Author: Philip Neal
92 pages, softcover
Published by York Publishers
POB 1038, Hollister, CA 95024
www.truthofgod.org
Free of charge – request it from the website
by Michael Leppert
If there was ever a more confusing time for teenagers (and everyone else!) concerning morals, spirituality and how to live a spiritually satisfying, righteous life, I cannot think of when such a time would have been. Teens today are beset on all sides by tempting and outwardly attractive ideas of how to think, opine and conduct themselves. Political correctness is the newest faulty norm for living and it can create much conflict within a person who honestly desires to do right.
Author Philip Neal offers a guidebook to teens and young adults that is clear and well-written, based on the wisdom of King Solomon, as found in his Old Testament Book of Proverbs as well as references to wise advice from some of the prophets of that era. Solomon’s wisdom began when God promised him anything he wished and Solomon asked for the blessing of discernment – the wisdom and understanding to know the right way to lead and rule.
Mr. Neal states that God has set out His Way of life in the Scriptures and that it is wise and prudent for teens to follow that Way instead of being led by faddish pop culture ideas and practices, such as ideas on alcohol or drug use, promiscuous sex and sex before marriage, mindless tolerance of behaviors that are condemned in the Bible and so on.
One of the issues Mr. Neal addresses is the modern practice of thinking in situation ethics, that “it’s all good” or that anything is acceptable – and there is no Absolute Rightness. Those with critical thinking skills see the folly of such “tolerance” or “progressive thinking” but for those who are not sure of where they should stand with regard to this very important viewpoint of modern life, the Bible — through Solomon and later, the Apostle, Paul and others — offers guidance on the subject: We are not to condemn a person for his/her actions, but we are not to condone the actions. In other words, our duty is to recognize that not every practice and belief is good and wholesome to God and we are to avoid behaving in such unacceptable manners. There are Absolutes and God has set them forth in the Scriptures; we simply have to read and study what they are and then follow God’s way, which Jesus said was straight and narrow, rather than broad and easy. Even with the guidance of the Scriptures, it can still be difficult to wend our way through the intellectually weak moral-ethical swamp that exists in our country today, but Mr. Neal states that if we trust in God to lead us, we will find how to act according to His Will.
In my opinion, every parent of a tween or teenager should read this book with his/her child and take it to heart. It will provide a great deal of aid in remaining on the side of Truth and Righteousness in the challenges of life today. MjL
