Topic: I Know Your Works III [Wednesday 18, October 2017]
Memorise: “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;” – 1 Timothy 4:1
Read: Revelation 2:12-17
12 And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges; 13 I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan’s seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth.
14 But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.
15 So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate.
16 Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.
Bible In One Year: Mark 10-11. Hymn: Sing Hymn 4 – Take My Life And Let It Be MESSAGE:
In our Bible reading, Jesus Christ commended the Church in Pergamos, reassuring them that nothing about them was hidden from Him. The interesting thing about this Church is that in spite of the nearness the Church to the seat of Satan, they still held on to the Name of Jesus Christ, they never denied their faith even in the face of terrible persecution. However, Jesus Christ had a serious allegation against them. They tolerated in their midst those who were holding on to and practicing false doctrines. This is a food for thought for Christians of the 21st century. In this end-time, we compromise a lot in the name of civilization and fundamental human rights.
Will Jesus not hate such a compromise in the name of fairness when it becomes a stumbling block to the saints? The saints are leaving their first love because of the doctrine of Balaam. This compromise spoiled the good works of the Church in Pergamos. Beloved, do not be deceived by your longevity in Church. God knows your works and He will reward you accordingly.
Prayer Point: Father, help me to disassociate myself from pollution.
Open Heavens Daily Devotional for Teen’s guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer’s Ministries.
People gather outside the Stonewall Monument in New York City. (REUTERS/Brendan McDermid)
I recently spoke at a community college in Southern California, demonstrating that faith and science are not at odds. In posts leading up to the event, I was labeled a “hate pastor” as LGBT activists protested the event. Sadly, due to escalating campus protests across America, a number of sheriff deputies were on stand-by.
My wife and I were perplexed—when did a message of love become a message of hate? We love the LGBT community, and I wasn’t talking about this issue that evening. When my wife approached them, she was attacked verbally—from profanity to sexual innuendos.
Ironically, those who promote tolerance are often intolerant of those who disagree.
This experience, as well as an upcoming appearance on Fox News.com with Lauren Green to debate a pastor who supports homosexuality, prompted me to define the misunderstandings.
1. Tolerance “tolerates” differences; love embraces regardless of differences. In 2016, I received a call from a concerned sister whose brother was suicidal. The following day, I had the privilege of visiting him, a male prostitute, in North Hollywood. I spent two hours sharing God’s love, my prodigal story and hope in Christ. I left him feeling hopeful and encouraged.
A month later, I received a call that he had died in his sleep, possibly from complications of pneumonia. Just prior to his death, he told his family that he was reading my book, Desperate for More of God. Tolerance would not have motivated me to drive three hours round-trip, but love did. The message from his memorial is here. Judge for yourself—love or hate.
2. Challenging those with whom we disagree is often a characteristic of love, not hate. Parents confront, challenge and admonish daily. They don’t hate their children. Doctors and therapists challenge lifestyles that are high risk to help their patients. The reason it’s being labeled hate speech is to silence the messenger. In short, they don’t want to hear.
3. The Creator made His plan obvious. Jesus said that since the beginning of creation, God created them male and female in order that they would be joined together and become one flesh—to be fruitful and to multiply. He adds, “What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder” (Mark 10:9). Males and females were created purposely and are complementary by design.
4. The exceptions prove there is a rule. The question arises, “But not all married couples can have children; thus is procreation unnecessary? True, but this fact does not support homosexuality. Some are unable to conceive, and some have no desire for marriage or sex—exceptions do not void the rule. 1 Corinthians 7:2 is very clear that each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband.
5. There is no scriptural support for homosexuality. Some argue, “The Bible is not an ethical textbook—culture changes and so does truth.” Not so. Not one moral law that God gave is obsolete, from adultery to fornication to homosexuality. Things that were harmful then are harmful now. They are never painted in a positive light. They caused deep pain then as they do now. Some have even suggested that Naomi and Ruth and Jonathan and David had same-sex relationships. This gives the phrase “grasping for the wind” new meaning. This is exegesis in its purest form—reading things into the text that are not there.
