First, the Razorback basketball team was playing Kentucky yesterday, when I had the peace and quiet to work on this devotion. The girls, 6, and 8 were with Mom at a birthday party. I was tempted to turn on the game, but I knew this was the only time to get finish up this devotion and work on the Sunday school lesson, so I prioritized my work and I put God first. We have a tendency to let the world get in the way.
We live in a sick and dying world. One of the news headlines from Tuesday was that a Father Allegedly Tells Son, 4 to Shoot while in McDonald’s Drive Thru.
Four-year-old boy fired a gun at police officers on the instruction of his father
Father brandished gun at staff at McDonald’ in Midvale, Salt Lake City, Monday
Police were removing the man from the car when they saw gun pointed at them
An officer was able to swipe the gun to the side as the child opened fire at them
Another headline read Mental Issue Raised in Boys Body in Freezer Case in Vegas
The more outrageous the headline the more clicks. The more money generated on these websites. It’s about how many clicks or how much traffic they can generate on their sites or how many people read their stories and the gorier the story the better in this sick world.
Just look at what is infiltrating our minds: Just take a look at the TV shows that are popular today:
Shows like The Bachelorette, the Bachelor, 90 day fiancé and Naked and Afraid and yes there is a series called Evil. What are we polluting our minds with? And what are we allowing our kids to watch on the internet?
We become what we watch, garbage in garbage out right? It’s the same with what you eat. You are what you eat. I mean look at me. I’m turning into a fish. It’s the same with what you feed your mind.
Should a Christian watch TV, R rated movies, PG-13 rated movies (Mark Ballenger 2015)
“Game of Thrones,” the “Big Bang Theory,” or soap operas? Should Christians watch anything on TV other than low budget, cheesy Christian movies that play too much slow, epic music throughout every scene of inner turmoil the main character goes through? To most of us, it seems “Christian entertainment” forgot the “entertainment” part.
So what’s a Christian to do who enjoys watching TV? Chuck the TV out the window? Suck it up and just watch “Fireproof” and other Kirk Cameron specials until reading through the genealogies and ceremonial lists found in the Old Testament begin to look like a better source of fun? Perhaps there’s a better way.
What Christians Watch on TV is What Matters
Rather than making sweeping statements that watching any television show or movie is sinful unless they are “Christian,” it’s important to note that the Scriptures do not condemn means of communications but rather types of content.
All joking aside, there is great danger to the Christian who is watching hours of sinful images on TV every day, day in and day out. Throughout the pages of Scriptures there are warnings to guard our eyes and to be careful about what we watch (Matthew 6:22-23, Psalm 119:37, Exodus 20:4-5)
According to verses like Matthew 6:22-23, the reason we must be careful of the content we watch is because what we look at is what we let into ourselves. All humans know from experience, sinning can simply start with what we see. When a man sees too much of a woman’s body, when a person sees that dessert, or when a shopaholic sees the signs for a huge sale, the desire to indulge in sin grows the longer we stare at the tempting image before us.”
But I think there are certain TV shows and movies we as Christians can watch, shows about fishing, cooking, and cooking fish. There’s also Christian movies we can watch on Pure Flix.
It seems it easier to cuss, smoke, drink, lie, cheat and steal nowadays in this sick and dying world, but as children of God, we are held to higher standards. We need to try and live God pleasing lives and shine our lights with the intent of leading lost souls to Jesus Christ before it’s everlasting too late.
The world is dying right before our eyes, so what are we supposed to do about this? We could just turn the TV off, and read our Bible’s, fast and pray, go to church, and surround ourselves with Godly people.
We need to reach this sick and dying world. We need to shine our lights in everything we do. We need to reach out to the lost. The people that don’t have a relationship with Jesus yet, before it’s everlasting too late.
We need to hand out donuts at the gas station, we need to flip pancakes for the young men and women on Prom Night morning.
We need to have Youth Night, reaching out to the Youth before it’s too late.
We need to have more kid’s camp.
We prayed for a revival to break out in this country. We need a revival.
So what is the answer? The answer is on the sign “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus, look full into his wonderful face and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.”
We need Jesus to come back and gather the church and save us from this sick and dying world. Why hasn’t Jesus already gathered the church, because there is more work to do. There are more donuts to pass out at Kess’s corner. There are more pancakes to flip for the young men and women on prom morning. There are more brother hood breakfasts to have. There’s more kids camp to have. There is more Heaven’s Gates and Hell’s Flames to have.
So more specifically what are we to do while we are waiting for Jesus’ return?
Philippians 3:20 “For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:
21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.”
So what are we to do in the meantime while we wait on the return of Jesus Christ? 1 Thessalonians 14 “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”
Wherefore comfort one another with these words”.
Jesus is coming back, we may not know the hour
“Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.” Matthew 25:13
“Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning” Mark 13:35
What else are we supposed to do while we wait?
Philippians 1:5. “For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now;
6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ”
We are supposed to wait, continue working and comfort each other with these words.
1 Thessalonians 18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”
Carry the Load 