Remembering your Creator
By David Cox
© 2011
Sunday School Class Teens Series 2 Volume 1
https://www.coxtracts.com/free-teen-sunday-school-classes/
In this Sunday School class we examine Ecclesiastes 12:1, Remember your Creator. As God’s creature, God is our authority because he is our Creator and Sustainer, Provider. This obligates us to worship God and obey Him.
Suggestions and Observations
By David Cox
[Salv10] v1 ©2009 www.coxtracts.com
You may reproduce this for free distribution
In this tract, we examine some helpful elements in how to have personal devotions. TOPICS: What is personal devotional time? | What are the elements of a devotional time? | Why should we have personal devotional time? | Helps to structure it | Why should we have personal devotions?
Keeping your Soul Visual Door to the Mind
By David Cox © 2012
Sunday School Series 3, Number 2
https://www.coxtracts.com/free-teen-sunday-school-classes/
In this Sunday School class, we examine what the Bible has to say about letting evil things into our mind and soul by the visual eye gate. When we set evil before us on a constant basis, it can do nothing good to us, and it will eventually wear down the strongest of Christians into accepting these sins.
Ruxsat berilganmi? Yoki bu jirkanchmi?
Devid Koks tomonidan
[CP09] v1 © 2008 www.coxtracts.com
Ushbu risolani nusxa ko’chirish va bepul chop etish mumkin
Ushbu risolada, Bibliyada gomoseksuallik va lezbiyanizm haqida nima deyilganini ko’rib chiqamiz.
Levit 18:22 Erkak bilan, ayol bilan yotmang. Bu jirkanchdir.
Gomoseksuallarning harakati yillar davomida juda kuchli edi. Bugungi kunda gomoseksuallarning ikkita hujumi mavjud: (1) gomoseksualizm gunoh emas va 2) ular buni gunoh deb tan olishadi, lekin Xudoni va Uning hayotida hukmronlik qilish huquqini inkor etishadi. Ushbu risolada men gomoseksuallar bilan bog’liq ba’zi masalalarga oydinlik kiritaman. Umuman olganda, mening sharhlarim gomoseksuallik va lezbiyanizmga qaratilgan, ammo qisqacha aytganda, men gomoseksuallik atamasini ikkalasini qamrab oladigan tushuncha sifatida ishlataman.
Geylar bilan yoki gey-do’stlar bilan munosabatda bo’lganlarning fikri shunchaki Bibliyada bu amaliyot haqida aniq ma’lumot yo’qligi va Sodomning hikoyasi mehmondo’stlikni yo’qotish gunohi haqida ekanligi va bu gunoh Xudoning ikkala qahr-g’azabiga sabab bo’ldi. gomoseksualizm (ular bo’yicha). Ular “sodomit” so’zini gomoseksual emas, balki butparast dinning erkak ruhoniysi (unumdorlik ma’budasi) sifatida olishadi.
Deu 23:17 Isroil qizlari orasida fohisha yo’q, Isroil o’g’illari orasida sodomit ham yo’q.
“Sodomit” tushunchasi fohishaga, ya’ni erkak mijozlarga ega bo’lgan erkak fohishaga parallel bo’lishi taklif etiladi. Sodomit bo’lish Sado’m shahridan kelib chiqmaydi, lekin bu qayerda bo’lishidan qat’i nazar, odamlar uchun odatdir (3 Shohlar 14:24; 15.12; 22:46; 4 Shohlar 23: 7). Fohisha yoki fohisha degan tushuncha, o’zlarining ma’badlari uchun pul topish uchun o’z tanalarini qarz beradigan ayollar bilan bog’liq edi. Garchi bu fohishaning yagona kontseptsiyasi bo’lmasa-da (bu erda yashaydigan yoki sodda ta’mga ega bo’lganlar ham bor), diniy tushunchaning bir qismi edi. Afrodita jinsiy aloqa ma’budasi ma’badida bir vaqtning o’zida 10000 ayol (ruhoniylar) uni qo’llab-quvvatlash uchun jinsiy aloqa qilish uchun xizmat qilishgan.
