“Why do you say, O Jacob, and assert, O Israel, ‘My way is hidden from the LORD, and the justice due me escapes the notice of my God’? Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth does not become weary or tired, and His understanding is inscrutable. He gives strength to the weary, and to him who lacks might He increases power. Though youths grow weary and tired, and vigorous young men stumble badly, yet those who wait for the LORD will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.”
Isaiah 40:27-31
Those who train for long distance running are often taught to hold something in reserve for the very end of the race. Many have disappointingly watched as another runner has sprinted by just yards before the finish line. They’ve lost because they’ve grown weary and tired.
Friend, the verses from Isaiah 40 are there for encouragement and challenge for every weary child of God. How are you faring in the “race of life”? Are you growing weary? Are you getting tired? Are you in danger of dropping your pace as you strive for the goal?
This truth was penned by the hymn writer, James McGranahan:
Ho! Reapers in the whitened harvest,
Oft feeble, faint and few,
Come wait upon the blessed Master,
Our strength He will renew.
Too oft a-weary and discouraged,
We pour a sad complaint;
Believing in the living Savior,
Why should we ever faint?
Rejoice, for He is with us always,
Lo, even to the end!
Look up, take courage, go forward,
All needed grace He’ll send.
Remember - Those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
When the Going Gets Rough
“Why do you say, O Jacob, and assert, O Israel, ‘My way is hidden from the LORD, and the justice due me escapes the notice of my God’? Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth does not become weary or tired, and His understanding is inscrutable. He gives strength to the weary, and to him who lacks might He increases power. Though youths grow weary and tired, and vigorous young men stumble badly, yet those who wait for the LORD will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.”
Isaiah 40:27-31
“Why do you say...‘My way hidden from the LORD, and the justice due me escapes the notice of my God’?” (verse 27). Have you ever felt like voicing those same complaints? Have you ever felt your circumstances are entirely unique, never experienced by others, and unnoticed by God?
Isaiah delivered his prophecies about 2,700 years ago, and today they resound with the truest of human emotion and thought. He skillfully expressed a common misgiving of the people of God and then with absolute clarity indicated the character of God in His response to unbelief.
Most of us will be honest enough to admit to times of misgiving concerning our faith in God and in His Word. What really matters though is the condition of our faith once we emerge from a difficult situation. For those who are enjoying “clear sailing,” the words of Isaiah in verses 29-31 of chapter 40 are nice sounding promises; but for those facing an icy, angry wind at sea, those are more that mere words - they are life itself.
Through these verses, allow yourself to get a clearer view of Who God is and what He offers to you when the going gets rough. Times of affliction often provide sweet experiences in the love of God.
Isaiah 40:27-31
“Why do you say...‘My way hidden from the LORD, and the justice due me escapes the notice of my God’?” (verse 27). Have you ever felt like voicing those same complaints? Have you ever felt your circumstances are entirely unique, never experienced by others, and unnoticed by God?
Isaiah delivered his prophecies about 2,700 years ago, and today they resound with the truest of human emotion and thought. He skillfully expressed a common misgiving of the people of God and then with absolute clarity indicated the character of God in His response to unbelief.
Most of us will be honest enough to admit to times of misgiving concerning our faith in God and in His Word. What really matters though is the condition of our faith once we emerge from a difficult situation. For those who are enjoying “clear sailing,” the words of Isaiah in verses 29-31 of chapter 40 are nice sounding promises; but for those facing an icy, angry wind at sea, those are more that mere words - they are life itself.
Through these verses, allow yourself to get a clearer view of Who God is and what He offers to you when the going gets rough. Times of affliction often provide sweet experiences in the love of God.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Fulfill Your Roles
“In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives, as they observe your chaste and respectful behavior. Your adornment must not be merely external--braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses; but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God. For in this way in former times the holy women also, who hoped in God, used to adorn themselves, being submissive to their own husbands; just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, and you have become her children if you do what is right without being frightened by any fear. You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with someone weaker, since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.” 1 Peter 3:1-7
God gave each of us a role to fulfill in the home. Dad, you are to love your wife as Christ loved the church. Mom, you are to submit to your husband. To ignore these principles - regardless of what else you do to try to compensate for them - is to set your children up for failure. On the other hand, fulfilling your God-ordained role in the home is taking a giant step toward keeping your kids on your team.
God’s role assignments were made with our children in mind. A submissive wife and a loving husband provide a solid basis for the mental and sexual health of their children. If your “coaching” roles are uncertain, do the following:
1. Ask your kids who they think controls your home.
2. Study these passages, and ask God to give you insight into how you can better fulfill your roles in the home: Ephesians 5:22-33; Colossians 3:18-21; 1 Peter 3:1-7.
3. Wife, ask your husband if he thinks you communicate a spirit of submission.
4. Husband, ask your wife if she feels that you are in control of things at home or if she feels the burden of the home is on her.
Anyone can be a father. It takes someone special to be a dad.
God gave each of us a role to fulfill in the home. Dad, you are to love your wife as Christ loved the church. Mom, you are to submit to your husband. To ignore these principles - regardless of what else you do to try to compensate for them - is to set your children up for failure. On the other hand, fulfilling your God-ordained role in the home is taking a giant step toward keeping your kids on your team.
