"Keep it Up!"

"For lo, they that are far from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee." (Psalms 73:27) I do remember singing that song in the first few years of school; but by the time I was in fourth or fifth grade, the country started to change, and we started to move away from God altogether. I can remember coming into my fifth grade class and looking at the posters on the wall, one of which was a eight foot long one that showed the progress of man from a monkey. I was floored by what I saw, and I protested the thought of what that poster tried to replicate. The teacher had one of those globes on his desk that was in a stand, so when I had a chance, I went over and turned his globe upside down. It wasn't long after school started that another poster went up on the wall, a poster of the cover of "Abbey Road," and it was the topic of discussion for many days; I think we may have even had a test on what the Beetles were trying to say. By this time in my life we were all studying with the J.W.'s, as if life could not get more confusing. I wanted to join the Cub Scouts, but my parents said that I couldn't because there was a flag displayed on the uniform and they worshiped America instead of God. I think that is where I started to get a little rebellious, and before I turned twelve, I already had been arrested twice and began my seven straight years of being on probation. I was not released from probation until I joined the Navy in September of 1976; wow, what an adventure that was! I think I tried everything while in that crazy outfit. The land of misfit toys; almost everyone had some kind of hangup, and things get magnified after months at sea. Discharged in February 1979 with an Other Than Honorable Discharge, I was glad to be out and able to grow my hair back. All that said, I believe there is something good to be taken away from it all; not that I would ever want to go back, but the lessons we learn in life are the things that mold us into the people we are all grown up. Sure, I have some problems, just like everyone else; we all have some issues that need to be dealt with, and we will continue to have issues until the day we are taken up from this world. It's called being human! And when I am talking about 'human beings' I am not talking about descendants from apes, but men and women who have been born with a living soul that has life connected to God. I am not saying that animals don't have a soul, because I believe that they do; but they do not have an eternal soul that has been breathed into existence by the breath of God; that kind of a soul is strictly unique to mankind...
 "For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths. But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don't be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you." (2 Timothy 4:3-5) NLT