Sinful influences on our youth are so powerful. Take a listen to our local radio (such as KFOX) her in Lufkin and you won't have to listen for very long to hear lyrics and topics such as "tight jeans, double D..." "I kissed a girl and I liked it" (sung by a girl, btw) and on and on. Raunchy lyrics have been around for awhile, but there seems to be little shame anymore. In the words of Glenn Beck, "Shame has died."
Television constantly offers homosexual characters as being normal and well-adjusted and those who simply don't agree with their lifestyle as bigots. Do you really think this hasn't affected our youth? A surprising number of them believe that homosexuality and bisexuality is cool. Other shows regularly portray people living together who are not married, cheating on their steady or their spouse, or tricking/backstabbing someone else in order to get ahead.
I realize this post may be a bit strong, but Christians have been silent for so long that we now have a climate and culture that disdains God and the paths that God would have a person take. Many of these people don't need to change their lives. They need Jesus Christ and then He will make "all things become new."
What a time for ministry. What a time to defend and promote God's truths. And what a time to be in prayer for our youth who are in "Satan's Crosshairs."
Good post Bro. Not only for Huntington but also for your readers in Shelby County.
ReplyDeletePost is not strong enough. And not just for Shelby County, but for the U.S. and possibly the world. I heard the guy who owns MTV talking in an interview. He said something like, "We aren't advertising to reach teenagers. We already have them. We are tryin to hook the 9-12 age group. This was over three years ago.
ReplyDeleteNot only are our students in the crosshairs from radio and TV and other forms of media, but, because lost people let those things affect them so much, our Christian children are under attack from their acquaintances and friends. Today, a student's life is usually based upon a foundation mixed of two components. Component #1 - Social Acceptance. It's no wonder they want to be accepted with the type of family life most of them have. They are starved for it, crave it, and live for it. #2 - Relationships. Same thing here. Moms and Dads who don't love their children, or at least don't show it, grow children who think one of the greatest needs of life is love they can't find at home.
This leaves the job on the church to not just tell, but help children accept the fact, that in order to do what is right and find true joy, they are going to have to do things that cause their best friends to call them haters, and to not have "fun" relationships like EVERYONE ELSE is doing. It is a HUGE and VERY difficult task, but one only the church has the power to do (when parents choose not to.) Let us do our best to keep this in mind when our kids talk differently, look differently, and act differently. Instead of saying "What punks!", we ought to say, "How hard it must be for them to even come to church! I'm glad they are here. Now what can I do to reach them despite their culture?"