“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” (Philippians 4:8-9 ESV)
When I was a young adult, young in my Christian faith and practice, I was discerning and picky about what I would allow myself to watch on TV. I can’t say I did that perfectly, but I was guarded about what I watched and about what I would allow my children to watch. But little by little the influences of the world were introduced into my home via movie rentals, and then my husband and I became avid movie watchers. And little by little we allowed a little bit more than we did before until eventually we compromised too far.
And then the Lord convicted me that I needed to stop watching stuff that was dishonoring to him, and so I did, and then a few years later I asked my husband if he would do something with me, and if he would pray about it, for he professes faith in Jesus Christ. I asked him if he would take all of our movies, and we had a hundred of them, probably, and if he would examine each one of them with me against this Scripture in Philippians 4. So, we did that, and I think we only had two movies left that passed the test.
That was in 2008, I believe, which is when we also got rid of our TV. We didn’t have a TV again until just recently. Then a neighbor of ours was moving out and he could not take one of his TVs with him, and my husband asked him if he could have the TV. But at first we were using it for Wii bowling, which is bowling with a remote and not a real live ball, and on a TV screen, and not live and in person. For this is exercise for us, which we need, and physically it is the only bowling I can do because I have neuropathy in one leg.
But then he started looking at movies, and then I asked him about looking at Christian movies to see if there were any decent ones. For I had tried “Christian” films many years ago which were not much better than the non-Christian films because they were trying to be too realistic, and they were putting in my mind things I did not want there. And most of them that we saw that were called “Christian” didn’t even mention the name of Jesus, but they seemed more ecumenical with a generic “all fit” god.
Anyway, we found a group of movies on YouTube TV by the Christiano brothers, which have been clean cut, honoring to God, and promoting the truth of the gospel, from what I have seen so far. For in their stories they present faith in Jesus Christ as us repenting of our sins and then turning our lives over to Jesus Christ to follow him with our lives, under his command, and resulting in changed lives which are following Jesus in obedience and which are no longer living for the sinful pleasures of the flesh. Refreshing!
So this evening we watched another one of their movies called, “Power of the Air,” which is on YouTube, and is a Dave Christiano Film. And in this movie we were presented with the reality of the spiritual condition of the church in America, at large, and how so much (probably the majority) of what is called “church” is so far from God and from who he saved and called us to be and to do. For so many professing Christians are so worldly and they are living not much different from those non-professers of faith.
And the film largely centered on movie watching and how so many people who call themselves Christians today are busy entertaining themselves with the garbage that the world is putting out and so their lives are not surrendered to Jesus Christ, and they are not walking in obedience to his commands, and so they are not the light of the world and the salt of the earth shining the light of the gospel to the people of the world, because they are joining in with the world in being entertained by the world.
And as I was thinking about all of this, and how that used to be me, too, but how the Lord has turned my life around – all glory to God – then the Lord put the lyrics to a secular song in my mind which describes how many professing Christians today approach faith in Jesus Christ. It is much like some of the lyrics to the secular song, “I Have Nothing,” which was famously sung by Whitney Houston:
“Share my life, take me for what I am
'Cause I'll never change all my colors for you
Take my love, I'll never ask for too much
Just all that you are and everything that you do.”
[By Carlo Donida / Giulio Mogol Rapetti / Jerry Leiber / Mike Stoller
They want Jesus Christ, but on their terms, not on his terms. And they want him to do for them whatever they want him to do, but they want Jesus to take them just as they are, for they don’t intend to change who they are and what they do, because they don’t believe they have to. For many are being taught that they don’t have to do anything. But while it is true that we can do nothing to earn nor to deserve our own salvation, in our own flesh, true biblical faith in Jesus Christ requires death to sin and living to God.
For Jesus said that his true sheep listen to (heed) him, he knows them, and they follow him in obedience (John 10:27-30), and they have eternal life, and they will not perish, etc. And he also taught that if anyone would come after him, he must deny self, take up his cross daily (die daily to sin and to self) and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to our old lives of living in sin and for self, we will lose them for eternity. But if for Jesus’ sake we deny self, die daily to sin, and walk in obedience to his commands, then we have the hope of salvation from sin and eternal life with God (Luke 9:23-26).
[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 10:1-22; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-24; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:1-17; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; 1 Pet 2:24; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 10:23-31; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15]
Video Talk
https://youtu.be/dyiIKS93Msc
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The Spirit Calling
An Original Work / November 12, 2019
Hear the Spirit calling.
He’ll keep you from falling.
Tenderly He’s calling,
“Come and follow Him.”
Walk with Jesus daily.
Don’t give in to lazy.
Folks may call you crazy.
Fellowship with Him.
Follow where He leads you.
Eat what Jesus feeds you.
His love will renew you
If you follow Him.
Do what Jesus tells you.
Don’t let your faith fail you.
His love will avail you
If you walk with Him.
Jesus, Lord and Savior,
Reigneth now forever.
He gave us His favor
So we’d live with Him.
Turning now from our sin,
Holy Spirit live-in.
Holiness we walk in,
Purified by Him.
https://vimeo.com/373006449
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