God is Clean. How About Our Entertainment?

IT’S NOT YOU, BABY… IT’S ME. WE’VE JUST GROWN APART. - WALKING AWAY ALWAYS HURTS.

Have you ever turned a movie off in the middle of a good story? It is extremely frustrating. You want to know the end of the plot. You feel like you wasted your time. You have a sense of disappointment because you were hoping to have a nice relaxing event and enjoy being entertained, AND NONE OF IT HAPPENED.

I have been there; over and over. My journey concerning the question of entertainment is not a new one. I remember inconsistencies all over the place growing up.

Visit this article at my blog. God is Clean. How About Our Entertainment?

17 Amazing Quotes

Helping One Another

1. "No one is useless in this world who lightens the burden of it for anyone else."  -Charles Dickens

Contentment

2.  "All our discontents about what we want appear to me to spring from the want of thankfulness for what we have."  -Daniel Defoe

3.  "All our discontents about what we want appear to me to spring from the want of thankfulness for what we have."  -Martin Luther

4.  "The secret of contentment is the realization that life is a gift, not a right."  -Unknown

Things

5.  "I will place no value on anything I have or may possess except in relation to the kingdom of Christ." -David Livingstone

6.  "I have held many things in my hands, and have lost them all; but whatever I have placed in God's hands, that I still possess."  -Martin Luther

Sold Out for Christ

7.  "My dear Jesus, my Savior, is so deeply written in my heart, that I feel confident, that if my heart were to be cut open and chopped to pieces, the name of Jesus would be found written on every piece."  -St. Ignatius of Antioch

8.  "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."  -Jim Elliot

Encouragement

9.  "It is impossible for that man to despair who remembers that his Helper is omnipotent."  -Jeremy Taylor

Forgiveness

10.  "He who cannot forgive others destroys the bridge over which he himself must pass."  -George Herbert

Friends

11.  "A blessed thing it is for any man or woman to have a friend; one human soul whom we can trust utterly; who knows the best and the worst of us, and who loves us in spite of all our faults; who will speak the honest truth to us, while the world flatters us to our face, and laughs at us behind our back."  -Charles Kingsley

Complete in Christ

12.  "None but God can satisfy the longing of the immortal soul; as the heart was made for Him, He only can fill it."  -Richard Trench

Hard Times

13.  "You are never to complain of your birth, your training, your employments, your hardships; never to fancy that you could be something if only you had a different lot and sphere assigned you. God understands His own plan, and He knows what you want a great deal better than you do. The very things that you most deprecate, as fatal limitations or obstructions, are probably what you most want. What you call hindrances, obstacles, discouragements, are probably God's opportunities. Bring down your soul, or rather, bring it up to receive God's will and do His work, in your lot, in your sphere, under your cloud of obscurity, against your temptations, and then you shall find that your condition is never opposed to your good, but really consistent with it."  -Horace Bushnell

Relationship with God

14.  "He who runs from God in the morning will scarcely find Him the rest of the day."  -John Bunyan

Pride

15.  "You can have no greater sign of confirmed pride than when you think you are humble enough."  -William Law

The Tongue

16.  "One of the first things which a physician says to his patient is, 'Let me see your tongue.' A spiritual advisor might often do the same."  -Nehemiah Adams

17.  "When I want to speak let me think first. Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary? If not, let it be left unsaid."  Maltbie Davenport Babcock

Note:  All quotes are from Christian Quotes.

Psalm 139:13

GOD KNOWS YOU:
Ps139:1
¶ To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me.
Ps139:2
Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.
Ps139:3
Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.
Ps139:4
For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether.
Ps139:5
Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.
Ps139:6

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.

YOU CAN'T HIDE FROM GOD:
Ps139:7
¶ Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
Ps139:8
If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.
Ps139:9
If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;
Ps139:10
Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.
Ps139:11
If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me.
Ps139:12
Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.

GOD MADE YOU:
Ps139:13
For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.
Ps139:14
I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.
Ps139:15
My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
Ps139:16
Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.

What Is Your Parenting Goal?

