Seek God While You Are Young! Ecclesiastes 12:1.

Twenty-somethings raised in the church are growing up to be the nicest adults. They have the best intentions. They are sensitive to everyone’s triggers. They are so sincere!  They have not been drunk since college. They are not trying to score heroin on the street at midnight. Most of them have never seen a prostitute and don’t know any criminals.

They treat their parents well. They may be living with a boyfriend or girlfriend, but they use protection. They believe in marriage, but when the time comes, they will look for a “venue,” not a church. They drink, but call an Uber if they’ve had too much. They vape a little, but they’re discreet. They may use THC, but they don’t talk about it in front of mom and dad—why upset them? They consume antioxidants, and if they are not vegan, they have friends who are. They adopt dogs from the shelter. They’re open to hybrid cars and they try to recycle. They workout, save money, and plan to be loving parents when they reach the right place in their careers. They don’t go to church much because the pickle ball club plays on Sundays, and after all, they can always stream a sermon, so what’s the big deal?

And why read the Bible when you already know how to be a good person? And building their online brand takes so much time…

The problem with these nice young people is that Jesus is not the Lord of their lives. Who is? They are. It is all about Self: selfishness, self-centeredness, and self-care. And it’s not entirely their fault. My generation has raised the younger generation to seek happiness above all other considerations.

But this is a massive loss, a crushing blow to the world of the future. Why? Because young people–and only young people–have the power to make the world a better place. Every great revival or revolution in history started with young people. Young people have passion and energy and the stubbornness to see things through. When those traits are employed for the Kingdom of God, amazing things happen. Yet America has raised a generation of young adults that don’t realize they would be happier if inspired to serve a cause bigger than themselves!

Today’s young adults have small dreams: money in the bank, well-kept lawns, and children who play select sports year-round.

We are in a time of great APOSTASY: we are falling away from God. And if young people have no time for God, how will their children know Him?

“In the eighth year of his reign, while he was still a youth, Josiah began to seek the God of his ancestor David, and in the twelfth year he began to cleanse Judah and Jerusalem [of idol worship]” 2 Chronicles 34:3.

King Josiah was only 16 when he began to seek God, and he changed the nation!

Paul gave Timothy specific advice about how the young pastor could make a difference in five areas:

“Let no one look down on you because you are young, but rather set an example by your 1)SPEECH, 2)CONDUCT, 3)LOVE, 4)FAITHFULNESS, and 5)PURITY” 1 Timothy 4:12.

The time to give your life to Christ is now. The time to seek Him and surrender ALL to Him is while you are YOUNG! Being a teen or a young adult is exciting, but you must give those critical years to God.

“Don’t let the excitement of being young cause you to forget about your Creator. Honor him in your youth before the evil years come—when you’ll no longer enjoy living.” Ecclesiastes 12:1 (TLB).

Love Jesus. Bow before Him and make Him your LORD. Put your WHOLE LIFE in His hands. Then live for him and let your life be an example to others. Like Josiah, you can make a difference. Young people can often make the greatest difference of all!

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A GOD WHO SINGS. Zephaniah 3:17.

I played my first baseball game at eight. I was years behind.  My teammates on the Fireballs had been playing together since tee ball.  But there was no tee at my first game. I had to hit a ball that was moving. It was dad’s pitch, but it may as well have been Nolan Ryan.  Still, the moms sitting behind the backstop in their lawn chairs cheered like I was Babe Ruth.  I knew I was bad at it. But the moms and dads cheered for me anyway.  They were so supportive.  And when I began to get hits, everyone was genuinely excited. Nothing beats a great cheering section when you’re a kid. 

And this you know—adults need cheering too.  We should strive to be better encouragers—of both the children and adults in our lives.

But here’s what you may not know. NO ONE CHEERS FOR YOU MORE THAN GOD. He loves you, He delights in you, He believes in you!

