Faith & Films

Looking for God on The Road

Imagine a movie that showed what the world would actually be like if the Church was gone. Gone as in vanished years ago. This movie would need to be heartbreaking, haunting and emotionally brutal. PG-13 ratings, step aside. Needless to say, it would masterfully portray loneliness, depravity and horror, a life so devastating that, in the words of Revelation 9:6, people "will long to die." The real challenge would be making the film believable while getting by with an R rating.

So what's the good news? In this seemingly godforsaken world, Yahweh, though often hard to find, would still be a major character. That, of course, presents all kinds of redemptive possibilities. But would, or should, such a movie ever be made? Inquiring minds may have their answer on November 25 when the highly-anticipated film, The Road, arrives in theaters.

The post-apocalyptic thriller, starring Viggo Mortensen (The Lord of the Rings trilogy,Appaloosa), Charlize Theron (Monster, Hancock) and Robert Duvall (The Godfather, The Apostle), is based on the 2006 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel byCormac McCarthy, the same literary giant who penned All the Pretty Horses. Hollywood adopted McCarthy into its royal family in 2007 when No Country won the Best Picture Oscar and three other Academy Awards.

Then there's The Road. Winning the Pulitzer is one thing, rivaling Stephenie Meyer's Twilight in international pop culture is another. When Oprah Winfrey championedThe Road as her book of the month in mid-2007, she started a chain reaction that continues to this day. As director John Hillcoat (The Proposition, To Have and To Hold), who's bringing the novel to the big screen, recently announced: "The Road is now the most translated fiction book in modern times."

In conjunction with Oprah's promotion of the book, the spotlight-shy McCarthy agreed to appear on her show, which marked the then 74-year-old author's first ever television interview. Raised Roman Catholic, yet tipping an agnostic hand, the writer explained howThe Road was inspired by his relationship with his young son John, who was born when McCarthy was 65. 

The result is a stunning love story between a father and his son set against the most horrific backdrop imaginable. The novel is also a vulnerable examination of a parent's fear of being unable to protect a child and, worse, leaving that child in an increasingly dangerous world.

A Message for the Church

Like The Passion of Christ, The Road's producers have tapped A. Larry Ross Communications to present 15 advance screenings for Christian leaders and faith-based media outlets. As the PR company's founder makes his convincing pitch to the faithful, his remarks offer insight into the comparative lack of anticipation within church walls.

"This will be a significant media and cultural event, coming out Thanksgiving weekend," says Ross, "an opportunity for the faith community to seize this as a catalyst to have spiritual conversations with either people who would go to a theater with them but not to church, or colleagues and coworkers who are talking about it. The power of The Road is not the answers given, but the questions asked."

If America's more conservative people of faith are going to sit through an apocalyptic R rated film, they usually want more than hope in the darkness and redemptive themes. They want answers. While The Road resonates with biblical prophecy in many ways and is easily the most realistic cinematic portrayal of an end times world yet, it hardly follows Revelation like a road map.

"The Road is a parable of how a child is born into this world where there is no kindness. And yet, he manages to find this and nurture this and even teach [his father]," explains Hillcoat as the director fields questions from a tiny gathering of Christian journalists. "Cormac McCarthy told me that if there's no spiritual dimension, then life is a vacuum and meaningless. He thinks that active struggle with faith is the key. This story is like the book of Job, it's just challenge after challenge after challenge." 

Where Is God?

The movie is based on the premise that 10 years from now, a major cataclysmic event takes place. Whether it's a nuclear war, a massive meteor strike, or continent-shifting volcanic activity isn't specified. The story begins a decade or so after that fatal blow and introduces what remains of America. Welcome to a cold world whose freezing nights are broken up by the amber light of day. Forest fires, earthquakes and ash in the air abound. Plant life? Dead. Animal life? Road kill. Humanity? Scarce.

The Road follows The Man (Mortensen) and his son, The Boy (Kodi Smit-McPhee), as they walk south on America's skeletal highways hoping to find the coast and, with it, warmer weather and perhaps even "good people" like them. To get that far, they'll need to find enough food along the way and avoid becoming food themselves. In this world, money means nothing, and ammunition is currency. Thievery, violence and cannibalism rule the day. The environment is so grim, some families even take their own lives. The Man, himself scarred by the suicide of a loved one, is not immune to such thoughts, a reality that his son knows all too well.

