Now be honest. Can a truly "Born Again" child of God watch soaps daily where acts of adultery are constantly being committed, and swear words are regularly used? You see, one becomes an alcoholic by starting out drinking socially. Likewise, one becomes addicted to heroin by starting out smoking marijuana. Also, one becomes addicted to pornography by starting out with "PG" rated movies and then advancing to "R" rated movies, and then moves on to "X" rated films. Again - Satan always moves in a slow manner, in order to catch his victim in his traps.

The devil has made it convenient (via pornography mail order houses, drive thru film rentals, etc.) for "X" rated films to make their way into homes of church members. One way to stop unsolicited porno ads from coming to our mail boxes is by obtaining Form #39-USC-3010, from Post Office. Complete this form and after thirty days, if you receive any further porno ads, pornographers are subject to court action by U.S. Government. This form should be completed by every Christian, because Christians are to desire to walk holy and righteous lives. Can one say that it is holy and righteous to watch a man and woman commit an act of adultery on TV or on VCR, or at theater?

The Christian realizes that he is not to be a stumbling-block, "So then each of us shall give account of himself to God." (Romans 14:12) He realizes that if a non-Christian would see him at super market with a carton of smokes or a six-pack of beer in his buggy, it would be a real "Setback" in attempting to witness to man. He also realizes, or should, that if he or she is caught with questionable films or VCR tapes - it is going to likewise serve as a stumbling-block to his witness.

May God help Christians to realize that Jesus did say, "He who is not with me is against me. . ." (Matthew 12:30) It would be difficult to believe that Jesus would be comfortable watching some of today's films. May His Spirit, which a sinner receives at water baptism (Acts 2:38), guide every Christian into making correct selection of movies he watches. May we recall an old saying, "What goes into mind - is going to come out in some manner." Thus, if we want wholesomeness to be in our lives, may we put wholesome things (films) into our minds.

Brother Hoyt W. Allen Jr. is a Restoration author, preacher and director of the KYOWVA Evangelistic Association in Ironton, Ohio. You may visit his website at www.kyowva.com.

Brother Allen's article is courtesy of the The Home Bible Study Institute - www.james1-22.org.

Have you listened to music that many of our children are listening to? The "hard rock" music which is being fed to today's youth in mega-doses is laced with devil worship, death and suicide messages, suggestions that killing police officers is good, and drug use as a desirable form of recreation. Without sounding redundant, "Where are Christians?"

I have just about run out of room for this article and I have not even touched on abortion as a form of birth control, decline of family, dropping church attendance, abuses of America's institutions of higher education, media bias, government bias, and euthanasia. To give each of these topics just cursory mention that I have given other topics would take more space than I have left in this article. I wonder if Jesus is asking, "Where are Christians?"

After reading all of this, I hope that you are as angry as I am at shape our country is in. How did we let this happen? Where have we, Christians, been during last thirty years while all this has been developing? Could it be that we have become so complacent that we won't even make an effort to complain about this mess? Or is it that we have been so busy making all that money that we have been blinded to reality? Or is it that we now put party politics (Republican or Democrat) before our Christianity? And here is clincher: How much worse does it have to get before we wake up and start doing something about it? For last time, I ask YOU, "Where are Christians?"

You may be thinking that there is not much, if anything, that one person can do to correct this mess. However, that is not true. Especially when we consider millions of people who claim to be Christian. So, what can you and I do?

First, we need to start immediately praying for our nation, its problems, its leaders, and its Christians each and every day. God hears and answers prayer! What if millions of people went to God every day and prayed as I have indicated? Great things would certainly have to happen. Remember, "The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." (James 5:16b)

Second, it time to get serious by making our voices heard with "powers that be." We should be continually writing our U.S. Congressmen and Senators and speaking out on issues that concern us. We need to continually be writing letters to news media that support perverse life styles of homosexuals and like. We need to write letters to sponsors of programs which we feel are inappropriate to be broadcast during family viewing times. We should refuse to purchase goods from companies that refuse to listen to our concerns. We should refuse to support any candidate for any office that holds views that are anti- Christian or conducts themselves in a manner which is not consistent with our Christian beliefs. If there are no candidates from either major political party which we can support, then it is time to get Christians to run for office and go all out to support them.

And third, it is time to start putting pressure on our Christian friends, family, and neighbors to join in this fight. It is time to hold leaders of our congregations responsible for organizing our churches in this effort to bring Christ back to a position of honor and glory in America.

And finally, it time for each one of us that claim Christ as our Lord and Savior to stand and be counted in this effort. Let's look at some of what Scriptures have to say about this: "He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad." (Matthew 12:30); "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand." (Matthew 12:25b); "if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land." (II Chronicles 7:14); and one of my favorite Scriptures, "...choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve... But as for me and my house, we will serve Lord." (Joshua 24:15).

Brothers and sisters in Christ, if Christians in America do not take a stand and start fighting for what we believe, America as we know it (or have known it) will soon cease to exist. We must start today, NOW, and not quit until we have taken back our country from humanists. Do we have courage to be like Isaiah? "Also I heard voice of Lord, saying: 'Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?' Then I said, 'Here am I! Send me.'" (Isaiah 6:8)

All scriptures quoted are from New King James Version unless otherwise noted.

Stephen Kingery is an author, preacher, teacher and founder of The Home Bible Study Institute.

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