Often times, in reference to our children, and especially our teenagers, we hear the phrase, "I did ____________, and I didn't turn out too bad. That's just a teen being a teen and you've got to let them live and learn." In taking this stance, many parents think that they are being understanding and even doing what's best for their child, but is that really the case?

Continued at http://brobrad.blogspot.com/2010/10/what-is-your-parenting-goal.html

How to Make Decisions

We all have to make decisions; sometimes they seem irrelevant and sometimes they seem really important.  The truth is, God cares about everything we do, be it what we eat, where we go, how we entertain ourselves, and how we manage our finances.  Many times when faced with two options, neither one may be a sin but one choice is usually better than the other. 

This is article is going to be simple and practical.  By operating by these principles, each and every decision can be more along the lines of what God wants us to do.  No one is going to “bat-a-thousand”, but if you can improve in the small areas the entirety of your life will no doubt be more in line with what God wants out of you.

Many young people stress out about what God wants them to do with their entire life.  In the examples given in the Bible, people were already busy working in smaller areas before God called them to the greater tasks.  Gideon was threshing wheat, Saul was obeying his father’s command to find the lost donkeys, and Peter and Andrew were busing fishing as part of their livelihood.  God wants us busy today doing what He wants us to do today, and to let Him worry about the future.


Getting Pre-Qualified

There are about five good question you should ask yourself before making a decision. But before asking yourself these questions, it’s important that you’re pre-qualified to ask them, and that requires three things:

1. You’re in the will of God.

I John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Are you operating within the known will of God?  There are several things that should be obvious.  Are you entangled with a sin or a vice?  If so, your primary focus should be getting that right.  Ask for forgiveness today and put it behind you.  Are you under the authority of a local church?  God wants you to be!  Get that straightened out between you and God as well.  Is there someone you should forgive or reconcile with?  Get these clear cut things taken care of first!

10 Ways to Brighten Someone's Day

1. Send a handwritten note.

2. Make cookies.

3. Invite to watch a movie together.

4. Offer to run an errand.

5. Go on a shopping trip together.

6. Give a fruit basket.

7. Buy a card with sound.

8. Get ice cream.

9. Give genuine, sincere compliments.

10. Smile!

The most important things in life are not things... they're people!  

Does Everything Really Rise and Fall With Leadership?

As I was reading this morning, I came across this verse: Jeremiah 15:1  Then said the LORD unto me, Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my mind could not be toward this people: cast them out of my sight, and let them go forth. As I read it, my mind immediately thought of the well-traveled quote, "Everything rises and falls with leadership." While I have no problem with the rising part, I have often wondered about the falling aspect. 

(On a side note, do not take this as a criticism of the one who originated the quote. I do not know the context of when and why he said it, but I do know how it is used today and disagree with it.) 

One of the first people I always think of is Noah. By today's standards, he was a failed leader. Yet, God calls him a "preacher of righteousness." I've read some, but not all, of the leadership books that are out on the market today, and many have some good truths for us to learn. But, as Jeremiah points out to us, even a great leader, such as Moses and Samuel, will not be enough to change the direction of some people. Instead of focusing on results, we should focus on those things that we can control, like our spiritual vitality and work ethic. Don't allow the guru's or lack of results frustrate you and to minimize what you do for the Lord.

Let's remember, sometimes great "preaching" does not make for great "doctrine."

Thankful For The Love Of God

At the Gospel Mission, we finished a series on Ruth, and started a couple of weeks of messages on a Giving Thanks in preparation for our Canadian Thanksgiving (which is today, October 11th). I preached the main part of this study for the lunch devotional yesterday, and added more verses today to round out it out.

Thankful For The Love Of God

Love is not an emotion (though it may effect them) - love is a choice. Love is an action verb. Always seeking the best for others.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

John 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

Romans 5:6-10 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

When we were at our worst, God gave His best! He proved/showed/demonstrated His love to us by sending His Son to die on the cross for our sins.

1 John 4:8-10 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

1 John 4:19 We love him, because he first loved us.

We learn love through the Lord Jesus Christ's example for us - He loved us first!

Consider each point of the description of love in 1 Corinthians 13, thinking about Christ’s/God’s love as an example for us, and how our love is to be towards others and towards the Lord in return.

