ENTERSTAINED? - By Theron Hobbs Jr.

Image courtesy of Physics World

What images, magazines, books, websites, shows, movies, or songs are appropriate for Christians?  The question of what is appropriate entertainment is one that I tussled with for many years, and many Christians wrestle with answering.  Under the covenant of grace Jesus is concerned about what we see and hear.

Each one of us will have different things that could lead to temptation therefore sanctification, or being daily molded into the likeness of Jesus, will be different for all of us.  However, it’s important to be mindful of how certain forms of entertainment celebrate and may stir something in our hearts that opposes gospel-centered living.  So how do we as Christians determine what is appropriate entertainment?  Paul the Apostle and Pastor/Rapper Trip Lee offer words that are helpful for this situation.

Paul encourages us to keep our attention on things that are in the likeness of Christ.  This doesn’t mean that every form of entertainment has to be for Christians or by Christians, but the entertainment can be hazardous if it promotes things that are void of morality, hurtful, disrespectful, or false (not referring to artistic fiction).

In Trip Lee’s book Rise: Get Up and Live in God's Great Story he suggests that interaction with media is best when clinging to what draws us closer to Jesus while rejecting what pulls our hearts and obedience away from Him.  The practical tools he gives in the book involve taking time to understand what you are consuming and how it may conflict with the gospel, taking honest evaluation of self and what influence it may have on you, not taking for granted the impact of what you see and watch can have on the soul, treating entertainment consumption similar to a diet and monitor your intake, and not treating all media as evil.

Since the Lord is good and Jesus is the Lord, then Christians would be wise in staying close to all that resembles God who is good.  The Christian life is a daily process which means that each day will present a challenge.  We must walk humbly and faithfully before God in the power of the Holy Spirit while giving ourselves mercy because of the mercy given to us by way of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

More from Theron Hobbs, Jr:
The Death of Racism

GUNS, GOD, AND SOMETHING BETTER - By Ryan Schaible

“Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; 

but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength…”

Isaiah 40:30-31)

It's been almost two weeks since the Orlando nightclub massacre.

Has it set in yet?

Another mass shooting has occurred.
ANOTHER. MASS. SHOOTING.

Even before I can really type another word, I know that people have already set their opinions about this topic.  Whatever beliefs you hold, please allow me to share a bit with you.

I’m tired.

I’m tired of turning on my television or my phone to see headlines of “BREAKING NEWS” or “CRISIS” or “EMERGENCY” – having to read or hear about yet ANOTHER act of violence. There has been a mass shooting (defined as 4 or more victims) nearly EVERY DAY for the last 3 years. We are quick to change our profile picture or type out a hashtag, but yet we seem to have grown numb to these occurrences.

I’m weary.

I’m weary of our American obsession with force, power, and control. The United States makes up about 4.5% of the world’s population, yet we hold 50% of the world’s civilian-owned guns. If you rank countries based upon their military budget, our federal government spends more on military weaponry then the next 26 other countries combined (most of whom are allies). We are obsessed with flexing muscles, stomping our feet, and holding tightly to our weapons…and it is exhausting.

At this point, some will already argue: “Guns don’t kill people. People kill people.”  Perhaps in a way this is true, but the fact is, people carrying guns shoot people.  Sometimes they shoot themselves.  The higher the concentration of guns, the greater the bloodshed.  Those who live by the sword die by the sword.

This is why I am drawn to Jesus Christ.  In the midst of my tired and weary state, I find HOPE.

Jesus Christ walked the earth in the midst of a massive military and political superpower – the Roman Empire.   The people of Israel were craving freedom – physically and spiritually. Many religious leaders, the people meant to be the proclaimers of God’s transformational truth, had become corrupted by the same thirst for power and control that has fueled empires throughout history (and today).  If there was ever a reason to roll up your sleeves and put your boot (or sword, or gun, or drone) to someone, Jesus would have a reason. Things were broken, and someone needed to pay.

Jesus had his own message of a kingdom – but THIS kingdom didn’t come through force, power, and violent control.  The “Kingdom of God” (a phrase common in Jesus’ day to mean GOD himself) came through GRACE, LOVE, and FAITH.  This message of a different kingdom – a kingdom “not of this world” – was one of the things that led to Jesus’ crucifixion. Those in authority felt their message was being challenged, and they used force and power to keep control.

