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The Helpful, The Edifying, The Lawful, & The Illicit

Adam and Eve had it all. They had health (no sickness, injury, or death), wealth (The Garden of Eden), and prosperity (a perfect, uncorrupted relationship with God). It is hard to believe they threw it all away for the illicit....the one thing they were forbidden from doing. Genesis 2:16,17 “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” Fast forward a little bit and we see mankind united in language with a desire to remain united in one location. This may not sound like a bad situation in itself, until it is revealed that they were all about making "a name" for themselves. They were about man's glory and not God's glory. The lineage and identity of being made in God's image was not enough for them. They decided to create an image and name for themselves. Pictured: Pieter Bruegel's The Tower of Babel, 1563 Genesis 11:4 “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.”

Over and over across Scripture we could read and learn messages of idolatry...pursuing the illicit in place of what is good and trustworthy, a walk with Christ. Yet, despite the many examples and exhortations we have not learned. 1 Corinthians 10:6,7 "6 Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did. 7 Do not be idolaters" Americans, and many others in our world today, continue to desire evil. We have all we need and ridicously more, so we pursue the illicit. We pursue the unhelpful. We pursue the self-serving. 1 Corinthians 10:23 "'All things are lawful,' but not all things are helpful. 'All things are lawful,' but not all things build up. 24 Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor." Christian freedom is amazing when it is understood as freedom of the law through the forgiveness of sin. Unfortunately, for many of us, Christian freedom is abused as a tool of self-worship, self-indulgence, and self-service. 1 Corinthians 10:31 "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." 2 Corinthians 5:15 "and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised." Lord show us where we desire, pursue, or practice the illicit and help us to turn from it. God, convict and forgive us of where we seek to make a name for ourselves, instead of holding your name high and lifted up. Jesus, may the freedom we have in your grace and mercy be used to your glory, living our lives consumed by a love of you and not a love of this world....living our lives in a way where we don't seek our own benefit, but instead seek to meet the needs of others.

Crisis Pregnancy Centers

I am so thankful for the amazing work that Crisis Pregnancy Centers do in confronting the horrible abortion problem in our country. I am so encouraged by how they faithfully serve women in providing resources, counseling, and solutions for life with women facing unplanned pregnancies. The below video does a great job sharing one woman's story: Some saddening statistics:
  • "every year 3million women in America deal with an unwanted or unplanned pregnancy"
  • "42% of these pregnancies end in abortion"
  • "there is no statistical difference in abortions among women who profess to be Christians and those who don't"
  • "22% of all U.S. pregnancies end in abortion"
  • "in 2005 approximately 1.21million abortions took place in the U.S."

In my area, I am thankful for Clarity -Solutions for Women in Elizabethtown, KY and Crossway Pregnancy Resource Center in Radcliff, KY and the many people who have started, invested, and continued these amazing resources. Do you have a crisis pregnancy center in your area that you can support? If not, maybe the Lord will lead you towards starting one...

Psalm 82:3-4 "Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. 4 Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked."

HT: http://www.nambforlife.net/ & http://www.abort73.com/

Teaching Your Children About Money

How are you teaching your children about money? Society and government advertises and models spend, spend, spend but the Bible advocates different principles for using the money God has given us. The Moon Jar is an excellent method for teaching your children the basics of financial stewardship. It takes the concept of a piggy jar and expands it into the three categories of saving, spending, and sharing. A Christian parent could use this as a tool to teach their children how to apply several stewardship basics:
  • Proverbs 13:11 "Dishonest money dwindles away, but he who gathers money little by little makes it grow."
  • Ecclesiastes 5:10 "Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless. "
  • 1 Timothy 6:6-10 " 6But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. 10For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs."
  • Proverbs 22:7 "The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower becomes the lender’s slave."
  • Deuteronomy 16:17 "Each of you must bring a gift in proportion to the way the LORD your God has blessed you"
  • 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 "6Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver"

HT: Challies

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