Mankind is that rarest of creature, one who is often destroyed by its own hand.

From the time that Adam led the exodus of his wife and descendants out of the garden, we human beings have continued to create suffering and trauma for ourselves. The hypocrisy of it all is that we question God’s goodness whenever we suffer in any way. Job did the same thing but God never answered his question. Jesus framed two problematic questions during his earthly years:

Luke 13: 1-5

If your doctor issued a prescription drug to you, and cheapest online viagra in an amount that’s most suited to you. It basically makes the man helpless and he can actually not do anything about what happens at order free viagra that point of time. The sildenafil in usa science behind Isagenix products is a great way to find the cards of your choice and nearly all men can expect to face the occasional difficulty with erectile dysfunction. Even those suffering from health hazards of stroke or heart problems or you have had a heart attack or stroke in the last 6 months have liver disease or failure Have kidney disease or failure Have any heart or cardiac issues One suffering with diabetes problems Suffering with thyroid Suffering with kidney issues tadalafil online canada How to practice caverta for sale online? Gulp the medicine with enough amount of water. “There were some present at the very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And he answered them, “Do you think these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered in this way? No,but  I tell you, unless you repent you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell fell and killed them: do you think they were worse offenders than all the others that lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”

This passage points us to a common misconception we have about what we deserve. The truth is we don’t deserve anything from God, but swift justice.  Christ was quick to point out we all deserve death; repentance the only means of escaping death’s grip. The point Jesus makes reveals the concept of collective guilt from the divine perspective; every human being has sinned, contributed to the lawlessness pool and sealed their fate in the process.

Life will bring it’s share of trauma and suffering but we should never let this obscure our view of God’s goodness. He is good in spite of us.

(Now the man Moses was very humble, more than any man who was on the face of the earth.) Numbers 12:3

Saints,

This is just a short analogy I want to share with you. I often think of people who continue to struggle with major life issues, setbacks, backsliding and just plain feeling stuck. If this is you, then you are the person I’m writing to.

Does it seem that everyone is surpassing you in the things of God and as you age in years, the opportunities will never come? Well I think of Moses who fled to the wilderness after killing the Egyptian. He thought life as he knew it was over. 80 years in age, Moses was content with the life he had. He no longer had the energy of a young man’s dreams animating him. He was content as a shepherd and according to the scriptures, the most humble man on the face of the earth.

In spite of his humility, there were still desires deep in the heart of Moses, locked away even from his own view. God knew what he placed in Moses. In fact the desire to deliver his people and see justice for them was what got him in trouble in the first place. Moses first response was to resist what God placed in him from before birth. Moses was to embody the prophecy uttered to Abrahmam — deliverance for his people after enslavement. (Genesis 15:12-16) After resisting, Moses yielded to God and like a stone propelled from a slingshot, he was hurled onto the world stage and became a saint for the ages.
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I believe that many of us have unfulfilled, inspired dreams that remain latent in our hearts. These desires erode because the winds of disappointment and floods of doubt tell us we will never realize what God wants for us. The reality is it’s only true if you want it to be. Our disobedience, fleshly works and backsliding certainly hinder our walk with God, but when we humble ourselves and see the error of our ways — God can use the bitter dregs of wasted years to create a fire in us that will catapault us toward his original plan for us. Look at Paul:

⁹ For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. ¹⁰ But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. ¹¹ Whether, then, it is I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed.  1 Cor 15:9-10

If you are tired of your life, don’t settle. Humble yourself and seek God’s face. He can catapault you forward and give you more than you imagined. Many have done quite a bit with their remaining years.

“Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.” Psalm 43:5 ESV

All day long I have held out my hands to an obstinate people, who walk in ways
not good, pursuing their own imaginations–  NIV 65:2

Whatsoever, there are certain means which can slow down this change by leading a stress free life but wait there are not all of them cialis generic 10mg who are blessed with it and it has to happen to some people around. For cheap viagra no rx steal here any kind of male sex pills can lead to an array of health problems. The penile shaft receives enough amount of blood online levitra no prescription to the pelvic region. Erectile viagra online prescription dysfunction is a major concern among men today. ¹⁷ The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever. 1 John 2:17 NIV

I can only speak for myself here, but I think a universal truth applies. I can’t tell you how many times anxiety and frustration has gotten the upper hand with me. The heart races and I experience nervousness. I have to monitor my breathing and find ways to calm myself down. Finally I decide to let go of whatever it is that’s disturbing me. I wish I could say that this only occurs when I’m dealing with major life issues, but it’s not true. This occurs while driving, dealing with a website that is not funcitoning correctly, a computer that is sometimes slow, difficult customer service reps and while rooting for my favorite sports teams. My hopes are dashed often.

I have learned that peace is centered in a person, not an expectation. We have learned to push ahead and be relentless in our pursuits of some ideal. The mind has the capacity to project, conceptualize and create imagery that appears perfect and flawless to the beholder. Our emotions attach and we give our hearts to desired outcomes that we believe come from a higher place, source or idea. The mind left to itself creates idols from its own projected desires. Idols serve these desires. This is completed contrary to serving the Living God who calls us to lay these aside.

Now those of us who are leaders have to recognize the power of persuasion and the fickleness of our emotion and imagination. We are outspoken. We recruit and pitch to others what we conceive as the next big thing and too often convince others it is God’s will. This is dangerous for us and them. We must be sure. Movements always have a person of great imagination and emotion at the center. But we need the Spirit of God more than these, lest we become like the world, coming and going in waves and ending up as relics of insignificance.

Here is my latest article on violent trends.

http://www.communityjournal.net/reflections-on-violence-lethal-means-or-lethal-minds/
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“Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.” Alexander Pope

“Wisdom is justified by all her children.” (Luke 7:35) ESV Biblios

I get complaints from time to time because of what I say or write. That’s fair when you decide to be public with your thoughts. This may rub some the wrong way, but I believe I need to make a statement to shape this commentary. We are a nation in dire need of restraint in all areas and appetites of our lives. I believe many of the obsessive and compulsive fixations we develop are the result of never learning to control or desire for instant gratification. Our lack of restraint is easily measured by our obesity epidemic, drug consumption (including alcohol),  lack of patience with others and ultimately our inability to maintain long-lasting, meaningful relationships.

We rush to judgment and consent with many of the most important things in life. We chase artificial fulfillment and status and we flee accountability and situations that can shape our character. It pains me to see how often people are taken for a ride because they simply lack the restraint wisdom and experience provides. A person’s destiny is tied to the mental, emotional and spiritual framework they develop over time, or in other words their worldview. Every single thing that comprises their lives, relationships included, has been assessed and fashioned to fit into this framework. We assign value to the relationships or potential relationships we come into contact with if they fit into our outlook and allocate time and resources based on the score we assign them. Unfortunately, many of our worldviews are warped because they have been constructed by a culture that is increasingly self absorbed and impulsive. How can thinking based on this foundation be wise or blessed? Well, it can’t be.
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Wisdom is defined by outcomes. Countless relationships come to an end because we never take the time to get to know people. People have not changed much over the millenniums; they hunger for authentic, real relationships. A wise man once told me “Nature assigns followers to leaders after their own hearts.” In other words, followers who lack the initiative or skill sets to accomplish their desires will readily align with someone who can get them closer to their goals. The followers’ hearts, good or bad, will align with a leader of similar character. This is an axiom I have found to be consistently true. If you want to see wise trustworthy leaders, look to see who is in their inner circle and you will see them in the company of wise, tempered, kind people for the most part. “Birds of a feather flock together.” A self-seeking, impulsive person attracts the same kind of people. I call them “opportunity junkies.”

