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J_A_Olver
Member



Joined: 2004/11/30
Posts: 14
Tyler, TX

 ...Crouching at the Door

Here's another essay/article I wrote recently. It's a little longer. This is meant as a bit of a wake up to Christians. I hold staunchly to some of the opinions I mention here - I acknowledge that not all of you share the same ideas...However, this is how I feel and what I've seen.

…Crouching At The Door
By J.A. Olver

What I am about to give my take on actually happened to myself. I took the following days to examine my heart and to make sure what I want to say is coming from a judgment by God’s standard and not my own. I can yammer all I want about how someone’s convictions are different than my own, but it makes no difference. But when it comes to the appearance of evil, and the biblical standard’s of excellence and purity, we are called to make judgment.

Like Jesus braiding the leather it took to make His whip, I spent the days after the experience checking my heart and putting my emotions in balance. Digging for the deeper truth and disciplining myself to see past the surface of the facades people wear and to see through the dark veil that is cast by Satan over the world to make the black and whites into gray, shifting shadows.

A few friends and I visited another friend who was staying in town at the house of several individuals. When we arrived, there were quite a few people there visiting and socializing. Several people I knew, several people whom I knew through amazing reputation.

The TV was on, and there was lots of activity in the kitchen. A guitar was being strummed somewhere, and people were generally having a good time. I was having a polite discussion with a friend of mine about how the past few days have been. She told me of things that happened that day, which many of you may think “no big deal” and in the eyes of most people it’s “no big deal.” But when the reputation is spread about how Godly someone is, how intensely pursuing God someone is, and the standard has been raised – when you see this person’s private life, you expect to see a disregard of things that have no business in the life of a Kingdom Advancer, and a Holy regard and pursuit of things Godly, lovely, noble, pure, just, righteous, etc.

As I said, the TV was on, and one of the late night talk shows was on. The guests being interviewed were cussing – which was censored – but the conversation was met with much laughter. The station was changed when a revolting commercial came on of a girl being chased by a pit-bull, who as she climbed a tree, the dog ripped her pants off, exposing more than anyone cared to see.

During the conversation my friend and I were having, it was obvious that the channel had been changed to an infomercial on Saturday Night Live episodes. This was met with uproarious laughter.

Now…This is where the account of the day stops, and what I feel and think starts…If any of you who read this know what, when, who and where I’m talking about, this is not a prejudiced, self-righteous dig at you. Is it a judgment? Yes. Because, integrity dictates that who you are in public should be who you are in private – especially if you’re a Christian.

I left that house wishing I had flipped over the Television set. I used to say to people, when discussing lifestyles “Is talking on the phone bad? No. Is eating at McDonald’s bad? No. Is talking on the phone for hours and hours bad? Yes. Is eating at McDonald’s everyday bad? Yes. Is watching TV bad? No. Is watching too much TV bad? Yes.”

Now, I am at the point where I will boldly say, “Yes. Television is bad.”

What? How could I say that?

Well, when 86% (Barna research) of all sexual activity during prime time on major television networks is outside of marriage – and the average teenager, in one year, will see 14,000 sexual encounters on TV, I think I can say that with authority. Especially, when it was recorded in 2003 by Barna that the average child who has just finished kindergarten has already watched 6,000 hours of TV…That is MORE time than it takes to obtain a BACHELOR’S DEGREE!

I don’t see what’s so funny about a group of adults, before an audience of literally millions of people act like they’re in fourth grade? And draw humor from sexual and drug innuendo? It’s cute when a fourth grader plays pretend, and acts outrageous and silly – it’s what they do. But when grown, successful adults gather and pour thought into, rehearse and perform things like that – it’s not so cute anymore.

What’s so funny about a man acting like a nine year old – when off the screen he died of a drug overdose?
What’s so funny or alluring about a commercial for men’s deoderant that makes a woman sexually attracted to a plastic mannequin? Or that makes cousins make-out before their entire family?
What’s so funny about grown men and women on talk-shows cussing about their lives and about topics in politics or showbiz?

What’s so entertaining about playing videogames when the option to worship and glorify God presents itself over and over?

WHAT’S SO ENTERTAINING ABOUT WELCOMING THIS FILTH INSIDE YOUR HOME?

WHAT’S SO ENTERTAINING ABOUT THE FACT THAT 14,000 ANNUAL IMMORAL SEXUAL ENCOUNTERS IS AS FAR AWAY AS YOUR REMOTECONTROL?

What’s so alluring about being talked about as Godly men, leading people in discipleship, and when in private you allow sin a foot in the door?

Leonard Ravenhill said that “Entertainment is the Devil’s substitute for joy.”