The word translated as charity here is the Greek word agape. It means "love," and is often referred as the deep love of God, a self-sacrificial love that desires the best for others. Matthew Henry points out that the word charity was used by the translators to indicate when they believed love towards BOTH God and man was in view in that particular verse or passage.

1 Corinthians 13:4 Charity suffereth long, - Longsuffering, forbearing. Webster's 1828 Dictionary gives this as one of his definitions for forbearance: "The exercise of patience; long suffering; indulgence towards those who injure us; lenity; delay of resentment or punishment."

I am not skilled to understand.. ...

I am not skilled to understand
What God has willed, what God has planned;
I only know at His right hand
Is One Who is my Savior!

This beautiful hymn not only has beautiful, meaningful words but a beautiful melody as well.  It lifts the heart to God in worship as we submit to the will of Christ who is our Savior. 



I take Him at His word indeed;
“Christ died for sinners”—this I read;
For in my heart I find a need
Of Him to be my Savior!

That He should leave His place on high
And come for sinful man to die,
You count it strange? So once did I,
Before I knew my Savior!

And oh, that He fulfilled may see
The travail of His soul in me,
And with His work contented be,
As I with my dear Savior!

Yea, living, dying, let me bring
My strength, my solace from this Spring;
That He Who lives to be my King
Once died to be my Savior!

You Will Eat Your Dispensations and You Will Like Them!

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I’m hearing more and more about people who claim to be “non-dispensational”.  From time to time, I can’t help but think that maybe well established truths become stale to some and they have to come up with something new or “out of the box”.  Whether or not this is the heart motive of those that claim to be non-dispensational or not, I don’t know, but I’ve personally seen the mess that people get into when they do not apply the command to rightly divide the scriptures.

Before we jump into the problems of being non-dispensational, let’s clear up some common misconceptions about dispensationalism:

Common Misconceptions about Dispensationalism

1. Dispensationalism Teaches Multiple Plans of Salvation

I have been in Baptist churches all over this country and in a few in other countries as well.  Dispensations in its purest form have nothing to do with how people were saved before Christ and after the Rapture.  There are many believers that teach dispensations and believe everyone was and ever will be saved the same way, regardless of what dispensation they are in.  There are also many who believe otherwise as well.  Regardless, dispensationalism is not limited to believing a certain prescribed form of “multiple plans of salvation”, that is just another study along with many others that may overlap the study of dispensations.

2. Dispensationalism Teaches That We Only Read the Pauline Epistles

True dispensationalists believe that the entire Bible can apply to us one way or another and that we should read it and study it.  At the same time, a dispensationalist understands that there are passages that do not apply to us doctrinally and to try to apply them would be to mishandle the word of God.    

I am not a Calvinist, but I recognize the fact that there is such a thing as Calvinists and Hyper-Calvinists.  A Hyper-Calvinist takes the teaching to the extreme of not bothering to witness to anyone; a Calvinist believes the five points of T.U.L.I.P., but thankfully he just doesn’t act like he believes them (click here to read my articles on Calvinism).  A Hyper-Dispensationalist is the person that only studies the Pauline epistles, among other things.

3. Dispensationalists Teach That God’s Grace Only Applies to People Today.

Nothing could be further from the truth.  Nobody stands a chance without God’s grace being involved in their life, be it past, present, or future.

4. Dispensations Are Just Some People’s Way of Explaining Things They Don’t Understand.

No, dispensations are the logical way of explaining why God would tell one person one thing in the Bible, and another person 1,000 years later the complete opposite.  Without a working understanding of dispensations, you won’t know what to believe.

In Thy Hands

I am sorry I have not posted anything for a long time. My computer died at the beginning of summer, and it is hard to work on Blogger from just my Ipod touch. I am trying out this keyboard for the Ipad.

I thought the study posted by another member on what happens to babies that die was good, and thought that this might be a good time to also post this study of mine, as it may answer some more questions and give some comfort for those who may be grieving the loss of a loved one.