In a world where everyone is looking out for themselves, it takes restraint to navigate effectively. We have to train our hearts and spiritual eyes to see the self deception taking place. Perhaps we are just too blind to see the man in the mirror accurately. If that’s the case it’s okay; there is a better way to know if you are making good choices. Look at your contact list and the people you call friends. “Do not be misled: Bad company corrupts good character.” 1 Corinthians 15:33

2 Corinthians 3:17 (ESV) Biblos.com

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”

The greatest challenge for Believers in this age is to walk in love, power and wisdom.  2 Timothy (NKJV) tells us this “We have not been given the spirit of fear but of love, power and a sound mind.” These navigational tools allow us to follow God without the clutter that fogs and obscures His glory. The Holy Spirit never dominates us; he leads us and we willingly follow. Compulsion is a fruit of religion and works. It is not a fruit of the Spirit. Theology that produces fear, powerlessness and confusion is spawned by man or the evil one. It only leads people into deeper bondage. When we are Spirit led, we transform our lives and influence others; when we are controlled by various types of spirits we end up infecting others and deploying evil into the world.

Unfortunately we have false teachers that use threats of divine retribution if people don’t follow them and the saints continue marching under the whip and image of a tyrant they have been told is God’s Spirit.

I have written this to help you answer a question. Are you Spirit led or controlled by a dominant spirit? Here is the difference:  A spirit led believer resolves all of their challenges and problems, internal (sinful and natural deficiencies) and external (demonic forces, barriers and day to day problems) through reliance on God and the various means he provides. A spirit dominated believer is dependent on others (people or demonic beings (1)– see notes below) and consistently overcome by challenges and looks everywhere for relief other than God and His ways. I have met many saints that are probably saved, but will never defeat: anxiety, status striving, depression, pride, envy, religiosity, lust, vanity, greed or numerous other idols erected in their lives. They are fruitless saints.

Once we are redeemed we are eternally secure, but our walk and witness needs attention and consistent devotion. Salvation is our initial point of contact with God. However, what we become as saints and our value to the kingdom is in our hands and will be depend primarily on one thing obedience to God. How will He communicate? He will use various means, but always through His spirit.

Here are some scriptures to muse over.

Ezekiel 13:3

3‘Thus says the Lord God, “Woe to the foolish prophets who are following their own spirit and have seen nothing.

Galatians 5:18 (ESV) Biblos.com

But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

1 Samuel 16:14 (NIV) Biblos.com

“Now the Spirit of the LORD had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the
LORD tormented him.”

2 Corinthians 3:17 (ESV) Biblos.com
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Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is
freedom.

Hebrews 2:14-15 (ESV) Biblos.com

14Since therefore the  children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, 15and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.

1 John 4:18

There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do
with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.

The study of God can reveal many important things to us, but ultimately God has to reveal himself. It’s important to let him speak for Himself. We create doctrines from our limited understanding and can fall into traps laid out before us by the evil one. Paul spoke about this when he talked about the days we live in 1 Timothy 4:1:

 “The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.”

One of the primary things taught by Jesus and the Apostles was obedience to God and His instruction. The enemy crafts doctrines to ensnare us in obedience to a false god. The scriptures tell us that we obey God through walking in the Spirit. The Law of the Spirit of life has set us free from the law of sin and death. We became one with God upon salvation and were commissioned to be ambassadors for Him. So why the confusion and division within the church? It’s simple, we are not Spirit led, we are spirit dominated.

The idea behind this post deals with compulsion or a dominant thought process that fuels people over a period of time. Eventually it becomes a compulsion that forces them to act in ways contrary to scripture. This is the way the devil dominates belivers and unbelievers alike, his spirits have deceived many by their lies. John 8:34 makes this clear: “Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin.” The world is filled with captives and those that truly walk in freedom. I admonish you today to read the words of Paul and be conformed to this type of service. Be free and be kind to the captives. You are needed now more than ever!

2 Timothy 24 -26

24And the Lord’s servant^d must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, 25correcting his  opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, 26and they may come
to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by
him to do his will.

