No Entertainment for Christians?

[Aussie Pete]

Here's another post of his on TV:

Get Rid of TV
"When the Apostle Paul wrote his letter to the Romans, he says this to those Christians who want to follow after JESUS. “But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of GOD, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. For the wages of sin is DEATH, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Anyone wanting to follow Jesus has to get SIN OUT OF THER LIFE. That can only happen by you choosing to REPENT and call on the name of JESUS CHRIST. Many Christians are under the FALSE impression that the don’t have to do anything, they don’t have to lift a finger. They say that Jesus has already done everything for them on the cross, now they can kick back and watch TV. If you are not willing to get the things OUT of your life that are a hinderance, you won’t be ale to follow Jesus. Many Christians are addicted to their TV, to the movies, to worldliness, they just want to be entertained, but they could care less to hear from Jesus AND GO WITH HIM. If you are still sinning you are a slave to sin, but if you really are following Jesus you are a new slave to righteousness. Are you really going with Jesus? Are you HIS slave? Or are you still a slave to SIN? May the grace of Jesus be with you."

For decades I did not watch TV. I watch some Christian TV now, rarely. I watch a movie over a period of weeks. I watch a few youtube documentaries.

The obsession with sin is a blight on the church. It annoys me. Being set free from sin is the fundamental. Anyone who loves sin is kidding themselves if they think that they are born again.

Jesus did not come just to make sure we clean up our act. We need much more than being saved from sin. We need to be saved from ourselves. I've met outwardly holy Christians who are as hard as nails. I've met others who had some unresolved issues who love the Lord and the brethren. You don't need TV to be entertained. Just go to your local megachurch or the would be megachurch and enjoy the music, comedy and sing along.

Lord Jesus came that we might have life eternal, not a better lifestyle. Teach people who they are in Christ and who Christ is in them. Teach them to walk in the Spirit - by example, not just in words. A truly born again Christian hates sin. That does not mean instant freedom from all sin. It's a process. Anyone who believes in instant perfection is kidding themselves.

 

[ViaCrucis]

A post from Andrew Tiner on FaceBook:

"We must daily deny ourselves and make sure that we are rejecting the sinful desires of our flesh. If we let any of the desires of our flesh arise, the flesh has a tendency to take us over.
Entertainment is one of those fleshly desires that will slowly take over you if you do not quickly push it down and get it out of your life.
People have a tendency to love to sit down relax watch TV or play video games after work. It is not right for a child of God to play video games, watch TV, or live for mindless entertainment.
As the children of God we must keep ourselves holy and separate from worldly desires and fruitless activities.
Our day from beginning to end should be filled with the glory of God and doing HIS fruitful work.
Keep yourself unstained from the world or you are unfit for the kingdom of God!

I don't know know who this Andrew Tiner fellow is, but he sounds like someone I'd prefer not to know. I suspect he'd be a real buzzkill at parties.

Jesus attended a multi-day wedding party in the city of Cana. He provided wine when they started to run out of wine by miraculously turning water into wine for the party.

The idea that Christians are supposed to be joyless robots is simply incompatible with the Biblical narrative of God as a God of life, the provider of good gifts, and that God's people are called to celebrate life and all that is good and beautiful about God's creation.

We restrain the appetites because, on account of sin, our appetites without discipline are governed by selfishness, greed, malice, and so forth. And so we are called to live outwardly, in love, toward our neighbor. But loving people is supposed to be joyful, not joyless.

That is exactly what Jesus demonstrates for us. "The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they called Him a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax-collectors and sinners." (Matthew 11:19) It is Jesus who turns to Zaccheus, the tax-collector, saying, "I'm going to go have dinner at your place tonight."

You know who is unfit for the kingdom of God? The snooty, smug self-righteous people who received the invitation to the Great Feast but turned it down. You know who did come to the feast? "Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame." (Luke 14:21) For the last shall be first and the first shall be last. "Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you." (Matthew 21:31)

Don't listen to those who would seek to extinguish your joy by pretending to be religious. Whitewashed tombs only look nice on the outside, on the inside they are still filled with decaying bones.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[dqhall]

A post from Andrew Tiner on FaceBook:

"We must daily deny ourselves and make sure that we are rejecting the sinful desires of our flesh. If we let any of the desires of our flesh arise, the flesh has a tendency to take us over.
Entertainment is one of those fleshly desires that will slowly take over you if you do not quickly push it down and get it out of your life.
People have a tendency to love to sit down relax watch TV or play video games after work. It is not right for a child of God to play video games, watch TV, or live for mindless entertainment.
As the children of God we must keep ourselves holy and separate from worldly desires and fruitless activities.
Our day from beginning to end should be filled with the glory of God and doing HIS fruitful work.
Keep yourself unstained from the world or you are unfit for the kingdom of God!

