Can a Christian be in Show Biz?

What Does the Bible Say?

by Frederick Hoehn, copyright 2014, all rights reserved.

Chapter 1

From the Holy Bible, Hoehn Version--

1 John chapter 2:15--17

"Don't love the world, nor the things that are in the world.  If any man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.  And the world passes away and its lust, but he that does the will of God lives forever."

Matthew chapter 4:8--10

Again, the devil took him up into a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them,  And said to him, "I will give you all these things, if you'll fall down and worship me."  Then Jesus said to him, "Get away from here, Satan, for it is written, You shall worship the Lord your God, and you shall serve only him."

James 1:27

"Pure religion and undefiled before God the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world."

The above passage in First John tells us not to love the world, nor the things that are in the world.  Show biz is very attractive to some people.

If you can be a big star, you can be rich in a very short period of time, theoretically.  Show biz is among the "things of the world."

But you might have to pretty much sell your soul to be big in show biz.

Elvis Presley came from a rather poor family.  But when he became a popular singer, he became rich.  But I don't think he made it to heaven, even though he liked gospel music and recorded a gospel music record album.

More on Elvis a little later.

Jesus said, "What shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul, or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Matt 16:26)  The richest man in the world can't buy his way out of hell.

The passage in Matthew shows where Satan tempted Jesus with the kingdoms of the world and their glory.  Jesus answered with scripture, "You shall worship the Lord your God, and you shall serve only Him."

And Jesus wasn't going to sell his soul even for the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them.  He got that anyway by being faithful to God, for Jesus is King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.

The passage in James tells us to keep ourselves unspotted from the world.

If you have a nice clean pair of pants but you sit on a dirty bench, you're likely to pick up spots on your nice clean pants.

To keep yourself unspotted, you have to stay away from the dirty things.

1 Cor 5:9--11

"I wrote to you in a letter not to keep company with people who commit sexual sins,  Yet not entirely with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortionists, or with idolaters, for then you'd have to go out of the world.  But now I've written to you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother is a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortionist, with him don't eat."

This above passage in 1 Cor says we can't completely avoid some of the bad people, or we'd have to go out of the world.  But we can avoid eating with bad people.

The title of this book is, "Can a Christian be in Show Biz?"

I would VERY STRONGLY recommend against Christians going into show business.

I'm not saying it's impossible for you to remain a Christian in show biz.  But the odds are quite strong against you, and you're likely to be eating with some bad people, and getting yourself spotted.

Jesus said, "He that finds his life shall lose it, and he that loses his life for my sake shall find it." (Matt 10:39)

Now, if you were to go into Engineering, that's certainly a legitimate profession.  I've done some Engineering myself.

Or, you could go into accounting.  But if you were an accountant, someone might sooner or later ask you to falsify some accounting records.

I heard of a customer who told the vendor, "I want two sets of books."  What she wanted was legitimate records, and also falsified records, for tax purposes, so that she wouldn't have to pay the proper taxes.

But there are no doubt some honest Accountants and Bookkeepers.

The nation of Greece is having financial problems, and other European nations are trying to help Greece stay afloat.  I believe one of the problems in Greece is that they're not doing a very good job of collecting the lawful sales taxes.

A traveler to Greece made a purchase.  Then the traveler asked for a receipt.  The merchant then said, "Oh, well if you want a receipt, then I'll have to charge you the higher price that includes the tax."

So then, with Greek merchants willing to cheat the government out of the sales tax, no wonder Greece is having financial problems.  That, together with the fact that Grecian government employees want to work a short work week, and still receive full pay.

Plumbing is legitimate work.

Carpentry is legitimate work.

Electricians do legitimate work.

There are some honest Managers.

There are some honest store owners.

If you're a Christian, ask the Lord to show you what vocation to be in.  And keep seeking the Lord about it until you're pretty sure you know his will about that.

Chapter 2

But show biz puts a lot of pressures on those trying to pursue a career in show biz.  It's almost like show biz people are married to show biz.

I needed to do a transaction at the state Department of Motor Vehicles.  As I was waiting in line, I got to talking with the man waiting in line in front of me.

He was at the Dept. of Motor Vehicles because he was going through a divorce, and his attorney advised him to sell his truck.

He was getting divorced from a Ballerina.  He said, "Don't ever marry a Ballerina, they live in their own little world."

