Speaking in tongues

• Messages sorted by:[ date ][ thread ][ subject ][ author ]

At 11:47 AM 5/29/97 -0700, Mike Harvey wrote:
>Corey D Wooten wrote:
>> 
>> You guys are not going to believe this.  My friend just mentioned some TV
>> evangelists on that TBN Christian network.  Okay I have to ask.  What do
>> you guys think about TV preachers?  I have watch those shows before and I
>> think it's a joke.
>> 
>I cant give an honest opinion.  I was filled with the Holy Ghost in 68
>and have not seen a TV program since. Christians don't watch TV.
>

Hate to say it folks... but this got me on my soapbox again.

             __________________
            /\ As I See It     \
           /  \ From The Top    \
          /    \_________________\
          \    / of Bro Tyler's  /
           \  / SOAPBOX         /  
            \/_________________/

Hmmmmmm.... is that immediate disqualification upon watching TV?
Seems like there's a role that TV played in my life as a sinner
coming to the Lord.  I remember back in college in 83/84/85 and I'd
watch CBN's 700 club because it seemed different and wholesome.

Growing up a young roman catholic, normally, I'd not even *consider* 
watching shows that were God, Christ, or Christian centered in some
way, shape, or form because *mass* for me on Saturday nights and 
Sunday catechism was juuuuuust enough (that I knew).

Later as I grew up, especially in college, it just seemed that I was
lacking something.  I truly didn't know *any* Holy Ghost filled saints
and to my knowledge really had never come across any by that time in my
life which I was then 25 - 27 years old.  It was Pat Robertson's 700
club that brought the *message* (not plan) of salvation to me.  I had 
no idea that I could be *right* with God!  Never ever had I heard that.
Over the tv waves, I *gave* my heart as they prompted and prayed the
sinners prayer..... I felt a change.... grew in the Lord... but only
as much as that *trinitarian* type doctrine would allow and guide me.

I remember distinctly after the Christmas of 84, my out-laws (my wife's
family) had given me a NIV bible as a present.  And I went searching in
the scriptures.... God would lead me around and around and around....
he tried desparately to show me the oneness of the Godhead.  But I just
discounted what I was thinking because I knew that Jesus just couldn't
be the person of God the Father manifested in the flesh....  The Lord
really tried to open up that truth to me, but I denied the revelation
because of my teaching of a trinity of separate persons in the Godhead.

Anyway... seems like my christian growth *stagnated* (it didn't stink -
it just just didn't progress rapidly) at that point.  It's not that it's
grown any... there just wasn't any *more* that I couldn't grow any more
underneath the influence of electronic TV based ministry.  It wasn't until 
me and my wife started going to her best friends (when she was in
grade/junior/high school) fathers church (a lively pentecostal church
where they were said to swing from the chandeliers - to my surprise, 
they didn't have chandeliers to swing from).  We started going there 
around easter services '85 (April).  I received the Holy Ghost on June 1,
1985.  We both were baptised in Jesus name on Fathers Day that year (June
16, 1985) and my wife received the Holy Ghost on St. Patricks Day the next 
year (March 17, 1986 - she just had to spiritually gestate a little 
longer).

Had I *not* had started pointing my TV to the 700 club, I don't know 
if I would have really persued a walk with God.  I was already starting
to calm down as an individual.  I wasn't drinking beer like a fish anymore.
I wasn't running around cavorting and causing all kinds of trouble.  I was
definitely mellowing.

But as far as *christians* not watching TV ... I think that's innacurate 
to just paint that all-encompassing no exceptions kind of response.  And
then to think that if one does, well I guess that action just *condemns*
everyone that does.  It's probably *wrong* for some, but I don't think
*all* is inclusive.  Bad influence ... maybe.  Good influence ... depends
on what you do with it.

I think if TV *controls* a saint of God... by all means don't watch it.
Don't have it in your house.  Don't read the TV listings.  Don't engage
in anything TV related cause it's liable to overcome a saint trying to over-
come.  Because then the TV has power over the saint.  But if the saint can 
gauge his/her priorities and put TV in it's place as just another tool to be
used (and not a baby sitter or main social life and activity, etc.), then
TV is o.k.

TVism is really bad.  Just like Alcoholism, Workaholism, Sexaholism, Drug-
aholism, Gossipism, Spendaholism, Gambliholism, etc.  There's no distinction.

I personally think it's a *shame* that more oneness apostolic churches (if
any - that have the resources) video tape their services and put them on 
local cable TV for those roman catholics, baptists, presbyterians, lutherans,
nazarenes, etc. to see.  Some of those folks, like me, would probably never step
one big toe into a apostolic pentecostal service without knowing and being
familiar with what they might see or hear or feel.  I see the influence of
TV as no less than *great* when thinking that it's a resource that's just 
*not* being utilized by the church to reach out.  Think of it this way...
with radio/cassetts, only your auditory nerves are stimulated (one sense)
initially unless they can get you to use your imagination (talking of a
message on the radio or cassettes).  With TV, you have multimedia, not only
sound but sight and pictures to associate with what's coming across as well.
Stimulating more nerves can only stimulate more memories to be made and an
impression of the Spirit by the Lord.  If there was a media that could
include smell and touch, I think that would be just great.  The more
stimulations given, the better chance (I see) of someone really remembering
something given them in a message.  

The *media* blasts fundamental christians of all stripes not hardly even
giving them a chance.  There's some *fundi's* that have their own broadcast.
But for the most part, it's underdeveloped in the christian world and
especially in the oneness apostolic pentecostal arena.  Going door-to-door
doesn't always work.
A TV presence might be a way to get a churches toe inside the sinners door.

How else can a lost world be delivered a message without explicity being
invited into each and every home?  Think of a TV ministry in the same sense
as a WWW page for a business.  Customers can come by and browse and become
familiar before they drop by.  If they get hungry enough for what *you* have
to offer,
they'll come by.  That is, if you're offering salvation and not a continuing
hyped up super-emotional social club kind of existence.  People like to window
shop now-a-days... look at all of the Sunday newspaper advertisements that
people thumb through *religiously* before shopping the rest of the week.
Why shouldn't they be able to do that with a spiritual home for themselves?
Why isn't this kind of stuff being developed for the lost?  Think of the
other ways to reach out besides broadcast TV.  

I think apostolics have too long feared *TV* (which is improper).  A saint
should never have to *fear* (which isn't a sin anyway) anything.  It's not a
sin to *fear* ...unless the *fear* controls your actions solely (filled with
fear).  Apostolics place the blame of the *influence* of TV on the device
itself.  In a round about way, it's much the same way as saying *love the
Sinner*, *hate the Sin*.  TV is much the same, *love the TV*, *hate TV's
abuse* (as well as any kind of abuse).

TV, as I see it (from the soapbox) is just another tool to be used...good
...or...bad.

Bro "I'll climb down now from the soapbox" Tyler
--
Tyler Nally  <tgnally@prairienet.org>