Tiger Woods is just the latest high-profile person to be exposed as an adulterer. Senator Max Baucus is another. Woods gets more attention because he is better known and because of so many women being connected to him. Whether it is one or over a dozen, adultery is the same: it destroys lives.

King David took Uriah’s wife, Bathsheba (2 Sam. 11). When it was discovered she was pregnant, the king attempted to cover it up. He tried to get Uriah to sleep with his wife so everyone would think the child was his. When that didn’t work, David got him drunk and tried it again. When that didn’t work, he had Uriah killed. After this, David took Bathsheba as his wife so everything would seemingly be okay. But, it was not to be.

God exposed David as an adulterer through Nathan (2 Sam. 12:1-15). He did not deny his sin, but readily confessed it and sought God’s mercy. Of course, it was granted. However, forgiveness did not remove the consequences. David’s son by Bathsheba died (2 Sam. 12:15-23). Too, David’s household was filled with trouble from then on (2 Sam. 12:10-12). No doubt, the king wished he had never gazed on the woman on the rooftop.

Whether it is king David, Woods, or Baucus, adultery destroys lives. It affects those who commit the act. It also impacts the innocent around them. Uriah was perfectly innocent. Wood’s wife and children are going through extremely difficult times now and will never completely heal. Baucus’ wife is humiliated and terribly hurt.

Adultery has a monetary impact as well. The wise man said, “Remove your way far from her [an immoral woman]…Lest aliens be filled with your wealth, and your labors go to the house of a foreigner” (Prov. 5:8, 10). In the case of Woods you can also see a definite economic catastrophe with all the brands he is connected to being tarnished to some degree; if nothing else losing the ability to use Woods to promote their products. Whenever adultery takes place, there is a material consequence. Whether it is due to paying for gifts and rooms for the adultery, loss of work due to mental stress, or a divided household with two sets of bills. You can think of many more.

The worst thing is the damage adultery does to souls. An adulterer cannot go to heaven (Gal. 5:19-21; 1 Cor. 6:9, 10). Those impacted by the sin can become bitter toward God and His ways. Instead of blaming the devil for the consequences and pain, some attack God. Children can lose all respect for authority because one of the parents has completely destroyed trust and respect for the main authority figure in their life. In some cases, the children follow their parent’s footsteps into a life of sexual immorality as either an attempt to numb the pain or because they think it is normal behavior. However you look at it, adultery destroys souls.

There is one way the Bible gives us to deal with sexual immorality, adultery included: RUN! Joseph did (Gen. 39:11-13). The Holy Spirit commanded it (1 Cor. 6:18). So, when you are tempted by Satan to lust after another, remember adultery destroys lives.

Ever see the child in the grocery store that won’t shut up in spite of mom telling little Johnny his behavior disappoints her? Ever want to walk over and say, “Do you want me to take care of this?” Me too.

Millions of children are being raised as selfish tyrants. They get what they want, do what they want, and will brook no opposition. The amazing thing is that many parents think this is good. Some even seemingly are not embarrassed by a temper-tantrum in the middle of the mall.

What’s wrong with this picture? God is not in it.

Parents who truly love their children and respect God will discipline. God disciplines us out of love. “For whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives” (Heb. 12:6; cf. Prov. 3:11, 12). When a child goes without correction, it is as though he is illegitimate: without a father to raise him properly. So, a father may be present in the home but the child still lives as though he is illegitimate because of a lack of discipline.

Let us not be shy about the issue of how to discipline. The Bible repeatedly states that spanking is an acceptable form of correction.

“He who spares his rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him promptly” (Prov. 13:24).

“Chasten your son while there is hope, and do not set your heart on his destruction” (Prov. 19:18).

Love compels us to put the belt to the backside. We are not to be anxious that this punishment will destroy the child. Properly applied, it will not do permanent damage nor will it scar his spirit. Rather, it lets the child know the limits and instills a respect for authority.

