CONCERT OF PRAYER

Pray Week 860

“Celebrating Evil”

Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! (Isaiah 5:20)

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I may be naive, but I continue to expect better entertainment choices from our television and cable networks. In reality, I am repeatedly disappointed and disgusted by what is being piped into our homes and portable electronic devices every day. Just when I think it could not get any worse it sinks to new levels of depravity. The pattern that is emerging seems to be one of indoctrination into a new morality that will be passed on to younger generations. The coveted target audience by the networks is the 18 to 34 year old population – the ones that will have the greatest impact in influencing future generations. What does the new morality look like? What is the enemy’s agenda as he seeks to swallow up the earth? One major theme threading its way through comedies, cartoons, reality series, and crime solving shows is sexual immorality. Promiscuous behavior, fornication, adultery, and same sex relationships are presented as normal and acceptable behaviors.

Violence is another theme that is being used to desensitize us to the horror and heinousness of crimes against our fellow human beings. The sanctity and respect for human life is devalued. What used to be a program about the science of solving crimes – the classic ‘whodunit’ – has now become more about the graphic depiction of the torture, rape, and murder of others.

God and Christianity are ridiculed in much of the programming genres. The occult and the paranormal are promoted. New depths of vulgar and crude behavior, alcoholism, revenge, jealousy, and greed, are offered as comedic reality ‘entertainment’.

The Psalmist asks a question that is highly relevant to today: …if the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do? (Psalm 11:3) The Word of God offers the answer through Paul’s letter to the Romans: …the hour has come for you to wake from sleep…So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. (Romans 13:11-14)

As parents we must be parents. We must exercise our God-given authority to protect the hearts and minds of our children from being immersed into the cesspool of the new morality that is being pushed upon them through the media and, unfortunately through our public education system. Let us not be the one who allows our children to be tempted to sin by the abdication of our responsibilities as parents. Woe to the world for temptations to sin…woe to the one by whom the temptation comes! (Matthew 18:7)

As Christians in this world we will struggle with our flesh desire to sin. …when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. (Romans 7:21) We must seek first the kingdom and God and His righteousness. We must avoid feeding our flesh and make a priority to seek purity and integrity of heart, mind, and spirit. It can be as simple as changing the channel to something better or just turn the TV off.