I watched mainly news and business news on TV. It is supposed to be factual. They can not tell the whole truth on the news. I had a series of losses.

My exercise bike is in front of my TV for me to strengthen my legs. I eat mainly plant based foods after reading Dr. Dean Ornish. I am in the normal weight range. Recently I started to read my New Testament again. I learned a prophesy from the Book of Malachi. The fog cleared a bit.

 

[Neostarwcc]

A post from Andrew Tiner on FaceBook:

"We must daily deny ourselves and make sure that we are rejecting the sinful desires of our flesh. If we let any of the desires of our flesh arise, the flesh has a tendency to take us over.
Entertainment is one of those fleshly desires that will slowly take over you if you do not quickly push it down and get it out of your life.
People have a tendency to love to sit down relax watch TV or play video games after work. It is not right for a child of God to play video games, watch TV, or live for mindless entertainment.
As the children of God we must keep ourselves holy and separate from worldly desires and fruitless activities.
Our day from beginning to end should be filled with the glory of God and doing HIS fruitful work.
Keep yourself unstained from the world or you are unfit for the kingdom of God!

Either this guy is smoking a bit too much weed or my God given purpose in life which is using the talents that God gave to me is false. Ive been building and helping people with their desktops since I was literally seven years old and have been talented at video games since before I can even remember. My mom says I was about 8 months old and I believe her. If I'm wrong and these are not actually God given talents and that God doesnt want me to use these talents to spread the gospel than I guess both I and Peter are wrong. I vote option 1. I think he fried his brain cells just a little too much to be able to use his head and think outside the box. Which is apparently another talent I have that he doesnt. TY JESUS!

 

[Cis.jd]

A post from Andrew Tiner on FaceBook:

"We must daily deny ourselves and make sure that we are rejecting the sinful desires of our flesh. If we let any of the desires of our flesh arise, the flesh has a tendency to take us over.
Entertainment is one of those fleshly desires that will slowly take over you if you do not quickly push it down and get it out of your life.
People have a tendency to love to sit down relax watch TV or play video games after work. It is not right for a child of God to play video games, watch TV, or live for mindless entertainment.
As the children of God we must keep ourselves holy and separate from worldly desires and fruitless activities.
Our day from beginning to end should be filled with the glory of God and doing HIS fruitful work.
Keep yourself unstained from the world or you are unfit for the kingdom of God!

The guy is an example when Christianity has become empty of faith and just morphed into fanaticism.

While it is true that there are forms of entertainment that have bad influences, we can't just demonize all of them of being "evil" just because they have no christian connection to them.

God isn't small and insecure being that ends up having problems with you being human and enjoying things in life regardless of him having no reference in them.

These views are not just absurd but atrocious because it gives God this image of an over-jealous and overly-attached entity who puts demands full attention towards himself. That's what hitler, kim jong to even allah and every other pagan god demanded. This is why we should not give any attention, other than correction, towards views like Andrew Tiner, which creates a false image of God based off his own bad/narrow understanding.

Why would anyone want to "be fit" for the kingdom of a highly insecure God like that, even if it were true?

 

[Cis.jd]

And this:

"Satan uses music to destroy the minds and hearts of teenagers and young people. They think that they just like the music because of its beat or it's style, but in reality they are moving to Satan's tongue, which will prohibit them from ever coming into the kingdom of God, being filled with the Holy Spirit and having the NEW tongue that comes from the Spirit of Truth. Have nothing to do with rap, with dubstep, with rock music, punk rock, or any of the new genres that think they're so postmodern and envied. This sort of music will take you to hell.
Those who receive the Holy Spirit are born again with a new mind new heart a new style and a new tongue. This new birth and new tongue is NEVER an imitation of Satan's tongue. There are many supposedly Christian artists who are supposedly rapping for Christ and rocking out for God. This is a deception from hell. You can't serve Jesus with the devil's tongue and the devil style. Jesus did not call us to rap for Him or to make rock music for Him, Jesus called us to make disciples and to live holy and pure lives, completely unstained from the world.
Don't copy the Christians who pretend to be Godly by making supposed Christian music. They are double agents, used by Satan, targeting teenagers and youth. Be smart, be led by the Holy Spirit, live holy and be separate from ungodly worldly perverted music, even if it is considered "Christian." Touch NOTHING that is unclean, don't even pretend to be like it, and God will accept you."

