Thursday, August 17, 2017

Selling our Souls for a few Hours of Pleasure?

Please give this video a look. I know some of you may not appreciate the way the host goes about saying what he's saying, but the words are absolutely true. We often try to convince ourselves that, as the host here puts it, "we're adults" and those things on TV are not really going to affect our minds.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Jesus said that what comes out of the mouth is a reflection of what's inside the man. If that is what is constantly coming out of the mouths of the people you're watching on TV, then that's what's in their heart and by definition that is what you're going to be ingesting into your brain (and heart). Sooner or later that is going to have an effect on you. If you begin to think that you're immune, be careful that you do not fall (1 Corinthians 10:12).

I heard a believer one time tell me "well, if you're going to eliminate all the cursing and dirtiness you see on TV, you'll never be able to watch TV at all." Well, why is that a problem? If it takes not watching TV in order to avoid the constant barrage of filth that some shows are known for, then stop watching. You wouldn't watch an X rated show, would you? If so, where exactly will you draw the line if you start watching things that base their stories on garbage. It's one thing to watch something that now and then has some questionable things in it (although even that should be subjected to our censorship). But it's another all together to watch things that make it their aim to scandalize the viewer as much as possible! Television producers are humans like the rest of us. In most cases, sad to say, they are depraved human beings who are out to push a particular agenda on the viewing public.

We need to be discerning. As a famous preacher once said, "don't watch on TV things that could place your soul in jeopardy." I don't think it can be said any better.

And by the way, I don't want any of you to think that I'm directing this personally at you because I believe you're engaging in such behavior. I don't know whether you are or you're not. I simply want to call your attention to something that all too often goes unchecked because we just don't think about it often enough. The key here is to follow the injunction in Philippians 4:8 and think on things that are edifying.

Blessings to all.


Sunday, August 6, 2017

A Man Centered World

I recently finished reading through the book of Exodus. I, like many others, have often wondered how it could be possible that a people who witnessed first-hand the amazing works that God did in their midst and in their behalf, be so unbelieving? How is it that they could experience miracle after miracle, from the plagues that afflicted the Egyptians, to the parting of the Red Sea and the drowning of the pursuers, and still be so unbelieving? Indeed, one of the first things they did once they had been delivered from Egypt, was to complain that they had no water!