I work at a small store out in the country.  I have great bosses and they are trying to do the right things as far as running the business goes, but things are not looking up for them.  But right down the road there is a store that has girls half dressed and they throw parties every Friday night and just have all of this evil going on, yet they are doing great.  They always seem to have a parking lot full of people.  I was talking to one of my bosses last night and he's kind of down and out about it because he's trying to do what the Lord wants for him to do but things are just going down hill.  I just hated to see him down and out like that and I started trying to think of this verse that I had read.  I told him that there was a verse in the Bible that talks about how wicked people are prospering  right now, and they have their reward but Godly people will have their reward in Heaven.  I told him I would look up the verse for him but I can't seem to find it.  Does anyone know where I can find this verse?

BEPS,
I had misunderstood what you were trying to say.  Now that I read what you said and put it all together I understand your point. 

I was kind of worried about that 

I am very sorry.  The last thing I am trying to do is cause trouble or say anything innapropriate.  I don't want seen as a troublemaker.   I enjoy reading and writing on this forum and I don't want to do anything to mess that up.  Please forgive me.

mJc

Well if no one minds, I would like to throw my opinion in here.  I am almost 16 years old.  I think that the church shouldn't support waiting OR going ahead and getting married.  I think that the church should above anything else encourage the couple to pray, pray, pray!  It doesn't matter if we think we are old enough.  Age doesn't matter a bit if God doesn't want 2 people to be together.  I do agree that if you are older you will be more capable of making a good decision.  But, I think that there are probably just as many 25 clueless couples as there are 15 year olds.  If you tell kids to wait because they should wait until they are more mature, they are just gonna have sex so that they don't have to wait 10 years.  And if you tell them to go ahead and get married so they can have sex that's gonna be the 1 and only reason they get married in many cases, but not all.  As a teenager, I think that most of us are too young to really know if we are in love or just raging hormones and being gulible.  Also, I know that there is a good thought behind teenge premarital counseling, but I will tell you that in many cases, teenagers will sit through that class not paying the least bit of attention (we have a lot of practice at this).  They are just waiting for it to be over so that they can go and do their own thing. 

[Well, there isn't anything funny about this. The time might be getting short and the stakes are ETERNAL!]

Now, it appears that the media tries to sell Christians as dimwitted and odd. We know this isn't true, but it is a sign of our times. The devil is working overtime, and we might be watching final battles for the souls of the lost. Many people will read something like this, laugh, and say that I'm some sort of religious nut. Well, there isn't anything funny about this. The time might be getting short and the stakes are ETERNAL!

If there was ever a time for Christians to join together, pray for each other, and encourage each other - THIS IS IT! We should all know that our Christian young people are going to have a rough time. We should treat them like our little brothers and sisters and pray for them at least daily. We are all of the same family - THE BODY OF CHRIST. I know that we have some differences during this short life on earth, but there won't be any differences for ETERNITY WITH JESUS.

People are still accepting JESUS CHRIST as Lord and Saviour, so there is still much work left to do. I love to hear about and from our young people. Please - know that you are most welcome and jump into the discussions. We really have the same concerns whether we are 8 or 80 - JESUS CHRIST as Lord over our lives and sharing the GOOD NEWS with the lost.

I couldn't agree more.  I can just look around at school every day and see all of these people, people who are my age, that are just throwing their lives away.  Some of these people are just so talented and blessed but they are giving it all away to sin and destruction.  Whether it be because of drugs or alcohol or sex or whatever it may be.  The worst part about it is that a lot of these people "believe in God"  but don't live like it.  The one thing that drives me crazy is hearing someone talk about falling asleep in church on Sunday morning because they were out partying all night the night before.  How is that being a witness for Christ?  Every person who is a Christian should be chasing after that one sheep that is gone astray, not chasing after the things of the world.  With all this temptation surrounding you, its very hard to stay pure.

The sadest thing of all is going to church on Wednesday night and seeing more kids and teenagers than adults.  Our pastor goes and picks up a few kids every Wednesday night for church.  And as a teacher, its very hard to explain some of the questions that kids have about things they see happening every day.  They are at the point where they are old enough to know right from wrong when they see it, but they don't understand it.  I don't know how to answer these questions!  One girl was talking about how she was at a skating rink and saw girls going in the boys bathroom.  What am I suppose to say when they start asking questions about this kind of stuff.  The girl that said that was only about 10!  I just told her that when she sees bad stuff like that happening that she should just pray for those people.