Some parents change their view when they find their son or daughter in an LGBT lifestyle; confused, they “accept” the lifestyle, but feelings are not a gauge for truth. Instead, offer hope and remind them that we all struggle with something. If a child sins in the area of anger, infidelity or addiction, we don’t change the Scriptures to fit their behavior; we offer hope in the midst of the struggle. Why should homosexuality or transgenderism be any different? No matter how many laws are passed in favor of gay marriage, it will not change God’s mind. Times change; truth does not.
6. The Bible is crystal-clear on the issue of sexual sin. As a famous teacher once said of the Bible, “If the plain sense makes good sense seek no other sense lest it result in nonsense.” I cringe every time I hear misguided statements in an attempt to support homosexuality, such as misinterpreting “abandoning natural relations” in Romans 1:26-28. Or that the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah was only neglecting the poor. Or that Corinthians is outdated and Leviticus is talking about rape. Indeed, neglecting the poor is/was a sin, but it was not the only sin. In addition to rampant homosexuality, they were drunkards, gluttons, covetous, profane and wicked. The context of Sodom and Gomorrah’s destruction was much more than neglecting the poor: “they were haughty and committed abominations.” (See Ezekiel 16 and Jude 1:5-8.) Additionally, early church fathers, as well as creeds and confessions and Reformers, all echoed the same truth.
7. God can advise against eating shellfish as well as homosexuality. Although the dietary laws of the Old Testament do not apply today, they are still beneficial. For example, we now know why things like pork and shellfish were forbidden—they are unhealthy. God’s wisdom is sound and purposeful in guiding relationships as well. Leviticus 20:13 states, “If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination …” Romans 1:24-26 says that homosexuality dishonors the body—an exchange of the truth for a lie takes place and they worship the creature rather than the Creator: “For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature (Rom. 1:26).
To suggest that these verses are invalid today because God also said to avoid shellfish or because it was the culture back then, is erroneous. I can tell my son not to place his feet on the table, and in the same sentence tell him not to play in the street—both “do not’s” are true even though the consequences differ.
8. The mocking tones of most pastors who support homosexuality speak volumes. A movement that truly is of God is undergirded with humility; words are seasoned with grace. But the opposite is often true with pastors who distort truth. One well-known pastor chided fundamentalists, “They are not fun and they are mental.” How foolish—the term fundamentals comes from essays constructed around 1905 covering the “fundamentals” of the faith. He is actually mocking the foundation of the faith.
Another leader made a shocking statement, “Our greatest spiritual problem has not been sin, it’s been shame.” Confused? So was I. Shame comes from sin. Many of these Christian leaders who support gay marriage only speak to their cheerleaders—they mock anyone who does not agree. I think of Jeremiah 23 often—they are teachers who alter God’s Word, avoid the difficult truths and encourage sin. Granted, arrogance and anger happen on the other side as well, but we don’t accept that behavior from either camp.
9. “I was born this way,” is not an excuse. Although new biological and psychological evidence suggests that the idea of being born gay lacks scientific support, let’s assume that a person can be born gay. We were all born with a bent to lie, cheat, lust, indulge and deceive. In fact, pornography has been coined “every man’s battle.” But that doesn’t make it right; it makes us sinful and in desperate need of a Savior. The hearts of men can change, and they change daily through a relationship with Christ.
10. The struggle for gay rights is not a civil rights issue. Race and color are not choices. Homosexuality is not a civil rights issue. It cannot be linked with the abolishment of slavery either. Some say, “The Bible encouraged slavery. Therefore, homosexuality is obviously OK now.” The Bible doesn’t say that slavery is “right”—it merely references a time when people had slaves and what those conditions were. [Dr. Michael Brown did an exceptional job of breaking down the civil rights issue here.]
In closing, there will be a time when we stand before God to give an account. Some may say, “Lord, I anchored my life in Christ. I believed Your Word and based my life on it as best that I could.” Others will say, “Lord, you gave me a new perspective … a new truth. Although Scripture once said that homosexuality is sin, I don’t think that applies now.” Whose shoes would you rather be in?
“When we become so tolerant that we lead people into mental fog and spiritual darkness, we are not acting like Christians—we are acting like cowards” (A.W. Tozer). We are so worried about offending others, but have we stopped to consider that we may be offending God?
*A sermon on these 10 points will be posted at WCFAV.org after Oct. 22, 2017.
