Saturday, July 17, 2004
"Hell House" (not what you think!)
The other day I watched an interesting movie on the Sundance Channel called "Hell House." Most of the stuff on that cable network is of little interest to me, and at first I though this was maybe a 80's era teen slasher movie, but every once in a while I find a real gem on Sundance in with all the dirt. This was one of those gems. "Hell House" is about Trinity Church in Cedar Hill, Texas, a suburb of Dallas, and what is now their annual Halloween presentation. They have a sort of "house of horrors" but instead of the usual and boring Frankenstein-like characters they have something much more scary--contemporary portrayals of modern-day evil in all it's unglory. Now THAT'S scary! (And somewhat controversial and bothersome to the politically-correct enforcers of the world).
Actually, I wrote my "Asleep at the Wheel" blog entry after watching that movie because it reminded me of how "politically correct" (translated: weak) the modern Christian church as become, and therefore just like the lukewarm water that Jesus said he would "spit out" (in Revelation 3:16) because it was neither hot nor cold. But now I realize there are a FEW churches out there that are willing to look evil straight in the eye and confront it head-on, no matter how politically incorrect it may appear to the pagans of the world. God bless them as they minister to mainly the youth of the area, reaching many who, as the movie pointed out, would never dream of setting a foot inside a typical church but will pay $7 to hear the message (and yes, warnings therein) of the Gospel in what is arguably a very nonconventional way.
For what Trinity Church does requires some amazing things to happen, but in reality they are not so amazing if Jesus is truly at work in your life and in your church. Like the film showed at the end, there are now many other churches all over who are now using Trinity's template for reaching local "lost" youth with a message--youth who otherwise would never hear it. The folks at Trinity, as the film shows, spend a huge amount of time working on the project each year to improve it, make it more meaningful and relevant, and to improve the message with which they are trying to reach the area youth.
The question I must ask myself, and you must too after watching that movie, is, "If I was a member of that church, would I be on fire for Jesus Christ as much as that congregation is, and would it show not only in my words, but in my actions?" That can be tough to answer. I think it has to do with the leadership of the church there combined with the commitment of the families who attend--there is a "chemistry" there (heaven-sent?) that cannot be denied. "Hell House" is also heavily dependent on the youth of that church for its success. Without them, it would be a huge flop. After all, who better to reach lost teens than teens who are not lost? Where do they get their enthusiasm and energy to reach the lost for Christ? Why don't I have that level of commitment and energy? Could the answer involve the Holy Spirit perhaps? Or one's personal commitment to serving Jesus in word AND ACTION?
So while I still believe my "Asleep at the wheel" blog entry is still correct and relevant, I must say that here and there are some islands of exceptions to the rule that Christians will always draw that line in the sand only to move it when the heat gets too hot or because it's more convenient to move it than stand one's (and God's) ground. Thank the Lord for Churches like Trinity which does not move that line so easily (if at all) and can be an example to the rest of us that Christianity should be an "action word" and not just a noun, especially where lost youth of today are concerned!
If you are over 16 and ever get a chance to watch "Hell House" do it. It is not a movie to show young kids because its theme and portrayal of evil may be too much for them.
Actually, I wrote my "Asleep at the Wheel" blog entry after watching that movie because it reminded me of how "politically correct" (translated: weak) the modern Christian church as become, and therefore just like the lukewarm water that Jesus said he would "spit out" (in Revelation 3:16) because it was neither hot nor cold. But now I realize there are a FEW churches out there that are willing to look evil straight in the eye and confront it head-on, no matter how politically incorrect it may appear to the pagans of the world. God bless them as they minister to mainly the youth of the area, reaching many who, as the movie pointed out, would never dream of setting a foot inside a typical church but will pay $7 to hear the message (and yes, warnings therein) of the Gospel in what is arguably a very nonconventional way.
For what Trinity Church does requires some amazing things to happen, but in reality they are not so amazing if Jesus is truly at work in your life and in your church. Like the film showed at the end, there are now many other churches all over who are now using Trinity's template for reaching local "lost" youth with a message--youth who otherwise would never hear it. The folks at Trinity, as the film shows, spend a huge amount of time working on the project each year to improve it, make it more meaningful and relevant, and to improve the message with which they are trying to reach the area youth.
The question I must ask myself, and you must too after watching that movie, is, "If I was a member of that church, would I be on fire for Jesus Christ as much as that congregation is, and would it show not only in my words, but in my actions?" That can be tough to answer. I think it has to do with the leadership of the church there combined with the commitment of the families who attend--there is a "chemistry" there (heaven-sent?) that cannot be denied. "Hell House" is also heavily dependent on the youth of that church for its success. Without them, it would be a huge flop. After all, who better to reach lost teens than teens who are not lost? Where do they get their enthusiasm and energy to reach the lost for Christ? Why don't I have that level of commitment and energy? Could the answer involve the Holy Spirit perhaps? Or one's personal commitment to serving Jesus in word AND ACTION?