John Bevere, when asked what a person should do for relaxation when the world is so corrupt, said that Jesus, when He needed relaxation drew into a desolate place. (Found in Heart Ablaze)

In a world where the “tame” would have utterly SHOCKED and DISGUSTED the world 30 and 40 years ago, why are we not holding ourselves to a higher, more stringent standard?

When the world is trying harder and HARDER, and fighting dirtier and DIRTIER EACH DAY, why are we not becoming more and MORE DISCIPLINED? Why are we not rejecting what the world has to offer MORE VEHEMENTLY?

Men? Where’s that standard?
Thank God there has been recognition of integrity and the importance of quality of character in the world, (however quickly fading it is again) but are you surpassing it and living according to God’s standard? Are you ignoring your own God-sown convictions?
Women? Where’s the Godly self-respect?
Thank God modesty is trying to make a comeback, but how many of you are praying it lasts instead of just idly just being thankful? How many of you are rejecting materialism and actually pursuing self-abnegation instead of just talking about the desire to do so?

If the world keeps changing, like so many of us keep saying, why aren’t we becoming more guarded? Why is sin allowed to even crouch at our door? Why haven’t we blown the beast away and put up fences with razor wire around our moral yards?

If allowed to remain on our stoop, that wretched creature starts to paw and scratch at the door…Perhaps even whimper in phrases like “It’s so hard,” “No one understands,” “This could make me relate to people better,” and the classic “Everybody’s doing it.” And soon out of pity disguised as “annoyance,” we open the door to shoo it away, and it lunges and tears out our throats and takes our heart in its jaws and slathers the walls with our much touted integrity and convictions.

And there the bride lays, torn to shreds, bloody, defiled from the disease ridden creature which is roaming somewhere inside.
With the last bit of strength the bride has, she reaches up and shuts the door, so no one will see inside. And the last things the Bride sees before the door clicks shut, is her bold, colorful standard waving in the breeze for all to see.


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Jeffrey

 2004/11/30 0:49Profile









 God bless you for that.

Thanks a lot for that article...I agree with you, and have made the necessary adjustments in my life, thank God the Holy Spirit for that convicting Power.

Neil

 2004/11/30 1:26
hredii
Member



Joined: 2004/8/1
Posts: 218
Fresno CA

 Re: ...Crouching at the Door

This has been a burden of my heart for a long time now. I have been asking God for spiritual understanding and to share my burden with the church in a clear, understandable, and edifying way.

[u][b]GOD'S NAME BEING TAKEN IN VAIN IN CHRISTIAN HOMES THROUGH THE T.V. AND OR OUR MOUTHS BE A MAJIOR HINDRENCE TO THE PERSON OF THE HOLY SPIRIT?[/b][/u]

A good point to the deadliness of having cable or public T.V. on in the Christian home is...

1You don’t know when it could happen. (blasphemy)
2It could be even through a commercial
3Or on P.B.S. Yes
4There is rating for sexual content, violence, even foul language. But nothing for God's Holy name?.... Could this be because a Christian should not even be there?

To allow a sinner who blasphemes in your home to win him or her to Christ is praise worthy; but to allow blasphemies into your own home for the sake of entertainment is to grieve the very heart of God.

Please make a covenant with God and your family not to allow God's name to be taken in vain, and not to watch anything that would have any possibility to blaspheme God's name.


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Adam Fell

 2004/11/30 1:38Profile









 Re: ...Crouching at the Door

I believe our world is entertaining itself to hell. We don't allow ourselves to commit certain sins, but we have no problem watching other people do them and then we justify it by calling it entertainment. When did sin become entertainment? Why have we allowed such a thing to happen? Why do we tolerate TV? The same TV that killed family communitication? The same TV that destroyed family meals? The same TV that abolished the sunday night service so men could go home and watch sports? Why? Lets do as they did in the Old Testament and smash the idols that get between us and God. Is TV bad? I know that it certainly can be and in most cases it deffinately is.

 2004/11/30 3:58
_Disciple_
Member



Joined: 2004/10/29
Posts: 335
The Netherlands

 Re: ...Crouching at the Door

Thanks, i am still strugling and fighting "private" sin. Yesterday i went off home by bus, and at every stop there was a poster commercial flyer (or however you wanna call it) and there was a woman almost with no clothes on (i wonder if she get a cold :-( ) ...i'm getting angry, because everybody thinks it's acceptable.

Jesse, what you said in a sermon hit me like a ton of bricks. "how much you love God, is how much do you hate sin, and how much you love sin, is how much you hate God"

But we must be more focused on Christ, keep looking at Him, with our face down and our knees bend. And commit ourself daily unto our Lord Jesus Christ. (John 15:5)

And it is good to encourage eachother it helps a lot, but our private time with "The Big Boss" Jesus Christ is essential to stay Alive.

that we may say:
"until my dying breath, i Breathe"
(Gods Holy Spirit as Breath in us)


_________________
William

 2004/11/30 7:02Profile





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