Shane Idleman is the founder and lead pastor of Westside Christian Fellowship in Leona Valley, California, just North of Los Angeles. He recently released his seventh book, Desperate for More of God atshaneidleman.com. Shane’s sermons, articles, books, and radio program can all be found atwcfav.org. Follow him on Facebook at:facebook.com/confusedchurch.
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Topic: Unpleasant Chain Reaction — Wednesday October 18, 2017.
Text: Lamentation 4:13-22
Key Verse:“Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, that dwellest in the land of Uz; the cup also shall pass through unto thee: thou shalt be drunken, and shalt make thyself naked”(Lamentation 4:21).
Jesus was so much loved and adored by some inhabitants of Jerusalem in His triumphal entry that they were moved to cut down palm fronds, and lay them alongside their garments, on the ground as a token of their affection for Him. They had seen Him perform numerous miracles and deliverances. And so, they would have persisted in singing hosanna, as Jesus approached the temple. But the tide changed as a result of the fierce opposition of the chief priests and scribes, who persuaded them to betray Jesus before Pilate, and influenced the people to place a curse on themselves and their posterity. It was not as if the people were innocent either. In fact, it was to please them that the priests and prophets (who knew better) acted the way they did.
They not only shed the blood of their innocent children, whom they sacrificed to Moloch, but also the blood of the righteous men that were among them. They so polluted themselves with innocent blood that they made themselves odious to all observers, including the Gentiles who in turn cast aspersions and make mockery of them when they are visited with divine retribution. However, they were mistaken: God had not cast Israel off forever. If anything, He taunted the heathen in Lamentation 4:21. And so, for those who revel in the problems of others, alongside those that are instrumental to the calamities, sudden destruction looms.
Moreover, those who ridicule God’s people (the Church) will sooner or later be made a spectacle themselves. We ought not to gloat over the misery of others. Instead, we must recognize our mandate, as intercessors, to pray for the restoration of a straying brother or sister. Thought for the day: Deride not the fallen; learn from his fate. Bible Reading in one Year: 2 Kings 14-15
DCLM Daily Manna was written by Pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi; is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church situated at KM 42 on the busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Nigeria.
Women call for a criminal justice investigation into the Harvey Weinstein allegations. (REUTERS/Brendan McDermid)
A sad, revealing movement has risen out of the scandal surrounding Hollywood media mogul Harvey Weinstein. If you’ve been online the past two days, you’ve likely seen #MeToo across your social media feeds. The hashtag marks women who’ve been the victims of sexual assault or harassment at some time in their lives.
Among the #MeToo voices are prominent Christian leaders including Beth Moore, Alveda King and Karen Swallow Prior, as Charisma News previously reported. I applaud these women for speaking up. Their courage sends the message, “We are the church and we’ve been there too.”
The church is comprised of sinners and operates in a sin-sick world, therefore it is not immune to sexism and misogyny. We know the Christian journey isn’t a cookie-cutter path after we surrender our lives to Jesus Christ. We easily admit this when it comes to financial hardships, broken relationships and persecution for the faith. So why does it still feel taboo for Christians to admit they’ve been sexually victimized too?
I’ve written a lot about cafeteria-style Christianity, where some believers like to pick and choose which topics are relevant, as if the gospel is a buffet line. Note this is not just a temptation for progressive Christians. All of us are guilty of this at times. And for some reason, talk of rape, incest, and even emotional and physical abuse still cause us a measure of awkward discomfort.
It’s not that our small-group leaders, Bible teachers and pastors are implicitly denying or dismissing victims. I strongly believe most wish to compassionately and thoughtfully disciple victims through recovery. They just don’t know how.
With better training in godly counsel and understanding of trauma and defensive safeguards common to survivors of this abuse, local churches can be a place of shelter for victims’ recovery. Then congregants can say to victims outside of our sanctuary walls, “We’ve been through this too. Let’s process your pain together. And let me introduce you to our Savior’s transformative healing and grace.”
We shouldn’t wait until something like the #MeToo movement happens in mainstream culture to start talking about sexual assault and harassment. Instead of being reactionary, local churches can implement practical and prayerful ways to minister to victimized women and men inside and outside our sanctuary walls. It should be a part of our missional strategy.
