Exploring Christian Entertainment: Part 2

Exploring Christian Entertainment: Part 2

There are many biblical movies today being produced by both Hollywood, as well as Christian organizations that are not wholesome, nor biblically accurate.  There was a time when biblical movies were safe for the whole family to watch and there was more of a reverence than today. My wife and I made the decision to do away with television, as well as all movies some time ago because of  all the wickedness shown. But before we completely made a break from movies, we viewed some biblical movies and were shocked at what we saw.

We will examine some of the biblical movies that are being endorsed by many churches today. When Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" first came out, I went to see it in the movie theater. I had a strong discernment of a demonic presence during the entire movie. The discernment was strongest when they depicted Satan as a grotesque woman holding a demonic baby. This movie was made like a horror movie, not a biblical movie. They didn't need to show the worms eating the carcass of a donkey or the overdone mutilation of Christ. The most disgusting scene occurred at the end of the movie during the resurrection scene. They showed a quick glimpse of Christ's nude backside, including his buttock. This is typical Hollywood's irreverence for anything holy. Yet the churches in their blind ignorance endorsed this movie.

Another one of Hollywood's irreverent movies was "The Last Temptation of Christ." We never saw this rated R movie but have read much about it. This movie depicted Jesus fantasizing about having sex with Mary Magdalene upon the cross and it showed them naked in bed together. This is the ultimate blasphemy against our Lord who knew no sin. At least back then the churches protested this disgusting film, but today, anything goes with a church who has lost it's way.

The last so-called biblical movie we saw was "Noah" with Russell Crowe. This movie did not resemble the true biblical account of Noah in any way! The movie "Noah" depicted the fallen angels (watchers), as creatures made of rock. These rock creatures repeatedly made remarks about how the creator punished them for helping mankind. The movie depicted the fallen angels helping Noah build the ark, and the result was, that God forgave them for their trespass and let them re-enter Heaven. Later, aboard the ark, Noah is depicted as a mad man trying to kill his newly born grandchild. There is also a castaway aboard the ark urging Noah's son to kill his father. The facts are that the fallen angels did not help Noah build the ark. It took Noah 120 years to build the ark. Noah, his wife, and his sons and their wives, were the only ones aboard the ark, there were not any castaways or grandchildren. This gross departure from scripture is presenting a lie to many people who are not familiar with scripture.

The latest insult from Hollywood is the new release, "The Young Messiah." Anne Rice is the author of the book that the movie is based off of. Anne Rice is famous for writing horror stories, especially about vampires. This movie is presenting a lie about the childhood of Jesus. The Bible doesn't have much to say about the childhood of Christ, so Hollywood considers it perfectly acceptable to fill in the blanks with lies. The movie depicts Jesus being bullied by a child who falls and hits his head and dies. Jesus feels bad about it and resurrects the child from the dead. According to the Bible, Jesus first miracle was when he turned the water into wine at the marriage feast, and even then he said that his time had not yet come. This movie also depicts an attempted rape scene in which the woman kills the man. There is also an implied sex scene between Herod and a woman who dances for him. A demon is also depicted taunting the young Jesus. There are no boundaries, or depths of depravity, that Hollywood will not lower themselves to. And, by the way, Anne Rice conveniently became Catholic long enough to get money for this book, then quickly denounced her "faith" again soon after the success of it all.  Why would any Christian organization promote someone such as that, especially considering that filth for which she is so well known? (Note, we have not seen this movie, but read the review for it.)

Other movies to avoid are, "Risen" and "Exodus." These movies also grossly depart from scripture, as well as are filled with violence.

We have also been shocked at the movies being produced by Christian organizations. One movie depicted a pastor using profanity from behind the pulpit. This same movie also depicted a Christian family drinking alcohol on a regular basis. Many of these faith based movies also show women dressed immodestly, they include swearing, as well as unnecessary violence. There was a time when there was a reverence for the Lord, as well as Christian ministry, but now anything goes. My advice to Christians is to 100% give up television and movies, and trade your free time to grow closer to the Lord.   