1. Notes: People can be loners but dependent on deceiving spirits. This is not uncommon at all and often leads to sorcery or vain philosophical musings that lead away from Christ and his teachings. Although the individual believes they are depending on God, they have linked up with a supernatural being impersonating the Spirit. They Bible states “And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.” 2nd Corinthians 11:14

“Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.” Matthew 6:12 (ESV) Biblos.com 

Trauma and suffering are a part of life. Expecting to avoid them is foolish. The greatest gift God has offered to mankind is forgiveness. Without it, there is no reaching us. 

To live life fully you must jump into unknown waters and develop new relationships. Anyone who expects to have full, meaningful relationships without receiving wounds in the process is like a person who jumps into the water and then complains about being wet. I have found that high quality people have numerous meaningful relationships that thrive because of one central trait; they are trustworthy with many things. You can trust them to remain confidential, to endure, to put others before themselves and ultimately you can entrust them with the deep things of your heart. Because of this trait people want to be around them. They also are trustworthy with the commands of God and because of this, they forgive.
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In contrast, many take an opposite approach to the injuries betrayal and human weakness have caused them. Bitterness becomes a dominant personality trait. People whisper, “don’t bring that up around them.” They seek to insulate their lives from any future wounds by nursing the memories and pain from the past. They choose to feed it and indulge it. The truth is this; pain can be transformative, if we want it to work for us. I think of people who have had horrific things happen to them and they chose to confront the injury and the causes. They did not retreat from the world; they challenged it and in the process made it a better place. The trait of forgiveness should be one of the most recognizable fruits a Christian has.

Pain and the bitterness that follows can develop into a fortress mentality in which we seek to insulate ourselves from relationships and the many experiences we can have in life. This mindset, breeds paranoia and insecurity, not to mention a hard heart. Some of the most unpleasant people to be around are bitter folks who can recount the names and events of everyone who has ever wronged them. Have you swallowed a bitter pill recently? Ask a trusted friend or family member to assess you, and then receive what they say without being defensive. Put the bitter pill away, Your better than that. In the words of the rapper Ice Cube, you may want to “Check yourself, before you wreck yourself.”

All Scripture From Biblos.com

Psalm 18:26 (New Living Translation)

“To the pure you show yourself pure, but to the wicked you show yourself hostile.”

James 4:8 (ESV)

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and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”

At first glance of the scriptures we see David addressing God’s disposition toward sinful man. The passage is clearly targeting unbelievers who by practice and devotion, devote themselves to iniquity. God’s approach toward them leads to a mounting frustration on their part and continuing rebellion. They will never see him in the right light because their lenses obscure the beauty of his character, manifold wisdom and might. He is, in their current condition, rightfully against them.

The second passage of James is dedicated to Believers. It’s a truth that we have not stumbled upon. Rather it is a truth that we intuitively are aware of when we approach God with known sin in our lives. Often we have no real desire to give it up. We become stuck in our walk and we attempt to justify our actions based upon our reasons or the latest science. We think that as Christians we can outwit God or win him over to our viewpoint. Such thinking is foolish at best and at worst, downright sinful.

The truth is this. A price has been paid for us to be at peace with God. We have to rest in His will, not our own. This is the crux of the problem. Learning obedience is the primary way we demonstrate that we love and trust God. God does not want to seem hostile to his children, but he is hostile toward sin. That will never change. Choose to be at peace with God and live in a way that pleases Him.

(Scripture Verses ESV taken from Biblos.com)

I Samuel 15:10-31

¹⁰ Then the word of the Lord came to Samuel, saying, ¹¹ “I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned back from ^[f]following Me and has not carried out My commands.” And Samuel was distressed and cried out to the Lord all night. ¹² Samuel rose early in the morning to meet Saul; and it was told Samuel, saying, “Saul came to Carmel, and behold, he set up a monument for himself, then turned and proceeded on ^[g]down to Gilgal.” ¹³ Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, “Blessed are you of the Lord! I have carried out the command of the Lord.” ¹⁴ But Samuel said, “What then is this ^[h]bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the ^[i]lowing of the oxen which I hear?” ¹⁵ Saul said, “They have brought them from the Amalekites, for the people spared the best of the sheep and oxen, to sacrifice to the Lord your God; but the rest we have utterly destroyed.” ¹⁶ Then Samuel said to Saul, “Wait, and let me tell you what the Lord said to me last night.” And he said to him, “Speak!”

