Messages From Heaven: Today's Bible Reading May 29 Romans 5; 1 Samuel 14...

Messages From Heaven: Today's Bible Reading May 29 Romans 5; 1 Samuel 14...: 1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 throu...

Today's Bible Reading May 29 Romans 5; 1 Samuel 14; Psalm 59 NAS

1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; 4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; 5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. 6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. 11 And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. 12 Therefore , just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned - 13 for until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. 14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. 15 But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many. 16 The gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification. 17 For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. 18 So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. 19 For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. 20 The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21 so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord .

1 Samuel 14

1 Now the day came that Jonathan, the son of Saul, said to the young man who was carrying his armor, "Come and let us cross over to the Philistines' garrison that is on the other side." But he did not tell his father. 2 Saul was staying in the outskirts of Gibeah under the pomegranate tree which is in Migron. And the people who were with him were about six hundred men, 3 and Ahijah, the son of Ahitub, Ichabod's brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the priest of the LORD at Shiloh, was wearing an ephod. And the people did not know that Jonathan had gone. 4 Between the passes by which Jonathan sought to cross over to the Philistines' garrison, there was a sharp crag on the one side and a sharp crag on the other side, and the name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh. 5 The one crag rose on the north opposite Michmash, and the other on the south opposite Geba. 6 Then Jonathan said to the young man who was carrying his armor, "Come and let us cross over to the garrison of these uncircumcised; perhaps the LORD will work for us, for the LORD is not restrained to save by many or by few." 7 His armor bearer said to him, "Do all that is in your heart; turn yourself, and here I am with you according to your desire." 8 Then Jonathan said, "Behold, we will cross over to the men and reveal ourselves to them. 9 "If they say to us, 'Wait until we come to you'; then we will stand in our place and not go up to them. 10 "But if they say, 'Come up to us,' then we will go up, for the LORD has given them into our hands; and this shall be the sign to us." 11 When both of them revealed themselves to the garrison of the Philistines, the Philistines said, "Behold, Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they have hidden themselves." 12 So the men of the garrison hailed Jonathan and his armor bearer and said, "Come up to us and we will tell you something." And Jonathan said to his armor bearer, "Come up after me, for the LORD has given them into the hands of Israel." 13 Then Jonathan climbed up on his hands and feet, with his armor bearer behind him; and they fell before Jonathan, and his armor bearer put some to death after him. 14 That first slaughter which Jonathan and his armor bearer made was about twenty men within about half a furrow in an acre of land. 15 And there was a trembling in the camp, in the field, and among all the people. Even the garrison and the raiders trembled, and the earth quaked so that it became a great trembling. 16 Now Saul's watchmen in Gibeah of Benjamin looked, and behold, the multitude melted away; and they went here and there. 17 Saul said to the people who were with him, "Number now and see who has gone from us." And when they had numbered, behold, Jonathan and his armor bearer were not there. 18 Then Saul said to Ahijah, "Bring the ark of God here." For the ark of God was at that time with the sons of Israel. 19 While Saul talked to the priest, the commotion in the camp of the Philistines continued and increased; so Saul said to the priest, "Withdraw your hand." 20 Then Saul and all the people who were with him rallied and came to the battle; and behold, every man's sword was against his fellow, and there was very great confusion. 21 Now the Hebrews who were with the Philistines previously, who went up with them all around in the camp, even they also turned to be with the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan. 22 When all the men of Israel who had hidden themselves in the hill country of Ephraim heard that the Philistines had fled, even they also pursued them closely in the battle. 23 So the LORD delivered Israel that day, and the battle spread beyond Beth-aven. 24 Now the men of Israel were hard-pressed on that day, for Saul had put the people under oath, saying, "Cursed be the man who eats food before evening, and until I have avenged myself on my enemies." So none of the people tasted food. 25 All the people of the land entered the forest, and there was honey on the ground . 26 When the people entered the forest, behold, there was a flow of honey; but no man put his hand to his mouth, for the people feared the oath. 27 But Jonathan had not heard when his father put the people under oath; therefore, he put out the end of the staff that was in his hand and dipped it in the honeycomb , and put his hand to his mouth, and his eyes brightened. 28 Then one of the people said, "Your father strictly put the people under oath, saying, 'Cursed be the man who eats food today.' " And the people were weary. 29 Then Jonathan said, "My father has troubled the land. See now, how my eyes have brightened because I tasted a little of this honey. 30 "How much more , if only the people had eaten freely today of the spoil of their enemies which they found! For now the slaughter among the Philistines has not been great." 31 They struck among the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon. And the people were very weary. 32 The people rushed greedily upon the spoil, and took sheep and oxen and calves , and slew them on the ground; and the people ate them with the blood. 33 Then they told Saul, saying, "Behold, the people are sinning against the LORD by eating with the blood." And he said, "You have acted treacherously; roll a great stone to me today." 34 Saul said, "Disperse yourselves among the people and say to them, 'Each one of you bring me his ox or his sheep, and slaughter it here and eat; and do not sin against the LORD by eating with the blood.' " So all the people that night brought each one his ox with him and slaughtered it there. 35 And Saul built an altar to the LORD ; it was the first altar that he built to the LORD . 36 Then Saul said, "Let us go down after the Philistines by night and take spoil among them until the morning light, and let us not leave a man of them." And they said, "Do whatever seems good to you." So the priest said, "Let us draw near to God here." 37 Saul inquired of God, "Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will You give them into the hand of Israel?" But He did not answer him on that day. 38 Saul said, "Draw near here, all you chiefs of the people, and investigate and see how this sin has happened today. 39 "For as the LORD lives, who delivers Israel, though it is in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die." But not one of all the people answered him. 40 Then he said to all Israel, "You shall be on one side and I and Jonathan my son will be on the other side." And the people said to Saul, "Do what seems good to you." 41 Therefore, Saul said to the LORD , the God of Israel, "Give a perfect lot." And Jonathan and Saul were taken, but the people escaped. 42 Saul said, "Cast lots between me and Jonathan my son." And Jonathan was taken. 43 Then Saul said to Jonathan, "Tell me what you have done." So Jonathan told him and said, "I indeed tasted a little honey with the end of the staff that was in my hand. Here I am, I must die!" 44 Saul said, "May God do this to me and more also, for you shall surely die, Jonathan." 45 But the people said to Saul, "Must Jonathan die, who has brought about this great deliverance in Israel? Far from it! As the LORD lives, not one hair of his head shall fall to the ground, for he has worked with God this day." So the people rescued Jonathan and he did not die. 46 Then Saul went up from pursuing the Philistines, and the Philistines went to their own place. 47 Now when Saul had taken the kingdom over Israel, he fought against all his enemies on every side, against Moab, the sons of Ammon, Edom, the kings of Zobah, and the Philistines; and wherever he turned, he inflicted punishment. 48 He acted valiantly and defeated the Amalekites, and delivered Israel from the hands of those who plundered them. 49 Now the sons of Saul were Jonathan and Ishvi and Malchi-shua; and the names of his two daughters were these: the name of the firstborn Merab and the name of the younger Michal. 50 The name of Saul's wife was Ahinoam the daughter of Ahimaaz. And the name of the captain of his army was Abner the son of Ner, Saul's uncle. 51 Kish was the father of Saul, and Ner the father of Abner was the son of Abiel. 52 Now the war against the Philistines was severe all the days of Saul; and when Saul saw any mighty man or any valiant man, he attached him to his staff.