The image of THE CROSS – a symbol of violence – was TRANSFORMED by Jesus to become a symbol of hope.  The CROSS is a reminder of God’s ability to move beyond our brokenness and bring LIFE out of death.  The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ was (and is) God interrupting the cycle of death and destruction to reveal his life, his power, and his love.  RESURRECTION is God’s continuing act of bringing NEW LIFE in the midst of physical, emotional, and spiritual DEATH.

The Prince of Peace didn’t need to carry a weapon.

The King of Kings carried LOVE.

Throughout history, Christians have forgotten this message. Christians have taken up the “swords” of Rome from time to time, and it has never gone well.  We must REPENT of this. Christian history is also FULL of people who took God seriously and literally beat their swords into plows.

Let me interrupt my writing here with an important truth: I stand by the Constitution of the United States. I support the Second Amendment.  I believe you have the right to own a gun – or perhaps many guns which would necessitate owning a gun rack – for protection, for sport, or for any other reason.  Just because you CAN do something, doesn’t mean you SHOULD always do it.  Something can be allowed and still not always be beneficial (the Apostle Paul has a lot to say about that).  I’m also not talking about taking away guns from law-abiding citizens or adopting PACIFISM as our nation’s official policy for international relations...we, however, can talk about the rest of that at another time.

What am I talking about now?
I am talking about INDIVIDUALS.
I am talking about our HEARTS.

We have a problem in our world. We have a SPIRITUAL problem.  

People are broken and in need of a Savior. 

 People are tired and weary and they crave renewed strength. 

 As the Bible reminds us, all creation is “groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.” 

Groaning for hope. 

Groaning for rescue. 

Groaning for healing.

Yet we have another problem in our world. We have a VIOLENCE problem.  The swords and spears of the Roman empire have been replaced by flying robots and automatic weapons, but the problem is still the same.  Day after day we attempt to renew our strength through force, power, and control.

But listen again to the words of the prophet Isaiah:

“Those who HOPE IN THE LORD will renew their strength…”

I don’t know about you, but I am tired and weary.  I have grown tired of death; I am increasingly weary of trying to explain these events to our children; I am exhausted by political conversations that go nowhere – and I know that the ONLY WAY to find renewed strength is through the HOPE of JESUS CHRIST.  I don’t want to pretend to be an expert in all of this.  I’m just one person, in the midst of an empire, who sees that what we’re doing isn’t working.

We don’t need more guns.

We need RESURRECTION.

THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS CHRISTIAN MUSIC - By Gregory Hyde

"So is this Christian music?"
A little background: I’ve been a full-time, professional musician for the past 10 years based out of Chicago. I write, record, and release my own music, and play all sorts of live events ranging from corporate parties to worship services to touring rock shows.

I get some variation of the “Do you play Christian music?” question regularly. In all fairness, I brought some of it on myself since my debut album was “Hello God This is Gregory Hyde”. I was just going for something that rang like “Meet The Beatles”, but I’ve been asked this of my songs and albums long before I put humanity's most recognized and accepted deity in the title of my record.

In fact, the question keeps coming with no sign of tapering off. There’s not much time to expound on my thoughts in the usual moments when I’m asked; exhausted and sweaty after a show and needing to swiftly tear down my equipment before the venue staff starts launching it off the stage themselves. So please allow me to express my thoughts on the subject here...

I'm a Christian. I believe Jesus is who He said He was in the Bible, and I try my best to follow Christ's teachings, though I fail constantly. I am also a rock musician. Personally, I don't think these things are mutually exclusive. Somehow popular thought in church circles has become “You can either be a Christian musician or a secular musician, but you can’t be a Christian who plays secular music.” I disagree. I’m not the only one with this point of view, of course. Successful musicians like Jon Foreman of Switchfoot have expressed the same thing articulately.