God’s role assignments were made with our children in mind. A submissive wife and a loving husband provide a solid basis for the mental and sexual health of their children. If your “coaching” roles are uncertain, do the following:
1. Ask your kids who they think controls your home.
2. Study these passages, and ask God to give you insight into how you can better fulfill your roles in the home: Ephesians 5:22-33; Colossians 3:18-21; 1 Peter 3:1-7.
3. Wife, ask your husband if he thinks you communicate a spirit of submission.
4. Husband, ask your wife if she feels that you are in control of things at home or if she feels the burden of the home is on her.
Anyone can be a father. It takes someone special to be a dad.
Monday, September 27, 2010
There Needs to be a Head Coach
“For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, because we are members of His body.” Ephesians 5:23-30
Most team sports are given direction and training by a staff or coaches. When there is dissension in the coaching staff, the whole team suffers. Players become confused as to who is calling the plays or what the main strategy of the game will be.
In the family unit, the coaching staff is made up of Dad and Mom. As in all organizations, there has to be a “head coach” - the others being assistants. Although many people do not realize the importance of distinction, it stands as a pivotal point in the family unit. Who is the “head coach” in your family? You may be a pair of coaches, but one is still the “head.” Dad, the “head coach” job is yours. There is no question about it biblically. But all to often, Mom takes the job (out of default) to keep the team together.
Tragedy results when Dad does not fulfill his God-appointed role as head of his family. When a father ignores his role, his kids suffer both sexually and psychologically. The result is that children from these homes are driven to make up for this lack of male affection in other ways - often homosexuality or promiscuity. Dad, the kids on your team are looking to you to fulfill your role as “head coach.”
Who is the “head coach” in your family? Dad or Mom?
Most team sports are given direction and training by a staff or coaches. When there is dissension in the coaching staff, the whole team suffers. Players become confused as to who is calling the plays or what the main strategy of the game will be.
In the family unit, the coaching staff is made up of Dad and Mom. As in all organizations, there has to be a “head coach” - the others being assistants. Although many people do not realize the importance of distinction, it stands as a pivotal point in the family unit. Who is the “head coach” in your family? You may be a pair of coaches, but one is still the “head.” Dad, the “head coach” job is yours. There is no question about it biblically. But all to often, Mom takes the job (out of default) to keep the team together.
Tragedy results when Dad does not fulfill his God-appointed role as head of his family. When a father ignores his role, his kids suffer both sexually and psychologically. The result is that children from these homes are driven to make up for this lack of male affection in other ways - often homosexuality or promiscuity. Dad, the kids on your team are looking to you to fulfill your role as “head coach.”
Who is the “head coach” in your family? Dad or Mom?
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Pray With Them
It happened that while Jesus was praying in a certain place, after He had finished, one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John also taught his disciples.”
And He said to them, “When you pray, say:
‘Father, hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread.
And forgive us our sins,
For we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
And lead us not into temptation.’” Luke 11:1-4
Christian parent, you’ve been given a powerful and effective tool to help you keep your kids on your team. It’s the instrument of prayer - individual and family prayer.
Here are some of the benefits gained when a child learns how to pray and learns the value and power of prayer. When you teach a child to pray:
1. You teach that child to focus their attention upon God.
2. They begin to center their lives around God.
3. They learn to rely upon God.
4. They learn to trust the Lord.
5. They learn to seek God.
6. They learn to obey God.
7. They learn to love God.
A strong, winning team is developed through practice and through experience gained on the field of competition. So, too, we learn to pray by exercise and necessity. How do you teach a child to pray?
1. Go to the Bible and find a prayer recorded there.
2. Personalize that prayer to your own situation. Use it.
3. Share previous answers to prayer with your kids.
4. Most important - pray with them.
One of the greatest things we can do for our kids is teach them to pray.
And He said to them, “When you pray, say:
‘Father, hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread.
And forgive us our sins,
For we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
And lead us not into temptation.’” Luke 11:1-4
Christian parent, you’ve been given a powerful and effective tool to help you keep your kids on your team. It’s the instrument of prayer - individual and family prayer.
Here are some of the benefits gained when a child learns how to pray and learns the value and power of prayer. When you teach a child to pray:
1. You teach that child to focus their attention upon God.
2. They begin to center their lives around God.
3. They learn to rely upon God.
4. They learn to trust the Lord.
5. They learn to seek God.
6. They learn to obey God.
7. They learn to love God.
A strong, winning team is developed through practice and through experience gained on the field of competition. So, too, we learn to pray by exercise and necessity. How do you teach a child to pray?
1. Go to the Bible and find a prayer recorded there.
2. Personalize that prayer to your own situation. Use it.
3. Share previous answers to prayer with your kids.
4. Most important - pray with them.
One of the greatest things we can do for our kids is teach them to pray.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Teach Them to Pray
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!” Matthew 7:7-11
Since children learn by example more than by what we say, consider this question carefully: “What kind of prayer life and devotional life will your children learn from your example?” For some, this question actually hurts. Others recognize that the absence of such an example is pointing to a lack in their own lives. Some see their pattern being followed by their child. Whatever your response, we must teach our children the value of prayer - the scriptural truths and promises surrounding prayer - and we must allow them the privilege of seeing answers to our prayers - building their faith and trust in God.
