"May God be gracious and merciful to us. May He give grace to all new believers that they may start at once to learn how to speak and how to hear so that there may be a straight path before them. It is not unusual to hear God’s children speaking heedlessly, but it is strange that a Christian can speak or hear such heedless words without being conscious that they are sinful and without condemning them." Watchman Nee
The previous excerpt was taken from Watchman Nee and provoked much thought in me this morning. In Ephesians chapter 4 verse one we read that we are to walk in a manner worthy of our calling. If you are not a believer reading this today this will not pertain to you yet I encourage you to read on and in faith I pray that you come to know Him as Lord so that this may apply. Culture and in particular American culture today is full of stuff that we take in. We see on television and online images, videos, movies, and music things which are abhorrent to our Lord and one would think abhorrent to believers in our Lord. We are so willing to take in music that degrades woman and relationships. If your mad do something about it. I reflect on some music on my I tunes. I have a song that sings about a guy who is being unfaithful to his girlfriend (not wife) with his ex girlfriend. Why is it there? I will rid myself of it as soon as I am done with this blog. Yet this is the stuff we fill our minds with. Romans 12:2 says we need to renew our mind....escape the corruption in the world. As Christians (born again believers in the risen Christ) how can I, how can we obey this command and yet fill our minds full of the crap that comes out of the speakers and off of the television. I am the chiefest of sinners in this regard. I fall into the temptation to listen to abhorrent material more than I would like to admit, yet I admit it now. "That movie looks so funny", we say and so we watch it. Then laugh at crude jokes and remarks that demean the person in the film. Language that we would not dare speak in a church sunday school class we are all to willing to listen to it as we watch this movie, and listen to this song. It sounds good, they have a good singing voice, and that was such a good movie. These drive us to justify our sitting through it and listening to it. It isn't enough to say "If Jesus was here would you be watching that movie, or listening to that song". It is not enough to say "Would Jesus be rocking that song out on His ipod, or jamming to that rap on His home system". You want to know why, because He is in you and He is the one that dwelletth in you, therefore, He is there where you are if you are a born again believer. Its not what if Jesus was there, rather it is Jesus is right there and you (myself included) are willingly making the conscious decision to bring Him into your (myself included) abhorrent conversation, music listening, and movie watching. Out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaketh Mt 12:34. Jesus said that. Knowing this then ought I continually fill my heart and mind full of this movie or that movie all for the sake of being entertained. The same question in regard to the music. I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for it is the power of God to salvation to everone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Gentile Romans 1:16. In that same spirit I will say I am not ashamed to post and say all that I have here. For me to live is Christ, Paul says. Fellowship with believers does not have to be in conformity to those things that our culture says if cool, and funny. I speak this word today so loud to my own ears. Who am I to judge, who does the same things? I then to find victory from this only need to say, Not I who can willingly do away with all filth, but Christ. For when Christ controls my life He will not accept that which I have always done to fill my mind and heart full of worldly entertainment. Pray for me in this fellow brothers and sisters and I also will pray for you.
In Christ,
Phillip James Gilmore
