I couldn’t figure out how to reply to the original poster so I am just “tacking” on to your post as I wanted to add my experience. My husband and I have been devoted Believers for the last 30 years. Having come from the other side we know all about the world, the flesh, and the devil.
Hollywood has been one of the greatest influence of evil on our culture. Everything about Hollywood magnifies the flesh...from which, as Believers, we are to pick up our cross and die to daily. So what business does a Believer have supporting financially and physically Hollywood?
This is a true story. Up until 4 years ago my husband and I would rent a movie every week end as our treat. Loved Bruce Willis Films and 24. Then Passover 2009, we lost all desire to rent, see or go to a movie...LOST ALL INTEREST. We didn’t pray about it, we weren’t looking for it, it just happened. Some would say we were delivered. We have absolutely NO DESIRE to watch any movie and don’t. So I would conclude if God delivered us from a long time recreational habit, when we didn’t even ask for it, I would say it’s probably something Believers should stay away from.
ladyL said:
” So I would conclude if God delivered us from a long time recreational habit, when we didn’t even ask for it, I would say it’s probably something Believers should stay away from.”
ladyL, I must disagree with you on this point, although I appreciate your devotion and desire to follow the Spirits leading.
To suggest that ALL believers should follow you and your husbands decision is quite presumptuous. The Lord works in His people in different ways. He also communicates with His children in various ways.
redleghunter explain it well when he said, “It is oh too easy for one young in the faith to excuse themselves for being worldly and too easy for one mature in faith to lean towards the study room and cloister oneself.”
If we were to excuse ourselves from the worldly ways, Paul would never have ministered to the Romans on their ground, so to speak.
One of the main reasons our society is at a moral/spiritual crossroads today is as a result of the church and it’s failure to engage the culture on its turf. Don’t misunderstand me. I’m not suggesting that we sin in order to evangelize and share the Gospel. Jesus Christ and the Apostles traveled and shared that Gospel and ministered to the Gentiles and Jews alike without sinning.
Music and film are some of the most affective means of communication and propaganda today. Christians can and should use these tools just as non-Christians do in order to produce that which is beautiful and true. Lest we fail to remember, ALL things beautiful and true come from God. Whether we are producing a film with an evangelical message, or a project which features redemption in the midst of betrayal, pain, and sorrow, it still brings glory to the Lord because there is NO true redemption without Christ.
Our eldest is studying to be a filmmaker. It is his hearts desire to produce quality, edifying, redeeming stories which is lacking in the film industry today. We are also a family of musicians. Some of us have worked in the professional music industry for decades. These two industries are in desperate need of Christians who can share Christs love in places which are devoid of love, mercy, and grace.
ladyL, should my son abandon his dream because you and your husband have no desire to support Hollywood? Should we, and Christian musicians; bestowed with God-given talents, abandon the industry because some of our brothers and sisters in Christ felt led to refrain from supporting these industries? The answer lies with this final anecdote which was told to us recently.
A couple of Saturdays ago we met a man in a music store. We had traveled out of state on a little shopping trip. We discovered that this man actually lives in the area we’re from. He happened to be traveling out of state as well. This gentleman is also a fellow Christian. Our youngest actually worked with him at a soup kitchen. Also my very own spouse actually talked with this man over the phone, but they had never met. They had talked about playing music together because the gentleman is a musician. What are the odds of us meeting at that music store on that day?! With Christ, all things are possible.
During our conversation he (lets just call him Steve), told us about his drummers unexpected death recently. Steve told us that the drummer wasn’t a Christian, but accepted Christ shortly before his death. Steve commented, “I guess that’s why I played in the band with him.”
In other words, Steve was part of this non-Christian band so that he could evangelize to the drummer before he died. I had to fight back tears in that music store after Steve shared with us that touching story.
ladyL, I deeply appreciate your commitment to serve our Lord, and your desire to be faithful. I don’t wish for you to misunderstand where it is that I’m coming from.
We need to engage society, but we must use discernment and wisdom, and be in constant fellowship with the church body, as well as our spiritual leaders for support, guidance, accountability, and encouragement. Keep running the race.
The Bible describes the corrupting influence of Sodom on the righteous man, Lot, through his seeing and hearing. I think many believers tend to underestimate the damaging influence of exposing ourselves to evil on T.V. and in movies.
That being said, your experience is a testimony to fruit that is the outcome of a growing relationship with the Lord. There is a dangerous tendency to try to make the Christian walk into a list of rules. Attempts to outwardly conform to a list of rules will fail or result in a hypocritical life unless it is an outgrowth of the inward reality of our walk with Christ. It may be that other believers will only reach the place where you are by walking the same path to get there.