Before we minister to the heart, Christians must first aim to care for a person’s basic needs, right? If you’re hungry, we feed you. If you’re naked, we clothe you. If you are sick or in prison, we visit you. How about if you’ve been violated and rejected, we counsel you? If you’re powerless, we protect you. If you’ve lost your voice, we advocate for you, and if you’re hurting, we support you.
Finally, the church should take the #MeToo movement seriously, lest we tarnish our public witness for Jesus Christ.
A young woman very close to me was raped at 15 years old by a young man she considered her good friend. During her attack, she cried out to God for help. Having grown up in a Pentecostal church her whole life she couldn’t understand why the Holy Spirit did not intervene and for what purpose she had to endure such a traumatic assault. She grew angry with God and frustrated with her church members’ failure to answer her questions and minister to her wounds.
Every day I pray for this young woman’s return to the church. Her story serves as a reminder our love for sisters, friends and neighbors should compel us to remember it takes work to be triumphant, and the church’s witness is a shining light in the darkest places. As Matthew 5:14 tells us, “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.”
They eyes of a fallen world are watching us. They must see the church serves to protect victims, not create more.
Chelsen A. Vicariis the evangelical action director at the Institute on Religion & Democracy.
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Topic: Turn Back To God – Wednesday October 18, 2017.
Luke 22:32“But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.”
Text: Luke 22:32
The concept of “conversion” is mentioned in the Holy Scriptures at least 14 times. The basic meaning of the term is a turning or returning to God. This implies a turning away from sin and a turning to God. Repentance and putting faith in God are corresponding synonyms to conversion. The theological basis for conversion lies in the truth of the “atonement.”
Although man lapses into sin, the truth of the atonement remains. When men turn to God in repentance and faith, the effects of the atonement – reconciliation and forgiveness – avail.
The apostle Paul expresses the act of conversion in this way: “Turning to God from idols to serve the living and true God” (1 Th. 1:9). Also, “to open their eyes (the Gentiles), and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me” (Jesus) (Acts 26:18).
Jesus instructed Peter to get back into ministry after he repented of his denial. If Jesus had not given Peter this command, many people might have doubted that Peter should be in a position of leadership. Indeed, Peter himself must have doubted whether or not he was fit. After Jesus’ resurrection, the Lord again admonished Peter three times to serve Him by ministering to His sheep.
In the context of Luke 22, Peter’s faith was shaken and he denied the Lord but did not reject Him. Jesus’ admonition to Peter was that when he turned back again to Him (converted), he was to strengthen the brethren.
This message was written by The Association of Related Ministries International (ARMI) is an extension of Andrew Wommack Ministries (AWM). ARMI is a unique partnership committed to providing resources to help like-minded ministers succeed in a spirit of excellence and to draw from the experience and expertise of both the AWM and Charis Bible College staff. (www.awmi.net).
Topic: Blessed Are Peacemakers [Wednesday October 18, 2017]
I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety. — Psalm 4:8
In a materialistic world which has tried to sever diplomatic relations with God, we have nowhere to retreat except within ourselves. We are like turtles in a traffic jam—the best we can do is to pull our heads into our shells and shut our eyes. But that’s a good way to get the life crushed out of us, as any dead turtle can attest. Man’s conflict with man has been but an expression on the human level of his conflict with God. Until man finds an armistice with God, he cannot know peace with his fellowman. If we are to be peacemakers, we first must make our peace with God.
Prayer for the day: In Jesus’ name, I have found peace with You, Father. My soul praises Your holy name.
Written by Billy Graham, Founder of Billy Graham Evangelistic Association(BGEA). BGEA exists to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ by every effective means and to equip the church and others to do the same.
Topic: From Tradition to Truth [Wednesday October 18, 2017]
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s. – Psalm 103:2-5
Is there actually a divine purpose behind the bad things that happen in your life? Could it be that the sicknesses and calamities you experience are somehow a part of God’s plan for you? Before you can ever begin to experience the healing, delivering power of God, you’ve got to know the answer to those questions. You have to settle them once and for all. If you even suspect that God is the source of your misfortunes, you won’t be able to believe Him for deliverance from them. Your faith will be crippled because you’ll think that by escaping those things, you’ll be opposing His will.
