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Day 30
Going FULL TILT for Jesus
By Al Menconi
As
Christians we should realize that we
are in a spiritual war. Hopefully during
the past 30 days, you have begun to understand
why we think the entertainment industry
supplies the majority of ammunition aimed
at us. If that idea is true, it’s
not a side issue – we need to look
at entertainment as a key issue in life.
Taking The Full Tilt Media Challenge – to
eliminate all forms of entertainment
and other distractions that are against
biblical values and to listen exclusively
to Christian music for 30 days – should
help you dodge some bullets as you make
your entertainment choices.
To be quite honest, the purpose of
our Media Challenge is to help
you become “brainwashed”!
Brain wash - wash brain - CLEAN BRAIN!!
As your brain is washed with godly music,
you will begin to become more sensitive
to the things that are offensive to a
most Holy God, and you are more prepared
to make wise entertainment decisions.
In the past, you probably made most
of your entertainment decisions without
considering the effect it could have
on your spiritual life. Hopefully that
has begun to change. As you decide on
each form of entertainment, we want you
to remember the principle of Colossians
2:8 which says that if we continue to
entertain ourselves with empty philosophies
that are against biblical values, they
will eventually undermine our walk with
Christ.
As we explained on devotional days
5, 6, & 7, the teeter totter is an
excellent visual aide to help you see
how entertainment can influence your
life – positively or negatively.
The teeter totter puts the truth of Colossians
2:8 as the fulcrum with the emptiest
philosophy in the world on one side and
the most hopeful philosophy in the world
on the other. The emptiest philosophy
in the world can simply be summed up
in five words: LIVE FOR SELF/DENY JESUS.
The most hopeful philosophy in the world
can also be summed up in five simple
words: LIVE FOR JESUS/DENY SELF.
Now when you make your entertainment
choices, you can simply evaluate its
basic philosophy and put it on one side
or the other. If your teeter totter is
tipping away from biblical values it
is likely that your spiritual life is
beginning to tip away from biblical values
as well. Our goal as a Christian is to
live “FULL TILT” for
Jesus and we need to find out if our
entertainment choices are keeping us
from doing that.
Living FULL TILT means:
- To completely surrender yourself
to Him in your heart - even the entertainment
that is questionable. Remember, so
much of today’s entertainment
is aimed at getting your “heart” to
focus on life without God.
- To take every thought captive (2
Corinthians 10:5). This means to not
let yourself get too comfortable in
the culture you are immersed in (especially
its entertainment). Entertainment can
often focus our thoughts n the idle
pleasures of this world instead of “on
things above.”
- To learn to deny self, take up our
cross (not be burdened by the things
of this world) and follow Him (Mt.
16:24 -26). This is not a one time
decision. Learning to deny ourselves
is a daily and sometimes hourly battle
for our mind.
Reflection: How about
you? Has this Media Challenge helped
in strengthening your faith in Jesus
Christ, and the joy of your salvation
in some way? Do you feel more resolved
to live FULL TILT for
Him than you did when you started?
Response: Take time
to write out some of key observations
and the most significant lessons you
learned this past month while you studied
this devotional and avoided negative
entertainment. What have you learned
about yourself? About your entertainment?
About God? Use the blank pages at the
end of this chapter to write your observations.
Then take this opportunity to share them
with your family and/or close friends.
Also, don’t hesitate to share them
with us here at Al Menconi Ministries (info@AlMenconi.com).
Verse of the Day: Amos 5:23
"Away with the noise of your
songs! I will not listen to the music
of your hearts." (NIV)
The prophet Amos is sharing God’s
disappointment with the nation of Israel
. They had feasts, offerings, sacrifices,
and were even singing songs, but their
hearts weren’t pure before the
Lord. God was saying, "I want
you to do all these things, but I want
them done from a pure heart."
My fear is that Christians who complete
the Full Tilt Media Challenge will
see Christian music as a means to be
more spiritual. "If I just sing
enough Christian songs and listen to
more Christian music then I’ll
be spiritual." That isn’t
so! Others may think those who didn’t
complete The Full Tilt Media Challenge are
less spiritual. That isn’t so either.
It is simply common sense. This Challenge
will make it easier you to see life from
a biblical perspective than someone who
is immersed in secular entertainment.
You have to remember that secular entertainment
isn’t the problem. And Christian
music is not the answer. Sin is the problem!
And a right relationship with Jesus Christ
is the answer! Christian music can be
a means to help you focus on the answer.
But you can sing Christian music until
you’re blue in the face and it
won’t do a bit of good, unless
you are truly seeking after God in your
heart.
Don’t think of this as the end
of a “program.” Think of
today as the first day of a dynamic renewal
of your relationship with our Lord Jesus
Christ.
A Closing Note from Al:
Thank you for
being a part of TheFull
Tilt Media Challenge to change
the world one person at a time. Hopefully
you are able to notice a closer relationship
with Christ in your life. As you do,
I would like you to consider another
challenge. Now that you aren’t
spending so much money on entertainment
every month, why not put some of it
to good use and help a child who is
less fortunate than you? There are
millions of needy children around the
world who need your help. Compassion
International is a mission organization
that has a program that I would like
you to consider. You can read more
details at the end of this devotional.
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