The point is, these smaller kids are growing up in a time in which they see everything in the book happening all their lives.  When you see or hear something all of your life, it starts to seem okay.  What are things going to be like in 10-15 years when I start having children.  I feel bad for these kids because it seems that they are fighting a losing battle, and I'm right in there with them. 

Maybe when some of the people from other countries get here, they feel out of place so they tend to keep to themselves more?

I got into a debate with a guy a few weeks ago on this very topic.  I know that some situations are hard to deal with but I don't see how someone could consider this as a good way out.  I'm am not trying to hurt anyone's feelings or put anyone down.  But when you think about it, what if your mother had had an abortion when she was pregnant with you.  You would have never had the opportunity to acomplish the things that you have so far in your life.  More importantly, you would have never been able to live your life on Earth for the Lord and all of his glory.  I pray that anyone who is considering this method to get out of a bad situation would reconsider.  There are so many people out there who want to have children but can't.  The child that you may be carrying but don't want may be the answer to someone's prayers.

I think that there are probably as more nonChristian pedephiles that Christian ones.  I think that the reason we hear about so many Christian pedephiles is because people are just waiting for us to mess up.  I truly believe that there are people out there waiting for something to hold against us.  People who claim to be ministers or just Christians in general and then go do these type of things are really need a lot of prayer.  If you are living for the Lord and following his will, you should never have the desire to do those types of things.

I don't think I have ever lived in a multi-cultural area.  I grew up in Pensacola, FL.  But that really isn't very multicultural.  Now we live out in the middle of nowhere.  But I love it!  We don't see many people that aren't from around these parts.  I'm sure that will change with time though. 

Although you do want to be an ambassador for Christ, make sure you also make some strong Christian friends....

Thanks for the prayers.  This is truly one of the many ways I have been blessed.  I have found several good Christian friends that back me up 100%.  I have people that I can talk to and ask for help that feel the same way that I do.  I have a lot of people that I can trust and count on.  I have been very blessed.

But the important thing is that they come to know Christ as their Savior, even if we never know it.

I completely agree.  It helps me to know that I am actually acomplishing something, but no matter what evidence we see in people, whether good or bad, we should be working just as hard for the Lord.

Thank you all for not looking down on me.  And thanks for your advice.  I ask that you all would pray for me though.  Its not the easiest thing in the world to resist some of the temptations that some teenagers are faced with.  Its not easy to "openly" be a strong Christian person.  Thanks

All we can do in the midst of evil is to keep our relationship with the Lord.  His presence and holiness will help to protect us.  I know you young people have it alot harder in the schools nowadays.  I pray for you to be helped and kept safe by the Lord.  Maybe if you see someone that seems nice and is struggling with that bad environment....maybe you can reach out to them in Christian love and help them?

Trust me, we need all the prayers that can be prayed!  Now in some places prayer is pretty much illegal in schools.  But, if students are willing its not as hard as it seems to spark up a Godly conversation.  One time last year I had a class with this girl who didn't seem to know the Lord.  One day she came into 4th period just crying her eyes out.  So I just wrote her a note during class and asked her what was wrong?  She informed me that a close friend had passed away in a car accident just a few hours earlier.  I simply wrote back and told her that I was going to pray for her  and her friend's family.  This one sentence started a whole conversation, and eventually the girl told me that she had asked Jesus into her heart.  The thing that makes witnessing the hardest, is that you don't see the results right then.  It may take months or years before someone actually confesses their sins and asks Jesus into their hearts.  I know I tend to try to hurry things along.  We just need to be more patient and plant all the seeds that we can.

Sometimes I wonder if we are fulfilling some of the prophecies that were told about the times before the rapture.  I think that our world is getting worse off everyday. 

People really need to clean their act up and at least act like they are somewhat civilized.  Why show a naked woman to get folks to buy a burger?  I mean, think about it, how does that even tie together?!  Nudity is not necessary!!!  I think that this is a point that too many people need to try to understand.

We all need to pray for strength to stand up and stand out rather than sinking deeper and letting things go the way they are currently going.  Things are most definitely getting worse everywhere, including the good ole South as Brother Jerry said.  We see things happening all over the world and we know its bad.  But when you begin to see things worsening close to home, your prospective seems to change a lot.  I know that when I went from junior high to high school, I felt like I was in a totally different world.  Keep in mind that there is only one high school in our entire county.  I have seen and heard things in high school that I had never heard before, and to be honest, really don't care to hear again.  And then when I got a job and began dealing with the public, everything seemed worse.  The point is, I know that things right now are nothing like what they were when my grandfather was my age, or even my dad.  And I hate to see what my children will face some day.