One of the songs we teach little children reflected in the title of this article, warns them to be careful what they do with their eyes. All of us need to remember this lesson as we decide which TV shows and movies to watch, which books to read, which songs to listen to, and what to do on the Internet.
Recent Studies
U.S. News and World Report reported that teens who watch sex on TV are more likely to start having intercourse (USNews.com, 9/7/04).
Researchers at the RAND corp., the study referenced in the US News and World report above, found that it didn't matter if kids watched sexual behavior or if people just talked about sex on TV; the result was the same — kids who watch TV shows with sexual content are more likely to be sexually active.
The conclusion in the RAND study states that "watching sex on TV predicts and may hasten adolescent sexual initiation." Also that "reducing the amount of sexual content in entertainment programming, reducing adolescent exposure to this content, or increasing references to and depictions of possible negative consequences of sexual activity could appreciably delay the initiation" of sexual activities (PEDIATRICS, Vol. 114, No. 3, September 2004, pp. e280-e289).
A new study released in Pediatrics this month concluded that "exposure to sexual content in music, movies, television, and magazines accelerates white adolescents' sexual activity and increases their risk of engaging in early sexual intercourse" by as much as 2.2 times (PEDIATRICS Vol. 117 No. 4 April 2006, pp. 1018-1027).
Jesus Said It
These studies prove what we already know to be true. Jesus said, "The eye is the light of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. . . ." (Matt. 6:22-23).
Jesus tells us that we will become what we watch with our eyes. If we view good things, this will help us be good. But if we view evil things, this will encourage us to be evil.
Evil Companions
Paul warns us, "Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company corrupts good morals'" (1 Cor. 15:33).
If we watch evil entertainment, we are prone to imitate the evil things we see. If we watch sexual content, we are prone to imitate the sexual behavior we see. If we watch violence, we are prone to imitate the violent behavior we see.
All of us should determine to turn from the deception of Satan, turning away from wickedness that corrupts good morals.
Be Committed, Like David
David's commitment was, "I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes" (Ps. 101:3).
All Christians should make the same commitment. It's not possible for us to avoid all the evil that is in the world. But we can avoid evil in many respects, including TV, movies, the Internet, video games, books, magazines, and music.
If you haven't made the same commitment as David, why don't you make it today? Set no wicked thing before your eyes!
Monday, February 28, 2011
Anxiety-What is it?
How is anxiety different from depression?
People who are anxious have feelings of fear, nervousness, and are apprehensive. Those who are depressed feel empty, alone and sad
Anxiety causes one to always feel uptight. They have tense muscles, heart palpitations, nausea, diarrhea and a general feeling of agitation. Like an animal in a cage or a garment being tossed about in a washing machine.
Depression slows you down, makes you feel tired and sleepy. You feel as if you are in slow motion all the time. You may say to yourself "will this ever go away?"
An anxious person will always be on the edge of their seat, easily startled. You may become an perfectionist and worry if you can do the job right.
Those who are depressed will slump. They don't have the energy to sit up straight. They are no longer interested in hobbies they once enjoyed.
Anxiety causes one to have a very real fear of death. They may think of it often, but they do not think of suicide. They are afraid that they are not ready to meet God. They will often stay home for fear of an accident. They constantly worry what will happen to them, where will they do, what will their family do.....if they die.
Those who are deeply depressed only think of dieing. They believe that is all that is left for them and its the only way to stop feeling so bad. Those who are depressed often think of suicide. They just want it all to go away.
Over the next few days I hope to be posting more about anxiety and depression. I hope to take a Biblical look at it and see what we can do to overcome or help those we love to overcome these two debilitating issues.
Please feel free to comment or ask a question. If you would are more comfortable with a private discussion email me brandypack@charter.net
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Teaching Your Children to be Reverant in Worship #1
John 4:23,24- But the hour is coming and now is when the TRUE worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is a spirit, and those that worship him MUST worship him in spirit and truth.
If we are to teach our children to be reverant in worship, we must first be reverant ourselves. Despite what most people will tell you, God IS interested in the little details! In Old Testament times worship was very ritual and detailed. Today God looks at our character....where our heart is. He knows how many hairs are on your head. Details are still important!
1 Tim. 1:17- Now to the King Eternal, immortal, invisiable....be honor and glory forever and ever. How would you conduct yourself in worship with a great king were there, or the president? God is always with us! He is eternal, immortal and invisible. He deserves the best we can give!
John 3:16- For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son....That same King Eternal gave his only Son to save you. Do you think he deserves a TRUE WORSHIPPER?
Hebrews 12:28,29-let us have grace....serve God acceptable with reverance and godly fear.
I found three Greek definitions for reverance:
1. to feel respect for, defer to-much like we would a king or president
2. fear-as a wife does her husband-a good wife does things to please her husband because she is afraid of dissapointing him.
3. Caution- as used in Hebrews 12:28,29- If we love God we will use caution in our worship. We want to be sure that we worship Him in the way He wants to be worshipped.
