I am very excited to share you about an event that will be taking place this Wednesday, April 10th at 7 p.m.  at Christian Life Center. "With a message of hope and inspiration, experience the Watoto Children's Choir. Ambassadors of the millions of orphan and vulnerable children in Africa. Make plans to attend - and be sure to tell your friends!"

Where:                                                    
Christian Life Center
1901 North Park Avenue
Herrin, IL 62948

When:
Wednesday, April 10, 2013 at 7:00 p.m.

For more information visit:
http://www.clcherrin.com/
https://www.facebook.com/clcherrin
or call (618) 942-7369

I hope to see you there! -Tim

“And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” – Matthew 28:20b

America just endured another senseless tragedy as a mad gunman opened fire on a group of very young school children.  Six adults and 20 children age six and seven were murdered by the lunatic. Words cannot express the heartfelt pain our nation is now suffering.

Where was God in the midst of this tragedy? As Christians we serve a God that we believe to be all-knowing and all-loving. For many who do not adhere to our faith, they see this as an oxymoronic belief. Some pose a question similar to this; “If God is all-knowing and all-loving, why does he allow violence and suffering?” I will be totally honest; I have often grappled with this question myself. It is a totally valid question and not one that we Christians should ignore.

Think about it. We live in a world where children die every day due to a lack of clean drinking water, young girls are abused and sold into sex trafficking, innocent people are robbed and acts of extreme violence are taken out upon the most innocent of victims. I believe that God has infinite wisdom and knowledge. I believe that He is also the full embodiment of love and maintains the ability to control our universe and intervene in our world. Simply put, I believe in a God who can and does work miracles.

It’s not difficult for us to immediately conclude that if God knows the future, is all-powerful, all-knowing and loves us – He would stop this type of action from happening.  It seems like a reasonable hypothesis…  Here we are though, watching as this senseless act unfolds. Things did not go the way we would assume. In a moment like this it becomes very easy for some to decide that God does not exist. Others try to explain it away by stating things like God is punishing our nation for its disobedience. I will quickly tell you that I DO NOT prescribe to that belief. Even if God is not pleased with our actions as a nation, the God I serve does not cause a man to go into a school and kill children as a way of inflicting punishment.  Since I believe that God does exist, it is a fair question to ask where I believe He was in the midst of this tragedy.

The God I know comforts us when we are in pain. “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” Psalm 23:4 (NIV) / “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (NIV)

I have never faced anything nearly as horrific as what the parents of those children are suffering but I have faced tragedy. I have lost young family members and friends. I have witnessed senseless acts at the hands of humanity. God comforted me during those dark times. He gave me hope in the midst of my struggles and the strength to live on. Despite what many believe, God is real and He is present in the midst of this tragedy. He was present when our nation was attacked on September 11, 2001 and at He was present during the Holocaust. During those dark times we witnessed a growth in faith instead of abandonment. Those of us who truly know God can sense His presence. We can feel Him stirring inside of us – especially during time of suffering.

Jesus Christ did not promise us an easy life. In fact he told us quite the opposite. A good study of one of his most famous sermons, known as The Sermon on the Mount, will reveal that we are to expect destitution, mourning, and persecution. Here are his words in Matthew 5:3-11(ESV)“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” God does allow hardships to befall us but He never sugarcoated it by leading His followers to believe that life would be easy. This may not provide solace in the midst of all the questions as to why He did not prevent this tragedy but it does prove that His not stepping in and keeping it from happening does not reflect an absence of His character.  

I am not able to provide some of the answers you are looking for. I am not sure why this incident happened or why children are starving and sex trafficking exists but I do know the God I serve loves me. I know that despite whatever befalls me in life, He cares for me. According to Isaiah 55:8-9, God’s ways and thoughts differ from ours. I may never fully understand why God did not stop this from happening but, honestly, I serve a God that I don’t totally understand. He allowed his son, Jesus, to die a horrific death for the purpose of granting forgiveness of my sins. I have benefitted greatly from that gift but I don’t understand it. I can’t comprehend why God would go to such great lengths to offer forgiveness to me for sins that I willingly committed, but He did.

God did not stop this tragedy from happening, but don’t jump to the conclusion that He doesn’t care. He cares more than we understand. He loves greater than we can comprehend. Since I serve a God who knows all, I trust that the decisions He makes are beyond my ability to comprehend. God is real and His love can be experienced; of that I have no doubt.

-Tim

The elf is watching you; he's watching to see if you are naughty or nice... He is also sabotaging your entire house and sneaking around at night creating all types of havoc while you sleep. Also, while you lie in bed he is standing over you, peering at you through his beady little Pinocchio eyes and wearing a sinister grin.