Too many parents are committing the sin of not disciplining their children. Not only will this bring heartache and sorrow in this world, but it will also lead to eternal destruction in the next. We will lose our soul for not raising our children right as quickly as for not believing and obeying the gospel.

To all parents: teach your children the Bible (Deut. 6:6-9; Eph. 6:4); lay down the house rules, tell them your expectations, hold them to it (Eph. 6:1-4); correct early and often, rebuke and spank and they will respect you (Heb. 12:9). This is simple, but effective—because it is God’s way.

Four classes of people are addressed in Ephesians 6:1-9: children, parents, slaves, masters. While the latter two are not part of our society, the principles of the relationships still apply to employees and employers or anyone doing a job for someone else.

If we would teach and heed the things in these passages, our homes and nation would be much better off. And, if the home is right it is hard to see how the workplace would not be right.

One thing I do want to especially note is that most Christians I know—the overwhelming majority—are very conscientious about their jobs and the work they do. We are an honorable bunch. It reflects well on members of the Lord’s church that the community and those we work with and for know our reputation. Let us leverage that influence to help lead people to Christ.

Sin In The Home
Stay-At-Home Dads

Society is anti-God. There is no question about it, the world is under the sway of the wicked one (1 Jn. 5:19). Its values are contrary to what the Bible teaches, including on matters of the home. Specifically, society tells us that a stay-at-home dad is a wonderful thing.

The feminist movement in the United States came on strong in the 1960s and 70s. Its fruits are being borne today. Women are taught to be career-minded; go to school, get a degree, find a job, climb the ladder, make something of themselves. A woman’s worth is tied to her job.

Along with the feminist ideas of women, is the notion that men are no different. A woman can and should do anything a man can do. And, a man can and should do anything a woman can do. If the woman has a good-paying job, better than her husband (if they are married), and children come along, the man should stay at home. After all, the wife makes the most money and she should not take a back seat to the husband, sacrificing her career and their material well being just because she has ovaries.

It is sad that some Christians have bought into this humanist philosophy.

God ordains that men are the provider for the home (1 Tim. 5:8). It is the man’s duty to get a job or have a line of work that supports his family. If he decides to become a homemaker while his wife goes to work, it is sin. If not, why not?

The Bible teaches that a woman’s primary role is to be a homemaker (Titus 2:4, 5). Does the fact that her job pays more than the husband’s give her the authority to ignore this duty?

Let’s get something straight: a man can do work around the house, including taking care of the children; and a woman can do work outside the home (Prov. 31:10-31). However, this does not mean a man is the primary homemaker and the woman the primary breadwinner. When a husband and wife reverse roles as given by God they are in sin.

Some think it old fashioned to follow the “traditional” roles of husband and wife. The world sees it as down-right backward. What is backward and old fashioned is actually biblical and godly (cf. Lk. 16:15). The reason these roles are traditional is because people used to have a greater respect for the Bible. Let us make sure we do not allow the anti-Christ world delude us into living an ungodly life.

In Mark 10:1-12, Jesus affirms His law on marriage and divorce. It is a simple one based on God’s original intent for man and woman. This passage shows us it applies to women as well as men. Marriage is to be one man for one woman for life, with one exception. It is sad that billions of people do not respect this law that is designed for the happiness of man and health of society.

Next we see Jesus receiving the children (10:13-16). Their character is that which citizens of the kingdom are to have: humble, tender hearted, pure, trusting. All that is noble and good about a little child is to be found in a child of God. There are many lessons we can learn from our children if we will just listen.

The account of the rich young ruler is one of the most well known in the New Testament. Mark’s version is slightly different from the others (Matt. 19 & Lk. 18). There are many things worthy of note, but we will address only a few. First, the young man was moral in relation to his fellow man, but still lacked one thing—only one that needed correction or else he could not obtain eternal life. His one failing was his riches, a form of idolatry, a lack of devotion to God first. Second, because he put money above the Lord, he could not accept Jesus’ admonition. Sin can harden men to the call of the Savior. Third, Jesus did not relent on His point. Rather, He drove it home as He proclaimed (loudly, note the exclamation point at the end of 10:23) the difficulty of rich men entering the kingdom of heaven. Those who “trust in riches” cannot enter the kingdom of God; it is an impossibility, not an improbability. As the disciples react to this, Jesus states that we must put Him first above all things, including those who are nearest and dearest to us. Without full commitment and fidelity to the Lord, we will not see heaven.

