Why I Don’t Watch Christian TV

April 14, 2016March 7, 2020 / Andy R Taylor / 7 Comments

Let me first say that I’m not trying to influence anyone in any way. To watch….or not to watch…that’s your own business. And if you’re getting blessed by Christian TV….watch on!! I’m just stating my own opinion. And my reasons for not watching may not be valid for you in the least. When my life first ‘made the turn’, so to speak, back in November of ’84 I did watch quite a bit of Christian TV. I even watched Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker some. I did find them to be a little peculiar but, what the heck, I did learn a few things by watching their show. Same with Paul and Jan Crouch; peculiar people but no big deal at the time. And I do believe that lots of people were blessed through their TV ministries, even though I didn’t send my $100 for the little bottle of ‘holy water’ from the Red Sea.

But the further I went the less I watched TBN, The 700 Club and shows like that. For the most part, at least for me, it started feeling un-authentic, a little too much put-on, and way too theatrical for my liking. I would catch Jack Hayford from time to time, which was always good. There were a few others who weren’t ‘regulars’ that I’d try to watch if I had the chance. But it wasn’t too long that I found myself not watching Christian TV programming at all. (Been about 20 years now) And now if I’m surfing through the DISH channels and happen to cross one of those networks it just seems that I’m now further and further away from where they are and what they’re saying…..and from what I believe and perceive the Lord is saying to me.

But the clincher for me came a few years back when someone very close to me was contacted by one of those TV shows. It was one of the most highly acclaimed ones….and one that you’d surely know if I had the liberty to disclose it. This person’s life has been one of the most, if not THE most, dramatic conversions and transformations that I’ve seen in all my years. And after several phone interviews with my friend and then with me….they declined to do the story. Why?? Because, according to their representative, his conversion and transformation didn’t fit their grid of how it should happen. Tragic….in that this person’s life….and his story could have made the difference in hundreds, if not thousands who might’ve seen the TV show.

I left that situation discouraged and, to tell the truth,….about half ticked off. It was obvious to me that they were completely out of touch with what often happens out here in the real world. There’s no formula and there’s no set way for someone coming to the Lord. There’s millions of different scenarios and I wouldn’t argue the validity of any of them. “Any man who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved”.

The cynical part of me would say that if my friend would’ve just said, “I was at the end of my rope, on drugs and ready to commit suicide and I turned on the TV and the “- – – – – – Show” was on and I fell down on my knees and cried out to God.”, that they would’ve done the show as quickly as possible.

So, don’t get me wrong….I think there might be a place for Christian TV….but it needs to be authentic, it needs to ‘not’ be about money, and it needs to be relevant for what the Lord is saying and doing in our generation.

Check These Out:

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Workin’ it Out!

April 12, 2016April 14, 2016 / Andy R Taylor / Leave a comment

Something profound, and nothing short of miraculous, happened deep within us when we were born again. It happened in the very deepest part of us, our spirit. When we came into agreement with the plan of God for our salvation, by way of believing in Jesus, and mixing that belief with the faith that He’s already provided for us…..our spirit was renewed. I mean, completely renewed! OK, I’ll make it clearer…..your spirit was perfected! Don’t argue with me….you’ll lose the argument. I’m pretty passionate about this one!

That ‘thing’ that happened is there, in you, to totally transform every area of your life. No kidding! The real you has been ‘renewed’! (made new…and perfect!) And while it’s a lifetime process to flesh it out…your spirit can’t get any more renewed-er (I just made that word up!), than it is right now. So, the challenge becomes……“How do we get what’s happened on the ‘inside’, to manifest itself on the ‘outside’!?

Paul said it this way in the Bible; “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling”. (Don’t get too uptight about that ‘fear and trembling’ thing; it just means to be serious, sincere…and diligent about it!) Now, he’s not talking about working (doing good things) to ‘earn’ your salvation. That’s far from the truth. Besides, salvation is a ‘gift’; and like any other gift it can only be ‘received’, and not worked for or earned! What’s happened in our spirit is always ‘ready’ to be given permission, by us, to be useful in our everyday lives. It’s simple; don’t complicate it! It amounts to us learning to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit….Who now lives in our spirit to guide us every step of the way.

It could be classified as ‘learned behavior’; we learn from His Spirit how to let the miracle that’s happened inside to be manifest in everything we do. It’s going to require us to change our thinking, some; OK, a lot! But, it’s doable. And, as we change the way we think our behavior, and everything else, begins to change….for the better!

