The sum of your word is truth,
and every one of your righteous rules endures forever.
(Psalm 119:160 ESV)
While the National Day of Prayer has since passed, we will continue to
ask believers to pray for the seven pillars of prayer recommended by
organizers of that event. Kinship Christian radio is sponsoring an event
called “Crosswalk” where people commit to walk and pray. Some form
groups and enjoy fellowship. Some walk by themselves. There is more
information here: https://www.kjly.com/crosswalk2013.php
This week, we urge prayer for the media.
It’s a difficult subject for me to address in Christian love. I was
the reporter for the Maple River Messenger, a small-town weekly
newspaper based in Mapleton, MN, from 1990 to 2001.
It was a wonderful time in my life. My boss and the owner of the paper
was Mr. Ken Warner, now retired. Ken is a good, Christian man whose
newspaper reflected Biblical values like truth, justice, honesty, fairness,
and compassion. He was also not afraid of letting his little newspaper
glorify God. I humbly hope the same could be said of my writing while
there and since that time.
One of the things I learned in the newspaper business is that no matter
how you run your newspaper, you will upset someone. It’s inevitable.
It’s either too liberal, or too conservative, or Bobbie Sue’s picture
should have been on the front page instead of buried on page three.
That having been said, there are still many newspapers I cannot read
without a very sharp and rapid rise in my blood pressure. (No, I most
certainly will not name them!) The same goes for what passes as news
on television, secular radio, and the internet.
Sometimes I think the people reporting the news don’t have the
sense God gave little geese. Other times, it appears the news has
been carefully crafted by some devious genius for the sole purpose of
deceiving the public.
And, I don’t think I can really address what passes for entertainment
these days without having someone who proofreads this blog asking me
in a kind, caring, and Christian manner to please make the references to
sorcery, evil, death, murder, sex, and pandering to the lowest common
denominator less offensive and graphic.
Let’s just put it this way: Harry Potter, Twilight Saga, every cop show
currently being aired, Lindsay Lohan, and Honey Boo-Boo. ‘Nuff said.
I readily confess that I believe the best shows ever on TV were: Dragnet,
The Beverly Hillbillies, and Leave it to Beaver.
Yes, I am a dinosaur. I said it and I’m glad.
I have publically stated on numerous occasions that I sincerely believe
the nation would be much, much better off if we all took our televisions
and threw them into the deepest, darkest hole in the ground we could
find. I was even planning a blog to that effect later this summer.
However, this blog is not supposed to be my personal soap box. It’s
supposed to glorify God, support and encourage believers, and help the
lost to find Jesus.
So, when we pray for the media, let’s pray God’s truth into movies,
television, radio, and the internet. Let’s pray that God would raise up
and place good and Godly Christian men and women in positions of
influence in all forms of the media. Let’s pray repentance and revival on
our media. Let us pray people everywhere would support and flock to
media presented in this manner.
It’s not impossible. Hollywood has noticed movies like Flywheel,
Fireproof, Facing the Giants, Courageous, and The Passion of the Christ.
It has noticed children’s programming like Veggie Tales and others.
And, it has noticed documentaries like “The Bible.”
And, let us thank God for Christian media like Kinship Christian Radio.
Today’s Praise
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they
shall be satisfied.
(Matthew 5:6 ESV)