So while I still believe my "Asleep at the wheel" blog entry is still correct and relevant, I must say that here and there are some islands of exceptions to the rule that Christians will always draw that line in the sand only to move it when the heat gets too hot or because it's more convenient to move it than stand one's (and God's) ground. Thank the Lord for Churches like Trinity which does not move that line so easily (if at all) and can be an example to the rest of us that Christianity should be an "action word" and not just a noun, especially where lost youth of today are concerned!
If you are over 16 and ever get a chance to watch "Hell House" do it. It is not a movie to show young kids because its theme and portrayal of evil may be too much for them.
Asleep at the wheel
All of the "gay marriage" controversy should not surprise any Christian. That's because that we Christians were "asleep at the wheel" for the past 50 years and are now waking up just as we see we are about to collide head-on with another fast-moving car--maybe even an 18 wheeler (ouch!)! It may have all started in the Garden of Eden, but it got a lot more steam when God was essentially banned from all public schools a few decades back. Out went God and in came gangs, guns, and total rebellion to take His place. Was that a good trade? You be the judge. Now Christianity is being attacked in every sector, and for good reason. We're wimps!
For 50 years Christians slowly saw their values and rights taken away. No, not in one big chunk that would have been noticed, but in tiny portions, portions so small that most Christians would never notice it. A small victory for the evil one here, a spokesman or woman for the dark side there, and if you do it enough you'll eventually convert the whole society to the Godless, atheistic society that Satan would love to see. And the people will never know what hit them!
So now Christians are all in an uproar over "gay marriage." Fine. But where were we when God was being ripped out of public schools? Where were we when Johnson's (LBJ's) so-called "Great Society" was designed so that there would be no accountability of individuals it was designed to help? Where were we when TV fare over the airwaves that you and I own became garbage? Ok, we turned it off perhaps, but that did not stop the fare from twisting the minds of millions of TV-zombies, many of whom unfortunately were raising children at the time. And how about all the movies that were produced in the past 30 years that many of you allowed your kids to attend--movies that were seriously harmful to their spiritual lives? Where were we when "no fault" divorces that make marriage a joke were introduced in many states? Did you or I care? Where were we when abortion for anyone at any time was made the law of the land? Where were we when the government came in to say that a landlord cannot refuse to rent to an unmarried couple if it violates his religious principles? Where were we when out-of-wedlock births became the norm for our society? Where do you think all the gays who want to get married today came from? They came from the disfunctional families of the 60's, 70's and 80's, that's where they came from! They came from homes where there was no father figure for boys to emulate, which was something those boys would pay for for the rest of their lives.
(Note to self: remember that dysfunctional homes help bring up future disfunctional parents or "partners"!)
Now we Christians, after moving that line in the sand hundreds, if not thousands, of times in the past 50 years are in effect saying, "ok, now, this time we REALLY won't move that line in the sand! Yeah, this time we're serious. That line will not move now! Yeah, sure. Just like it didn't move hundreds of times in the past 50 years. Uh-huh. Now we really mean it, don't we? What makes us think that we won't move that line again? What's special about this? What makes you think that the world will either a) believe us, or b) really give a rip since we've shown ourselves to be paper tigers hundreds of times before.
You know why there won't be an amendment to the Constitution regarding marriage? Regardless of whether or not it is a good idea, there will not be an amendment because our Senators and Representatives KNOW that if they support Christian world views and get severely attacked from the left, that we Christians will head for cover and do a "Bay of Pigs" on them and leave them hanging. So when the next election comes around, we will conveniently vote our wallets and checkbooks as we always do, and those who stood up for Christian values will be defeated in office. It's happened just about every time some one stood up for Christian values in Washington. Unfortunately a Senator or Representative knows that they cannot count on us Christians who are famous for drawing that line in the sand, and then promptly moving it when it is trounced by the evildoers in the world. After all, none of us wants to be politically incorrect, now do we?
Did you know that Christians have enough voting power that we could easily take back this country if we were not too self-centered and selfish to vote our convictions and not our wallets? I've heard far too many times someone who claims they are a born-again Christian say that they are voting for a liberal pro-abortion anti-family values member in congress because he or she will bring jobs home, or help Medicare, or social security more than the other candidate will, who just happens to be pro-life and pro-family values. So what happens? The first candidate wins, and we get a legislature full of people who are essentially without morals. And to add to the insult, they don't even fix all the social problems that they promised they would!