The reality is your doctrines have given more power and acknowledgement to satan than to God. It a paranoia which then leads to a belief in a dictator God who is nothing different than the pagan gods who were so in need of 100% closed attention on themselves.

Your views are what is of satan, it's what detracts people from God more than the music/entertainment and people you accuse. As shown in scripture with the pharisees, being an irrational-conceited-high and mighty religious person was more of satan's preference then God's.

 

[Sam81]

I play video games but I stay away from sword n sorcery stuff and excessively violent games or sexual games or games with bad language. Play Sonic the Hedgehog or Halo or something like that. I don't watch TV or nonchristian movies at all nor would I want to watch anything secular. Even the most tame sitcoms today are wicked. I spent a lot of time on YouTube watching christian stuff and sometimes sports videos or news specials.

Entertainment is fine as long as your priorities are set AND you stay away from carnal stuff.

 

[מים]

I have to disavow this interpretation for the fact that it bears really bad fruit - falling away.

This, plainly put is a scruple. If we take our scruples and push them on other people, we get Atheists. We need to not put stumbling stones before brothers and sisters and stick to the purest essence of gospel.

Ultimately, we know that entertainment, and the like is fine because Lord Jesus allowed a follower to anoint and massage His head with expensive oil. His Apostles protested against and saw no use for this. He told them that it was acceptable.

Accordingly, some entertainment in a productive life is also acceptable.

 

[boxman144]

Andrew Tiner this is his Facebook page

 

[Tropical Wilds]

So the guy who says entertainment is sinful has a social media page? LoL, ok.

 

[Cis.jd]

just by reading his posts, he is obviously another crazy guy equipped with bad theology which he values over reason.

It's all "thats bad!! thats bad!! i talked to God and he told me thats bad!!". You actually can't blame people choosing atheism or any form of non christian ideals just based off guys like him.

 

[Hieronymus]

Well,

A post from Andrew Tiner on FaceBook:

"We must daily deny ourselves and make sure that we are rejecting the sinful desires of our flesh. If we let any of the desires of our flesh arise, the flesh has a tendency to take us over.
Entertainment is one of those fleshly desires that will slowly take over you if you do not quickly push it down and get it out of your life.
People have a tendency to love to sit down relax watch TV or play video games after work. It is not right for a child of God to play video games, watch TV, or live for mindless entertainment.
As the children of God we must keep ourselves holy and separate from worldly desires and fruitless activities.
Our day from beginning to end should be filled with the glory of God and doing HIS fruitful work.
Keep yourself unstained from the world or you are unfit for the kingdom of God!

And another post of his:

"Video games and mindless entertainment are not for the children of God. Do you keep yourself separate to do the work of Jesus Christ?"

Here's another post of his on TV:

Get Rid of TV
"When the Apostle Paul wrote his letter to the Romans, he says this to those Christians who want to follow after JESUS. “But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of GOD, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. For the wages of sin is DEATH, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Anyone wanting to follow Jesus has to get SIN OUT OF THER LIFE. That can only happen by you choosing to REPENT and call on the name of JESUS CHRIST. Many Christians are under the FALSE impression that the don’t have to do anything, they don’t have to lift a finger. They say that Jesus has already done everything for them on the cross, now they can kick back and watch TV. If you are not willing to get the things OUT of your life that are a hinderance, you won’t be ale to follow Jesus. Many Christians are addicted to their TV, to the movies, to worldliness, they just want to be entertained, but they could care less to hear from Jesus AND GO WITH HIM. If you are still sinning you are a slave to sin, but if you really are following Jesus you are a new slave to righteousness. Are you really going with Jesus? Are you HIS slave? Or are you still a slave to SIN? May the grace of Jesus be with you."