Dennis Jernigan is a singer-songwriter who has a gift for communicating this truth. Allow me to quote his paraphrase of Zephaniah 3:17:

“The eternal self-existent God, the God Who is three in one; He Who dwells in the center of your being is a powerful and valiant warrior. He has come to set you free, to keep you safe, and to bring you victory. He is cheered and He beams with exceeding joy and takes pleasure in your presence. He has engraved a place for Himself in you and there He quietly rests in His love and affection for you. He cannot contain Himself at the thought of you and with the greatest of joy spins around wildly in anticipation over you … and has placed you above all other creations and in the highest place in His priorities. In fact, He shouts and sings in triumph, joyfully proclaiming the gladness of His heart in a song of rejoicing! All because of you!”  Zephaniah 3:17 (paraphrase by Dennis Jernigan).

Jernigan comes to worship from a place of brokenness. He has the most tender, honest heart, and I remember hearing his music and praying that my heart would always remain tender enough to be moved by his lyrics. He explains that God cheers over us, He rejoices over us. He DELIGHTS in us. He enjoys us the way a parent enjoys a child. And Jernigan wrote a song about the way God cheers for His children: “When the Night is Falling.”

I have been singing church music my entire life. I know the lyrics to hundreds of hymns and Christian songs. But “When the Night is Falling,” a little-known song by Dennis Jernigan, is one of the most anointed songs I have ever heard.

Click to hear a song about a GOD WHO SINGS, and as you do, give God a few minutes to sing over YOU: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JADMJVDTwA

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P.S. One day years ago, I too cobbled together my own paraphrase of Zephaniah 3:17, basically an “amplified” version that included all my favorite verbs and nouns. The pic above is that handwritten version.

GOOD LANGUAGE. Zephaniah 3:9

I have NEVER addressed a college professor by his or her first name. Unless the professor insists on it, doing so is “taking liberties.” It is disrespectful. The same is true of pastors, physicians, judges, and coaches. We pay them the respect due their position. Anything else is disrespectful.

I watched a show last night in which the “host” insisted on addressing Barack Obama as “Former President Obama,” rather than the time-honored (and universally accepted), “Mister President.” When Obama commented, the smart-alecky host actually argued about it—which made him look stupid and childish. He was disrespectful.

As the show went on, the host interviewed dozens of high-level government officials and scientists, each of whom spoke to him in the most sophisticated and professional terms. And he responded to them with his deliberately-shocking potty mouth. The man is not unintelligent, but his insistence on discussing sublime topics with crude speech made him sound like a little boy in junior-high. Bad language—particularly in the presence of a polished, professional speaker—does not make you look grown-up. It makes you look childish. It is a sign of disrespect.

Paul writes about language:

“There must be no filthiness, or foolish talk, or vulgar joking, which are not fitting [for believers], but rather, giving of thanks” Ephesians 5:4.

Your language should reflect the grace, purity, and light in your heart.

Anything else is not fitting—it is not respectful or worshipful of the God who is inside you at that very moment. James says your tongue is a fire that was lit in hell, and that fire will burn down your whole life. This is serious stuff! Read James 3.

“For I will then restore pure speech to the people so that all of them may call on the name of Yahweh and serve Him” Zephaniah 3:9.

You cannot serve God without pure speech.

God, purify our speech. Bring to our attention not only the vulgar, but the hateful, the gossip, the slander, the judgment. Make our speech worthy of those who have been redeemed and forgiven.

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When Did You Last Sing to God? Zephaniah 3:17.

Here is the best verse I read today:

The Lord your God delights in you. He will shout joyfully for you. He will sing over you. He will comfort you with gentle singing. He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy. Zephaniah 3:17.

You know why you should sing about God? Because He is singing about you!

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YOUR GOD IS TOO SMALL. Nahum 1:5-7.

As tiny, infinitesimal humans, it is easy for us to think that God is about our size. But that is ridiculous. God is infinite—larger than the universe. And not simply larger—God is infinitely, eternally larger than the universe. God is not 100 times larger or 1,000 times larger than the universe. A trillion universes would not show up in His palm. In fact, if God is infinite—if He is so vast, His never-ending bigness cannot be measured, then the universe is infinitely smaller than God. In fact, our smallness cannot be measured. We are infinitely small. Yet He loves us and gives Himself to us.

