Christians, We Are Losing Our Youth!

Seventy percent of our churched Christian youth leave our local churches by high school graduation.

Yes. This is no exaggeration. This figure is based on my research and on observation of the behavior of the young people I have seen in various parishes. It is based on my own personal experience. We Christian parents give birth to our children, pray for them, teach them about God and Christ, send them to Sunday School and youth groups, and may even pay to send them to Christian schools, or home-school them. Yet another, pretty well-known but most unsettling figure is this: Only 6 percent of those youth who don't convert to Christ by age 18 will come to know Him in later life. Scary!

Why Are We Losing So Many of Our Youth?

The reasons are varied and complex. The influences of the culture are pervasive and powerful, so much so that they actually seem to influence and shape our young people more than the family and the Church do. The media are number one, in my opinion, with our children and teens being influenced by TV, computers, mobile devices, and social media. Then there are celebrities, and these are often NOT stellar role models, people like Justin Bieber and Miley Cyrus. We have TV and magazines drilling it into our youth, especially girls, that life is about the pursuit about the body beautiful. All of us are much influenced by the materialism of our culture, and this includes our young. Children and teens in public schools are more affected, but those who are blessed to be home-schooled or sent to Christian schools do not escape. Teens get the idea, sadly, that sometime after confirmation (which is a tradition in many parishes), they "have had enough religion." But there is several factors that we tend to overlook when we try to "figure out" why we lose so many youth from the Church.

What Are We Missing?

It is absolutely essential to pay attention to all the factors above and for we Christian parents and the Church to teach youth Christian values that are counter-cultural but Biblical. But I have learned some things from my own experience, from observation, and from research. That is, that our local churches fail youth in key ways. First, Sunday School and youth groups fail to rightly divide Law and Gospel, emphasizing Christian behavior more than God's forgiving grace. How is this done? We tend to focus on the virtues of popular Bible heroes MORE than stressing God's love and grace in pursuing and choosing these heroes and stressing that their stellar lives are the RESULTS of faith in a gracious God and NOT the cause of HIs favor toward them! Children and teens get turned off by a graceless rules-based presentation because they feel heavily burdened. We are to, first, let children and teens know that God loves us, gave His Son for us, and through trusting Him, being good is the result of knowing Him. Yes, behavior matters and we should stress it. The way God is presented, Christianity is confused with man-made religion. Second, we fail to disciple our youth by modeling Christian attitudes and behavior, and showing them how to do the same. We send them to fun youth groups, which are fine. But when there is no system of integrating them into congregational life, they may no longer feel "part of the church." Guess what? They often exit the back door! Then, third, we fail to show them how to think for themselves and not sallow the culture's false values.

Therefore, most of them conclude that they want no part of this institution we call "the church!"

What Can We Fix This?

I'm the first to say that it is NOT easy to be a part of the solution to this horrific issue of losing so many of our youth out of the Church. First, we need to pray for our youth, that God woo them with His seeking love, and not content ourselves with them being "good kids" who get good grades, go to church or youth group, and "cause no trouble." That is, we should NOT be content with our children and teens grow up "following the rules" and being outwardly "Christian" without knowing Christ. All children need Jesus as Savior, and we need to prioritize them having a faith relationship with God. Second, we need to model Christian attitudes and behavior and show them how to act the same. Third, we are to show them how to think for themselves. Yes, all this means time, wisdom, courage, and sacrifice. Like anyone, I'm on a learning curve here!

But aren't they worth it?

The above photo is courtesy of MorgueFile, by "Keyseeker," and can be found here.

This is a valuable resource for parents and churches who want to know how best to reach our youth.

The Center for Parent-Youth Understanding.

