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Brooksyne Weber
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Thursday, October
13, 2022
Scenic view in rural Vermont
Photo taken by our friend Jim Hain
"Keeping
Your Head On Straight"
Message
summary: Today let
us strive to to keep our head on straight and have a
clear mind!
"My son, pay attention to what I say; turn your ear to my words" (Proverbs 4:20). "But you, keep your head in all situations" (2 Timothy 4:5a). "The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear-minded and self-controlled so that you can pray" (1 Peter 4:7).
During my growing up years, especially as a teenager, I regularly heard my dad repeat this warning, "Stephen, keep your head on straight". I've talked to others who have heard this same fatherly advice. This sage advice usually followed a heart to heart talk about a serious matter, seeking to steer me on the right course in life. When Daddy said this I knew exactly what he meant. He was not speaking in the literal sense, of course, but he was cautioning me to stay in control of my thoughts and be careful lest I make a rash decision that was not in my best interest or that of my family's.
As an adolescent it was good, sound advice from a father who really cared for his kids. My dad was a big man and could be rather gruff in tone and personality but we knew he loved us.
He didn't fit the profile nor the image of
Ward Cleaver, the famous father on "Leave it to Beaver"
who had wise words for his sons and protected them from
bad influences such as the rascally Eddie Haskell.But getting back to my dad, he was a good man who was devoted to his wife and kids. He wanted us to turn out right and we all knew it.
He’s been
gone over 20 years now and I miss hearing his "cut to
the chase" words of wisdom and challenge. They are
similar to the "My son..." commands in Proverbs.
Now fast forward 50 years and imagine a godly father’s counsel to his adolescent son (or daughter of course) in light of the increasing evil that permeates our society. Along with the prevailing philosophies, confusion and delusions of our day. Increasingly it seems that wrong is endorsed as right and right is denounced as wrong, so the godly dads of today have even greater challenges when it comes to giving needed guidance to their growing children.
We must be on our guard lest we be seduced into this topsy-turvy, touchy-feely system of beliefs based on popular and politically correct notions of morality, especially to the exclusion of critical or sound judgment based on the Holy Scriptures. To hold to ancient, proven truths is being viewed more and more as old fashioned and will likely bar you from being academically and politically correct (which is so often Biblically wrong). Here in America and around the world a battle for the heart, soul and mind rages.
Among the greatest challenges for us as believers in any age is keeping our head on straight. Or as Paul puts it in his final letter to Timothy, "Keep your head in all situations". Other versions translate the phrase "always be sober-minded" (ESV), "control yourself at all times" (NCV), "keep a clear mind" (NLT).
Now fast forward 50 years and imagine a godly father’s counsel to his adolescent son (or daughter of course) in light of the increasing evil that permeates our society. Along with the prevailing philosophies, confusion and delusions of our day. Increasingly it seems that wrong is endorsed as right and right is denounced as wrong, so the godly dads of today have even greater challenges when it comes to giving needed guidance to their growing children.
We must be on our guard lest we be seduced into this topsy-turvy, touchy-feely system of beliefs based on popular and politically correct notions of morality, especially to the exclusion of critical or sound judgment based on the Holy Scriptures. To hold to ancient, proven truths is being viewed more and more as old fashioned and will likely bar you from being academically and politically correct (which is so often Biblically wrong). Here in America and around the world a battle for the heart, soul and mind rages.
Among the greatest challenges for us as believers in any age is keeping our head on straight. Or as Paul puts it in his final letter to Timothy, "Keep your head in all situations". Other versions translate the phrase "always be sober-minded" (ESV), "control yourself at all times" (NCV), "keep a clear mind" (NLT).
Greek scholar Fritz Rienecker points out that in this passage Timothy is called "to be in a vigilant, wakeful, considerate frame of mind, taking heed of what is happening and pursuing a course with calm and steady aim."
We live in
a time of moral confusion and I believe Greg Nelson and
Phil McHugh got it right when they wrote: “We are called
to take His light to a world where wrong seems
right....” in the inspiring song, “People Need the
Lord”.
In a similar way Peter wrote, "The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear-minded and self-controlled so that you can pray" (1 Peter 4:7).
Today let us strive to to keep our head on straight and have a clear mind!
In a similar way Peter wrote, "The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear-minded and self-controlled so that you can pray" (1 Peter 4:7).
Today let us strive to to keep our head on straight and have a clear mind!
Be
encouraged today, (Hebrews 3:13)
Stephen
& Brooksyne Weber
Daily
prayer: Father,
we seek to be clear-minded in this
generation where many seek to confuse,
delude, and undermine that which we
learn from Your holy Scriptures.
Instead of feeling despair help us to
see it as a challenge to more deeply
dig into the Scriptures and embrace
the truths contained therein. Its
truth does not change according to the
whim of society nor the ills of the
day. We resolve not to interpret
Scripture in light of our generation,
but instead we interpret our
generation in light of Scripture,
clearly defining right and wrong, good
and bad as taught in Scripture not in
the “scholarly” academia of our time.
We must keep our head in all
situations on a personal level as well
as that which affects our society at
large. We desire a clear mind,
trusting spirit, and a steady aim at
following You no matter the cost. In
the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.For further thought: "The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness" (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12). This is so timely in light of what we see around us. We may very well be in or approaching the time that this powerful delusion is sent out over the earth. As I am confronted with so many contemporary news issues I am again reminded of the great deception and powerful delusion that is sweeping our world and am even more convinced of the absolute importance of keeping my head on straight!
Today's
Suggested Music and Supplemental
Resources
Ken, a thoughtful reader
from Kansas shares regarding
yesterday's message, "Dead End Road".
This DE reminded me of a
street sign in South Portland,
Maine. I noticed it one day as I
was getting gas at the fuel station on
the corner of a small street off of
Route One. The name of the street on
the sign is Memory Lane and is on a
standard street name sign, directly
underneath is the yellow sign
proclaiming “Dead End”. I mused
on that for a couple of minutes and
thought that this combination of signs
was a wonderful philosophical
statement (notwithstanding that
recalling some of our past could prove
to be beneficial for our future
choices).
Will, a California friend
wrote:
A priest and pastor from
local parishes were standing by the
side of the road holding up a sign
that read, "The End is Near! Turn
yourself around now before it's too
late!"
They planned to hold up the
sign to each passing car. As the first
driver sped past, he yelled, "Leave us
alone you religious nuts!"
From around the curve they heard screeching tires and a big splash.
From around the curve they heard screeching tires and a big splash.
One clergy said to the
other, "Do you think we should just
use a sign that says, 'Bridge Out'
instead?"
Another scenic view in Vermont taken by our friend Jim Hain
Our
friend Joe Sherer is holding two
homegrown sweet potatoes with the
following interesting history he and
MaryLou provide: "It has been a good
year for growing sweet potatoes! Our
largest weighs over 3.5 pounds. The cool
thing is our family has been using
sprouts from last year’s sweet potatoes
to harvest them every year, started by
my Grandpa Miller over 100 years ago. He
would be 130 years old this year.
He passed away when I was very young, so
I never knew him well. It warms my heart
to know I’m eating my grandpa‘s sweet
potatoes."
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Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. and the King James Version.
Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."
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