Imagine stepping into the warmth of brilliant sunshine. Or the colorful views on a sunny day, and the golden color of sunlight in the late afternoon. Even earth’s beautiful sunshine is nothing compared to God’s glory. If God stood behind the sun, the sun would disappear from view. God’s glory is not 100 times brighter or 1,000 times brighter than the sun. God’s glory is INFINITELY brighter than the sun. The sun may give you a sunburn after a day at the beach, but God’s glory will one day burn up the sun itself. The sun is infinitely smaller—and infinitely dimmer than God’s glory. (And you still insist on seeing God’s face? You belong to a tiny race that can be blinded by looking at a solar eclipse. You could never handle the Glory of a God who is a trillion times bigger and brighter.)

“The mountains quake before Him and the hills melt. The earth trembles at His presence… Who can withstand His indignation? Who can endure His burning anger? His wrath is poured out like fire, even rocks are shattered before Him. The Lord is good, a stronghold in a day of distress; He cares for those who take refuge in Him” Nahum 1:5-7.

God, we praise You for Your Glory, Your omnipresence, and Your amazing mercy, love, and kindness toward us. Thank You for Your incredible patience with Your tiny, fallen creatures.

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Word of the day: Nahum 1:7

The Lord is good, a stronghold in a day of distress; He cares for those who take refuge in Him. Nahum 1:7.

Talk to God about His word. Thank Him that He is what it says He is, that He’ll do what it says He’ll do.

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JUSTICE. Nahum 1:3.

On June 24, 1993, Jennifer Lee Ertman (14) and Elizabeth Pena (16) took a shortcut through Houston’s T.C. Jester Park around 11:30 p.m.  (The park snakes along White Oak Bayou about a mile north of Hwy 290 and Antoine.)  In their hurry to get home after a birthday party, the two girls walked past six young members of a group called “the Black and White Gang.” The six had been drinking and “jumping in” a new member, beating him for five minutes to gauge his fitness for the gang.  When the girls walked past, the young men groped them, then grabbed them, then proceeded to rape them repeatedly before strangling them with belts and shoelaces, and leaving them dead in the woods deep in the park. Their bodies were not discovered for four days.

The horrible crime shocked the city and I have never forgotten it.  Not only was the crime incredibly violent and evil, but the young men were not remorseful after they were apprehended.  I remember seeing one young man on TV as he was being escorted into court. He was a little guy, escorted by two huge police officers. He was handcuffed behind his back, yet when he saw news cameras pointed at him, he began trying to kick the cameras and the reporters. He was the most hostile, violent person, and would later receive the death penalty for his crimes. I was outraged and his behavior made me yearn for justice. In fact, it was the first time an “anonymous” crime on TV evoked such rage in me. I looked at the TV and thought that guy deserves the death penalty. I remember wanting that for him, where all previous news stories had no real impact on me. But if that’s how I felt as a 25-year-old newlywed with no children, imagine how the fathers of the two girls felt–men who had invested a combined 30 years in their slain daughters.

Of course, this is only one of ten thousand similar stories. Horrible crimes happen around the world every day. Children are abused. Women are forced into sex slavery. The lives of the defenseless are crushed in a thousand different ways. The faithful are persecuted for their faith. Preachers are tortured and put to death. Journalists disappear, never to be seen again. Nations start wars, destroying millions of lives. Sometimes we are overwhelmed by the evil around us.

Christians love to speak of God’s grace and His mercy. Amen.  God’s grace, mercy, and forgiveness are truly amazing. 

But God is also a God of great justice. The Bible says “He doeth all things well” (Matthew 7:37) and one of the things God does well is justice.  He is patient, but don’t think God does not see.  He sees and He will bring JUSTICE.

“The Lord is slow to anger, but great in power. The Lord will never leave the guilty unpunished” Nahum 1:3.

“Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather, leave room for the wrath of God. For it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay” Romans 12:19.

God, show us when to fight for ourselves and our loved ones—and when to leave room for the wrath of God. Show us how to forgive and how to welcome Your divine Justice.

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GOD’S GREATEST MIRACLE. 2 Chronicles 33:10-13.