In Thy Hands

My times are in Thy hand:
deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me.
Psalm 31:15

Note: Please understand that my purpose for writing this study is not to rebuke those with a wrong perspective on death, nor to make light of someone's struggle over the death of a loved one; but my purpose is to lessen their struggle and increase their trust in the Lord Jesus Christ by helping to give them the Biblical perspective of the issue. I believe that if we remember what the Lord has said in His Word, then we would not be sorrowful as those without hope. (See 1 Thessalonians 4:13) If you are grieving over the loss of a loved one right now, and are looking for answers, please prayerfully read over this study. If you are not ready for answers at this point, please save this study on your computer, and down the road you will have it handy when you need it.

The Bible teaches quite clearly that the Almighty God is in control of our lives and deaths. He is the one who has decreed our physical boundaries, our physical characteristics, our personality. (See Acts 17:26; Ecclesiastes 3:2; Psalm 139:13-16) He is also the one who has determined when and where we would be born, and when and where we would die. Death is not an accident; it is an appointment. Hebrews 9:27 says And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.

Death comes to all. It is a result of sin; in fact, it is the punishment for it. (See Romans 6:23) Ecclesiastes 8:8 There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither hath he power in the day of death: and there is no discharge in that war; neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it. Everyone living will someday die (except for those Christians who are living when Jesus Christ returns, at the rapture). Death should not come as a surprise. The tragedy is not so much in dying, but in being unprepared for death and the judgement that comes after.

The way we can be prepared to face death is by placing personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and His death for our sins on Calvary. We were all guilty of death, but the Bible teaches that Jesus tasted death for every man (Hebrews 2:9). He died in our place as our substitute. He took the punishment that was due us for our sins, and by placing personal faith in His death, burial and resurrection, we can spend eternity in Heaven, instead of Hell. Because I have personally trusted Jesus Christ as my Saviour, I need not fear death - it is only the doorway to Heaven for me. When I die, I go to be with Jesus and all my saved loved ones. 2 Corinthians 5:8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

Ps 68:20 He that is our God is the God of salvation; and unto GOD the Lord belong the issues from death. This verse teaches that it is the Lord alone who can issue a pardon and deliver us from death. There are two main applications to this truth:

1) Death means separation. The first death is physical - the separation of the spirit from the body. (See James 2:26) The second death is spiritual - the separation of the spirit from God. (See 2nd Thessalonians 1:8-9) This is called the second death in Scripture, and is otherwise known as Hell. (See Revelation 20:14-15; 21:8) Only Jesus Christ can deliver us from the punishment due our sins (eternity in Hell). He took our punishment upon Him when He shed His blood for us upon the cross. The price of our redemption was paid. We do not need to pay it ourselves - we just need to believe in and receive the Saviour who has paid our debt. This is our issue from the second death.

2) The second application is the deliverance from physical death. When we are faced with a life-threatening illness or enemies that seek to kill us, it is only the Lord Jesus Christ who can issue us the pardon and deliver us from death. He is the only person with this authority. We need to petition Him for deliverance when we (or our loved ones) are faced with physical death, but we also need to submit to (accept) His will in the matter. It may not be the Lord's will to deliver someone at a specific time; we must leave the decision in His hands, the hands that were graven for us! Isaiah 49:15-16 Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of My hands; thy walls are continually before Me.

So many people are afraid to face death and live in bondage to their fear. (See Hebrews 2:14-15) If we are children of God (through faith in Christ), we need not be afraid of dying. We can live in faith, knowing that our times are in His hands, that He is in total control of when we live and die, and we can trust Him that in His perfect wisdom He knows the best time to take us home. When an infant (or young child) dies and when a believer dies, the Bible teaches that they go immediately to Heaven, to a much better place, to dwell in the presence of God forever. It may bring Him more glory and result in more souls being saved if He took His ailing child home. It may be greater mercy on the Lord's part to take the sick Christian to Heaven, where they will be perfectly healed and made whole and will not suffer any more. When a believer dies, they have gone to a infinitely better place with no sickness, no pain, no sorrow, only unending joy.