Psalm 59:1-18

1 Deliver me from my enemies, O my God; Set me securely on high away from those who rise up against me. 2 Deliver me from those who do iniquity And save me from men of bloodshed. 3 For behold, they have set an ambush for my life; Fierce men launch an attack against me, Not for my transgression nor for my sin, O LORD , 4 For no guilt of mine, they run and set themselves against me. Arouse Yourself to help me, and see! 5 You, O LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel, Awake to punish all the nations; Do not be gracious to any who are treacherous in iniquity. Selah. 6 They return at evening, they howl like a dog, And go around the city. 7 Behold, they belch forth with their mouth; Swords are in their lips, For, they say, "Who hears?" 8 But You, O LORD , laugh at them; You scoff at all the nations. 9 Because of his strength I will watch for You, For God is my stronghold. 10 My God in His lovingkindness will meet me; God will let me look triumphantly upon my foes. 11 Do not slay them, or my people will forget; Scatter them by Your power, and bring them down, O Lord , our shield. 12 On account of the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips, Let them even be caught in their pride, And on account of curses and lies which they utter. 13 Destroy them in wrath, destroy them that they may be no more; That men may know that God rules in Jacob To the ends of the earth. Selah. 14 They return at evening, they howl like a dog, And go around the city. 15 They wander about for food And growl if they are not satisfied. 16 But as for me, I shall sing of Your strength; Yes, I shall joyfully sing of Your lovingkindness in the morning, For You have been my stronghold And a refuge in the day of my distress. 17 O my strength, I will sing praises to You; For God is my stronghold, the God who shows me lovingkindness.

Messages From Heaven: Is Love Enough to Make Marriage Succeed?

Messages From Heaven: Is Love Enough to Make Marriage Succeed?: If you and your spouse really love each other, won't that hold you steady when the storms come? Not necessarily--and certainly no...

Is Love Enough to Make Marriage Succeed?

If you and your spouse really love each other, won't that hold you steady when the storms come?

Not necessarily--and certainly not if you are thinking of love as a romantic feeling. Feeling wonderful about one another does not make two people compatible over the long haul. Many couples assume that the excitement of their courtship will continue for the rest of their lives. That virtually never occurs! It is naive to expect two unique individuals to mesh together like a couple of machines and to remain exhilarated throughout life. Even gears have multiple cogs with rough edges to be honed before they will work in concert.
That honing process usually occurs in the first year or two of marriage. The foundation for all that is to follow is laid in those critical months. What often occurs at this time is a dramatic struggle for power in the relationship. Who will lead? Who will follow? Who will determine how the money is spent? Who will get his or her way in times of disagreement? Everything is up for grabs in the beginning, and the way these early decisions are made will set the stage for the future. The apostle Paul gave us the divine perspective on human relationships--not only in marriage, but in every dimension of life. He wrote, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves" (Philippians 2:3).

That one verse contains more wisdom than most marriage manuals combined. If heeded, it could virtually eliminate divorce from the catalog of human experience. It will give you stability when the storms begin to howl.

Messages From Heaven: What Must Change And What Never Will!

Messages From Heaven: What Must Change And What Never Will!: Virtually every week, I come across people who long for the simple life of yesteryear. But I've learned that one's perspective ...

What Must Change And What Never Will!

Virtually every week, I come across people who long for the simple life of yesteryear. But I've learned that one's perspective makes all the difference.
Some look back and remember the best of times—an easier pace, closer ties, cleaner movies, and deeper, more honest relationships. Others remember only the worst of times—inconveniences, prejudices, and inefficiencies. When you stop long enough to think objectively, though, you realize that no time is ideal. The times are what they are, and either we learn to flex and thrive or we become rigid and irrelevant.
I mention the word flex, which makes some people cringe. Others resist, planting their feet firmly in the status quo. But because God is in control of our times, change is not to be feared or fought. If we truly believe that our times are in God's hand, changes would not be so difficult to accept. Nor would they cause us such anxiety. Everything from modern inventions to global upheavals could be taken in stride because He—our faithful God—is in control. Nothing surprises or threatens Him. Nothing! No president takes the oath of office without God nodding and saying, "That is My will." No advancement in technology or science catches Him off guard. God is sovereign; He is never out-of-date. He is still in touch, always in control, and fully aware.
As I've thought about the reality of God's sovereignty, I can't help but ponder His work at Insight for Living Ministries over the past 36 years. If there's ever a context that required flex, our ministry is it. Just imagine the changes in technology we've seen in the past 36 years!
However, at the same time, there are some things that we refuse to flex on. Let me give you a couple of thoughts.
First, times may change, but our message never will. I think about that each time Cynthia and I journey to the Holy Land. Modern-day Jerusalem looks SO different than it did in Jesus' day. But the message that Jesus shared in the Holy City is the same message we share today. The buildings of century-one Jerusalem are long gone, but the Word of God remains as alive as it ever was. Moreover, God's truth, the Bible, is our foundation. If that collapses, everything is lost. David lamented:

The foundations of law and order have collapsed.
What can the righteous do? (Psalm 11:3)

The foundations set down by people will indeed collapse, but God's foundation will never crumble. Earthquakes may rock our cities, but there will never be a "truthquake." There will never be a day when God will say, "You know, I've been rethinking My Book. . . . Some of those truths I preserved about Jesus, well, I need to have someone rewrite them. Also, a few of the character traits about Me and some of those doctrines in My Book need to be updated." NO! He will never do that! His truth is more solid than a ten-thousand-ton mound of granite. At Insight for Living Ministries, we refuse to flex on the unchanging truths of Scripture.
Second, the possibilities that change brings are thrilling. Think of the excitement and efficiency of a missionary in a remote jungle using a palm-sized computer to record spoken syllables and then translating them into a tribe's first written language. Think of the possibilities for the instant transmission of the gospel through the Internet. In the first century, apostles had to travel for days (sometimes weeks) to preach about Christ to a handful of people. Not today. We can post the teaching of God's Word on our Insight for Living Ministries Web site, and folks all over the world can access it at their convenience—instantly.
For the last few years, Cynthia and I have focused our attention on laying the groundwork for the future of Insight for Living Ministries, which we base onMatthew 28:19–20: "Make disciples of all the nations. . . . Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you." We're excited beyond words to begin what we call Vision 195. Our passion is to fulfill the Great Commission in this generation just as Jesus' disciples did in the first century. We will broaden our borders with the message of God's majesty, the authenticity of His Word, and the power of the cross, woven into a tapestry of God's amazing grace, in all 195 countries of our world. This will be accomplished by modeling the life of Christ and mentoring disciples through the new Charles R. Swindoll Search the Scriptures Training Centers, our daily broadcasts, translations of our broadcasts and published resources, the latest technology, and international pastoral internships. Vision 195 is the mission that God has given us for all generations. The technology of today helps us accomplish tremendous things for Christ. Keeping that in mind, it is our goal to stay open to the need to flex our methods of communication. In all my years of serving God, I've never been more excited about life and ministry!
Some things change, for sure. They must—otherwise, we get myopic and become out of touch. But remember . . . no amount of technology or innovations gives us permission to change God's message. That must never happen! God's timeless truths don't flex with the times. His truths remain our sure foundation.
They always have been . . . they always will be.