Ushbu din “o’zingizni yaxshi his qilish” dini bo’lganligini tushunish muhimdir. Ularning tushunchasi shundan iboratki, jinsiy aloqada bo’lish “yaxshi his qilish” ning eng asosiysi, keyin ular jinsiy aloqada bo’lishgan. Bu shunchaki jinsiy aloqa emas edi, chunki ziyofatlar, spirtli ichimliklar, giyohvand moddalar, o’yin-kulgi va boshqalar “o’zingizni yaxshi his qilish” ning boshqa shakllari bilan bir xil dinga kirgan. Ammo bugungi kunda gomoseksual va fohishalar bilan (pornografiya sohasidagi kabi) ko’rib turganimizdek, dinning o’zi birinchi navbatda jinsiy ibodatdir. Ularning ayollar bilan jinsiy aloqada bo’lganligi inkor etilmaydi. Bu odamlar hayotlarini jinsiy hayotga bag’ishlagan va butun joni, tanasi va ruhi bilan jinsiy aloqada bo’lgan odamlardir. Ular jinsiy aloqada (fohishalarda) yashaydiganlarga parallel. Farqi juda oz.
Ayub 36: 13-14 Ammo ikkiyuzlamachilar yuraklarida g’azabni saqlaydilar va ularni bog’laganlarida yig’lamaydilar. 14 Ularning joni yoshlik chog’ida va soddalar orasida hayoti halok bo’ladi.
Kontseptsiya odamning buzuq va qabih odatlari tufayli jamiyat tomonidan rad etilganligi haqidagi g’oyani keltirib chiqardi va bu odatlar ularning jinsiga sig’inish bilan bog’liq edi. Keil va Delitshlar, ular xudo oldida gunohlarini eslashni rad qiladigan, mag’rur, mag’rur va isyonkor bo’lganlari uchun ularga g’azabini keltiradigan odamlar turi ekanligi haqidagi fikrni qo’shmoqdalar.
Bu erda Ayub (Ayub 36:14), munofiqlarni jamiyatning buzuqligi, mag’rurligi va Xudoning rahm-shafqati tufayli rad etgani uchun va Xudo uning yoshligida o’z hayotini hayotini kesib tashlaydigan odamlar bo’lgan sodomitlar bilan taqqoslaydi. buzuqliklar.
Sadomda (Ibtido 19: 5 “Ularni olib chiq, shunda biz ularni taniymiz” va Hakamlar 19:22 da: “Sening uyingga kirgan odamni olib chiq, shunda biz uni taniymiz.”) Ular gunoh qildilar. erkakni erkak bilan jinsiy aloqa qilish edi. Hikoyani boshqa gunohga aylantirish juda qiyin. Xudo barcha shaharlarni xushmuomalalik tufayli yo’q qilmaydi. Agar shunday bo’lsa, bugun shahar qolmadi.
“Bilish” so’zi Bibliyada jinsiy aloqada ishlatilgan (Ibtido 4:17, 25; 38:26 va boshqalar) (Ibtido 4: 1, “Odam Ato xotini Momo Havoni bilar edi”). Sodom bilan bir xil kontekstda (Ibtido 19), Lut “erkakni tanimagan” ikkita qizini taklif qildi. Ikkala oyatda ham Bibliyada bir xil so’z ishlatiladi (yada). G’oya – bu boshqa odam bilan bilish yoki yaqin munosabatlar. Ba’zi vaziyatlarda, shubhasiz, jinsiy aloqa qilish uchun foydalaniladi (bilish uchun eng samimiy narsa).
1 Timo’tiyga 1:10 da “sodomit” so’zi [avrsenokoi, thj]. Bu so’z boshqa kattalar erkak yoki bola yoki yosh bilan jinsiy aloqada bo’lgan katta yoshdagi erkakni anglatadi. Gap shundaki, jinsiy aloqada bo’lish uchun ayol bilan uxlash, lekin erkak bilan ayolning o’rniga erkak kishi bilan erkak.
3 Shohlar 14:24 Er yuzida soddadil odamlar ham bor bo’lib, ular Isroil xalqi oldida Egamiz qo’ygan xalqlarning jirkanch ishlarini bajardilar.
Shunda sodomitning gunohi aniq bir jinsdagi (jinsdagi) boshqa odam bilan, xoh erkak bo’lsin, xoh ayol kishi bo’lsin, jinsiy aloqada bo’lishdir (Rimliklarga 1:26) Shu sababli Xudo ularni sharmandali ehtiroslarga topshirdi; ularning xotinlari tabiatga zid bo’lgan tabiiy foydalanishni o’zgartirdilar)) (lesbiyanizm). Gomoseksualizm (va lesbiyanizm) Bibliyada aniq qoralanadi.
