Don't Grow Up.

1Co 14:20 20 Brethren, do not be children [immature] in your thinking; continue to be babes in [matters of] evil, but in your minds be mature [men]. (AMP) We often tell our children to grow up when someone or something happens and they don't know how to deal with it. We as parents try to help them mature and deal with difficult situations. I remember my seventh grade teacher often saying "grow up" to a student who was telling on another student for something extremely not worth the time to be concerned about. Paul tells the church in Corinth to grow up when it comes to spiritual things but to stay naive when it comes to wicked things. We need to gain knowledge of the right things. Study the bible and not the things of the world. We are admonished to set our affection on things above not on things of the earth. So today learn and grow in heavenly things and have the childish knowledge of the worldly things.

What's Love Got to do With it

This morning I read from I Corinthians 13.  This chapter is considered the "Love Chapter" of the Bible.  However, I found that it was more instructive as to how the Gifts of the Spirit operate in I Corinthians 12. 

I Corinthians 13 basically tells us that we can have the Gifts of the Spirit but without love it makes the Gifts void.  So love trumps the Gifts. 

As I sat and read this chapter the thought popped into my brain that had the question, why do we seek the Gifts of the Spirit?  Do we do this because we want to bless and help others or do we do it to try to elevate ourselves.  I must be honest, this made me think very strongly concerning my own motives.  We cannot be truly effective in being used in the Gifts of the Spirit if we do not have the right motivation. 

The Bible has one main theme and that is LOVE.  God instructs us to:

1.  Love God

God desires to be loved by us.  We were created to love God not out of obligation but because we want to and get to.

2.  Love Ourselves

It is important to have a good self esteem and love ourselves.  However, we have to becareful not to have pride. 

3.  Love Others

We need to love others and care about their well being and look out for the best of that person. 

So today, go forth in love.  Love God, love yourself and love others and when God works through you it will mean something. 

http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/story/21137291/devin-aryal-oakdale-random-shooting-victim.

This story happen just up the road not far from Apostolic Bible Institute where I used to live just 8 months ago. This is a sad story for our country and our world. 

In the past year we have seen violence arise in our country that involve children.  It is unnecessary violence.  Violence that is filled with ignorance and psychosis.  After doing some thinking about what happened yesterday here in Minnesota and not far from where I live and did live, I have come up with three reasons for this type of violence.

1.  Gun safety.

We do not have enough people who lock away their guns securely.  Those who have psychosis should not be able to know where guns are or know how to gain access to the guns.  The problem is not the guns.  The problem is the access to the guns.

I recently went to the firing range with a friend of mine.  I noticed that on his gun case he had a padlock. This makes it safe so that the guns cannot get into the wrong hands.  Only he and his wife know where the key is at.

2.  The media

When I mention the media I am not just talking about television and movies.  There is so much violence on the television and then if a person goes to the movies they are bombarded by horrible violence.  However, this violence goes beyond television and movies. Our children and many adults spend hours playing video games that have become so realistic that there is no disconnect from what is reality and what is play. 

The media needs to be held accountable for the unnecessary violence that it produces and broadcasts in every medium.

3. Political correctness and the hatred of religion

The last reason is that we have become too politically correct in our nation.  We can't say anything for fear of hurting some one's little feelers. We can't call a spade a spade anymore.  God forbid that we call this person who shot people, including a nine year old boy who died in his mother's arms at the Rainbow Foods store that I pass on my way to church every Sunday, a psychotic freak.  He does not deserve to be called a normal human being.  He has problems and he needs to be called out for it.

However, the other problem with political correctness is that we have taken God out of our society for fear of hurting the atheist's little feelers. Well, when you take God out of any situation all that you come up with nothingness including not know right from wrong.  We have stopped placing God in our world because of a few who don't believe in God.  Well fine, don't believe in God if you don't want to, but don't try to stop me from believing in God. 

The reason an atheist doesn't want to believe in God is because they do not want to have an authority figure in their lives.  They want to do whatever they want without having to answer to anyone. 

To the atheists let me tell you something, you will always have someone to answer to in life.  For instance you have to answer to yourself for the things you do.  How do your actions affect you?  You have to answer to your fellow man.  How do your actions affect the people around you? 

Let me tell you that we need to be talking about God more.  We need not be afraid of offending people.  We need to be afraid of offending God and having His judgment fall on us.  We need people to turn back to God and God become an intricate part of our daily lives so that people will know the difference between good and evil. 

So, in conclusion, please pray for the people in Oakdale.  Tonight I will be going to a vigil in Oakdale to pray and commemorate the life of this nine year old boy.