I play my own music and covers of other artists at my house, in bars, at parties, at concerts, and I also lead worship at church, my home,and etc. I truly feel it's what God has called me to do, even though many of my songs have no direct lyrical reference to spiritual matters. But as for “Christian Music” - I disagree that it exists.

What people refer to as “Christian Music” is better defined as “The Christian Music Industry.” As the name implies, it's a business, created by human beings for the purpose of commerce of art separated into a faith-based market niche. The motivations behind it are as numerous as the people involved, ranging from saintly to sadistic.

I own a large collection of albums released from Christian record labels, and thoroughly LOVE many of them. Supplying the world with uplifting music is an honorable thing to do with your life and career, so please don't take the following to be a criticism of individuals or the genre as a whole. Rather, I just want to express my concerns against blanket judgments of art and music based on this term.

Are there songs that glorify or praise God? Alternatively, are there songs that blaspheme or mock God? The knee-jerk response is usually a resounding yes. But if songs are intangible artistic creations, how is that possible? Songs are without a will of their own, right? People on the other hand…

As such, I’m convinced that Christian music, as it’s commonly called, doesn’t exist.

It’s Only Christian Music IF…
I’m not just making this statement to be shocking. I contend that there is some solid logical footing here. So please open your hymn books to page 666 and join me for some hypothetical scenarios I used to come to my conclusions:

A) Marilyn Manson writes a song claiming he is Jesus Christ, which he recorded while hanging upside down on a black crucifix, drenched in pigs blood, in a Jewish cemetery. Later, Michael W. Smith (a popular Christian artist) does a cover of it. Is it Christian music now?

B) Good ol' Marilyn, just for the sake of irony, does a classical rendition of "Amazing Grace" on his new album with the London Symphony Orchestra. It's so illustrious, so beautiful, that it moves the Pope to tears (before he finds out who recorded it). Does this recording glorify or blaspheme God? Is it Christian music?

C) Michael W. Smith writes a song about his favorite flavor of ice cream and sings it in church. Christian music or just a song? Is God ready to unleash His wrath or just happy that Mikey enjoys Triple Butterscotch Ripple so much?

D) A well-intentioned Christian musician writes and records a song that becomes a major hit on Christian radio, though in reality the concept or lyric is the antithesis of something taught in Scripture. Is it anti-Christian music?

E) Ozzy Osbourne dedicates his life to Christ and begins a recording career with a Christian music label. Is "Bark at the Moon" now a Christian album?

F) Michael W. Smith denounces Christ, joins a Yak-molesting cult, and starts releasing albums which worship Tralfarganom, Creator of All Things Slightly Off-White. Is Mike's back catalog of songs no longer worshipful to God? Want to take bets on whether or not Family Christian Book Stores would yank his albums off the shelves?

Scenario D (which happens way more often than most people think) also brings to light another issue: If you want to preach to a congregation or start a church, it's standard practice that you attend a seminary, be mentored by another minister, or obtain an ordination of some kind. Yet anybody with a microphone and a claim to have heard the call can jump on stage and spout their own brand of cultish religion without much, if any, contradiction. As a result, many people of faith are so militant about only exposing themselves to "Christian music" that they overlook the fact that it sometimes directly contradicts their beliefs more than some of what they consider to be "secular" music.

Also interesting is the lack of denominational attention to detail. Personally, I am all for breaking down the barriers between denominations and unifying in our common ideals as Christ-followers. But I was baffled when I attended a “Christian” concert and noticed a Southern Baptist youth group was there, bobbing their heads along to their favorite Christian band, which happened to be a Holy Spirit-filled, tongue-talking (therefore hell-bound by their interpretation) band from Georgia. That detail is conveniently omitted from most group's songs and even public lives. Why? You lose album sales. Is that what would motivate Jesus?

Would it bother you if Jars of Clay were Methodists? What if you discovered Third Day or The Newsboys leaned more toward the homosexual-endorsing side of the Episcopalian Church than the Assemblies of God denomination? What if they voted for a different political party than you do? Would you still consider them to be "Christian" music?

Minty Fresh Souls
Lest I need say more … Testamints. Go to a Christian Bookstore and you'll likely see these in the checkout line. Christian breath mints. They have Bible verses included and even sport little crosses on them. Does that make Certs secular mints? Which breath-freshener would Christ choose?