In order to receive all the benefits God desires to give you, you must be absolutely sure that He is a good God. You must be certain that His will for you is health, not sickness; prosperity, not poverty; happiness, not sorrow—100 percent of the time! Psalms 103 alone is enough to prove that’s true. But if it’s not enough to convince you, there are many others too. One of the best known verses is Psalms 136:1 that says, “O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.”
If religious traditions have robbed you of the goodness of God, if they’ve taught you He brings trouble into your life so He can teach you something, start today washing those traditions away with the truth. Get out your Bible and let God Himself tell you through His own Word that He is the God who heals you (Exodus 15:26). Dig in to the Scriptures and discover for yourself that He is a God of mercy (Psalms 86:5), lovingkindness (Jeremiah 9:24), and compassion (Psalms 145:8).
Put your doubts to rest and open your heart to receive the truth about your heavenly Father. It’s the only thing that can truly set you free.
Scripture Reading: Psalm 89:1-28
This message was written by Kenneth and Gloria Copeland, the leader of the Kenneth Copeland Ministries (www.KCM.org) that specializes in teaching principles of bible faith – prayer, healing, salvation and other biblical topics.
Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fighters ride atop of military vehicle as they celebrate victory in Raqqa, Syria. (REUTERS/Erik De Castro)
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U.S.-backed militias in Syria have declared victory over Islamic State in its capital Raqqa, a milestone in the fight to roll back the theocratic “caliphate” declared in 2014..
Here are facts about Raqqa:
The City
Raqqa sits on the Euphrates river around 90 km (56 miles) from the Turkish border in north central Syria.
Sunni militant group Islamic State overran Raqqa in January 2014, seizing control from rebel factions opposed to the rule of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
The United States has said Islamic State planned and sent teams from Raqqa to carry out attacks on cities including Paris, Brussels and Istanbul.
The Anti-IS Offensive
The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an alliance of mostly Kurdish and Arab militias, began to advance towards Raqqa city in November 2016. After encircling the city, they launched the offensive to take it, facing tough resistance.
The United States-led coalition supported the SDF with air strikes and special forces on the ground.
Its People
The battle for Raqqa has taken a severe toll on civilians.
The United Nations said in March the city contained around 200,000 people, just under its pre-war population.
Since late last year, fighting around and in Raqqa has displaced tens of thousands of people. Many have fled the city to camps in surrounding territory now under the control of the SDF and its strongest component, the Kurdish YPG militia.
Civilians who were trapped inside the Islamic State enclave in the city endured miserable conditions for months, lacking water, power, food and healthcare. As the SDF captured parts ofRaqqa they were mostly been cleared of residents.
Air strikes, fighting and Islamic State snipers and mines have killed many hundreds of people.
The coalition says it is careful to avoid civilian casualties in its bombing runs in Syria and Iraq. But the U.N. human rights office and rights group Amnesty International have raised concerns about reports of high civilian deaths.
Islamic State imposed its very strict interpretation of Islamic law on Raqqa’s residents. The fighters have carried out public executions, lashings and violent punishments for infringements of their rule.
After the Fighting
The Raqqa campaign has stirred tension between the United States and NATO-ally Turkey. Potential Kurdish influence in the future of the mainly Arab city is sensitive both for some activists from Raqqa and for Turkey.
The YPG has become the main U.S. partner in the fight against Islamic State in northern Syria. Ankara views it as a Syrian extension of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has waged a three-decade insurgency within Turkey, and fears growing Kurdish power along its border.
The SDF’s political allies have set up a Raqqa Civil Council of people from the city, which the SDF has said it will hand control to after Islamic State’s defeat. This echoes the pattern in other towns and cities that the SDF captured.
The U.S.-led coalition has helped train a new police force for the city.
Islamic State has made enemies of all sides in the more than six-year Syrian conflict, with separate offensives now trying to clear it from its last foothold in the towns along the Euphrates river in eastern Syria near the Iraqi border.
Besides the U.S.-backed SDF, the Syrian army, with Russian jets and Iran-backed militias, is also waging its own campaign against Islamic State in eastern Syria.
Heritage
A modern-day provincial transport hub and market town, Raqqa was built by the Abbasid Islamic Caliphate in the eighth century, serving as its capital at one point.
