"GOOD-WILL: Did any of them know of your coming?
CHRISTIAN: Yes, my wife and children were the first to notice
my departure, and they called out for me to return home.
Also some of my neighbors cried out as a group for me to come
back. But I put my fingers in my ears and continued on my way."
John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress
Good-Will, who opened the door of Salvation to Christian, is asking why he is alone upon his arrival. A pilgrim seeking God's will for his life must expect to do it alone. There may be others in the periphery, but ultimately it comes down to a one-on-one relationship with Jesus Christ. It is heart wrenching that Christian's family did not make the trip with him, but it would not have altered his journey. He now is in a better situation to be an aid to them.
The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved? ”They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household. ” Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized. The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole household. Acts 16
For those that have loved ones that are not Christians, the best action you can take is praying for their salvation. Saturate the floor of the throne with your prayers of petition. Pray that God's will be done in the lives of your loved ones. Be willing for God to do whatever it takes to draw them to Himself.
"This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, he hears us." I John 5:16
The other action Christian took was that he literally placed his fingers in his ears and continued on his journey. There was a little girl in a school I worked at, that would place her fingers in her ears to block out noise as she walked. She was not very tolerant to any noise. We should also be that way to anything that will effect our Christian journey. We have way more information to distract us then Bunyan did in 1650. What we face would shake him to his knees, yet most of us are drenching ourselves in the numerous entertainment mediums. This has a huge effect on our walk. I came across an article by a "christian" movie critic.
"I always get a unique question: How do you deal with swearing/nudity/violence/crude humor…how can you stand all that depravity and soul-sucking grossness that Hollywood throws out?
Hmm… That one is hard.
The short answer is swearing, sex scenes, crude humor, and poop jokes don’t really bother me.
Brothers and Sisters, the danger is within, not without.
Christian theology states that we are sinful creatures, or, to put it in Oprah terms, we’re each weighed down with his or her weakness, each with our own lifelong struggles. This is to say that 'everything is permissible.' Is it all beneficial? It depends. There is a huge difference between a hormonal teen virgin struggling to remain celibate and a long-time married couple with a healthy sex life in watching an explicit movie like ‘Knocked Up.’
He goes on trying to justify his statement. What I have to say is, at least he is honest and doesn't pretend. He is not an actor. I am sure the movies that he watches no longer have an effect on him, they already have accomplished it's effect. We cannot be like the world.
"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you." Romans 12
CHRISTIAN: Yes, my wife and children were the first to notice
my departure, and they called out for me to return home.
Also some of my neighbors cried out as a group for me to come
back. But I put my fingers in my ears and continued on my way."
John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress
Good-Will, who opened the door of Salvation to Christian, is asking why he is alone upon his arrival. A pilgrim seeking God's will for his life must expect to do it alone. There may be others in the periphery, but ultimately it comes down to a one-on-one relationship with Jesus Christ. It is heart wrenching that Christian's family did not make the trip with him, but it would not have altered his journey. He now is in a better situation to be an aid to them.
The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved? ”They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household. ” Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized. The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole household. Acts 16
For those that have loved ones that are not Christians, the best action you can take is praying for their salvation. Saturate the floor of the throne with your prayers of petition. Pray that God's will be done in the lives of your loved ones. Be willing for God to do whatever it takes to draw them to Himself.
"This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, he hears us." I John 5:16
The other action Christian took was that he literally placed his fingers in his ears and continued on his journey. There was a little girl in a school I worked at, that would place her fingers in her ears to block out noise as she walked. She was not very tolerant to any noise. We should also be that way to anything that will effect our Christian journey. We have way more information to distract us then Bunyan did in 1650. What we face would shake him to his knees, yet most of us are drenching ourselves in the numerous entertainment mediums. This has a huge effect on our walk. I came across an article by a "christian" movie critic.
"I always get a unique question: How do you deal with swearing/nudity/violence/crude humor…how can you stand all that depravity and soul-sucking grossness that Hollywood throws out?
Hmm… That one is hard.
The short answer is swearing, sex scenes, crude humor, and poop jokes don’t really bother me.
Brothers and Sisters, the danger is within, not without.
Christian theology states that we are sinful creatures, or, to put it in Oprah terms, we’re each weighed down with his or her weakness, each with our own lifelong struggles. This is to say that 'everything is permissible.' Is it all beneficial? It depends. There is a huge difference between a hormonal teen virgin struggling to remain celibate and a long-time married couple with a healthy sex life in watching an explicit movie like ‘Knocked Up.’
He goes on trying to justify his statement. What I have to say is, at least he is honest and doesn't pretend. He is not an actor. I am sure the movies that he watches no longer have an effect on him, they already have accomplished it's effect. We cannot be like the world.
"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you." Romans 12
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