Remember why God flooded the earth?
Genesis 6: 5And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
Again, after the Flood:
Genesis 8: 18And Noah went forth, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him: 19Every beast, every creeping thing, and every fowl, and whatsoever creepeth upon the earth, after their kinds, went forth out of the ark. 20And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. 21And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done. 22While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.
Now during the Roman era, there was a time when christians were spectacles at the Coliseum to be slaughtered by beasts and warriors. We think of the callousness of these people as spectators, but I do wonder what has propelled them: the sin that got the world flooded, which from that came the love of violence and gore?
Are we, as believers, being desensitize to the violence and worldly sins so dramatically displayed in movies and the media? Have the spectacles become the spectators?
One could argue that it isn't real, and so it doesn't count.
But the main thing God was upset about was that every thought of man was wicked. Do we really need the world to force feed their garbage through our eyes into the body of the Temple of the Holy Spirit? Do we really believe we can walk away from watching these shows and not be influenced in any way?
And some of those video games: the violent actions taken within are hardly to dwell on, let alone "entertain" ourselves with them.
Luke 11:34The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness. 35Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness. :tear:
The American way is to fight back: but Jesus' way is to suffer ourselves to be defrauded.
The American way is evil triumph when good men do nothing so do something.. anything, but Jesus's way is turn the other cheek.
The American way is logical, rational, practical, and realistic, to make a difference.. to make the world a better place to live, but Jesus's kingdom is not of this earth.
The American way is to kill the enemy, but Jesus' way is to love them.
The American way can be answered to by mighty men and nobles of this great nation, but not very many mighty men and nobles are called to the receiving of the gospel of grace.
1 Corinthians 4:8Now ye are full, now ye are rich, ye have reigned as kings without us: and I would to God ye did reign, that we also might reign with you. 9For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men. 10We are fools for Christ's sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised. 11Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwellingplace; 12And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it: 13Being defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day. 14I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you. :tear:
Is what I am sharing in this thread the warning Paul was speaking of?
Or is it the warning against complacency of living in a blessed society that we forget that the world will hate us, defraud us, hurt us, walk all over us, and even kill us just because we are believers in Jesus Christ? Could the complacency lead a believer to go with society in being a spectator rather than a spectacle? :applause: vs :tear:
Genesis 6: 5And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
Again, after the Flood:
Genesis 8: 18And Noah went forth, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him: 19Every beast, every creeping thing, and every fowl, and whatsoever creepeth upon the earth, after their kinds, went forth out of the ark. 20And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. 21And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done. 22While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.
Now during the Roman era, there was a time when christians were spectacles at the Coliseum to be slaughtered by beasts and warriors. We think of the callousness of these people as spectators, but I do wonder what has propelled them: the sin that got the world flooded, which from that came the love of violence and gore?
Are we, as believers, being desensitize to the violence and worldly sins so dramatically displayed in movies and the media? Have the spectacles become the spectators?
One could argue that it isn't real, and so it doesn't count.
But the main thing God was upset about was that every thought of man was wicked. Do we really need the world to force feed their garbage through our eyes into the body of the Temple of the Holy Spirit? Do we really believe we can walk away from watching these shows and not be influenced in any way?
And some of those video games: the violent actions taken within are hardly to dwell on, let alone "entertain" ourselves with them.
Luke 11:34The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness. 35Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness. :tear:
The American way is to fight back: but Jesus' way is to suffer ourselves to be defrauded.
The American way is evil triumph when good men do nothing so do something.. anything, but Jesus's way is turn the other cheek.
The American way is logical, rational, practical, and realistic, to make a difference.. to make the world a better place to live, but Jesus's kingdom is not of this earth.
The American way is to kill the enemy, but Jesus' way is to love them.
The American way can be answered to by mighty men and nobles of this great nation, but not very many mighty men and nobles are called to the receiving of the gospel of grace.
1 Corinthians 4:8Now ye are full, now ye are rich, ye have reigned as kings without us: and I would to God ye did reign, that we also might reign with you. 9For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men. 10We are fools for Christ's sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised. 11Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwellingplace; 12And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it: 13Being defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day. 14I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you. :tear:
Is what I am sharing in this thread the warning Paul was speaking of?
Or is it the warning against complacency of living in a blessed society that we forget that the world will hate us, defraud us, hurt us, walk all over us, and even kill us just because we are believers in Jesus Christ? Could the complacency lead a believer to go with society in being a spectator rather than a spectacle? :applause: vs :tear: