Ephesians 4:29, “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.”

     I don’t know what it is like to be a Christian teenager involved in the local church. I was a teenager once. I was also a Christian then. I was not involved in church at that time. I’m sure that the temptations and pressures are just as real to a “church kid” as they are to any other kid. With the protection and leading of the parents , I would hope they would honor the Lord with their lives. Sadly however the problem usually starts with the parents.

     The other day someone I know overheard a group of Christian teens. The discussion was about two horror movies. Red flag right away. What is the deal? Why are they watching these things?  I can’t answer that. I see Christian kids embracing the world howbeit ever so subtly as well. Kids embrace the current fashions, hairstyles, and entertainment of the world. Why? I think there are two significant answers.

     Mom and Dad don’t walk the talk. Sure, everyone goes to church faithfully but they leave the Lord there. Kids don’t see their parents living out what they profess. They don’t “catch” them praying or reading their Bible. They see what they watch on TV. They hear sarcasm and a lack of love in their conversations. What do you expect? Training begins in the home.

     The other important factor for this failure is not being desperate enough. Christians in America are probably the biggest spiritual wimps in the world. I speak generally. You know if you are one. We are reaping the fruits of yesterday’s believers who fought and sometimes died for our privileges today. We are not persecuted very much. We are not being jailed (yet). We are not being killed. We are not desperate for the Lord! We don’t depend on Him like we ought. Therefore our kids don’t see Him working mightily in our lives.

     I don’t want good kids. I want godly kids. I want them to serve the Lord in their younger years. I want to stand before Jesus Christ on that day and be able to say I raised my kids for Him. Good is not good enough. Our goal should be godliness and it certainly begins with us. May we raise our kids to be holy as He is holy.

Psalm 24:1-2, “The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods.”

     How and when can we indoctrinate people with falsehood? Well, give them a bowl of cereal when they’re kids!  Forgive me for my sarcasm but it makes me sad. The pic for today is the side of a cereal box we had in our house. It tells how kids can help “save” the planet. That would imply that the earth is in danger of being destroyed! My, how egotistical the human race has become. Not only do we think we can destroy the earth, but we are also smart enough to “save” it. Pride is alive and well on planet earth.

     The environmentalist movement has become a religion in itself. Taken to it’s extreme it is nothing more than old-fashioned earth worship. Mother Earth if flexing her feminist muscles. Bow down before her before she kills you. It is sad that this is what we are teaching children. We are so concerned with saving the earth we give little thought to saving our souls! That’s what’s important! Let God take care of managing the earth. He’s quite capable. We need to be concerned with where we will spend eternity. That is the most important decision anyone can make. It is not remembering to bring your own bags (cloth only!) to the grocery store.

     Now before anyone accuses me of bad earth stewardship let me post this disclaimer. I have the utmost respect for God’s earth and all His creation. I love the outdoors and I make my campsites as if I was never there. I don’t litter, I don’t abuse animals (but I eat them), and I use a recycling bin weekly for my plastics. I love this place but I love God more. This earth is not going anywhere. Our souls however have the option of Heaven or Hell forever.

     “He’s got the whole world, in His hands, He’s got the whole world, in His hands, He’s got the whole world in His hands, He’s got the whole world in His hands.”  A simple yet truthful answer to the entire environmentalist worry list. May we trust Him more.

 Daniel 2:20-21, “Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his: And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding.”

     Happy Autumn! It never fails to amaze me how fast life is going by. This is one of my favorite times of the year, weather-wise. The Lord’s colorful creation comes to life in the autumn leaves of New England. I was thinking the other day on the fine arts…music, painting, photography, etc. As talented as many people are in these areas, they pale in comparison to the Master Creator.  We are mere copycats of the original Designer!

     With autumn comes a change of weather. We are also living in a time of change as a nation as well. I thought the above verse was appropriate for today. The Lord is sovereign over all activities here on earth. The times and seasons are under His watch. Even the rulers of the earth are subject to God’s approval. When the Bible says He is sovereign over all things, all means all. That is a great comfort in times like these.

     No matter which way the election goes this November, no matter how high the price of oil climbs, no matter how expensive a dozen eggs might cost, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He never changes. Though the world changes with every new wind of doctrine, Jesus is unchanging and reliable. Pray that we would trust Him more and more as the days of our lives go on.

 James 4:13-15, “Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life?  It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.”

 Psalm 91:1-5, “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; not for the arrow that flieth by day. “

     Where were you this day, 7 years ago? It’s hard to believe it’s been that long already. Probably because we don’t think too much of it anymore. I know that sounds apathetic but I think it’s true. How often do you think of 9/11? It has written itself into our history pages and been filed away in our brains. Life goes on.