If you're not seeing how ridiculous this is, then where do you draw the line with "Jesus Junk"? If songs are either Christian or secular, what about instrumentals? Jingles? A tune you make up and hum in your car on the way to work? Are there Christian guitars? If a novel is Christian or secular, what about children's books? Anecdotes? Memos? Notes on the fridge? Can you have Christian or secular pens? Cars? Clothes? Hairspray? Can a Christian carpenter make Christian kitchen cabinets? Or is it all just labeling and marketing?

Why are songs the exception that most people make? It’s something worth thinking about. My hope is that Christians, myself included, can grow to always appreciate art and music in respect to the substance instead of the label.

So do I make Christian music? Nope. I just make music, which is all anyone who makes music can do. It’s my life that I try to honor Christ with, and it’s my hope that what I do with this life inspires others to do the same. Rock on.


More from Gregory Hyde:
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Where Do Rock Stars Go When They Die?

PURE JOY - By Meredith Pihl

I’m a big fan of the Disney movie, Inside Out. I enjoyed cracking up with my kids in the theater as we watched characterizations of all our human emotions animated into cartoons inside of a little girl’s head. Anger with his blazing fire, Sadness with her tired walk, Fear with his irrational, well, fear...and then there was Joy. Joy was bouncy, cheerful, and bright. Joy brought smiles to our faces and made us feel good, and, just like in the movie, joy is an amazing experience to have in real life too. Since I can pretty much say with certainty that we all seek joy in our lives, what is the recipe for having it? Is our faith-walk an expression of our joy in Jesus?

For me, I love a good laugh; a good escape from the ups and downs of everyday life. My husband will often be awakened to me laughing LOUDLY at late night Friends reruns (I mean c’mon, Ross got stuck in leather pants for goodness sake!). Or a morning coffee date with a friend who keeps it real - you know the friend - she’s the one one who will bring pictures of her Pinterest fails and points out she doesn’t have time to color her gray roots. These are highlights in my day, things that put pep in my step, but is this the definition of leading a joyful life? How does Jesus bring joy to our lives...better yet, how does Jesus portray joy?

Like most folks, I’m constantly seeking happiness in life. As I reach for my Bible, knowing His Word is Truth, I pray to be directed on a path of goodness and joy. I pray to hear what God is telling me, “open my eyes and ears, God, to your Word.” Recently, God showed me something, something that brought spontaneous joy to my heart. Somehow I overlooked this short verse, Mark 14:26, that Jesus and His disciples sang a hymn and went to the Mount of Olives. Jesus sang...the night before He died...Jesus sang.

I wanted to learn what Jesus and His disciples were singing about, and right there in my Bible notes it read they were most likely singing Psalms 115-118, which were typically sung at the Passover meal which they had just finished. Jesus knew He would die the next day, and yet he sang “Let my soul be at rest again, for the Lord has been good to me.” As I read on, the words of Psalm 118:6 struck me, “The Lord is for me, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?” Jesus sang this the night before He died, which continues to leave me in awe!

As I read more, even more verses stood out. He sang, “My enemies did their best to kill me, but the Lord rescued me. The Lord is my strength and my song; he has given me victory.” Jesus sang words of faith the night before He died, He sang words of love for the Lord; He sang of His joy in the LORD.

Even though I have faith in the LORD and even though I truly believe that the LORD is everything good, death is still scary to think about. When my time here on earth is ending, I pray that God’s love will wrap me so tightly that I will no longer feel afraid. Jesus loved us so much, He died on the cross to save us from our sins. He loved us so much that He suffered for us, knowing that He would be joined again with our Heavenly Father. He revealed joy to us by singing Psalms the night before His death.

Jesus sang - knowing what was coming next, knowing how all of this was going to ultimately end, the salvation of our souls - Jesus sang. Does this bring us hope? Does that give us joy?

As I watch that Disney movie and laugh at the caricatures of our human emotions, I realize God will lead our hearts to a safe place if we let Him. His Love will bring Joy bouncing into our lives, front and center, even in the dark times. When we experience the joy of Jesus, our hearts and lives experience an enjoyment that was never known before.