If we’re really being ‘conformed’ into the image of Jesus, then what’s inside has to be ‘worked out’!

Check these out:

God Moves Through ‘Influence’ ……. Not ‘Control’!

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Retaliate!!

Redirecting!

April 12, 2016April 12, 2016 / Andy R Taylor / 4 Comments

Technology is a wonderful thing. It’s amazing how much progress has been made in the last 50 years. I remember when I got my little transistor radio for Christmas when I was about 8 years old. Believe it or not, those little things were right on the edge of technology in the late 50’s and early 60’s. I think I was about a 5th grader when I got a little tape recorder; remember those? I loved it and had lots of fun with it. I’ve always had a fascination with technology….even though I’ve stayed behind the curve a little, if you know what I mean.

One great little technological advance was the advent of the GPS. What an amazing instrument! Julie bought me a nice Garmin GPS for Christmas several years back. I loved it! Key in your destination, punch the button and it’ll give you ‘turn-by-turn’ voice directions all the way there. I did get in a mess in El Paso one time. There’d been a lot of new construction with a loop around the city and my particular GPS didn’t have that new information. She kept telling me to turn….and after awhile I started yelling back at her, “There ain’t no street there!!!” She was unflappable; Not bothered one bit by my screaming at her. And I may, or may not, have cussed at her a time or two! About every 10 seconds she would say, “Redirecting”. I finally made it to my destination….no help from her! Anyway, all it took was a 5 minute hook up to my computer when I got home with the upgrade and everything was fine.

I was thinking about that the other day and you know, the Lord guides us through life a lot like that little GPS. I’m sure His Spirit does His very best to help us make the right turn at every juncture in life….but we run by the intersection time after time! And, if we’re not real careful we’ll find ourselves lost out there on the road of life…..wondering which way to go. But the good news is that, even though we’ve gotten lost, He can redirect us no matter how far we’ve gotten off the path. He’ll redirect us as many times as He has to…..to get us to our destination!

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Walkin’ the Floor

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Living Proof

April 6, 2016April 10, 2016 / Andy R Taylor / 6 Comments

If you look down through the generations at the ones that the Lord chose to be His leaders you’d think He’s just not very picky at all. It nearly always looks like He’s got the wrong guy, especially on the front end. I mean, right from the very start He picks Abraham, a pagan man living in a pagan nation. After that, Jacob; now there’s a guy who had some issues. Then it was Moses; he killed a man….but obviously, in hindsight, he was definitely the one to lead God’s people out of Egypt. Later on David, who was called the ‘apple of God’s eye’ and His own handpicked man to lead the nation, had a moral failure of the highest order. It was so ugly that people still talk about it today.

Then Jesus came along and picked twelve of the most unlikely men He could find to be His closest followers. Matthew was a tax collector; everybody hated the tax collectors! Peter, James and John were all fishermen. They had some serious issues of their own. These were not professional ministry guys by any stretch of the imagination! They all made their own share of blunders in the process of learning the way of the Lord. And, that’s just part of the picture. There’s many more who’d fall into the same category.

It appears at first glance that the Lord is just not a very good judge of character. But, that can’t be it. We know He doesn’t make mistakes. And, as awkward as some of these choices looked, early on,…..they turned out to be the right ones for the job every single time.

The Bible actually speaks pretty clear about that. “Not many wise, not many mighty, not many noble are called. But God uses the simple things of the world to confound the mighty.” Not a single one of these were chosen because of their impressive resume’. The Lord still makes some awkward looking choices today.

Take me for instance……I wasn’t trained for this; knew absolutely nothing about how to do it. And, after 27 years, I’m probably still behind the curve, some. People will decide, a long time after we’re gone, if anything we’ve done could be classified as ‘significant’. If they decide that it was…..all we can say is, “We’re just living proof that the Lord can use anyone!”

Check these out:

Simplicity! It’s All I Have to Offer

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Living Your Life With Abandon

April 5, 2016April 6, 2016 / Andy R Taylor / Leave a comment

I was teaching on a recent Sunday morning about the 40 days immediately after Jesus’ resurrection. It’s a 40 day stretch that I’ve never heard anyone talk about. In fact, I titled my message, “The 40 Days No One Talks About”. There’s not a lot written about what Jesus did during those days but there are a few critical pieces of information.

