{"id":42749,"date":"2014-05-24T21:23:00","date_gmt":"2014-05-25T02:23:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/?p=42749"},"modified":"2022-02-01T21:26:31","modified_gmt":"2022-02-02T03:26:31","slug":"no-past-no-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/no-past-no-future\/","title":{"rendered":"No Past, No Future"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\t

by Terry Partain<\/p>\n

The US Census Bureau has a new category called “unrelated individuals” to describe those who do not live in a “family group.” Such Americans have increased in huge numbers over the last forty years. Even among those who live in family groups, 25% feel lonely and have no one to confide in. Forty years ago our college campuses rang with the cries of “do your own thing,” and “make love, not war” or “free love.” No strings, no responsibility. Our present-day dysfunctional families are a direct result of that profane religion.<\/p>\n

Those who don’t know history are doomed to repeat its mistakes. “Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did … but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come<\/em>” (I Corinthians 10:6-12). “For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope<\/em>” (Romans 15:4).<\/p>\n

Many of our children think like little animals, living only in the present as if they have no past or future. Not only is daddy missing, but grandfather and all of the stories that he might tell to give the roots of heritage to a child. We have a past that records the work and purpose of our fathers who labored to build and provide a future for generations to come, a heritage. Throughout the Old Testament, Israel is reminded of who they were and where they came from, and why they were here. It gave them value and purpose and a reason to labor on accepting the hardships necessary to raise up a family. The New Testament builds on that spiritual heritage to motivate the faith and hope of Gentile generations of Christians.<\/p>\n

\"\"It is not the TV’s, iPhones, and Internet that isolate us. It is neighborhoods without children and parents to care for them. We use our devices to fill the silence in our empty houses. Americans have been sold on a new spirit of independence and autonomy. Both men and women are convinced that they don’t need anybody, but then the loneliness sets in. Autonomy is just another way of being alone. You are free to make your own rules, but in your freedom, you become a rude and difficult person to get along with.<\/p>\n

Jesus teaches us the “Golden Rule” which demands that we care for the people around us and deny ourselves to serve them. That means that we must give up some of our precious “personal space.” It means that we must learn and abide by simple rules of courtesy and civility. There is no room for the “spoiled child” complex or the self-absorbed “Peter Pan” who refuses to grow up. If you are in control all of the time, you will find it difficult to work with others. Friends and family will pull back. You will be isolated. The wisdom of God will spare you that foolishness. Christ leads the way and demands, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it<\/em>” (Matthew 16:24).<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Terry Partain The US Census Bureau has a new category called “unrelated individuals” to describe those who do not live in a “family group.” Such Americans have increased in huge numbers over the last forty years. Even among those who live in family groups, 25% feel lonely and have no one to confide in.…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[27],"tags":[1513],"class_list":["post-42749","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-article","tag-relationships"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":67180,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/did-i-defile-myself-by-sexually-touching-a-woman\/","url_meta":{"origin":42749,"position":0},"title":"Did I defile myself by sexually touching a woman?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 25, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Greetings, I just wanted to know if I sexually touched a woman with clothes on but no intercourse, did I defile myself as Revelation 14:4 says? \"These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they remained virgins. They follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They were\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":24086,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/why-did-jesus-stay-around-for-forty-days-after-his-resurrection\/","url_meta":{"origin":42749,"position":1},"title":"Why did Jesus stay around for forty days after his resurrection?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"July 25, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Good day, Brother Jeffrey, I am asking for your help regarding this question: Why did Jesus stay around for 40 days, after He came back from the grave, instead of going immediately into Heaven? I know you are busy answering hundreds of emails every day so I am sorry\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":85484,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/memory\/","url_meta":{"origin":42749,"position":2},"title":"Memory","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 9, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"by Kenneth Frazier via\u00a0Sentry Magazine, Vol. 16 No. 1, March 31, 1990 \"Then spake the chief butler unto Pharoah, saying, I do remember my faults this day\" (Genesis 41:9). The butler had a good memory. After two years, he could remember what had taken place in a jail where he\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":15782,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/was-the-law-of-moses-in-effect-while-melchizedek-lived\/","url_meta":{"origin":42749,"position":3},"title":"Was the Law of Moses in effect while Melchizedek lived?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"July 16, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Was the Law of Moses in effect while Melchizedek lived? Answer: Melchizedek was a contemporary of Abraham (Genesis 14:17-24). Moses was a descendant of Abraham who lived about 500 years after Abraham died. Therefore it would be impossible for someone to live under a law that was not given\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":94634,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/by-bread-alone\/","url_meta":{"origin":42749,"position":4},"title":"By Bread Alone","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 17, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"by Hugh DeLong We all have our favorite scriptures and concepts that we 'religiously' follow. We also all have some aspects of Jesus' teaching that, because of our dispositions and\/or situations, we ignore or set aside. In such situations, most of us 'justify' our actions. Read this first temptation again\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":29289,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-home-place\/","url_meta":{"origin":42749,"position":5},"title":"The Home Place","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 1, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jefferson David Tant The scene comes clearly to my mind's eye even now. 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