Peters Prayer Update - February 2012

Double Standard - By Haley Brochu

Haley who works alongside me with Youth Unlimited here in Ponoka blogged this thought today ... it is a brilliant truth on a tragic reality, so I am sharing it.

Wednesday, 25 January 2012 Double Standard - Haley Brochu 


While I was at drop in over the weekend I found myself a number of times saying "Hey don't use that word please" or "Hey, you know that you can't use that language here" more than once the response was "That's not a swear word" or "I use that word at home". The most prominent double standard that most teens deal with is the one where the rules that are put in place to guide their lives are not modeled by the adults in their life, leaving them questioning why adults can do things they can't . . . for the most part I think double standards are dangerous. In some cases adulthood does make the difference but If you don't want your child to use certain language, you using it probably isn't the best example. But I think a new double standard has surfaced, Where schools, youth centers, organizations (extra curricular activities) etc. used to be working with parents, they are now enforcing rules that aren't enforced at home. They are actually working against each other. I am not saying this is true of every home at all. But it seems to be an increasing reality in the lives of teens I see on a regular basis. We think we are enforcing normal rules "don't swear", "be respectful", "don't sleep around", when really we are introducing a whole new set of rules into the lives of these teens, and they don't get it, they don't see why we would ask these things of them. It drives me a bit crazy . . . (yes I know I don't have kids so I'm not trying to tell anyone how to parent, but I do spend a lot of time with them so I think my opinion is valid) But I just wonder when good common courtesy and respect stopped being a home enforced rule. And what are we supposed to do with that when we interact with teens . . . follow suit?

Thirsty?

I am struck by the words of Psalm 63:1-5. Today in my memory verse (A verse a day for 443 days), I committed to memory Psalm 63:3, "Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you."

I had to read the surrounding verses to grab the context ... I realized this is not nearly true in my life, though I desire it to be. Yes God is my God, but I don't believe I seek him very earnestly, or thirst for him ... at least not in the way the Psalmist speaks of. To say my whole being longs for him, would be true, but also a stretch as much of my life dictates otherwise. Though it is literally a dry and parched land that we live in, it seems I have developed a great perseverance at finding satisfaction in the dessert. I could drink deep from the ever-flowing spring, but I allow myself to search for drops of rain instead. Let this be the prayer and desire of our heart:

1 You, God, are my God,

earnestly I seek you;

I thirst for you,

my whole being longs for you,

in a dry and parched land

where there is no water.

2 I have seen you in the sanctuary

and beheld your power and your glory.

3 Because your love is better than life,

my lips will glorify you.

4 I will praise you as long as I live,

and in your name I will lift up my hands.

5 I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods;

with singing lips my mouth will praise you.

The Incomparable Christ

One doesn’t need to look far in our world, or even in our own community, to quickly stir up the incredible controversy surrounding Jesus Christ. Interspersed in the documented facts of his life, death, and resurrection are many conflicts founded in doubt and disbelief. Throughout history there have always been voices of condemnation and rejection of Jesus as the Christ, the Messiah. Even as Jesus lived on the earth in preparation to die for the sins of mankind, he was surrounded in controversy. The religious leaders of his day stood in opposition to him as they sought to trap him in his words (Matthew 22:15). This obviously did not go as they had planned and in the end the Scriptures say that his answers left them amazed and so they went away. There will always be those that choose to stand in opposition to the authority and deity of Jesus Christ, but it does not change the reality of the choice presented to all of humanity; the choice to accept God’s gift of forgiveness through Jesus Christ. Peter and John, two of Jesus’ followers while he was on earth, stood before the religious leaders after Jesus had been crucified and rose from the grave. In the midst of opposition they confessed their allegiance: “Jesus is ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’ Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:11-12; NIV). Jesus is the Messiah, the Savior of the world.

An unknown author summarized well the “The incomparable Christ:”

“Almost two thousand years ago there was a Man born contrary to the laws of life. This Man lived in poverty and was reared in obscurity. He did not travel extensively. Only once did He cross the boundary of the country in which He lived; that was during His childhood exile. He possessed neither wealth nor influence. His relatives were inconspicuous and He had neither training nor formal education. In infancy, He startled a king; in childhood, He puzzled doctors; in manhood, He ruled the course of nature, walked upon the billows as if pavement, and hushed the sea to sleep.

He healed the multitudes without medicine and made no charge for His service.

He never wrote a book, and yet all the libraries of the country could not hold the books that have been written about Him.

He never wrote a song and yet He has furnished the theme for more than all the songwriters combined. He never founded a college, but all the schools put together cannot boast of having as many students. He never practiced medicine, and yet He has healed more broken hearts than all the doctors far and near.

Every seventh day the wheels of commerce cease their turning and multitudes wend their way to worshiping assemblies to pay homage and respect to Him.

The names of the past proud statesman of Greece and Rome have come and gone. The names of past scientists, philosophers, and theologians have come and gone; but the name of this Man abounds more and more. Though time has spread two thousand years between the people of this generation and the scene of His crucifixion, yet He still lives. Herod could not destroy Him, and the grave could not hold Him.  He stands in Heavenly Glory, proclaimed of God, as the living, personal Christ, our Lord and Savior.”

A Loss of the Senses!

A study by McCann Worldgroup found that 53 percent of teens were more likely to give up smell than social media. It's true, Mariya Karimjee writes (Teen more likely to give up smell than social media) A new study by the McCann Worldgroup, which polled 7,000 16 to 30-year-olds across the UK, US, Spain, China, Brazil, India and Mexico, found that 53 percent of young people (between the ages of 16 and 22) would give up their sense of smell rather than sacrifice their social networks, PC Magazine reported. According to the study, many said that they would feel "isolated and out of the loop without social networking."

Just a little perspective on the unique and complex lure of social media in the lives of young people today.

8-In-8

A lot can happen in only 8 days ... in the last 8 days, our Church, Ponoka First Baptist, witnessed 8 people confess their faith in Jesus Christ and be baptized. Five youth and three adults over two Sunday's shared, with conviction, the reason why God had led them to make the public declaration of their faith in Him! There are times in life where you watch God work and know that you are witness to some pretty incredible, and awesome events ... this is one of them! It is a great moment to pause, and to consider the greatness of our Saviour.

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