Current Events – The Beacon

[selena gomez]

‘No oxygen–could barely breathe.
My darkest sin, You’ve raised release,
And it’s all because of You, all because of You.
I don’t know what it is, but You’ve pulled me in.
No one compares, could ever begin
to love me like you do…
Nobody’s gonna love me like You.’

Selena Gomez is one of the greatest examples of an outright Christian who is VERY much in the public eye–despite what she may want. She has been very open about her faith, whether in social media posts or in interviews, and it’s quite refreshing. This isn’t necessarily a ‘current event’, per se, but it’s someone in the public eye who is constantly living for Christ and sharing His word.

The song quoted above is titled ‘Nobody’, and it’s on her latest album, Revival. What some may not recognize though, is that it’s not about some boy. It’s about God and His love for her. Videos have come out quite regularly of her singing worship songs at her own concerts…

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oulEG1XQ-UY[/youtube]

The above video is her singing ‘Transfiguration’ (a Hillsong Worship song) and then ‘Nobody’ at a concert of hers last year. She is visibly upset as the concert was shortly after Christina Grimmie (a strong Christian, Youtube sensation, and Voice contestant) was shot after one of her concerts in Florida. She explains her connection to Grimmie and has a hard time holding it together throughout the performance, understandably. However, ‘Transfiguration’ is a regular song on her setlists, so while the dedication was specific to this performance, she generally does worship songs at her regular concerts too.

In addition to these additions to her setlist, Gomez has also sang her song (‘Nobody’) at a Hillsong Young & Free concert. Before singing she stated, “Tonight is more than a concert. It’s more than Hillsong. It’s more than me coming onstage and singing a song for you. It’s about a relationship that is greater than anything.”

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UFgtIly20A[/youtube]

She has had problems in the past with health issues and has checked into rehab to focus on her mental health in the past, discussing issues with being in the spotlight constantly, among other things that come with being a celebrity. Overall, I think that she is an excellent role model for young girls–which are few and far between these days. And she is a great example of living out your faith publicly. As she’s in the spotlight more and more for music or for helping to create the new Netflix sensation 13 Reasons Why, one can only hope she’ll reach even more people with her love of God and her relationship with Him.

thanks for reading, folks!

love,

erinn victoria

[chris pratt–star on hollywood walk of fame]

Chris Pratt

Psalm 126:3 “The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.” Thank you to the many, many people who empowered me to follow my dreams. #surreal #gotgvol2 #WHATSMYSNACK

For those who don’t know, Chris Pratt is not one to shy away from, well, just about anything, or so it seems. And this includes sharing his faith. There have been multiple interviews out over the years that discuss Pratt’s faith in God and his Christian beliefs. As said in previous posts about celebrities, I have no idea what their real life looks like or how/if they live out their faith, but I can definitely appreciate when someone is at least open about what they believe in. Pratt is a big enough star that it doesn’t seem to matter if he’ll lose a couple (or even a couple hundred) fans over something as important as his faith. He’ll semi-regularly post pictures or tweets with verses, or talk about how much his faith means to him and how much it has meant to him in the past.

The above post is from April 19 when Pratt was preparing to receive his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The verse acknowledges that GOD is the one who has done this for him–not by his own efforts, but through the help and provision of the Lord. And in his speech when receiving said star, he also referenced God and the many blessings he has received–including his lovely wife, Anna Faris, and their son, Jack.

Overall, I’m just greatly appreciative of stars like Pratt that are outspoken and proud of their faith and belief in Jesus Christ. It takes courage to post things that might be polarizing, but I believe it can help to reach those who might need outreach or something to believe in. Not that he’ll ever see this, but I encourage Pratt, among other celebrities, to continue to post posts about their faith in God and the practical ways it has shown up in their lives. Chances are, it’ll only make them seem more relatable and grounded.

thanks for reading!

-erinn victoria

[mr. t & his battle with cancer]

Now, first–I know next to nothing about Mr. T. Pretty much the most I know about him is from what I’ve seen of him on Dancing with the Stars this season. That being said, I came across an article that discussed his faith in God and how it got him through his battle with lymphoma in 1995. So, that’s what I’m going to briefly discuss here today. I encourage you to read the article, but I’ll sum up bits and pieces as well.

I cannot even imagine being diagnosed with any type of long-term illness, cancer, etc., but I do know that the only way I’d make it through would be if I had faith in and trusted God. So, I always appreciate when I hear of others who do the same. He relates his time to the book of Job, saying that no matter how strong our faith is, all the good we do, etc., we can still go through really crappy times. The key is to have faith. This is such a hard response to have when we encounter major trials, but it is certainly the best one to have. Just trust that God is going to get you through it–no matter what it is.

Another part of this story that I love is that, now that he’s come out on the other side of all this, he gives back. He goes to hospitals to encourage and see the sick kids there, he sees it as serving God. And it is. When we help the sick, poor, needy, downtrodden, we’re ‘helping’/serving God. He loves ‘the least of these’ & we’re called to as well. Mr. T has also pledged to give any money he makes from Dancing with the Stars to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Shriners Hospitals for Children.

Mr. T can be an inspiration to any of us. His story helps us to remember that just because we’re Christians does NOT mean we get an easy, care-free life. We will have struggles. The key is to have faith and trust in God that He will deliver you from these troubles. He will lift you up out of that pit of depression. Have faith in Him.

thanks for reading, guys!