Messages From Heaven: America in Biblical Prophecy!

Messages From Heaven: America in Biblical Prophecy!: When we read the Bible, which was written about 2,000-3,000 years ago, we often don't get the "feel of it" and how it rela...

America in Biblical Prophecy!

When we read the Bible, which was written about 2,000-3,000 years ago, we often don't get the "feel of it" and how it relates to what is going on today, especially when reading prophecy about the end times and which nations are going to be involved. We read about Israel, of course, as well as Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Ethiopia and a list of unrecognizable nations and names. Yet what about nations like  China, Russia, Germany, Italy, England or the United States? Why aren't they mentioned in our Bible?  How can it be, if the Bible is the word of God, that he didn't know that these modern nations would exist? After all, if God knows the future, didn't God know about the United States or Europe or China? How can we trust prophecy or understand it when most of the time the scenario just doesn't fit what we know about the world today? Is there going to be another Assyrian Empire as the Bible claims? Does Assyria even exist today? Is Greece going to be the most powerful nation under another Alexander the Great as the book of Daniel suggests? It doesn't seem very likely to me and I am sure not to most of you either. Are we indeed living in the end times and how can we know what to look for and what today's news means? Will the world as we know it really ever end, as Jesus foretold?
Believe it or not, the Bible is as current and relevant today as the day when it was first written. The fact is that it is even more relevant today because much of what was predicted by the prophets was meant for today and beyond and not for the time these men were living! The hard-to-pronounce nations mentioned in the pages of prophecy written so ,long ago still exist, and you can prove it to yourself! God has given us tools to understand His predictions for our world and has had uncanny accuracy that nobody could ever duplicate without divine influence. God has rightly predicted:
the fall of Babylon
 The fall of Assyria
 The fall of Alexander
 The fall of Rome 7 times (it has now fallen five or six times depending on what expert you believe!)
 The Pope
 Radiation poisoning
 Chernobyl by name!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 Global man-made pollution
 
 the Muslim religion and their fight with Europe known as Crusades and the final yet to come conflict between these two powerful regions
 The rise of England and the USA to be two most powerful nations ever to exist on this planet!
 That England would have a monarchy, and that monarchy would claim to be David's descendants and that they would sit on his literal throne over the same rock that David himself was coronated over.
 The #13 would be important to the United States of America and that our form of government would be by election and not by a divine monarchy from the line of David.
 The increase in knowledge all within the span of one generation. Has there ever been an increase of knowledge since the foundation of the world to equal 1930-2050 (taking the Biblical 120 years as the generation of a man)
 Worldwide famine and diseases unlike ever to have occurred in the history of the world
 A great false Christianity that would rule the world when at the time predicted, the name of Christ was known but by few people on earth and that knowledge could actually get you killed!
 That Jerusalem would always be the center of world conflict... Name any other city in the world that always been in the center of world conflict? Name any city? This prophecy concerning Jerusalem was made over 2500  years ago!
 
 That mankind would never live longer than 120 years old. Has modern science been able to change this fact told to us by God 4,000 years ago?
 African slavery, and also a blessing to black people!
 Communism as a "new" form of government that would fool and sweep throughout the world, except Muslim nations.
These are the predictions that God has made and most have already come true and the fact of their accuracy cannot be honestly intelligently disputed. So what about the future? What does the Bible and God have to say about what is still yet to happen. To understand, we must be able to identity the nations of the Bible and who those people are today and where they live. You will see that the major nations of today are indeed the same nations called by different names in the pages of God's word.
Assyria:
In the Bible, we read about the great Assyrian Empire that was later destroyed by Babylon. Its people vanished from subsequent history. However, the Bible gives us clues to where these people moved to, and, interestingly, we know that they are not the people of modern-day Syria. Assyria was originally a region on the Upper Tigris River, named for its original capital, the ancient city of Assur, also spelled Asher. The Assyrian homeland or "Kir" was located near a mountainous region, extending along the Tigris River as far north to the Carduchian mountain range of Armenia. Historians know this area as the "Mountains of Asher."
The Assyrians were a ethnicity of warriors, more cruel and brutal than any previous tribe. Their history is one of kings and slaves, wars and conquests, bloody victories and sudden defeats. In other words, they were a nation of military men. Regimentation was their rule and conquest was their game. The nation of Israel (made up of the tribes of Jacob which originally were the offspring of Jacob's 12 sons) had already split into two nations by the 9th century B.C., soon after King Solomon had died. The northern ten tribes (known today as the Lost Ten Tribes of Israel) were conquered by the Assyrians and led into captivity never to be seen again, or so the story goes. Only the southern nation of the former Israel remained in Palestine. It was called the nation of Judah( this is were we get the name Jew from) and was never called Israel. The northern tribes were named "Israel" and they were NEVER JEWS, an important point distinction that most just don't know, but it is in the Bible!
After the northern tribes were taken into captivity, the Assyrians replaced them with a new, different race. They are the people called Samaritans in Jesus' time and this is the reason why Jews in the New Testament regarded the Samaritans as "dogs." It was because they despised the impostors who were claiming to be sons of Israel but were not.
Assyria was soon pushed out of its homeland and forced to move through the Caucasus Mountains. This is where we get the word Caucasian from because the Assyrians and Israeli slaves with them were from this region and they were "white" people. The name for them has stuck until this day. They would after the fall of Rome move into the lands of northern Europe along— with the ten tribes of Israel. The 17th chapter of 1 Kings has this amazing text. "...Until the Eternal removed Israel out of His sight, as He had said by His servants the prophets. So was Israel carried away out of their own land to Assyria unto this day." The Bible says that Israel was still missing when the book Kings was written, and only Jews remained in Palestine.
As the ancient Babylonian kingdom gained ascendancy, the wandering peoples of Assyria and the ten-tribe captives among them were pushed ever northward, and westward. The leading tribe of the Assyrians were called the "Hellmann." The Romans called the land of Germany "Alumni." Today, Mexicans and Spaniards still call Germany "Almena." A German is "un Almena."
"Teutonic" merely means "spear warrior," a name given to the Germanic peoples by the Romans. "Deutschland," is the German word for Germany, and comes from the Germanic pronunciation of "Teuton."  The Germans are those Assyrians warriors that help defeat the great Roman empire and led to the collapse of it and the start of the "dark ages." We all know the broad history, we just don't know the background that caused these events and who the people truly were.
Who is modern-day Germany? The ancient Assyrians! When we read prophecy concerning Assyria for the End Times, we should instantly think, "Germany!" Hitler knew it. He called the Germans the master race, consisting of white, blond, blue-eyed Aryans (Assyrians). The Encyclopedia Americana, under the article, "Germany," says, "In 113 B.C., when the first Germanic tribes, the Cimbri and the Teutons, attempted to break into the Roman Empire, the Germanic frontier became a major problem for maintaining the security of the Roman world." It's logical the displaced Assyrians, driven from their vast plains between the Black and Caspian Seas, would be found wandering along the major river valleys, together with remnants of the "lost ten tribes" of Israel.  It should also be noted that in the Bible, the only nation that referred its homeland in the male gender was Assyria. Like ancient Assyrians, Germans today refer to their homeland as the FATHERLAND, instead of motherland like most countries do.
Gog and Magog:
Regarding the identities of Gog and Magog of Scripture, there is some difference of opinion among Bible teachers and historians. Referring to the Magogites, The Matthew Henry Complete Commentary on the Whole Bible speaks of this diversity: "Some think they find them [Gog and Magog] afar off, in Scythia, Tartary, and (Southern) Russia. Others think they find them nearer the land of Israel, in Syria, and Asia the Less [Turkey]. Those who argue for a Scythian connection find their best argument in a reference from the ancient Jewish historian Josephus, who wrote, "Magog founded the Magogians, thus named after him, but who by the Greeks are called Sythians."  Hitchcock says of the Sythians: The ancient Sythians were a great nomadic tribe who inhabited the ancient territory from Central Asia all across the southern part of ancient Russia. The descendants of Magog were the original inhabitants of the plateau of Central Asia. Today the land of Magog is inhabited by the former Soviet Republics of Kazakhstan, Kyrgystan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and possibly even northern parts of modern Afghanistan."