Gomoseksualizm gunohmi va jirkanchmi? Ha.
Levit 18:22 Erkak bilan, ayol bilan yotmang. Bu jirkanchdir.
Levit 20:13 Agar biron kishi erkak bilan ayolga o’xshab bo’lsa, ular jirkanch ish qilishdi. ikkalasi ham o’ldirilishi kerak; ularning qoni ularning ustiga tushadi.
Shunchaki bir jinsdagi ikki kishi bir-biri bilan jinsiy aloqada bo’lishlari Rabbimiz uchun jirkanchdir. Eski Ahdda bu xatti-harakatlar o’lim jazosiga loyiq edi (Xudo bundan juda g’azablanadi). Bu hayotda afzal emas, balki jirkanch narsa. Xudo ikkita erkak va ayolni yaratdi va agar qarama-qarshi jinsdagi (va bir-biriga uylangan) ikki kishi bo’lmasa, jinsiy aloqa qilish taqiqlanadi.
1 Korinfliklarga 6:9-10 Nohaqliklar Xudo Shohligini meros qilib olishlarini bilmaysizlarmi? Adashmang; na zinokorlar, na butparastlar, na zinokorlar, na jirkanchlar va na odam bilan birga quvib chiqarilganlar, 10 ular Xudo saltanatini meros qilmaydi.
Bu erda g’oya aniq bir erkak bilan boshqa erkak bilan jinsiy aloqada bo’lish uchun yotadi.
Rimliklarga 1: 26-28 Shuning uchun Xudo ularni sharmandali ehtiroslarga topshirdi; Hatto ularning ayollari ham tabiatga zid bo’lgan tabiiy foydalanish usulini o’zgartirdilar. 27 Shuningdek, erkaklar ham ayolning tabiiy ishlatilishini qoldirib, bir-birlari bilan shahvatparastliklarida e’tiborga olinmaydilar, erkaklar bilan uyatli ishlarni qilardilar va qabul qilardilar. Yo’qolganlari sababli o’zlariga azob. 28 Ular Xudoni hisobga olishni istamaganliklari sababli, Xudo ularni buzuq fikrga berib, bir-biriga zid bo’lgan ishlarni qilishni buyurdi.
Pavlus bu erda Xudo oldida jirkanch bo’lgan ikkita jiddiy va dahshatli gunohni aniqladi va bu gunohlar lesbiyanizm va gomoseksuallikdir. Bu masalada hech kim shubha qilmasligi kerak, bu gunoh va bu Xudo oldida jirkanchdir. Xudo nima uchun Isroil xalqidan oldin er yuzidagi aholisini yo’q qilganini ko’pchilik tushunmaydi. Bu Isroil juda yaxshi bo’lgani uchun emas, balki bu mamlakatlarning gunohlari va jirkanchligi jirkanch va jirkanch bo’lganligi uchun emas edi. RVG
Pornografiya
Vahiy 21:8 da, Xudo olov ko’lida bir necha xil turlari borligini e’lon qiladi va “zinokorlar” haqida eslatib o’tadi. Bu porno so’zlar, Strongsga ko’ra: “1) to’lovni talab qilish uchun o’z tanasini fohisha qiladigan odam; 2) erkak fohisha, 3) jinsiy aloqada bo’lgan va zinokorlikni qidiradigan erkak.” Noqonuniy jinsiy aloqada bo’lgan kishi uchun bu boshqa so’z (1Tim 1:10 ga qarang). Men “noqonuniy” deyman, lekin haqiqatni aytaman, agar Xudo jinsiy aloqada bo’lsa yoki nikohda sherigi bilan yoki noqonuniy munosabatda bo’lsa, butparastlik deb biladi. Xudoni orqada qoldirgan va er-xotin sifatida jinsiy aloqada bo’lgan juftliklar bor, bu erda biz Xudodan ustun qo’ygan narsamiz butparastlik ekanligini tushunishimiz kerak. Er-xotin o’rtasidagi jinsiy aloqa gunoh emas (Ibroniylarga 13:4)
Bu erda qiziq narsa shundaki, “zinokor” tushunchasi jinsiy aloqani izlash va uni yuksaltirishdir. Bu so’z 10 marta ishlatilgan (1Ko 5: 9; 6: 9; Efes 5: 5; 1 Tim 1:10; Ibron. 12:16; 13: 4; Vahiy 21: 8; 22:15) Yangi Ahd. 1 Timo’tiyga 1:10 da tushuncha sodomitlarga nisbatan qo’llaniladi. Sodomit – bu erkak bilan erkak, ammo zinokor – bu jinsiy aloqani ko’taradigan kishi. Ikkalasi juda o’xshash va sodomit zinokorning bir turi.
