TV, Videogame, and Internet “Addiction” or “Idolatry”?

This may sound harsh at first, but people want to claim that excessive videogame playing is an “addiction” but that is not true if you begin with the Word of God. The Bible says it’s  a sin. Specifically, it’s idolatry, or a false god that they are completely devoted to more than anything or anyone else.

Sadly, any SIN causes problems in a person’s life. God hates sin because it separates the sinner from Him and from others who love the sinner. Such is the case for a very successful tennis player according to this article on Yahoo:

http://sports.yahoo.com/ten/blog/busted_racquet/post/Andy-Murray-gets-dumped-for-playing-too-many-vid?urn=ten,206655

It’s not a sin to play a videogame; however, it is a sin to play for 7 hours a day or more since the sinner is neglecting to fulfill his/her God-given responsibilities.

The real problem is what the sinner is FAILING to do while playing the games, or watching TV, or surfing the internet. It’s a sin of omission.

But there’s good news for this famous tennis player and for all of us: Confess your sin &  ask God to forgive you through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and He will (I John 1:9). Then, when you are right with God, ask others to forgive you and begin repenting (changing your thinking and acting) by fulfilling your God-given responsibilities and you will find blessing. There is an abundance of grace and mercy found in the Person of Jesus Christ!

When we call sin “sin” and not an “addiction,” we find the forgiveness of Christ. Correct terminology is vital to biblical counseling and salvation!

-Mark (thankful the Lord forgives my idolatry and all of my sins – past, present, & future)

Disciplining Myself for Godliness

Several weeks ago, I was seeking YOUR help in encouraging me to glorify God in my physical body. So I came up with a fun way to encourage me called the TIL 20-20 Challenge. You commit to giving TIL a tax-deductible contribution IF I can lose 20 pounds by December 20th. It’s really just a fun thing and not a binding or serious commitment at all. I really don’t care if you give or not, I would appreciate your encouragement regardless! 

Update on the TIL 20-20 Challenge as of October 20th: I’ve lost nearly 20 pounds already by God’s grace. The Lord has really been gracious to me as He has granted me repentance – I do not claim any responsibility for the success – I’m just doing what I am told by being obedient. It’s ALL His doing. God is so good and He alone is producing the fruit of the Spirit: self-control.

My goal in all of this is simply to honor God by living a more disciplined, healthy lifestyle in rest, diet, exercise, recreation (which I have done little of), and work. In so doing, I believe the benefits will be more productivity as I discipline myself for godliness (I Tim. 4:7).

By God’s grace, He has granted me repentance for my sin. And I’ve lost almost 20 pounds already in just 8 weeks of change in my diet.

I am only drinking water and I am not taking in any sugar. No red meat either. I am eating lots of salads, fruits, and vegetables and enjoy them greatly. The by-product of my obedience to Him is that I feel better in so many ways. Praise the Lord!

-Mark (thanking God for a second chance)

“Pre-forgive me!”

Have you ever had this attitude toward the Lord?

“Lord, please forgive me for what I am ABOUT to do?” I call it the “pre-forgive me” syndrome. People are taking lightly the consequences of sin and the grace of God which abounds so much in our lives when they have this attitude. Our counselees do this all of the time, unfortunately.

Reflect for a moment: do YOU have this type of attitude right now about some sinful area of your life (can be in your thinking, speaking, or doing)?

There is no pre-excuse for what you choose to do. God holds you responsible. Even more so, we are taking Him for granted when we make this type of decision willfully against Him. At the bottom level, we are choosing to believe the lie that sin is good rather than God’s way of righteousness is good and best for us. It is a lack of trusting in the Lord.

-Mark (glad that God does grant forgiveness for all of my sins yesterday, today, and in the future!)

Dead Squirrels

When I see a dead squirrel on the road, I don’t automatically think of the grace of God. Do you?

I think of death, pain, sorrow, suffering, and a fallen world that is cursed by man’s sin.

God created a perfect world. Man disobeyed and the consequences are devastating – spiritual and eventually physical death.

I look forward to God’s redemptive power which has already saved my soul and will give me a new, glorified body in the eternal life to come!

While we live in this world, our focus cannot be on the dead squirrels of this world. Instead, our focus must be on the grace and power of our Savior Who saves us from our sins and restores our souls. Let’s think on good things according to Philippians 4:8.

-Mark (thankful for God’s redemptive power in a fallen world)

Free GIFT doesn’t mean that it didn’t COST someone…

“Free” does not mean there is not a cost to someone, somewhere. For example, if you get a free meal at a restaurant, then it may be free for you but it cost the owner of the restaurant money to pay for the food.

It is the same with the “free gift” of eternal life (Eph. 2:8). Eternal life is free to you and I who are Christians but it COST Jesus His life! In God’s justice, a perfect person had to sacrifice his life to atone for sins. The payment had to be made by a sinless person and only Jesus’ VOLUNTARY choice to give His life would suffice since all of us sin and fall short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23).

Free to us does not mean “cheap” – there was a huge COST. Thankfully, God paid the debt for our sins with His own Son, Jesus.

-Mark (I owed a debt I could not pay, He paid a debt He did not owe to atone for all of my sins – and yours!)

A genetic brain disease?

Does “addiction” qualify as a “genetic brain disease”?

For the last several years, addiction professionals claim that addiction is a genetic brain disease but where’s the hard, scientific, real evidence?

What’s the Bible call it? Sin. Idolatry. Drunkenness. Witchcraft (sorcery). Those sound like outdated words because we believe what our society tells us and we buy into the lies.

God holds us all responsible and there will be no escape when we come before His Great Throne of Judgment!

What will you call it then – when you meet your Maker? A genetic brain disease or a sin?

-Mark (preferring to err on the side of God which is no error at all)

Was Jesus’ mother Mary sinless?

This might seem like a controversial issue but let’s see what Mary herself said in Luke 1:46 (which is commonly called “The Magnificat”):

And Mary said,“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior…” **

I stopped with the words “my Savior” for a reason. Mary says that God is her SAVIOR. Why would she need a Savior? Only sinners need a Savior.

She needs a Savior because she is NOT without sin. She confesses God is the Savior of her sins in this one little statement. We all need God’s grace from our sins and Mary recognizes her need of His grace, too.

In her own words, Mary admits her sin and need for a Savior. The Lord is her Savior Who saves her from her sin!

Seems pretty simple to me, that is IF you believe the Bible.

Jesus had only one perfect Parent – God the Heavenly Father Who divinely overshadowed Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus was born of a virgin and Mary is greatly to be respected though she was not a perfect, sinless person and therefore has no intercessory power. “There is one God and one mediator between man and God – the Man, Christ Jesus” according to I Timothy 2:5.

There is only One perfect, sinless Person – the Lord Jesus Christ.

-Mark (blown away at the answers we find when we look in the pages of the Bible)

**The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001 (electronic ed.) Good News Publishers: Wheaton.