Why take a census?

Taking a census is a huge job for any country. The last one done was in 2010 and I believe they spent more money on ads telling us what would happen if every household didn’t send back the information they wanted, there would be people showing up at your front doors to collect the information.

I think we all have an idea of what a census is, but the why is what I wasn’t even sure of so I looked it up. I thought it would be easier to put a link below for some information I found to explain why a census is taken instead of me trying to explain it all.

 Click here: WHY THEY TAKE A CENSUS

Even back in ancient times there were census taken and it seems it was used for the same purposes as they are today. As society grows the reasons for the census obviously changes. Can you imagine having to do that kind of work without the modern postal service or computers? There were tremendous amounts of people back when they started recording all that information. I wonder how many people it took to sit and handwrite all of that down. Even if it were just numbers and no names, that is still a lot of writing.

So when you think about is taking a census is one more thing that is being repeated throughout history. The United States is not the first country ever to do a census, this country hadn’t been formed yet, so we followed what other countries did. Read on below and you can see where it started.

United States Census History

Exodus 30:11-14 (NIV)

11. Then the Lord said to Moses,

12. “When you take a census of the Israelites to count them, each one must pay the Lord a ransom for his life at the time he is counted. Then no plague will come on them when you number them.

13. Each one who crosses over to those already counted is to give a half shekel, according to the sanctuary shekel, which weighs twenty gerahs. This half shekel is an offering to the Lord.
14. All who cross over, those twenty years old or more, are to give an offering to the Lord.

Numbers 1:1-4 (NKJV)

1. Now the Lord spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai, in the tabernacle of meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying:

2. “Take a census of all the congregation of the children of Israel, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, every male individually,

3. from twenty years old and above—all who are able to go to war in Israel. You and Aaron shall number them by their armies.

4. And with you there shall be a man from every tribe, each one the head of his father’s house.

Numbers 1:46 (NKJV)

46. all who were numbered were six hundred and three thousand five hundred and fifty.

Numbers 26:1-4 (NKJV)

1. And it came to pass, after the plague, that the Lord spoke to Moses and Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, saying:

2. “Take a census of all the congregation of the children of Israel from twenty years old and above, by their fathers’ houses, all who are able to go to war in Israel.”

3. So Moses and Eleazar the priest spoke with them in the plains of Moab by the Jordan, across from Jericho, saying:

4. “Take a census of the people from twenty years old and above, just as the Lord commanded Moses and the children of Israel who came out of the land of Egypt.”

Numbers 26:51 (NKJV)

51. These are those who were numbered of the children of Israel: six hundred and one thousand seven hundred and thirty.

I Chronicles 27:23-24 (NKJV)

23. But David did not take the number of those twenty years old and under, because the Lord had said He would multiply Israel like the stars of the heavens.

24. Joab the son of Zeruiah began a census, but he did not finish, for wrath came upon Israel because of this census; nor was the number recorded in the account of the chronicles of King David.

2 Chronicles 2:17 (NKJV)

17. Then Solomon numbered all the aliens who were in the land of Israel, after the census in which David his father had numbered them; and there were found to be one hundred and fifty-three thousand six hundred.

Luke 2:2-3 (NKJV)

2. This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria.

3. So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.

Acts 5:37 (NKJV)

37. After this man, Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the census, and drew away many people after him. He also perished, and all who obeyed him were dispersed.

Bullied to Death

Why is bullying still a problem? I don’t mean a recent problem but an ongoing problem that goes way back long before cell phones, social media of any kind, and even face to face. If you ask anyone of any age, anywhere they will say they were bullied, were a bully or they knew of someone who was bullied. I don’t think a person who was the bully will admit to it unless they truly see it was wrong and very hurtful.

That old saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never harm me”, that is a saying that should never be used again ever. It’s a lie, anyone on the receiving end of being bullied can probably see vividly the time and place, especially what was said or done. That hurt does not do away no matter how long ago it happened. I should know it’s been over thirty years. I can say it fades away a bit but it is always there in the back of your mind and the reason is, is because it just continues and when you hear about it happening over and over to others it brings all those memories right back.

I do not know how any young person or child can even handle the borage of online things that come across their computers and the texts are just as bad. Making fun of anyone or starting rumors starts a fire that can’t be stopped.

Even with all the suicides across the country and the world it hasn’t slowed down the problem at all. It’s almost as if people get a kick out of watching others suffer. And for those bullies who are happy if someone ends it all. That is a very scary sloop they are heading down it’s not going to stop until you hit bottom. It’s as if bullies think it’s all a game, the thrill of the hunt until that person hurts or kills themselves than all of a sudden it’s not funny anymore when the police are knocking on their doors. At that point it’s a little too late to feel sorry.

