YOUTH WATCH

Greetings all of you old goats and young bucks...or is that old goats and goatettes and young buckettes?

"People try to pus us dddown...(talkin' bout my generation)
Just because we get around
(talkin' bout my generation)
Things they do look awful cold
(talkin' bout my generation)
I hope I die before I get old
(talkin' bout my generation)"
My Generation
The Who

"We are...we are...the Youth of a Nation"
Youth of a Nation
P.O.D.

Youth...the next generation...passing of the baton...the hope for the future. Maybe...maybe not. Each generation faces this duelistic hope of the fading generation and rising generation leading the way for the next generation.

As we state in the last Rambling...there is nothing new under the sun... unless you are under THE SON. The Apostle Paul...former hit man against the church...who was in charge of stoning, murdering, persecuting the followers of THE WAY (aka Christians)...was leading the way for the next generation of young Christians to lead the way. His protoge' was a YOUNG MAN by the name of Timothy. Paul was his "father in the faith." Timothy was his "true child in the faith" (I Timothy 1:2).

Timothy had been given responsiblity of OVERSEEING a group of believers. Paul had some advice back then that is appropriate for the next generation in the year 2006...that would be NOW.

"Let (don't allow) no one (anyone) look down on your YOUTHFULNESS, BUT (in contrast) rather in (1) Speech (what you say) (2) Conduct (what you do) (3) Love (what motivates you) (4) Faith (what gets you through) (5) Purity (what keeps accusations away)...show yourself an EXAMPLE (how it's down) of those who believe (in Christ Jesus)." I Timothy 4:12

The bottom line of this advice was...don't give the old goats and goatettes any reason to criticize the young bucks and buckettes in their Christian walk. The world and non-Christians will always have an excuse to point a finger...they did with Jesus and they will with us. Jesus was accused of being a drunkard and a glutton because he hung out with drunkards and gluttons and ate and drank with them. Of course he was not a drunkard and a glutton...but he was guilty by association. NOTE: Too many Christians use this as an excuse to let their guards down...and enter into the slippery slop of the flesh...and sin.

Paul encouraged YOUNG TIM...to discipline (exercise, practice unencumbered) yourself for the purpose of godliness (the five areas listed above). (I Timothy 4:7) There is value in this discipline...(1) it holds promise for the present life (2) it holds promise for the life to come.

The reason behind it..."For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers." (I Timothy 4:10). Paul encourged Timothy to
(1) Prescribe (2) Teach these things ( (I Timothy 4:11)

This godliness in the areas of speech, conduct, love, faith, purity (that if not taken care of will turn into a negative)...needs to be cultivated.

Paul lays out ways to walk in this discipline:

1. Give attention to public reading of Scripture
2. Give attention to exhortation
3. Give attention to teaching (of the Word)
4. Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you (bestowed upon through
prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery
(old generation)
5. Take pains with these things
6. Be absorbed with these things
7. Pay close attention to yourself (keep your self in check)
8. Pay close attention to what you teach
9. Persevere (don't give up) in these things

WHY? Why discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness? WHY? Why do you not allow the old to look down on the young in the areas of speech, conduct, love, faith and purity? WHY? Why take such a focused approach with these things? WHY? Show yourself as and example to the lost and the believers?

ANSWER:

1. So that your PROGRESS may be EVIDENT to ALL.
2. To insure salvation both for (a) yourself (b) those who hear you

QUOTABLE QUOTE: Unrestrained thoughts...produces unrestrained words...resulting in unrestrained actions.

NEXT TIME: DISCIPLINE FOCUS: Speech, conduct, love, faith, purity

Love
Rodney "Old Goat" Boyd