It has been inhabited since antiquity and contains important archeological and architectural sites. The United Nations has said they have been extensively looted during the war and religious buildings have been damaged.
Islamic State militants released a video of them bombing a large part of the Uwais al-Qarani shrine complex in March 2014.
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Going to church is an important habit in the life of any and every Christian. The Bible encourages all believers to intentionally meet together for fellowship and to remind each other of the Lord’s return. That said, can a person be a Christian and not go to church?
Let’s talk about that.
Church and Being a Christian
Before we answer that question, let’s define terms so that we can better understand why church is very important.
A “Christian” is simply a person who has committed himself to follow the Lord Jesus Christ. Many mistake this term to be a reference to a church-goer, or perhaps somebody born into a family of Christians. That is so wrong.
To be a Christian, one has to decide for himself that he will renounce his own ways, put his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and follow hard after him for the rest of his life. Real Christians know that without denying themselves and taking up their crosses, their version of “Christianity” is mere religious affiliation or church membership (see Matthew 16:24).
The word “Church,” on the other hand, comes from the Greek word “Ekklesia” which means “the called out ones,” Bible Study Tools tells us. The Greek word is usually used for gatherings or meetings. As such, we understand that the Christian church is simply a gathering of Christians – not necessarily a building, but a meeting of like-minded people believing in the same Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
Now that we’ve all got that cleared up, we can now proceed to the question: Can I be Christian and not go to church?
The Christian and the church
Friends, we can all become Christians without coming to church, but surely we as Christians cannot help but go to church. For those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, fellowshipping with each other and reminding each other of what He has taught as well as His imminent return is very, very important.
Here are three reasons why we as Christians must continue to meet together.
1) Jesus said we should love one another
In John 13:34-35, the Lord Jesus said we should love one another, as this is proof that we are His disciples. Common sense tells us we who love each other will never abandon one another.
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
2) It’s the Christian practice
No, church cannot save us. If we are saved, however, we would choose to fellowship and grow together with others who are saved as well. Acts 2:42 tells us that the early church did this so well:
“They continued steadfastly in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread and in the prayers.”
3) We should spur one another to love and steadfastly wait for the Lord’s return
Lastly, Christians should go to church for the purpose of motivating one another to love and remind each other to eagerly wait for the Lord’s return. Hebrews 10:24-25 tells us,
“And let us consider how to spur one another to love and to good works. Let us not forsake the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but let us exhort one another, especially as you see the Day approaching.”
Hollywood exec Harvey Weinstein. (REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo)
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Researchers at Purdue University analyzed 48 hours of prime-time television in 1997 and found that 84 percent of the shows studied “contained at least one incident of sexual harassment.” Incidents that were focused on in the study were verbal sexual comments, physical sexual advances, undue attention and even sexual bribery.
The study continues that these acts of sexual harassment “are presented in humorous ways, and victims are generally unharmed.”
The study concludes by stating that “such programs potentially contribute to a climate that trivializes violence against women; that sees sexual harassment as legitimate, normal and acceptable styles of interactions; and that further silences its victims.”
Could it be that the reason people like Harvey Weinstein believe they can get away with gross sexual harassment and that women feel the need to be silent is partially because of the movies and TV shows of the last few decades that have made sexual harassment normal?
Author of The Culture-Wise Family and How to Succeed in Hollywood (Without Losing Your Soul), Dr. Ted Baehr is chairman of the Good News Communications Inc. and its family guide to movies and entertainment, Movieguide® (movieguide.org).
Now in their 32nd year, Good News Communications Inc. and Movieguide® are the largest, longest-running international, nonprofit ministry dedicated to “redeeming the values of the entertainment industry by influencing industry executives and by informing and equipping the public about the influence of the entertainment media.”
Movieguide®’s Annual Faith & Values Awards Gala honors the best, most family-friendly movies and television programs honoring God and inspiring audiences with messages of faith, hope, goodness, justice, redemption, forgiveness and true divine love. At the Awards, Dr. Baehr presents highlights from Movieguide®’s Annual Report to the Entertainment Industry, a comprehensive financial analysis of the movie business showing what kinds of movies and what kinds of movie content moviegoers favor the most with their hard-earned money.
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