Chapter 7 Part 9 & Chapter 8 Part 1 The Church

Children need our direction and our support. More than anything, they should have our time and our experiences. We should spend more time with them sharing how they might avoid our mistakes. We should have those who have fallen to come and share their consequences with the younger ones. Simply to show them that you can choose what you want, but these are the consequences. All we should do is present them with the truth and let them decide. No scare tactics or false promises, just give them the facts. I believe that if given the facts, the truth, our children will make the right decisions. The problem is that we hide those who have fallen and present a false sense of reality. People fall, we all do. Let the children see and talk to pregnant unwed mothers and talk to single parents. Let them see the struggles and hear first hand what awaits the choices they make. Let them see the results of fornication without moralizing, but in its pure form. It is funny how we use these techniques for the symptoms (drug/alcohol abuse, crime, and anger) but not for the true cause; fornication. We should be willing to try new approaches to break this cycle. The old ways are obviously not working.

CHAPTER 8

The Church*

“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because
you have rejected knowledge. I also reject you from
being a priest for Me; Because you have forgotten
the law of your God. I also will forget your children.”
Hosea 4:6

I would be remiss if I did not make mention of what I believe has been one of the enablers of this epidemic of fornication. Unfortunately, it is the institution that should have helped to curb its effects. The church because of its failure to condemn sin has allowed the problem to escalate. Due to its public silence on this issue, many have taken that silence to mean there has been a change in God’s laws. In its efforts to embrace the world, some churches have forsaken the Word and the laws of God. The church was suppose to give the people knowledge of God and His commandments, instead the modern church has developed this doctrine of complete grace. In other words, they preach only part of the Gospel. They preach that Christ is savior, but not Lord. Yes, Christ died for our sins, but we must also obey Him. This complete grace is not the Gospel of Christ. The gospel of the early Church spoke of the Kingdom of God, that Kingdom has laws like every other kingdom. As citizens of this or any kingdom, we must obey its laws. It is that simple. Anyone preaching anything other than this should beware. Many of today’s mainstream churches preach this grace only gospel. It is easy and sounds nice. It is this preaching that allows this country to claim 90% believers in God, yet lead the world in all the sinful categories. We preach the dying, but not the living. The Bible says we serve the God of the living.[1] The church should set the example for the world, not the other way around. The modern church follows the lead of the world. True Christianity is not based on opinion polls or political correctness, it is based on the risen Christ. Is there any doubt that Jesus Christ left us with commandments? If so, why are we not teaching and obeying them? Has God suddenly for this age changed His mind after thousands of years? Has there been some new revelation that now discounts the commandments of God? The Bible that I read says, “Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and today, and forever.[2] The church has allowed itself to be corrupted by the world.

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* The term church is used to describe the mainstream church, there are many churches who are trying to follow the true teachings of Christ.

[1] Matthew 22:32

[2] Hebrews 13:8

Chapter 7 Part 3

“And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge,
God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things
which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness,
sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness,
full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they
are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud,
boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving,
unmerciful; who knowing the righteousness judgment of
God, that those who practice such things are deserving
of death, not only do the same but also approve of those
who practice them.”
Romans 1:28-32

The condition described in this passage is of a rebellious generation. A generation who chooses to ignore the knowledge of God and replaces it with their own selfish pleasure. A generation of fornicators has bred another generation of fornicators. Instead of seeking the righteousness of God, you have sought after the temporary pleasures of instant gratification. You have chosen to elevate yourselves over the Living God. Not only is fornication and selfish sexual desires tolerated by this society, they are promoted. If you are not participating in these activities there is something wrong with you. You are not having fun, you are missing out on life. You look at the movies and television and what are they promoting to you our young people? The media is promoting young people having sex with no commitment or concern for the consequences. You have the “so-called celebrities” fornicating with each other and the media is promoting it as if it were some news-making event. You have shows that do nothing but talk about their celebrity lifestyles and present them as the model to imitate. It is no wonder you our young people are confused. The message the world is sending is very misleading. According to the world, God is dead or at least no longer concerned with the lives of men. The world and the devil are liars. God is very much alive and He loves you. The path that the world is leading you to is death and destruction in hell. However, God has called you for something much better than this.

The world tells you that women are only objects for your personal gratification, to be used and discarded like so much trash. Look at the videos, how they glorify the riches of this world and show women as if they were not human. They call them disrespectful names and put them in all manner of undress. It is no wonder why your opinion of women is so low. Your view of women cannot be very good, between the media and what many of you have witnessed from your own mothers, who can blame you.

“Bring charges against your mother, bring charges;
for she is not My wife, nor am I her husband!
Let her put away her harlotries from her sight.”
Hosea 2:2

There are many of our young men who have witnessed things by their mothers they ought not to have seen. They have seen conduct and have had to endure things that have emotionally scared them for life. Because mothers have chosen their lovers over their children, they have become hardened. They have left many of you to raise your siblings as well as yourselves. The truth is that many of you have not been given the best start by fathers or mothers. Many of you are angry and in pain. You have many reasons to be so. However, God says that despite your present circumstances and those of your past you are still special to Him. You are predestined. God has a plan for your lives and He has had one for you from the beginning of time. That plan does not include the life-style many of you are leading now. All life has value to God. Let no one think that they have no worth to God. God created you not for drug dealing, fornicating, and the sinful life, but for His glory. Every person on this earth is a gift from God to this world. The majority of us have selfishly squandered our gifts. How can we look at the current state of the world and continue to be so selfish? I do not know what your gift is, but I know that the world is in desperate need of it. I beg you please give us the gift that God sent you to bring. If you do not know or think that you do not have one, ask God. He is the One who created you. The apostle Paul tells us, “to fan the flame” or the gift from God.[1] When any of us fails to use his or her gift the whole world suffers because of it. The problem for many of us is that we are using our gifts for our own selfish desires. Remember the ruler of this world wants to do two things to you: either to kill you or get you locked up for life. That way you are of little value to the kingdom or to this world. In the past too many of us have fallen into this trap. No matter what your background, you are in the final analysis responsible for what you do. The world today is trying to convince us that no one is responsible for anything that they do. The Bible disagrees.

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[1] 2 Timothy 1:6

Chapter 5 Part 5

“And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, prince of the
country, saw her, he took her and lay with her, and violated her…
and the sons of Jacob came in from the field when they heard it;
and the men were grieved and very angry, because he had done
a disgraceful thing in Israel by lying with Jacob’s daughter,
a thing which ought not to be done.”
Genesis 34:2,7

The Scriptures tell us that the men were grieved and angry because their daughter and their sister had been violated. It did not matter the violator wanted to marry her she was violated. I wonder where the outcry is today when our daughters and sisters are violated. Where is the disgrace? The Bible says a thing, which should not have been done. However, if you are out violating other people’s sisters and daughters how can you be angry when it happens to yours. Their sister’s purity had been taken and they did not like it and they let it be known that they were not happy. The problem today is that so many people are fornicating there is no one to speak out against it. There was a time when a young woman losing her purity before marriage was a disgrace, but not so anymore. Do we think that God has changed His mind about sin? I think not! Our young women are being violated everyday right in our midst and instead of anger and disgrace we only want to make sure they are doing it safely. Well they are going to do it anyway, we tell ourselves, and it is only natural. The devil is a liar. I believe God. We should stop making excuses for sinful behavior, not only for our young people but for ourselves as well. We should begin to stand on the promises of God and say enough is enough. Our young women are worth more than this. We should begin to make an investment in our children. They are our most precious resource. It should start with us as men, as fathers. Fathers protect your daughters; let them know that you expect purity from them.