Look around you. Every young person you see has a cell phone. And ma
ny of those are smartphones, which put the Internet, dozens of games, and other applications in the palms of their hands.
They’re probably not checking their email on those smartphones. This is a generation that considers email passé. They’re into social networking sites—sites like Facebook and Twitter. It’s networking that consumes their attention and hours of their time every day--and they don’t always use it wisely.
For example, twenty-eight percent of young social network users admit to sharing information online that they would never have shared in public if they were face-to-face. And 22 percent—that’s right 22 percent--say that they’ve posted pictures of themselves or friends.
As Dr. David Murray, Professor of Practical Theology at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary notes, technology has changed the way we “study, play, socialize, shop, and even apply for jobs.” Believe it or not, one out of eight couples married in the US met on a social networking site.
Murray, the father of four, is a firm believer in the good of technology. He is also well aware of the dangers—especially the dangers to children. After thinking through how to best teach his own children how to thrive in the digital age, he produced a short video: “God’s Technology: Training Our Children to Use Technology to God’s Glory.” In it Murray shares biblical wisdom and applies a Christian worldview to kids and technology.
He begins with four biblical principles. First, God created technology. He made the physical elements like silicon that we use to make digital devices. He made the forces of electricity and magnetism that allow technology to work. And he made human minds and gave them the creativity to build computers, cell phones and iPads.
Second, because God created technology, it is not inherently sinful; instead (principle three) it has many good uses—including bringing BreakPoint to you every day. Finally and tragically, Murray notes, technology has been abused because we are sinners.
How does that apply to our children?
Well, because technology is created by God and has good uses, we should want our children to enjoy technology’s benefits. But we can’t ignore the dangers and embrace the digital world without what Murray calls “disciplined discernment.” And Murray gives sound, practical parenting advice concerning Facebook, where children desperately need that disciplined discernment.
As Calvin College professor Quentin Schultz wrote in his book Habits of the High-Tech Heart, “Cyberculture offers us no means to rise above the entropic noise, no dwelling place to catch our breath, gather our wits, discern our course, and become more intrinsically moral people.”
If we and our children are going to use digital technologies wisely and morally, it will be because we make an intentional effort to apply our Christian worldview to technology.
And the video “God’s Technology” is a great place to start. Visit BreakPoint dot org, click on this commentary, and we’ll tell you how you can get the video and other resources to protect your kids online.
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I am so elated I can hardly type this note. I just got a call and my good assistant DS, Rev. Bob England, told me he got a call from his medical doctor tonight (September 20, 2010) about 9:00 P.M. and Dr. Smith told him quote, “Bob, we have a miracle here, the pathology report came back and you DO NOT have cancer!”
Wow! This is a divine miracle. I was there about six weeks ago in the doctor’s office with Br. Bob and his wife Vivian, when the same doctor told him in no uncertain terms, “I just studied your case and you have very aggressive cancer and it is in the last stages. We need to operate as soon as possible.”
Pastor Bob got a second opinion about his medical condition and the second specialist agreed that Pastor Bob had cancer but wanted another biopsy done to see for sure how to do the best treatment. So, when the second biopsy came back clear it is indeed a miracle!
We will be rejoicing about this for months and years to come. Praise God! All across the district and only the Lord knows where else people have been praying for my brother in the Lord.
Blessings to you;
Dr. Mark Eckart
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| ~ Bits & Bytes for Bagley Backers - September 2010 ~ | |||||||||||||||
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| Bob & Brenda Bagley | rbagley112@gmail.com | |||||||||||||||
3As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. "Tell us," they said, "when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?"
4Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you. 5For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ,a]">[a]' and will deceive many. 6You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8All these are the beginning of birth pains.
9"Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come."- from the Mount Olivet Discourse-(Matthew 24:3-14( NIV)
have already 
noticed 
by our 
facebook
s, 10:30AM and 2:00PM 
"I just talked to my good assistant DS. As you know he had surgery last week and had to go to the doctor today for a follow-up. He is going to need to take some additional chemotherapy treatments for the cancer but the way it stands now they can do those in the doctor’s office. It is yet to be determined if additional surgery will be required. The prognosis is good and the doctors believe the problem can be resolved.
Please continue to keep him and Vivian in your prayers. God is the great physician! We love and appreciate both of them very much."
Prayerfully,
Dr. Mark Eckart
he coming weeks.