The Bible teaches that the Lord takes the righteous home to give them relief from the evil to come, and that their deaths are precious in His sight. (See Isaiah 57:1-2; Psalm 116:15) The righteous enter into peace when they die; they enter into the eternal hope that they've been waiting for. (Proverbs 14:32)

I know Christians love that part. They don't have a problem with that; however, they have a problem with the deaths of their unsaved loved ones, those that die without receiving Jesus Christ as their Saviour. I know from the Word of God that when an unbeliever dies, they have already made their eternal choice - whether we agree with it or not. The Lord took them when He knew it was best, according to His infinite wisdom. I believe that an all-knowing God would not take an unbeliever while they were searching, looking for truth, if He knew that person would come to place personal faith in Jesus a little further down the road. He has promised that those who seek Him will find Him.

Two verses that have really eased my mind on this point are:

Matthew 10:29-31 Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.

Our Heavenly Father is in control of when we die. When we do, it will be according to His perfect will, not an accident or oversight. We can trust Him with our lives and our deaths.

Revelation 1:18 I am He that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

Jesus Christ has the keys of Hell and death. That means that no one dies without His say, no unbeliever goes to Hell until He says so. Even the devil has to get permission to kill a believer. (See Job 1:12; 2:6) Our job, as believers, is to ensure that we have done all we can to reach the lost around us, especially our loved ones. If we are doing so, then when an unbeliever we love has died, we don't have to be tormented in mind about what ifs. They made their choice, and the Lord has allowed them the free-will to do so.

When Jesus was dying on the cross, He submitted His will to the will of His Heavenly Father, and trusted His Father with His spirit in death. Luke 23:46 And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, He said, Father, into Thy hands I commend My spirit: and having said thus, He gave up the ghost. Jesus is our example to follow. If we are saved, we can trust our Heavenly Father in this area as well. To die in faith will not be a problem, if we live in faith. If we trust the Lord with our spirit (and soul) during our lives, it will be an easy matter to trust Him with our spirit in death. Psalm 31:5 Into Thine hand I commit my spirit: Thou hast redeemed me, O LORD God of truth. 2 Timothy 1:12 For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day.

When a believer dies, it is like taking a walk through a valley. Ps 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me. It is only the shadow of death. Jesus Christ has taken away the sting and bite of it. (See 1 Corinthians 15:55, 57) For the believer, there is nothing to fear – only endless glory to look forward to.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

I especially like the next verse (verse 18): Wherefore comfort one another with these words. There’s a reason these promises are in the Bible. They were put in there by the Lord to encourage and strengthen us, to comfort us, and to exhort us to to keep our eyes on the future hope of seeing all our saved loved ones again someday. That someday won’t be too far away. Oh come, Lord Jesus.

Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of His saints.
Psalm 116:15

And, Lord, haste the day when the faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll,
The trump shall resound and the Lord shall descend,
“Even so” – it is well with my soul.
(From the hymn It Is Well With My Soul by H.G. Spafford.)

I've Gone Home

I've gone home to see my Father,
I've gone home, so don't you cry
I'll be waiting for you in Heaven,
In my mansion prepared on high.

No more sickness, no more sorrow,
No more pain, and no more grief.
I've gone home to be with Jesus
Though my sojourn here was brief.

I've gone home to live in Heaven
With all the blessed saints of old,
Here with Abraham and David
To stroll through streets of gold.

I've gone home to be in Heaven
Where there's no sadness, and no night.
There is joy and peace unending,
In this blissful land of light.

But there's something else more beautiful,
So precious, beyond this crystal sea,
As I wander through realms of glory
I find my Saviour walks with me.

I've gone home to be in Heaven,
Though you miss me, and tears abound,
Just keep believing in God's promises,
And listening for that trumpet sound.

Because one day in God's timing
When the Lord calls out your name
Look to the skies in awe and wonder -
We'll see each other again.

Poem written August 1st, 2002
Study written June 5th, 2002
By Jerry Bouey

Let's Go to Church - the Pillar and Ground of the Truth!

“But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.”