It is stunning how men waste time and money to find answers when God has already given them to us. Perhaps the biggest waste of all is the US space program. It is devoted to finding out the mysteries of the universe, chiefly the origin of it. If they would just open their hearts and a Bible, they would see the answer. This same scenario is true with other issues.

Recently, while going through the web site www.familyfacts.org I ran across the following findings; things that the Bible has taught for thousands of years, but men felt compelled to verify with studies. Don’t get me wrong about this, I understand the need to defend what is right using God’s word and at times it helps to pull in other evidence. The point is, so many of our problems and questions could be resolved and answered if we just open the Bible and read.

Finding: “Compared with peers who had lower levels of religiosity as pre-teens (measured by participation in religious activities, studies, services, and importance ascribed to religion), those with higher levels of pre-teen religiosity tended to exhibit higher levels of religiosity as adolescents and young adults and a lower likelihood of engaging in substance abuse.”

This finding basically says that children brought up to practice religion are affected by it in later years. It helps shape their behavior, continuing to practice religion and refraining from harmful activities. The Bible put it this way, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it” (Prov. 22:6).

Finding: “This finding looks at the relationship between youths’ religiosity and alcohol use.
Compared with peers with lower levels of religiosity (in terms of church attendance, importance assigned to religion and frequency of prayer), adolescents who were more religious exhibited higher levels of self control and were less likely to use alcohol. (The effect of religiosity on substance use was mediated somewhat by levels of self control.)”

Children who are raised with religion in the home behave better. The religious principles instilled in them while they are young give them more self discipline and keep them away from destructive behaviors. Self-control is one of the fundamental pillars in the life of a Christian. “But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control…” (2 Pet. 1:5, 6). The study finding shows what the Bible has taught all along, religion benefits a person’s life.

Finding: “This study examined the link between the amount of sex viewed on television and teen pregnancy outcomes. Teens who were exposed to high levels of sexual content on television were twice as likely to become pregnant during a three-year period than peers who had lower levels of exposure to sexual content.”

Duh! It takes a study to see that? I do not doubt FamilyFact.org knew this to begin with. It is a secular organization and feels compelled to do academic studies to bolster their position. Again, I have no problem with that. Society, however, seems to lack common sense. The Bible does not. It is an imminently practical and logical book. Long ago it said, “Do not be deceived: ‘Evil company corrupts good habits’” (1 Cor. 15:33). Filth in, filth out. Simple enough.

Finding: The Bible contains all that pertains to life and godliness (2 Pet. 1:3). It is the Book of books; the sole source of spiritual enlightenment. It is the word of life. The ills and ails of society can be corrected if all people would submit to the word. Let us not be guilty of failing in this, but live by the truth, raise our children in the truth, and therefore be a blessing to one and all.

For more information go to http://www.familyfacts.org.

Genesis 40

After Joseph was wrongly thrown in prison, he continued to do the best he could. One day while he was working, he saw two of the king’s servants—men who were in prison for suspicion of acting against the king. These servants were distraught because they each had a dream the night before but did not know the meanings.

Joseph was concerned about them, not just himself, and asked them what the trouble was. They explained their dreams to him. The butler, or cupbearer, of the king told his dream and Joseph said it meant he would be restored to his old job. The baker, thinking he may receive a favorable interpretation of his dream, explained his to Joseph. This time, however, the news was not good. The king would kill the baker in three days.

Joseph asked the butler to remember him. He wanted out of prison. Sadly, the butler forgot him.

Genesis 41

The king of Egypt, Pharaoh, had two dreams in one night that scared him. He asked all his advisers what they meant, but none of them could tell him. Finally, after two years of forgetting about Joseph, the butler remembered him. He told the king Joseph could interpret his dreams.