You can begin this exercise by sharing with your child some of your past experiences of answered prayer. If you have none, start today to pray in faith for God’s provision for the point of need closest to your heart. There’s nothing like answered prayer to quiet the skeptical mind. Read the great New Testament teachings of Christ on prayer. Your faith will grow, and your kids will play on your team, knowing that you serve a prayer-answering God.
Train your kids to pray about their decisions, standards, values, and behavior.
Since children learn by example more than by what we say, consider this question carefully: “What kind of prayer life and devotional life will your children learn from your example?” For some, this question actually hurts. Others recognize that the absence of such an example is pointing to a lack in their own lives. Some see their pattern being followed by their child. Whatever your response, we must teach our children the value of prayer - the scriptural truths and promises surrounding prayer - and we must allow them the privilege of seeing answers to our prayers - building their faith and trust in God.
You can begin this exercise by sharing with your child some of your past experiences of answered prayer. If you have none, start today to pray in faith for God’s provision for the point of need closest to your heart. There’s nothing like answered prayer to quiet the skeptical mind. Read the great New Testament teachings of Christ on prayer. Your faith will grow, and your kids will play on your team, knowing that you serve a prayer-answering God.
Train your kids to pray about their decisions, standards, values, and behavior.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Teach Them About Authority
“Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same; for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil. Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience' sake. For because of this you also pay taxes, for rulers are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing. Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.” Romans 13:1-7
Another of the basics which must be developed in order to keep your kids on your team is to teach that we are ultimately accountable to God.
Independence is a wonderful thing, but each of us must realize that along with freedom comes an undeniable responsibility to carry on our lives in submission to authority. At first, that authority is found in our parents; then it broadens to include other adults such as teachers, instructors, officers of the law, and our system of government as a whole. But far above all these figures of authority, our kids need to learn that they are first to hold themselves accountable to the final Authority - God Himself.
As most parents are well aware, you establish the authority structure in your home (who’s boss) and maintain that structure, giving your kids the security of knowing your loving limitations. Where this is lacking, you find chaos, confusion, and rebellion. Keep your kids on your team by teaching them how to relate to God-given authority.
We must teach our children to Whom they are ultimately responsible.
Another of the basics which must be developed in order to keep your kids on your team is to teach that we are ultimately accountable to God.
Independence is a wonderful thing, but each of us must realize that along with freedom comes an undeniable responsibility to carry on our lives in submission to authority. At first, that authority is found in our parents; then it broadens to include other adults such as teachers, instructors, officers of the law, and our system of government as a whole. But far above all these figures of authority, our kids need to learn that they are first to hold themselves accountable to the final Authority - God Himself.
As most parents are well aware, you establish the authority structure in your home (who’s boss) and maintain that structure, giving your kids the security of knowing your loving limitations. Where this is lacking, you find chaos, confusion, and rebellion. Keep your kids on your team by teaching them how to relate to God-given authority.
We must teach our children to Whom they are ultimately responsible.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Take Time to Teach
“So you shall observe to do just as the LORD your God has commanded you; you shall not turn aside to the right or to the left. You shall walk in all the way which the LORD your God has commanded you, that you may live and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which you will possess.” Deuteronomy 5:32-33
“Now this is the commandment, the statutes and the judgments which the LORD your God has commanded me to teach you, that you might do them in the land where you are going over to possess it, so that you and your son and your grandson might fear the LORD your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged. O Israel, you should listen and be careful to do it, that it may be well with you and that you may multiply greatly, just as the LORD, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey. Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one! You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” Deuteronomy 6:1-9
Is your “home team” a solid, together group? Are you playing well together? Do you all have the same goal and objective in mind? Chances are your kids will stay on your team if you take the time to teach them correctly. Any skill has to be learned; any profession has to be studied and understood before one can hope to be successful at it. So, too, a child needs to be taught by his or her parent(s) how to play on the team and how to be a person.
The sobering question for parents to consider is: “Am I really teaching my kids the principles and guidelines which I claim to live by? Am I making a conscious effort to instruct, guide, and teach my kids in the way they should go? Do my kids have the kind of foundation built in their lives so that they’ll know how to respond to questionable circumstances and worldly suggestions?”
Parents, evaluate what kind of faith you have. Is it the kind of faith that will really help your kid walk tall as a Christian, with a heart that burns with a deep desire for God’s will to be done? Realize that by word and deed you are teaching your kids the values and principles they may well hold to for the rest of their lives. Teach them well.
The greatest motivation for learning is praise.
“Now this is the commandment, the statutes and the judgments which the LORD your God has commanded me to teach you, that you might do them in the land where you are going over to possess it, so that you and your son and your grandson might fear the LORD your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged. O Israel, you should listen and be careful to do it, that it may be well with you and that you may multiply greatly, just as the LORD, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey. Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one! You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” Deuteronomy 6:1-9
Is your “home team” a solid, together group? Are you playing well together? Do you all have the same goal and objective in mind? Chances are your kids will stay on your team if you take the time to teach them correctly. Any skill has to be learned; any profession has to be studied and understood before one can hope to be successful at it. So, too, a child needs to be taught by his or her parent(s) how to play on the team and how to be a person.