Listen up, Youth, Parents and Professionals

Blank Missing Child Poster

There is a silent but huge epidemic taking place in the Western world. It should unsettle parents of teenagers, teachers and others who serve teens, including educators, teachers, counselors, pediatricians, child psychologist, and others. Daily, when I log into my Facebook account, I see posters and cases of missing teenagers. I see one case after another. It seems like there is no end! Many of them are classified as "endangered runaways," and many of these teens are found safe. But many are not! High-profile cases should alarm us, such as Natalee Halloway, Brittanee Drexel, Alexis Murphy, Tabatha Tuders, and Alexandria Joy Lowlitzer, just to name a few. They are all still missing, though Murphy and Halloway are presumed dead. Elizabeth Smart was found safe but Smart is unusual for a teen who is kidnapped. In my home state of Missouri, Kara Kopetsky and Bianca Piper have been missing for years. Sadly, I can go on and on.

Brothers and sisters in Jesus, we can't afford to turn a blind eye to what is happening around us. Especially pertaining to our children and youth. We may want to believe that because we follow Christ and are raising our children to follow Him, that these things "cannot happen to us." But do we really have grounds for this belief? We Christians are in this world. It is a fallen, sinful world, and we are aware that evil seems to be getting worse. Therefore, Pastors, Christian leaders, and especially developers and leaders of youth ministries should educate themselves about child safety at National Center For Missing and Exploited Children and at LostNMissing, Inc. Christian youth, you need to heed this message too.

Why Do Teens Vanish?

1). Running away, due to poor parenting or rebellion against adult authority. 2) Human trafficking. Many teens (and pre-teens) within 24 hours of running away, will be approached by pimps who will offer them a "better life" and those who accept will find themselves trapped in a hell of sex slavery and degradation. However, not all human trafficking victims are runaways.

3). Meeting up with someone they encountered online. Like pimps who lure children, these strangers will lure teens away from home in favor of a "better life." That "better life" may end up in brutal rape, human trafficking (mentioned above) and worse, murder.

4). Family kidnapping, usually with siblings.

5). Stranger kidnapping (least common reason).

The above poster is courtesy of LostNMissing, Inc. I'm not a partner of or affiliated with this nonprofit.

Christians, We Need To Help Prevent & End Abuse, Especially Child Abuse

Child abuse. That awful word. That awful reality.

Brothers and sisters in Jesus, there is a scourge on our society. It also affects us in the Church. It is not just "out there." Because of disturbing statistics, we Christians are not immune to the reality of abuse in our communities, including child abuse. We can't afford to leave victim advocacy to the world and to act like abuse and domestic violence do not affect us. It is a sad fact of life in a fallen world, of which we are a part. Years ago, it broke my heart to read of a much trusted, exemplary Christian leader of a Christ-centered nonprofit be accused of child molestation and respond by killing himself, ostensibly to flee justice.

There have been far too many heart-wrenching cases of missing children in which child abuse has been suspected or confirmed to help explain their disappearances. High-profile cases include baby Gabriel Johnson, Haleigh Cummings, Hassani Campbell  and Kyron Hormon, just to name a few. And each of them is still missing! No doubt, there are countless other such children, whether they are still missing, have been found alive or sadly, dead. Currently, there are two missing babies, Baby Elaina and Levon Wameling, who both have been found dead, probably because of abuse-related murder. Abuse or neglect have been suspected in their cases from the start, and they are just two examples! There are many child abuse deaths of unfortunate children who are simply killed without going through being missing. A few of them have been well-known. But for every case of these, there are far more very similar cases. It is estimated that three children, each day, die as a result of child abuse. This child abuse, along with abuse of people of all ages, is getting no better but seems to be getting worse. This is despite many movements to stop child abuse and massive yearly awareness events. Somehow, despite all that is being done to raise awareness, there seems to not be enough being done at the practical, grassroots level where the difference is to be made. Therefore, this post that I have done in the past, seems to be as relevant and needed as ever. These are practical suggestions for how to help end child abuse.