In thinking about those 40 days there’s a lot that comes to mind for me. I’ll probably write about some of those thoughts from time to time. But one thing that seems to emerge for me is the need that Jesus had to get the apostles in a ‘good place’. Because…..they were not in a good place, from my perspective. They were not in a good place spiritually or emotionally, actually far from it!

If these were going to be the 11 (later Judas’ replacement was chosen) in charge of changing the world, advancing the kingdom and continuing the work that Jesus started….something drastic had to happen with them. Thomas was a ‘doubter’; Jesus had to rebuke several of them for their doubt, unbelief and hardness of heart. Peter, James and John couldn’t stay awake in Jesus’ darkest hour. And then again there was Peter, who folded like a cheap lawn chair, in denying even knowing Jesus when He needed him the most! If we’re keeping score, His failure would rank up there in the top two or three, all-time! (I’m glad God doesn’t keep score on that kind of stuff!)

World changers, without exception, live their lives with abandon. People who don’t walk by faith would label them reckless. …..and reckless they are, but for the most noble cause. These were just men, fishermen and tax collectors, but their destiny demanded that they, somehow, recover from their failures. So, Jesus had to fix them if they’re going to be world changers. Not an easy task! That’s some of what He did in the span of that 40 days.

As I think about it……it seems to me that those are the exact same things He is working to change in us. ……….and for the exact same reason!

Check these out, too:

Talk About a ‘Fixer-Upper’!

Virtual Reality

God Moves Through ‘Influence’ ……. Not ‘Control’!

You’ve Gotta Quit Calling Yourself a “Sinner”!

The Lord Helps Those That Help Themselves!

March 31, 2016March 31, 2016 / Andy R Taylor / 2 Comments

I hear people put that out there fairly often as if it’s actually written in the Bible. Well, it’s not! It’s not a flat-out untruth…in fact, there’s quite a bit of truth to it if you think about it. It does make sense that the Lord would help someone who is trying their best to be obedient and to be a good steward of the resources he might have. It’s even very Biblical to expect the Lord to bless you even more if that’s the position you’ve taken. “Whoever’s faithful in a little, the Lord will bless with more.”.

So, it can very well be true that the Lord helps those that help themselves…..but His help is not limited to just the ones that do that. No, much to the contrary, His attention is never far from those in distress, those who have lost their way, those who are discouraged, depressed and downtrodden. And, many times it’s actually, ONLY, the help of the Lord that can get a person lifted up out of those kinds of dire straits. I’m speaking from personal experience here! I’m really grateful that His lovingkindness and His ability to rescue is not totally dependent on my utter devotion to Him! I’d have been in big trouble a bunch of times!

So, yes, the Lord will help those who’ll help themselves…..but He’s also very quick to help those who just can’t muster up the energy to get it done!

*He’s even been known to help some who are just determined to ‘not’ help themselves!

You might like these, too:

The Thing About Unconditional Love

“It’s Not Your Job to Fix Them!”

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If You See God “Wrongly”…….You’ll Never See Yourself “Rightly”!

The People That Nobody Else Wants

March 24, 2016December 20, 2016 / Andy R Taylor / 1 Comment

Nearly 27 years ago Julie and I said “Yes” to whatever it was that the Lord wanted us to do in Sayre, Oklahoma. We knew very little about starting or leading a church but we were sure we had heard the Lord on it. We started with a little group of about 6 or 8 people….and off we went!

One of the very first things I know I heard from the Lord was some specifics on how to pray about the work in Sayre. He directed me to pray this way, “Lord, bring us the people that nobody else wants.” We started praying that from the very beginning and we are still praying it today.

Interestingly enough, about ten years after we’d been faithfully praying that, a traveling ministry person was with us at one of our Wednesday morning prayer times and gave this prophetic word. Keep in mind he didn’t even know we’d already been praying this for at least ten years. Here’s what he said, “God wants me to tell you that if you’ll pray for the people nobody wants, He’s going to give you the people that everybody wants; and He’s going to take the people nobody wanted and turn them into people that everybody wants!”. And if you look at this family today you can clearly see the fruition of that prophetic word!

It’s sad to say but the very nature of stale and stagnant religion is to devalue the poor, the afflicted, the addicted, the ones who’ve lost their way, the ones who hate church…..and even those who hate God. The religious system really has no use for them. They have too much baggage, they require too much time to rehabilitate, they’re not givers….and the list goes on and on. …..but they’re very special to the Father!

