I am constantly filled with a sense of urgency and a sense of great need. I cannot rid myself of the feelings to move & act immediately.
Time is quickly fading and these feelings only increase. My heart is forever full of pain. Not a physical pain, but a continual heartthrob filled with the tears & stories of thousands. Those we forget and overlook, the faces scared and the hearts forgotten in the race of life as we strive for personal success.
Only now am I beginning to understand the urgency and the need. The calling to do and the cry to act upon what we have been given to do.
We can no longer DO church, we must now BE the church. We must decide if we will continue to be a generation of hype and good intentions. A generation who sang songs and talked of making a difference but never followed through with action.
I have been apart of that generation. I have promised everything and delivered nothing. But I can no longer take part in this. I refuse to increase the status-quo and decrease change.
We must start something new, something REAL. An existence, no longer filled with empty ideas and false hope but an existence full of dreams, full of hope, full of righteousness and full of justice.
A movement, a gathering of like-minded people, a generation consumed with their Maker. A people who will lay down their own agendas for the good of others and the cause of Christ. A people who will stand up and DO something. With no agenda but LOVE…
It is with eminent ease we look upon the great men & women penned on the pages of history and think ‘If I were alive then, I too would have endured for for change. I too would have fought for the abolition of slavery and stood tall for the rights of the blacks.’
But my questions isn’t ‘what would you have done then?’, but rather ‘what will you do now?’ We are living in the history pages of tomorrow. We are the writers and the next generations are the buyers.
It is time to give our all. Lay down our insecurities and tear off our own agendas. We must slap fear in the face and stay true to our calling. Not for recognition or for status, not even for the feeling of humility. But rather because God has called us to establish justice and righteousness into our world. We must live for the thousands without hope, without love and without life.
- Reuben Leigh Skewes
Sunday 31 August 2008
Tuesday 26 August 2008
Rebellion.
I love this quote from American rock singer, songwriter and musician Alice Cooper; speaking on Christianity....
"Drinking beer is easy. Trashing your hotel room is easy. But being a Christian, that's a tough call. That's real rebellion!" -Alice Cooper
Alice speaks openly about his belief in God and need for fulfillment in the full article here - http://www.godscare.net/witness/alice_cooper.htm
"Drinking beer is easy. Trashing your hotel room is easy. But being a Christian, that's a tough call. That's real rebellion!" -Alice Cooper
Alice speaks openly about his belief in God and need for fulfillment in the full article here - http://www.godscare.net/witness/alice_cooper.htm
Thursday 21 August 2008
Just do it!
Let’s do this!
This being life.
Life being in need of change.
Change being Jesus Christ.
- Reuben Skewes
This being life.
Life being in need of change.
Change being Jesus Christ.
- Reuben Skewes
Saturday 16 August 2008
fatherhood
I dream of being a dad.
Sandwich soldiers, Hopscotch, Hide and seek, Adventures, Ice-cream stops that mum doesn’t know about, Simple songs and endless laughter. The opportunity to mould, create, and build. The chance to be a hero. A lifetime to love.
What is it about being a dad that I so look forward to? Is it because I so fondly remember special times I spent with my own dad and how much they meant to me that I cant wait to give those special moments to my own kids? Is it that I’m just some soft guy that loves kids or is fatherhood just part of what life is all about for us as males?
Some say I am to young to even think of these things; and well… they are true. I mean maybe I should find a girlfriend. Get married and after years of bliss have some children, settle down and ‘Live the dream’.
But I cant do that… I mean yes I can find a girlfriend and get married. But what I cant do is wait till then to dream of being a dad.
I don’t even think it’s the title of dad that gets me excited but rather the opportunity to be me to someone else. share wisdom. To be a sholder to lean on and someone to talk to in troubled times. To share experiences and bond.
Family is such an amazing thing. I always appreciated it when my dad took time out. To sit. To play. To listen. The things I learnt. The things we laughed at. The things we still laugh at. And the things I always wish I told my dad. I think somedays I took my dad for granted. It was so easy to forget what I had and wish for more untill I looked at the neighbours who only saw their dad once a year because their parents were divorced.
