Hollywood Doesn't Like Jesus

I'm at a crossroads. Anyone who knows me well knows that I've been pursuing a career in acting for the last year or so. Its been a passion of mine for a long time. I quit my job at Mattress Firm back in December of 2009, not to act but to join my dads business. Well the recession kind of took care of that, along with the fact that I refused to lie on the profiling test and say that I knew a bunch of rich people. So I then decided for the first time to go for my passion which has always been acting.

I had saved up enough money to pay the bills while I essentially got to pursue this while not working... very blessed for that. I have done of couple things here and there, and have greatly improved my acting skills thanks to Sandra Dorsey Studios. Now I'm at the point where I feel I have the confidence in my acting ability (method acting is intense) to get head shots and an agent. The sky is the limit for Chris Freed!......or is it?

You see, I have changed very much as a person during this nice hiatus from the real world. Will tons of free time I have come much closer in my relationship to God. More than I ever have been. In fact, I've become hopelessly obsessed with him. And I'm happier than ever about that. I don't ever want to go back. I have a peace that is indescribable. Knowing God is the only thing that matters. GOD, the creator of earth, of the universe, of atoms, of space-time, of reality. What else really matters? So here is my new reality. I want to live for him. I want my life to give him glory. I don't want this out of guilt; out of a sense of obligation; no, I want this because he is my everything.

And I've come to the point where I am having major issues seeing how a career in acting could possibly glorify him. Hollywood doesn't like Jesus, and is not shy about that. I will not take any roles in anything where the message conflicts with the teachings of the Bible. So where does that leave me? Not much. Mindless commercials? Perhaps. Christian movies? Do those even exist anymore? Secular movies with a good message? Not likely. SO, what do I do?

I love God more than acting. I won't compromise. So what does a career in acting that glorifies the Lord look like? I'm having trouble picturing it. Now could I use my status....fame...position to glorify him? Of course, and I'd love to do that. But I refuse to climb up a mountain of sin to do it. Am I being too judgmental?...I mean its not all bad right? Stop being such a hard-nosed legalist Chris, right? No. This is my life, not anyone else's. No one will be there at the end of my life when I bow in his presence. None of the directors will be there. None of my friends will be there. No one to blame as I give account for my life. Just me and God. And I want to hear these precious words:

"Well done, good and faithful servant" - Matthew 25:21

What does it look like to live a life for him? Does it mean I become a preacher and start a church? No, not necessarily. I've had a few non-believer friends suggest it. And I think its a sad state the Church is in these days if anyone who is serious about living for God is so extreme that they must become a preacher. Shouldn't all Christians have that same passion for him? I think there are enough preachers. Becoming a pastor is a calling God puts on your life, not a passion for Jesus. I think there are enough churches. But I don't think there are enough Christians who just live for Jesus in their day-to-day lives. And I want to be one.

So what will I do? Do I continue with the acting path? Do I go back to my old job and use my success to glorify him? Do I get a new job, or move somewhere? I'll keep praying and he'll give me the next step. I have no idea where this path will lead me, but he does.

Growing Faith and Making Eggs

I learned something that I want to share. One of the biggest prayers for myself that I ask God for is for more faith. I've been praying this for a long time. Not faith in his existence, of that I'm sure of; but rather faith in his Word and his Power.

From the time I was a child I grew up learning about all the ancient "Bible Heroes" who did incredible supernatural things. Moses parted the red sea. Elijah called down fire from heaven. Joshua made the sun stand still. Abraham conceived a child at nearly 100 years old. Peter and Paul healed people. On and on it goes. And the more I grew up and read the Bible for myself I read how these were just normal people.

"Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years." James 5:17

The only thing that they have over us was faith. And if you read some of my earlier blogs you remember how I learned how the Bible itself says all things are possible with faith. Faith is limitless, and there are so many examples in the Bible of godly men stepping out in faith in God's power and doing incredible things. Lets be clear, it wasn't them, it was rather that God works through faith. Faith is the gateway to God's supernatural power.

So this is why I always pray for more faith, but I was reading a book I recently bought on the subject and God revealed a startling revelation to me. He doesn't give us faith through prayer, but rather tells us that faith comes through hearing the word of God.

"So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Romans 10:17

I never knew that. I had always imagined I could just pray for more faith and he would give it out as he pleased. This changes everything, because now that I realize that purely studying and reading the Bible grows my faith I can actively pursue doing so! This is very exciting to me! It's one of God's promises, and those are rock solid! One other thing I'll share that this book taught me was the meaning behind the book of James in the Bible.

Anyone who reads the book of James probably can't help but feel a little convicted, myself included. Basically it talks about works. Its a legalistic christian's foundational scripture. Probably the essential verse that sums up the book is this:

"So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead." James 2:17

I was always a little unsure of what this meant since all other parts of the Gospels teach that we are saved by grace, not works. Well what I learned was that REAL faith WILL have works (or actions). Its not a matter us making sure we have action with our faith, its a complete and absolute --it will happen-- type of thing to identify true faith! We don't even need to focus at all on the works/actions itself, b/c real faith will naturally produce them! Here's an analogy that I feel God gave me to explain this (remember the cake analogy...well God must know how I like food...)

There are two people who grew up on an island and have never seen eggs before. They are both starving. God comes to each of them and hands them a carton full of eggs. He says, "If you crack these eggs over a pan, and cook them, they will make food for you." The first man has faith in what God said. So he cracks the eggs, cooks them, eats, and lives. The second man also says he has faith in what God said. He does nothing. He keeps saying over and over how he believes God. He eventually dies of starvation.

The second man obviously didn't really have faith in what God said, why?....because if he did he would have cracked the eggs, cooked, and eaten! REAL faith has ACTION! The first man proved his faith through his action/works. That is what James 2:17 really means!