1). Screen anyone whom you allow to babysit your children, especially if you need them to do this on a regular basis or they will be doing this from your home. Sadly, people are so often not what they seem to be or claim to be. Interview your candidates. If you can afford it, run background checks on these candidates. Ask them for references and call each one, paying attention to what they say and how they say it.

2). Little things can mean a lot. If you are standing in line in anywhere and you see a mom or dad with young children behind you, allow them to go ahead of you. If you see a family with young children driving behind you, grant them the right-of-way.

3) Try to always put your child's name on the inside, not outside, of all clothing and possessions, to protect their privacy and to guard them from nosy predators. It's sad that this must be done but since those nosy predators can be hard to identify, we can never be too careful.

4). If you have very young children or children with special needs who may wander, install locks on screen doors, front and back. Yes, this may sound confining but isn't it better to be safe than sorry?

5). If you have children who use the Internet, especially if they use social networking sites (SNS), monitor what they do online. Yes, they probably will resent it but, in time, they will come to appreciate it. Do not let underage children (under age 13) set up SNS accounts on Facebook, You Tube, My Space or other SNS. If you can, encourage them to hold off using SNS until they reach age 18! And if they use SNS, set up their computers in an area where they can be easily supervised. There is too much drama and too many harmful people in cyberspace.

6). You are justly proud of your child's accomplishments and you want to "show off" your child. But bear in mind that you never know where the eyes of predators are lurking, looking for easy prey to exploit and victimize. So refrain from putting up bumper stickers that proclaim, "My Child Is An Honor Student" or "The Proud Parent of An Eagle Scout" or anything else that can identify your child to predators.

7). Befriend a single mother, especially if she is poor or without a strong support system. Single mothers, with all their stresses, are at-risk and becoming overwhelmed and so are most easily tempted to take out their frustrations out on their children or neglect them; this includes relying on them for companionship or expecting too much from them.

8). It's normal for your beautiful children to be the apples of your eye. But if you use social networks, never forget that predators lurk unseen in cyberspace. Therefore, minimize uploading photos and videos of your children on the Internet, including SNS. And I strongly discourage using their names if you enjoy putting up family photos and never their full birthdates. Among all the good folks on SNS, online predators lurk and we have few ways to identify them.

9). We need to overcome our inhibitions and talk to our children about sexuality and sexual abuse. They need to know how to protect themselves from being victimized as we cannot always be around to protect them. We need to let them know that they are to ignore any orders to "keep secrets." Silence empowers predators which is the LAST thing anyone wants.

10). Do not discipline a child in anger. Cool down before taking action. So much abuse, including that which results in death to children, comes from tempers out of control.

11). If it is for you, volunteer to be a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) to serve as a voice in the system for abused and neglected children. If interested, visit the national CASA website at: Court Appointed Special Advocates for Abused & Neglected Children (CASA).

12).If you are expecting or pursuing adoption, ensure that you have a solid support system in place. My heart goes out to those of you who have no extended family nearby; in that case try to find giving, helpful people who will support you. This holds true especially if you are a single parent, have a disability or other life challenges. The support will reduce the stress of parenting and lesson the temptation to abuse or neglect your children (ren).

13). Appeal to legislators to release more funds to anger management classes and parenting classes in public schools at the high school level, in place of all the higher match that is required of students. After all, what skills will students need to succeed at parenting and relationships, algebraic skills or people skills?

14). Try to never allow any child 17 or under, walk alone anywhere for any reason, even when it may be more convenient. We have far too often heard of the terrible things that happen to children who are left unattended!

15). If you are new and especially a young parent who is petrified of your new parenting responsibility, you do have options other than doing something desperate that you'll never forgive yourself for. You can leave your family with a responsible adult or take your baby to a church, a hospital or to any local police station. They may track you and hold you accountable, but there are many childless couples who will be overjoyed to take your baby!