      I was at home playing with my 1 year old when my sister called. She said a small plane crashed into the World Trade Center. My initial reaction was something along the lines of “oh, that’s too bad.” Small incident was about all. I decided to turn on the news to maybe catch the story if it was still on. I like airplanes and wanted to see what happened. As soon as I turned on the TV there was a picture of the World Trade tower with black smoke billowing out of it. I thought, “that’s odd for a small airplane to cause that much damage.”

     A few minutes later they showed a quick clip of the aircraft before it crashed into the building. I’ve been working in aviation long enough to know that was not a small plane. At first I thought it was a Boeing 737. At the very least. By now I was glued to the set watching the flames and smoke intensify. Like many people around the world at that moment, I saw another jet very quickly come into the screen and then the ensuing fireball. I could hardly believe what I was seeing. At that moment everyone knew we were being attacked. Events began to unravel very quickly as we heard of two other aircraft being hijacked as well. My wife called me and said, “What in the world is going on?” Her feared tone reflected the same emotion as the rest of the country. The only thing I could say was that we were being attacked. It was an incredible day.

     I remember the numbness that set in that day and for the next week. The country was in shock. The last time something of this magnitude occurred was Pearl Harbor. That was a long time ago. I remember that people started flocking to churches. The phrase “God bless America” started creeping into every speech I heard. Americans actually began to unite in spirit, however briefly. The truth is,  God allowed this to happen to America. He knew about it and permitted it. That’s all I can say dogmatically.  I wish it sparked a revival in our country. It did get people thinking about God a little bit. But those thoughts would fade with time.

     So here we are on the 7th anniversary of the attacks. The enemy is still out there. More attacks could come. We’ve put God back on the shelf until next time when we cry out, “Why God???”  The above verse is a great help in times of fear. The unbeliever has much to fear, in this life and the next. The Christian however can take refuge in the Lord. No matter what happens or who attacks, we are secure. He is always there, in every situation, even to the point of death. It is the best insurance policy anyone could have. And it is free. The best part is being able to live in this world without worrying too much about things. (I am human). That helps others to see something different in us. Lord willing they will want what we have. And we can help them get it.

I come to the garden alone, While the dew is still on the roses; And the voice I hear, falling on my ear, The Son of God discloses. And he walks with me, and He talks with me, And He tells me I am His own; And the joy we share as we tarry there, None other has ever known.

He speaks, and the sound of His voice Is so sweet the birds hush their singing; And the melody that He gave to me Within my heart is ringing. And He walks with me, and He talks with me, And He tells me I am His own; And the joy we share as we tarry there, None other has ever known.

I’d stay in the garden with Him Though the night around me be falling; But He bids me go- thru the voice of woe, His voice to me is calling. And He walks with me, and He talks with me, And He tells me I am His own; And the joy we share as we tarry there, None other has ever known.

C. Austin Miles

 Galatians 6:7 “Be not deceived: God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”

     An evangelist came to our church years ago for a week of revival meetings. I was sort of new to the “stirring power” of an evangelist and my spirit began to fight against my flesh. I was not walking with the Lord at the time and was actually far from Him. Sometimes an evangelist will have a “theme verse” for the week of meetings. The theme verse for these meetings was Galatians 6:7. He would say, “Be not deceived: God is not what?” And the congregation would reply, “mocked.” We memorized the rest of the verse in the same manner.

     I would leave these meetings with torn emotions. On the one hand, I was excited about the things of God. I really wanted to do right. I knew in my heart that I had to come clean before the Lord and forsake many things in my life. On the other hand, I was afraid. I knew I wouldn’t submit totally.  That verse would stay with me and echo in my head constantly. God is not mocked. God is not mocked. I couldn’t turn it off. I suppose deep down I knew God was coming for me.

    Finally one day God showed up because I wouldn’t obey His leading. He showed up in a big way and my life turned upside down.  The Bible says He chastises those He loves. Sometimes the chastisement is almost too much to bear. But He is faithful. Full of mercy. Full of grace. Looking back now, I’m thankful for His correction. It is proof that He is watching over me and loves me.

     I’ve learned the fear of the Lord through this situation and it has only grown with time. Not a fear in the “afraid” sense but a healthy reverence for Him and his all-seeing, all-knowing presence. I’ve learned that you cannot play with fire and not get burned. You cannot sin and win. Just as we correct, mold, and shape our children to serve God, He does the same to us. He expects us to obey and when we do, our lives become full of purpose and peace.

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 2 Timothy 4:4 “And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.”

     Well, the kids are back in school now, the fall season is quickly approaching, it’s time to hunker down into the mostly joyful time of educating our children. I pray that if you have school-aged kids that they are either being homeschooled or attend a good Bible-believing Christian school. Public school is no place for a child. I know I may ruffle a few feathers with that statement but as a rule, I speak the truth. I understand there may be exceptions in different situations.