 And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said:

“I will dwell in them
And walk among them.
I will be their God,
And they shall be My people.”

Therefore

“Come out from among them
And be separate, says the Lord.
Do not touch what is unclean,
And I will receive you.”

“I will be a Father to you,
And you shall be My sons and daughters,
Says the Lord Almighty.”

II Corinthians 6:16-18

Do you celebrate Halloween?

Deut 18:⁹ “When you come into the land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the ^[d]abominations of those nations. ¹⁰ There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass^[e] through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, ¹¹ or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. ¹² For all who do these things are ^[f]an abomination to the Lord, and because of these abominations the Lord your God drives them out from before you.

A call to Anguish by Pastor David Wilkerson

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcUh2xLmJy4

Modern Christianity (Written by my Wife)

Modern Christianity (Written by my Wife)

The amount of holiness Christians with the belief that our works do indeed matter and we must pursue righteousness to obtain eternity with Jesus Christ, has seriously decreased.  When I did a search on the words, "What percentage of people have holiness beliefs?" the results were quite sad, though not unexpected. In an article by G. Shane Morris (I don't know much about him, so I am not specifically promoting him, just quoting him. You can read his article here: https://thefederalist.com/2016/10/10/survey-finds-american-christians-actually-heretics/), he said that today's Christians are basically heretics. One of the things he writes is, "Two-thirds admitted that everyone sins a little bit, but still insisted that most people are good by nature, which directly contradicts scripture (See “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God,” and “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”). Over half said it’s fair for God to exercise his wrath against sin, but seemed to waffle about which sins deserved wrath (not theirs!). Seventy-four percent said the “smallest sins” don’t warrant damnation, in contrast to Jesus’ brother, who when writing at the Holy Spirit’s inspiration taught that even one infraction of God’s law is enough to sink someone."

Another article I found by George Barna (again, I am not specifically promoting him, just quoting him https://www.barna.com/research/the-concept-of-holiness-baffles-most-americans/) says, "Holiness is a matter embraced by the Christian Church, but it is not one that many Americans adopt as a focal point of their faith development. This is partially because barely one-third of Americans (35%) contend that 'God expects you to become holy.' A larger share of the born again public believes God has called them to holiness (46%) but that portion remains a minority of the born again population."

According to Wikipedia (which I know is not always accurate), in the past 50 years or so, people who consider themselves a part of the holiness movement has dropped from 600 million to 12 million.

‘These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands: “I know your works, your labor, you patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary. Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent... He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.” Revelation 2:1-7

We have both written quite a bit on the importance of striving to live a holy life, so I will not dwell on that issue today. My goal is to focus on the perception, or I should say, misperception of the true Christian. For the sake of this article, I use the term "true" or "holiness" Christian meaning one who has Arminian beliefs rather than believing in the false doctrine of eternal security.  I am not attempting to be derogatory or sarcastic, but just based on what the Bible says. We are labeled as legalistic, judgmental, hateful, and narrow-minded. True Christians who stand up for their beliefs are no longer admired or respected, but just the opposite. Although my heart goes out to the  martyrs that are being persecuted in other countries, and I greatly admire them all, my focus is on what is happening in America.  

Sadly, one of the reasons most that call themselves Christians have watered down in their beliefs is that they fear persecution from the world and do not have the courage to stand up for Jesus.  In the ancient days of the Romans, the Christians initially rejected Paganism (false gods).  Yet after being tortured and executed for their faith, they decided to allow the Pagans into their churches, believing this would cause the persecution to stop.  They also believed they would be the stronger influence and would not let the false religions drag them down.  However, that was not the case, and the Christians compromised their beliefs and adopted the false gods and even used the images of false gods as the faces on their own saints.  This is also a topic that would make another good issue for another blog, but I will move on for now. However, if you are skeptical of this, do your own research and notice the similarities between the Pagan goddesses Diana & Isis and the Catholic Mary (just as one example). 