Persia:
Persia is easy to identify. Essentially, Persia is modern-day Iran. Many Iranians in America, if asked where they are from, will simply say they are from Persia. In fact, Iran was still called Persia until 1935. Iran is a predominantly Muslim nation. While there are some signs of change due to a growing dissatisfaction with Islam among the country's massive youth population, it does not seem likely that a majority of Iranians will leave behind its Islamic roots anytime soon.
Put:
Biblically, Put (or Phut) is the region west of Egypt. Today, this is the nation of Libya.  The Septuagint translates the word Put as Libue. Most modern scholars seem to agree with this interpretation. Shoebat however includes Algeria, Morocco and Tunis along with Libya. Either way, we again have another region or nation that is entirely Islamic.
Gomer and Togarmah:
Gomer, it seems almost universally agreed on among scholars, "refers to the Celtic Cimmerians of Crim-Tartary." So Gomer and Togarmah  is simply central Turkey, again, another Islamic region.
The Land of Sinim:
The ancient Dead Sea Scrolls, found in 1947, include the book of Isaiah, and once again confirm today's Bible is accurate and reliable. This verse in Isaiah is thought to refer to China: Surely these shall come from afar; Look, those from the north and the west; And these from the land of Sinim. (Isaiah 49: 12). You may wonder what the word "Sinim" means. Where is this land of Sinim, mentioned by Isaiah before his service was terminated in 680 B.C.? According to Strong's Concordance, "Sinim is a distant Oriental region."  Young's Concordance reports, "Sinim is a people in the far east; the Chinese?" Even in today's English language, the prefix "Sino-" means "Chinese."
The Significance of Chin:
In Isiah's day, the state of Qin was only one of hundreds of states under Zhou (770-256 B.C.). It was located in the present Gansu Province through which trade with the West was conducted. How is it that Isaiah chose Qin to indicate the Middle Kingdom? What was so special about Qin?Rang Kung was appointed as the first Duke of Qin (770 B.C.), then a small, aristocratic house. Under his administration, the state of Qin emerged as one of the 14 major states under the Zhou dynasty.8 It was 500 years after Isaiah that Qin Shi Huangdi defeated all the other competitive states and established the Qin dynasty. From then on, Qin represented the Middle Kingdom [China]. Simply put, the God of Isaiah, with divine foreknowledge, saw all the stages in the development of Qin—from a small, dependent, aristocratic house to becoming the famous Qin empire. God knew that the Duke of Qin would become ever stronger, equal with those of the other 13 states. Furthermore, He foresaw that after another 500 years, the Dukedom of Qin would still exist, defeat all the other states, and unite them as one empire, even choosing "Qin" as the name for the new empire!

Israel:

Here comes the shock. All Jews are Israelite, but not Israelites are Jews!   Moses was not a Jew.  Joseph, Samson and Joshua were not Jews.    A Jew came from the tribe of Judah (this would later include Benjamin and Levi to make up the modern Jewish race). Israelites were originally ten distinct tribes or nations, ten of which became missing! The Bible actually tells us where all ten of these tribes are today.
Abraham was given two blessings from God. Blessing No.1 was that his seed (RACE) would be the greatest nations to ever exist. Blessing No. 2 was the promise that through him would come the Messiah. IN RED is the promise of RACE (greatest nation) and in PURPLE is the promise of the Messiah. "And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed" (Genesis 12:1-3). Promise No. 1: Great nations and wealth.   Promise No. 2: the Messiah.   We read in Genesis how both blessings were given to Isaac and later, Jacob (even though through deception).
Jacob, however, split this blessing. Notice carefully. To Judah was given the blessing of Grace, or the Messiah: "The Scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people" (Genesis 49:10). Scepter denotes kingship. Remember, the Messiah is the King of Kings. To his son, Joseph, Jacob gave the promise of Race, or the promise of being the greatest nation in the world! "The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren" (Genesis 49:26)

Earlier, we saw that the northern tribes called "Israel" was taken away and became "lost" to history. Their identity was lost and believe it or not, the Bible tells us why and this will surely shock you when you find out. Ultimately, the southern House of Judah was conquered by Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, more than a century after its cousins from the northern ten-tribe nation of Israel had gone into captivity. Now, the "Jews" of Judah were to endure seventy years of captivity, but unlike the ten-tribe nation of Israel, the Jews were able to maintain their identity and return as prophesied to  to the land of Palestine. They did so, following the decree of Cyrus, under Ezra, Nehemiah and Zerubbabel.
The Bible tells us why Israel lost their identity and the Jews did not! The plain simple fact is that God said that if His people were to keep the Sabbath holy, they would remain known to God and the world as His people. It was the "sign" commandment mandated on all the people, kept by the Jews, but rejected by Israel. Exodus 31:13- "Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my Sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you."  This verse also shows once again that the Sabbath points to "who the LORD is", that "He is the one who sanctifies" (separates or makes holy) His people who obey His commandments. It also tells us that the Seventh-day Sabbath IS A SIGN of who His true followers really are! Israel was told to keep the Sabbath because it was a "sign" to them from God so that they might "know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you." Anybody who keeps the Sabbath and walks uprightly before God is sanctified by the LORD.
In Isaiah 56:2 -"Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it; that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil. 3 Neither let the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to the LORD, speak, saying, The LORD hath utterly separated me from his people: neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree. 4 For thus saith the LORD unto the eunuchs that keep my Sabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant; 5 Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off. 6 Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the LORD, to serve him, and to love the name of the LORD, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant; 7 Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people. 8 The Lord GOD which gathereth the outcasts of Israel saith, Yet will I gather others to him, beside those that are gathered unto him."
Nothing can be clearer that Israel became lost because they did not keep their Sabbath day, but changed it to the Assyrian holy day of the week, which was Sunday.

