31 Reasons Why

Tonight my pastor taught about something that we as Christians, people who are striving to be like Christ, should not have as part of our lives. Yes, he spoke about television and the movie industry. No, he did not just give us examples or simply admonish us to refrain. He took the time and gave us scriptural reasons we should refrain. Oh, and the bible study he taught was not something he put together himself. It was originally put together by an Assemblies of God minister back in the 60's. The scriptures are still the same, God is still the same, but television is DEFINITELY different than it was back then! There are people of great intelligence who have chosen to refrain from having a television in their homes. They feel it is a waste of time and can "dumb down" a child that is exposed to it. Psychologists have said that children are being numbed by the violence they see. That children's psyche are being adversely affected. In fact, many of Hollywood's own stars do not allow their own children to watch television or the movies they themselves are a part of. Why? Because there is too much violence, sex, mayhem, gossip, etc. that they don't want their children to be damaged by.

I am not judging anyone who has a television. Instead, I challenge all of us to study the scriptures that were given tonight and honestly seek God's will about this topic. If you are interested, you can listen to the Bible Study at http://inlandlighthouse.com on the Sermons tab. The title of the Bible Study is "Scriptural Reasons Why Television and Hollywood are Unacceptable to a Christian."

My husband took down the scripture references and reason from each scripture while our pastor spoke. Here is the list he compiled:

Deut 7;26
Do not bring an abomination into your house

Psalms 1:1-2
It puts viewers in the seat of the scornful.

Psalms 101 2-3
No wicked thing before my eyes

2 Cor 6:14
  Fellow-shipping with works of darkness

Phil 4:5
It pollutes righteous thoughts

2 Cor 6 16-17
Touching the unclean things

Rev 21;2 Luke 1:17
Unsuited for the someone preparing him/herself  to be the "bride" of Christ.

Eph 5: 14-16
We are not to waste time but to redeem it.

Eph 5: 3-13
Do not partake of idols with the children of disobedience
.
Amos 6: 1-3-4-6
Viewers are sitting in the seat of violence, which take away the grief for sin. Fences are deadened

Romans 12: 1-2
Does not renew your mind, in Godly thinking

1 Cor 5 6-7
Represents the leaven of the world
It should be purged from the home.

Col 3:1-6
Mortify all things ungodly.
Don't set your affection on things beneath.

Col 3:8
Put off filthy communications

1 Thess 2:10-12
Not walking worthy of God, it is unholy

1 Thes 3:4-7
Viewers are not keeping themselves holy.

James 3:10-12
It is a polluted fountain

Jeremiah 8:12
It takes away the blush of sin.

Rev 3:18
Jesus calls us to anoint our eyes.
Do not poison our eyes

2 Cor 7:1
Cleanse ourselves.

2 Cor 4 1-2
Renounce the hidden things of dishonesty

Psalms 97:7
Idols that confuse and confound

Mark 9:42
It offends children and causes them to stumble.

Psalms 19 7-14
Viewing becomes presumptuous sin
In your face sins!! Let them not have dominion over me!!

Rom 13: 12-14.  And 1 John 3:3
We need to cast off works of darkness. Put on Jesus Christ.

Deut 7 5-6
God commands us to tear down unholiness, idols.

James 4: 3-4
Friendship with the world is enmity with God

1 Pet 3 10- 13
Hate evil, eschew evil. Love life and see good days.

2 Pet 3:13-17
Is it only a spot on your garment?
It is still wrong!!

1 John 2 15-17
Fulfills the lust of the flesh, pride of life!!

Hosea 14-8
Overcomers who have seen Jesus do not need it!!!

Joy of Things Past

We, as knowledge seeking humans, are forever looking over our shoulders at "What Could Have Been's", "What Should Have Been's", "Oh, My Why Did I??'s", and a host of other ruminations about what has happened in our lives. Looking back can give you insight but most often it simply re-condemns you for things you allowed to happen or did to others and yourself. Oh, sure there are good things that happen in life, Thank the Lord, and those are always nice to pull out of the mental filing cabinet and reminisce on the happiness and joy you felt. But more often than not, we find ourselves reminiscing about the "one that got away", the sins we committed before coming to know Jesus, or more likely, the sins we committed AFTER coming to know Jesus.