The sobering question for parents to consider is: “Am I really teaching my kids the principles and guidelines which I claim to live by? Am I making a conscious effort to instruct, guide, and teach my kids in the way they should go? Do my kids have the kind of foundation built in their lives so that they’ll know how to respond to questionable circumstances and worldly suggestions?”
Parents, evaluate what kind of faith you have. Is it the kind of faith that will really help your kid walk tall as a Christian, with a heart that burns with a deep desire for God’s will to be done? Realize that by word and deed you are teaching your kids the values and principles they may well hold to for the rest of their lives. Teach them well.
The greatest motivation for learning is praise.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Equip and Challenge Them
“You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:14-17
Let’s talk strategy. Can you imagine a team playing any sport whose main and only objective is to keep the other team from scoring? They have on interest in an offensive play pattern, no offensive goal; they are totally given to a defensive mindset. It’s hard not to laugh at such a foolish strategy, isn’t it? Yet how many well-meaning Christian parents are using that same strategy in rearing their children?
Can you identify yourself as one who thinks (now be honest): “If I can just get my kids through elementary school, middle school, junior high, high school, and on through college and keep them from getting messed up in smoking, doing drugs, becoming rebellious, losing their morality, then I’ve been a successful (winning) parent. I’ve kept my kids on my team.”
Before any of us breaks our arm patting ourselves on the back because we’ve been a great success, if your child has only maintained a good lifestyle and has not been a godly influence to those around them, you have played a completely defensive game and have not scored a point. To win, the opposition only has to score one point.
Equip and challenge your kids to make an impact on their world for Christ.
Let’s talk strategy. Can you imagine a team playing any sport whose main and only objective is to keep the other team from scoring? They have on interest in an offensive play pattern, no offensive goal; they are totally given to a defensive mindset. It’s hard not to laugh at such a foolish strategy, isn’t it? Yet how many well-meaning Christian parents are using that same strategy in rearing their children?
Can you identify yourself as one who thinks (now be honest): “If I can just get my kids through elementary school, middle school, junior high, high school, and on through college and keep them from getting messed up in smoking, doing drugs, becoming rebellious, losing their morality, then I’ve been a successful (winning) parent. I’ve kept my kids on my team.”
Before any of us breaks our arm patting ourselves on the back because we’ve been a great success, if your child has only maintained a good lifestyle and has not been a godly influence to those around them, you have played a completely defensive game and have not scored a point. To win, the opposition only has to score one point.
Equip and challenge your kids to make an impact on their world for Christ.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Unconditional Love
“So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.
Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be embittered against them. Children, be obedient to your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing to the Lord. Fathers, do not exasperate your children, so that they will not lose heart.” Colossians 3:12-21
How much of your child-rearing stems from principles found within God’s Word vs. the prevalent thought of the day? If God has entrusted a child’s life to your hands (what a serious responsibility), how are you going about the task of raising that child, as Scripture says, “in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” (Eph. 6:4)?
Here is the “master key” which will open the doors between you and your child. That key is unconditional love. The healthiest environment in which children can grow and develop is one in which they experience not only love but unconditional love.
One good way to find out whether or not your children feel this kind of love and acceptance is simply to ask them, “What do you think it would take for you to make Mom and Dad as proud of you as we could possibly be?” The answer, if they’re honest, will clue you in on what kind of value system they have picked up at home. You see, it isn’t enough simply to tell your children that you accept them unconditionally. They must learn it in day-to-day experience.
The development of strong character must be emphasized and rewarded in the home.
Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be embittered against them. Children, be obedient to your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing to the Lord. Fathers, do not exasperate your children, so that they will not lose heart.” Colossians 3:12-21
How much of your child-rearing stems from principles found within God’s Word vs. the prevalent thought of the day? If God has entrusted a child’s life to your hands (what a serious responsibility), how are you going about the task of raising that child, as Scripture says, “in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” (Eph. 6:4)?
Here is the “master key” which will open the doors between you and your child. That key is unconditional love. The healthiest environment in which children can grow and develop is one in which they experience not only love but unconditional love.
One good way to find out whether or not your children feel this kind of love and acceptance is simply to ask them, “What do you think it would take for you to make Mom and Dad as proud of you as we could possibly be?” The answer, if they’re honest, will clue you in on what kind of value system they have picked up at home. You see, it isn’t enough simply to tell your children that you accept them unconditionally. They must learn it in day-to-day experience.
The development of strong character must be emphasized and rewarded in the home.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
How Well Do You Know Them?
“Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” Ephesians 6:4
Another of the “basics” for keeping your kids on your team is the importance of learning to treat them correctly.
How many parents have annihilated their child’s sense of self-respect, their sense of worth, their sense of safety? What a tragedy for a child to lose their childlike innocence - the wonder of the great world they are beginning to investigate and understand.
