What is it that brings the peace of God to our lives? Things that are pure! What would Jesus do? It’s time to ask that question again. It’s time to be honest with ourselves.
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
(Phil. 4:8)
Last week I was in my morning “manna” prayer group talking about a day that I’ve seen coming for some time. It’s a day that I’ve talked about to large groups of men…a day that is coming.
It’s a day that I honestly thought was at least some years off in the future. I think I was wrong. I think the day is almost upon us if not upon us now!
This year on television (and that is only one medium) is a year where what is morally acceptable for Christian to watch has for the most part vanished. This is true for daytime soaps, to talk shows, to reality shows, sitcoms, commercials, and most of all prime time television.
If cold-blooded murder is not a part of what is offered or talked about, then sex—showing it, making jokes about it, treating it with about the same importance as eating cotton candy, is at every level. If that’s not bad enough profanity is now commonplace. It’s as though all restraint was thrown to the wind.
We even see shows attempting to make demons and witchcraft normal and even good. But should we be surprised? Second Corinthians says, “And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light” (2 Cor. 11:14). There are now “fake spiritualists” and that is what they are, that supposedly talks to the dead and bring messages to the living.
With all my heart, I believe this is an end-time move of Satan to numb the hearts of Christians toward evil and destroy their sensitivity toward God.
Scripture warns us that Satan would pull out everything in the days before Jesus’ return.
But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short.
(Rev. 12:12)
In Mark 13:22, Jesus Himself said that in the last days, “For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and miracles to deceive the elect—if that were possible.”
I talk to Christians all the time who don’t understand what is wrong with horoscopes and fortunetellers and those that talk to people from the dead. They are being seduced into an activity that will confuse them in their faith in God.
These kinds of demonic activity are an abomination to the Lord (Deut. 18:10-13). People don’t see on the surface how watching these kinds of things on television and movies can really make that big a difference.
If you can’t figure it out, then just look around at the results. I’ve never seen more people struggling in marriage than I have today. I’ve never seen more men and women caught up in sexual thinking, vices, and pornography than today.
Many won’t admit it, yet they are drawn to all these sexual reality shows that breed discontent in their own marriages. For the single men, it teaches them to pursue sex rather than meet a godly woman to make a godly relationship and friendship with.
At the least, it draws men and women into masturbation and fantasy. Is this okay? Absolutely not! It’s called lasciviousness, which is defined as “the exciting on one’s sexual desires.”
It’s listed in Galatians as one of the things that will undermine one’s salvation. It’s a tool of Satan to seduce people away from God in hopes of keeping them from inheriting Heaven.
Now the sinful acts of the flesh that are manifest, are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like:
of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
(Gal. 5:19-21)
It used to be that Satan was much too subtle to be right in your face with these kinds of things. But this has all happened so subtly over the years with little or no resistance, that the producers have taken a plunge delivering the worst.
Is your marriage, is your thought life, is your relationship with God worth the price of watching some carnal television show that is working to seduce your lower desires contrary to what God wants?
What is it that brings the peace of God to our lives? Things that are pure! What would Jesus do? It’s time to ask that question again. It’s time to be honest with ourselves. It’s time to wake up and protect ourselves from the seducing spirit of Satan who only wants to drag us into the doom and misery he’ll face for eternity.
God’s message is not a message of condemnation. It’s a message of love and the desire to lead you into a blessed life in Him. John 3:17 says, “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.”
Let pure thinking guide your thoughts and actions! Ask the Lord to help you develop pure thinking. He will!
All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Timothy Burt is a pastor, author, and writer. He is best known as the author of Fresh Manna, a daily devotional and online Bible study.
Pastor Tim became a part of the leadership team at Living Word Christian Center in 1984 and was an Associate Pastor from 1989 until May 31st, 2017. He and His wife Renee, also a Pastor at Living Word, resigned after being a part of Living Word for 33 years on May 31, 2017. They felt impressed by God to pursue the tremendous growth of their ministry "Fresh Manna," as well as teaching conferences and seminars and increasing their involvement in the mission field through Tim and Renee Burt Ministries. Tim has a Bachelor of Theology degree and is a Christian blogger who has been writing a daily inspirational and teaching devotion three days a week called "Fresh Manna" for the past 22 years. It has been read in over 227 countries (official countries and territories). Tim was named one of the top 55 blogging Pastors. He is one of the top Social Media influencers in Minnesota with a strong presence on Twitter at https://twitter.com/TimBurt with over 187,000 followers. Between Tim's Fresh Manna Devotional and Twitter influence, he virally averages reaching over 4 million people daily with the gospel of Jesus Christ and the love of God.
Prior to working at LWCC, he worked at Northwest Airlines for 13 years. In 1985 he founded and was President of American Infant Care Products which marketed his patented invention, the first fold-down commercial infant changing table now used worldwide in public restrooms.
In their tenure at Living Word, Timothy Burt and his wife Renee created a Small Group Ministry when the church was about 800 people in size. Under the leadership of Sr. Pastors Mac and Lynne Hammond, the church grew to over 10,000 people. Pastor Tim and Renee led a diverse Small Group Ministry of over 200 groups. Tim also led weekly men's groups and a monthly Men's Breakfast of 250 plus men called Manhood for 27 years. Tim's responsibilities also included oversight over the Visitor and Member Relations Department, Leadership and Volunteer Development, and the Pastoral Care Department. Pastor Tim was also the Minnesota State Director of Christians United for Israel from 2006 thru 2017.
Tim and Renee are the parents of four children and have seven grandchildren. Tim loves to write, golf, run, and walk, and is a master gardener. He is a five-time marathon finisher. He is also a three-time award-winning gardener winning the Grand Prize in his city for his beautiful home garden and is a Master Gardener for the University of Minnesota's Master Gardener Extension Program.