What must that be like? Who do they talk to? Who was their hero? Who fixed their flat bike tyres and who was there when they tied their first shoelace, won their first football game or got their licence.
Our society is changing. It’s a known fact. More and more families are now single parent families with complicated senarios. But I think so often we look at the statistics and don’t look at the faces. We so easily get caught in our own busy schedule and forgot how our dad took time out of his busy schedule for us.
Week in and week out I pass hundreds of young people stuck in a looped trance. Searching, wanting and grasping for someone or something to be their father. Their friend. Their hero. Someone to take a time out. To have a coffee. To go for a walk and to listen.
There is noway I can be their father. And that is one thing I don’t want to be. But I continually ask myself ‘what can I be to them? Can it be that hard to listen?’ Can it be that hard to take some time out and show that someone cares.
Yes I am young and possibly nieve. But if todays young people are are anything like I was at their age.... They just want someone to care.
So let this be my little part in making the world a better place. I am no hero, nor am I a wise schollar, or a man of many talents. But I am willing to have a go. Willing to be a big brother. Not because I have to, or even because I want to. But rather because I was born to do it.
We were all born to care. To love. To cherish and to build.
What are you building? Or should I ask who are you building?
- Reuben Skewes
Sandwich soldiers, Hopscotch, Hide and seek, Adventures, Ice-cream stops that mum doesn’t know about, Simple songs and endless laughter. The opportunity to mould, create, and build. The chance to be a hero. A lifetime to love.
What is it about being a dad that I so look forward to? Is it because I so fondly remember special times I spent with my own dad and how much they meant to me that I cant wait to give those special moments to my own kids? Is it that I’m just some soft guy that loves kids or is fatherhood just part of what life is all about for us as males?
Some say I am to young to even think of these things; and well… they are true. I mean maybe I should find a girlfriend. Get married and after years of bliss have some children, settle down and ‘Live the dream’.
But I cant do that… I mean yes I can find a girlfriend and get married. But what I cant do is wait till then to dream of being a dad.
I don’t even think it’s the title of dad that gets me excited but rather the opportunity to be me to someone else. share wisdom. To be a sholder to lean on and someone to talk to in troubled times. To share experiences and bond.
Family is such an amazing thing. I always appreciated it when my dad took time out. To sit. To play. To listen. The things I learnt. The things we laughed at. The things we still laugh at. And the things I always wish I told my dad. I think somedays I took my dad for granted. It was so easy to forget what I had and wish for more untill I looked at the neighbours who only saw their dad once a year because their parents were divorced.
What must that be like? Who do they talk to? Who was their hero? Who fixed their flat bike tyres and who was there when they tied their first shoelace, won their first football game or got their licence.
Our society is changing. It’s a known fact. More and more families are now single parent families with complicated senarios. But I think so often we look at the statistics and don’t look at the faces. We so easily get caught in our own busy schedule and forgot how our dad took time out of his busy schedule for us.
Week in and week out I pass hundreds of young people stuck in a looped trance. Searching, wanting and grasping for someone or something to be their father. Their friend. Their hero. Someone to take a time out. To have a coffee. To go for a walk and to listen.
There is noway I can be their father. And that is one thing I don’t want to be. But I continually ask myself ‘what can I be to them? Can it be that hard to listen?’ Can it be that hard to take some time out and show that someone cares.
Yes I am young and possibly nieve. But if todays young people are are anything like I was at their age.... They just want someone to care.
So let this be my little part in making the world a better place. I am no hero, nor am I a wise schollar, or a man of many talents. But I am willing to have a go. Willing to be a big brother. Not because I have to, or even because I want to. But rather because I was born to do it.
We were all born to care. To love. To cherish and to build.
What are you building? Or should I ask who are you building?
- Reuben Skewes
forgotten purpose.
A gentleman was backpacking through Europe with some friends. After many day trips and long nights at the bar the group decided on a tour of a local church, an ancient relic of yesteryear. As they walked through the beautiful old stone church they were in awe of its splendor. The tour guide would teach them the wonders of the building. The height of the steeple, the length of the pews & the hours spend on the mosaic windows. They were taught of the fine cobblestones from Italy and the Belgium oak wood used for the ceiling. The group often commented to each other at the opulence of the building and how well this ancient building has been kept.