16). Child identity theft is on the rise; a child so victimized won't realize what's been done to him or her until it's time to apply for a job, an apartment, a loan, or for a host of other goods and services that most take for granted. Don't give out your child's Social Security Number or full birthdate to anyone unless they NEED to know to help your child. And if you are tempted to use your child's Social Security Number for any reason, don't! This is child abuse.

17). If it is for you, run for political office, making children's rights your political platform.

18). Children with autism or other behavioral issues are the most abused children of all, according to research and my experience. This is because frustrated and overwhelmed (and maybe uninformed) parents and other caregivers lash out in frustration by verbal, emotional and even physical or sexual abuse. Children with special needs are even more vulnerable than typical children. If you are the parent or caregiver of a child with special needs, seek resources in your area where you can get referrals to those who can grant you respite care and guidance.

19). If you have emotional baggage from a troubled past, whether you are a parent or not, try to find a trusted person (s) to work though your issues with, whether a psychologist, psychiatrist, social worker, pastor or other person. In this way, you will be breaking a cycle that can pass from one generation to another. We do not have to remain products of our upbringings. In this way, by empowering yourself, you will be free to meet your child (ren's) needs.

20). If you grown overwhelmed as a parent, get help. So many cases of abuse, especially child abuse, deaths have happened because frustrated parents or caregivers have resorted to abuse spinning out of control and killing children. Hard as it is, tell yourself to walk away, take deep breaths or pray. And DO call 1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-44530 or 9-1-1, and find alternatives to abuse.

21). If you struggle with a substance abuse addiction, especially drugs or alcohol, please get professional help! Substance abuse sets you up to neglect or abuse your children. Of course, you still love them as much as ever, but your body "needs" to "feed" your addiction even more. You will stoop to anything to sustain your addiction and are powerless to conquer it on your own. To save your family, get help!

22). Men, take responsibility for the children whom you father, even if you are not married to their mother! It is so unfair to get females pregnant and then desert them, leaving them alone to raise your children. Such moms are at-risk because of their stresses, of abusing and neglecting your children. Anf if you are married, don't leave all parenting to your wife. Parenting is a team effort.

23). If you know or suspect that a child is being abused, do not be silent. Call 1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453) or 9-1-1.

24). Parents, raise your children to manage their anger, teach and model empathy and resolve their conflicts with words, not fists. Set the example, hard as this may be to do at times.

25). So many cases of child abuse and child abuse deaths happen because of wrongful court decisions in child custody cases and because of a broken system. There is no easy answer to this but appeals to the government may be the first step, so that the system will attract competent, dedicated people who are adequately paid for their work and where corrupt judges will be removed from office. This will enable the appointments of competent judges of compassion and integrity.

26).Spousal or partner abuse often mushrooms into child abuse. When we talk about preventing or ending child abuse we need to address other forms of abuse. In situations where spouses are being abused, will child removal fix the problem? According to many courts, it is! But how about looking for ways to help abused spouses leave with their children, rather than remove the children and further victimize both the children and the non-abusive partners. There are safe-houses, of course, but they are often underfunded, space is limited and there are time limits to staying before the abused parents is again on her own with the children. Instead of asking, "Why doesn't she just leave him?" as seems to be the instinctive things to ask in such situations, the focus should be on trying to keep the non-abusing parent and the child (ren) together and avoid further abuse from the system which is known as parental alienation and itself child abuse.

27). Human trafficking isn't something that is "out there." Like it or not, it is happening, from coast to coast, even in the US and to children in stable, loving homes as it happens to those from bad homes. What happens is that children, around the age of 12, may run away from home or get caught up in other situations where someone approaches them and tell them that they will find a "better life" if they go to "work" for a "new family." Lured and then sold, they find themselves trapped and are made to do unimaginable things; there are many who never survive or escape. You can educate yourself at the website for Not for Sale, a nonprofit that fights human trafficking. Visit:
Not For Sale.
And if you even suspect that you see a person who may be a human trafficking victim, you can contact Truckers Against Trafficking at: 1-888-373-7888.

