A Sign of the times

And Share the Gospel

Last night my wife and I sat down to watch a little television. Im not a avid TV watcher because I really just don't have the time between writing, proofing my new book, practicing with the people I play with etc.. So I can't tell you who is who on a reality show, or what the latest hip sitcom is.
Tonight was time for culture shock.
We turned on ABC's Family Channel-Channel 51 here in Modesto here's the gem that was on at 8PM at night here.
Cruel Intentions-here's the plot-Kathryn makes a bet that her step-brother, Sebastian, won't be able to bed Annette (a virgin, who wants to wait until love). If he loses, Kathryn gets his Jaguar, if he wins, he gets Kathryn.
Here is the rating-Rated R for strong sexual dialogue and sexual situations involving teens, language and drug use.
Rightly so I was rather indignant.
My first instinct was to call Don Wildmon and the AFA and organize some kind of protest. But then I thought its kind of screwy to expect unbelievers to act like believers in Christ.
Then I thought don't we claim to be a Christian nation? Most polls state that between 75 to 80 percent of people believe they are Christian.
Then I read this article-
http://harpers.org/ExcerptTheChristianParadox.html

Then it really began to sink in. We are believing a big lie that America is indeed Christian. Look at our fruit.
Dont blame it on Hollywood they only make what we buy. Yes Im sure they have a agenda and we spend millions on it every year. Trust me they will do what ever it takes to make money.
Remember the days when Hollywood made movies like The Ten Commandments with Charleton Heston? The movie that proudly proclaimed the story was taken from God Holy Scripture. I remember hearing this and feeling a sense of pride that they would acknowledge God this way in front of the whole world.
Was Hollywood more Christian those days. Were the studio heads and directors all believers who wanted to lift up God and His word in film.
Of course not.
They were merely selling a product that most people during that time period wanted. That's all and it really is that simple.
Now they are selling us a product that we are still buying and that includes Christians as well. If there was not a market they wouldn't sell it. Ever wonder why horror films are now marketed year around now? Remember the time when the horror movies were only released during Halloween? Now we can see them coming out year around. They used to fizzle with release right before Thanksgiving and Christmas. Now they are slated for release year around.
Because there is a market for them-and Christians are going to these movies as well.
Who do we blame for this.
Rick Warren? Well yes Rick has lowered our standards about going to church and does teach a watered down version of the gospel in his books and tapes. And by the way I don't care how fierce Rick preaches at Saddleback most people that read his materials and buy his tapes don't go there.
A watered down version of the gospel is not really the gospel at all anyway.
Rick has created the market-but your buying the stuff.
Should we blame Joel Osteen who preaches no gospel at all?
What about Schuller, Hybels or any of the other gurus of self?
We can point fingers and yes we should point out false teaching but we really don't have anyone to blame but ourselves.
You see its not up to Rick, Joel or Robert to preach the gospel. I don't care how many butts they put in the seats on Sunday.
Jesus commanded us to go out and preach the gospel.
Mark 16:15-16 "And He said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned."
Notice Jesus didn't say "Just pastors and elders preach the gospel" no this is everyone's job. Its the leaderships duty to equip the saints (saved believers) and then up to the saints to go out and spread the gospel Ephesians 4:12. We are the ones that do the work and go out and share the gospel with unbelievers and then bring them in to church so then they can be equipped and do the same-not visa versa
What is the gospel

Jesus Gives Eternal Life to Those Who Believe
God clearly explains in His Word that we are all sinners. "All have sinned." None of us is good enough to get into heaven on his or her own merits to spend eternity with God. "There is none righteous, no, not one."
But God loves us so much that He provided a way. That way is through His Son, the Lord Jesus. By dying on the Cross, Jesus paid the full and complete price for our sins so that we donÂ’t have to.
Because He shed His blood and died for us, Jesus Christ is able to fulfill His promise to freely give believers eternal life.
You also need to repent-andthat'ss not a popular word in today's mega gatherings (its a real leap to even call these places church anymore).
Jesus did not say do penance and believe the gospel, He said, "repent ye and believe the gospel," Matthew 1:15. God has commanded all men everywhere to repent, Acts 17:30. Penance is an act or effort on the part of the guilty to try to render payment for sin, to atone for the wrong done against God and man, when it cannot be done, for Christ atoned for sin on the cross by shedding His precious blood for the remission of sin. The best penance can do is reform, and reformation is only a change brought about by the efforts of man for self-glory, (see Matthew 12:43-45). A person may give up bad habits and try to overhaul the old nature, turn over a new leaf, or make restitution, but none of these will justify a person in the eyes of God. Salvation is by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. There is absolutely no other way for anyone to be saved. "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved," (Acts 4:12).
Repentance is a change, the prodigal had a change of mind, and his change of mind effected a change of heart, and his change of heart effected a change of will.
But a penitent heart was always required for saving faith and so repentance is preached , as in Acts 16:30-31 and 2 Peter 3:9, etc. We should ought never preach love without preaching wrath, ought never preach Heaven without preaching hell, ought never preach forgiveness without preaching repentance."
Repentance is not opposed to grace, it is the recognition of the need of grace. "Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish," these word are just as important today as they were when they were first spoken. Grace it the unmerited favor of God to all of us, who deserve the very opposite.

In conclusion- yes at first I was ticked at seeing filth on TV during a family hour and I wondered how many children and adults are being deceived and desensitized by this garbage.
But then I got more ticked at myself for not sharing the gopsel-which saved me and helped me realize that what I was watching was garbage.