If you look at our extremely diverse family you’ll see people from every walk of life. We have rich, poor (a lot more of the latter), black, white, red, doctors, inmates, recovered alcoholics, recovering alcoholics….and alcoholics, cowboys, bikers, hippies….and just about everyone in between. It’s a truly remarkable family, the most amazing bunch of people I’ve ever seen. There is unbelievable talent and potential in these people that nobody else wanted. They’re connecting in relationship with the Father; they’re finding their voice, they’re finding their place of purpose and function. They’re well along the way in fulfilling their God-given destiny.

They’ve been transformed, by the love of the Father, into people that everyone wants! That’s how the Lord does it!

Oh, and just so you don’t somehow get the wrong idea about all this…..I consider myself among that group that nobody else wanted!

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I Fought the Law….and the Law Won!

Walkin’ the Floor

March 11, 2016March 11, 2016 / Andy R Taylor / Leave a comment

“I’m Walkin’ the Floor Over You”; Any hardcore country music lover like myself can sing that ‘un by memory! The song was written and performed by none other than Ernest Tubb, (click highlighted link for more information) son of a Texas sharecropper and one of the true pioneers of what we now call ‘honky tonk’ music. ET, a Crisp, Texas (now a ghost town) kid was so fascinated by Jimmie Rodgers that after Rodgers death he contacted his wife for an autographed picture of Jimmie. Mrs. Rodgers was instrumental in getting the first recording contract for young ET. After a semi-botched tonsillectomy that affected his singing voice he turned exclusively to songwriting until he signed with Decca Records in 1940 and tried his hand at singing again. Turned out to be the thing to do; His sixth released single was the one that brought him almost instant stardom, “Walkin’ The Floor Over You”. (click to see Ernest perform) The single sold over a million copies. Quite a feat for someone whose singing voice seemed to be lacking! *(non-country music fans would probably argue that his voice never recovered……you can decide; lol)

I grew up on Country Music, thanks to my Dad. These days I can appreciate all kinds of music to some degree but those Classic Country songs are still my very favorites. I got to see Ernest Tubb when I was 15. He, and his Texas Troubadours, came to Canadian, Texas to the VFW Hall there in ’68. I’ll never forget it. I’ve since then seen a lot of entertainers live performances but ET’s still ranks up there among the best for me. I joke about that fact that we really were country long before country was ever cool (not a lie)! We were excited when the movie ET came out…..only to be disappointed to find out that it wasn’t a documentary on Ernest Tubb! LOL

I was thinking about my last two posts, “Shoot in Here Amongst Us!!” (click to read) and “Perspective, It Makes All the Difference!”. They both, either directly or indirectly, elude to the reality of our going through rough spots, challenges and problems throughout the course of our lives. It’s true that none of us are immune to them….and how we navigate them will have a profound effect on us….one way or the other.

So, you’re probably wondering by now what Ernest Tubb’s song and that last paragraph are even doing on the same page. It’s a fair assessment, but pretty simple if you ask me; When we’re going through those trials of life, which seem to be pretty often, we might ask ourselves, “God, what are you doing??!!!”

I certainly don’t have the full perspective of God but there’s a few things I think I’m pretty sure of. When He looks at your situation (and by the way, I think He does that often!) He doesn’t have a scared look on His face like we might; He hasn’t lost His appetite and He’s not wringing His hands and breaking out in a cold sweat; He’s not worried sick about the outcome!

And one thing I do know, …He’s not ‘walking’ the floor over you’ and me,…..and our problems!!

Maybe we should stop doing it, too!!

Hey….if you like these….”Share” ’em! Thanks!

Here’s some similar posts:

“Only ‘DADDY’ That’ll Walk The Line”

“I Ain’t No ‘Fortunate Son’”

“If You Ain’t Lovin’, You Ain’t Livin’”

The Gospel According to Shaver!

Perspective; It Makes All the Difference!

March 10, 2016March 10, 2016 / Andy R Taylor / Leave a comment

It’s true…and I continue to prove it to myself at least a few times a week. The perspective that we have on just about everything can make the difference between something being very good or very bad. Let me explain; I don’t always know how it works but I can get my mind stirred up about something, begin worrying about it and in just a short time be all ‘down in the mouth’ about it. I’ll sometimes fret and agonize over it before going to bed and not be able to go to sleep. I might even wake up, or even worse get up, during the night and worry about it ’til I just can’t stay awake any longer. And then, only, to wake up the next morning and be amazed at why I would worry about something so trivial as that! Just doesn’t make sense sometimes!