Gomoseksual xarakter
Hizqiyol 16:49 Mana, bu singilingiz Sado’mning yovuzligi edi: mag’rurlik, nonga to’yish va u va uning qizlari juda ko’p beparvolik; va miskinlarga va miskinlarga qo’lini ko’tarmadi.
Jinsiy topinish bilan, ayniqsa tabiatga zid bo’lgan g’ayritabiiy jinsiy aloqa bilan bog’liq bo’lgan bir belgi mavjud (erkak bilan erkak yoki ayol bilan ayol). Bu buzuq belgi ajoyib bo’lishi kerak. Bunga duch keladigan odamlar bor, lekin ularning hayotidagi mag’rurlik, takabburlik va jasorat gunohkor amallar va xatti-harakatlar orqali hosil bo’lganligini, ularning hayotidagi Xudoning hokimiyatini rad etadigan odamlar borligini tushunmaydilar. Bu odamlar Xudoning qahriga duchor bo’ladilar va Xudoning najotini bilish uchun juda og’ir gunohlaridan ozod bo’ladilar. Xudoning qahriga va qahr-g’azabiga berkitib qo’yish uchun “nishon” nima, bu ularning xatti-harakatlari va amaliyotlari gunoh ekanligini tan olishdan bosh tortishlari. Jinsiy aloqa – bu giyohvandlikka o’xshab, tanada jismoniy qaramlikni keltirib chiqaradigan, bu boshlanganidan keyin uni rad etish va to’xtatish juda qiyin. Faqatgina Xudo ko’rsatgan yo’l bilan (erkak o’z xotini bilan jinsiy aloqada) bu gunohni tuzatishi va unga qarshilik ko’rsatishi mumkin.
Xudo hal qildi
Gomoseksuallikning echimi birinchi navbatda gunoh sifatida ko’rish, keyin tavba qilish va keyin Xudo bizga buyurgan narsaga intilishdir – erkak o’z xotini bilan turmush qurmaguncha.
Welcome to David Cox Tract Library which is a website to present Tracts that I myself (I am a pastor in Mexico City, and missionary) to the world.
Hot Tracts (links below): Kundalini, Congregating, Pentecostalism, What is heaven like?, Fundamentals of the Christian life.
Keeping your Heart
By David Cox
© 2012
Sunday School Class Volume 3, Number 1
https://www.coxtracts.com/free-teen-sunday-school-classes/
Sunday School Class on keeping your heart. Your heart is like the tiller of a boat. It decides where you will go.
Prov 4:23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
The Hebrew here doubles the verb, “keep keep,” which means that we must keep it this very intensely. The heart is something extremely important for our soul and our future in eternity. The text gives us the motivations coming out of our heart. Our being (what we are) is defined by what is our heart. We go to heaven or hell because of what we are spiritually, in our heart, we are sinners. If one is a Christian, then he or she “is” (or seeks to be) the moral essence of Christ. He seeks the moral character of God, and is interested in the things of God, the work of God, and wants to know more and more of the Word of God to be more like his Savior whom he loves intensely. What the person “is” is defined by the moment of saving faith in his Savior, Jesus Christ. If “he is” a child of the Devil, equally, he hates or is not tolerant of the things of God, he seeks to limit his encounter with these things of God to the least possible or avoid them entirely. He is very interested in the things of the world, the pleasures, the sins, and the rest that is not of God. Where his life is going, he discerns what essence he is, a son of God or son of the devil, and follows his spiritual “father.”
1John 5:2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.
John 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
God commands us to keep our heart, because the heart is the source of life, that is, where “what we are” comes from. The heart is a representation of everything else in our life. Everything in our life “flows” from our heart. It refers to the center of our personality and soul. From this center, “life springs” or life develops around what is in our heart, and what our heart is like spiritually. “We do” things according to what we are. What you are is defined by what your heart is.