"This movie paints a very bleak picture of what life would be like without the Church," explains Phil Hotsenpiller, the teaching pastor at Yorba Linda Friends Church in southern California. An evangelical scholar of end-times prophecy, Hotsenpiller has authored a sermon series and small group discussion guide for The Road. Drawing parallels between the movie and Revelation 6-19, he says, "In my opinion, this is a man without God, who's in the middle of the Tribulation. It's like the Rapture has happened and the Church is gone." 

Hope in a Hopeless World

God's presence seems removed from the earth as well. But The Man makes a declaration that hints otherwise: "The child is my warrant. And if he is not the word of God, then God never spoke." These poignant words echo through the film as The Boy repeatedly challenges The Man to be compassionate to those in need, to be forgiving when they are wronged, and to be thankful when rare blessings emerge.

Though the author gave Hillcoat license to interpret the book for the screen as he saw fit, McCarthy did give him one directive: "Please keep as many of the story's references to God as possible." To Hillcoat's credit, he not only honored this request, he even added visual elements of faith that weren't included in the book. "Cormac sees this as a spiritual lesson, because he talks about 'carrying the fire,' the spirit," says Hillcoat, citing one of The Road's most compelling themes. The Man and The Boy assure each other on multiple occasions that they are "the good guys," who are "carrying the fire."

Thankfully, the movie is artfully filmed and tends to avoid gratuitous imagery in its presentation of utter human depravity. And while horrific doom constantly feels close at hand, actual scenes of violence are far and few between. When they do occur, they are haunting, especially those which the director chooses to let you hear but not see.

Though The Road concludes on a hopeful note—the fragile promise of community—detractors still exist. "There were a couple people who questioned whether or not The Boy is actually saved and redeemed at the end," says Hillcoat. "And Cormac was so thrown by that. He said, 'Of course! The whole point is The Boy made that leap of faith and was saved.'"

And the one thing viewers should take away from the movie? "What really matters," replies the director. Adds Hotsenpiller, "You really look at life through a different set of lenses. People become more important. Moments become more important. Being kind becomes more important. This movie will really have an unusual affect on people."

Rated R for some violence, disturbing images and language, The Road opens wide in theaters on Wednesday, November 25, 2009.

Check this one out GREAT flick!!!

Daily Devotion

Sheep or Savior

Hebrews 9:14 ”How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!” Saved by God’s Grace Watching a two-year old get dressed is really a trip! The little guy knows he is supposed to put his legs into his pants. First, he tries putting his foot through the bottom of the pant leg. Oops! Then, he manages to get both legs into the same one. Can’t walk that way! After a dozen tries, he carries the pants to Mom, holds them up to her and says, “Help, please.” The Old Testament Jews were a lot like a two-year old getting dressed. They wanted desperately to please God. He had told them to kill sheep and goats as sacrifices for their sins, but they had to do it over and over again. Every year they took animals to the Temple, watched the priest kill them and sprinkle their blood over the people and on the altar. For a while, they felt forgiven. But, then they sinned again. They told a lie, got angry, maybe even cheated their neighbor out of some grain by holding their thumb on the scale. Before they knew it, they were feeling spiritually dirty. Jesus’ death on the cross was God’s answer to mankind’s cry of desperation, “Help me, please!” We all know that we break his standards in our thoughts and attitudes several times a day, let alone our stupid and rebellious actions. Since Jesus perfectly kept every one of God’s laws, he could pay the death penalty we deserve. God accepted his death as payment for us. When we accept Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf, God forgives us forever from all of our sins. He even cleanses our conscience, making us free from guilt and shame over our sinful actions and thoughts. In order to receive help getting dressed, a two-year-old has to give up doing it himself. He has to go to a “higher power” and ask for what he needs. We have to do the same if we want true and lasting forgiveness. We have to give up trying to please God ourselves. We have to go to him and ask for help. We also have to accept the help he has determined will do the job by placing our faith in Jesus as His Son and our Savior. Today’s Prayer: Dear Jesus, I’m sorry for all the bad things I do and think every day. So often, I’m rebelling against you and my parent in my mind, even when I’m doing what is expected of me. Please forgive me because Jesus died in my place. Clean me up and help me obey you from now on—from my heart. Amen.