I Timothy 3:15

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The church is not the truth, the word of God is.  It is the responsibility and mission of the church to hold up the truth by being the ground and the pillar on which it stands.  Without the local church, the truth falls to the ground and into obscurity.  As a Christian, you need to find a good church and stick with it.

I’ve gone to church my whole life, and I’ve seen the good fruit of it in my life, my wife’s life, and my children’s lives.  For every one bad story that you tell me, I can tell you about fifty good ones, no sweat.  Christians hurt themselves, their families, and their potential for their Saviour and eternal rewards when they fail to find a church to get plugged into. 

Concerning church attendance, there are those that are sick and can’t go to church even though that is what they would like to do, but there are also Christians that don’t go to church on purpose.  There are biblical reasons for everyone to go to church.  If someone is willingly abstaining from church, they are a backslider. 

There are four types of backsliders that do not regularly attend church (all a backslider is is a person that is going backwards).  Please be willing to examine your heart in light of the Bible.  Look at these groups and see if you may find yourself identifying with one of them. 

1 Timothy 1:12-17

1Ti 1:12 ¶ And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;

1Ti 1:13 Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.

1Ti 1:14 And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

1Ti 1:15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

1Ti 1:16 Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.

1Ti 1:17 Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Where Do Babies Go When They Die?

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A reader recently asked a question on the Calvinism articles about what happens to babies when they die.  The answer is very clear in the Bible, and it’s a blessing to be able to know for sure that when the tragedy of losing a baby occurs, that the child will be in Heaven forever.  I can’t think of anything more tragic then losing a little baby!  Rest assured, the Bible has an answer for this concern.

10 Things Teens Won’t Tell You

10 Things Teens Won’t Tell You
By Cary Schmidt (published by permission)

Have you noticed that teens are tight lipped? For a myriad of reasons—usually intimidation being the biggest—they really find it difficult to talk to adults at times. This is especially true with parents. In every home, there is a spiritual battle against authentic communication. Let’s face it—the devil doesn’t want parents and teens to truly open their hearts to each other.

But strong families resist this battle and conquer it. On the other side of the mountain of silence is a fertile meadow of healthy hearts. It’s a deliberate journey to get there, but it’s worth the effort. There isn’t a much sweeter experience in life than open, honest, heart-full communication between a parent and teen. When you have it, you gain a deep, satisfactory sense that this is what God intended in a family.

Malachi 4:6 teaches, “And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers…” In an effort to turn your heart toward your children, I wanted to share the results of a simple survey I did with our students several years ago. These statements and quotes came from faithful Christian adults who grew up in godly homes and in our youth group. The quotes below is what they shared about why they stayed faithful God. This list is what your teens think, whether they tell you or not; and it’s a great place to start a conversation:

1. I know whether you are faking it or not. (Contradiction is extremely confusing.) Amazingly, teens can see straight through us. They know our hearts, they constantly evaluate our motives, our spirit, and our life. If it’s consistent, then they accept our faith as real. If not, then they struggle with the conflict and often reject our faith outright.

Quote: “The teens are encouraged to read their Bibles and I am sure some of them have never seen their parents even pray outside of church.”

Quote: “I don’t think my parents ever contradicted themselves. They live honest lives, which makes it easy to trust them.”

Quote: “Honestly, I can’t remember my parents ever faking it. They were very open and honest with me.”

2. I need to talk openly with you about our faith. (Make sense of my faith.) Teens have questions. That doesn’t automatically make them rebels. They simply need to make a legitimate connection between God’s principles and real life. Many parents see this as the church’s responsibility. And, in part, it is. But every parent must help their teens see the common sense behind God’s eternal truth.

Quote: “My parents were great at this – especially my dad. He would always be bringing up different spiritual issues and explaining to me why we believed it. Sometimes he would bring up different arguments that unsaved people give about some of the things we believe, and he would explain to us why these arguments were wrong.”

Quote: “I never had to bring up a conversation about God or what we believed. My parents were always using every chance they got to expound on why we believe what we believe- there’s a spiritual moral to everything in life.”

Quote: “I grew up in a great church with great Bible preaching (that left few holes to be filled). I didn’t go to my parents often with questions about our faith, but when I did, I receive a Bible answer.”