The sneaky little snake that has been around since Eden likes to remind us of the failures and sins of our pasts. He likes to point out how many times we fell, how many people we hurt, how many times we disappointed God. But I just want to take a moment today to say, "Snake, you conniving little devil, get thee behind me!" My sins, my failures of past days have been repented of, forgiven by my Father, washed in the blood of the Lamb, and when God looks at me today, He only sees a forgiven child striving to do her best to live for Him. He only sees the red stain that blots out the black sins once written in The Lamb's Book of Life. And me? I choose to look toward the future and the glorious things God has in store for my life.

What happened in the past, stays in the past. I am an overcomer through Christ and I choose to only see the Joy of Things Past!

Joy To The World - Time To Blog Again

Shock! Gasp! The blogger still lives? It's only been 4 months since her last post!?! Where has she been? And why is she back? LOL

Joy To The World, I have finally "found" time to blog again. Perhaps more accurately put, I have found the "inspiration and want-to" to blog again. The time was always there if I really had wanted to write. Why has it been so long since my last post? To tell the truth, I think I just lost my oomph, my inspiration, my desire, my willingness to write. Life is busy, yes, but not really any busier than it was before. A different format of busy-ness but busy none the less. Nothing HUGE has happened in the last 4 months that compelled me to run to the computer, or much less paper, and write about it. God has been good and merciful towards us. Jessica has recovered from her appendicitis and appendectomy. Marissa continues to create FABULOUS meals for us to enjoy. Justin continues to waste a lot of time in front of the computer and yet still wow us with his knowledge of all things historical or scientific. Mark continues to drive up and down the Cajon Pass just so that his family is taken care of financially.

And myself? I continue to home-school the kids, work for the church in Music Ministry, and now have 20+ piano and voice students that are a joyous way to supplement our income. Teen Challenge is a larger part of my work week as I now work with the Worship Team as well as continuing to work with the choir each week. Nostalgia Singers is a larger part of my week as well as I am now the Director AND accompanist. Oh, and I am working on a CD project, FINALLY, and should have the first song released on iTunes real soon. I am working with Norris Evans of Fire Crew Productions and Doug Wayne of Genesis Music and God's Talent Inc. Both of these gentlemen are incredibly talented and their arrangements of my songs make me want to weep with joy! All the songs are original songs written under the inspiration of God. We are recording the album at a new recording company, High Tower Records. There are very talented people in the "camp" who are or will be working with me on this project.

My plans for 2011? I don't want to call them resolutions per se but I am resolute in my passion to fulfill them. My plan: To be a Christian in everything I do and say...especially OUTSIDE the church. To strive to be like Christ in every reaction to life; to love unconditionally, to be forgiving, to reach for those who are hurting, to simply be Christian.

How am I going to do this?

*Prayer, daily, continually, with fervor.
*Reading the Word, often, and with an open heart and spirit for direction.
*Following the directions for a Christian life without hesitation or question.
*Accepting the challenges found in life and learning life lessons the first time I go through it.
*Heeding His call through the scriptures and being willing to go where He leads.
*Reaching out to others through conversations, music, witnessing, and encouraging them to know God in a deeper and more profound way.

In recent days my girls have been drawn deeper into prayer and consecration. This has been an answer to prayer for my hubby and me! Both of the girls felt "sad" and a "heavy"  feeling and they spent over an hour in prayer, possibly intercessory, when they responded to that feeling. I look forward to watching their prayer lives develop even deeper and more powerful in the coming year. In fact, I look forward to everything this new year will bring!!

Happy New Year to my friends and family who take a moment to check out my blog from time to time! Love you all!