ISRAEL – Christian Family Continues to Be Persecuted

Eleven-year-old Rivka's Messianic Jewish family continues to face persecution from extremist Jewish factions in Israel, according to Jerusalem Institute of Justice.

Rivka's father, a pastor, relocated his family after a car bomb exploded in the family's driveway.Now, their new landlord has received threats from Jewish extremists who want them evicted. Recently, somebody poured sugar into the fuel lines of their vehicle, which destroyed its engine. Earlier this year, Rivka was questioned by a prominent rabbi and two activists from Yad L'Achim, an organization whose stated goal is "fighting Christian missionaries."
Rivka's family is facing what has become a growing problem in Israel — persecution against Christians by extremist Jewish factions. I encourage you to pray God will provide for this family and protect them. Ask God to use the family's courageous testimony to draw non believers into fellowship with him.

Daily Devotion

SEASONS

The Great Migration is considered one of the grandest spectacles in the natural world. More than two million mammals participate in this annual parade. The seasonal conditions of the Serengeti, a vast East Africa ecosystem that spreads from Tanzania’s plains to Kenya’s Masai Mara, establishes the timing of the event. Leading the procession are the zebras, usually about 200,000 in number. The striped beauties are followed by the main attraction, about one-and-a half million wildebeests. And bringing up the rear are nearly 500,000 Thomson’s gazelles.

The Great Migration is a brilliant display of God’s creativity and His execution of perfectly timed seasons in the lives of all things, including four-legged herbivores. Seasons were created by God in the beginning, when He said, “Let lights appear in the sky to separate the day from the night. Let them mark off the seasons, days, and years. Let these lights in the sky shine down on the earth” (Genesis 1:14-15).

The psalmist acknowledged that it was God who “made the moon to mark the seasons” and ordained when the sun would set (Psalm 104:19). And Daniel chimed in with: “[God] controls the course of world events” (2:21). Regarding the precision of the seasons on earth, God Himself asks us: “Can you direct the movement of the stars—binding the cluster of the Pleiades or loosening the cords of Orion? Can you direct the sequence of the seasons or guide the Bear with her cubs across the heavens? Do you know the laws of the universe? Can you use them to regulate the earth?” (Job 38:31-33).



Today, reflect on the seasons of life you’ve journeyed through thus far and thank God for His perfect timing.

Daily Devotion

Who Are You?

"In everything we have won more than a victory because of Christ who loves us." Romans 8:37 

    When we hide behind self-built defenses, we may have a sense that we are in control. We tell ourselves that we're holding our feelings under control. But in reality we are not in control at all—our problems are at the helm. We've pushed away the people who really care about us, the ones who could help us. And we've allowed our problem, our situation, to take control. Only when we allow the defensive walls to crumble and start living and choosing and acting on the basis of who we are in Christ … and on all the strength and guidance and wisdom God has promised to provide … can we begin to practice true self-control.

Consider this…

Do you know who you are? The Bible makes it clear. Because of Christ …

You are redeemed—paid for at a great price. (Ephesians 1:7)
You are forgiven—clean; your sin has been forgotten. (Psalm 103:12)
You are strong and capable and can do everything through Christ. (Philippians 4:13)
You are a conqueror—an overcomer.(Romans 8:37)

Prayer

Lord, help me to stop hiding behind my self-built defenses. Help me to see myself as you dobecause of Christ—redeemed, forgiven, strong, capable, an overcomer. Help me to always remember what a great price was paid at the cross so that I could have this new identity. In Jesus' name …

Daily Devotion

Oops, I Guess that was a Bad Idea

1 Samuel 6:19-20 But God struck down some of the men of Beth Shemesh, putting seventy of them to death because they had looked into the ark of the LORD. The people mourned because of the heavy blow the LORD had dealt them, and the men of Beth Shemesh asked, “Who can stand in the presence of the LORD, this holy God? God is Holy Some pretty interesting things happened between yesterday’s reading and today’s. First off, The Philistines discovered that the Ark brought them terrible luck. They kept moving it around from town to town because everywhere they put it the people got sick. It was a real disaster. So, they decided to just send it back to Israel. They put it on a cart drawn by some cows whose calves were kept in the barn. Their thinking was that if the cows headed for Israel instead of back to their calves, it had to be a good omen. It worked. Those cows headed straight toward the border of Israel.

