Daily Devotional for Wednesday November 17, 2004

Pornography on Monday Night Football in Prime Time

(Ezekiel 3:17, 33:6; Isaiah 62:6)

For those of you who have been reading the Daily Devotional for any length of time, you know that I have a tremendous passion for taking the truth of God?s Word and the hope we have in Christ to the masses using the exact same delivery methods the world uses to takes its message to the masses. That would be secular television, secular radio, the internet, movies, secular music, secular publishers, and advertising in secular publications. Not hiding in the Christian alternatives that are only seen by those few who already know Christ, but competing with the world in these mediums that reach the masses literally 24/7. You also know that while I support the efforts of the various pro family and Christian legal organizations who work hard to keep Biblical values in our culture, I firmly believe the only real answer is when a person is saved and the power of God transforms their heart and mind.

For the past 35 years, one of the most viewed programs on television has been Monday Night Football. From the hardcore sports fan to those who don?t follow it as closely, Monday Night Football is seen in millions of homes each week during the football season, not to mention on t.v.s in most every bar and restaurant across the country. I have written in the past about the sad choices made by the National Football League to sex-up their sport through the ?cheerleaders? most teams have, the sexually suggestive commercials they air on their games ( this season more advertising dollars will be spent on male sexual enhancement drugs like Viagra, Levitra, and Cialis than by the beer companies), as well as having singers do Mt.v. video type performances in and around their games. It has been a sad direction that despite the outcry from many they seem determined to continue.

Disney and the NFL should be ashamed of themselves. But the reality is, they have no shame. This was 100x worse than what happened at the Super Bowl this past January with Janet Jackson. However, you will hear very little about this since we become more numb every day as the message of sin is jammed down our throats everywhere we turn. The world continues to tell its lies over and over until the lies become truth to many, and even those who know the truth of God?s words become desensitized to sin which is a very big concern to me.

This is why you have pastors now who are either too afraid to speak out on sin or have simply accepted the lie that sin is really not that bad. This is why you have people who claim to know Christ supporting the slaughter of innocent babies, changing God?s definition of marriage, and taking the position that we should never point out sin to people since it may hurt their feelings. I wonder if Jesus was more concerned about hurting the feelings of the woman He met at the well, or her eternal soul. If Jesus had been politically correct, He would not have pointed out the fact she was living in rebellion to God. But He loved her enough to confront her with her sin and tell her God had a better way for her to live. THAT MY FRIEND IS REAL LOVE!!!

Listen, we are never going to get rid of garbage programs that exploit sexual sins like Desperate Housewives. We are sadly not going to get rid of sex in the commercials. Sadly, all sports have now tied themselves to advertising dollars, and in the drive for ratings will continue to use sex to sell their products. Satan will continue to use the media to tell his lies to the masses helping them to become immune from the truth of God?s Word. That is simply the reality of this world we are living in, in these last days.

The answer my friend is to go head to head with satan. Instead of hiding in the corner as we have done, get out and compete with the world using the very mediums they use to spread the truth of God?s Word and bring the hope and love of Christ into people?s lives. That is why I am so grateful for the Liveprayer television program on the UPN affiliate in Tampa, and why we are working so hard to take it nationwide. We need programming on the secular television networks, we need programs on secular radio, we need mainstream movies, we need musical artists to bring their music to secular recording labels, we need books through secular publishers, we need to keep using the internet, we need to be advertising in mainstream publications as we take the truth of God?s Word to the lost and hurting of this world through these mediums. We have the greatest message there is and we have the only truth there is.

WE MUST GET THAT MESSAGE AND TRUTH TO THE MASSES!!

I love you and care about you so much. I pray that you realize we are in a unique battle. The Bible is God?s inspired, inerrant Word, representing absolute truth and is our final authority in all matters. It is the ONLY truth there is. Satan on the other hand is a liar. Jesus calls him the ?father of lies? in John 8:44. Satan uses every avenue possible to tell his lies to the masses 24/7. As these days wind down, he is becoming bolder and more aggressive in feeding his lies to the masses disguised as truth. That is why those who know Christ as their Savior, those who possess the only real truth there is, must become just as bold, just as aggressive in taking that truth to the same masses.

Listen, you can?t force people to believe anything. Each person has to make up their own mind. But to sit back and allow satan to feed them lies unopposed is neglecting the responsibility the Lord gave us to take His Word to the lost and hurting. We know in the end the truth wins. We know that in the end Jesus stands as the King of King and the Lord of Lords while satan burns for eternity in the Lake of Fire. This is about how many souls we can help bring to everlasting life thru faith in Christ that otherwise will buy the lies of satan, die in their sin, and be eternally lost.

If you know Christ as your Savior, He is calling you today to help share the truth of His word with those you come in contact with each day. Those at school, at work, where you shop, where you recreate, the normal day to day flow of people in your life are there for a reason and purpose. These people are being fed the lies of satan and God has called You to share with them the truth of His Word. I will be praying for you as you faithfully share with them that truth, and that Jesus Christ is their only answer.

Sadly, Monday Night Football has now become a vehicle to spread the lies of satan about sex. May the Lord raise up those who are bold and brave enough to take the truth of His word about sex and every other issue to those very same masses. The lies of satan will go unchallenged only if those who possess the truth remain silent. God will hold us accountable for our silence!!!