Today I begin my Christian Filmmaker's Devotional. I hope to do at least one per week, Lord willing. Time will tell if I'm able to do so. I do appreciate your prayers as I proceed in this endeavor.
Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? Follow thou me. (John 21:21-22, KJV)
One of the most difficult situations that I dealt with as a moderator on Christianfilmmakers.org was the problem with Christian filmmakers criticizing other Christian filmmakers . Usually they'd be judging one filmmaker for seeking to make a film with this or that thing in it - or how could they be blessed by watching such and such a film? Or how could they justify making a film with such and such a topic or how can they justify watching such a movie with "trash and filth" that offended them made in Hollywood?
Most of the issues we as Christians deal with walking out our faith and making films is that the Bible does not address how to tell a story - it only address how we walk out our faith.
In that context - I would warn you to tread careful ground on how you look at what your brother or sister is doing. It would be better to say nothing and to pray for them than to open your mouth and insert said "foot" into mouth (much as I've done unfortunately on many occasions).
In John 21, Yeshua (Jesus) just got done asking Peter if he loved him with agape love and told him to "feed his sheep" He then began to tell Peter how Peter would die in order to glorify God. In return, Peter looked over at John and basically asked Yeshua "What about him?" Jesus in a nutshell responded that if he wanted John to stay alive until he returned "What's it to you?" "You follow Me"
You.Follow.Me.
When we look at other filmmakers and what they're doing are we focusing on feeding the sheep that God has for us to feed or are we judging these Christian filmmakers by our own standards and interpretations of how the Bible tells us how to live and not tell stories? Are we focusing on those He has put in our path to minister to - to entertain (whether with a blatant Christian genre film or Christian worldview film) or are we focusing on another Christian filmmaker's destiny and calling?
If God wants that person making the same types of films we are, what's that to us? If God doesn't - what is that to us?
Why are you so worried about what so and so is doing? We all will reach different people with our films.
Focus on the work that is in your hand to do and be cautious as to how you judge your brothers and sisters. Because as I stated there is not one Scripture that tells us how or how not to make a movie - that's up to interpretation.
Will you on judgment day stand before The Judge saying I judged this brother because he violated Scriptures in making films? When God asks you what Scripture they violated - won't there be silence and the singing of crickets? There is no answer - that is between God and that person. Because there is no Scripture about movies anywhere in the Bible.
I'm not saying that Christian filmmakers don't ever violate God's Word or His Spirit when they make films - I'm saying that too many Christians are looking over at their brother or sister over there in judgement based on violating their own standards and interpretations of the Bible rather than focusing on the work He has for them.
Jesus says - You. Follow. Me.
Jesus says - Feed. My. Sheep.
Go and do likewise.
Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? Follow thou me. (John 21:21-22, KJV)
One of the most difficult situations that I dealt with as a moderator on Christianfilmmakers.org was the problem with Christian filmmakers criticizing other Christian filmmakers . Usually they'd be judging one filmmaker for seeking to make a film with this or that thing in it - or how could they be blessed by watching such and such a film? Or how could they justify making a film with such and such a topic or how can they justify watching such a movie with "trash and filth" that offended them made in Hollywood?
Most of the issues we as Christians deal with walking out our faith and making films is that the Bible does not address how to tell a story - it only address how we walk out our faith.
In that context - I would warn you to tread careful ground on how you look at what your brother or sister is doing. It would be better to say nothing and to pray for them than to open your mouth and insert said "foot" into mouth (much as I've done unfortunately on many occasions).
In John 21, Yeshua (Jesus) just got done asking Peter if he loved him with agape love and told him to "feed his sheep" He then began to tell Peter how Peter would die in order to glorify God. In return, Peter looked over at John and basically asked Yeshua "What about him?" Jesus in a nutshell responded that if he wanted John to stay alive until he returned "What's it to you?" "You follow Me"
You.Follow.Me.
When we look at other filmmakers and what they're doing are we focusing on feeding the sheep that God has for us to feed or are we judging these Christian filmmakers by our own standards and interpretations of how the Bible tells us how to live and not tell stories? Are we focusing on those He has put in our path to minister to - to entertain (whether with a blatant Christian genre film or Christian worldview film) or are we focusing on another Christian filmmaker's destiny and calling?
If God wants that person making the same types of films we are, what's that to us? If God doesn't - what is that to us?
Why are you so worried about what so and so is doing? We all will reach different people with our films.
Focus on the work that is in your hand to do and be cautious as to how you judge your brothers and sisters. Because as I stated there is not one Scripture that tells us how or how not to make a movie - that's up to interpretation.
Will you on judgment day stand before The Judge saying I judged this brother because he violated Scriptures in making films? When God asks you what Scripture they violated - won't there be silence and the singing of crickets? There is no answer - that is between God and that person. Because there is no Scripture about movies anywhere in the Bible.
I'm not saying that Christian filmmakers don't ever violate God's Word or His Spirit when they make films - I'm saying that too many Christians are looking over at their brother or sister over there in judgement based on violating their own standards and interpretations of the Bible rather than focusing on the work He has for them.
Jesus says - You. Follow. Me.
Jesus says - Feed. My. Sheep.
Go and do likewise.
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ReplyDeleteTom,
ReplyDeleteThank you for posting this. I pray you can continue. It was just what I need to hear and confirmation of what God is teaching me to not do anymore.
Thanks
Karkar, I'm so glad you were blessed and encouraged. Thanks so much for checking out the blog and for your kind words.
ReplyDelete