The Press Blocking Spirituality

And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press. (Luke 19: 3)

I posted sometimes ago about the press blocking people from getting to Jesus.

I was then looking at the negative press fighting the faith.

Today I want us to focus on ‘positive’ press and the damage it can and does do to the faith.

Have you ever asked yourself why a media house run by a Muslim has award winning Gospel shows on Sundays? Have you ever wondered why the most morally corrupt media houses run excellent Christian shows then? Do they get saved on Sundays? Or do they trash their editorial policy on Sunday?

Has Mammon become a believer and started worshiping Jesus? Has the pursuit of gain been overtaken by spirituality? Has their pursuit for base cravings all of a sudden become spiritual?

You see, I am in a way a child of the media. I was trained in a media school, worked in a media house and have been exposed to media in many fronts, even church media.

Look at these verses.

Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate. (Titus 1: 15, 16)

And this other one

Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh. (James 3:12)

What am I implying? I am sure you are wondering.

You can’t be an enemy of the cross during the week and all of a sudden become a spiritual nurturer on Sunday. Your agenda during the week is the same during the weekend.

What changes is the tactics. You serve the same master but simply widen the net to catch different fish.

How many couch and bedside worshippers do we have these days? Who do they worship? Yet they in the past they were consistent and committed members of churches.

You see, the devil is complete if he can get you to only relax in your personal devotion to God or break the littlest commands of the Gospel.

He does not succeed only when he has made you become sexually immoral or denounce Christ.

Let me give a few scenarios.

You used to wake up at 3 a.m. to pray but nowadays you wake up at the same time to follow a prayer master do their act, amening everything they say as they seem so deep and connected.

On Sunday afternoons you used to go home and hold hands with your spouse as you bonded in prayer and fellowship. Now the only thing your hands do is stretch out to claim and catch what the TV prophet is releasing to you. There is no time even for chit chat as that flow cannot be interrupted.

You used to leave early to church to help in the many aspects of the ministry before the congregants arrive. Now you can’t leave because there is this hot gospel program that is so rich and empowering that you simply can’t leave before it ends.

You used to fellowship after the service for hours on end. Now you will leave even before it ends if the preacher does not keep time because there is a program you must watch.

You used to enjoy a brunch or two during the week with brethren but now you simply do not have time as it has been taken by this or the other fresh anointing program on telly.

You used to reach out to the needy in society but nowadays they are a text book topic as you have no spare time to look around. What with the great Christian programming of these great stations?

You used to browse through Christian bookshops and libraries for spiritually healthy books and you have a very rich library at home yet you now have no time at all to read as your TV and net have more than enough spiritual content for any spare moment you have.

You used to enjoy reading through the Bible at least once yearly but nowadays you are fixated on what the superstar teaches as you totally agree with it.

I have not even started dealing with radio and internet forums.

How much are you in touch, leave alone in control of your spiritual life?

When others are the ones making your spiritual life flow and thrive, it is very likely that you have no spiritual life at all, or that your spiritual life is fake.

And that is what the media fights to make us.

I have enough friends running those shows who will be mad at me for saying this. But let me also throw a challenge to them. Has God told you clearly that what you are doing produces healthier believers? How many of them have responded to God’s call to the unreached out of that platform?

The media exists for profit and other agenda that growth in spirituality will kill or at the least limit.

It therefore stands to reason that the same media will have spirituality as an enemy that they will focus on neutering. And what better way than spiritualizing itself. Then the spiritual will think they have a very powerful ally just like Samson thought about his darling Delilah.

The biggest problem with the media in spiritual affairs is that you will completely lose control. They will set the agenda and simply run with whatever suits them.

Of course the ones running those shows are for the most part spiritually bankrupt characters whose only qualification is their popularity or excellent sound or diction. Some do not even read the Bible yet they will be your alternative for church.

They are paid for holding a crowd captive with whatever trash they produce as the same crowd will be used to convince advertisers to fund the program. Or have you ever asked yourself why people must call in, text, even use social media to show they are following? Then they give prizes for answering easy questions and bet by just sending your number.

They are simply using your feedback to look for money and not interact with you. Those rewards and prizes are simply bait.

Have you ever heard someone running those programs reminding you to hurry so that you are not late for church? Have you ever heard someone ordering you to switch off your TV to get ready for church?

The only thing you will hear is, ‘before you touch that dial or switch …’ They lose when you take responsibility for your spirituality, even your life.

Do not allow them press you out of a rich relationship with Christ.