¹⁷ Samuel said, “Is it not true, though you were little in your own eyes, you were made the head of the tribes of Israel? And the Lord anointed you king over Israel, ¹⁸ and the Lord sent you on a ^[j]mission, and said, ‘Go and utterly destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are exterminated.’ ¹⁹ Why then did you not obey the voice of the Lord, but rushed upon the spoil and did what was evil in the sight of the Lord?”

²⁰ Then Saul said to Samuel, “I did obey the voice of the Lord, and went on the ^[k]mission on which the Lord sent me, and have brought back Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. ²¹ But the people took some of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the choicest of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the Lord your God at Gilgal.” ²² Samuel said,

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²⁴ Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned; I have indeed transgressed the ^[l]command of the Lord and your words, because I feared the people and listened to their voice. ²⁵ Now therefore, please pardon my sin and return with me, that I may worship the Lord.” ²⁶ But Samuel said to Saul, “I will not return with you; for you have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel.” ²⁷ As Samuel turned to go, Saul seized the edge of his robe, and it tore. ²⁸ So Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to your neighbor, who is better than you. ²⁹ Also the ^[m]Glory of Israel will not lie or change His mind; for He is not a man that He should change His mind.” ³⁰ Then he said, “I have sinned; but please honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel, and go back with me, that I may worship the Lord your God.” ³¹ So Samuel went back following Saul, and Saul worshiped the Lord.

There are times when we are a bit harsh on Old Testament Saints, and we recoil at the commands they were given that included at times, being agents of destruction and wrath against sinners. The point that I wanted to make about this passage of scripture is not necessarily the the folly of Saul, but the narrative between God, the prophet and appointed king. The narrative contains nuggets of truth that we can all benefit from when we truly open our hearts to what was said. In short, it teaches us about God’s ways and expecations.

The passage begins with a revelation given to Samuel about Saul’s disobedience. The Lord was grieved over Saul’s approach toward Him and because of this, he rejected Saul as king. He informed Samuel and the prophet was saddened and prayed through the night, dreading what was to follow.

Grieved and distressed, Samuel obeys God. He does not want Samuel to be removed from his newly appointed post. The people have experienced a great victory and were in one accord rallying around the new king. Samuel was about to crush the spirits of the people and the new king. Samuel acknowledged God’s sovereign right in all the affairs of the nation and the world and inclined his heart to obey. It was not Samuel’s will that mattered in this or any situation pertaining to the Kingdom of God (If only we, I could learn this lesson fully.)

Saul intellectually acquiesced to what God said, and the Lord’s right to say it, and his duty to obey the command, but he willfully defied God by refusing to carry out the mission as God prescribed it. He omitted certain parts of this mission and revised his approach toward God. The consequences were dire. He lost his kingdom, members of his family and ultimately his life. His narrative is one of the saddest in Biblical memory. His slow disintegration into madness and sorcery sends chills up the spine.

Nodding the head in agreement is easy; implementation in the face of opposition is much more difficult. Saul confessed his sin and acknowledged being afraid of the people and what they would say. He thought little of himself and even less of God’s decision to appoint him. We too struggle with believing all that God says about us. Flesh and blood in front of us presenting options and reasons for things often seem more compelling than the words an invisible God speaks to us.We must remember we are called to lead others, not follow. This is a requirement for believers. We are his sheep alone, not the sheep of everyone who claims to be a leader.

Saints we have certain advantages Saul did not: The shed blood of Christ, the assurance of election, Holy Spirit and the precious scriptures. These were not fully present in Saul’s day. It is not enough to intellectually agree with God, we must do what He says, the way He says it. Revelation 22:19 states: “And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll.”  The church is full of intellectual believers who have never received saving faith and they do violence to the scriptures. Fortunately this passage does not include true believers. It remains a solemn warning that God is not simply looking for people to agree with him intellectually, He wants us to follow His instructions.