I believe that's right that Ballerinas live in their own little world.  And I believe parents of young girls are making a mistake if they send their daughters to ballet school.

You could ruin your daughter's life by sending her to ballet school.  And then she gets indoctrinated with the ways of ballet, and hopes one day she might be an important Ballerina, and can't have a normal life because she becomes married to ballet.

Similarly, probably most of the people in show biz are married to show biz.  And if you're thinking of marrying someone in show biz, remember that they're already married to someone else--to show biz.

And that will most likely make trouble for your marriage, if you marry someone in show biz.

The Bible says, above, "Don't love the world, nor the things that are in the world..."

But in show biz, they just automatically love the world and the things that are in the world.  Pretty much, the only solution to that problem is to get out of show biz.

And that passage of scripture says if you love the world, the love of God the Father is not in you.  You'd better get the love of God in you rather than the love of the world, if you want to go to heaven when you leave this earth.

And start by getting the fear of God in you.  The Bible says, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." (Psa 111:10)

Say out loud, "I choose to be a God-fearing person."

Jesus taught that everyone goes either to heaven or hell.

Jesus said that in hell, their worms don't die, and the fire is never quenched, where there's crying and gnashing of teeth.

What could show biz possibly have to offer that would be worth your spending the rest of eternity in hell?

The glory, the fame, the riches?  None of that will do you any good if you go to hell.

You would be getting fleeting, short-term benefits that you'll pay for with unending long-term torments.

I don't read the tabloid newspapers, but a manager where I rented an apartment did read about the lives of the rich and famous.  I didn't really want to spend a lot of time with the guy, but also, I preferred not to alienate him.

He talked about a popular singer who was very much into adultery.

But even without the tabloid newspapers, you see it on the news about show biz people involved in adultery, involved in the use of illegal drugs, and alcoholism.  Many of the show biz people have died from overdosing on illegal drugs.

I don't know that it was illegal, but apparently Elvis died from drugs.

And show biz people are known to have a very high divorce rate.

Is that really the crowd you want to associate with?

And then there's Elton John, a homosexual.

And then there's Johnny Mathis, a homosexual.

Now some people might say, "We shouldn't discriminate against them for being homosexuals."  If that's what you say, you're mistaken, for it is written, "in whose eyes a filthy person is held in contempt." (Psa 15:4)

If you're the kind of person God wants you to be, you hold homosexuals and the other sex perverts in contempt. (Psa 15:4)

Someone might say, "But there's a law that says we can't speak against gays."

If there's a law that says we can't speak against gays, that law is unconstitutional because it violates my Constitutional right to freedom of speech, and my Constitutional right to freedom of religion.

The only way you're going to stop me from speaking against homosexuality is, you'll have to kill me.

And I'm pretty sure you won't be able to do that because the Lord has plans for me, and He won't let me be murdered.

But if I were to be murdered, well, that's early promotion to heaven, and I long to be there.

And whether I arrive in heaven sooner, or later, the Lord will surely get me there, in any case.

Rodney Dangerfield made a name for himself as a stand-up comedian, and as a actor.  But it was reported that he openly used illegal drugs.  That's how he wanted to party.

It is not wisdom to do so.  And he will probably spend the rest of eternity in hell.

You can have a party with your friends without breaking the law.

Rock Hudson starred in a lot of movies, including several with Doris Day.  But he was a homosexual that they said died of HIV AIDS.

That's the kind of people you meet in show biz.

And if you're a Christian in show biz, you will very likely be discriminated against by the majority of show biz people who have no use for God.

Comedian Flip Wilson had his own weekly TV show for a while.  One week, he had as guests on his show the Pat Boone family.

Pat Boone had a reputation for being a Christian.  I hope he makes it to heaven.  Judgment Day will come, and we'll find out whether Pat Boone made it to heaven.

But when the Pat Boone family came on stage on the Flip Wilson show, Wilson said something like, "Are we all Christians?"

It believe that he was mocking the Pat Boone family, and Christians.  Isn't that rather bad manners to invite people to be on your TV show, and then make fun of them?

But it's pretty certain that Flip Wilson was not a Christian.  One of his regular characters that he portrayed was "Geraldine."  He would dress like a woman, and try to speak like a woman.

No doubt many people thought that was funny, but the Bible says that a man may not wear a woman's clothing.

