My space?

Having spent a lot of time in front of a monitor I considered myself to be reasonably computer literate. At least where hardware and software are concerned.
The internet however has never been my thing, I pay bills and see how much I don’t have in my checking account and that is about it. I am not an E-mail type guy, I check it once a month whether I need to or not. I don’t play computer games, I don’t chat and I only surf when I am searching for something in particular.
Recently I have been hearing a lot about blogs, I have come to the conclusion that they are kind of your own personal little web page, which is kind of cool I guess. I love to read my daughter in law’s blog, my Pastor even has one. I had two major fears in starting my own blog.
1. I wouldn’t have anything clever, funny or profound to say, I couldn’t just talk
about my life because I would have to embellish quite a bit to make my life
interesting to anyone and preachers are not supposed to embellish (lie).
2. No one would read it. Number one and two are kind of tied together but it
would seem a little embarrassing, kind of like getting picked last when they
choose up teams for a Church softball game because you are the old fat guy.
There were some things that have come up recently however that have caused me to overcome my fears.
One is I made my kids promise to read it, or at least pretend to read it and post some complimentary remarks. The other and main reason is that I recently discovered MY SPACE. My boys pointed out to me some of the folks they knew on MY SPACE and I was a little shocked at what I read.
I was not only shocked, but I was also a little disappointed, saddened and sickened. It was the same kind of sad sick feeling you have when you find yourself in a place you don’t belong and you feel kind of sorry for the folks that are there and for some reason unknown to you they enjoy being there.
I will not give all the gory details about what I saw and heard (you get to pick out a song to play while people are visiting your little web site). So not only are you assaulted by filthy language, sexual references and even a little Satanism you also get to hear it set to music (for lack of an appropriate term).
It was troubling to me to see kids that I loved and had invested my life in to be involved in that kind of thing.
The Bible is pretty clear about what kind of things we should think about and be involved in.
Philippians 4:8
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
I suppose the most troubling was to see references to God and Jesus in the midst of the filth.

I know I am preaching, but I am a preacher, what did you expect?

And so here is my blog, I don’t know how often I will post something, I probably won't until I need to vent again. I am sharing this with parents of teenagers because I would want to know if it was my kids. I am sharing this with the teens because I love you and I HATE to see you degrade yourselves this way and drag the name of my Lord and Saviour through the hog pen you are wallowing in.
I know this isn’t a blog it is a book but let me just share a few things with the
young people.
Language
The way you speak tells people what kind of person you are.
When you use foul language it tells people something about you.
1. You are showing a lack of respect for the person you are talking to because you are assuming they want to hear someone talk that way.
2. You are showing your ignorance and limited vocabulary
3. Your testimony around friends that are lost is being destroyed and you could be responsible for them never being saved.
Music
1. I know you have heard this one before, but words that are set to music can not be filtered out.
2 Music affects you Physically, emotionally and spiritually.
Sex
1. Sex is not a joke, it is not a toy it is a gift of God to be enjoyed only by
a Husband and Wife.
2. To treat sex any other way is playing with fire and you are headed for heartache. You will lose something precious you can never get back and You run the risk of an unwanted pregnancy, and sexually transmitted diseases.
I know that you think it is none of my business what you do but the bible says it is
Hebrews 13:17 Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.
I will continue to do everything in my power to prevent you from getting involved in something you will later regret because I love you
Maybe next time I will be able to post something not quite so heavy, but this is what the Lord has laid on my heart, so here it is.