Addictions

Murder and Entertainment!


 

THE FASCINATION WITH MURDER

Murder is on the increase, not only with those who physically commit such crimes, but also those who are transfixed with their details. Many video games and apps, news reports, and television programs all have one thing in common — exploiting murder! Our world has a curiosity, fascination, and even a love affair with the “how’s” and “whys” of murder. We are being fed a steady diet of crime, served up in as many ways as possible to make the viewing and hearing about killing palatable. Murder is a heinous crime that can capture the attention of its listeners and viewers. For those taken in by the sensationalism, at some point murder goes beyond “news”. The news has the ability to feed on the psyche and can become as addictive as any powerful drug. This is a trick of an enemy!

THE EFFECTS OF MURDER ON A SOCIETY

Many know the account of Samson who was fascinated with Delilah’s ways. After Sampson’s hair was cut, he thought he had the strength he once had to fight. He found out at the critical time he didn’t have that strength at all. Likewise, one cannot be consistently curious about murder and think it doesn’t have any negative affect on them mentally and spiritually (Mt. 24:12). The Bible states: “We know that anyone born of God does not keep on sinning; the One who was born of God protects him, and the evil one cannot touch him. We know that we are of God, and that the whole world is under the power of the evil one.” – I John 5:19 – Berean Study Bible

Copycat killings usually start with one who is intrigued by another’s murder(s). The intrigued person eventually “acts out” what has been sown in their heart. We should stay away from anything that is wicked — and our hearts are desperately wicked (Jer. 17:9). We should also know that we haven’t experienced the utter depths of where our hearts can lead us. (“Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts.” – Prov. 4:23/GNT.) A person who is “saved” is not immune from being caught up in the spirit of murder — which is usually in some form of news or entertainment through means of broadcasting. People can be subject to this spirit, whether saved or unsaved (James 4:2; I John 3:14-15). Great spirits from history have a way of returning and affecting masses of people. We see these following accounts in the Bible. During Noah’s day the earth at that time was given over to violence (Gen. 6:13). The apostle Paul noticed that the city of Athens was given over to a similar spirit, which was idolatry (Acts. 17:16). The prophet Hosea took a wife from the land of Israel that was given over to idolatry and adultery. Habakkuk complained of the wide-spread violence of his day (Hab. 1:1-3). History has a way of coming back to repeat itself.

The first murder in the Bible was broadcast for the purpose of showing how dark sin really is, but we see the insatiable drawing power murder has to consume all who are given over to its spell — from those who commit actual crimes to those who are drawn in by the details.

Stay away from murder!

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Fighting Our Enemies!


ICEA – “Church At Study”

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but
against principalities, against powers against the
rulers of the darkness of this world, against
spiritual wickedness in high places

 

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Would you like to offer a seminar, training, group discussion, or panel discussion on spiritual warfare? Use our template to just fill in presenters’ names; everything else has been supplied with this simple handout.

 

Here are the topics:

Presenter #1 – Fighting to be Faithful
Presenter #2 – Fighting in Stressful Times
Presenter #3 – Fighting in Senior Years
Presenter #4 – Fighting the Enemy of Fear
Presenter #5 – Fighting for Our Children
Presenter #6 – Fighting the Enemy of Our Past
Presenter #7 – Fighting as a Man
Presenter #8 – Fighting as a Woman
Presenter #9 – Fighting and Knowing Your Enemy

CLICK BELOW FOR HANDOUT:

Fighting Our Enemies (blank form)

 

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Murder and Entertainment!


 

THE FASCINATION WITH MURDER

Murder is on the increase, not only with those who physically commit such crimes, but also those who are transfixed with their details. Many video games and apps, news reports, and television programs all have one thing in common — exploiting murder! Our world has a curiosity, fascination, and even a love affair with the “how’s” and “whys” of murder. We are being fed a steady diet of crime, served up in as many ways as possible to make the viewing and hearing about killing palatable. Murder is a heinous crime that can capture the attention of its listeners and viewers. For those taken in by the sensationalism, at some point murder goes beyond “news”. The news has the ability to feed on the psyche and can become as addictive as any powerful drug. This is a trick of an enemy!

THE EFFECTS OF MURDER ON A SOCIETY

Many know the account of Samson who was fascinated with Delilah’s ways. After Sampson’s hair was cut, he thought he had the strength he once had to fight. He found out at the critical time he didn’t have that strength at all. Likewise, one cannot be consistently curious about murder and think it doesn’t have any negative affect on them mentally and spiritually (Mt. 24:12). The Bible states: “We know that anyone born of God does not keep on sinning; the One who was born of God protects him, and the evil one cannot touch him. We know that we are of God, and that the whole world is under the power of the evil one.” – I John 5:19 – Berean Study Bible

Copycat killings usually start with one who is intrigued by another’s murder(s). The intrigued person eventually “acts out” what has been sown in their heart. We should stay away from anything that is wicked — and our hearts are desperately wicked (Jer. 17:9). We should also know that we haven’t experienced the utter depths of where our hearts can lead us. (“Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts.” – Prov. 4:23/GNT.) A person who is “saved” is not immune from being caught up in the spirit of murder — which is usually in some form of news or entertainment through means of broadcasting. People can be subject to this spirit, whether saved or unsaved (James 4:2; I John 3:14-15). Great spirits from history have a way of returning and affecting masses of people. We see these following accounts in the Bible. During Noah’s day the earth at that time was given over to violence (Gen. 6:13). The apostle Paul noticed that the city of Athens was given over to a similar spirit, which was idolatry (Acts. 17:16). The prophet Hosea took a wife from the land of Israel that was given over to idolatry and adultery. Habakkuk complained of the wide-spread violence of his day (Hab. 1:1-3). History has a way of coming back to repeat itself.

