“BIG THINGS POPPIN…LITTLE THINGS STOPPIN”
Proverbs 1:7-19
One of the best ways to show love for our children is to set strong guidelines for them. This results in security for the child knowing what their boundaries are. For, when a child has no limitations, it results in insecurity. And speaking of limits, we need to check out some of the lyrics to these rap songs that our children are listening to. See, I look up one of them called, “Big Things Poppin…Little Things Stoppin”, by this guy who calls himself T.I., and I found that the words were really different then the title. For it talks about the same stuff of trying to prove to the world, that you are about something.
Such is the case with most criminals. Studies show that most had no regular spiritual training while growing up. But, God is our Heavenly Father. And those who have trusted the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Savior are His children. So, as a good Father, He has set down strong commandments for us to follow, and these are with your best interest in mind. For, He is not some cosmic killjoy who sits in Heaven thinking up rules and regulations that will ruin your "fun". And He sent me to tell you this morning, that He knows the addiction and devastation that many sins of society lead you into. So, He wants you to be free from the consequences of an ungodly life-style. Therefore, If we are ignorant of His wisdom and commandments, and calamity that comes into your lives as a result, it’s your fault not His! For there are, “Big Things Poppin…Little Things Stoppin”
Listen as I Give You Some Issues Teenagers Face Today, and God’s advice concerning them. I’m talking about some, “Big things poppin and sometimes little things stoppin!”
For, God shows His love to us by addressing these issues outright and not in a "wishy-washy, do whatever you want" type of way.
The First Big thing Poppin is Doing, Selling or having anything to do with Drugs
Galatians 5:19-21 says, " It is obvious what kind of life develops out of trying to get your own way all the time: repetitive, loveless, cheap sex; a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage; frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness; trinket gods; magic-show religion; paranoid loneliness; cutthroat competition; all-consuming-yet-never-satisfied wants; a brutal temper; an impotence to love or be loved; divided homes and divided lives; small-minded and lopsided pursuits; the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival; uncontrolled and uncontrollable addictions; ugly parodies of community. I could go on.
This isn’t the first time I have warned you, you know. If you use your freedom this way, you will not inherit God’s kingdom."
Now, the word WITCHCRAFT comes from the Greek word, "Pharmakeia", whereby we get the English word, "Pharmacy". It means literally, "an enchantment with drugs" or a "spell giving potion." This same Greek word is translated with the word "sorcery" in Revelation 9:21; 18:23; 22:15. In Revelation 21:8 it says, "But the fearful, and unbelieving ... and sorcerers (drug users) ... shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death." (The Message Bible) So, you need to remember that using drugs allows the demons of this world to take control of your mind…causing you to do and say things you wouldn’t ordinary do.
Next Big Thing is Alcohol, so listen to what the Word of God says about this:
"Wine produces mockers; alcohol leads to brawls. Those led astray by drink cannot be wise." Proverbs 20:1(NLT) " Oh listen, dear child—become wise; point your life in the right direction. Don’t drink too much wine and get drunk; don’t eat too much food and get fat. Drunks and gluttons will end up on skid row, in a stupor and dressed in rags.” Proverbs 23:20-21(The Message Bible)
" Who are the people who are always crying the blues? Who do you know who reeks of self-pity? Who keeps getting beat up for no reason at all? Whose eyes are bleary and bloodshot? It’s those who spend the night with a bottle, for with them…drinking is serious business...." Proverbs 23:29-30 (NLT). Now how many times have you seen someone drunk and their coordination is way off…they curse you out fight you, do property damage, and repeat their selves over and over again.
Now the Big One….Sex
The KJV says, "For this is the will of God ... that you abstain from fornication", and the The Message Bible says, “One final word, friends. We ask you—urge is more like it—that you keep on doing what we told you to do to please God, not in a dogged religious plod, but in a living, spirited dance. You know the guidelines we laid out for you from the Master Jesus. God wants you to live a pure life. Keep yourselves from sexual promiscuity.” 1 Thessalonians 4:3 See, Fornication is an "all-inclusive" word. It means all sexual relationships outside of marriage, and those who disobey face God’s judgement!
Hebrews 13:4 says, "Marriage is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers, God will judge." (KJV) and the NLT says, “Give honor to marriage, and remain faithful to one another in marriage. God will surely judge people who are immoral and those who commit adultery.” “Big Things Poppin…”
Because, sometimes God judges sexual sins with diseases. The Sodomites in Genesis 19 were struck by God with blindness. And, Romans 1:27 says, " And the men, instead of having normal sexual relations with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men, and as a result of this sin, they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved."
So you see, much of the venereal diseases prevalent in our society are simply a fulfillment of what God said would happen in Proverbs 5:11, " In the end you will groan in anguish when disease consumes your body.." And as Forest Gump would say, “That’s about all I have to say on that issue.”
Abortion
Concerning the prophet Jeremiah, the Bible gives us this insight, "Before I formed thee in the belly, I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb, I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations." KJV and the NLT says, “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.” Meaning that, God knew him in the womb and had a plan and purpose for his life!
Now, notice Psalms 139:13-16, "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be."
Marriage
"Therefore shall a man leave his father and mother and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh." ewr. The monogamous family is God’s first divine institution on earth. That is: one husband for one wife for one life time! And, Jesus said, "What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder." Matthew 19:6.
Parents - Authority
"Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee." Exodus 20:12. "Children, obey thy parents in the Lord, for this is right." Ephesians 6:1
"Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil." Romans 13:1-3. So we need to respect our parents and in turn parents…we must also show respect, for what we do is what our children become.
Money
"For the LOVE OF MONEY is the root of all evil." I Timothy 6:10. There is nothing wrong with having money. It is loving money that the root of all evil. A safe rule to live by is, to control your money, don’t let it control you!
Now, the last but certainly not least is Salvation
We are told, "And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, an this life is in His Son. He that hath the Son hath life, and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; THAT YE MAY KNOW THAT YE HAVE ETERNAL LIFE ..." I John 6:11-13.
"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved." Acts 16:31. "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." Romans 10:13.
My teenage friends, there are many “Big Things Poppin…” but, don’t allow them to make you miss out on the little things in life. Things like enjoying your lives while you are young; before babies come, and before you get caught up in something you can’t handle.
That’s why it’s important to ask you today, on whether you have called on the Lord from a repentant, broken heart over your sins and accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour? If not, do it right now, Do it what u waiting for
Do it what u waiting for! For there’s Big things poppin, but the Little things folk miss is that, God loves you and wants what is best for you in your life!
Pray with all your heart, "Heavenly Father, I ask Jesus Christ to be my Saviour today. I acknowledge that He died on the cross and shed His blood in my place for my sins. Thank you that He rose from that grave that I might be justified. Please forgive me of all my sins and come into my heart and life and show me what is best for me. In Jesus name. Amen."
Conclusion:
There are numerous other subjects in the Bible that will interest you. God addresses all of them. This message is by no means complete even on these subjects we’ve discussed.
These commandments are not to bring us into the bondage of a bunch of "do’s" and "don’ts". They are rather the wisdom of a loving father, who knows more than we do, who wants us to be free from addictions, diseases, broken lives, broken homes, unwanted babies, etc.
Keep these scripture references. Consult them often. And please, exercise good discipline and character in your teen years so that you can enjoy the fruit of it throughout your life!