So where are the tribes today:

Judah
The Jews of today (along with the tribes of Benjamin and Levi) are known by all. The reason is simple. Throughout all adversary, and even following pagan gods and rituals, they did not lose their identity because they kept the one "sign" command -- the Sabbath day.
Zebulon
The people of Holland today are remnants of the sons of Zebulon. In general, Israelites settled in that region: A people named "Sebulingoi" were recorded as being there. This name literally means "people of Zebulon," and other names confirm the connection. It was prophesied that Zebulon would dwell on the shores of the sea (Gen 49:13). One third of Holland is below sea-level and another third would be subject to periodic flooding by the sea if it were not for protection by dikes. Therefore, most of the country is located on the seashore. It's the only country in the world about which this can be said. The symbol of Zebulon was a ship, as has been the traditional symbol of Holland. Additionally, Moses grouped the two brothers, Issachar and Zebulon, together, saying, "Rejoice, Zebulon in thy going out; and Issachar in thy tents" (Deuteronomy 33:18). From this verse it has been understood that Issachar and Zebulon had a symbiotic relationship, Issachar being involved in religious, scientific and intellectual pursuits; and Zebulon setting forth in ships to trade and, with his earnings, contribute to the support of Issachar. The people of Alsace and Lorraine in France come from both Issachar and Zebulon and their region forms a bridge from Switzerland to Belgium and Holland.   Source:

Reuben and Gad
The son that slept with one of his father's wives was Reuben. Who could that be today? Like it or not, Reuben is France. In Origin Of France And Its Peoples by David James Skelly, the author writes, "The question is, what is the future of France in Bible prophecy? In the main France is descended from the Israelite tribe of Reuben. In France there are also minorities from the tribes of Simeon and Gad. This is well documented in the book, The Tribes, by Yair Davidiy." A book, by the way The Plain Truth highly recommends.
Scripture shows the people of Gad to be a warrior tribe particularly adept at highland combat (1 Chronicles 12: 8). The epithet "having faces like lions" seems quite well suited to the Highlanders of Scotland. … Gad is associated with the Mazzaroth sign of Aries, and the attributes of this sign are warlike. … Gad kept sheep. They, along with Reuben, were the only tribes that took to their father's pastoral profession. … The Scottish have always been renowned sheep keepers. Indeed, many of them traveled half-way around the world to settle in the South Island of my country, New Zealand, to continue raising sheep in the Otago Ranges. Gad and Reuben are the quintessential sheep keepers of Scripture, and New Zealand is the quintessential sheep keeping nation in the world (about 20 sheep to every person!).  Source:

Dan and Naphtali
The tribe of Dan was noted for its custom of naming significant places; cities, mountains, rivers, peninsulas —any important geographical place —after its progenitor, Dan.(Joshua 19:47). Wherever they traveled, they named the place Dan. In Hebrew, there are no vowels, so Dan can be read as Dan, Den, Din, or Don. Danube River, for example simply means the river of Dan; Denmark means "mark" of Dan. In Denmark, by the way, they know their history and spell their name Danmark, and not Denmark!
ScanDANavia and SweDEN are all from the tribe of Dan. Their most famous biblical hero of course is none other than Samson, the huge blond, blue-eyed strongman whose descendents are still today the burly loggers of Sweden and Norway and in the northwestern parts of America!
The original earlier Naphtalites and bulk of the Naphtalite nation had gone westward and were since unheard of. They became the Vikings of Scandinavia, especially of Norway: Scandinavia in the 500s and 600s received an influx of settlers from the east. This was shortly after the bulk of Naphtalites had embarked on their westward trek. Source:

Simeon and Issachar
Simeon has basically bred into the peoples of Ireland (along with Dan), Wales and parts of England and Normandy. son of Issachar was PHUVAH (Genesis 46;13) whose children were known as Phuni or PUNI (Numbers 26;23,24). "PUNI" was a name given to the Phoenicians amongst whom Israelite Tribes such as Zebulon and Asher were at some stages an important component. The major Phoenician cities were Tyre and Sidon. Sidon was conquered for a while by the Sakkala or Sakkara  (Slouschz p.61, Pallotino p.70) who were one of the Sea Peoples and elsewhere (in "Lost Israelite Identity" by Yair Davidy, 1996) are proven to have been Israelites.  Source:

Joseph
 Joseph, arguably starts off as being the next greatest hero of Genesis after Abraham and before long, is lost into obscurity in the pages of the Bible, yet unknown to all but a few today became the greatest of all the tribes of Israel, and as predicted some 3000 years ago have become the greatest, wealthiest nations of the earth! Nations, not nation, you ask? Please read on to see how Joseph became TWO NATIONS and Israel became not twelve tribes, but THIRTEEN!
Since we know that Judah became the Jews, what then became of Joseph? What does the Bible say about this incredible man of God and his descendants? If we remember the story, Joseph was Jacob's favorite son whose jealous brothers sold him into slavery. After years of being a slave in Egypt, he ended up becoming the second-most powerful man in the world, saving his father and family from starvation. Jacob, now an old dying man, was shocked to learn, that after 25 years, his son was not only still alive, but was the powerful ruler of the greatest nation on earth.
Few know this story well, but Jacob actually was in a wrestling match with God. It's true! He grappled with God all night, and God actually allowed Jacob to win the match!(Genesis 32:24) The first thrown wrestling match in history! Read the story for yourself. It's an amazing one. It was at this time God changed Jacob's name and He said "you will no longer be called Jacob," (which means deceiver) but from know on will be named ISRAEL" Israel literally means "he fought with God and WON!"  Thus, in his later life, Jacob's name became Israel. This is the origin of the name "Israel." It was the new name of Jacob.
Now the mystery deepens when we read the story in Genesis when Jacob gave his name "Israel" to the tribe of Joseph, and especially Joseph's two sons.
When God blessed Abram, and renamed him Abraham, few notice that he was given TWO blessing by the LORD. The first blessing was that of Race. God said to Abraham that his descendants would become the greatest nations of the world. However, the LORD gave a second blessing, and that was one of Grace, which meant that the coming Messiah who would save the world would be born from Abraham's seed. There are two distinct blessings... One is that his kids would become kings and great world leaders, the other was that one of his children would be the Messiah! Now Abraham gave both of these blessings to Isaac, his only son from Sarah. Isaac on the other hand had two sons. Twins, the oldest (the one that came out first, thus technically the firstborn) being a man named Esau, and the several minute younger twin called Jacob.
The blessing of Race was to go to Esau only because of the right of the firstborn. Isaac was bound to make Esau the recipient of the blessing of race. His decedents would become the greatest nations of the world - or so it seemed. What happened is the famous story in Genesis of Jacob "stealing" this birthright from his brother through deception! His father Isaac was nearly blind and when he was ready to give this most important blessing to Esau, Jacob with the help of his mother, lied to the old man and claimed to be Esau. He was given the blessing of race... His descendants would become the greatest nations to ever exist. As you can guess, Esau was furious over this deception and vowed to kill Jacob.
Now when it was time for the other blessing to be given to Esau, we see why God wanted Jacob to steal the blessing of prosperity! Yes, God does sometime condone deception and stealing. He knew Esau's heart, and it was a heart far away from God and God's ways. He wanted the blessing of race because it meant wealth, he could care less for the blessing of a Messiah. He cared for no one but himself, and he wasn't pleased to have such a blessing. Jacob offered to buy it. Esau was willing to sell it. The price? A bowl of lentil soup! That is what the greatest blessing of all meant to Esau-a bowl of soup! He sold Jesus Christ for a bowl of soup--- remember that fact!
Jacob ends up with both blessings now, but splits this blessing among two sons. To Judah he gives the blessing of grace.... Judah would be the father of the Messiah. The Messiah would be a Jew. As for the blessing of race, who would Jacob give that to? None other than his favorite son Joseph, but he did so in a surprising way. He didn't give the blessing to Joseph himself, but his two sons! He made each son a new "tribe" thus turning the twelve sons of Jacob into the thirteen tribes of Israel. remember that, Jacob turned the twelve into thirteen and that has great significance in identifying the two sons today!