As the tour came to an end the tour guide stopped, turned to the group and asked “do you have any questions?” The group of friends had nothing to ask as they had already every question answered. But from behind them they heard a small deep voice. Unable to hear what was said they turned around and asked the gentleman to speak again. This time he cleared his throat and said in a husky slow voice “Has anyone been saved here lately? I mean that’s why it was build wasn’t it?”...
Have we forgotten our purpose? Has time worn us down? Watered our beliefs and turned our passion. Do we merely now just stroll through our existence walking between walls of a past generation forgetting the purpose they were built. Are we taken up in the awe, strength and beauty of the walls, and forgotten about the power living between them? Have we turned our temples into marketplaces? Are we selling guided tours and boasting of great facades, when we could be holding great church services boasting of a great God?
Do not miss read my words. We have great churches with great passion and power changing the lives of many. But why are our tours of the buildings and not of the changed lives. Why do the tours not boast on the hours spent in worship? The thousands of lives that were changed, the broken that were restored and the healing that were received. Yes the building stand as a testament to that… but who is sharing the testimony?
Never do I want to memorise the height of a steeple and forget the pages of Gods word. Never do I want to remember origin of the cobblestones and forget the power of God.
I know my life will be written on the pages of history. But I choose today not to live as a tour guide showing people the amazing work of man. Rather I choose to show man the amazing work of God.
- Reuben Skewes
As the tour came to an end the tour guide stopped, turned to the group and asked “do you have any questions?” The group of friends had nothing to ask as they had already every question answered. But from behind them they heard a small deep voice. Unable to hear what was said they turned around and asked the gentleman to speak again. This time he cleared his throat and said in a husky slow voice “Has anyone been saved here lately? I mean that’s why it was build wasn’t it?”...
Have we forgotten our purpose? Has time worn us down? Watered our beliefs and turned our passion. Do we merely now just stroll through our existence walking between walls of a past generation forgetting the purpose they were built. Are we taken up in the awe, strength and beauty of the walls, and forgotten about the power living between them? Have we turned our temples into marketplaces? Are we selling guided tours and boasting of great facades, when we could be holding great church services boasting of a great God?
Do not miss read my words. We have great churches with great passion and power changing the lives of many. But why are our tours of the buildings and not of the changed lives. Why do the tours not boast on the hours spent in worship? The thousands of lives that were changed, the broken that were restored and the healing that were received. Yes the building stand as a testament to that… but who is sharing the testimony?
Never do I want to memorise the height of a steeple and forget the pages of Gods word. Never do I want to remember origin of the cobblestones and forget the power of God.
I know my life will be written on the pages of history. But I choose today not to live as a tour guide showing people the amazing work of man. Rather I choose to show man the amazing work of God.
- Reuben Skewes
life.
I am currently sitting on my letterbox watching the sun set over the roofline of the repeated brick and mortar jungles I live within.
In the shadow of a day drawing closed I ponder and look on as those around me return home; mothers, tradesman, students, executives and grandmas. All with their own lives, their own thoughts and their own stories. Their exposure to the outside world is short lived as the garage door of security once more seduces them into another night of subcultured living. A world within a world, a place where each man reigns as king. Each with his own rules and beliefs. A place of love and life conception. A place of hope and nurture. A place of understanding and freedom… or so one would hope.
No one really knows what is written on the history pages of each subculture and no one dare indulge themselves in the lives of another’s world. But I am sure to say that the happenings within these secluded existences are soon played out in the faces of those involved.
Joy and fear can never be hidden in the faces of children. And the stamp of loneliness cannot be removed from the eyes of teenagers. The sounds of laughter juxtapose the sounds of screaming and the cries for attention are drowned by the need for success.
This thing we call life is a choking breathe in the lungs of eternal existence, and it is the choices we make in this short breath that define our eternity.
It is time to breath deep and swallow our pride. No longer must we turn a blind eye to the downward spiraling script played out in the lives of those around us, but decide to stand up for nobility and stand up for love. Stay strong to our Godly convictions and be true to the word of God. We must act now before it is too late.
May my life be a testament to God and may my actions be followed by the forth-coming generations. May my words break chains and instill love into a hurting world. May I be challenged everyday to do more and go harder.
