. I hate it. I like the quiet of the morning to spend time with the Lord and His Word and it is difficult to do so with the TV on. When we were hit with hurricane sandy, it wasn't the computer I missed or the TV, it was the lights I missed most. I can do without those other things, it was the light I found most difficult to do without. When we borrowed the generator from my nephew, I Praised the Lord for the light. Still no internet, but that was okay as long as there was light.
We are surrounded by "things" all competing for our time, but if we make the right choices to put "things in the proper perspective, then we reduce the risk of making "things" an idol.
I covet quiet time, Word study time, prayer time, but I know I can use more of my time in those areas and I am keeping it all before the Lord.
I know some will not agree with me.
Love to all brothers and sisters,
Cherie c.
Good thoughts Cherie. They line up with Psalm 46,10 which says" Be still and know that I am God". I t is so true what you say: we all need light and spiritual light!
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