Dad and Mom, one of your basics is to create an environment in which any child can “try their wings” within the safety and observant view of a parent. How well do you know your children as individuals? Do you understand their personalities, know their interests and abilities? Do you really communicate, or do you do all of the talking? Do you know their needs, problems, or questions?
To keep your kids on your team, you must treat them correctly. What areas do you need to begin working on immediately? If you are attentive and express interest, your children will not confuse loving instruction with rejection.
Another of the “basics” for keeping your kids on your team is the importance of learning to treat them correctly.
How many parents have annihilated their child’s sense of self-respect, their sense of worth, their sense of safety? What a tragedy for a child to lose their childlike innocence - the wonder of the great world they are beginning to investigate and understand.
Dad and Mom, one of your basics is to create an environment in which any child can “try their wings” within the safety and observant view of a parent. How well do you know your children as individuals? Do you understand their personalities, know their interests and abilities? Do you really communicate, or do you do all of the talking? Do you know their needs, problems, or questions?
To keep your kids on your team, you must treat them correctly. What areas do you need to begin working on immediately? If you are attentive and express interest, your children will not confuse loving instruction with rejection.
Friday, September 17, 2010
Family is a Team Effort
“Behold, children are a gift of the LORD,
the fruit of the womb is a reward.
Like arrows in the hand of a warrior,
so are the children of one's youth.
How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them;
they will not be ashamed
when they speak with their enemies in the gate.” Psalm 127:3-5
“Our family just isn’t together,” a disenchanted mother confided. “Everyone just goes their own way, does their own thing. There’s no sense of unity or togetherness.” What this mother sensed is a pervasive epidemic in American culture (and in many other cultures as well). But how are we to combat this destructive ill?
As everyone knows, in sports, the team that plays together usually has the upper hand and a better chance to win against their opponent. In the family unit, it’s much the same. The family that works together has a greater chance to win against the challenge of any enemy.
But, many families don’t have that sense of unity and team spirit which is so essential to winning. So spend some time creating and developing a team spirit within your family. Focus on how to keep your kids on your team! Team sports are big on “getting back to the basics.” Your basics? Thinking correctly about your kids. Accept them as a trust from God. You are raising them for Him and His purpose.
It is not what you think that influences your children - It is what you communicate!
the fruit of the womb is a reward.
Like arrows in the hand of a warrior,
so are the children of one's youth.
How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them;
they will not be ashamed
when they speak with their enemies in the gate.” Psalm 127:3-5
“Our family just isn’t together,” a disenchanted mother confided. “Everyone just goes their own way, does their own thing. There’s no sense of unity or togetherness.” What this mother sensed is a pervasive epidemic in American culture (and in many other cultures as well). But how are we to combat this destructive ill?
As everyone knows, in sports, the team that plays together usually has the upper hand and a better chance to win against their opponent. In the family unit, it’s much the same. The family that works together has a greater chance to win against the challenge of any enemy.
But, many families don’t have that sense of unity and team spirit which is so essential to winning. So spend some time creating and developing a team spirit within your family. Focus on how to keep your kids on your team! Team sports are big on “getting back to the basics.” Your basics? Thinking correctly about your kids. Accept them as a trust from God. You are raising them for Him and His purpose.
It is not what you think that influences your children - It is what you communicate!
Thursday, September 16, 2010
The Ministry of Doing!
“What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and be filled," and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. But someone may well say, "You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works."
James 2:14-18
We often get bogged down in the mechanics of “doing” for God, and we quickly lose sight of the why. One man who had a unique and spiritually rich experience of humbly following (doing) God’s will was J. Hudson Taylor who said:
“It does not matter where He places me or how. That is rather for Him to consider than for me. For the easiest positions, He must give grace; and in the most difficult, His grace is sufficient. So, if God places me in great perplexity, must He not give me much guidance? In positions of great difficulty, much grace? In circumstances of great pressure and trial, much strength? As to work, mine was never so plentiful, so responsible, or so difficult; but the weight and strain are all gone. His resources are mine, for He is mine!”
Maybe from men and women like J. Hudson Taylor, we can gain the courage and see the pattern of striking out in obedience and following on in complete trust and dependence upon the resources of an Almighty and unlimited God. Don’t let the mechanics of “doing” stop you from experiencing one of the greatest joys a child of God can know - doing the Father’s will.
God does not ask about our ability or our inability but about our availability.
James 2:14-18
We often get bogged down in the mechanics of “doing” for God, and we quickly lose sight of the why. One man who had a unique and spiritually rich experience of humbly following (doing) God’s will was J. Hudson Taylor who said:
“It does not matter where He places me or how. That is rather for Him to consider than for me. For the easiest positions, He must give grace; and in the most difficult, His grace is sufficient. So, if God places me in great perplexity, must He not give me much guidance? In positions of great difficulty, much grace? In circumstances of great pressure and trial, much strength? As to work, mine was never so plentiful, so responsible, or so difficult; but the weight and strain are all gone. His resources are mine, for He is mine!”
Maybe from men and women like J. Hudson Taylor, we can gain the courage and see the pattern of striking out in obedience and following on in complete trust and dependence upon the resources of an Almighty and unlimited God. Don’t let the mechanics of “doing” stop you from experiencing one of the greatest joys a child of God can know - doing the Father’s will.