May opportunity be my vehicle and may changed lives be my fuel. May I be the steering wheel and may God be the driver.
May my short breath breathe life into another…
- Reuben Skewes
In the shadow of a day drawing closed I ponder and look on as those around me return home; mothers, tradesman, students, executives and grandmas. All with their own lives, their own thoughts and their own stories. Their exposure to the outside world is short lived as the garage door of security once more seduces them into another night of subcultured living. A world within a world, a place where each man reigns as king. Each with his own rules and beliefs. A place of love and life conception. A place of hope and nurture. A place of understanding and freedom… or so one would hope.
No one really knows what is written on the history pages of each subculture and no one dare indulge themselves in the lives of another’s world. But I am sure to say that the happenings within these secluded existences are soon played out in the faces of those involved.
Joy and fear can never be hidden in the faces of children. And the stamp of loneliness cannot be removed from the eyes of teenagers. The sounds of laughter juxtapose the sounds of screaming and the cries for attention are drowned by the need for success.
This thing we call life is a choking breathe in the lungs of eternal existence, and it is the choices we make in this short breath that define our eternity.
It is time to breath deep and swallow our pride. No longer must we turn a blind eye to the downward spiraling script played out in the lives of those around us, but decide to stand up for nobility and stand up for love. Stay strong to our Godly convictions and be true to the word of God. We must act now before it is too late.
May my life be a testament to God and may my actions be followed by the forth-coming generations. May my words break chains and instill love into a hurting world. May I be challenged everyday to do more and go harder.
May opportunity be my vehicle and may changed lives be my fuel. May I be the steering wheel and may God be the driver.
May my short breath breathe life into another…
- Reuben Skewes
un-spendable money - the test of time.
For the last week I have had an unusual conversation with God…
For an entire week I had $50 sitting in my wallet that I couldn’t spend. I tried everything I imaginable to spend it, but it was impossible. Every time I went to use it I felt God say “leave it there, use your creditcard”. I began to get restless and annoyed at why I couldn’t spend the money. Each time I asked ‘why’ He wouldn’t answer.
This started Tuesday and didn’t finish till Friday night where I was traveling to Brisbane and stopped at the BP roadhouse for a break. I was so hungry but I had no money except for the $50 I couldn’t spend. So I just sat down inside. As I sat there I noticed an elderly lady cleaning. She would slowly weave in and out of other diners clearing plates and wiping tables. She had no real motivation. Her face was weary and he hands were slow.
I sat and watched. You could tell she would be any place but here. She rarely showed expressions except the occasional sigh or frown at the frustration of those around her that ignored her and just left her with more cleaning at hand.
As I sat and watched I suddenly felt God say “give her your $50”... so I did…
Looking back on that experience I felt so stupid questioning God as to why I couldn’t spend the $50. I got so caught up in my own understanding of life that I disregarded the whole reason God refused me the money.
The fact that I learn best through life experience is so testing sometimes.
I received more joy from the look on her face as I told her I was giving her $50 to say thank you for doing such an incredible job cleaning. Then I ever would have received on anything worth $50.
I love the verse in Isaiah 40:31 – But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not grow weary; they shall walk and not grow faint.
It is imperative that we wait upon the Lord in our lives. The Phrase ‘wait upon’ means to ‘rely fully’. We must rely fully in Him. It is at that point that our hearts become desperate, our faith is proved and our hope is purified. It is in these stages that our dependence upon God grows.
My dependence increased as my bank balance decreased. Each time I was refused the ability to spend I was humbled, because there were sometimes I had to go without and then sometimes I was totally tempted to just spend the money.
Totally relying on God isn’t always easy. Our heart is often crying out in agony. We feel oppressed and constrained. We yearn for freedom and provision.
I was in such need for the $50 that I was forced to look to the Lord for help.
What I love about total dependence on God is that there is always a positive outcome.
As the verse says: ‘But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not grow weary; they shall walk and not grow faint.’
I was totally renewed. My day was lifted. I walked away a new man. I walked away with an understanding of what it actually meant to wait upon the Lord. But not only that. I endured a week of testing to be blessed at the beginning of the new week. I had a friend message me and say he would pay for my Hillsong trip.