Jacob Blesses Manasseh and Ephraim (NLT VERSION)

One day not long after this, word came to Joseph that his father was failing rapidly. So Joseph went to visit him, and he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. 2 When Jacob heard that Joseph had arrived, he gathered his strength and sat up in bed to greet him.

3 Jacob said to Joseph, "God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me. 4 He said to me, `I will make you a multitude of nations, and I will give this land of Canaan to you and your descendants as an everlasting possession.' 5 Now I am adopting as my own sons these two boys of yours, Ephraim and Manasseh, who were born here in the land of Egypt before I arrived. They will inherit from me just as Reuben and Simeon will. 6 But the children born to you in the future will be your own. The land they inherit will be within the territories of Ephraim and Manasseh. 7 As I was returning from Paddan, Rachel died in the land of Canaan. We were still on the way, just a short distance from Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). So with great sorrow I buried her there beside the road to Ephrath."

8 Then Jacob [fn1] looked over at the two boys. "Are these your sons?" he asked.

9 "Yes," Joseph told him, "these are the sons God has given me here in Egypt."

And Jacob said, "Bring them over to me, and I will bless them."

10 Now Jacob was half blind because of his age and could hardly see. So Joseph brought the boys close to him, and Jacob kissed and embraced them. 11 Then Jacob said to Joseph, "I never thought I would see you again, but now God has let me see your children, too."

12 Joseph took the boys from their grandfather's knees, and he bowed low to him. 13 Then he positioned the boys so Ephraim was at Jacob's left hand and Manasseh was at his right hand. 14 But Jacob crossed his arms as he reached out to lay his hands on the boys' heads. So his right hand was on the head of Ephraim, the younger boy, and his left hand was on the head of Manasseh, the older.

15 Then he blessed Joseph and said, "May God, the God before whom my grandfather Abraham and my father, Isaac, walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life, 16 and the angel who has kept me from all harm-may he bless these boys. May they be called by MY NAME and the names of my grandfather Abraham and my father, Isaac. And may they become a mighty nation."

17 But Joseph was upset when he saw that his father had laid his right hand on Ephraim's head. So he lifted it to place it on Manasseh's head instead. 18 "No, Father," he said, "this one over here is older. Put your right hand on his head."

19 But his father refused. "I know what I'm doing, my son," he said. "Manasseh, too, will become a great people, but his younger brother will become even greater. His descendants will become a multitude of nations!" 20 So Jacob blessed the boys that day with this blessing: "The people of Israel will use your names to bless each other. They will say, `May God make you as prosperous as Ephraim and Manasseh.' " In this way, Jacob put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh.

Let me explain what you just read. First, Israel split Joseph into two tribes: Ephraim (the younger) and Manasseh (the older). The twelve tribes actually became thirteen tribes!  Ephraim was tribe No. 13 of Israel. Also, the name "Israel" would belong to these two boys, and not the other tribes. That is why when the tribes broke up after Solomon died, the northern tribes kept the name Israel and the southern tribes became Judah. The Jews do not have the right of the name Israel! It belongs only to the sons of Joseph. This is very important to understand because you need to understand the ultimate identity of these two boys.
One clue has to do with the No. 13. What nation on Earth is represented by the No. 13? And whose older brother (another nation that came before and where the younger brother came out of) was the greatest nation in the world at its zenith? How many stripes are on the American Flag? In the Great Seal of the United States, how many times is the No. 13 used? Do you see a pattern of thirteen in the Great Seal?

13 stars in the crest above the eagle
13 stripes in the shield upon the eagle's breast
13 arrows in the eagle's left claw
13 olives and leaves in the eagles' right claw
13 letters in the E Pluribus Unum motto carried by the eagle

The United States is the nation of Ephraim (like the USA a Nation of Many Nations), the thirteenth tribe of Israel. Great Britain and the United Kingdom are Manasseh, the older brother who was surpassed in greatness by its younger brother. This is why Jacob crossed his hands. God told him that the younger would be the greatest nation to ever rule the earth. It was no quirk in history that it was the U.S. that succeeded Great Britain as the world's greatest, most powerful nation of all time UNDER GOD! In the Bible, we read that in the end times, it will be a time "of Jacob's trouble,"(Jeremiah 30:7) and that Israel will be reconquered by Assyria (Germany). This is not talking about the Jewish nation of modern-day Israel. God is talking about the tribes of Joseph: England and America! We are going into captivity again before the return of Jesus Christ during the time known as the great tribulation because, like our ancestors in the Holy Land, we will have made this country into a GODLESS NATION, rejecting God, His laws and His Son, the savior Jesus Christ! It is happening right now in our own sight! God warned us in Leviticus 26 what will happen if we reject Him and His laws: Ruination!

Leviticus 26: The warning to the U.S. (Israel)

Punishments for Disobedience

14 "However, if you do not listen to me or obey my commands, 15 and if you break my covenant by rejecting my laws and treating my regulations with contempt, 16 I will punish you. You will suffer from sudden terrors, with wasting diseases, and with burning fevers, causing your eyes to fail and your life to ebb away. You will plant your crops in vain because your enemies will eat them. 17 I will turn against you, and you will be defeated by all your enemies. They will rule over you, and you will run even when no one is chasing you!

18 "And if, in spite of this, you still disobey me, I will punish you for your sins seven times over. 19 I will break down your arrogant spirit by making the skies above as unyielding as iron and the earth beneath as hard as bronze. 20 All your work will be for nothing, for your land will yield no crops, and your trees will bear no fruit.

21 "If even then you remain hostile toward me and refuse to obey, I will inflict you with seven more disasters for your sins. 22 I will release wild animals that will kill your children and destroy your cattle, so your numbers will dwindle and your roads will be deserted.