-erinn victoria

UPDATE: Since posting this, Mr. T danced his final dance on Dancing with the Stars and talked about his battle with cancer. It brought most people in that audience to tears the other night, and I encourage you to watch and be inspired.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFAzJ2LMxgs[/youtube]

[demi lovato–5 years sober]

‘So grateful. It’s been quite the journey. So many ups and downs. So many times I wanted to relapse but sat on my hands and begged God to relieve the obsession. I’m so proud of myself but I couldn’t have done it without my higher power (God), my family, friends, and everyone else who supported me. Feeling humbled and joyful today. Thank you guys for sticking by my side and believing in me.’

[this is not the picture from her instagram post, but I love it because it's so natural--and she's stunning here. It's actually from another time she was busy inspiring people--talking about her battle with mental illness.] — [this is not the picture from her instagram post, but I love it because it’s so natural–and she’s stunning here. It’s actually from another time she was busy inspiring people–talking about her battle with mental illness.]

This was the caption to a recent Instagram post by Demi Lovato. As you can see in the picture (linked above), she was referring to being 5 years sober. This is obviously an INCREDIBLE feat and she is such a great role model for it (and many other reasons). However, I truly love that she credits her success to God, first and foremost. It’s definitely easy to get caught up in ourselves sometimes and think we’re so great for accomplishing this or that, but it truly is Him who helps us out of those tough situations and temptations.

Two verses come to mind whenever I think about temptations, and they’re such important ones to remember. First, is 1 Corinthians 10:13, which says: ‘No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.’ I love this verse because so often we feel so alone when it comes to temptations. We feel ashamed for being tempted in the first place and like we can’t tell anyone, and we feel sinful because we know we shouldn’t be partaking in that activity, so it’s important to remember that He is with us. He will provide a way out. Sometimes, it may not be super obvious, but it’s there. Look to Him in those times. As Demi said, she would ‘sit on [her] hands and begged God to relieve the obsession’. It takes an incredibly strong person to do that.

The other verse I think of is 2 Corinthians 12:9, which says: ‘But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.’ He is strong when we are consumed by weakness. This is one of my favourite verses. We all need support when we’re feeling weak, so it’s great to know that when we are at our worst, He will and can be at His ‘best’, so to speak. He is our strength. You’re never in this alone. No matter what it is.

thanks for reading!

love,

erinn victoria

[tim tebow–press conference]

‘[Sports are] not why I’m here. It’s not my biggest calling…
I want my life to be so much more than that.
I want to be someone that was known for bringing faith, hope, and love to those needing a brighter day in their darkest hour of need…
I am grateful to sports because it has given me a platform…’

I encourage you first to click here and watch the short clip of a recent press conference with Tim Tebow–I didn’t want to quote it all, but I definitely could have; so please watch the above first.

I think that Tebow is an excellent picture of what the Christian ‘celebrity’ should look like. As previously discussed, we should all use the gifts that God has blessed us with; however, if from those talents, we achieve success (or even fame), the credit needs to be given to Him. In addition to giving the credit to Him though, we also need to use our platforms for the ultimate good–use it to further is Kingdom.

I think we all desire to be successful in whatever fields we pursue, but if we do desire this, it should be mainly so that way we can influence more people as we go along. If you have a platform, no matter what work you do, you should use it simply to bring faith, hope, and love, and most importantly GOD’S LOVE to those influenced by you.

It’s so important to also recognize that whatever field of work we go into–whatever material success we obtain–is not necessarily our ultimate calling, that our true ULTIMATE calling is to bring people to Him. To bring His Light into people’s lives.

pursue His Kingdom & do His Kingdom work above all else.

thanks for reading!

-erinn victoria

[chance the rapper–grammy awards]

‘Glory be to God. I claim this victory in the name of the Lord.’

‘I want to thank God for everything He’s accomplished for me, everything that He’s went through with me.’

These words were spoken by Chance the Rapper at this Sunday’s Grammy Awards, as he accepted multiple awards. Chance identifies as a Christian, and this is made clear by his many public performances (awards shows, late night shows [like Jimmy Fallon], etc.). I cannot say for sure that he is–it’s not necessarily my place to know that–that’s not what I’m talking about here. But I do think that it is awesome that he publicly proclaims the name of the Lord, and practically turns his public performances into worship sessions.

The reason I really wanted to bring this particular event to mind is simply because of what Chance said in his acceptance speech. It is such an incredible gift that God blesses us with talents. BUT we should use these talents to bring Him glory. And we should point all of our victories and blessings back to Him. When we accomplish anything, point all eyes back to Him–not to yourself.

‘We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us.’ [Romans 12:6]

‘Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.’ [1 Peter 4: 10]

These verses state that we all are given gifts/talents–it’s a fact. It may take some of us longer than others to figure out what those gifts are and how to use them, but when we do, we need to use them to serve God and others.

Chance the Rapper infuses Christian beliefs and thoughts into songs like ‘How Great’ (which includes lyrics from Chris Tomlin’s ‘How Great is Our God’), ‘Blessings’, and ‘All We Got’. His songs may not all reflect Christian values, but the fact that a few of them do is quite great, and I truly hope that his future mixtapes and songs reflect his beliefs even more. Someone with so much influence (being in the spotlight and winning awards) could really be a light to his listeners. I hope and pray that he keeps pointing all the glory back to God.

thanks for reading,

erinn victoria

p.s. I know this seems like it’s quite different than other posts, but I think it’s important to stay relevant and see His presence in our society today.