What is the greatest miracle? Creation? Parting the Red Sea? The virgin birth? The resurrection? Those are huge. But the greatest miracle—because it happens EVERY DAY—is that God hides Himself. Think about it:

God is the biggest, most powerful force. He is bigger than everything: bigger, faster, stronger, louder. Yet we never see Him. He is busy, active, and working, yet we are oblivious. Those of us who seek Him catch only shadows, a wind in the trees. He hides Himself, all-day, every-day.

But how do you hide Someone who is OMNIPRESENT? How big would an invisibility cloak have to be to cover GOD?

And it’s not because He is spiritual and we are physical. A Person powerful enough to speak a universe into existence is powerful enough to knock it over with a whisper.

If you are not seeing God jostle your world every day, don’t you think that’s by design? God’s plan every day is to hide Himself.

But He gives us signs. He gives us His word and His Spirit. He gives enough to keep us walking by faith—without sight.

King Manasseh could not see God and went further astray than all kings before him. He was a demon-worshipping idolator.

“So God brought against them the Assyrian army. They captured Manasseh with hooks, bound him with bronze shackles, and took him to Babylon. When he was in distress, he sought the favor of Yahweh his God and EARNESTLY HUMBLED HIMSELF before the God of his ancestors. He prayed to Him, and He granted his request… so Manasseh came to know that Yahweh is God” 2 Chronicles 33:10-13.

Manasseh lived like there was no God—because he could not SEE Him. But when he needed God, God rescued him and he changed. Sadly, his son—having grown up under his father’s wicked rule—did not change, and became such an evil king that God allowed him only two years on the throne before he was assassinated.

God, help us walk by faith and live as though we see You—even when we do not. Make us faithful and obedient now, don’t let us wait until our life falls apart like Manasseh’s.

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Baby Steps: FOLLOW HIM IN THE MOMENTS, NOT JUST THE MILESTONES. Colossians 2:6.

Johnny Derouen writes, “Being a bond servant of Jesus is not a once-and-for-all thing! We make choices to obey and honor Him dozens of times a day.”

That is so true. You’re not a believer because of something you did years ago. You’re a believer because you chose to obey this morning, this hour, this minute. Walking with Jesus is something you do one decision at a time. With every decision you make, stop and ask Him what to do. Is this the right choice? Is this how I should use my time this afternoon? Where do You want me to go today? Whom should I talk to? What should I say? And what should I watch? What should I read? Will this decision give you glory, God? Will this behavior make You look good? 

You can literally ask God these questions all day long, hundreds of times a day. And then listen! Expect an answer. If you will shut off the TV, music, videos, and social media—if you will give yourself some TRUE SILENCE—God will speak to you.

“Just as you have trusted Christ to save you, trust Him, too, for each day’s problems; live in vital union with Him.” Colossians 2:6.

Manasseh was a seriously EVIL king in Jerusalem. He promoted idol worship, practiced witchcraft and sorcery, sacrificed a son to the idol Mollech, and influenced the nation to become more evil than the pagan nations around it. But God was merciful. “The Lord spoke to Manasseh and his people” 2 Chronicles 33:10. Can you believe that? If God would speak to them, He will speak to you! Ask Him to speak—and EXPECT Him to answer.

Sadly, Manasseh did not listen. But later, when he and the nation were captured and taken to Babylon as slaves, he humbled himself, sought God, and was restored. 

So I’m asking you to seek God and listen to His answers BEFORE you suffer the way Manasseh did. Seek Him over and over, all day, in every decision. That is how you walk with God and live a life filled with blessings. One tiny moment at a time. Baby steps, all day, every day. 

Read some scripture today. God loves you! Read His love letter!

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Pork, Port, and Potions: What’s So Tempting About Idolatry? Psalm 135:15-18.

Few things are more surprising to a first-time Bible reader than the constant presence of idol worship in a book about the One True God. God called Abram out of idol worship. His grandson Jacob married Rachel—who stole her father’s idols as a wedding present to herself. After Moses brought the nation out of Egypt, they immediately built a golden calf and spent a few days worshipping their idol. More of Israel’s kings seem to worship idols than the One True God.

“The idols of the nations are silver and gold, made by the hands of men. They have mouths, but cannot speak. They have eyes, but cannot see. They have ears, but cannot hear, nor is there breath in their mouths. Those who make them will become like them” Psalm 135:15-18.

