Pastor's Pen
There was a time in King David's life when he was betrayed by a very close friend. He wrote of the pain and anguish associated with that very painful event. He basically said that if he was betrayed by an enemy he could bear it but not one who had been considered not only a close friend but a counsellor. In today’s world it would be similar to having a family member or someone you really trusted betray you.
Without any absolutes in our lives we end up with a lot of gray areas. Bill Gothard said that what each generation does in moderation the next will do in excess. Many people experimented with marijuana in the 70’s and 80’s and now we have common use among teenagers. Many end up with mental problems. It was not too many years ago that most people saw the Ten Commandments as a measuring rod for a nation's morality. Today the authority of the Bible is called into question by many.
One easy way to discredit a person’s message is to discredit the person bringing the message. We see this principle frequently in politics. If we can prove a man to be deceitful or corrupt then we don’t need to listen to that person. If we can prove a priest or preacher is corrupt it then nullifies their message.
In a day when many have chosen to ignore or reject the Christian faith, the last twenty years have seen a great uprising in interest in spiritual issues. Daily newspapers and women’s magazines devote pages to clairvoyants and gurus who tell you what sort of day, week or year you are going to have. Though many listen in with a degree of cynicism I know a number of people who look for a word of hope from these sources.
Psychic expos are now a regular event
One of the most powerful things on our planet is our tongues. Every person has been given a tremendous ability to bless or curse other people. The book of Proverbs goes as far to say that “death and life are in the power of the tongue (Prov 18:21).”
One of the primary responsibilities of parents is to bless their children. I have met many people who remember words of cursing from their parents and are still wounded 20, 40 or even 50 years later. Word’s such as “you are hopeless or useless” only produce anger and resentment later in life. Often mothers and fathers don’t realise the impact they are having by what they say.