When the Ark entered Israeli territory, the Jewish religious leaders, took it off the cart and set it in a field. All was going well until some Jewish men decided to take a look inside. It was the last thing they ever did! God struck them down dead. You might wonder why just looking into this golden box was such a big deal that the men had to die. The people of Beth Shemesh knew exactly why their fellow-citizens had died. It was because they didn’t take God’s holiness and honor seriously. They treated the Ark as a curiosity. They didn’t realize how important the Ark was as a symbol of God’s presence. The men of Beth Shemesh died because they didn’t honor God as they should have. They treated the Ark of his Covenant, the place where he had promised to dwell, like a display in a museum. Sometimes we treat God that way, too. We say, “Oh God,” to express mild surprise. We may watch movies that make God out to be some sort of bumbling goof-off. Even more importantly, we often ignore him completely for days at a time.

If we could define God with one word it would be “holy.” All of his other characteristics are controlled by his holiness. God could have chosen to be bad instead of good. He could have been demanding and mean like some of the Greek gods and goddesses portrayed in movies and myths. He could have been selfish and arrogant. But, God decided to be perfect in every way. Imagine how awful it would be if God wasn’t good all the time. What would happen to us if one day he decided “to have an attitude?” We’d never know what he was going to do. Because of his holiness, we can totally trust him with every part of our lives, knowing that he will always do what is best for us. God is important. He loves us more than we can ever imagine. He is powerful and jealous for first place in our hearts. He is also holy. Perhaps we can learn a lesson from the men of Beth Shemesh so we treat God the way he deserves to be treated, with honor and respect. Today’s Prayer: Holy Father, I confess that I often don’t treat you the way you deserve to be treated. I listen to jokes that don’t honor you. I use your name in wrong ways. Please forgive me. Also, please teach me how to respect and worship you as you deserve. Amen.

Modern Day Pinocchio

No dad, I didn’t sneak into the R-rated movie last weekend. Yes mom, I came straight home after school. And no, I’ve never ridden in the car with a drunk driver.

These are just a few of the things that 98% of teenagers lie to their parents about. 

The Kids Might Lie But The Numbers Don’t
A recent study by Penn State reports that 98% of teenagers lie to their parents about various points of their lives .
That’s bad news. But the study also found that 98% of the same exact students believe lying is morally wrong. That’s good news, right? 

So, why do they lie…so much? Of the 36 different topics teenagers were asked questions about, they admitted fudging on 12 of them. “How I spent my money,” plus those mentioned above were just a few of the areas where they opted for an alternative to the truth. 

The numbers paint a dark picture of teens’ morality today. So, what do they have to say for themselves? 

“It’s like human nature. You can’t really stop yourself from lying sometimes.” (Annie, 12) 

“Like, I think if you don’t want to tell your parents, then that’s really none of their business.” (Caroline, 17) 

O What Tangled Webs We Weave…. 
An earlier study by the University of Arizona asked teenagers about the “nature” of the lies they told. They grouped the findings into 4 distinct categories: 

1. Pro-social lie: this is a lie that is told to protect someone or to help others.


2. Self-enhancement lie: this kind of lie is told to stave off embarrassment or punishment.


3. Selfish lie: these lies are told at the expense of others to protect one’s self.


4. Anti-social lie: these lies are intentionally told to hurt others.

This report also found that as kids got older, the frequency with which they lie increases. Amongst their peers, “pro-social” lies were the most prevalent. At home with mom and dad, “self-enhancement” and “selfish” lies were those most often pulled from the arsenal of deceit. It seems that parents get the worst of the worst when it comes to teens’ dishonesty. 