Matt 15:18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. 19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: 20 These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.
Jesus explained that what really “contaminates man” (sin), which is our actions and attitudes, and we are not contaminated for eating one food or another, or eating with unclean hands. The heart is the problem, and because of this, we act as we act, because what we are.
Rom 1:21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
The heart is what corrupts us (makes us black with sin*), and this was because they knew about God, but they did not honor him as God. There is a lot of difference between knowing about the Bible, and knowing God personally, and having a relationship with Him, where Jesus saves you, and you honor Him as your God. They did not value God above their own will. They did not hold him, and they were condemned by God.
* Being black with sin has nothing to do with one’s skin color, but refers to purity as white, and dirty as black. Black people can be good Christians, and pure in God’s eyes. Caucasians are not really white, but flesh-tone by the way.
Ps 119:11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
The heart is also the place where we “put the Word of God“, and this is to prevent sin in our lives (if we heed God’s Word). We put the Word of God in our hearts by memorizing it, but much more than to be able to repeat it, we study the Word of God to understand what God wants, and we give God what He wants from us.
Prov 22:5 Thorns and snares are in the way of the froward: he that doth keep his soul shall be far from them.
God warns us that there are dangers and punishments in the way of perversity. Keeping your soul from walking in these ways will protect you from this punishment from God on sin.
Ps 139:23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: 24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
The psalmist’s attitude is to lay out his life before God so that God examines and rebukes (to change his life). When there is any element of sin in our life, we should seek to remove it from our life.
Jer 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
Prov 28:26 He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.
The arrogant will not have his life blessed by God. He who follows the desires and pleasures of his heart against God’s counsel is following things that have no root or part in eternity or with God.
We have to trust in God. God knows better than us. It is ridiculous to think that God (who knows everything) does not understand your life, your problems, and already knows how to remedy them. We have to look for God’s direction, or we will suffer serious problems in life.
Heb 12:15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;
When one accepts Jesus as their Savior, Satan gets upset with this. Then Satan works with the attitude of the person so that he “makes bitter“, that is, he has a bad attitude about how things are turning out in his life. The author of Hebrews warns us not to fall into a bitter attitude trap towards what God does in your life.
Keeping your Soul: The Ear Gate to the Mind
By David Cox
© 2012
Sunday School Series 3, Number 3
https://www.coxtracts.com/free-teen-sunday-school-classes/
In this Sunday School class, we examine the effect of constantly seeing and hearing sin over and over again, and how it wears down our resistance to sin as happened in the life of Lot.
pent08 Benny Hinn: false prophet of the Word of Faith Movement, examines the doctrine and practices against the Bible.
By David Cox
[Pent08] v1 ©2006 www.coxtracts.com
See the above site for more information and traces
this tract can be reproduced freely by cannot be sold.
Not given to filthy lucre… teaching things which they ought not, for filthy’s lucre’s sake. Even a prophet of their own said the Cretians are always liars, evil beasts, slow bellies” Titus 1:7-12
Is Benny Hinn a great man of God filled with faith, gifted with the powers of healing and doing miracles or is he a false prophet? Well the truth is that he is no man of God, because every true man of God obeys the will of God, and follows the Word of God. Hinn was pastor of the church, “Orlando Christian Center” in Orlando, Florida, and later pastored “World Outreach Church” and after that “Faith World Church” when he launched himself into evangelism. Actually, he is the source and spokesman for the Word of Faith movement. Hinn takes in 100 million dollars a year, and lives in a $3.5 million dollar mansion, and stays in $2000/night hotels. He wrote “Good morning Holy Spirit,” which was very popular and sold 250,000 copies in the first two months.
ch27 Tithe Is it biblical to tithe? v2 makes the biblical case for giving to God’s work. Topics: The Principle of Giving to God | What is the Tithe? | Why do we tithe? | Is Tithing for the NT?
Tithe: Is Giving a tithe a NT Obligation?
By David Cox
[ch27] v1 ©2008 www.coxtracts.com
This tract can be reproduced for non-profit purposes
There are people who attack the work of God from without, and there are those who attack the work of God from within. The two most critical points of God’s work which have been seriously attacked from within is the role of pastor in taking care of the church, and the economic sustaining of the church. If convince the ministers to work a secular job to support themselves (see 1Cor 9:14; Mat 10:10; Gal 6:5; 1Tim 5:17) then you will cause an economic poverty within the work of God, basically making it impossible for ministers to accomplish anything more than just keeping their doors open.