After cleaning up to stand before the king, Joseph told him God is the one who interprets dreams.

Pharaoh told his dreams to Joseph who proceeded to interpret them with God’s help. He told the king seven years of good crops were coming followed by seven terrible years. He advised the king to store up grain in the good years so they could get through the bad ones. This impressed Pharaoh so much he elevated Joseph to second in the kingdom. Only Pharaoh was higher and had more authority than Joseph.

During the years of plenty, Joseph stopped counting the grain because it was so much. As prophesied, this lasted seven years and came to an abrupt halt. The famine set in and devastated the entire region.

Genesis 42-45

The famine affected Canaan, where Joseph’s family lived. His father sent Joseph’s older brothers to Egypt to buy grain. When they appeared before Joseph they did not recognize them, but he recognized them. He spoke to them in Egyptian and used an interpreter, though he could still understand his brothers.

Joseph wanted to test their sincerity and see if they were still the same evil, selfish men he knew years ago. So, Joseph kept one brother, Simeon, in Egypt and told the rest to go back and return only if they brought Benjamin, Joseph’s younger and favorite brother.

The brothers later discovered that all the money they took to buy grain was in their grain sacks. This scared them because they thought the Egyptians looked at them as thieves, but it was Joseph who ordered this to be done.

Jacob resisted the brothers taking Benjamin to Egypt for fear that he would not return. The famine grew worse and the brothers refused to go get more grain without Benjamin. Jacob gave in and let his youngest son go.

When they returned to Egypt, Joseph continued to test their attitudes. He gave Benjamin more than the others at dinner. He also put Pharaoh’s cup in Benjamin’s grain sack without telling them. On their way home, Joseph’s servant overtook them and found the cup in Benjamin’s sack. The penalty was slavery.

The brothers were very upset and returned to plead for Benjamin. Judah offered himself in exchange for Benjamin. When Joseph heard this he could not contain his emotions any longer. He sent out all the Egyptians and revealed himself to his brothers. They were stunned and fearful. Joseph told them they had nothing to fear and understood that everything that had happened was at the hand of God. By Joseph being in his position, he was able to preserve the children of Israel during the famine.

Joseph did not take vengeance on his brothers or anyone else. With Pharaoh’s blessing and encouragement Joseph invited all of his family to move to Egypt. They were given the best of the land and settled there for about 400 years.

Lessons To Consider

1. They guilt of how Joseph’s brother treated him troubled them for many years (Gen. 42:21, 22). Do you think when we commit sin and do not correct it, it will bother us? Should it?
2. When Joseph was testing his brothers, was he being mean or trying to find out about their character? Why do you think he did this?
3. The real lesson of Joseph’s life is how God works things out. Did Joseph see this at the beginning?
4. Can we learn a lesson about God working with us? Could the difficult things we face be the way to grow and be useful to God and His people later? Should we grow bitter and quit?

Genesis 37:1-11

Joseph was the favorite son of his father, Jacob. Joseph’s brothers were not very good and did bad things; things which Joseph told his father.

When Joseph was seventeen, his father gave him a coat of many colors. This was a visible sign of his favoritism. Jacob’s other sons were angered by this. In fact, they were so mad they could not say anything nice to Joseph.

To top it off, Joseph had two dreams which he revealed to his family. The first dream showed he would rule over his brothers. The second one was about him ruling over all his family. The older brothers could not see how this was possible and envied him.

Genesis 37:18-28

One day when Joseph went out to check on his brothers in the field, as they were keeping sheep, they determined to hurt him. At first they thought of killing him, but the oldest, Reuben, talked them into throwing Joseph into a pit.

When Reuben was away, the other brothers saw a group of Midianite traders. They bought and sold things, including people. Judah convinced the other brothers to sell Joseph into slavery and make some money. When Reuben returned, he saw Joseph was gone and was very upset.