Well, it’s all about perspective. How I (we) see things is filtered through the ‘grid’ of several different factors. It’s filtered through how we were raised…and the things we experienced growing up. Those things, right or wrong, really have a way of shaping us into how we think….and who we are. Another thing is how we perceive we’ve been treated by the world around us. That would include parents, siblings, friends and just people in general. Again, those things really have a way of influencing us at our very core. Another thing, and one I think is more important, is how we see God and how we perceive that He has treated us. There are other factors, I guess, but you get the idea.

Something that’s helping me navigate all the things I encounter these days is the reality that God, our Father, is trying desperately to give us His perspective. And, not just give us His perspective on a couple of things….but every single thing we come across….the good, the bad….and the ugly. I’m far from having this perfected but I think I’m gaining ground, a little at a time. When you think about it, if we can start to see things through His eyes it really takes all the pressure off, and causes us not to worry as much.

All that’s just my theory….and maybe it’s more for me than anyone else. But, if you think it might be for you too, here’s a few simple ways we can gain His perspective: 1) Communicate with Him! *Don’t complicate it. He wants to hear your voice more than you can imagine! 2) Read His Word! *And as you read, remember He’s your Father! When you read the Word it’ll enhance your relationship with Him! 3) Don’t be so quick to jump to conclusions! Things might not be exactly like you first perceive them to be! 4) Reserve judgment! *(Especially where people are concerned!) Don’t always go with your first inclination…..consider that you might be wrong. 5) Just ride it out! *Maybe, just maybe, gaining His perspective will be like a ‘timed-released’ medicine. i.e., You’ll just catch it along the way. 6) Learn to NOT be intolerant of someone else’s perspective, too!! You might learn something! 7) And, lastly…..Don’t be afraid to change, based on your ‘new’ perspective!

One thing I know….having His perspective changes just about everything!

Check these out….I think you’ll like them!

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If I’m Trying Harder Than You Are, This Probably Ain’t Gonna Work!

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The Fear of the Lord…..Let’s Get It Right!

March 3, 2016March 3, 2016 / Andy R Taylor / 2 Comments

The “fear of the Lord”; It’s one of the fundamental issues of Scripture. I hear people referring to, or quoting, the phrase fairly often. But I hardly ever hear it communicated the way I think it should be done. Let me say up front that I don’t consider myself a Bible scholar. And, beyond that, it’s not anything I’m shooting for either. I do think, that for me at least, that I need (and do have) what I call a ‘good working knowledge of the Bible’. And, by that, I mean that when I need to know where to go in the Book to find the Truth about a certain issue….I can do it. I’m still learning but I can pretty much find a Scriptural answer for your problems when I need to.

But this issue of the fear of the Lord is one that really needs to be cleared up, once and for all! Nearly every time I hear anyone talking about it, (even some of the Bible scholars get it wrong, by the way!) they always talk about it…or teach it in such a way that we’re supposed to be afraid (frightened, scared of, terror stricken, fearful, petrified; all synonyms of fear) of God. Ticks me off, to say the least! Now, if you look at some of the Old Testament expressions of God…..without having any relationship with Him….it’d be easy to assume the wrong thing. And, I think that’s where a lot of the error originates….with people who know a lot of Biblical facts about Him….but don’t actually know Him relationally. That’ll mess you up in a BIG way!

You may wonder why I think this is so important. Here’s why; From God’s standpoint…it’s always been about Him having a relationship with His children. (Im talking about you and me!!) So, think about it….how good of a relationship could you have with someone that you’re afraid of?? Well, there you go! If you’re a parent do you want your kids to be afraid of you?? Good parents don’t want that!

So, let’s get this right; God is the perfect Father…..and He doesn’t want us to be afraid , or scared of Him. Now, …..reverence, respect, adoration, devotion, loyalty, esteem; these are all *correct responses to Him (*actually they’re ‘natural’ responses to Someone Who loves you like He does!) So, if you’re out there telling everyone they need to be ‘scared’ of God.…STOP IT!!

Get to know Him, and you won’t be scared of Him anymore! It’ll make a huge difference in your life!

Here’s a couple more you might like:

The “Only Thing” That Really Works

“Obviously, I’m God’s Favorite!”