God does not ask about our ability or our inability but about our availability.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Live the Truth!
“But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.” James 1:22-25
Doing is the natural outcome of hearing. One without the other causes an imbalance - even corruption - in one’s life. Oswald Chambers puts it this way:
“A sentimentalist is one who delights to have high and devout emotions stirred whilst reading in an armchair or when in a prayer meeting, but he never translates his emotions into action. Consequently, a sentimentalist is usually callous, self-centered, and selfish because the emotions he likes to have stirred do not cost him anything; and when he comes across the same things in the domain where things are real and not sentimental, the revenge comes along the line of selfishness and meanness, which is always the aftermath of an unfulfilled emotion.”
So the question raised is: Am I going to be an effective doer and actively implement the truths I’ve heard and understood? Or am I going to be a frustrated sentimentalist who safely agrees with truth but who lacks the courage to live the truth? These are two choices from which we can select.
To know God’s will is life’s greatest treasure. To do God’s will is life’s greatest pleasure.
Doing is the natural outcome of hearing. One without the other causes an imbalance - even corruption - in one’s life. Oswald Chambers puts it this way:
“A sentimentalist is one who delights to have high and devout emotions stirred whilst reading in an armchair or when in a prayer meeting, but he never translates his emotions into action. Consequently, a sentimentalist is usually callous, self-centered, and selfish because the emotions he likes to have stirred do not cost him anything; and when he comes across the same things in the domain where things are real and not sentimental, the revenge comes along the line of selfishness and meanness, which is always the aftermath of an unfulfilled emotion.”
So the question raised is: Am I going to be an effective doer and actively implement the truths I’ve heard and understood? Or am I going to be a frustrated sentimentalist who safely agrees with truth but who lacks the courage to live the truth? These are two choices from which we can select.
To know God’s will is life’s greatest treasure. To do God’s will is life’s greatest pleasure.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
The Calm of Contentment
“But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment. For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” 1 Timothy 6:6-10
The Psalmist provides us with a graphic illustration which evokes an instant feeling of complete safety and contentment. You’ll find it in Psalm 91:4: “He will cover you with His pinions,and under His wings you may seek refuge...” What a great trust! Under His wings. The mother bird covers the young birds with her feathers under which they find warmth, shelter, security, and safety.
Jesus’ heart-rending statement to Jerusalem was of this nature. “Jerusalem, Jerusalem...How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling” (Matt. 23:37). May He not have to say the same of you or me.
“Under His wings, what a refuge in sorrow!
How the heart yearningly turns to His rest!
Often when earth has no balm for my healing,
There I find comfort, and there I am blest.
Under His wings my soul shall abide,
Safely abide forever.” -Cushing
Contentment consists not in great wealth but in few wants.
The Psalmist provides us with a graphic illustration which evokes an instant feeling of complete safety and contentment. You’ll find it in Psalm 91:4: “He will cover you with His pinions,and under His wings you may seek refuge...” What a great trust! Under His wings. The mother bird covers the young birds with her feathers under which they find warmth, shelter, security, and safety.
Jesus’ heart-rending statement to Jerusalem was of this nature. “Jerusalem, Jerusalem...How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling” (Matt. 23:37). May He not have to say the same of you or me.
“Under His wings, what a refuge in sorrow!
How the heart yearningly turns to His rest!
Often when earth has no balm for my healing,
There I find comfort, and there I am blest.
Under His wings my soul shall abide,
Safely abide forever.” -Cushing
Contentment consists not in great wealth but in few wants.
Monday, September 13, 2010
The Lift of Love
“But when the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered themselves together. One of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, ‘Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?’ And He said to him, ‘“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.’” Matthew 22:34-40
Not only are humans created with a “God-shaped vacuum” but also with a craving, a longing for love. Most people spend a great part of their lifetime actively seeking to meet this emotional need. It’s like a hungry animal which demands to be fed huge quantities of hard-to-find and expensive food items. Of course, without knowing the True Source of love, all our efforts to fill that craving always end up in disappointment, and we still have an unfulfilled appetite for real love.
Draw near to the Source of love (Jesus Christ), get to know Him, learn of Him. The overflow of knowing Christ is an irrepressible ability to love and be loved. That should not be the focus of our search though, or we’ll miss the Source and hunger still.
The fruit of the Spirit is LOVE! Someone has said that:
Joy is love exulting.
Peace is love in repose.
Longsuffering is love on trial.
Gentleness is love in society.
Goodness is love in action.
Faith is love in endurance.
Meekness is love at school.
Temperance is love in discipline.
Think about it -
Money will by a fine dog, but only love will make him wag his tail.
Not only are humans created with a “God-shaped vacuum” but also with a craving, a longing for love. Most people spend a great part of their lifetime actively seeking to meet this emotional need. It’s like a hungry animal which demands to be fed huge quantities of hard-to-find and expensive food items. Of course, without knowing the True Source of love, all our efforts to fill that craving always end up in disappointment, and we still have an unfulfilled appetite for real love.