28). If you are in the position to do so, adopt a child. You may be rescuing a child (ren) from an abusive home, even saving their live (s).

29). Strongly discourage your older child (ren) to not date or get romantically involved with anyone with known violent tendencies; do as much "due diligence" as you can on them. You will be sorry to pour so much into raising a child (ren), only to see them ruin themselves in bad marriages!

30). Bullying should always be discussed when we talk about preventing and ending child abuse. Just because the abuse is done peer-to-peer does not make this form of abuse any less and the scars of those who survive this abuse are much the same as the scars of those who survive any other form of abuse. No matter what form abuse takes or who it is done by, abuse hurts. Parents, teach and model empathy, kindness and compassion. The rest of us should practice these qualities and not tolerate any peer abuse that we witness, whether in person or online.

31). If you are single and in a relationship, do not be afraid to research this person and if you can afford it, do a background check on them. That way, if you find any kind of abuse or violence in their background, you know to not pursue a relationship with the person. So many cases of abuse, including child abuse, could have been prevented if this had been done by adults who did not make the effort to research the backgrounds of their partners or spouses. Learn from the mistakes of so many whose stories have been made painfully public and do your homework when you consider entering a relationship.

32). We Christians need to work together to educate ourselves about abuse and domestic violence. We need to work to make our churches safe places for victims of all ages to share their secrets, and for people who struggle with temptations to abuse to get the help they need BEFORE abuse happens. We need to face the stark fact that all of us are fallen and sinful and that we have no reason to look down on abusers. Given the right setting, each of us are capable of poor choices that could ruin our lives and that of those around us.

This is no complete list but you get the concept. Abuse can be prevented. It is up to us to prevent it. We don't have to organize, spend money, raise money, form committees and create huge events to make a difference. We can make a difference right where we are. These things that I have mentioned are simple (not easy) everyday things that all of us can do that make the world a better place. There is an established anti-child abuse nonprofit that is an outlet for ways to make a difference.

This nonprofit is called Childhelp. Their website is comprehensive and offers many ways to get involved. They offer the 24/7 hotline that I have mentioned twice in this post, material where you can educate yourself about child abuse, volunteer opportunities, a public school initiative to prevent child sexual abuse and even a forum for survivor stories. And if you feel so inclined, you can donate. You can visit Childhelp's website: ChildHelp.

The epidemic of child abuse is so horrific that our awareness efforts can never be enough to address it. This is 365 days a year, 24/7.

Child abuse is the business of each us of. We need to mind our own business.

Christians According to Culture

Christians. Saved people.

You may be one of those who I specifically target in this BlogSpot, though anyone is welcome here. If you are, you may have been baptized as an infant. You may have been baptized as an adult. You may have been confirmed through a local congregation. You may have gone forward at a local service or ministry event. You may have raised your hand there. You may have said the sinner's prayer. You may be a Sunday School teacher. You may run a music ministry. You may sing in the choir. You may be a Christian singer. You may be a Christian writer. You may even be a Pastor.

This may be news to you. It may not. But Jesus and Scripture do not define "getting saved" and being Christians the way the world defines it or even the way many of us in Christendom define it!

Christians According to Culture

In most of North American and European culture, the world of non-Christians (culture) often defines Christians as good, moral people who "live good lives," attend worship services, and, yes, are holier-than-thou and more judgmental than the average person. Surprise? Culture defines Christianity as "another religion" where people are "living good lives" to "earn Heaven." Newsflash for us in Christendom (organized local Christian churches): Though most of us know that we "cannot earn grace" and that Jesus is the only Way to His Father we also get it wrong. Why Are We Christians Confused About Being Christians?