     I’ve heard Christian parents say that they send their kids to public school to be a light in a dark place. I say that the light will get snuffed out. Children are still being trained and are not ready to be thrown to the lions. A Christian adult would even have problems if he tried standing tall at a public school.

     I live in a very liberal, democratic state in a very liberal, democratic town. (By the way, my prediction for the election is McCain/Palin…quite interesting what is taking place). I pay town taxes that in part go to a very “respected and award-winning” elementary school just around the corner from my house. Instead of taking advantage of the “free” school, we chose to invest our time and money in a Christian education for our kids. As far as money goes, we didn’t have that, and we trusted God to provide. He has been faithful.  I don’t want to sound like a voicepiece for the Lord but I don’t believe He wants your kids in the government schools.

     When they took prayer out of the public schools in 1962, it was the beginning of the end. Only a fool would say that progress has been made. Part of the taxpayer’s dollars go to metal detectors now in many schools. ??? What child wants to live in fear like that?  Satan will strangle the life out of the children because he knows they are the future. How does he do it? Slowly and subtly like a boa constrictor. Day after day, year after year he wraps the world’s beliefs and philosophies around each child.  Evolution is proclaimed as fact, acceptance of “alternate” lifestyles is promoted,  as well as acceptance of other religions, sexual immorality, drugs/alcohol, worldly attitudes, immodesty, and it goes on and on and on. By the time a child has graduated, he is completely brainwashed.

     God gave up on the public school system long ago. Yes, our children are to be lights in this dark world. We are to be separated from the world as well. Pray earnestly for your kids and don’t hand them over to the enemy. Life is short and regrets can last a lifetime. Ephesians 6:4, “And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.”

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Romans 1:21 “Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, NEITHER WERE THANKFUL; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.” (emphasis mine)

     We live in the “bread basket” of the world. And yet we never even think about it. It is almost as if we feel we deserve to have 87 different types of breakfast cereal to choose from. I’ve been wanting to write about the subject of being thankful for a while now, being that I’m trying to teach my kids about it. A lot of my blog topics come from this motive. Since I don’t know it all and never will, writing forces me to look into the Bible for what God says about a particular topic.

     Last week I went to the kitchen sink and filled a glass with cold, clear, and refreshing drinking water. I had to remind myself to be thankful for this. I so often take it for granted.  There are people around the world who cannot do this. If I turned the other handle, I would have received hot water. What a luxury! Solomon didn’t have this comfort in his home. As I began to think about this blog,  I wanted to include a picture of something that would convey the idea of abundance.  Most grocery stores have a selection of food that would clearly get this point across. I’ve heard of foreigners coming to America and being overwhelmed with the variety that our local grocery store has. And if it is missing the “sale” item, we can demand a raincheck!

     Anyways, it’s not usually o.k. to take pictures in a store as they don’t like competitor “spies” coming in and recording things. I justified it in my head as this was not spying and I was not a competitor. I started in the produce section and pulled out my camera ever-so-discreetly to take pictures of the 12 different types of apples to choose from. I felt very pressured. There were too many people shopping. And then I thought about overhead hidden cameras. I was caught for sure. They would take me to a secret room and take the memory card out of my camera.  As I went down the different aisles every employee became an informant that was watching me. Every overhead announcement was code that they were coming for me.

     I arrived at the cereal aisle and lo, I was alone. I fumbled for my camera in it’s side pouch and quickly got off a couple shots of an entire row and selection of breakfast cereals. I stood there for a moment and just looked at the variety. It is amazing. If you like cereal, there is one to match your tastebuds. What’s your favorite kind? Chances are if you ask a friend, his is different from yours. That’s because there’s something for everyone. Only in America.

     God has blessed this country so much. We have so much. We have so much to be thankful for. And it’s not just being thankful for the answered prayer requests (and we certainly ought to be) but it’s for that glass of water. It’s being able to go to the store and choose our food. It’s being thankful to be able to walk if we can. To breathe clean air. I’m going to have my kids write down 50 things they are thankful for. I will do the same. When we don’t take the time to remember what has been given to us, an entitlement mentality creeps in. We deserve things. We don’t deserve anything. If you look at life like that, everything becomes a gift. Life becomes a constant state of thanksgiving to God and man.

     I bagged the last of my groceries myself because the bagger last time didn’t know that a container of apple juice could squish a loaf of bread. (HOW DARE HIM!) I deserve a plump loaf of bread, right? I got the picture I wanted and unless they were going to get me out in the parking lot, I was a free man. Mission accomplished.