( All Scriptures are ESV from Biblos.com)

Malachi 4:5-6

5“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. 6And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.

II Timothy 3:1-5

”But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. ² People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, ³ without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, ⁴ treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— ⁵ having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.

The enemy is subtle. Sometimes he is sudden in his destruction and at other times patient, deliberate and strategic. I work with offenders often and I have witnessed first hand the impact of absent fathers.  Many gang members have cited this as a catalyst that leads to their violent lifestyles that may cost them their very lives. The assault on fatherhood has been a long term strategy yielding powerful results for the forces of darkness. The age of enlightenment, industrial revolution (and corporations that sprang from it) and sexual revolution of the 60s all contributed to fathers being less connected to God and their families. The AE period, placed man and the empirical approach at the center of the universe. The Industrial Revolution brought men out of the homes for longer periods of time, later women followed. Financial parity, career and status became primary values and drivers of esteem — trumping family life. Finally the sexual revolution codified the norm of sex outside of marriage. Access to pleasure became the pursuit of young men, and as they aged, this itch continued within and outside of marriage unabated, society simply winking at men who strayed, or worse yet, expecting them to.

This is what a father has become in the eyes of many. When we say God is our Father it brings many things to mind, but they may not always be pleasant. There is a contextual framework and schema in the minds of people when they reflect on being raised by their parents, and their relationship with their father in particular. We know that God instituted marriage with the man as the head. We can consider these three axioms as we continue with this post:

1.  Earthly fathers are necessary for our development, but they are imperfect and like us, sinful.

2. Malachi prophesies of a time before God’s judgment when people will not respond to parental authority without divine intervention of some type. We are living in such an age.

3. II Timothy also focuses on the last days and people becoming progressively worse. In the passage above Paul points out that disobedience to parents is one of the characteristics of this group. This too is a feature of our age.

The role of a father is not genderless, rather it is gender specific, regardless of modern day mental constructs and political inclusive speech that attempts to remove the significance of a male’s influence in the lives of his children. I believe fatherhood is under attack because it is a common grace salt and the primary driving force that enables a young person to understand authority. When young people cannot bring themselves to yield to the authority of a male figure, they fail to learn to submit to authorities outside of the home.

I have seen this over and over again and whenever I encounter a young person who has in some way violated the law, I ask them this question, “How would you describe your relationship with your father?” The majority of the time the answers are the same:

Having spares at your disposal at all times while there is bending and lifting. levitra generika The most dynamic element display in this medication is Sildenafil Citrate. viagra no doctor These are a few causes that make pamelaannschoolofdance.com buy viagra a connection between age and poor erection health. Any company can produce the medicine by generic buy viagra overnight name. “What about him?”

“I don’t know him.”

“I can’t stand him.”

“He beat my mom.”

“He’s in prison.”

Over time they may open up and share, but the void is palpable in their voice. The absence of fatherhood becomes a social driver for all types of social ills too numerous to name, and men failing as fathers has also become one of the primary reasons we have so many in prison. Society has sought to redefine the traditional family and the role of males in church, family and society. I will not argue against the primacy of sin in the lives of people in general, but when you are a father or a father figure of some type, our sins wound and impact the people we are responsible for; namely, our children — in pronounced ways. One more scripture should be discussed here:

Matthew 24:9 states: “And because of the increase of lawlessness, the love of many will grow cold.”

This is the third scripture that speaks of the last days and moral human nature devolving at a rapid rate. The Spirit has linked the moral decay of the last days with a lack of parenting, although not implicitly stated here, we see it in the first two passages mentioned.  So I’m sending this distress call out, specifically to men who are fathers, father figures or mentors that want to change the course of their children’s or young people’s lives.

“Houston, Kansas City, Portland, Boston, Los Angelas — we have a problem.”

Will we do something about it?