The first murder in the Bible was broadcast for the purpose of showing how dark sin really is, but we see the insatiable drawing power murder has to consume all who are given over to its spell — from those who commit actual crimes to those who are drawn in by the details.

Stay away from murder!

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Stay Away from Murder!


crime scene do not cross signage

THE FASCINATION WITH MURDER

Murder is on the increase, not only with those who physically commit such crimes, but also those who are transfixed with their details. Many video games and apps, news reports, and television programs all have one thing in common — murder! Our world has a curiosity, fascination, and even a love affair with the “how’s” and “whys” of murder. We are being fed a steady diet of crime, served up in as many ways as possible to make the viewing and hearing about killing palatable. Murder is a heinous crime that can capture the attention of its listeners and viewers. For those taken in by the sensationalism, at some point murder goes beyond “news”. The news has the ability to feed on the psyche and can become as addictive as any powerful drug. This is a trick of an enemy!

THE EFFECTS OF MURDER ON A SOCIETY

Many know the account of Samson who was fascinated with Delilah’s ways. After Sampson’s hair was cut, he thought he had the strength he once had to fight. He found out at the critical time he didn’t have that strength at all. Likewise, one cannot be consistently curious about murder and think it doesn’t have any negative affect on them mentally and spiritually (Mt. 24:12). The Bible states: “We know that anyone born of God does not keep on sinning; the One who was born of God protects him, and the evil one cannot touch him. We know that we are of God, and that the whole world is under the power of the evil one.” – I John 5:19 – Berean Study Bible

Copycat killings usually start with one who is intrigued by another’s murder(s). The intrigued person eventually “acts out” what has been sown in their heart. We should stay away from anything that is wicked — and our hearts are desperately wicked (Jer. 17:9). We should also know that we haven’t experienced the utter depths of where our hearts can lead us. (“Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts.” – Prov. 4:23/GNT.) A person who is “saved” is not immune from being caught up in the spirit of murder — which is usually in some form of news or entertainment through means of broadcasting. People can be subject to this spirit, whether saved or unsaved (James 4:2; I John 3:14-15). Great spirits from history have a way of returning and affecting masses of people. We see these following accounts in the Bible. During Noah’s day the earth at that time was given over to violence (Gen. 6:13). The apostle Paul noticed that the city of Athens was given over to a similar spirit, which was idolatry (Acts. 17:16). The prophet Hosea took a wife from the land of Israel that was given over to idolatry and adultery. Habakkuk complained of the wide-spread violence of his day (Hab. 1:1-3). History has a way of coming back to repeat itself.

The first murder in the Bible was broadcast for the purpose of showing how dark sin really is, but we see the insatiable drawing power murder has to consume all who are given over to its spell — from those who commit actual crimes to those who are drawn in by the details.

Stay away from murder!

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Happy “Renew” Year!


ICEA – “Church at Study”

Throw off your old sinful nature and your former way
of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception.
Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.
(Eph. 4:22-23, NLT)

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Can you count the number of times you have been wished a happy new year during the beginning of this year? Have you ever really thought about what a happy new year looks like? For many it would be 365 days filled with things that would fulfill every appetite.  If we were somehow granted many of the things we thought would make us happy, it would…no doubt…be to our detriment.

There is a way which seemeth right unto a man,
but the end thereof are the ways of death.
(Prov. 14:12)

God has shown us that every 365 days has with it challenges. For many of us adults, each year is not too different from years gone by. There are struggles – things we wish we could change, but, we eventually come to realize that everything will not change just because we make certain yearly resolutions.

As it is written, the just shall live by faith.
(Rom. 1:17)

If we are honest, there are things we have “commanded” (through sheer determination, year after year) to “be” or “not to be,” only to find those things either evading us or stubbornly persisting in our lives. Frustration often follows on the heels of Sheer determination. A frustrated new year does not look like a happy new year. The two are different. Many of us remember…our days prior to salvation were days we spent in pursuit of pleasures, that eventually led to lives of frustration.

For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient,
deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice
and envy, hateful, and hating one another.
(Titus 3:3)

Anyone who seeks to please the flesh, saved or unsaved, will face the same conclusion – that happiness is not found in expectation of fleshly grasping something newly pursued after. (How does your new year look so far?)

The harvest is past, the summer is
ended, and we are not saved.
(Jer. 8:20)

On the other hand, happy new years are happy “renewed” years. Most who are truly happy are those who have renewed and continual relationships with God. They don’t necessarily look forward to a certain day or expectation of a coming year to find their satisfaction. They live their lives in the present (Matt 6:25, 34). (Notwithstanding…they are people of faith!) These are the people who have true faith in the precious promises of God. They have claimed those promises that they might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust (II Peter 1:4). They  don’t “nullify” the grace of God by greedily “commanding” premature blessings…not yet intended for them! (James 4:3.)

He that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast.
(Prov. 15:15)

“God…please grant us happy days – with things that
truly matter most – family, friends, and relationships!”

According to scripture, being truly happy has little to do with how much a person has or possesses.

And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of
covetousness for a man’s life consisteth not in the
abundance of the things which he possesseth.
(Luke 12:15)

Let’s not look back on the years and see wasted times and opportunities — along with lives of regret. Let’s allow God’s Spirit to renew our thoughts, attitudes and relationships. With God’s help, we can truly make this year a happy “RE-NEW” year!

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