Why do I write on this site, for a decade now?
I love to write, and there is a purpose.
I write about lots of different things: personal, political, cultural, theological, spiritual, educational, heartfelt, humorous, thoughtful, timely, cryptic, sometimes trivial, hopefully with wisdom.
But my purpose is to frequently make good on my by-line.
“MAKING A DIFFERENCE . . .”
How?
By getting your attention through a variety of food for thought.
Creative
Enlightening
Inspiring
Challenging
Provocative
Soul Searching
Motivating
Making A Difference In Your Life . . .
. . . In The Parts That Are For Keeps
What is for keeps?
What is not?
+not our money
+not what our money can buy for ourselves
+not our pleasure
+not our job
+not our status (cultural, social, political)
+not our financial security
+not our retirement
+not our health
+not our government
+not our troubles
+not our plans
+not even our life
So, what if I make a difference in your life in any of the above?
Have I made a difference in the parts that are for keeps?
What are the parts that are for keeps?
Answer: Anything that will last after everything else is gone.
What is for keeps?
+people (you, me, loved ones, everyone)
What is for keeps?
+the Word of God
What is for keeps?
+where you go when you die
What is for keeps?
+what you do to get ready to die
What is for keeps?
+what you do to get someone else ready to die
What is for keeps?
+what you do to lay up treasures in heaven
FOR KEEPS !
+people (you, me, loved ones, everyone)—“God breathed life, and man became a living soul.” We all had a beginning—we’ll never have an end.
FOR KEEPS !
+the Word of God—“The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of God endures forever.”
FOR KEEPS !
+where you go when you die—“It is appointed to man once to die, and after that the judgment.”—to heaven or to hell.
FOR KEEPS !
+what you do to get ready to die—“. . . whoever believes in Him (God’s Son, Jesus) will not perish, but have everlasting life.”
FOR KEEPS !
+what you do to get someone else ready to die—Jesus told a story about two men—one went to heaven, one went to hell. The man in hell pleaded for a drop of water to soothe his tongue, “tormented in this flame.” Request denied. “Can’t do it.” Then he pleaded for someone to come back from the dead to convince his five brothers to “not come to this place of torment.” Request denied. “They have the Word of God. If they won’t listen to that, neither will they be persuaded even if someone rose from the dead.” So how do the people you know hear the Word of God and avoid hell? You tell them what the Bible says to get ready to die—Jesus died on the cross to pay for their sin—“All have sinned . . .”—“Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.”
FOR KEEPS !
+what you do to lay up treasures in heaven—spend your money, your time, your energy to help others in need and tell them about Jesus. “Whatever you have done for the least of these my brothers, you did it for Me.”
FOR KEEPS !—FOR FOREVER !
I have been praying for the lgbt young people and how to reach out to them without judgement. They believe, some from a very early age, that they were born in the wrong body. I believe that we should embrace them rather than shun them, to be able to share the Word with them.
My apology for not posting your comment on time—just missed it.
I join your prayers for the lgbt young people.
Do maintain relationships for conversations that show you care, without endorsing sin.
Help them share what it’s really like in their world, so foreign to God’s beautiful design.
See if they can tell you how the feelings started, and if anyone influenced them.
The saddest observation today is the push to get children to think about sexual distortions that may never have crossed their minds otherwise, and usually are temporary.
Show the sad side of where this leads, if they cannot see it already.
Show them how God has a much better way, because He is the Master Designer of us all—His plan alone brings true, lasting happiness.
And I encourage you to see the excellent film, In His Image, by American Family Studios (afa.net).