Speaking of mom and dad… 

Where’d You Learn To Lie Like That? 
Remember standing in line at the “kids-12-and-under-eat-free” restaurants and coaching them about what to say if the clerk asked how old they were? Remember the tooth fairy? Santa Claus? The experts say these “white lies” have taken their toll on kids’ view of the truth, especially when there are consequences on the line. 

Maybe our kids were listening more often than we thought…. 

Some of the most common lies among adults include, “I’m fine,” “The check’s in the mail,” and “Of course those pants don’t make your butt look big, honey.” Yet another researcher, Robert Feldman of The University of Massachusetts, says, “People almost lie reflexively. They don’t think about it as part of their normal social discourse.” Sadly, the studies show that lying is way too “normal.” Feldman ties lying directly to self-esteem; when self-esteem is down, lying goes up. 

Today, lying seems to go all the way from our house, to the White House. Keep in mind, this generation was still in grade school when they heard the now (in)famous line, “I did not have sexual relations with that woman….” All of these studies seem to share one overarching conclusion: from parents to presidents to teens, and everyone in between, all have a propensity for lying. 

Regaining The Truth
It’s more than a little disheartening to hear that 98% of teens admit to lying. Perhaps even sadder, are the poor reasons they give for “having” to do it. But, I think we should capitalize on the fact that 98% of them also know it’s wrong to lie. With that in mind…

• Model honesty in your life. Nothing speaks louder to kids today than “example.” In Jonathan’s parenting seminar he recently said, “You can teach what you know, but you can only reproduce who you are.” As youth workers we can’t preach about the “sins of lying” at the weekly small groups, and then get caught in a fib about whether or not we really did fill the church vans back up after the weekend retreat. Nothing speaks louder than example; nothing undermines more than hypocrisy.


• Teach the truth on truth. Remind your students that truth is not just a concept; truth is also a Person. “I am the way, the truth, and the life….” Truth is never relative. We live in a “gray” world, but truth has always been (and always will be) “black and white.”www.TheSource4YM.com has a couple of great resources on the subject. (Like this one or this one.)      


• Emphasize the rewards of telling the truth. Provide real life, relevant examples of this for your students. Use lessons from your life to drive home the point. Perhaps this teaching is most important when there are actually consequences for being honest! (Psalm 15:1-4, the person “who keeps his oath even when it hurts.”). People who “fess up” are respected by this young generation, and even more so when the truth is chosen in spite of guaranteed punishment.

Unlike Pinocchio, it’s not always easy to tell when teens are lying. We’ve got to keep working hard to ensure that they recognize truth and speak it to everyone. The truth is worth it our efforts. 

Daily Devotion

God Planned You as a Master Creation

Psalm 139:13-15 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. “Created by God” Today we will begin to consider some scripture passages to discover just how wonderful, unique, and important you are. Nearly everyone dislikes something about his physique or her personality. Tall people wish they were shorter. Short people would give anything to be taller. Math whiz kids envy those who can read anything and figure out what it means. Athletes sometimes hate not being able to do as well in school as other kids do. It doesn’t really seem to matter what set of strengths God gave us, we can always find someone we would rather be like.

Today’s scripture tells us that God made each individual person on earth exactly the way he wanted them to be. He has a job for each of us to do that requires the precise set of strengths and weaknesses he programmed into us. The talents and positive personality traits God gave us make it possible for us do particular things. Those who love grammar and reading often become writers. Those who have better-than-average physical strength or coordination can take on jobs like building things or hiking to isolated villages to share the gospel. We all appreciate the talents of pianists, guitar players and singers who can lead us in worship. But what about our weaknesses? Shy people make incredible listeners. Those who struggle with reading may become engineers or businessmen. The athletically challenged frequently compensate by organizing events and encouraging others. God has another important purpose for giving us some weak points. He wants to be sure that we can sympathize with our friends who also have difficulties. Because we become stronger and more compassionate as the result of our struggles, we can help others do the same.