Genesis 37:31-36

To cover up their sin, the brothers of Joseph took his coat of colors and dipped it in goat’s blood. When they showed the coat to their father, they asked if it was Joseph’s. Jacob assumed Joseph had been killed by a wild beast. In effect, what the brothers did was lie to their father. They knew Joseph was not killed by an animal, but that is what they wanted the father to believe.

Genesis 39:1-6

The Midianite traders sold Joseph to an Egyptian named Potiphar. He was the captain of Pharaoh’s military and police force. Because of this, Potiphar was a powerful and wealthy man.

Over time, Potiphar noticed Joseph was a good worker and made things better. So, Joseph was elevated to the top and ran Potiphar’s house. The only thing he knew about was the food set in front of him when he ate. This shows us that in spite of Joseph’s mistreatment, he still did the best he could and, as a result, God blessed him.

Genesis 39:7-23

Joseph’s master, Potiphar, had an evil wife. She wanted Joseph to commit sin. However, Joseph resisted. This angered Potiphar’s wife and she told a lie to get Joseph in trouble. When Potiphar heard the lie his wife told, he threw Joseph in prison. Still, Joseph was not bitter against God, but did the best he could.

Lessons To Consider

1. When we show favoritism in the family, it angers the others. We need to love all our family equally. What are some ways we can do this?
2. What should we do if we start feeling jealous of a brother, sister, or friend?
3. Joseph’s brothers were either going to kill him or sell him as a slave. Which do you think Joseph preferred? (Think about what happens to him later).
4. How old was Joseph when he was sold as a slave? Do you think it would be difficult for someone his age to be carried away into a strange land?
5. Joseph’s brothers lied to their father. How did they lie to him?
6. Joseph had a good attitude when he labored for Potiphar. Why might it be hard to do good in his situation? What would many people do?
7. Potiphar’s wife told a lie on Joseph and got him in trouble. Would it hurt you if someone told a lie on you? Should you lie about others when you are angry at them? Why?
8. Where was Joseph sent because of the lie told against him? What type of attitude did he have? Do you want to be like this?

1. Love them with all your heart (Titus 2:4).

The love you have for your child will make an incalculable impact on his or her life. It will help your child develop the proper sense of self worth. They will carry it with them even when you make a mistake or they do. Without true love for your child, he or she will be handicap in life. It will be harder for them to love others; to have a proper relationship with others. It will also give them a distorted view of God since our love is based on His.

2. Teach them God’s Word (Deut. 6:6-9).

The surest way to raise a good child is to teach them the Good Book. Even from the womb babies ought to be taught the Bible; it is a habit to form early on. As they grow the lessons and material can be adjusted to suit their needs. If parents wait until their children are 10, 12, 0r 14, it is way too late. In fact, from my observations and what others tell me, if you wait much beyond the first year or two a great deal is lost that may never be recovered.

3. Discipline them properly (Prov. 13:24).

No one likes a brat, unless it is their own. And, even it is their own, there is much grief. The Bible teaches parents to discipline their children. This would include “positive” discipline that does teaching and gives rewards for good behavior. Most parents do not have a problem with this. Where the difficulty comes is giving “negative” discipline. This may be taking away privileges or spanking (not beating). A father that loves his child will chasten him to develop him into a good person (Heb. 12:5-11).

4. Take them to church (Psa. 122:1).

Going to church consistently teaches the children it is a priority in life. It exposes them to the best people in the world, Christians. They can see that others are striving to live for God; others who have troubles but press on; others who are not all that different from them. Bible classes and worship assemblies gives opportunities for them to learn more about God’s Word. Some parents start out doing this, but when the children resist stop saying to force them to go to church will only make it that much worse. Is that how they treat giving them or making them take a bath?

5. Regulate their friends (Prov. 13:20).

The companions our children spend time with will have a great impact on their life. Their attitude, outlook, personality, language, dress, hopes, dreams, and more can all be affected by their friends. It is a God-given duty for parents to keep a close eye on such things. Children may see it as intrusive, especially in the teenage years, but it is necessary. Secretly, some will be thankful, while others may look back years later and see the value of such oversight.

