Here for a Reason

Sharing a recent article with you that alludes to the Book of Esther. You know how it is when we've had something on our mind for awhile--our antenna is more sensitively tuned to it. Andre Seu Peterson reminds us that in God's providence, He placed us here in the 21st century. She goes on to suggest a couple of things for us to consider as we move into the new year.

Her first suggestion reflected our own church youth group, for which we are grateful. Our youth pastor is one who seriously trains our students. And he refers to them as 'students' and not as 'teens.' We don't have a teen subculture in our church. They are trained and they minister, not only in our church and in our city, but across the country and across the sea. And from what I can tell, they have a lot of fun doing it. It's the kind of environment we would have loved for our daughters to have had growing up.

Andre's second suggestion regards personal piety--"no more sloppy Christianity," for the days are evil. I would also add to her suggestions--Be intentional about being conformed to the image of Christ. It doesn't just happen, but it's what we're here for.

For those whom He foreknew, 

He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son.

Romans 8:29

 
Click here to read  "Here for a Reason" by Andre Seu Peterson

Image via pixabay

What Some Know, But Others Don't

"What believers know that unbelievers don't is that there is an unseen spiritual battle behind all activity under heaven."

~ Andree Seu Peterson, "Beyond the Walls," WORLD Magazine, 5/14/16 

Photo ~ Extreme Storm Manhattan NY, Lisa Bettany via Flickr CC BY-NC-ND-2.0 

For the Sake of the Children

I hope you get your news from more than one perspective. There are some things that the liberal national news media just won't report, as most of us are aware. The leading article in the current World Magazine is an example--

"As the Supreme Court muses on same-sex marriage, men and women raised by gay parents speak out about emotional and behavioral problems"    ~ March 21, 2015

You can read the full article by clicking on the magazine cover.

Many of us as followers of Jesus Christ know why America now finds herself in such debauched, moral decay. In another article of the current issue of World, Andree Seu Peterson discusses the "acronym absurdity" of LGBT, and concludes the article with the truth of what is wrong in America. 

"As for me, I will stick to plain old LGBT, "Let God be true though every one were a liar." And what God says that's true, and what some are liars about, is that when a nation doesn't consider the knowledge of Him worthwhile, He gives "them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done" (Romans 1:28). In this mental debasement, "their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another" (verses 26-27).

My LGBT means that even if I am the last person on earth who still believed what the Bible says about the proper use of our bodies, I will choose to believe God over every other word, theory, testimony, report, feeling, persuasive argument, and complicated theology."

~ Andree Seu Peterson, World Magazine March 21, 2015

Being given up on by God is serious, indeed. LGBT is a vortex, be it real-life or virtual, that keeps sucking others into it. We have some young friends who have been near the vortex and didn't escape its pull. How about your young people? Are they near the vortex--virtual or real-life? For the sake of the children, be watchful. Be informed.

And get some news from a biblical perspective, if you don't already--subscribe to World Magazine. We get ours in print form as well as digitally. It opens our eyes to a great many current news issues.