My point is that the ancient Christians chose to conform to the world and exchanged the truth for a lie just to be popular.  Today's Christians have done the same thing. They care more about being liked than living a life of holiness and standing up for their beliefs.  You no longer see congregations in modern churches weeping at the altar repenting of their sins because they believe there is grace for all sins.  The modern church members no longer dress as if church is a special occasion, but come in shorts (men and women), mini skirts, low cut tops, and  other provocative clothing.  Even the pastors dress in blue jeans (sometimes ripped) and T-shirts.  They all want to look like the world and in turn treat church irreverently as if going to the mall. Why not when churches now have book stores and coffee shops.  Didn't Jesus warn against turning the church into a marketplace? 

I am continually saddened by people who call themselves Christians then say homosexuality is okay, admire witchcraft, drink alcohol, dress provocatively, tell dirty jokes, etc., all to fit in with their buddies.  Wake up, if these people were really your friends, you would not need to compromise your beliefs to stay friends!  True friendship is as true Christianity, you are loved in spite of your differences. 

That brings me to the topic of true Christians being seen as hatemongers.  Just because I do not support LGBTQ, that does not mean I hate the people involved.  My heart is saddened for them and I have great compassion for their souls.  The old saying, "Love the sinner, hate the sin," applies.  Hating the sin does not mean I hate the person.  98% of our friends have different beliefs from us.  We do not stop being their friends, nor do look down on them. We love them and cherish their friendships.  Instead, we say an extra prayer every day that their eyes will be opened to the ways of holiness. With that said, it is also a shame that the more liberal Christians no longer accept the holiness Christians as if we are not all striving to serve the Lord.  But are we?  Do the modern day Christians really care about serving Christ or serving themselves? Donating time or money to a worthy cause is more than it takes to please the Lord; it takes a lifestyle of holiness and striving to put down sin.  It takes repentance and the casting away of habitual sin, not just throwing money in the offering.  

 If you want to be truthful, you can admit that true Christians are looked at with a lot less tolerance than the LGBTQ community, or any other group that goes against the principles of Jesus Christ. Shortly after we moved to Washington, there was a report on the radio about a street preacher in Seattle being beaten up when he protested gay rights.  This was not an isolated incident. It has become more and more frequent for a Christian to be harmed for speaking the truth more than ever before. Christians are not beating up nonbelievers and yet we are seen as the ones filled with hate?

Even those that call themselves Christians look down on true Christianity and say we are being legalistic and judgmental. When I looked up the definition of legalism on dictionary.com, I was shocked.  One definition was, "the doctrine that salvation is gained through good works."  What?  Even this website is against true holiness Christians! Legalism is what Jesus Christ spoke out against.  Read the gospels!  The Pharisees were so steeped in manmade laws that they were mistreating one another and not focusing on a relationship with God! True Christianity is not about manmade traditions, it is about focusing on the lessons and words of Jesus Christ and striving to live like Him and treating others with love! It is not tolerating sin, but loving the sinner by showing good works to all. 

As the world becomes more and more liberal, the holiness Christian becomes more and more hated.  And I no not use the term "hate" lightly.  The Bible says we will be hated and persecuted for our faith, and this is nothing new.  However, there was a time when non-believers were more tolerant of us.  I fear it will eventually be so bad that just saying the name of Jesus (other than as a curse word) will get one beaten up. 

We all know the day is coming when true Christians will be thrown into jail and certain types of churches will be banned.  In order to stay safe, we will have to hide our faith.  Whenever I think of such things, it both saddens and frightens me.  However, I am not here to scare you. But I do want to wake you up to what modern Christianity has become and will eventually become a huge taboo. 

I also want to encourage you not to water down your beliefs.  Read the gospels of Jesus Christ to know what is right and wrong and quit compromising to be popular!

There is so much more I can say on this subject, but I feel horribly inadequate to expound farther.  I will end by pointing you to the prophet David Wilkerson who said, "I see an hour of persecution coming such as mankind has never before witnessed. This will be a persecution of true Jesus believers that will soon arise like a many–headed monster out of the sea" He also predicted, "An antichrist spirit will enter the hearts of certain men in high places in government and in the judicial system, causing these officials to engage in legal maneuvers designed to harass independent churches, missionaries and ministers."