In most of the developed culture, culture has infiltrated almost all of Christendom. Result? We have let cultural values of materialism, moral expedience, humanism, pop psychology, and the pleasure principle influence us. We know that Jesus calls us to live for Him and to embrace lives of selflessness, self-sacrificial love, uncompromising righteousness, devotion to His truth, and holiness. But the influence of mass media has influenced many of us to water down the Gospel and the message so that we act like Christianity is not anything more than an insurance policy from going to hell when we die, or getting forgiven for our sins and having a private relationship with God. Christianity IS these things! But it is more, much more.

Christians According to Christ

We need to search the Gospels and the rest of the New Testament to see what being a Christian actually involves. If we search it with open minds, we read very little about "getting saved," "resting on" or intellectually assenting to" the finished work of Christ. Though we read about New Testament infant dedications to God, we read nowhere about infant baptisms. We read about a tax collector's prayer for forgiveness, but nowhere do we read about a scripted "sinner's prayer." We read nowhere about hand-raising or walking forward in altar calls. We do read about making heart and life commitments to repent of sin, deny ourselves, and following Christ in a life-pursuit of holiness. The Scriptures do not pander to our desire for formulas or rules for "how to get saved." We can't predict how, when and where God works in people to bring them to Christian faith. We need to soberly take to heart Jesus" warning that the way to Him is narrow and few find it, while the route to hell is "broad" and multitudes walk that easy road. We also need to trust His work in people, as no one can come to Him except through "the drawing power" of His Father.

Where Does This Leave us?

In short, this should change the idea of "getting saved," that so many of us in Christendom have. We must know that there are two church bodies. There are all of those who belong to organized local Christian churches, who may or may not be followers of Christ. They are the visible church. Then there is the invisible, organic Church which Jesus said He is pledged to build and which the gates of hell would not prevail against. Those in this Church may or yes, increasingly may not (especially in the developing world) belong to organized local Christian churches. This means we can't judge the state of anyone's heart and spiritual condition (though we can make guesses based on outward "fruit"). This means we need to evaluate ourselves and our Christian commitment. It means that in spreading His message to others, we need to focus on prayer, trusting Him, and not on numbers or results.

Are you a cultural Christian or a Christ-follower?

WORKS SALVATION Earn Salvation By Works Save Yourself From Hell

WORKS SALVATION Earn Salvation By Works Save Yourself From Hell

This is an unsettling article but it is one that every Christian should read and share with his/her brothers and sisters in Christ. This article challenges the very comforting "once saved always saved" teaching and shows how spiritually dangerous it can be to us as Christians.

DISCLAIMER: The Author, Dan Corner, wants everyone to know that he teaches that salvation is by grace and only by grace, and not by works. Holiness is not a work, but grace-empowered living. He is using this article to debunk the pervasive myth that grace is cheap and a license to live as we please. The title is confusing and can mislead.

This article is by Dan Corner.

You Can Be A Child's Hero

Heroes.

We all use this word to laud those whom we admire for their virtue, their integrity, their courage, and their convictions. A TV network has a yearly show that is devoted to recognizing those whom the public most votes for as the ones considered heroes. We link this word with certain groups of people. We tie this word with military troops, veterans, firefighters and police officers, those whose occupations put them in positions where they may have to risk their lives to save the lives of others. More and more, ordinary citizens come to the attention of the media when they do lifesaving acts for others. We hear their stories, maybe wondering what we would have done in their place.

I remember when Amanda Berry, Gina Dejesus, and Michelle Knight were rescued. Charles Ramsey, who freed Berry to call authorities and get her little girl out, has been hailed as a hero. Since then, Berry's little girl, who alerted her mom to a way to leave that house of horrors, is now being hailed as a hero also, according to more recent stories. That bookkeeper, Antionette Tuff, who risked her life and prevented a potential gunman from shooting anyone at her school, is being recognized as a hero. We who follow Jesus, of course, properly admire and praise these individuals. And we should. Yet I do not think God wants or needs us Christians to depend on certain groups of people or select individuals, to develop the virtue of courage, the practice of putting others' needs before our wants, even at personal expense. After all, this is what the all time greatest Hero, Jesus, did for each of us. He not only risked his life but gave His life, and for all of us.