We must remember that God’s is reflected in everything He makes. He is absolutely and perfectly good. So, anything he creates has to be awesome. He made you exactly the way you are to do something that only you can do. What a concept! David, who wrote this Psalm, was the youngest in his family. His dad and brothers didn’t think he was even important enough to call away from the sheep when Samuel came to anoint the next king of Israel. But, God knew David would make a great king. After all, God created him for that purpose way before he was born. David had times when he wondered if God could ever use him, but he kept on obeying the Lord. As a result, he became one of the greatest heroes in the Bible. There are no unimportant jobs and no worthless people in God’s eyes. God created you for a job in his kingdom that is just as important as the one David did. Today’s Prayer: My God and my Creator, I thank you for making me different from every other human being. Thank you that your goodness and wisdom are expressed in the way you mixed up my DNA. Help me accept myself as your wonderful creation and find the role you have for me to play in your plans, today and always. Amen.

Trend Alert: Teen Gambling

Today’s teenager lives in a world sandwiched between childhood and adulthood. Bombarding teens on all sides are adult “forbidden fruit” temptations that are legally out of reach in terms of age, but considered, by many, to be normal “rights of passage” meant to be done “safely” and in “moderation.” Gambling is one such example. Impressionable and impulsive teens are particularly vulnerable to the exciting, enticing and seemingly innocuous entertainment options presented by gambling.

Today’'s culture is increasingly accepting of, and receptive to, gambling. A Gallup poll conducted in 2003 found that 61% of teens believe gambling is “morally acceptable.” The popularity of gambling as a cultural phenomenon can be seen in the proliferation and popularity of the many televised poker programs, usually featuring Texas Hold ‘Em. Newspapers across the country are full of stories about teens, even children as young as ten, getting together for home poker games. Lottery jackpots and winners receive national attention on a regular basis. Almost every state endorses some form of legalized gambling in order to generate tax revenues. In addition to Las Vegas and Atlantic City, several Indian reservations around the country have built and run casinos. Now, thanks to technology, gambling is branching out onto the Internet, even as Congress attempts to legislatively curb and block its expansion.

The lure, of course, is the possibility of winning fast money. It should come as no surprise that teen gambling is on the rise and is the fastest growing addiction among teens, according to an A&E Investigative Report on teen gambling. Consider these eye-opening facts:

•
• The A&E report cites a federal study that estimates 7 million teens gamble (www.aande.com).
•
• Florida researchers found that 70% of 13-17 year old Floridians gambled during their lifetime, with an accompanying association with substance abuse, and an average initiation age of 12.5 (a href="http://www.aacap.org">www.aacap.org).
•
• The National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago reports that 28% of 16-17 year olds participated in private betting (www.norc.uchicago.edu).
•
• The Gallup Organization discovered that 26% of teens said they took part in some form of legal gambling, with 27% betting on professional sporting events and 18% on college games, and that 29% of teen gamblers made their first wager when they were ten years old or younger (www.gallup.com).
•
• The National Research Council estimates there are 5.7 million problem and 2.2 million pathological adolescent gamblers (http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/ngisc/reports/4.pdf).
•
• The National Annenberg Risk Survey of Youth shows that in 2004, 10.8% of high school boys and 3.3% of high school girls report weekly card playing (up from 5.7% and 1.5%, respectively, in 2003)
• http://www.annenbergpublicpolicycenter.org/07_adolescent_risk/2005_03_gambling_among_teens.pdf).

Teen gambling, as with any other hobby or activity, is a function of time, access, attitude and funds. Teens who have the time are given ample “gateway” opportunities to be introduced to and indoctrinated into gambling. Typically it begins with simple card and dice games. Then, it can move on to lottery tickets, horse tracks, and fantasy sports league competitions. Many kids get involved in weekly football, baseball, and basketball pools that are popular in middle and high schools around the country. Clearly, the most menacing and pernicious opportunity for teens to gamble comes from the Internet because of its easy access, and interactive and anonymous nature.


Online poker rooms cannot legally set up shop within the United States, so the majority of them are based overseas. This leaves many poker websites unregulated by gaming commissions and can open the door for illegitimate activities. Because of such flaws, underage children and teens can use a credit card, create an online poker account, and quickly lose large amounts of money. Christiansen Capital Advisors reports that over 2,000 gambling websites took in nearly $10 billion in 2004 alone.