Someone might say, but what do I care what the Bible says?  Well, you see, Judgment Day is coming.  And on Judgment Day, we will be judged as to whether or not we did what God said to do in the Bible.

If you were a God-fearing person, and tried to do what the Bible said, you'll be much better off on Judgment Day than if you scorned God and scoffed at his word.

But beside good behavior in this life, Jesus said you must be born again (John chapt 3).  To get born again, you obey Romans 10:9,10--

"That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you're saved.  For with the heart man believes for righteousness, and with the mouth, confession is made for salvation."

Another Comedian from years ago who thought it was cute to wear a woman's clothing was Milton Berle.  And I thought Milton Berle was Jewish.  So then, how come he didn't know that the Law of Moses said that a man must not wear a woman's clothing?

I expect that Milton Berle is now tormented in the fires of hell.

I happened to catch a little of the music on the radio today.  Elvis Presley sang, "I Can't Help Falling in Love With You."

Those words are unscriptural.

In Proverbs 4:23, God says, "Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life."

God is not going to tell us to keep our hearts with all diligence if that can't be done.

Therefore, we can keep our hearts with all diligence, and we can keep from "falling in love" with someone.

___James chapter 1

1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes that are dispersed around, greetings.

2 My brothers, count it all joy when you fall into various temptations,

3 Knowing this, that the testing of your faith works patience.

4 But let patience have its perfect work, so you'll be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God for it, who gives to all men liberally, and won't find fault, and it shall be given to him.

6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.  For he that wavers is like a wave of the sea driven by the wind and tossed.

7 For let that man not think that he'll receive anything from the Lord.

8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

9 Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted,

10 But the rich, in that he is made low, because as the flower of the grass he'll pass away.

11 For the sun has no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withers the grass, and the flower of it falls, and the grace of the fashion of it perishes, so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.

12 Blessed is the man that endures temptation, for after he's been tested, he'll receive the crown of life, that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

13 Let no man say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God," for God can't be tempted with evil, nor does he tempt any man,

14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed.

15 Then when lust has conceived, it produces sin, and sin when it's finished, produces death.

16 Do not err, my beloved brothers.

17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, nor shadow of turning.

18 He chose to father us with the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.

19 So, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger,

20 For the anger of man doesn't accomplish the righteousness of God.

21 So, lay apart all filthiness and the unnecessary naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like a man seeing his natural face in a mirror,

24 For he sees himself, and goes his way, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.

25 But whoever looks into the perfect law of liberty, and continues in it, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

26 If any man among you seems to be religious, and doesn't bridle his tongue, but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is for nothing.

27 Pure religion and undefiled before God the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

___James chapter 2

1 My brothers, don't have the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.

2 For if a man with a gold ring comes to your assembly in fancy clothes, and a poor man in dirty clothes comes in also,

3 And you have respect to him that wears the fancy clothes, and say to him, "Sit here in a good place," and say to the poor, "Stand there, or sit here under my footstool,"

4 Aren't you then partial in yourselves, and have become judges with evil thoughts?

5 Listen, my beloved brothers, hasn't God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him?

6 But you have despised the poor.  Don't rich men oppress you, and bring you before the judgment seats?

7 Don't they blaspheme that worthy name by which you're called?

8 If you fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, "You shall love your neighbor like yourself," you do well,

9 But if you have respect of persons, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as sinners.

10 For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

11 For he that said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not kill."  Now if you don't commit adultery, yet if you kill, you've become a breaker of the law.

12 Speak in such a way, and do, as those who'll be judged by the law of liberty.

13 For he shall have judgment without mercy, that has shown no mercy, and mercy rejoices against judgment.

14 What does it profit, my brothers, though a man says he has faith, and doesn't have works?  Can faith save him?

15 If a brother or sister needs clothes, and lacks daily food,

16 And one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you don't give them the things that are needed for the body, what good is that?

17 Even so faith, if it doesn't have works, is dead, being alone.

18 Yes, a man could say, "You have faith, and I have works, show me your faith without your works, and I'll show you my faith by my works."

19 You believe that there is one God, you do well, the devils also believe, and tremble.

20 But don't you know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

21 Wasn't Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son on the altar?

22 Do you see how faith worked with his deeds, and by works faith was made perfect?

23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness, and he was called the friend of God."

