Daily Devotional for Wednesday August 14, 2019

ABSTINENCE!!!

(1 Corinthians 6:18, Hebrews 13:4)

***DAILY PERSONAL PRAYER FOR YOU: Dear Lord, Thank You for another day of life! Let us never to forget that EVERY DAY is a special day since it is a gift from You! Please let me never take one day, one hour, or one minute of this precious life for granted and may I always honor You with my life! In the name of Jesus I pray...AMEN!!!

Abstinence, teen mothers and fathers. I remember several years ago when Liveprayer had a great Gospel Tent at the Florida State Fair, one of the things God showed me through my spiritual eyes was the incredible number of young girls, 18 and under, pushing a stroller. It seemed like there was an endless stream of young white, black, Hispanic, and Asian girls passing by the Liveprayer Gospel Tent with their babies. It became so heavy on my heart, that it drove home the Biblical teaching of abstinence.

I remember several years ago watching an interview with Bristol Palin, who at that time was 18-years-old, regarding the birth of her baby boy. Bristol is the daughter of former Alaska Governor and former VP candidate Sarah Palin. The critical comment in that interview about being a single teen mom came when she spoke of abstinence. Bristol stated, "Abstinence is the best option but not realistic at all.

Now you have to remember, this is a young girl who was raised in the church. She comes from a Christian home. This is important to point out since even kids who have Christian parents and brought up in the church, have been so brainwashed by our culture from birth that they look at abstinence as totally unrealistic if they even consider it at all. If this is the mindset of kids who have been raised in the church and from Christian homes, how can we be shocked when the vast majority of teens and young adults who don't have Christian parents and have never even been to church view abstinence as a joke?

Once again, much of the blame has to go to the church for allowing the culture to dictate our beliefs, instead of the church dictating our beliefs to the culture. 50 years ago, it was understood that sex was to be experienced in the bonds of marriage. Did that mean teens and young adults didn't have sex outside of marriage? Of course not. However, it was UNDERSTOOD BY SOCIETY that it was not God's plan and it was a sin.

50 years later, anyone who advocates abstinence is viewed as out of touch and believing in the impossible, and the church to "be accepted," has done a miserable job of fighting the lies of satan regarding sex and abstinence.

One of the key points I have raised with you for 20 years now is that God's way works, our way doesn't. THE BIBLE WORKS IN ALL AREAS OF LIFE! The Bible teaches abstinence from all sexual relations until marriage. If people followed God's plan, there would be no out of wedlock births, there would be no STDs, abortions would virtually cease to exist, the lives of so many teens and young adults would not be dramatically altered by having a child when they themselves are still children, not to mention the harm growing up in such an environment does to the baby. An incredible amount of pain and heartache and damaged lives would be avoided.

Here is the bottom line to the abstinence issue. Simply preaching a message of abstinence is not good enough. From the time a child has the ability to understand the difference between a boy and a girl, they need to be taught what God's plan is for sex and why it is the best choice. Is elementary school too early to be teaching children about abstinence? Probably. But the problem is the world is already bombarding them with the lies of satan on this issue, so those lies must be exposed and challenged. Children must be taught not only that abstinence is the best choice, but why.

Even by taking a proactive stance on this issue, it is a battle. Children, teens, and young adults are slammed virtually 24/7 with the message that sex is good any time, any place, in any way, and with any person from birth. Due to the fact the better percentage of two full generations don't go to church, the vast majority of kids are never even going to hear the abstinence message. Their only point of reference on sex are the lies they are fed by the world. So between the media, friends, and the culture in general, children, teens, and young adults who are hearing the abstinence message at home and at church, are being told it is an outdated and unrealistic concept.

The fact is, Bristol Palin was correct in stating that abstinence IS unrealistic unless a person has a real, personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Without the strength of Christ, we are susceptible to falling into all types of sin. Does this mean that teens and young adults who are saved will never have sex outside of marriage? Of course not. However, without a real daily walk with Christ, falling into sexual sins and every other type of sin is inevitable. It is only when we are living a committed life for Christ, yielded daily to the power of the Holy Spirit, that we can live victoriously and abstaining from sex outside of marriage is possible.

I love you and care about you so much. We are living in a nation that has totally bought the lies of satan regarding sex. God's plan for sex only in the bonds of marriage is no longer accepted by society, and the byproduct is an ever growing number of teen moms and dads, babies growing up in all kinds of unhealthy environments, and a cycle of sin and destroyed lives that continues with each generation. It is too late to turn society back to God's standards, so the efforts have to be made at home and in the churches to impact the lives of as many children, teens, and young adults as possible with God's plan for sex.

For those teens and young adults who are currently pregnant and preparing to have a child. I will be praying for you as you turn to the Lord and find His strength and guidance to help you be the best mom and dad you can to your baby. For those teens and young adults who already have a child, now is the time to realize the Lord is calling you to be a Godly mom and dad to your child and that your greatest job is to raise that child in the admonition of the Lord and in His love.

For those teens and young adults who have not sinned in this area, pray daily for the Lord to give you strength to stand firm in His Truth and know that His way is the best way. The world has lied to you about sex in order to destroy your life! Live your life according to His word and wait for marriage to have sex and it will be the wonderful gift God designed it to be, and any children will be a blessing of your marriage.

I am also praying today for those courageous servants of the Lord who have taken this fight to the culture. Fighting to teach abstinence in our schools. Fighting to teach abstinence in our churches. Fighting to teach abstinence in our homes. Let me remind you that while we must take this message to the culture, we must also make sure that these teens and young adults understand that not only is abstinence their best choice, but it is a choice that has to be made in conjunction with a real, vibrant, daily, personal walk with Christ. A personal faith in Jesus is the key to making abstinence work!

In His love and service,

Your friend and brother in Christ,

Bill Keller