I build my life and ministry activities around what I know from the Bible. And that must seem incredibly strange to a lot of people who have been indoctrinated into thinking that the Bible is some kind of irrelevant relic of yester-year.
Over the years I have been bombarded with many of the claims and attacks on the Bible. At times I have even been impacted by them, confused about what to think of some parts of the Bible, embarrassed to admit that I believe in God and the Bible, and so on. However, as I have taken the time to consider the reality of the Bible and the claims of those who object to it, I have come to a sound confidence in the Bible and what it teaches. I have also seen that many of the charges against the Bible are false, deceptive and at times even ludicrous.
There are many things that could be said about the Bible and I will share some of them with you, to help you understand why I value it so much and stand by what it says with such confidence.
Consider these descriptors which I use to present what the Bible is. The Bible is the most Enduring, Authoritative, Profound, Resilient, Enlightening, Impactful, Endorsed and Significant book in all of human history.
Over the next few days I’ll elaborate on these comments for you, to help clarify in your mind, as it is in mine, that the Bible is truly the most significant book you will ever have the privilege to read.
Family is “Alive and Well”!
Despite the great many attacks that have impacted families over the past century, we are delighted to report that FAMILY is “ALIVE AND WELL”!
Attacking marriage is a passion for many people who promote the idea that wedlock is dead. One of the ways they support their deception is through the misuse of statistics. (remember the saying: “There are lies, damn lies, and statistics!”) Yet the evidence is that most marriages, almost 70% of them, persist until the death of the spouse. That’s a far cry from the impression we are given that more than half of all marriages are doomed to failure.
The New York Times ran an article earlier this month, by two assistant professors from the University of Pennsylvania. Entitled “Divorced from Reality”, the article puts the record straight on the viability of marriage in the USA.
“The story of ever-increasing divorce is a powerful narrative. It is also wrong. In fact, the divorce rate has been falling continuously over the past quarter-century, and is now at its lowest level since 1970. While marriage rates are also declining, those marriages that do occur are increasingly more stable. For instance, marriages that began in the 1990s were more likely to celebrate a 10th anniversary than those that started in the 1980s, which, in turn, were also more likely to last than marriages that began in the 1970s.”
When the numbers are analysed it seems that the most unstable marriages are those of the young people who were most impacted by the Sexual Liberation cultural revolution of the 1960’s. Marriages established in the 1970’s were undermined by the pervasive “me-ism” of the era, where the idea of free sex had been vigorously promoted and old institutions, such as God, family and marriage, were undermined with vigour. However, as we move away from that tidal wave of counter-culturalism, we are seeing the resilience of marriage re-emerge.
The old agenda of removing marriage to make way for unrestrained sexual activity is still being pushed. And in order to do so the promoters have resorted to smoke and mirrors, rather than reality.
And not only is marriage proving its enduring viability, but, along with it is God’s institution of family. Here at Family Horizons we are thrilled to provide resources to the thousands of families which are rejecting the lies and choosing to value what God values.
So, next time someone suggests to you that marriage is a failing institution, be sure to point out to them that they have been fooled by social engineers who want them to believe that lie.
Both Marriage and Family are explored in much greater depth in two key books which we recommend to you. FAMILY HORIZONS – Creating Families of Destiny and MARRIAGE HORIZONS – Creating Marriages That Work.