Homosexuality is an Abomination to God! Judgement is at the Door!

Homosexuality is an Abomination to God! Judgement is at the Door!

June as been designated as gay pride month. Thousands are marching in the streets worldwide to promote their perversion. Companies like eBay, and Amazon are promoting gay pride month through adds. American embassies worldwide asked permission to fly the gay rainbow flag under the US flag. Fortunately the President denied them their request.

 Previous generations would be shocked to see a world that has lost it's moral fabric. When God's ways are replaced by spiritual corruption you will see all types of filth and evil endorsed. In the past, this shameful lifestyle was kept in the closet, but now it's being pushed upon us from every direction. Our public schools teach that it is normal to have two daddies, or two mommies. Drag queens are holding small children in their laps while reading them stories. Transgender bathrooms are now present in some public schools. It is now illegal to refuse a man who identifies himself as transgender from using a woman's restroom or locker room. I never thought I would see this large scale manifestation of evil in America. We truly live in the United States of Sodom and Gomorrah. 

A major sign of the end of the age is the legalization of same-gender marriage. Every great empire in history that has accepted the homosexual lifestyle as being normal has fallen within a generation. Marriage is a holy union between a man and a woman that is sanctioned by God and should not be perverted. Around eight years ago, the Lord spoke to me that gay marriage was a slap to his face and that the Supreme Court would make gay marriage the law of the land, and judgment would soon come thereafter. Today, we have seen this word come to pass, former President Barrack Obama asked the Supreme Court to legalize gay marriage nationwide, and now gay marriage has become a reality. We have witnessed the federal government override the will of the people and prove that our votes are meaningless. It is unconstitutional for a federal or a state judge to override an issue that the citizens of a state have voted against; this is tyranny. The states are gradually losing their autonomy to a federal government that has no regard for the constitution or the will of the people.

The Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, as well as the surrounding cities because of their wickedness, Genesis 19:1-29. The Bible tells us that the men of Sodom lusted after the angels of God who were sent to deliver Lot and his family out of Sodom; they demanded that the angels be brought to them so that they might have sexual relations with them. In response to their wickedness, the angels smote them with blindness, then led Lot and his family out of Sodom prior to God raining fire and brimstone upon the city. The New Testament book of Jude tells us that God destroyed these cities specifically because of the sin of homosexuality (strange flesh), to make them an example for all time.  Jude 1:7 as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

 God does not consider homosexuality to be a small issue, but rather a grave sin. God’s Word teaches us that homosexuality is an abomination to God, this means that it is detestable or an insult to God. Many people today say that God made people homosexual and that God does not make mistakes. God does not make anyone homosexual, homosexuality is a perversion like pedophilia, or bestiality. This is like saying that God made people adulterers or sex addicts. We live in a fallen world where people allow themselves to be corrupted by entertaining sin. Homosexuality is a spiritual bondage from which people can be delivered. I have met people that were delivered from homosexuality and are now straight, as well as married. Christ died upon the cross to set the captive free and through sincere repentance, the bondage of homosexuality can be broken. A person can be saved, delivered, and made clean through faith, repentance, and perseverance.

Homosexuality is not a civil rights issue, as some believe. Many liken it to the racial inequality issues of the sixties, but it is an issue of sexual perversion, not race. Christians however, should show the love of Christ to homosexual people in order to win them over to the truth, which can set them free. Hate, name-calling, or violence should be condemned, as well as abhorred. Below, is a list of scriptures that address homosexuality.

Romans 1:24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, 25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
26 For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. 27 Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.
28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting;

Lev 20:13 If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them.

Deut 22:5 “A woman shall not wear anything that pertains to a man, nor shall a man put on a woman’s garment, for all who do so are an abomination to the Lord your God.

1 Cor 6:9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals,p nor sodomites, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.

1 Timothy 1:8 Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, 9 understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, 10 the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine,

Jude 1:7 as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.