8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light
9 (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth),
10 finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.
11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.
This is a general guide to make godly choices. We can be so knowledgeable to the Scriptures and in sync with the Holy Spirit that we can discern light from darkness, absolute truth from shaky fiction. We are instructed to discover "what is acceptable to the Lord." We can embrace the principles of Scripture and recognize and reject what does not line up. There is a contrast, and in this world today, we can be distinctive because of the presence of Christ in us and the practice of His truth.
In Psalm 101, we find a series of verses that can propel us to make solid choices in what we expose ourselves to, which speaks powerfully to electronic media:
2 I will behave wisely in a perfect way. Oh, when will You come to me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.
3 I will set nothing wicked before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; It shall not cling to me.
4 A perverse heart shall depart from me; I will not know wickedness.
New Christmas music has begun to arrive at Faith Radio, and on the day after Thanksgiving, you will have the opportunity to enjoy over 100 hours per week of Christmas music, including our "all-music" days on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
And, certain entertainment television networks have announced their new Christmas offerings. Unfortunately, for the Hallmark Channel, it's "buyer beware." While the channel is said to be releasing its first "faith-based movie," it unfortunately will be debuting its first film with a gay lead couple, after the 2020 movie, The Christmas House, included a gay couple in the cast.
ChristianHeadlines.com reports that:
The movie, The Holiday Sitter, will air on December 11 and tell the story of two men who fall in love. Although the Hallmark Channel has included LGBTQ characters in its films, this is the first one to feature a same-sex couple at the center of the story.
A Hallmark news release described the film this way: "Sam is a workaholic bachelor who babysits his niece and nephew before the holidays when his sister and her husband have to go out of town. Completely out of his element, he recruits help from their handsome neighbor Jason and finds himself in an unexpected romance."
Conversely, a Movieguide article says:
According to The Hollywood Reporter: THE GIFT OF PEACE follows “a once-devout Christian who stopped believing in God after her husband tragically died. As her second Christmas without him approaches, she tries going to a support group for inspiration and comfort.”
“It’s the first faith-based movie that Hallmark has ever done,” DeLoach shared. “And I’m a person of deep faith so it was really cool to be a part of that.”
She continued, “[THE GIFT OF PEACE is] about grief and it’s one of the most emotional movies Hallmark has ever done so we’re kind of breaking the mold with this one.”
Movieguide notes:
Several networks have released their upcoming Christmas movie lineup, including Great American Family and UPtv.
Former Movieguide® Awards Host Candace Cameron Bure will appear in GAF’s A CHRISTMAS … PRESENT.
UPtv says they are gearing up for their “Most uplifting Christmas every.”
“With so many people needing to scale back in different ways this holiday season, we wanted to deliver an abundance of Christmas programming so uplifting, holiday cheer was plentiful for our viewers,” said Hector Campos, vice president of content strategy and acquisition at UPtv.
Bure, of course, a staple of Hallmark movies, has reportedly accepted an executive role at the Great American Family network, which is led by Bill Abbott, a former Hallmark executive.
The search for family-friendly entertainment content continues, and thankfully, because of the segmentation of streaming services and even some cable channels, there are "trusted sources" that we can go to. Hallmark has proven that it is no longer a media outlet that can be totally trusted, although there will no doubt be the non-objectionable content.
It is notable that high-profile Christian actors, such as Candace Cameron Bure, Jen Lilley, and someone who has become increasingly outspoken about her faith, Danica McKellar, are now doing movies for Great American. While When Calls the Heart remains on Hallmark Channel, a spin-off now airs on Great American Family.
I think in our own lives, we have to watch our associations. If our public behavior, or the people or activities with which we associate, send a contradictory message, then our witness is damaged. And, association with the wrong people or causes can even have a negative impact on our own Christian faith. There's a reason the Bible instructs us not to be "unequally yoked."
I also want to re-iterate Faith Radio's intent on being a trusted source for you - for sound, high-quality Bible teaching from some of America's greatest teachers, for music that helps you experience the presence of God, and for information that can direct you in responding to our culture. And, please remember, your prayers and financial support are so very important as we continue to broadcast, stream, and post content that will inspire and motivate you to spiritual growth.
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