And another one:

"Entertainment just for the sake of your own pleasure is a very dangerous thing because it feeds the flesh and quenches the Holy Spirit on your life. Many Christians are destroyed by entertainment whether it is books, movies, TV, sports, hobbies, or just keeping themselves busy with something mundane so they don't have to work things out with Jesus and be productive. Don't be deceived or fall asleep as many Christians have do to entertainment and their own pleasure. If you live for yourself you are walking to hell. Jesus calls HIS disciples to DAILY deny themselves take up the cross and follow Him. He who is not denying Himself and productive for the kingdom of God is not fruit bearing and in danger of being cut off and thrown into the fire."

And this:

"Satan uses music to destroy the minds and hearts of teenagers and young people. They think that they just like the music because of its beat or it's style, but in reality they are moving to Satan's tongue, which will prohibit them from ever coming into the kingdom of God, being filled with the Holy Spirit and having the NEW tongue that comes from the Spirit of Truth. Have nothing to do with rap, with dubstep, with rock music, punk rock, or any of the new genres that think they're so postmodern and envied. This sort of music will take you to hell.
Those who receive the Holy Spirit are born again with a new mind new heart a new style and a new tongue. This new birth and new tongue is NEVER an imitation of Satan's tongue. There are many supposedly Christian artists who are supposedly rapping for Christ and rocking out for God. This is a deception from hell. You can't serve Jesus with the devil's tongue and the devil style. Jesus did not call us to rap for Him or to make rock music for Him, Jesus called us to make disciples and to live holy and pure lives, completely unstained from the world.
Don't copy the Christians who pretend to be Godly by making supposed Christian music. They are double agents, used by Satan, targeting teenagers and youth. Be smart, be led by the Holy Spirit, live holy and be separate from ungodly worldly perverted music, even if it is considered "Christian." Touch NOTHING that is unclean, don't even pretend to be like it, and God will accept you."

...he's not entirely wrong.
But it's a bit like saying: "Never ever go outside in the summer !!" because sun light may cause skin cancer.

 

[nolidad]

A post from Andrew Tiner on FaceBook:

"We must daily deny ourselves and make sure that we are rejecting the sinful desires of our flesh. If we let any of the desires of our flesh arise, the flesh has a tendency to take us over.
Entertainment is one of those fleshly desires that will slowly take over you if you do not quickly push it down and get it out of your life.
People have a tendency to love to sit down relax watch TV or play video games after work. It is not right for a child of God to play video games, watch TV, or live for mindless entertainment.
As the children of God we must keep ourselves holy and separate from worldly desires and fruitless activities.
Our day from beginning to end should be filled with the glory of God and doing HIS fruitful work.
Keep yourself unstained from the world or you are unfit for the kingdom of God!

Well He is perfectly free to abstain from all those things if he thinks they are evil, but depending on content and if one is addicted to TV or vid games etc., there is nothing wrong.

 

[Emsmom1]

Agree, unfortunately what creates is kids growing up being resentful of their Christianity

So true. My husband was raised Assemblies of God and could not see movies or listen to secular music or watch much tv. He grew up quite resentful and has never returned to Christianity.

 

[OrdineeeBe]

It's this kind of stuff that pushes people away from Christianity. There is nothing Biblical about not enjoying entertainment. There are plenty of movies, music, books, video games, food, etc that are not sinful. Don't get me wrong, most media out today particularly the popular stuff is filled with Marxist Anti-Christian messages, and it's absolutely fine to point that out and condemn that and who is behind that, aswell as pointing out people who dedicate their lives at the detriment of themselves, their family/potential families to entertainment, but when people try and put up "No Fun Allowed" signs the only thing you do is push people away.

God is not Anti-Fun, God is Anti Sin, and not all forms of fun/entertainment is evil/a sin, feel free to rightfully call out the people who are indulging in sinful activities for fun such as drugs, overeating, gambling, premarital sex, blasphemy, etc, but don't try and take away peoples enjoyment.

This world is run by the devil, sometimes we need an escape by reading a fantasy story, or listening to music, or exploring a world in a video game, etc.

 

[ViaCrucis]

Andrew Tiner this is his Facebook page

The first post I saw on his page opens with "This is a message from Jesus". That's a pretty good enough reason to ignore him.

If we want to know what Jesus' message is, we have it already, it's in the Scriptures, it's what the Church has confessed, taught, believed, and preached for two thousand years.

