Whats in your hiding place?

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I wrote this article a few weeks back after no  longer being
able to keep silent about this issue.  My parents own 2 
televisions and I have seen them take away from the family.
So here is the article that I feel God led me to write:


Whats In Your "Hiding Place?"

	Have you ever heard the song that states.."I have found a hiding
place..."The song goes on to talk about a hiding place in where you and
God can talk.  You know, maybe its your closet, or kneeling at your bed at
night, etc.  I would like to talk about a similar hiding place and it could
very well be your closet.
	What I would like to talk about, is the Apostolic home.  Now we
have all been preached to before on how we should be Holy all the time. 
Sometimes however, this Holiness that is shown during church or just out
in the world might not be the same Holiness in the home.  Now it is time
for some stepping on toes.  No one likes to hear this and half the time no
one like to admit it, but it is there.  The thing is though, it is in your little
secret place where no one can see it.  What am I talking about you ask?
I am talking about that little bit of worldliness.
	How many Apostolics can you number on your hand that you
know have televisions?  You probably had to count with both hands. 
Unless you have never heard standards preached before, you would know
that the United Pentecostal Church International does not approve of
televisions.  The U.P.C.I. Manual has the Articles of Faith in it which
states...."..because of the display of all these evils on television, we
disapprove of any of our people having television sets in their homes."  
	The reasoning is simple, television can be degrading to your
Holiness.  That includes cartoons, sports, and even the news!  Cartoons
show violence, sports are not only worldly but have advertisements for
that are either for beer or just like to show some kind of shocking clip, and
the news is so slanted that anyones perspective can be changed.
	I watch television but I ignore the violence or the wrong doings so
I feel it is ok...WRONG!  I too felt that it was ok for awhile.  I use to
Justify television by saying that I was mature enough to know between
right and wrong.  It doesn't matter what you feel about the television
content, what is being stated is that the church does not want televisions in
the home for the sake of Holiness!  
	Do you realize that by having a television in your home you are
disobeying your Pastor?  Did you know that your Pastor is doing Gods
work and that he is only telling you what he feels God has wanted him to
do.  Did you also know that by not doing what your Pastor or church says
that you should do, then you are disobeying authority which God has
placed before you?  Disobeying this authority is like disobeying God? 
Now we all know that we should not disobey God!  So why have the
television?  
	Todays homes have slowly pulled away from family values.  Love
is not shown as strong in some homes.  The dining room table is now
replaced with sitting in front of the boob-tube for dinner.  Families are
losing sight of what a family really is.  Television is robbing families of
time together talking about what has been learned that day.  It has robbed
families of Bible reading time, prayer time, even simple sleep!  
	When another Apostolic family comes to your home, do you have
to run and hide the television in the closet?  The Bible states that when
Adam and Eve had ate of the tree of knowledge they hid because of their
nakedness.  They knew that they had sinned, and theirs eyes were opened
to it.  When God came along, they were hiding.  Now when Godly people
come along to your home, most of you hide your sin, er...the television
because you know it is wrong.
	Your hiding place should be a place where you can go and pray.  It
is not a place where you should hide your sins away.  The next time you
have to put your television in your hiding place, why not leave it there. 
While it is there, why not go in and pray to God about your sins.  When
you pray to God to cleanse you of your sins, don't go and pick them back
up, just toss them to the curb on trash day!

Chris Sterrett 3-17-96  
	
I hope you enjoyed this !!!

Chris Sterrett
cdsterre@indyvax.iupui.edu
http://cord.iupui.edu/~cdsterre/chris.htm