Topic(s): God's Sovereignty, Youth

Links to this entire series:

• Why Were the Ten Commandments Removed?: Part 1
• Why Were the Ten Commandments Removed?: Part 2

The battle is on! Have you chosen the side on which you will fight?
The battle that many fought on the steps of the Alabama court house to keep Judge Roy Moore’s granite Ten Commandments monument kept in public view is over. The chances of the monument ever coming back are very slim.
Another battle, however, has been raging almost since the dawn of time, and young people will choose a side in the conflict.

Ponder this: when the Ten Commandments monument was removed, it further evidenced the fact that there are really two sides in our society’s battle. One side can be called the “God-is” group—the group that firmly believes that God exists and that His Word is relevant to the lives of people even today. The other side in the battle is the “God-isn’t” part of society. If any of its members do believe that God exists, they’d rather act as if He doesn’t.

God, in His infinite wisdom, has already spoken about this cultural war. Romans 1:28 mentions those who “do not like to retain God in their knowledge.” You know people like that, who have chosen to fight on the wrong side in the conflict. Even if they believe God exists, and perhaps they even go to church services somewhere, they act from day to day as if God isn’t there.
So they are not concerned if the things of God are slowly removed from American society. The “God-isn’t” side remains comfortable even when a brightly-colored sign along the road to godlessness appears, like the removal of the Ten Commandments monument, which should wake them up to the fact that they are headed in the wrong direction.

Make sure that you always side with the “God-is” side of the battle, and fight for what’s right. Zechariah 9:18 reminds us to love the truth. The truth is that God’s Word is vitally important to everybody, even in 2004, and whether or not it’s written in stone, it must be written in your heart (1 Peter 3:15).
The battle is on!

Caleb Colley

“Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness…”
—Ephesians 6:14, 15

(Read Part 1 of this Article)

B.Y.O.B. (Bring Your Own Bible)

Topic(s): Bible Influence, Christian Life

I was told that someone removed from the shelf in the teenage classroom all of the Bibles. The Bibles were replaced with a note issuing a stern warning that students in Bible classes should B.Y.O.B. (bring your own Bible). That’s an interesting way to make a point, and it makes a very good point. We often study and worship, and this is true of both youth and adults.

No soldier would go into battle without his weapon (sword), so why do we so often go into battle without the sword of the Spirit (Eph. 6:17). Worship and Bible study may not be a battle, but they might be compared to training for battle. Soldiers carry their weapons to the firing range in order to sharpen their skills as a marksman. Shouldn’t we bring our swords with us as we receive instruction, which is tantamount to a whetstone upon which we may sharpen our blade? I believe we should take the Bible with us wherever we go. I used to say that we could carry it in our hearts, but now I wonder if we shouldn’t be carrying it—literally. One brother I know has a small New Testament which he carries in his back pocket. I have never seen him without it. Several times we have been discussing a Biblical text, when one, or both of us, could not think of the exact wording. This brother would reach into his pocket and pull out his Bible. Like a good soldier of Christ, he was prepared.

It does bother me to see people come to Bible class and worship without their Bibles, but what bothers me more is to find Bibles abandoned on the pew when worship is concluded. If the worship service is training for battle, then when we leave we enter the battlefield. How dangerous is it to go into battle without your only offensive weapon? Oh, I know that sometimes we get distracted and forget it. That’s human nature. But often the same Bible will lay unclaimed for days, weeks, even months. How much study can be done in a forgotten Bible (cf. Mt. 5:6; Acts 17:11; 1 Pet. 2:2)? How much power can be wielded by a mislaid sword?

The Bible is so important to our spiritual lives that to simply lay it aside and give no thought to bringing it with us, nor even to where it might be is unacceptable. I imagine that the “trick” played on our teenagers did not set too well with many, but I say again, it made a good point. I think the Bibles should be returned, because some fail to bring a Bible for more substantial reasons than neglect. However, let each of us resolve that next Sunday, as we are preparing to leave for the church building, we will take a moment to find our Bible and bring it with us. —Robert Lambert

This I Have Learned About Life

Topic(s): Christian Life

• I have learned that you cannot make someone love you. All you do is try to be someone who is not difficult to love.
• I have learned that sometimes it takes years to build up trust, but only seconds to destroy trust.
• I have learned that it’s not what you have in life, but who you have in your life that counts.
• I have learned that you can do something in a few minutes that will give you heartache for life.
• I have learned that you are responsible for what you do, no matter how you feel.
• I have learned that you are in control of your attitude. You choose your attitude!
• I have learned that heroes (the really great people of this world) are the people who do what has to be done, regardless how they feel, and regardless of the consequences.
• I have learned that maturity has more to do with attitude, dependability, and taking responsibility for your life than the number of birthdays you’ve had.
• I have learned that no matter how good a friend is, you are going to hurt each other every once in a while, and forgiveness is essential to lasting friendships.
• I have learned that forgiving others is sometimes easier than forgiving yourself.
  
  “I have been young, and now am old…” —Psalm 37:25