(1 Timothy 4:1-3)
1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
3 Forbidding to marry, [and commanding] to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.
I remember hearing a message by Evangelist Lou Rossi back in December of 1999 entitled, "Getting used to the darkness." I remember that as he preached about things that the devil uses to distract us are not just forced upon us all at once. But rather we have allowed them to creep into our lives with subtlety. Just as his illustration, when the light is stolen over a period of time, and deliberately; our eyes slowly and surely become adjusted to the absence of light, and we find ourselves used to the darkness.
As I listened to an amazing preacher and his message; I remember the thought entering my mind, "It’s not that bad." However, when I look back over the years from 1999 until now 2011; I can clearly see in retrospect what he meant.
There have certainly been some outrageous moves done by the entertainment industry over the last decade. From glorifying teenage pregnancy with shows like Teen Mom, to showcasing the self centered and wicked lifestyle of bored housewives that cheat on their husbands as in Desperate Housewives. It is truly no wonder that we have a generation raised to believe that murder is not the fault of the murderer but their parents for neglecting them as children.
After today’s verdict concerning Casey Anthony, I have come to the actualization that I too have become used to the darkness. It was certainly no surprise to me that a jury of peers found her not guilty. Why would they? Her attorney placed within the jury’s minds that she had a traumatic childhood and that it was not her fault but the fault and the failure of her upbringing.
We have allowed sin to take root within our homes, to steal away the sensitivity of conviction, and of conscience. We have exalted and edified the media and television, and have believed the lies that it is only sin if we believe that it is sin. We have taught our children that there is no consequence of our actions, because enough money, good attorneys, and a traumatic childhood can get you off scott free.
We would never open the door to a complete stranger, invite them into our homes with our wife and children and say have free run of the place; but we have allowed this. For the sake of our entertainment, we have allowed Satan to creep into our homes through our televisions, and our on demand movies channels. We have made it easier to put aside God’s Word and family devotions because we would rather have "our quiet time" with our Bachelorette and Jersey Shore which glorify sex outside of marriage, drunkenness, and making money as our life’s goals.
Please understand that I am not condemning t.v. But what I am saying is; we should not be surprised when trials end like this when we are teaching our children that these things are ok, maybe not directly, but indirectly through what we allow them to watch, and what we ourselves are watching.
My challenge to you is this…tonight, let’s turn off the television for an hour, come together as a family, get around God’s Word and have personal revival within our homes. Let’s break out a game of monopoly or phase ten; put aside the Teen Mom, and enjoy being with our loved ones. This is the only hope for our nation. This is the only hope for the next generation. Before we are turned over to a reprobate mind, and our children have their conscience seared with a hot iron.
Stephen Underwood
Acts 20:24
www.stephenunderwood.net
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