Ultimately waiting upon God protects us, deepens our trust in Him, forces us to seek His ways and brings Him the most glory. They are times the Lord is testing whether we are really seeking Him and His ways.
Bring on another test ☺
- Reuben Skewes
For an entire week I had $50 sitting in my wallet that I couldn’t spend. I tried everything I imaginable to spend it, but it was impossible. Every time I went to use it I felt God say “leave it there, use your creditcard”. I began to get restless and annoyed at why I couldn’t spend the money. Each time I asked ‘why’ He wouldn’t answer.
This started Tuesday and didn’t finish till Friday night where I was traveling to Brisbane and stopped at the BP roadhouse for a break. I was so hungry but I had no money except for the $50 I couldn’t spend. So I just sat down inside. As I sat there I noticed an elderly lady cleaning. She would slowly weave in and out of other diners clearing plates and wiping tables. She had no real motivation. Her face was weary and he hands were slow.
I sat and watched. You could tell she would be any place but here. She rarely showed expressions except the occasional sigh or frown at the frustration of those around her that ignored her and just left her with more cleaning at hand.
As I sat and watched I suddenly felt God say “give her your $50”... so I did…
Looking back on that experience I felt so stupid questioning God as to why I couldn’t spend the $50. I got so caught up in my own understanding of life that I disregarded the whole reason God refused me the money.
The fact that I learn best through life experience is so testing sometimes.
I received more joy from the look on her face as I told her I was giving her $50 to say thank you for doing such an incredible job cleaning. Then I ever would have received on anything worth $50.
I love the verse in Isaiah 40:31 – But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not grow weary; they shall walk and not grow faint.
It is imperative that we wait upon the Lord in our lives. The Phrase ‘wait upon’ means to ‘rely fully’. We must rely fully in Him. It is at that point that our hearts become desperate, our faith is proved and our hope is purified. It is in these stages that our dependence upon God grows.
My dependence increased as my bank balance decreased. Each time I was refused the ability to spend I was humbled, because there were sometimes I had to go without and then sometimes I was totally tempted to just spend the money.
Totally relying on God isn’t always easy. Our heart is often crying out in agony. We feel oppressed and constrained. We yearn for freedom and provision.
I was in such need for the $50 that I was forced to look to the Lord for help.
What I love about total dependence on God is that there is always a positive outcome.
As the verse says: ‘But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not grow weary; they shall walk and not grow faint.’
I was totally renewed. My day was lifted. I walked away a new man. I walked away with an understanding of what it actually meant to wait upon the Lord. But not only that. I endured a week of testing to be blessed at the beginning of the new week. I had a friend message me and say he would pay for my Hillsong trip.
Ultimately waiting upon God protects us, deepens our trust in Him, forces us to seek His ways and brings Him the most glory. They are times the Lord is testing whether we are really seeking Him and His ways.
Bring on another test ☺
- Reuben Skewes
changed perception. changed generation.
Have you ever been confused with God? Totally open to what He has to say,
but totally spun in a spiral as to what it is He is actually talking about?
It is like He talks a language you are only just getting your tongue around. as-though He can see the entire picture and all you can see is the view from the pinhole you hold your eye to.
The last few months have been exactly like that for me. It is like I have been thrown into the depths of a Japanese culture only knowing the English language and being expected to survive. Everyday I learn a slither more of the culture and language yet everyday they frustration grows and my unease is evident.
I have realised there is no use trying to argue with God about what He is trying
to tell me but rather, like I would if I were in Japan, locate some books on the Japanese language and culture and read my heart out until I began to understand what was being said.
The bible has been my greatest compass the last few months. It is funny how God can talk to you and you haven’t a clue what He means. Yet you begin to read the bible, and little things become evident and things begin to make sense.
Finally I let the sense be spoken…
I have an incredible passion for the Youth of this world. It frustrates me how they can waste their years as I did mine. I look back and wish I did so much more. I understand there is only so much I can do, so I have narrowed by passion down the where I live. The Sunshine Coast in sunny QLD Australia.