One of the scariest sayings that I've ever heard, which is true in nearly every case, is that a society or state always gets the legislators that it deserves. I believe that we do deserve better, but I feel that I am alone. I cringe when on Sunday driving down the road and I see a church parking lot emptying out and several of the cars have a bumper sticker supporting a pro-abortion anti-family values candidate. I just want to ask them why the heck they bother to go to church if they will not stand up for what they allegedly believe! Maybe they are there for "fire insurance" and nothing more. Pity.
So to those who are worried about there being any sort of "marriage amendment" in the next 20 years or so--chill out--it won't happen. That's because we Christians will soon be back fast asleep at the wheel, no threat to your agenda. Oh, but first we will have to move that pesky line in the sand yet again!
For 50 years Christians slowly saw their values and rights taken away. No, not in one big chunk that would have been noticed, but in tiny portions, portions so small that most Christians would never notice it. A small victory for the evil one here, a spokesman or woman for the dark side there, and if you do it enough you'll eventually convert the whole society to the Godless, atheistic society that Satan would love to see. And the people will never know what hit them!
So now Christians are all in an uproar over "gay marriage." Fine. But where were we when God was being ripped out of public schools? Where were we when Johnson's (LBJ's) so-called "Great Society" was designed so that there would be no accountability of individuals it was designed to help? Where were we when TV fare over the airwaves that you and I own became garbage? Ok, we turned it off perhaps, but that did not stop the fare from twisting the minds of millions of TV-zombies, many of whom unfortunately were raising children at the time. And how about all the movies that were produced in the past 30 years that many of you allowed your kids to attend--movies that were seriously harmful to their spiritual lives? Where were we when "no fault" divorces that make marriage a joke were introduced in many states? Did you or I care? Where were we when abortion for anyone at any time was made the law of the land? Where were we when the government came in to say that a landlord cannot refuse to rent to an unmarried couple if it violates his religious principles? Where were we when out-of-wedlock births became the norm for our society? Where do you think all the gays who want to get married today came from? They came from the disfunctional families of the 60's, 70's and 80's, that's where they came from! They came from homes where there was no father figure for boys to emulate, which was something those boys would pay for for the rest of their lives.
(Note to self: remember that dysfunctional homes help bring up future disfunctional parents or "partners"!)
Now we Christians, after moving that line in the sand hundreds, if not thousands, of times in the past 50 years are in effect saying, "ok, now, this time we REALLY won't move that line in the sand! Yeah, this time we're serious. That line will not move now! Yeah, sure. Just like it didn't move hundreds of times in the past 50 years. Uh-huh. Now we really mean it, don't we? What makes us think that we won't move that line again? What's special about this? What makes you think that the world will either a) believe us, or b) really give a rip since we've shown ourselves to be paper tigers hundreds of times before.
You know why there won't be an amendment to the Constitution regarding marriage? Regardless of whether or not it is a good idea, there will not be an amendment because our Senators and Representatives KNOW that if they support Christian world views and get severely attacked from the left, that we Christians will head for cover and do a "Bay of Pigs" on them and leave them hanging. So when the next election comes around, we will conveniently vote our wallets and checkbooks as we always do, and those who stood up for Christian values will be defeated in office. It's happened just about every time some one stood up for Christian values in Washington. Unfortunately a Senator or Representative knows that they cannot count on us Christians who are famous for drawing that line in the sand, and then promptly moving it when it is trounced by the evildoers in the world. After all, none of us wants to be politically incorrect, now do we?
Did you know that Christians have enough voting power that we could easily take back this country if we were not too self-centered and selfish to vote our convictions and not our wallets? I've heard far too many times someone who claims they are a born-again Christian say that they are voting for a liberal pro-abortion anti-family values member in congress because he or she will bring jobs home, or help Medicare, or social security more than the other candidate will, who just happens to be pro-life and pro-family values. So what happens? The first candidate wins, and we get a legislature full of people who are essentially without morals. And to add to the insult, they don't even fix all the social problems that they promised they would!
One of the scariest sayings that I've ever heard, which is true in nearly every case, is that a society or state always gets the legislators that it deserves. I believe that we do deserve better, but I feel that I am alone. I cringe when on Sunday driving down the road and I see a church parking lot emptying out and several of the cars have a bumper sticker supporting a pro-abortion anti-family values candidate. I just want to ask them why the heck they bother to go to church if they will not stand up for what they allegedly believe! Maybe they are there for "fire insurance" and nothing more. Pity.
So to those who are worried about there being any sort of "marriage amendment" in the next 20 years or so--chill out--it won't happen. That's because we Christians will soon be back fast asleep at the wheel, no threat to your agenda. Oh, but first we will have to move that pesky line in the sand yet again!
