Wednesday, 22 August 2012 06:45
Jeff Foxworthy has made a career of finishing the sentence, "You might be a redneck if . . . " He has sold millions of comedy albums, written bestsellers, and worked for years in television, most recently as host of Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?Now he's hosting The American Bible Challenge, which premieres tomorrow night on GSN. Teams will play each other, trying to prove their knowledge of God's word while winning money for charity. When I heard about the show, I wondered why the "redneck" comedian would host a game show about the Bible. It turns out Foxworthy is a strong and sincere Christian. In 1998 he said that money and success hadn't made him happy, but stated, "Since I have decided to walk with God, it has changed my entire life."
He now says, "Everything is all about the glory of God. When I was a kid I didn't think I was good enough to be a Christian. It took me a long time in life to finally get to the point that I understood that it wasn't about my goodness, because I'm not good enough to have intimate relationship with God. Nobody is. But Jesus paid the price for me so that I might have relation with my Father like that. . . . All I want to do is reflect the beauty of such a loving God . . . to love him because he loved me so much in the first place."
A second Christian in television news today is Lisa Whelchel. The North Dallas resident is most famous for her days as Blair on the 80's sitcom The Facts of Life. Now she'll be competing on Survivor: Philippines when it premiers on September 19. Here's what makes her story unusual: "I'm not going to be able to manipulate and lie and cheat . . . it's just not [a strategy] that I can do." Why not? Because she is a follower of Jesus, committing her life to him at the age of 10. She has toured with the Women of Faith conference since 2009 and is outspoken about her commitment to Christ.
Earlier this week we focused on movies and TV shows that reflect the growing immorality of our culture. Today we meet two believers who are using their public platforms for the Kingdom. Like them, you and I have been entrusted by God with cultural influence. Your life and witness matter to someone today.
Let's pray this morning for Jeff Foxworthy, Lisa Whelchel, and other believers in Hollywood to make a difference for the gospel. And let's join them in submitting to our Father's call to our cultural mission field. Isaiah said to God, "Here am I. Send me!" (Isaiah 6:8). When last did you make his prayer yours?
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I've been praying for another Wilberforce--a leader who would once again cause us to treasure what is good and right and to scorn the filth we have almost come to take for granted. I've thought that we need someone who would bring Jesus to the place He belongs and change the trajectory of this country.
As I have spent time with the Lord and watched the unfolding of the political mess find ourselves in, I've asked God, "Could it be that You would bring a Mormon to save us?"
In spite of the fact that I have been taught that Mormons don't believe that Jesus is the Son of God (which I do not know as true), I have always admired the dedication and the lives I have seen in the few Mormons I have known. I haven't seen an overabundance of Christians that I can say that of.
I simply ask the question, "Lord, is this Your plan for us? To take a people we have scorned and use them to turn this great country back to you?" I am so confident in Your power and judgment that I pray with an expectant hope that this is your will.
Amen
Ric Alessio- (number removed by moderator)
May we all remember to pray for our "Esthers" in the modern Babylon.
Can't wait until you have time to see a few of the shows, & see if it is something you & Ryan would participate in. For that matter Janet would be great
on TV. How refreshing to maybe have something we can watch. Carolyn
I was sent the pilot for this show and asked for my response. My response is that the show (I saw) cheapened the Gospel and the slap-stick Foxworthy element reinforced the image of the non thinking Christian. In short I felt the show to be a bit of a carnal sideshow. It will probably sell well to the Wal-Mart crowd and succeed, but I was deeply grieved with the pilot I watched. Come quickly Lord Jesus.