God is calling me to pray. Not childhood prayers. Not prayers to fulfill my own agendas. But the prayers of a passionate man. Prayers that will infiltrate the hearts of a generation. Prayers that will purge the gates of Hell and turn lives around. I am learning to pray so the power of God can come out from within me. I am Learning to speak a new language. Learning to walk a new walk and in turn live a new life. I can no longer live and work from head-knowledge. I must learn to live and work from my spirit and what God has placed in it. I am learning to walk in the supernatural.
I am learning to let the spirit of God lead me day by day. Learning to seek Him passionately. Learning to long for Him, and to pray and seek His face. I have promised myself I will no longer speak things from my head, but I shall begin to declare things of the spirit. Things that liberate and break the chains of bondage.
I have wasted too many years of small fairyfloss talk. Speech that looks good,
full and wholesome, yet when heard and tasted leaves a sweet sickly taste in
the hearts of men. I can no longer hide from God and my calling. I must stand firm and take it face first.
I no longer stand confused at what God is saying, but rather in awe of His power and ability and at the fact that I not only have been chosen but that i ALSO chooseto change a generation. I pray you too choose to do so. I pray that you too sense the urgency to save a dieing generation. To pursue righteousness and to declare truth and live in love.
All are called. Few are chosen
All
but totally spun in a spiral as to what it is He is actually talking about?
It is like He talks a language you are only just getting your tongue around. as-though He can see the entire picture and all you can see is the view from the pinhole you hold your eye to.
The last few months have been exactly like that for me. It is like I have been thrown into the depths of a Japanese culture only knowing the English language and being expected to survive. Everyday I learn a slither more of the culture and language yet everyday they frustration grows and my unease is evident.
I have realised there is no use trying to argue with God about what He is trying
to tell me but rather, like I would if I were in Japan, locate some books on the Japanese language and culture and read my heart out until I began to understand what was being said.
The bible has been my greatest compass the last few months. It is funny how God can talk to you and you haven’t a clue what He means. Yet you begin to read the bible, and little things become evident and things begin to make sense.
Finally I let the sense be spoken…
I have an incredible passion for the Youth of this world. It frustrates me how they can waste their years as I did mine. I look back and wish I did so much more. I understand there is only so much I can do, so I have narrowed by passion down the where I live. The Sunshine Coast in sunny QLD Australia.
God is calling me to pray. Not childhood prayers. Not prayers to fulfill my own agendas. But the prayers of a passionate man. Prayers that will infiltrate the hearts of a generation. Prayers that will purge the gates of Hell and turn lives around. I am learning to pray so the power of God can come out from within me. I am Learning to speak a new language. Learning to walk a new walk and in turn live a new life. I can no longer live and work from head-knowledge. I must learn to live and work from my spirit and what God has placed in it. I am learning to walk in the supernatural.
I am learning to let the spirit of God lead me day by day. Learning to seek Him passionately. Learning to long for Him, and to pray and seek His face. I have promised myself I will no longer speak things from my head, but I shall begin to declare things of the spirit. Things that liberate and break the chains of bondage.
I have wasted too many years of small fairyfloss talk. Speech that looks good,
full and wholesome, yet when heard and tasted leaves a sweet sickly taste in
the hearts of men. I can no longer hide from God and my calling. I must stand firm and take it face first.
I no longer stand confused at what God is saying, but rather in awe of His power and ability and at the fact that I not only have been chosen but that i ALSO chooseto change a generation. I pray you too choose to do so. I pray that you too sense the urgency to save a dieing generation. To pursue righteousness and to declare truth and live in love.
All are called. Few are chosen
All
TV - The beginning of the end
I’ve been challenged this week by the amount of time I allocate to television.
Normally life is full and spare time is scarce, so i don’t watch a lot. But 1 week holiday left me with 24 free hours daily for an entire week to do what i pleased as i pleased. And sadly plenty of those hours were spent in front of the TV.
The funny thing was, while sitting there I began to get angry. Firstly at the TV, Angry at its ability to entertain me in my own house by people i would never even let near the front door, let alone IN my house.
I then secondly became angry at myself; a human called to greatness, destined to redefine youth culture and create history. Yet there i sat, eyes glued and mind numbed as i watched another episode of life changing TV. (TV is literally life changing, but that is a different thought) I had once more fallen prey to temptation to breath in, tune out and relax as actors filled my mind with cheap throwaway lines while they lived a fake existence on a screen. How could I let that shape and mold my mind, heart and convictions.