Many, maybe most of us will never find ourselves in situations where we will find a house where women are being hid downstairs and chained, as Berry, Dejesus, and Knight were for a decade. We are unlikely to be confronted with a person with a gun, who can kill us or others around us. Yes, the sad possibility is always here in a fallen world, that we can at any time be in a position to be a Charles Ramsey or an Antionette Tuff. But God will not hold us accountable for opportunities that we never had, to exhibit qualities that He wants to see in our lives. But all of us can still put others' needs before ours, even at our own expense. We can save lives. You no doubt know about child sponsorship and that countless children, families and communities around the world face absolute poverty and great need. You may feel overwhelmed and wonder what can you do? Well, I have good news for you.

You have no doubt seen TV or Internet ads by many child sponsorship nonprofits. All promise to provide sponsored children with food, clothing, shelter, and maybe education. So how does Compassion International stand out from the rest? As Christians, this nonprofit should appeal to us because Compassion is an openly Christian nonprofit ad they offer those children they serve personalized spiritual care. No, they do not require the children, families and communities they serve to be Christian or to become Christians. They just work to get rid of material poverty and spiritual poverty. And they have many more children waiting for sponsors who will commit money and time to save them from great poverty. THese are people without the basics of life, like adequate food, clean water, clothing, shelter, and educational opportunities. They, their families, and communities are looking for heroes.

Will you be a hero?

Each of these images are courtesy of Compassion International.

Should We Christians Ever Judge?

What is the best-known and most-loved verse in the whole Bible? What is the verse that many, even most, people outside the Christian community can quote with ease? That should be easy to answer, brothers and sisters in Christ. It is the one-sentence admonition that Jesus uttered when He commanded us: "Judge not, lest you be judged." I doubt that anyone is unaware of that command from the lips of Christ. Yet do we really know what Jesus meant when He forbade us from judging others? Our understanding of what something means, as a rule, guides our conduct and attitudes. That holds true in how we understand what Jesus meant by forbidding us from judging others.

Why Need We Christians Be Concerned About This?

In the developed world, we Christians live in a culture that values tolerance and political correctness. We have "progressed" to a point where certain actions clearly condemned in Scripture as sinful, harmful or unnatural, are now increasingly viewed and even embraced, as acceptable. Homosexuals are now a protected minority group, at least in the US. It is considered "hate speech" and politically incorrect to dare suggest that the Bible condemns homosexuality as sinful. Abortion has been legal in the US since 1973 and today, it is often called a "woman's right to choose" or "her right to privacy" or "her right to control her own body." Premarital sex, especially on the part of single and engaged adults, is now accepted and to even hint that the Bible warns against these practices as wrong, is to risk being called old-fashioned, out of touch with reality, and politically incorrect. Yet we do not have a politically correct Bible nor do we serve a politically correct God. Nope.

What Does Judging Mean In Context of Our Culture?

In most of the developed world, our culture now dictates how we Christians should relate. You can tell this easily as you interact with any media outlet, talk with others, even confront laws that keep getting passed that make Scripturally unacceptable actions acceptable, notably abortion and homosexual rights, called "marriage equality. Abortion is not once mentioned in either the Old or the New Testament. In both Testaments, though, God affirms the sanctity of human life, from the second of conception on. He declares that His purposes for us are established even before conception. In the Old and New Testament, the Bible condemns homosexual lifestyles as sin. God makes it clear that He designed marriage to be between a husband and wife, and Jesus said that in the New Testament. In both Old and New Testaments, God tells us that He prohibits any use of sexual intercourse outside of marriage. We can't duck the reality that God's precepts and ways run counter to our culture in many ways.

So Where Does Judging Fit In This Picture?