Why don’t we all step up and stand up for those people we see being teased, made fun of, and more importantly being just tore apart on the internet or on their cell phones. You bullies may think that you will get away with it because no one knows or won’t snitch. Well God sees and it hurts him to see people hurting. So do something to stop the bullying. Speak up because people are listening and they want to help. Jesus was bullied and made fun of in His life but He took it so He could died for us so that we might be saved from a road of pain. 

2 Kings 2:23-24(NKJV)

23. Then he went up from there to Bethel; and as he was going up the road, some youths came from the city and mocked him, and said to him, “Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!”
24 So he turned around and looked at them, and pronounced a curse on them in the name of the Lord. And two female bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the youths.

Proverbs 17:5 (NASB)

5. He who mocks the poor taunts his Maker;
He who rejoices at calamity will not go unpunished.

Luke 22:63-64 (NKJV)

63. Now the men who held Jesus mocked Him and beat Him.
64. And having blindfolded Him, they struck Him on the face and asked Him, saying, “Prophesy! Who is the one who struck You?”

Divorce Destroys

Divorce is a very sensitive subject for many due to the lives it has devastated along the way. I believe society has become so conditioned by the horror stories and statics they hear about divorce they would rather live together with that “Special Someone” then to get married. Let me make it clear a marriage by God’s definition, like it or not is between a man and a woman.

The problem with divorce is the adults’ figure it’s too hard to work at their marriage, so they just want out leaving the kids to deal with the repercussions Kids don’t understand and they wonder why it is ending. Most often when they grow up and get married it usually ends in the same way. If they have seen more then one family member gets a divorce they have themselves learned that this is what is done when a marriage is too hard or difficult. Divorce is a sad situation to go through for anyone.

Don’t misunderstand what I am saying, if you are being abused in anyway you need to find help. Staying because of your belief, religion, or even family pressure is not a reason for you to continue on that destructive path. There are so many places that are out there that can help you in how to decide what you should do and when. Every case is different.

Marriage is a lot of work and it takes giving on both parts. If both people aren’t totally committed then it can end in separation or even divorce. I think going through some rough patches in a marriage is so much easier then to get a divorce. Having to live with the hurt and anger for many years can cause even more problems. Think long and hard before you say the words, I want a divorce. If you believe that is where your marriage is heading, think about  why things aren’t working, most every problem is fixable it all depends on if you want to fix it. Divorce has been around a long time but it doesn’t have to be if you only try. Don’t end up being a statistic. 

Genesis 2:21-25 (NKJV)

21. And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place.
22. Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man.
23. And Adam said:
“This is now bone of my bones
And flesh of my flesh;
She shall be called Woman,
Because she was taken out of Man.”
24. Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.
25. And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

Leviticus 21:14 (NKJV)

14. A widow or a divorced woman or a defiled woman or a harlot—these he shall not marry; but he shall take a virgin of his own people as wife.

Deuteronomy 24:1-4 (NKJV)

1. “When a man takes a wife and marries her, and it happens that she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some uncleanness in her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce, puts it in her hand, and sends her out of his house,
2. when she has departed from his house, and goes and becomes another man’s wife,
3. if the latter husband detests her and writes her a certificate of divorce, puts it in her hand, and sends her out of his house, or if the latter husband dies who took her as his wife,
4. then her former husband who divorced her must not take her back to be his wife after she has been defiled; for that is an abomination before the Lord, and you shall not bring sin on the land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance.

Matthew 5:31-32 (NKJV)

31. “Furthermore it has been said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’
32. But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery.

Mark 10:2-9 (NKJV)

2. The Pharisees came and asked Him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” testing Him.
3. And He answered and said to them, “What did Moses command you?”
4. They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to dismiss her.”
5. And Jesus answered and said to them, “Because of the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept.
6. But from the beginning of the creation, God ‘made them male and female.’
7. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife,
8. and the two shall become one flesh; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh.
9. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”

I Corinthians 7:1-9 (NKJV)

1. Now concerning the things of which you wrote to me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.
2. Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband.
3. Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband.
4. The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does.
5. Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.
6. But I say this as a concession, not as a commandment.
7. For I wish that all men were even as I myself. But each one has his own gift from God, one in this manner and another in that.
8. But I say to the unmarried and to the widows: It is good for them if they remain even as I am;
9. but if they cannot exercise self-control, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.

1 Corinthians 7:10-12 (NKJV)

10. Now to the married I command, yet not I but the Lord: A wife is not to depart from her husband.
11. But even if she does depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. And a husband is not to divorce his wife.
12. But to the rest I, not the Lord, say: If any brother has a wife who does not believe, and she is willing to live with him, let him not divorce her.