24 You see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

25 Likewise also wasn't Rahab the prostitute justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?

26 For like the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

___James chapter 3

1 My brothers, don't be many masters, knowing that we'll receive the greater condemnation.

2 For in many things we offend all.  If any man doesn't offend in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.

3 See, we put bits in the horses' mouths, so they'll obey us, and we turn around their whole bodies.

4 Look also at the ships, which though they're so large, and are driven by fierce winds, yet they're turned around by a very small helm, wherever the captain wants.

5 Even so, the tongue is a little member, and boasts great things.  See how great a matter a little fire kindles!

6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of sin, so is the tongue among our members that it makes dirty the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature, and it is set on fire by hell.

7 For every kind of animals, and of birds, and of snakes, and of things in the sea, gets tamed, and has been tamed by mankind,

8 But no man can tame the tongue, it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.

9 With it we bless God, the Father, and with it we curse men, who are made after the likeness of God.

10 Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing.  My brothers, these things ought not to be.

11 Does a fountain send out at the same place sweet water and bitter?

12 Can the fig tree, my brothers, produce olive berries?  Or a vine, figs?  So no fountain can yield both salt water and fresh.

13 Who is a wise man, possessing knowledge among you?  Let him show out of a good lifestyle his works with meekness of wisdom.

14 But if you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, don't glory, and don't lie against the truth.

15 This wisdom doesn't descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.

16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.

17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be reasoned with, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

18 And the fruit of righteousness is planted in peace by those who make peace.

___James chapter 4

1 Where do wars and fightings among you come from?  Don't they come from your lusts that war in your members?

2 You lust, and don't have, you kill, and desire to have, and can't obtain, you fight and war, yet you don't have, because you don't ask.

3 You ask, and don't receive, because you ask wrongly, so you can consume it on your lusts.

4 You adulterers and adulteresses, don't you know that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God?  Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world is an enemy of God.

5 Do you think that the scripture says for nothing, "The spirit that lives in us lusts to envy?"

6 But he gives more grace.  So he says, "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble."

7 Submit yourselves therefore to God.  Resist the devil, and he'll run away from you.

8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.  Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double minded.

9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and cry, let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.

10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he'll lift you up.

11 Don't speak evil about each other, brothers.  He that speaks evil about his brother, and judges his brother, speaks evil about the law, and judges the law, but if you judge the law, you're not a doer of the law, but a judge.

12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy, who are you that judges someone else?

13 Go on now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we'll go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and make a profit,"

14 Actually, you don't know what will happen tomorrow.  For what is your life?  It is a puff of steam, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away.

15 For you ought to say, "Lord willing, we'll live, and do this, or that."

16 But now you rejoice in your boastings, all such rejoicing is evil.

17 Therefore to him that knows to do good, and doesn't do it, to him it is sin.

___James chapter 5

1 Go on now, you rich men, cry and howl for your miseries that shall come on you.

2 Your riches are corrupted, and your clothes are moth eaten.

3 Your gold and silver are rusted, and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh like fire.  You've heaped treasure together for the last days.

4 See, the wages of the laborers who have reaped down your fields, which you've kept back by fraud, shouts, and the shouts of those who've reaped have entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabbath.

5 You've lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton, you've nourished your hearts, like in a day of slaughter.

6 You've condemned and killed the just, and he doesn't resist you.

7 Be patient therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord.  See, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, and has long patience for it, until he receives the early and latter rain.

8 You also be patient.  Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is getting near.

9 Don't grudge against each other, brothers, so you won't be condemned, see, the judge stands at the door.

10 Take, my brothers, the prophets, who've spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.

11 See, we count them happy that endure.  You've heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord, that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.

12 But above all things, my brothers, don't swear, not by heaven, nor by the earth, nor by any other oath, but let your yes be yes, and your no, no, so that you don't fall into condemnation.

13 Is anyone among you afflicted?  Let him pray.  Is anyone merry?  Let him sing psalms.

14 Is anyone sick among you?  Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord,

15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up, and if he has committed sins, he'll be forgiven.

16 Confess your faults to each other, and pray for each other so you'll be healed.  The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man is does a lot of good.

17 Elijah was a man subject to the same kind of passions that we are, and he prayed earnestly that it wouldn't rain, and it didn't rain on the earth for three years and six months.

18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.

19 Brothers, if any of you strays from the truth, and someone converts him,

20 Let him know, that he that converts the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.