Jesus sang of hope the night before His death because of His Love for us.
That is the most amazing joy I have ever known.

More from Meredith Pihl

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JUDGE, BUT DON'T - By Jonathan Waller

Every skeptic seemingly has the same favorite Bible verse. “Judge not, lest you be judged also.” 

It’s been weaponized and wielded as a means to shut down dissenting opinions of believers when they are, apparently, being too harsh. Is there legitimacy to it?

Sort of.

Before we decipher, it’s important to first see what Jesus is not saying. Later in the same chapter Jesus tells His listeners that they will know someone “by their fruits.” In other words, one can judge someone’s content by the product of their behavior, similar to how one would determine a tree by its fruit. So He is not saying, categorically, to not judge.

What this seems to mean is that there is legitimacy in judging a person’s actions. Where one gets into trouble is when they judge an individual or that person’s intentions. I have full license to judge what a person does, but I ought to exercise restraint in judging them or their motives.

I’ve personally discovered another element that complicates matters, and this complication helps to reveal why judging others turns into self-judgement. Really there are two elements that tie together.

The first is that human beings have a tendency to project. We spend a lot of time with ourselves and become accustomed with our flaws and insecurities - whether we realize it or not. This develops into an acute awareness (or imaginary projection) of character flaws or intentions in others that we actually (perhaps unknowingly) observe in ourselves. Also, we may make assumptions about others that are informed by insecurities wrought in us through prior experiences. In both cases, we are projecting onto someone else a version of themselves that has been created in or informed by our own subconscious.

Secondly, God conveys throughout Scripture the notion of cosmic fairness. If we do not forgive others, He says that He will not forgive us. By what standards we judge others, we will be judged also. Our judgement is obscured. Only God is licensed and able to fairly judge a person or their intentions.

Do not judge, because when you condemn others you are actually condemning yourself (via both psychological projection and the cosmic fairness principal) and also because you are not omniscient or innocent. Only God is both fully morally upright and omniscient. Only He is qualified to judge.

But you have every right to judge a person’s actions, and when someone is made uncomfortable by that, they don’t prove that you are judgmental. They only prove that they condemn themselves with their own actions. Whenever one scornfully wields Scripture as a weapon, they wield it against themselves.

BEAUTY FROM ASHES - By Heather Homan

Looking back on our past can be daunting. So many mistakes. So many times we messed up.

Then we say the following deadly phrases:

“If only I could turn back the hands of time”

“Why did this happen to me? If only that one thing didn’t happen, my life would be different”

“Life’s not been fair to me. I was dealt a bad hand”

Regret. Shame. And precious moments of time wasted analyzing things we cannot change.

But guess what?

You survived.

You’re here.

Are you still breathing? Then your story isn’t over yet.

Don’t waste another moment looking through the rear view mirror. What’s done is done.

Own your past, but learn from it. Your mistakes don’t define you, and if you humble yourself and learn from them, you won’t make the same mistake twice, Lord willing.

And really learn. Don’t let your mistakes be in vain.

No regrets. No shame.

I know it hurts. The past can be painful.

But let your scars remind you of how far you’ve come.

God has vowed to restore the years the locusts have eaten. (Joel 2:25).

I wasted so many years asking myself “Why did I ever date him?”,“Why did I stay at that job so long?”,“If only that dog never attacked me”, “Why was I so reckless with money in my early 20’s” and on and on.

But now, I’ve made peace with my past. I own it. And I know by being vulnerable and raw, and sharing my experiences, it can perhaps encourage, or serve as a warning to others on what not to do.

Regardless, it’s not my story. It’s God’s.

And while the enemy planned to harm me, God intended it all for good. (Genesis 50:20).

People who have been broken have a sweet depth and resilience about them. They can’t be shaken. They know how to love deeply, because they’ve experienced sorrow.

So here’s to today. Another chance to get it right.

If you’re going through a tough season right now, where your faith is tested, and you’ve lost hope. Keep going.

And when you walk out of the furnace, feeling defeated, scorned, and tired – ahh that’s where the real beauty begins.

Remember, God’s story never ends with ashes.