Scripture makes it clear that if we truly serve Christ, we who follow Him will call wrong what He calls wrong. He tells us to speak out against what He calls sin, wherever we see it but to always do it in love for the other person. Guess what? Yes, Jesus warned us not to judge others, but never did He say that we are to hold back from judging their actions when we see sin. Our relativistic culture will never understand God's ways and precepts, though His precepts all back up sound physical and emotional health principles. The wrong use of sex causes sexually transmitted diseases, untimely pregnancies, and has ruined countless lives. Those who adopt homosexual lifestyles set themselves up for stigma, despite growing cultural acceptance. They violate the laws of nature concerning sexuality, and become vulnerable to the hatred and crime due to societal "homophobia." Abortion not only kills unborn children, but frequently causes much emotional and even physical harm to their moms. It robs fathers, grandparents and society of people who could have been blessings to them. When Jesus told us to not judge, He does not mean that we are to stay silent about what He calls wrong. He certainly does NOT call us to approve of it!

Where Does This Leave Me?

In short, in various parts of Scripture, and by Christ Himself, we are told to "judge righteously." We are never asked to "check our minds at the door" when we follow Christ. Brothers and sisters, we are told to exercise discernment when it comes to if we are being exposed to correct teaching. We are TOLD to check what any Pastor or Bible teacher teaches us with the Bible. When we see people do things that God calls wrong, we are to speak the truth to them in love. Guess what? We are to judge outward wrong behavior in ourselves and others, and to evaluate the teachings of any Pastor or Bible teacher. We are NOT to judge anyone's intentions, motives, or their spiritual conditions. This is the judging that Scripture forbids. Let's know the difference between acceptable and unacceptable judging.

Thoughts?

Welcome to 2014, Dear Friends in Christ!

In just a matter of hours, in our different time zones, those of us in the developed world went from 2013 to 2014. To us Christians who worship and serve a Christ who lives outside of time, what does this mean? I spent last night finishing 2013 by reaching the 2000 "likes" milestone on one of my Facebook pages, titled after my blog for general readers, OnLifeLoveAndTruth. I successfully reached my desired milestone. I was saddened, however, that I had to finish 2013 without a person whom I was once very close to, because of an unresolved conflict and with whom I spent last New Year's Eve 2012 with. Why do we increase our expectations of holidays and what they should do for us? What does Jesus expect of us and do His expectations change one whit over our holidays?

I don't know about you, but I don't make New Year's Resolutions. As Christians who struggle with self-control, I'm sure we have all experienced the grim reality that the making of New Year's resolutions do not inspire or empower us to have self-control. We are not commanded anywhere in Scripture to make such resolutions, but we are commanded to develop self-control in all those areas of our lives where we experience temptation. I have my own goals for 2014, and setting goals is approved in Scripture, as long as they are designed to glorify Christ. One of my goals is to get many more "likes" on my God-centered Facebook page, MyPrayerPage. This is only one of my goals, but that page is designed to glorify God, edify Christians, and share His love with non-Christians. Those are the same purposes of this BlogSpot.

I have goals for this BlogSpot, and plan changes for it. My hope and prayer is that I will successfully implement changes that will enable this blog to reach more people and so glorify God, edify Christians, and share His love with non-Christians, with more people and more effectively. I hope and pray to attract more followers of this BlogSpot and more people to share it. Most of the work belongs to me, but I cannot do all of it without you! If you have never hit the "follow" button at the top of your screen, I would like to see you do that, and subscribe by email. Or, you can subscribe in other ways by entering your email address into the email box on my sidebar. If you like or enjoy any of the posts or this blog, you can use the "share" options under any post or at the top of the BlogSpot, to pass on God's message which I pray is coming across here, in every post.

May 2014 be a most blessed, Christ-filled year for each and every one of you, my brothers and sisters in Christ!

Always In Christ,

Lisa DeSherlia

The photo at the top of this post is courtesy of MorgueFile.com and can be found here.