23 "And if you fail to learn a lesson from this and continue your hostility toward me, 24 then I myself will be hostile toward you, and I will personally strike you seven times over for your sins. 25 I will send armies against you to carry out these covenant threats. If you flee to your cities, I will send a plague to destroy you there, and you will be conquered by your enemies. 26 I will completely destroy your food supply, so the bread from one oven will have to be stretched to feed ten families. They will ration your food by weight, and even if you have food to eat, you will not be satisfied.

27 "If after this you still refuse to listen and still remain hostile toward me, 28 then I will give full vent to my hostility. I will punish you seven times over for your sins. 29 You will eat the flesh of your own sons and daughters. 30 I will destroy your pagan shrines and cut down your incense altars. I will leave your corpses piled up beside your lifeless idols, and I will despise you. 31 I will make your cities desolate and destroy your places of worship, and I will take no pleasure in your offerings of incense. 32 Yes, I myself will devastate your land. Your enemies who come to occupy it will be utterly shocked at the destruction they see. 33 I will scatter you among the nations and attack you with my own weapons. Your land will become desolate, and your cities will lie in ruins. 34 Then at last the land will make up for its missed Sabbath years as it lies desolate during your years of exile in the land of your enemies. Then the land will finally rest and enjoy its Sabbaths. 35 As the land lies in ruins, it will take the rest you never allowed it to take every seventh year while you lived in it.

36 "And for those of you who survive, I will demoralize you in the land of your enemies far away. You will live there in such constant fear that the sound of a leaf driven by the wind will send you fleeing. You will run as though chased by a warrior with a sword, and you will fall even when no one is pursuing you. 37 Yes, though no one is chasing you, you will stumble over each other in flight, as though fleeing in battle. You will have no power to stand before your enemies. 38 You will die among the foreign nations and be devoured in the land of your enemies. 39 Those still left alive will rot away in enemy lands because of their sins and the sins of their ancestors.

40 "But at last my people will confess their sins and the sins of their ancestors for betraying me and being hostile toward me. 41 Finally, when I have given full expression to my hostility and have brought them to the land of their enemies, then at last their disobedient hearts will be humbled, and they will pay for their sins. 42 Then I will remember my covenant with Jacob, with Isaac, and with Abraham, and I will remember the land. 43 And the land will enjoy its years of Sabbath rest as it lies deserted. At last the people will receive the due punishment for their sins, for they rejected my regulations and despised my laws.

44 "But despite all this, I will not utterly reject or despise them while they are in exile in the land of their enemies. I will not cancel my covenant with them by wiping them out. I, the Lord, am their God. 45 I will remember my ancient covenant with their ancestors, whom I brought out of Egypt while all the nations watched. I, the Lord, am their God."

46 These are the laws, regulations, and instructions that the Lord gave to the Israelites through Moses on Mount Sinai.

Friends, this is the terrible fate that awaits us. We can, as a nation, hold these events back if we turn back to God and His Laws; but the Bible says there will be a time when we as a nation will refuse to return, and then we'll be destroyed, brought into slavery and Europe will become the King of the North and the Arab nations will unite as the King of the South. We will only be bystanders watching the great final battle that will occur on planet Earth between these two demon-possessed powers! If this is in our lifetime, I know not. But this is what the Bible says is going to happen. If it is in our lifetime, be of good cheer! Christ's return is right around the corner, for the final world war will last but a few short moments. Then Christ brings with him a new world order: His kingdom, His government, His laws, His church and OUR ETERNAL LIFE!

Messages From Heaven: What Teenagers Wish They Could Say to Their Parent...

Messages From Heaven: What Teenagers Wish They Could Say to Their Parent...: Attempting a conversation with your teenage son or daughter can be like pulling teeth. You twist and pull and prod, with nothing to sho...

What Teenagers Wish They Could Say to Their Parents!

Attempting a conversation with your teenage son or daughter can be like pulling teeth. You twist and pull and prod, with nothing to show for it except for a few mumbled words and growing feeling of frustration. While it may seem far-fetched to imagine your teen opening up to you, teens really do want to talk with their parents. Behind those monosyllabic teen responses, there is a surplus of thoughts and feelings and words just waiting to spill out. Often, because they don’t know how to say it — or maybe they feel like they can’t say it — kids keep their lips tightly sealed shut.

The trick to getting your teen to open up and talk is to ask the right questions. And in counseling with over 2500 different teenagers, I have discovered one question in particular that always helps to get the ball rolling. The question is this: “What’s one thing you’d like to tell me that you think I should know?” It’s amazing how the floodgates of communication fly open when they sense that it’s safe to share. But be ready! You may be surprised by what you hear. To give you an idea of the kinds of things teenagers wish their parents knew about them, here are some common responses I’ve gotten over the years.

#1: “I don’t think any more about being immodest than being modest.”
The young lady who told me this had experienced many battles with her parents over clothes and attitudes. Her parents often looked at her wardrobe options and were concerned that their daughter was trying to attract undesirable attention, or to look seductive. But in this teen’s mind, she wasn’t even thinking about dressing provocatively or acting inappropriately. All she wanted was to fit in with the other kids around her!

The problem lies in a culture obsessed with the sensual. Media influences are pressuring girls to dress and act more provocatively than ever before. Of course, dads want their little girls to dress in overalls and cardigans, but for a young lady trying to fit in at school, with friends, or with the rest of the world in general, she’ll try to dress and act like what she hears and sees. What teen girls wish their parents knew was that many times their clothing choices have nothing to do with a desire to be immodest. She just wants to avoid standing out and being ridiculed.

So the next time your daughter shows up ready for school wearing clothes that raise eyebrows, don’t jump to conclusions. Spend time explaining the reasons you’re uncomfortable with that type of fashion, what others might interpret through her clothing choices, and suggest alternatives. Also, in battles over clothes and expression, take a step back and ask yourself if this is a hill worth dying on. If your son goes to school with hot green shoes and purple laces, or your daughter puts on shirt with only one sleeve, consider whether it’s worth the fight. If it’s more weird than immodest, let your kids have the freedom to make the clothing choices that their kids will mock them for later!

#2: “I wish my parents knew their definition of abnormal is our definition of normal.”
Confused by teen culture? You’re not alone! Society has changed, and is changing on consistent basis, and some of the definitions of normal teen behavior have been altered. David Kinnamen, President of the Barna Research group, explains this shift with an insightful analogy. He compares our culture to Babylon. As Christians, we often feel like we’re in exile, living in a foreign land whose ideas and philosophies are radically different from our own. We want our children to be faithful in this generation. But like the Israelites who lived in Babylon, some of the customs have to change and evolve.

Faithfulness is important, but living in this culture may take a different faithfulness than what we expect. It’s important that we teach our children biblical definitions of what is right and what is wrong, but we also allow our teenagers to apply the biblical answers to this culture and society in their way. Teens wish their parents knew that they need space to be “abnormal”. Trust them to use the tools you’ve given them to make godly decisions in a changing culture.