Though playing poker for money on such websites is illegal within the U.S., they are brash enough to advertise their sites in magazine ads, television commercials and radio spots. They get away with this by setting up “shadow sites.” For example, one such company, PartyPoker, will have two websites that look almost identical. One website is given the domain name partypoker.net. At this website, people of all ages can play online poker for free. Because this site is legal, and no gambling takes place, this is the website that is advertised in the media. However, the website partypoker.com, which has the same look and feel as partypoker.net is set up to allow for online poker with real stakes. Advertisements encourage players to “practice” on their .net site hoping that they will become enticed and play for real money on their .com site.



The risk of losing is often overlooked. The marketers of online poker sites know this and use it to their advantage. However, the danger of losing money, lots of it and fast, is real. Recently, the “clean cut” class president of a university in Pennsylvania was arrested for robbing a bank after accruing several thousand dollars in debt from playing poker online.



Teen attitudes are shaped by, and steeped in, the relativistic postmodern cultural landscape, which reflects a mindset that snubs absolute truth in favor of subjective feelings. Here, gambling is viewed not so much as a sin - as with the Las Vegas “Sin City” label - but as a matter of personal preference and choice.

Teens finance their gambling in many ways. They can wager allowances and wages, borrow or steal a parents’ credit card and PIN number, or resort to dealing drugs and/or stealing to support their burgeoning habit. Novice and technologically savvy teens can bypass stated age restrictions on Internet gambling sites by using an alias or creating or assuming an identity to become virtual players.



What can we do to combat the growing teen gambling trend? 
First, raise awareness about the destructive realities of gambling where real people lose real money, and where casual, fun entertainment can become an obsession and addiction that ultimately consumes and ruins lives. Tell them that gambling is harmful, destructive, and wrong. If the potential for a problem exists, perhaps a visit from a reformed gambler who has overcome their sinful behavior with God’s help might be helpful.

Second, set a consistent and biblical example. Parents play the primary role in modeling healthy and mature attitudes and behaviors for teens in regards to gambling. Youth workers and teachers can support parents and reinforce the message through the power of their example.

Third, know where your teens are, who they are with, what they are doing and what websites they are visiting. As with any other teen behavior, parental knowledge is a wonderful preventive prescription. And finally, if gambling becomes a problem or addiction, get them help. Check to see if any Christian counselors in your area are competent in dealing with issues related to gambling. You can also check out www.gamblersanonymous.com, www.problemgambling.com, www.wannabet.org, or www.npcgambling.com.

Daily Devotion

Sheep or Savior

Hebrews 9:14 ”How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!” Saved by God’s Grace Watching a two-year old get dressed is really a trip! The little guy knows he is supposed to put his legs into his pants. First, he tries putting his foot through the bottom of the pant leg. Oops! Then, he manages to get both legs into the same one. Can’t walk that way! After a dozen tries, he carries the pants to Mom, holds them up to her and says, “Help, please.” The Old Testament Jews were a lot like a two-year old getting dressed. They wanted desperately to please God. He had told them to kill sheep and goats as sacrifices for their sins, but they had to do it over and over again. Every year they took animals to the Temple, watched the priest kill them and sprinkle their blood over the people and on the altar. For a while, they felt forgiven. But, then they sinned again. They told a lie, got angry, maybe even cheated their neighbor out of some grain by holding their thumb on the scale. Before they knew it, they were feeling spiritually dirty. Jesus’ death on the cross was God’s answer to mankind’s cry of desperation, “Help me, please!” We all know that we break his standards in our thoughts and attitudes several times a day, let alone our stupid and rebellious actions. Since Jesus perfectly kept every one of God’s laws, he could pay the death penalty we deserve. God accepted his death as payment for us. When we accept Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf, God forgives us forever from all of our sins. He even cleanses our conscience, making us free from guilt and shame over our sinful actions and thoughts. In order to receive help getting dressed, a two-year-old has to give up doing it himself. He has to go to a “higher power” and ask for what he needs. We have to do the same if we want true and lasting forgiveness. We have to give up trying to please God ourselves. We have to go to him and ask for help. We also have to accept the help he has determined will do the job by placing our faith in Jesus as His Son and our Savior. Today’s Prayer: Dear Jesus, I’m sorry for all the bad things I do and think every day. So often, I’m rebelling against you and my parent in my mind, even when I’m doing what is expected of me. Please forgive me because Jesus died in my place. Clean me up and help me obey you from now on—from my heart. Amen.