A TRUE worshipper will serve God with complete devotion. A TRUE worshipper will show respect for God's word with it is being read, taught or sang.
Remember---"where two or three are come together in my name, there I am in the midst of them"
Once we have taught ourselves to worship God the way GOD wants to be worshipped, then we teach that same reverance to our children.
Part Two-Suggestions
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Coming to the Defense of Sin and Error by Jonathan Perz
A common problem that always seems to surround sin and sinners is the need for people to come to their defense. We see this clearly in the controversy surrounding President Clinton and we see it in churches and homes. Often times, people will soften the blows of truth to comfort those they deem afflicted. Too often, people will condemn the righteous while comforting the sinner. Many times, excuses are made for sin and error. Is this God’s wisdom or is it man’s? Is this what the Bible teaches we should do or do we have things backwards? What does the Bible have to say regarding the defense of sin and error?
Exposing Error
When one is steeped in sin and error, the last thing they want is someone to expose their error, even though it is what they need (Ephesians 5:11-12). In John 3:20-21, it is written, “For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”
Clearly, when a person has sin in their life, their eternal soul is in jeopardy. We know sin separates man from his God (Isaiah 59:1-2). Therefore out of love, both for God and man, friends and loved ones must seek to expose those who are in error and save them from hell. In Galatians 6:1, the Bible says, “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, you who are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering yourself, lest you also be tempted” (see also James 5:19-20; Jude 22-23). These are the commands of God. Yet, this becomes extremely difficult when men come to the defense of sin and error.
Softening The Blows of Truth
Under the guise of love, defenders will seek to soften the chastisement of men who are speaking the truth in love. They themselves neglect to affirm the truth. Rather than admonish those in error, they comfort them. Rather than save them from eternal destruction, they let them fall headlong into it. This is tragic!
What defenders of error and sin fail to realize is that when a man speaks the words of God, it is the chastisement of God they reveal. In Revelation 3:19, the Bible says, “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent” (read also Hebrews 12:5-11). This is what the word of God, which is sharper than any two-edged sword, has the power to do (Hebrews 4:12; Romans 1:16).
Yet, men dull the blades of truth by softening the blows of God. Defenders of sin and error use words like humbled, broken, crushed, distressed, and contrite to describe the sinner and pull emotion and pity from the hearts of those who must expose their error. Sometimes, such words are fitting and true and manifest themselves in godly sorrow and repentance (2 Corinthians 7:8-11). However, more often than not the sinner—when confronted and exposed—becomes angry, upset, puffed-up, prideful and defiant. These are not the fruits of humility. These are the fruits of a man lost in sin. These are the signs of a man who does not need watered down medication to cure the woes of his soul, but strong doses of truth to humble and heal him (James 4:4-10; 1 Peter 5:6-9).
Condemning The Righteous
He who justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the just, Both of them alike are an abomination to the Lord. (Prov. 17:15)
Another problem with those who defend sin and error is that they condemn those who are standing for truth and righteousness. Those who justify wickedness attribute names and motives to those who seek to uphold the word of God (1 Kings 18:17-18). They are called mean-spirited, evil, unloving, and unkind. They are likened unto bulldogs, vultures and carnivores. They are accused of attacking innocent people, making a big deal out of nothing, hitting men when they are down, and focusing on trifles and small vices of others. All of this, whether intended or not, clouds the waters of righteousness and diverts attention from those in sin. Why can’t men understand how God feels about such evasive and unrighteous maneuvering?The wise man wrote in Proverbs 17:15, “He that justifies the wicked, and he that condemns the just, even both are abomination to the Lord.” Again, in Proverbs 28:4, the Bible says, “They that forsake the law praise the wicked: but such as keep the law contend with them.” The apostle Paul asked of the Galatians in Galatians 4:16, “Therefore, have I become your enemy because I tell you the truth?”
This attitude needs to be likened unto one who despises a doctor for saving their life. Or a child who says ‘I hate you’ when they do not get their way. In a very physical sense, would I be despised of you for breaking your arm by pulling you out of the way of an oncoming car? It is the same thing as condemning the righteous.
Never Make Excuses
Sin and error do not need excuses, they need exposure. They do not need defense, they need truth. There is no excuse that will make sin and error right in the sight of God. For that matter, there will be no excuses or defenders in the judgment—only the Lord, yourself and the life you have lived. There will be no loopholes, gray area or confusion—only a righteous and just examination of your life and a speedy judgment.
When we make excuses for sin and error, we do a grave disservice to the guilty. The Bible says, “Let favor be showed to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness; in the land of uprightness will he deal wrongfully, and will not behold the majesty of Jehovah” (Isaiah 26:10). Again, in Jeremiah 23:14, the Bible says, “I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies: they strengthen also the hands of evildoers, that none doth return from his wickedness: they are all of them unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah.” Excusing sin now prolongs justice until the end, when it is too late.