#3: “Privacy isn’t always deception.”
As parents, we know the trouble teenagers can get into. So we monitor their computer, their phones, their room, and their car, and keep tabs on their activities. While I highly recommend moms and dads inspect Facebook pages and backpacks, I also endorse a healthy balance. As many teenagers say to me, “just because I want a little privacy doesn’t mean I’m looking for an opportunity to step out of line.” It’s healthy and normal for kids to want space to be alone with their thoughts and feelings. Let’s not monitor our kids so closely that we eliminate privacy.

#4: “I wish my parents knew how much I need them.”
I was floored when I heard this come out of the mouth of a struggling teenager! Maybe you don’t hear it from your child often (or at all), but be encouraged, mom and dad. Your kids need you. They want to hear your wisdom, feel your love and make you proud. Your teen knows they can’t navigate this world without you. No matter how hard it gets, understand that deep down, your child longs to tell you how much they care.

#5: “My acting out isn’t always about them. I’m hurting too!”
This statement came from a girl who was struggling to make sense of her mother’s death over two years ago. Her violent outbursts towards her father and stepmother, though harmful and wrong, were the result of dealing with pain she needed help processing. But it can be extremely tough not to take the actions of a wayward child personally. Even when kids lash out at us, many times the issue isn’t really about our parenting. The child is hurting and responding in an unhealthy way.

When you see your teen acting out, try to uncover what’s behind it. If you can address the pain behind the actions, you’ll have a better chance of reaching your child and solving the problem.

#6: “I wish my dad told me he loved me.”
I grew up knowing that my dad loved me, but I rarely heard him say it. And it left a big hole in my heart. I now tell parents, don’t let a single day go by without telling your kids (or spouse, for that matter) that you love them. Words have a powerful effect on people. Your verbal affirmation can give your family confidence, security, and a sense of warmth that they can’t get anywhere else. Teens want to know that you care about them. We’ve always been told that actions speak louder than words, but that’s not always true. Sometimes saying “I love you” can speak to the heart of your child louder than any action or gift could. So when you finish reading this, go tell your wife, husband, son, or daughter that you love them!

I understand that communication with teenagers isn’t easy. When you talk with them, expect some dead space and awkward silences, but also be ready for real thoughts and feelings to be shared. Sure, it’s cliché, but it remains true — communication is key. A healthy relationship starts with talking and understanding each other. I encourage you ask your child, “What’s one thing you have always wanted to tell me?” Maybe your teen repeats one of the statements above. Or perhaps they open up to you with something brand new. It all starts with asking questions. Talking to them. Finding out what’s rattling around inside their heads. You never know — you might be pleasantly surprised with what you discover.

Messages From Heaven: The Nucleus of Civilization!

Messages From Heaven: The Nucleus of Civilization!: According to the Bible, God himself ordained the family as the basic building block of human society, because He deemed it "not good...

The Nucleus of Civilization!

According to the Bible, God himself ordained the family as the basic building block of human society, because He deemed it "not good that man should be alone" (Genesis 2:18). That verse stands out starkly in the biblical creation narrative, because as Scripture describes the successive days of the creation week, the text punctuates each stage of creation with the words, "God saw that it was good" (Genesis 1:4,10,12,18,21,25, italics added). The goodness of creation emerges as the main theme of Genesis 1, and the statement "God saw that it was good" is repeated again and again, like the refrain after each stanza of a lengthy song. Then finally, after the sixth day of creation, we're told with emphasis, "God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good" (italics added).
But then Genesis 2:18 takes us back to the end of day six and reveals that just before God ended His creative work, just one thing was left that was "not good." Every aspect of the entire universe was finished. Each galaxy, star, planet, rock, grain of sand, and tiny molecule was in place. All the species of living things had been created. Adam had already given "names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field" (v. 20). But there was still one glaring unfinished aspect of creation: "For Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him" (v. 20). Adam was alone, and in need of a suitable mate. Therefore God's final act of creation on day six — the crowning step that made everything in the universe perfect - was accomplished by the forming of Eve from Adam's rib. Then "He brought her to the man" (Genesis 2:22).
By that act, God established the family for all time. The Genesis narrative says, "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh" (v. 24). Jesus quoted that verse in Matthew 19:5 to underscore the sanctity and permanence of marriage as an institution. The same verse is quoted practically every time two believers are united in a Christian marriage ceremony. It is a reminder that marriage and the family are ordained by God and therefore sacred in His sight.
So it is no mere accident of history that family relationships have always been the very nucleus of all human civilization. According to Scripture, that is precisely the way God designed it to be. And therefore, if the family crumbles as an institution, all of civilization will ultimately crumble along with it.
Over the past few generations, we have seen that destructive process taking place before our eyes. It seems contemporary secular society has declared war on the family. Casual sex is expected. Divorce is epidemic. Marriage itself is in decline, as multitudes of men and women have decided it's preferable to live together without making a covenant or formally constituting a family. Abortion is a worldwide plague. Juvenile delinquency is rampant, and many parents have deliberately abandoned their roles of authority in the family. On the other hand, child abuse in many forms is escalating. Modern and postmodern philosophies have attacked the traditional roles of men and women within the family. Special interest groups and even government agencies seem bent on the dissolution of the traditional family, advocating the normalization of homosexuality, same-sex "marriage," and (in some cultures nowadays) sterilization programs. Divorce has been made easy, tax laws penalize marriage, and government welfare rewards childbirth outside of wedlock. All those trends (and many more like them) are direct attacks on the sanctity of the family.
These days whenever families are portrayed in films, television dramas, or sitcoms, they are almost always caricatured as grossly dysfunctional. Someone recently pointed out that the only television "family" who regularly attend church together are "The Simpsons" — and they are cartoon exaggerations deliberately saddled with the worst imaginable traits, designed mainly to mock and malign both church and family. It's no joke, though. A relentless parade of similarly dysfunctional assortments of people assaults us on television and in the movies. Hollywood has defined a broad new meaning for the word family.
Meanwhile, traditional nuclear families with a strong, reliable father and a mother whose priorities are in the home have been banished from popular culture, made to feel as if they were the caricature.
Although many Christian leaders have been passionately voicing concerns about the dissolution of the family for decades, things have grown steadily worse, not better, in society at large. Secular social commentators have lately begun to claim that the traditional nuclear family is no longer even "realistic." An article published not long ago by the on-line magazine Salon said this: "The 'ideal' American family — a father and a mother, bound to each other by legal marriage, raising children bound to them by biology — is a stubborn relic, a national symbol that has yet to be retired as threadbare and somewhat unrealistic."¹ The nuclear family simply won't work in 21st-century society, according to many of these self-styled "experts."
I know those voices are wrong, however, because I have witnessed literally thousands of parents in our church who have put into practice what the Bible teaches about the family, and they and their families have been greatly blessed for it.
As society continues its mad quest to eliminate the family, and as our whole culture therefore unravels more and more, it becomes more important than ever for Christians to understand what the Bible teaches about the family, and to put it into practice in our homes. It may well be that the example we set before the world through strong homes and healthy families will in the long run be one of the most powerful, attractive, and living proofs that when the Bible speaks, it speaks with the authority of the God who created us — and whose design for the family is perfect.