Joel Houston sums it up perfectly…. – “I don’t know about you.. But if our generation is remembered for ipods, myspace, and youtube we missed it.. If history speaks of our generation as self indulgent pioneers of the digital age, reality television and purpose built celebrity we’ll have failed.. the world will change by itself.. for better or for worse.. it changes daily.. but who will be the ones to shape it.. and how will it look?”
The fact that I have been called to take, break and shape the world into something of worth and purpose, fills me with great honour, yet here I sit and allow TV to shape me. I let it define who I am and who I want to be.
The world has watered the meaning of life down enough. We are flogged with stories, slogans and t-shirts. We chose to be satisfied with sugary pop songs and popcorn munching junkets in visual indulgence, all of which are fine, Its good every now and then to tune out, but the issue is that we throw the meaning of life around. We confuse it’s definition. We belittle our understanding of God’s command.. to go into THE world, with the idea of creating A world of our own. A world of fiction and false hope played out on a big screen. We screw up the pages of destiny into small spitballs and propel them at our current circumstance, always falling short and missing target.
So is this a revolution againt the TV? No! is it a revolt against holywood? No! Rather a revolution againt self. A battle of destiny vs complacency. An inner battle to be beat the bulge of lounge living and decide to live in Gods divine purpose. Not to live in the script of a film but rather in the pages of destiny. A decision to live a life of focus and meaning, a decision to fill those around me with love and hope rather then sit and wait for the world to change.
it’s not a new concept.. it’s an eternal concept.. it’s the reason we are alive.. it’s the fundemental call of what it means to be a follower of Christ..
- Reuben Skewes
Normally life is full and spare time is scarce, so i don’t watch a lot. But 1 week holiday left me with 24 free hours daily for an entire week to do what i pleased as i pleased. And sadly plenty of those hours were spent in front of the TV.
The funny thing was, while sitting there I began to get angry. Firstly at the TV, Angry at its ability to entertain me in my own house by people i would never even let near the front door, let alone IN my house.
I then secondly became angry at myself; a human called to greatness, destined to redefine youth culture and create history. Yet there i sat, eyes glued and mind numbed as i watched another episode of life changing TV. (TV is literally life changing, but that is a different thought) I had once more fallen prey to temptation to breath in, tune out and relax as actors filled my mind with cheap throwaway lines while they lived a fake existence on a screen. How could I let that shape and mold my mind, heart and convictions.
Joel Houston sums it up perfectly…. – “I don’t know about you.. But if our generation is remembered for ipods, myspace, and youtube we missed it.. If history speaks of our generation as self indulgent pioneers of the digital age, reality television and purpose built celebrity we’ll have failed.. the world will change by itself.. for better or for worse.. it changes daily.. but who will be the ones to shape it.. and how will it look?”
The fact that I have been called to take, break and shape the world into something of worth and purpose, fills me with great honour, yet here I sit and allow TV to shape me. I let it define who I am and who I want to be.
The world has watered the meaning of life down enough. We are flogged with stories, slogans and t-shirts. We chose to be satisfied with sugary pop songs and popcorn munching junkets in visual indulgence, all of which are fine, Its good every now and then to tune out, but the issue is that we throw the meaning of life around. We confuse it’s definition. We belittle our understanding of God’s command.. to go into THE world, with the idea of creating A world of our own. A world of fiction and false hope played out on a big screen. We screw up the pages of destiny into small spitballs and propel them at our current circumstance, always falling short and missing target.
So is this a revolution againt the TV? No! is it a revolt against holywood? No! Rather a revolution againt self. A battle of destiny vs complacency. An inner battle to be beat the bulge of lounge living and decide to live in Gods divine purpose. Not to live in the script of a film but rather in the pages of destiny. A decision to live a life of focus and meaning, a decision to fill those around me with love and hope rather then sit and wait for the world to change.
it’s not a new concept.. it’s an eternal concept.. it’s the reason we are alive.. it’s the fundemental call of what it means to be a follower of Christ..
- Reuben Skewes
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