Draw near to the Source of love (Jesus Christ), get to know Him, learn of Him. The overflow of knowing Christ is an irrepressible ability to love and be loved. That should not be the focus of our search though, or we’ll miss the Source and hunger still.
The fruit of the Spirit is LOVE! Someone has said that:
Joy is love exulting.
Peace is love in repose.
Longsuffering is love on trial.
Gentleness is love in society.
Goodness is love in action.
Faith is love in endurance.
Meekness is love at school.
Temperance is love in discipline.
Think about it -
Money will by a fine dog, but only love will make him wag his tail.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
It’s Grace, Not Law!
“Nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified. But if, while seeking to be justified in Christ, we ourselves have also been found sinners, is Christ then a minister of sin? May it never be! For if I rebuild what I have once destroyed, I prove myself to be a transgressor. For through the Law I died to the Law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly.” Galatians 2:16-21
Again and again the teaching of the Apostle Paul leads to the central truth of New Testament faith - the cross of Jesus Christ. Some of the most beautiful, costly, and precious jewelry and ornaments which people own have been made to resemble to cross. Miniature crosses carved from olivewood sell like hotcakes from street vendors in the Holy Land. The cross has been tattooed on the arms of sailors and soldiers who hope for luck or protection from danger.
For many, the cross is a symbol of all that is holy. There is a certain reverence which it evokes from men and women - a reverence many cannot explain. But far more than being a mysterious emblem, the cross of Jesus Christ is a visible reminder of the extent to which God went to demonstrate His unconditional love for mankind. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son...” (John 3:16).
We can begin to comprehend the wonder of God’s redeeming plan only as we see Calvary’s ordeal unfold. But the wonder that strikes hardest is that Jesus endured the cross for me. Because of His cross, I am able to call God “my Father.”
Not only a symbol of faith, the cross is the central truth of the Christian faith.
Again and again the teaching of the Apostle Paul leads to the central truth of New Testament faith - the cross of Jesus Christ. Some of the most beautiful, costly, and precious jewelry and ornaments which people own have been made to resemble to cross. Miniature crosses carved from olivewood sell like hotcakes from street vendors in the Holy Land. The cross has been tattooed on the arms of sailors and soldiers who hope for luck or protection from danger.
For many, the cross is a symbol of all that is holy. There is a certain reverence which it evokes from men and women - a reverence many cannot explain. But far more than being a mysterious emblem, the cross of Jesus Christ is a visible reminder of the extent to which God went to demonstrate His unconditional love for mankind. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son...” (John 3:16).
We can begin to comprehend the wonder of God’s redeeming plan only as we see Calvary’s ordeal unfold. But the wonder that strikes hardest is that Jesus endured the cross for me. Because of His cross, I am able to call God “my Father.”
Not only a symbol of faith, the cross is the central truth of the Christian faith.
Friday, September 10, 2010
The Fear of the Lord, Part 2
“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge;
Fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Proverbs 1:7
“Because they hated knowledge
And did not choose the fear of the LORD.
They would not accept my counsel,
They spurned all my reproof.
So they shall eat of the fruit of their own way
And be satiated with their own devices.
For the waywardness of the naive will kill them,
And the complacency of fools will destroy them.
But he who listens to me shall live securely
And will be at ease from the dread of evil.” Proverbs 1:29-33
The opposite of “the fear of the LORD” is exemplified by those who set their hearts to go their own way; those who deny the very existence of God, who believe there are no absolutes and certainly no final authority, no final judgement. How many people who have grown up in a supposedly “Christian” nation have rejected the truth which they have heard?
Paul tells us: “For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man...Therefore God gave them over...” (Romans 1:21-24).
That description of lost humanity, which Paul wrote in the first century, is still as accurate today. Without the fear of the Lord, the natural human pathway is downward. Do you see where today’s mindset is taking the world? Christian friend, check the direction of your heart. Is it going the same way as the world? Or is it set on a righteous course due to the fear of the Lord?
“How blessed is the man who fears the LORD,
Who greatly delights in His commandments.” Psalm 112:1
Fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Proverbs 1:7
“Because they hated knowledge
And did not choose the fear of the LORD.
They would not accept my counsel,
They spurned all my reproof.
So they shall eat of the fruit of their own way
And be satiated with their own devices.
For the waywardness of the naive will kill them,
And the complacency of fools will destroy them.
But he who listens to me shall live securely
And will be at ease from the dread of evil.” Proverbs 1:29-33
The opposite of “the fear of the LORD” is exemplified by those who set their hearts to go their own way; those who deny the very existence of God, who believe there are no absolutes and certainly no final authority, no final judgement. How many people who have grown up in a supposedly “Christian” nation have rejected the truth which they have heard?
Paul tells us: “For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man...Therefore God gave them over...” (Romans 1:21-24).
That description of lost humanity, which Paul wrote in the first century, is still as accurate today. Without the fear of the Lord, the natural human pathway is downward. Do you see where today’s mindset is taking the world? Christian friend, check the direction of your heart. Is it going the same way as the world? Or is it set on a righteous course due to the fear of the Lord?