There are groups who wish to “free” or unlink the tithe from being a NT Christian’s obligation. If we accept their arguments for a moment, then this means that God doesn’t want his children to support the work of God? What is the biblical alternative? This makes no sense that good Christians don’t want to support the work of God. The rejection of the tithe for the NT Christian has to be a teaching of the devil.
Wise Advice for Youth
By David Cox
[fam26] v2.1 ©2023 www.coxtracts.com
You may freely photocopy and print this for non-profit use
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Genesis 8:21… for the imagination of man’s heart [is] evil from his youth
Even God Himself recognizes that in this stage of life, the wickedness of the heart begins and really gets going strongly in the human heart.
Youth is a difficult time, whatever the person or his situation. At the age of 13 to 18, the human body undergoes a lot of changes. The hormones start kicking in, and a child becomes an adult. It is a time of transition to an adult which is when the body grows (height) as well as becomes fully functioning. Youth begin to have a sexual life in that they are physically mature enough to have sex, have babies, and they begin to think about this (again their hormones are at work).
Psalms 129:1-2
Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth, may Israel now say: 2 many a time have they afflicted me from my youth: yet they have not prevailed against me.
The Bible speaks to Israel as “from their youth”, afflicted with many things, but fighting to not be drown by them. The remedy for this is the same that God gave Israel, to trust in God, and to seek Him with all their heart, and the frustrations will leave, or they will turn into blessings.
Job 13:26 For thou writest bitter things against me, and makest me to possess the iniquities of my youth.
When one is a child, their parents decide everything for them, and there is really no problem. But when the person enters the teen years, he thinks he is an adult, and resents everything that others decide for him, from what he is to eat, to what clothes he is to buy and wear, to what household chores he is to do, and all this causes many strong battles between the teen and whatever adult is supervising. It is a pity, but youth is a time of “bitterness and … iniquities” (sins) (Job 13:26). It is important for both the teen and those adults responsible for the teen to recognize this process of becoming an adult, and that both work together as the teen takes on more responsibility and makes their own decisions. One is not without the other.
Proverbs 20:29 The glory of young men [is] their strength: and the beauty of old men [is] the gray head.
Youth is a time of much energy, strength, and activity. They “get bored” very easily because they always want to go, move, have experiences, and do things (but they do not include work in these desires as a rule). To be quiet, calm, and have patience is not normal for youth. On the other hand, the “beauty” of age is its experiences and understanding (wisdom). (They have been down life’s road before and made all these mistakes themselves, in their own life.) Ecclesiastes 11:10b… for childhood and youth are vanity. Teens wrongly invest their energy and life in vain things, which have no eternal benefit, and the aged have wisdom, but don’t have the energy to apply it and use it in their old age. Teens live to experience life, and usually what they invest their lives in is total vanity. What they live for doesn’t have spiritual substance that really is a benefit for them neither here and now, nor in eternity. They want entertainment.
Ecclesiastes 11:9 Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these [things] God will bring thee into judgment. 10 Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart and put away evil from thy flesh: for childhood and youth [are] vanity.
God wants teens to be happy (rejoice) in their youth, and to enjoy their youth. But God also calls each teen to always remember that God will judge everything that every person does whether they do good or evil. Those things that are good in His sight, God will reward the person, and for the things that are not pleasing in His sight (vanity and emptiness of spiritual value are the same as sinful here), God will punish.
Ecclesiastes 12:1 Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;
God calls each teen to remember that his life is a trip, and as this pilgrimage begins, then it will run, and then it will be over. In the end, life is not so beautiful and “fun” as it was in the beginning. In the end, we will have to face God our Creator, who gave us this life and all in it, and then we will have to make an accounting with Him. Also notice that there are specific sins for youth, and these are to be afflicted (frustrated), bitterness, sorrow (vexation or anger), etc. These specific sins are what commonly occur among teens in their road to adulthood. These come from not wanting to accept or receive the spiritual guides God has set in one’s life, counselors which God has established to care for and guide teens, counselors like parents, teachers, and pastors that have experience, wisdom, and the principles of God to help them. God commands teens to get rid of these sins, to submit themselves to God, to His principles and commands, and to respect the authorities which God establishes in their life to safely guide them into the ways of God.
