We had the privilege of spending some time with Kirk Cameron on one of his trips to New York City, the interview however, was conducted over the phone with Kirk in Southern California, as we didn't have the proper time to do the sit down during his short stay in NYC. Kirk is very straight-forward and transparent, and speaks the truth in love.

What would you tell a young person who feels they have a gift of acting, but is maybe getting a lack of support from their family or friends?

God called alot of people to do seemingly crazy things, in their day, I was just reading this morning God calling Noah to build this giant boat in a place where it looked like it wouldn't need to be used.

yeah and it never had rained before...

yeah, exactly, and you know he was a laughing stock of everyone around him. He had to have tremendous amounts of faith for years and years to be able to follow through on what God had told him to do. And if God is leading someone into the entertainment industry, to shine his light there for Him, then sometimes that's gonna be in the face of people mocking and laughing.

But I wouldn't suggest that any child ignore the warnings of their parents, because, hopefully, no one has your best interests in mind more than your parents do, listen to that. My suggestion would be: just take it to the Lord in prayer and submit yourself to the Lord and ask Him to be your guide and let Gods word guide your path, and follow where the Lord is leading you to go.

Would you really say that strictly speaking, acting can be a considered gift from the Lord?

I don't know that I'd use those terms, I don't know if that's not true, but when I think of gifts I try to stick with the biblical gifts that are in the word of God, But certainly, everything that we have, every good and perfect gift comes down from our Father from heaven, in the gifts and natural talents that we have, and they should be used for God's glory not ours.

In your article Survival requirements for a Christian in Hollywood, you mention how many celebrities name the name of Christ and yet are walking billboards for sin. Does this tie in with people who speak about Jesus but have not really put Him on? And how does this deception take place in hollywood?

I think so, absolutely, I think a genuine believer in Christ is someone who has crucified himself with Christ. He no longer lives but Christ lives within him. That's not to say that a genuine Christian will not stumble into sin. But a walking billboard for sin, you're talking about people who are living in the world and serving the world, and the desires of the flesh, not people who are denying themselves and submitting to Christ.

Jesus said let him who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity And rather we see celebrities saying they believe in God, or wear a cross around their neck, naming the name of Christ and they indulge iniquity, they drink it up like water, flaunt it around and say "that's just who I am" and indeed it is.

How do you think this deception takes place in hollywood, is it just because the nearness of the riches and the things of the world are closer than they might be in any other industry?

No, I don't think it's unique to hollywood, you're just talking about false converts. You're talking about people who call themselves Christians, but reveal who they really are by the fruit of their life, You shall know a tree by its fruit.

I don't think that these are Christians who have slipped away, and are just having a rough time. While there certainly are those kind of Christians like myself- a Christian who struggles with sin on a daily basis, but there are many people that you see who are clearly living with sin as their master and Lord, not Christ.

It makes me think of when Jesus spoke of the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches that choke the word and sometimes I wonder if people did start out on the right track like you said, and they just got lost, or if it's just another name, another tag, another brand. You mentioned the crosses and thats a big thing.

Yeah, I think its the second more than the first.

It seems that to be a Christian in hollywood is a great challenge, from your experience, is it almost like you have to create a space there of your own that has Christian values, or is it that you try as much as possible to bring that as a Christian actor to secular sets?

I think both, I realize that Christ has sent us out as sheep among wolves, and we need to create an environment where we can grow spiritually, and I do that by obeying the scriptures to meditate on the word of God day and nite. I read the Bible everyday, not as some sort of a boasting thing, but just as a survival requirement.

Praying continually, and fellowshipping with other Christians, and getting out there to share the gospel with the lost, all those kinds of things create an environment in my heart and in my mind where I can survive spiritually. Then I try to be salt and light in the world and affect the people around me with my Godly life.

Does that happen alot on secular sets?

Yeah there's always opportunities and you can create the opportunities just by walking up to somebody and talking to them Hey hows it goin, you like your job, have you seen the passion of the Christ, oh yeah great movie, do you have a Christian background, Oh why not? Do you believe in the Lord, where are you at spiritually? Do you believe in anything? Just create the opportunity, and let somebody know that you care about them and that you want to talk about important stuff.

In the movies you've been in and things that you have done, do you think that the Lord will make a way that there can be a considerable share of a Christian place in hollywood, or do you think it's just going to be a constant struggle in the sense of the war against the big machine?

I really don't know, I think the Lord honors those who are faithful to Him and if He's called Christians into the industry or converts someone within the industry, I think clearly, God can create a place for Christian values to be championed through movies and television programs, but I wouldn't ever suggest that the Christian community sort of waits for Steven Spielberg to become Christian and create this giant Christian movie production company, or for Mel Gibson to turn the culture around.

I don't think that's going to happen, my hunch is that the Lord tends to use the lowly, He chooses to speak though donkeys and peasants and people who are not necessarily noble or rich or wise. I have a feeling revival is going to come when everyday Christians get back to the basic issues and realize that they've been entrusted with the message of eternal life and they need to stop focusing on themselves, and get out there into the world and do what Christ told them to do.