Conclusion
It would be unfair to say that there are not cases of people suffering “unrighteous judgment.” It happens often. There are many false accusers who will give account of themselves before God. But, the apostle Peter gives the righteous man the correct attitude to bear in such cases (read 1 Peter 2:19-20).
Overall, in Ecclesiastes 8:11, the Bible summarizes the danger of defending sin and error in one statement: “Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.” Next time we decide to take up the fight for those who commit sin and teach error, let us think hard on these words.
Exposing Error
When one is steeped in sin and error, the last thing they want is someone to expose their error, even though it is what they need (Ephesians 5:11-12). In John 3:20-21, it is written, “For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”
Clearly, when a person has sin in their life, their eternal soul is in jeopardy. We know sin separates man from his God (Isaiah 59:1-2). Therefore out of love, both for God and man, friends and loved ones must seek to expose those who are in error and save them from hell. In Galatians 6:1, the Bible says, “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, you who are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering yourself, lest you also be tempted” (see also James 5:19-20; Jude 22-23). These are the commands of God. Yet, this becomes extremely difficult when men come to the defense of sin and error.
Softening The Blows of Truth
Under the guise of love, defenders will seek to soften the chastisement of men who are speaking the truth in love. They themselves neglect to affirm the truth. Rather than admonish those in error, they comfort them. Rather than save them from eternal destruction, they let them fall headlong into it. This is tragic!
What defenders of error and sin fail to realize is that when a man speaks the words of God, it is the chastisement of God they reveal. In Revelation 3:19, the Bible says, “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent” (read also Hebrews 12:5-11). This is what the word of God, which is sharper than any two-edged sword, has the power to do (Hebrews 4:12; Romans 1:16).
Yet, men dull the blades of truth by softening the blows of God. Defenders of sin and error use words like humbled, broken, crushed, distressed, and contrite to describe the sinner and pull emotion and pity from the hearts of those who must expose their error. Sometimes, such words are fitting and true and manifest themselves in godly sorrow and repentance (2 Corinthians 7:8-11). However, more often than not the sinner—when confronted and exposed—becomes angry, upset, puffed-up, prideful and defiant. These are not the fruits of humility. These are the fruits of a man lost in sin. These are the signs of a man who does not need watered down medication to cure the woes of his soul, but strong doses of truth to humble and heal him (James 4:4-10; 1 Peter 5:6-9).
Condemning The Righteous
He who justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the just, Both of them alike are an abomination to the Lord. (Prov. 17:15)
Another problem with those who defend sin and error is that they condemn those who are standing for truth and righteousness. Those who justify wickedness attribute names and motives to those who seek to uphold the word of God (1 Kings 18:17-18). They are called mean-spirited, evil, unloving, and unkind. They are likened unto bulldogs, vultures and carnivores. They are accused of attacking innocent people, making a big deal out of nothing, hitting men when they are down, and focusing on trifles and small vices of others. All of this, whether intended or not, clouds the waters of righteousness and diverts attention from those in sin. Why can’t men understand how God feels about such evasive and unrighteous maneuvering?The wise man wrote in Proverbs 17:15, “He that justifies the wicked, and he that condemns the just, even both are abomination to the Lord.” Again, in Proverbs 28:4, the Bible says, “They that forsake the law praise the wicked: but such as keep the law contend with them.” The apostle Paul asked of the Galatians in Galatians 4:16, “Therefore, have I become your enemy because I tell you the truth?”
This attitude needs to be likened unto one who despises a doctor for saving their life. Or a child who says ‘I hate you’ when they do not get their way. In a very physical sense, would I be despised of you for breaking your arm by pulling you out of the way of an oncoming car? It is the same thing as condemning the righteous.
Never Make Excuses
Sin and error do not need excuses, they need exposure. They do not need defense, they need truth. There is no excuse that will make sin and error right in the sight of God. For that matter, there will be no excuses or defenders in the judgment—only the Lord, yourself and the life you have lived. There will be no loopholes, gray area or confusion—only a righteous and just examination of your life and a speedy judgment.
When we make excuses for sin and error, we do a grave disservice to the guilty. The Bible says, “Let favor be showed to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness; in the land of uprightness will he deal wrongfully, and will not behold the majesty of Jehovah” (Isaiah 26:10). Again, in Jeremiah 23:14, the Bible says, “I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies: they strengthen also the hands of evildoers, that none doth return from his wickedness: they are all of them unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah.” Excusing sin now prolongs justice until the end, when it is too late.
Conclusion
It would be unfair to say that there are not cases of people suffering “unrighteous judgment.” It happens often. There are many false accusers who will give account of themselves before God. But, the apostle Peter gives the righteous man the correct attitude to bear in such cases (read 1 Peter 2:19-20).
Overall, in Ecclesiastes 8:11, the Bible summarizes the danger of defending sin and error in one statement: “Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.” Next time we decide to take up the fight for those who commit sin and teach error, let us think hard on these words.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
My Daddy
I just thought I would share this picture of my Daddy with everyone. My nephew made the picture. You can see other pictures he has made by going to http://photosbyforeveryours.com/
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)