"Yes. I assume the computer you
are holding there was probably not built by Christians, and I hope that
you are glorifying God as you tap away at it. And of course out from
there, there are a 1000 things that we use all day long, and God says,
'whatever you do, whether you eat or drink, do all to the glory of God.'
And he knows that you are eating this meat that may have been
sacrificed to idols, so that means it was probably butchered by an
unbeliever, or handled by an unbeliever, shipped by an unbeliever, it
may have been cooked by an unbelieving cook. And here you are savoring
the product of all those unbelievers' work because you are in that
moment giving thanks to God for it, recognizing that the earth is the
Lord's and the fullness thereof and taking the strength and the joy that
comes from it to render back to him.
Now with the arts and with
media it is more morally complex than with food. But it is the same
principle. The complexity of it is, in those moments what do you do with
the moral elements of it that are so contrary to your faith?
I'll
just point out one principle because we can talk about this forever.
What concerns me is the distinction between entertainment and cultural
analysis. To watch something, to study the culture, learn from the
culture, be more able to interact with unbelievers for the sake of the
glory of Christ is one thing. To just sit and bask in nudity, or bask in
fifty f-words, or bask in a world view that is shot through with
arrogance to the core, and enjoy it? Hmm. That seems to point to
something going on in the heart. And frankly, I have tasted it big time.
I think today we are going to have to work at not being shaped by the
world because the world has made its world view so scintillatingly
attractive.
Movie after movie after movie has come out and most
young reformed people are, I would say, indiscriminate. "Let's go to a
movie tonight." OK, and then we just choose the best. None of the movies
in that theater at that night are any good, probably. But you are just
going to do it, because that is what you do. You go to the movies on
Friday night, or whatever. And then of course you think, we've got to
Christianize this thing somehow.
I just think we need to test our
hearts big time. Big time. Why are we able to enjoy hell bound, God
ignoring, Christ dishonoring, false world views because we can give it a
little twist at the end that it taught us this or that about the world?
So, I think the main thing I'm saying there is, test your heart as to
whether entertainment is defaulting to the world, or to something more
wholesome. We live in an age where we tend to default to the world for
entertainment."
Parenting is not easy. With three young children and another on the way, I know that it is hard to stay vigilant in our discipline. However, the temptation to let off and hope that others to be the main source of discipline (the church, the school, other parents) is recipe for disaster. All around we are surrounded with parents that think their children simply need material provision and a best friend. Your children need to be disciplined. More than that, your children need a shepherd of their hearts! March 13th, our church starts a new Sunday School class, “Shepherding a Child’s Heart (book by Tedd Tripp).” I believe every parent ought to at least read this helpful book so that we are fully grasp our calling as parents.
The story of Miley Cyrus is a tragedy in the making (unless the Lord captures her heart). Her father now sees his many errors as a parent and said he would give it all up to have his family back. May none of us ever have to say the same. Instead, may we all be reminded that raising our family is our highest calling in our service to God.
Please take time to read the article below by the president of Focus on the Family, Jim Daly.
Billy Ray Cyrus’ Regret – Jim Daly
Feb 16th Article at Focus on the Family
Even if you don’t follow pop culture, you’ve inevitably read or heard of the teen actress Miley Cyrus. Playing the wholesome character “Hannah Montana” on her popular Disney television show of the same name several years ago, Miss Cyrus was catapulted into entertainment’s stratosphere. She quickly became a marketer’s dream and was earning millions of dollars in TV, music and feature films. In the midst of her rapid ascent, though, she also found herself wrapped up in controversy, from being caught posing for provocative photographs to smoking a bong and taking hallucinogenic drugs.
Just another child actress given too much too soon?
Miss Cyrus, now 18, is the daughter of country singer Billy Ray Cyrus, perhaps best known for his hit, “Achy Breaky Heart.”
Ironically, and sadly, that’s exactly what Billy Ray is suffering from these days. He told GQ Magazine that he now wishes his daughter never went to Hollywood and found fame and fortune.
"The [expletive] show destroyed my family," he told the reporter. "I'd take it back in a second. For my family to be here and just everybody be okay, safe and sound and happy and normal would have been fantastic. Heck, yeah. I'd erase it all in a second if I could." Billy Ray and his wife, Miley’s mother, Tish, filed for divorce this past fall.
As you would expect, back in 1992 when Miley was born, neither Tish nor Billy Ray thought things would take such a sad turn. In fact, when their daughter was born they named her “Destiny Hope” because they were so confident in the brightness of her future. Those early years were, indeed, happy. As a little baby they nicknamed her “Smiley” – later shorted to Miley – because she always had such a wide and carefree grin.
But those days are long gone, and her father is not only grieving their passage but regretting his actions (or lack thereof) as a father. Again, from the GQ interview:
"How many interviews did I give and say, 'You know what's important between me and Miley is I try to be a friend to my kids'? I said it a lot. And sometimes I would even read other parents might say, 'You don't need to be a friend, you need to be a parent.' Well, I'm the first guy to say to them right now: You were right. I should have been a better parent. I should have said, 'Enough is enough--it's getting dangerous and somebody's going to get hurt.' I should have, but I didn't. Honestly, I didn't know the ball was out of bounds until it was way up in the stands somewhere."
Very few parents are faced with the challenge of parenting a teen idol, a tough assignment to be sure. But what about the rest of us? Although we might not be trying to navigate stardom, we do have to navigate and manage human nature. Mark my words. Our kids will inevitably push the envelope and test the waters. It’s normal and natural to do so. Subconsciously many of us are wondering just how far we’ll allow them to go. Despite what they might say or how they might act, they want leadership.
Now a reality check. We all like to be liked. If it’s human nature for a kid to push, it’s human nature for a mom or dad to want to be favorably viewed by our kids. But here is the big question: Do we want to be their best pal – or their parent who often has to hold firm and say “no” when they desperately want us to say “yes”?
Here is your charge. Here is your challenge. Your kids have plenty of friends, maybe too many. But only two people in the world can really be their parents. Step up. Be parents today and the friendship with your children - a real friendship - will grow into adulthood and likely last throughout your lives.
His Blog is: http://www.focusonlinecommunities.com/blogs/Finding_Home