# 9- This and That, and My Final Word (?) on Michael Jackson

(1) I hope that you've had a chance to visit the site - www.The Rebulution.com. Note on the blog site on the right that there are those many articles I told you about in the last posting. There are also other postings every few days. I hope that you've taken the time to read some of them. They are things that I believe will speak to you.
(2) Whether it is commenting on this posting, something else from The Rebulution blog, or something else on your mind, I would REALLY appreciate YOU posting a COMMENT of some kind. I continue to be discouraged that, while there seems to have been many visiting this site, I have gotten NO registered comments thus far after 8 postings. If what I am posting just doesn't connect with you, then please don't hesitate to tell me (and others). But at the same time, whether you like what you read or not, please be sure to make your comment SPECIFIC. Remember, I want this blog to be something that offers you things you want to return again and again to read (or I have no interest in posting things here). If I knew better what those things are that "scratch you where you itch," then I can post things even more often. Have you read any of the books I have listed? (I hope that you will take time read one of them or at least some other helpful Christian book this summer.)Have you visited any of the sites I have listed? Are there other books and sites you want to recommend - why? Have you checked out the editorial cartoons at Worldmag.com every two weeks? Have you visited my other blog?
(3) If you don't want to tell me exactly who you are, could you please tell me something about yourself any way? PLEASE, DEAR READER, LET ME HEAR BACK FROM YOU. IT WOULD ENCOURAGE ME AS YOU CAN ONLY IMAGINE. THANKS!
(4) Be sure to visit my other blog (sign up for it). You may not want to read every posting but I hope you'll take the time. And please comment there as well on what you read, and be specific.
(5) I hope that you enjoy the NEW JOKES I've posted. I'll try to post new ones more often. And of course, send me ones you'd like me to post.
(6) And finally, in case my next blog doesn't concern it, I want to say one last thing about MICHAEL JACKSON that I am quite sure you might not have heard (though it's hard to imagine you haven't read or heard something yet about him in the past 2 weeks since he died). Michael was a life long Jehovah Witness when he died, as have been the members of his family, as best as I can tell. He asked that his children be taught the teachings of Jehovah Witness shortly before he died. I won't go into it here, but the Jehovah Witnesses are a dangerous cult and have been said to be responsible for more deaths and harm than any other cult in our nation's history. (Many members of my family were messed up by them.) The bottom line is, no matter how good a person he was, Michael Jackson was not a Christian if he died a Jehovah Witness. Though he may have done much for charities and was even said by someone to have done "God's work," he will not be in heaven. We can do nothing for Michael now but WE MUST BE FAITHFUL IN PRAYING FOR HIS FAMILY AND ESPECIALLY HIS CHILDREN, THAT THEY WILL EACH MEET SOMEONE IN THEIR CIRCLE OF INFLUENCE WHO WILL SHARE WITH THEM THE TRUTH ABOUT JESUS CHRIST AND HELP THEM TO TURN FROM THE LIES THEY HAVE COME TO BELIEVE AND TO PLACE THEIR TRUST IN HIM. And while we are at it, may we be sure to also pray the same for every celebrity every time we hear their name. For only God knows the difference our prayer will play in that person coming to a saving faith in Jesus Christ. Thank you.

#8 - The Rebelution – A Teenage Rebellion Against Low Expectations

[The following is written by Alex and Brett Harris and taken from their website: The Rebulution.com The ideas in this article are expanded in their book, “Do Hard Things.” I invite you to check out the page on their website listed at the end of this article that has articles you can download which are based on their book. (These are a great read; and since its been a month since school has let out and you were required to do any reading, I hope that you’ll take the time NOW to check out these articles. I hope that you will find the things they share challenging but at the same time hope that you do not let them not make you FEEL more spiritual or less spiritual depending on how you choose to follow through on them. – Stan]

[NOTE: (1) If you haven’t already, I hope you’ll check out the latest posting on my other blog. Posting #25 talks about how Christians can let their passions control them, doing what is pleasurable rather than what is right. (2) Also, check out Friday’s posting (#26) that shares something we should keep in mind this (and every) 4th of July. (3) Check out Friday’s bi-weekly editorial cartoons at Worldmag.com … I know that this all adds up to a lot of reading but I don’t hesitate to ask it of you, even if you may be just “two sticks” (age 11). Ever since I’ve worked with youth 10 years ago, I’ve felt like Alex and Brett that the Church sins against its youth when it believes they are only able to be entertained and too young to be challenged. I will always have high expectations for YOU, no matter what your age is. (I Tim. 4:12)]

The official definition of the 'rebelution' is "a teenage rebellion against the low expectations of an ungodly culture." When you look around today, in terms of godly character and practical competence, our culture does not expect much of us young people. We are not only expected to do very little that is wise or good, but we're expected to do the opposite. Our media-saturated youth culture is constantly reinforcing lower and lower standards and expectations. The word 'rebelution' is a combination of the words "rebellion" and "revolution." So it carries a sense of an uprising against social norms. But in this case, it's not a rebellion against God-established authority, but against the low expectations of our society. It's a refusal to be defined by our ungodly, rebellious culture. Actually, we like to think of it as rebelling against rebellion.

And it's exciting, because the Rebelution has really become a type of counter-cultural youth movement among Christian young people from around the country, and even around the world, who are not only rejecting the lies and the corruption of media-saturated youth culture, but they're returning to biblical and historical levels of character and competence. In 1 Timothy 4:12, the Apostle Paul tells Timothy, "Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity." In other words, as young people we are called to be exemplary in all areas of life. Our generation is falling incredibly short of that calling. Instead of serving as the launching pad of life, the teen years are seen as a vacation from responsibility. We call it the "myth of adolescence." And the Rebelution is all about busting that myth.

The battle cry of The Rebelution is just three words, but it's an explosive concept: Do Hard Things. That's it. And "do hard things" is a mentality. It's a mentality that flies right in the face of our culture's low expectations. The world says, "You're young, have fun!" It tells us to "obey your thirst" and "just do it." Or it tells us, "You're great! You don't need to exert yourself." But those kinds of mindsets sabotage biblical character and competence. "Do Hard Things" is just the opposite. It's how we build character and competence. It won't drop to meet the low expectations, it won't just do what comes easily, and it won't become complacent. It applies no matter who you are or what level you're on, because there's always something harder to do, something that will take you outside your comfort zone and cause you to grow.

The Rebelution is made up of three fundamental parts. We've talked about two of them: character and competence. The third one is collaboration. It's not enough for us to be individual exceptions. It's not enough for us to try to ignore the culture. We have to create a counter-culture. The way we do that is by networking, exhorting, and encouraging one another in the fight. By God's grace, that's what The Rebelution has become. And when you have a community of young people mutually committed to doing hard things in their teen years for the glory of God, that's an incredibly powerful thing.

Be sure to check out related articles from the book, “Do Hard Things” at the following page on their website: www.therebelution.com/blog/2007/04/hsba-2006-winning-and-reminiscing/