6. Dress them appropriately (Prov. 7:10).

Like it or not, clothing sends a message. Our appearance can say put-together, clean-cut, business-like, laid-back, smooth-talker, self-centered, and many other things. Parents who love their children want the clothing they wear to send the right message to their peers and adults. No mother or father should dress their daughter like a prostitute (again, Prov. 7:10). They should not allow their son to walk around looking like a hip-hop “artist” who cannot keep his pants up without holding them (you know what I mean). Rather, we ought to dress our children to send the message of self-respect, decent, and modest. This will help establish a mindset and, hopefully, a life-long habit.

7. Get them involved in good works (Titus 2:14).

Children need to see the importance of doing good. They will learn to appreciate what they have as you help the less fortunate. They will see you fulfilling God’s command to love your neighbor (Lk. 10:25-37). It will develop a heart of compassion and help them understand God’s care for us. This should also include kindness toward your parents. As you children grow and see this being done, it will stick with them when they are older…and you are too. In other words, in later years you can reap the benefits of raising good children.

Obedience To God & Love of Man

Do you remember the story of Jonah? What one thing can you tell me about it?
[storm, fish, preaching]

Let’s read a little about him to learn some great lessons we need to know.

Read Jonah 1:1-3

Jonah was told to go to the city of Nineveh, the capital of Assyria. It was east of Jerusalem in what is now Iraq. They were the enemies of the Jews.

Instead of going east, however, Jonah went west toward the Spanish city of Tarshish.

What was Jonah trying to do? He was trying to get away from God (1:3). Is this possible?

When Jonah and the others got out on the sea, a great storm started to toss the ship around. They wanted to know why this was happening and discovered it was Jonah’s fault.

Read Jonah 1:10-17

The men desperately wanted the storm to stop because they thought they would drown. Jonah told them the only way to calm the sea was to throw him overboard. At first the men did not want to do this, but as the storm grew worse, they finally threw him in the sea.

What happened to Jonah when he was thrown into the sea? A great fish swallowed him. Did Jonah die? No. He was alive in the belly of the fish.

While Jonah was in the fish, he prayed to God (Jonah 2:1-9). Basically, Jonah was sorry for trying to run away from God and what God wanted him to do. God had the fish spit Jonah out onto dry land.

Sometimes things have to get really bad before people change. Would it have been easier and for Jonah to just do what God told him to do? Yes. If Jonah went to Joppa but did not get on the ship; turned around and went to Nineveh, would it have been better for him? Yes.

If we are doing something wrong, we need to stop as soon as we know it. We should not be like Jonah and let things get really bad before we change. It is much harder and unnecessary.

Read Jonah 3:1-4

God talked to Jonah again. Did He tell him to do something different? No. God still wanted Jonah to go to Nineveh and preach to the people. Did Jonah listen to God this time? Yes.

The people of the city listened to Jonah as he preached a message from God. They repented (Jonah 3:5-9). They decided to stop doing the things that made God angry. Because they quit sinning, God decided not to destroy the city (Jonah 3:10).

Do you remember how Jonah reacted to this? He was angry.

Read Jonah 4:1-4

Jonah was a Jew. Nineveh was full of Assyrians, the enemies of the Jews. So, Jonah wanted the city destroyed. That is why he did not want to preach to them and tried to run away. Jonah knew that the Word of God had the power to change people, and if the Assyrians listened, God would spare them instead of destroying them.

God tried to teach Jonah a lesson from this. He caused a plant to grow and give Jonah shade. Then God took the plant away. Jonah was angry about the plant being destroyed. God’s lesson was that Jonah did not care about the people and their souls, but did care about the plant that gave him shade.

We need to be concerned about people and their souls even if they are our enemies. Their salvation should be more important to us that the everyday comforts of life, like shade.

What do we learn from Jonah?

1. When God tells us to do something, we cannot run from it, we must do it.

2. We cannot go anywhere that God does not see us.

3. If we do something wrong and repent of it, God will forgive us and bless us.

4. We need to care about others and their souls.