Ephesians 6:1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right 2 Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) 3 That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.
God has put your parents in your life as a divine authority to protect and guide you until you gain sufficient wisdom and experience to make all of your decisions for yourself. This is not to say that they are dictators in your life forever, but your parents are spiritual guides to guide you in the way of God, and to protect you from problems and dangers, especially spiritual ones. When you pay attention to this authority and obey them, then God promises you “wellness” and “long life”. The attitude itself of seeking wise counsel from older people, people who are wiser and have more experience than you in a matter (even though you may be an adult) is a wise character trait that permits God to help you by wise and godly counsel. Proverbs 11:14 “Where no counsel [is], the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors [there is] safety.” Proverbs 15:22 “Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of counsellors they are established.” Many teens live frustrated lives in agony because they refuse to accept that they simply don’t know about things, they are not all wise, and they refuse to seek sound and wise counsel before making decisions or acting.
Proverbs 24:6 For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counsellors [there is] safety.”
A teen’s main problem is that in a way, they are adults with adult problems at times, and consequences that are fully adult problems, and yet in another way, they are children, because they lack the wisdom and experience to deal with these adult tasks. For example, in Proverbs 7, Solomon presents us with the picture of a young man who passes by a harlot, all pretty and advertising herself with offers of sex, and he is easy prey to her. In reflection, it is observed in Proverbs 7:7, that he was “void of understanding.” The teen is marked with the state of “opening his eyes to the world” but still not understanding how all this works, especially the dangers, tricks, traps, and the deceitfulness of sin and sinful men. Proverbs 7:10 And, behold, there met him a woman [with] the attire of an harlot, and subtil of heart. Teens are tripped up because of their own character. They see, they want, they take immediately, and without reflection of the consequences or problems that may come of their actions, they act. If something is new, attractive, or desirous for a teen, he wants it, and his reasoning stops right there. God counsels teens that they go slowly with life, analyzing everything in the light of the Word of God to find wise counsel from wise Christians who have experience, wisdom, and personal victory in their own lives.
Proverbs 1:4 To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.
The book of Proverbs is a book of pure wisdom, given specifically from God to youth, so that they are intelligent and have discretion. Discretion is to handle a thing with a plan, closely examining and thinking through the wisdom or folly of doing it, not just taking things as they happen, but with principles, guidance, and with the purpose of it ending well (for his own benefit and in God’s will).
Proverbs 12:1 Whoso loveth instruction loveth knowledge: but he that hateth reproof [is] brutish.
Psalms 119:98 Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they [are] ever with me.
It is possible that a teen may be wiser than the most intelligent and wisest adult, but this will only happen when he is totally saturated with the Word of God, and he understands it very well, and follows it with all his heart. Temper tantrums and wild rebellious actions work against this.
Psalms 119:99 I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies [are] my meditation. 100 I understand more than the ancients, because I keep thy precepts.
Obeying the Word of God and the will of God are where true wisdom and understanding begin. This commitment to obeying God’s will in all things allows God through the Word of God and the Holy Spirit to guide a person into all wisdom.
Psalms 119:9 Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed [thereto] according to thy word. 10 With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments. 11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. A wise teen is highly occupied and busy about knowing God’s will and not sinning, obeying God, and following the morality that God imposes over us, and being found pleasing in His sight.
Psalms 71:5 For thou [art] my hope, O Lord GOD: [thou art] my trust from my youth. 17 O God, thou hast taught me from my youth: and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works.
What gives the blessing of God on somebody is his faith in God. This faith also includes your confidence in God’s counsels, positions, standards, and commandments, that they are wise and useful (beneficial) to you every moment of every day. It is a grave problem of youth (and older people) when they see their own judgment and will as better than God’s instructions on a matter. They see Christianity as a product of their parents, and “that generation” which is not “their generation.” They don’t understand that Christianity is really a relationship with God, with Jesus Christ their Saviour, and that many adults that have no such relationship pretend to be Christians and ruin their own lives and the lives of others around them. Also, they forget that everybody can make mistakes. This happens when one is responsible, but they forget to seek God’s will and wisdom before acting. They forget that everyone, young and old, will have to make account with God one day for everything they have said and done. (Romans 14:12) You are not responsible for other’s actions, but for your own. Trust God, follow Him, believe in the goodness of God, and God’s ways, and you will be happy and blessed always.
Version 1 – 2011