It is easy to dismiss those who worshipped idols. How could anyone be so stupid? Modern people look down on idol worshippers, telling ourselves we are rational members of a scientific age and would not be tempted by man-made gods. But don’t be so quick to dismiss it; everyone was tempted by idols!

And no one really thought that some man-made object was a god. It was not that simple. Idol worshippers did not worship the man-made objects until several things happened: they had to finish making the idol, obviously, and then they had a ceremony, a rite of consecration, during which they invited spirits to inhabit the object. Of course, the only spirits that would respond to such a pagan ceremony would be fallen angels, i.e., demons. Neither God, nor angels loyal to God would take part in the worship of idols. Only after the rite of consecration was concluded and the spirit or spirits had taken possession of the idol, did the people believe the object to possess special powers.

In other words, the idol worshippers understood that the beautiful object they were worshipping was a representation of an actual living spirit, and the idol worshippers knew that the spirit of the idol was aware of their worship, their sacrifices, and their prayers.*

*This information comes from the online Jewish Virtual Library, and it cites Daniel 3: 2-3 as an example of the rite of consecration through which a man-made object would be transformed into some sort of pagan portal to the spirit world, allowing a demon to act as a god for the people. See paragraph entitled “The Making of an Idol” at https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/idolatry

These people were not stupid. They did not worship idols for nothing. They worshipped idols because the spirits (“demons” or “little gods”) behind the idol gave them what they wanted. Not everything, but enough to keep people hooked, dependent on the idol and the malevolent being behind it.

Idolatry thus became the largest temptation God’s people faced. And because human nature never changes, we must assume people today are equally tempted. We do not call our idols gods, but many features of idol worship remain.

Idol worship offered everything humans find tempting. Idols were expensive and beautiful, made of gold, silver, bronze, and jewels of all kinds. They carried the allure of exotic places. Idol worship was beautiful, colorful, fun, and expensive, and it attracted all the most elite, high-class people. It’s like a stroll through an Apple store in Hollywood—if the Apple store had a Mardi Gras venue out back offering wine, women, and song. Where there were idols there was the smell of incense and the taste of exquisite food and drink. After you sacrificed some juicy steaks for the idols, there would be plenty of pork, port, and potions left for drunken partying.

And let’s not forget the temple prostitutes. That’s right: as long as we’re worshipping idols, why not make sex an act of worship? And we can make men pay for it and call it a fundraiser for our new religion. And as if that were not enough, idol worship was strictly forbidden by God’s law—a temptation some would find irresistible.

But the greatest temptation, the most appealing aspect of idol worship, may come down to one word: CONTROL. An idol promises that you can get what you want. In effect, you are the god now, because you control the outcomes. Sure, you have to make sacrifices—sometimes crops, sometimes your first born child—but you will get what you want: win a war, defeat an illness, become fabulously wealthy, be lucky in love. Contrast that experience with following God.

If you worship the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, you must accept that He is in charge, not you. He might answer your prayers with a yes. Or He might say no. You can’t spend one moment in the presence of the One True God and tell yourself you are the one in charge. True worship of the true God means recognizing that He is the Boss. He will do His will, and I must submit myself to Him.

Idol worship promises instant gratification. True worship promises nothing: your desire may be gratified soon, or many years from now, or never. Those who cannot accept that, turn to idols.

Bowing the knee to a sovereign God is a hard thing for many people, particularly when they are desperate to take something to which they feel entitled, or when they are terrified of losing something they value more highly than God. To get what we want, we turn to today’s idols: the traditional ones—fortune tellers, palm readers, or the psychic hotline—and newer ones like self-help gurus, cult leaders, and snake oil salesmen of all kinds, most of them internet hucksters who offer guaranteed success for whatever quest you might be on: weight loss, making millions in real estate, beating the system as a day trader, or finding your soul mate. Our culture offers countless quick-fix idols tailored to your every need.

But following God requires us to kneel before King Jesus. He is the boss. He is our Authority. We must trust Him. And that is made easier because He is GOOD. He LOVES you! He made you, He knows you, and He has a plan for your life! Bow before Him, ask Him for the things you desire, and TRUST HIM with the results.

He loves you. He died for you. You can trust Him.

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