IRAN — Maryam and Marzieh Released

   On November 18, Maryam Rustampoor and Marzieh Amirizadeh were released from Evin Prison in Tehran after being held for 259 days, according to Elam Ministries.

Family members picked them up at the prison, and the women expressed heartfelt thanks to Christians around the world who prayed for them during their days in prison.
"Words are not enough to express our gratitude to the Lord and to his people who have prayed and worked for our release," they said.
   Maryam and Marzieh were released without bail, but charges against them have not been formally dropped, and they may still face a court hearing in the future.
They were arrested March 5 by Iranian security forces and labeled "anti-government activists." Marzieh and Maryam's apartment was searched and their belongings were confiscated. "Their only crime is that they are committed Christians who follow the teachings of Jesus," Farsi Christian News Network reported following their arrest. "They are being unfairly labeled as ‘anti-government activists' because of the hostility of the government towards practicing Christians."
"We are thankful to the Lord for sustaining Maryam and Marzieh—physically and spiritually—during their time in prison," said  Todd Nettleton. "We also thank all those who prayed for them and wrote letters to them at www.prisoneralert.com."
   Please continue to pray that Maryam and Marzieh will recover physically from their ordeal, and pray that all charges against them will be dropped. Pray also for other Christians in Iran who are persecuted for their faith in Christ.

Daily Devotion

Oops, I Guess that was a Bad Idea

1 Samuel 6:19-20 But God struck down some of the men of Beth Shemesh, putting seventy of them to death because they had looked into the ark of the LORD. The people mourned because of the heavy blow the LORD had dealt them, and the men of Beth Shemesh asked, “Who can stand in the presence of the LORD, this holy God? God is Holy Some pretty interesting things happened between yesterday’s reading and today’s. First off, The Philistines discovered that the Ark brought them terrible luck. They kept moving it around from town to town because everywhere they put it the people got sick. It was a real disaster. So, they decided to just send it back to Israel. They put it on a cart drawn by some cows whose calves were kept in the barn. Their thinking was that if the cows headed for Israel instead of back to their calves, it had to be a good omen. It worked. Those cows headed straight toward the border of Israel.

When the Ark entered Israeli territory, the Jewish religious leaders, took it off the cart and set it in a field. All was going well until some Jewish men decided to take a look inside. It was the last thing they ever did! God struck them down dead. You might wonder why just looking into this golden box was such a big deal that the men had to die. The people of Beth Shemesh knew exactly why their fellow-citizens had died. It was because they didn’t take God’s holiness and honor seriously. They treated the Ark as a curiosity. They didn’t realize how important the Ark was as a symbol of God’s presence. The men of Beth Shemesh died because they didn’t honor God as they should have. They treated the Ark of his Covenant, the place where he had promised to dwell, like a display in a museum. Sometimes we treat God that way, too. We say, “Oh God,” to express mild surprise. We may watch movies that make God out to be some sort of bumbling goof-off. Even more importantly, we often ignore him completely for days at a time.

If we could define God with one word it would be “holy.” All of his other characteristics are controlled by his holiness. God could have chosen to be bad instead of good. He could have been demanding and mean like some of the Greek gods and goddesses portrayed in movies and myths. He could have been selfish and arrogant. But, God decided to be perfect in every way. Imagine how awful it would be if God wasn’t good all the time. What would happen to us if one day he decided “to have an attitude?” We’d never know what he was going to do. Because of his holiness, we can totally trust him with every part of our lives, knowing that he will always do what is best for us. God is important. He loves us more than we can ever imagine. He is powerful and jealous for first place in our hearts. He is also holy. Perhaps we can learn a lesson from the men of Beth Shemesh so we treat God the way he deserves to be treated, with honor and respect. Today’s Prayer: Holy Father, I confess that I often don’t treat you the way you deserve to be treated. I listen to jokes that don’t honor you. I use your name in wrong ways. Please forgive me. Also, please teach me how to respect and worship you as you deserve. Amen.