If someone comes to you saying, "I have a message from Jesus", ignore it. False prophets, false teachers, wolves coming in sheep's clothing have been an unfortunate reality for the entire history of the Church, but we have the strong and enduring word of God on our side. Do not believe those who come bearing a form of religion but denying the power thereof (2 Timothy 3:5).

The word of God is enduring and trustworthy. Believe the Good News.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[charsan]

A post from Andrew Tiner on FaceBook:

"We must daily deny ourselves and make sure that we are rejecting the sinful desires of our flesh. If we let any of the desires of our flesh arise, the flesh has a tendency to take us over.
Entertainment is one of those fleshly desires that will slowly take over you if you do not quickly push it down and get it out of your life.
People have a tendency to love to sit down relax watch TV or play video games after work. It is not right for a child of God to play video games, watch TV, or live for mindless entertainment.
As the children of God we must keep ourselves holy and separate from worldly desires and fruitless activities.
Our day from beginning to end should be filled with the glory of God and doing HIS fruitful work.
Keep yourself unstained from the world or you are unfit for the kingdom of God!

I would say that chap is a moron. You have to stop looking at that stuff and this is a great example of someone making the Bible say anything they want it to say

 

[coffee4u]

A post from Andrew Tiner on FaceBook:

"We must daily deny ourselves and make sure that we are rejecting the sinful desires of our flesh. If we let any of the desires of our flesh arise, the flesh has a tendency to take us over.
Entertainment is one of those fleshly desires that will slowly take over you if you do not quickly push it down and get it out of your life.
People have a tendency to love to sit down relax watch TV or play video games after work. It is not right for a child of God to play video games, watch TV, or live for mindless entertainment.
As the children of God we must keep ourselves holy and separate from worldly desires and fruitless activities.
Our day from beginning to end should be filled with the glory of God and doing HIS fruitful work.
Keep yourself unstained from the world or you are unfit for the kingdom of God!

I completely disagree with this Andrew Tiner, whoever he is.

Not all desires of the flesh are sinful.
God created our desires and emotions, it depends on how we fill them if it becomes sinful.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
3 To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven:


2 A time to be born,
And a time to die;
A time to plant,
And a time to pluck what is planted;
3 A time to kill,
And a time to heal;
A time to break down,
And a time to build up;
4 A time to weep,
And a time to laugh;
A time to mourn,
And a time to dance;
5 A time to cast away stones,
And a time to gather stones;
A time to embrace,
And a time to refrain from embracing;
6 A time to gain,
And a time to lose;
A time to keep,
And a time to throw away;
7 A time to tear,
And a time to sew;
A time to keep silence,
And a time to speak;
8 A time to love,
And a time to hate;
A time of war,
And a time of peace.

Zechariah 8:5
And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in its streets.

Exodus 32:6
And they rose up early the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings. And the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.

Proverbs 17:22
A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

Pretty sure dancing, laughing, playing music, watching plays and playing games was their form of entertainment.

 

[Blade]

I was in this bible study when I was about 15 and the two grand parents that prayed 4h a day would say "if we say anything that is not in this bible. Do not listen to us". There are preachers, people I don't listen to. People that are of God. Just things I don't agree with.

Then there are some that have said things,posted things in the replies that is no where in the word of God. And when something like this happens.. I go to them. I don't speak any negative thing about them. What got me was the things I heard read were never spoken up front. Things that.. after you were drawn in.

There are TWO that know each other. Where righteousness, saved, forgiven.. things like this were.. well ONE would said no matter what the bible says "you can not will not know if your saved until you die". Said "you always have to cry out beg God" on and on. There is so much more.

So on the out side.. I like it.. I agree...but.. that is not all. See I don't just watch some video and run with it. I watch and watch no looking for errors. But.. there (for some) I get this check in me. So I Know there is something somewhere that is not of God. We all can say this about our self. But these are things the one talking KNOWS they believe something is not written.

Well there are SOME that seem to believe the whole bible. Yet.. theres something wrong.. could not put my finger on it. And this ONE even thought some verses were used.. did NOT believe parts of the NT are of God. Yeah.. that was never in the videos. That was just one reason I stopped watching .. this one person. Way to many things they would never answer. Talked about almost anything else..but.. somethings no matter what was written.. well for them easy.. God never said it.. some man did.

 

[chilehed]

A post from Andrew Tiner

And I should give a rip about his opinion why?