I must admit that the whole 'Elf on the Shelf' phenomenon seems more like it should be a part of Halloween than Christmas. Just re-brand it as 'Chucky on the Shelf' and you have a whole new classification of freaking out  children.  I know I'm in the minority here, but it just seems a little strange to me that someone actually came up with the idea of tricking kids  into believing a toy elf becomes animated at night and watches them or 'completes projects' around the house.  In many homes the elf is actually up to mischief at night which creates the question, how can Santa trust the elf to honestly report on a child's behavior if he can't trust the elf to be on good behavior him/herself? I sure wouldn't want a mischievous elf reporting on me, I would be concerned that he would make up some pretty sinister stories just to watch me suffer as I pull hot coals out of my stocking on Christmas morning.

We can always tell Christmas is near because we start hearing about elves, Santa and Holidays and we hear about how some people get all bent out of shape because others celebrate differently. There is no elf on my shelf and that is just the way it is in our house. Guess what though? I really don't have a problem if you have one in your house or if your kids believe in Santa or you opt to say Happy Holidays.

I admit that I am one of those strange people who tells his children about the reality of Santa Claus from the get go. I do tell them the history of St Nikolaus and how our modern day Santa is a mirror of the joy of giving to others. We do watch Christmas movies and my kid's sit on Santa's knee. They know it's just a guy dressed in a suit, but they respect what he represents. They don't think he is taking tabs on if they are naughty or nice and they know he doesn't give them gifts - their mother and father, who love them unconditionally, gives them gifts. That's how we celebrate Christmas! I'm sure you may do it differently and that's fine with me.

Despite whether you have an elf, dress as Santa or use a different seasonal greeting, don't forget that Christmas is about a baby in a manger that changed the world. Don't forget about the greatest gift ever - grace.  Jesus is why we celebrate Christmas and my one request is that you not get so 'wrapped' up in the holiday that you forget to say happy birthday Jesus.

-Tim

Do we really care about other people? It seems I get inundated with requests to donate money to help out people in need each year around this time. My wife and I decided a few years back that we would teach our kids about giving each Christmas and pick a charity to support. This year we each made shoebox gifts for children in need who live in the Appalachian Mountains. It has been a very rewarding experience and we are thrilled to have this opportunity, but I am sitting here and wondering if I really care.

Did you notice that I earlier used the word ‘inundated?’ I know that carries a negative connotation and I used it deliberately.  I used it because it is a proper description of how I often feel. I know that I cannot financially help every charity. That isn’t what bothers me though. What really troubles me is how stagnant my reaction is to the suffering of others. It seems that with each image I see or paragraph I read I become more desensitized. I know that children are dying and understand that buying a goat and chickens can help feed a village in a third world country. I am very aware that the large cause of death in the world is lack of access to clean drinking water, but I seem to not feel it anymore. Those images and words that once tugged at my heartstrings seem to do very little these days.

I’m just being honest here, but I seem more concerned with how uncomfortable I feel in cold weather – even with my warm clothes and dry, heated buildings – than I am with the real suffering of others.  I easily become obsessed with my distaste for winter and desire for the warmth of summer while there are people dying due to their exposure to the elements. I am no longer ‘distracted’ by people who beg for food because I have become very accustomed to ignoring them.  I wonder if I would even send shoebox gifts to financially disadvantaged children if it didn’t make me feel good or serve as a ‘teachable moment’ to my children.

I am an average American. The citizens of this great country provide much to those in need but I wonder if we really care. Are we working in a soup kitchen because we care or because we feel it’s an obligation? Do we give to the Salvation Army because we understand the plight of those they serve or do we just feel guilty when we don’t? If those children we send shoe boxes to were our own, would it make a difference? I think we often have done the right thing but quite possibly not for the right reason. How often have you donated something knowing you could count it as a deduction on your taxes? How often have you gone Christmas shopping and were more concerned about what you were going to buy for yourself or your family than what you were going to provide to someone in need?

I think most Americans are guilty of this but we shouldn’t be. Just because the majority of people are desensitized does not make it a societal mandate. Let’s make a goal together this year. I propose we decide to search our hearts and rekindle the emotions inside our beings. Don’t be afraid to look at the images of the starving children, it’s okay to cry when you realize how desperately they need your help. It’s alright to have compassion; in fact I think it’s necessary. Don’t let this Christmas pass by without taking some time to find love in your heart. When you start to complain about how cold you feel in your winter coat or sitting in your heated leather seat, instead take some time to think about the homeless man or woman who lives in the cold and doesn’t even own a decent pair of shoes. Maybe she wouldn’t be complaining if she were sitting in your place.

-Tim

Around the age of nine I became exposed to pornography. My parents never talked to me about pornography, I’m sure they never thought they needed to. My parents loved me very much and would have been appalled at what I was viewing in other people’s homes. Viewing pornography led to experimenting with what I was seeing and even sexual abuse. I know that’s grotesque, but at 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 years old I didn’t know any different. No one told me looking at lewd, sexually explicit images was wrong. After all, if adults had it in their homes, then surely it must be ok. Here’s the problem with viewing pornography at such a young age, sexual desires are awakened and they never go away. Once you’ve had chocolate, you never forget what it tastes like. Pornography is the same, it is highly addictive and once you have a taste of it, it’s like turning a kid loose in a candy store for the first time, you can never get enough. What’s worse is that I never told my parents or an adult what was going on, if I had, maybe I could have understood that what I was seeing was wrong. What it did do was feed curiosity and fuel promiscuity into my teenage years. After I became a Christian at age 18, those desires were squelched for a while, but they eventually resurfaced. Those desires breathed life and it led to premarital sex. I realize as an adult that I am responsible for my actions; however, I cannot ignore the fact that being exposed to pornography at such a young age fed a fire that would take a miracle to put out. Jesus is my miracle and I don’t have a problem with pornography any more. In the mean time, I know there are kids and parents living in the dark about pornography and pornography trends among youth. A lot of the trends now days have to do with computers and the internet.

Here’s my advice to parents to keep what happened to me as a child from happening to your children.

1.     You do not have to let your child go to every sleep over, play date, etc. I know that you cannot protect your kids from everything, life happens. However, we live in an age where parents hardly ever tell their kids no because they don’t want to make them upset. If your child wants to hang out with friends, have them at your house where you know what’s going on behind closed doors. Buy a ton of snacks, get a ping pong table and make your home the coolest place in the neighborhood to hang out. If your child is allowed to go to another child’s home by themselves, talk to them! Talk about inappropriate images, bad touching, and yes, sex. My kids are age 10 and 8 and I talk to them about pornography, bad touching, alcohol, and drugs. I want them to know they can always talk about these subjects without feeling weird. I want to equip them to tell adults and friends no anytime they are uncomfortable. Give them a way out. Make sure they have your phone number and can call you anytime. And parents, if your child comes home and tells you about inappropriate things that happened, believe them.

2.     Do not let your child have a computer in their room where you are not able to view what they are searching on the internet. According to Dr. James Dobson from Focus on the Family, this is a sure way for your kids to have access to inappropriate web sites without your knowledge. If you are one of those parents who think your little angel would never do anything like that, WAKE UP!!!!! Your kids are human and yes, curious. In a 2006 study done by Family Safe Media, the largest demographic searching for nude pictures on the internet is age 18 and younger. This age group is also either the highest or the second highest demographic looking at these search words on the internet: porn, sex toys, teen sex, free sex, free porn, and teen porn. Family Safe Media also provides other eye opening statistics:

·        The average age for children viewing pornography is age 11

·        The largest consumers of pornography on the internet are ages 35 to 49

·        Seventy percent of 15 to 17 year olds have had exposure to hard core porn

·        Ninety percent of 8 to 16 year olds have viewed porn online mostly while doing their homework

·        Names of characters your children might look up on the internet and can be linked to porn sites, Pokemon and Action Man

3.     Understand that your children do not need to type in sexually explicit words to find porn on the internet. Pornographers buy expired domains that have nothing to do with pornography, like Pokemon. They buy the domain at an incredible price, keep the name of the domain, but display pornography. Your child may come across pornography simply by looking up topics that are related to homework. Pornographers are crafty and sly individuals who want your kids to see their sexually explicit images. Imagine little Johnny doing a homework assignment on George Washington. He types in the president’s name on google, clicks on a link, and there in front of him are pictures of nude people. He is embarrassed, so he tries to click off the link, however, he can’t because these pornographers have a little trick up their sleeve called “mousetrapping” where multiple pornography pages begin to loop onto the page and you cannot shut them off. This is why it’s important to have the computer in a place where you can see what they’re looking up. (You can visit www.familysafemedia.com for lots of other helpful information on children and pornographic websites.)

4.     Make sure you are spending as much time with your kids as possible. Our culture and society have our kids involved in so many activities, we are running ourselves ragged. Gone are the days of dinner at the table and weekends spent together. Your child doesn’t need to be involved in everything. They do need you to be involved in developing their heart, not just their athletic or music abilities. I know, I was involved in lots of stuff as a kid, softball, swim team, volleyball, basketball, track, music lessons, band and choir. Looking back on my childhood, I wish my parents would have said no to me being in everything and focused more on spending time together. It’s during family time where communication blossoms and you can talk about topics like pornography. The devil wants you and your kids to be distracted, he wants you to be too busy to communicate. Mark my words, if you don’t communicate with your kids, he will.  Ephesians 6:12 says, “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities in the heavenly place.” NLT

The devil is an advocate for pornography and you must fight him by communicating truth to your children.

In closing I would like to say that you can never be too informed about pornography and its effects on your family. The number one demographic searching for pornography on the internet are ages 35 to 49. Individuals ages 35 to 49 are likely to be parents and have children living at home. According to Family Safe Media, the place where children are most likely to see pornography, is in the home. My conclusion, parents, if you are looking at pornography, so are your kids and the damage is life changing.

Do whatever you can to protect your child’s innocence.

Darla Harms