“How blessed is the man who fears the LORD,
Who greatly delights in His commandments.” Psalm 112:1
Thursday, September 9, 2010
The Fear of the Lord
“Praise the LORD!
How blessed is the man who fears the LORD,
Who greatly delights in His commandments.
His descendants will be mighty on earth;
The generation of the upright will be blessed.
Wealth and riches are in his house,
And his righteousness endures forever.
Light arises in the darkness for the upright;
He is gracious and compassionate and righteous.
It is well with the man who is gracious and lends;
He will maintain his cause in judgment.
For he will never be shaken;
The righteous will be remembered forever.
He will not fear evil tidings;
His heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.
His heart is upheld, he will not fear,
Until he looks with satisfaction on his adversaries.
He has given freely to the poor,
His righteousness endures forever;
His horn will be exalted in honor.
The wicked will see it and be vexed,
He will gnash his teeth and melt away;
The desire of the wicked will perish.” Psalm 112
Those who fear (reverence, love, honor, respect, obey, and worship) the Lord are those who put themselves in the position to benefit by the description found in this Psalm. We are told, “How blessed is the man who fears the LORD...” (verse 1) followed by a list of specific matters in which this one will receive blessings. This is not the heritage of those who hate God, those who deny Him lordship of their lives.
The previous Psalm ends by saying, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments;
His praise endures forever” (Psalm 111:10).
Those who try to imitate godly wisdom are described in 2 Timothy 3:7: “always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” What a tragic commentary on the empty pursuit of something which only “the fear of the LORD” can freely grant. Once again the rift between God’s way and man’s way becomes increasingly obvious, and Jesus’ teachings take on new light and meaning when we see their counterpart in the Old Testament.
The fear of the Lord makes a hero; the fear of men makes a coward.
How blessed is the man who fears the LORD,
Who greatly delights in His commandments.
His descendants will be mighty on earth;
The generation of the upright will be blessed.
Wealth and riches are in his house,
And his righteousness endures forever.
Light arises in the darkness for the upright;
He is gracious and compassionate and righteous.
It is well with the man who is gracious and lends;
He will maintain his cause in judgment.
For he will never be shaken;
The righteous will be remembered forever.
He will not fear evil tidings;
His heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.
His heart is upheld, he will not fear,
Until he looks with satisfaction on his adversaries.
He has given freely to the poor,
His righteousness endures forever;
His horn will be exalted in honor.
The wicked will see it and be vexed,
He will gnash his teeth and melt away;
The desire of the wicked will perish.” Psalm 112
Those who fear (reverence, love, honor, respect, obey, and worship) the Lord are those who put themselves in the position to benefit by the description found in this Psalm. We are told, “How blessed is the man who fears the LORD...” (verse 1) followed by a list of specific matters in which this one will receive blessings. This is not the heritage of those who hate God, those who deny Him lordship of their lives.
The previous Psalm ends by saying, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments;
His praise endures forever” (Psalm 111:10).
Those who try to imitate godly wisdom are described in 2 Timothy 3:7: “always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” What a tragic commentary on the empty pursuit of something which only “the fear of the LORD” can freely grant. Once again the rift between God’s way and man’s way becomes increasingly obvious, and Jesus’ teachings take on new light and meaning when we see their counterpart in the Old Testament.
The fear of the Lord makes a hero; the fear of men makes a coward.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
It's About Balance
“Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. But refuse foolish and ignorant speculations, knowing that they produce quarrels. The Lord's bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.” Timothy 2:22-26
“But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these.” 2 Timothy 3:1-5
If you have watched a gymnast perform a routine (floor exercise, parallel bars, balance beam, the rings, uneven bars, etc.), you have probably marveled at the individual’s dexterity, strength, coordination, skill, training, and concentration. But undergirding all those qualities is the basis for great performance - balance.
Our performance in the arena of life needs that same kind of basis. Not physical balance but a balance among and between:
- needs, wants, and desires
- occupation, home, and hobbies
- obligations and free time
- responsibilities and the urgent
- rest and exertion
- courage for battle and non-involvement
- godliness and self-will
- reality in Christ and a form of godliness
The strange thing about balance is that if you begin to concentrate on balance alone, you tend to lose it. When you lose your balance, you experience confusion and you fall. Balance is gained and maintained by a proper focal point. If your focal point is Jesus Christ and the Word of God, your balance will be restored, and you can be free to concentrate on your performance.
“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge...” Proverbs 1:7
“But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these.” 2 Timothy 3:1-5
If you have watched a gymnast perform a routine (floor exercise, parallel bars, balance beam, the rings, uneven bars, etc.), you have probably marveled at the individual’s dexterity, strength, coordination, skill, training, and concentration. But undergirding all those qualities is the basis for great performance - balance.
Our performance in the arena of life needs that same kind of basis. Not physical balance but a balance among and between:
- needs, wants, and desires
- occupation, home, and hobbies
- obligations and free time
- responsibilities and the urgent
- rest and exertion
- courage for battle and non-involvement
- godliness and self-will
- reality in Christ and a form of godliness
The strange thing about balance is that if you begin to concentrate on balance alone, you tend to lose it. When you lose your balance, you experience confusion and you fall. Balance is gained and maintained by a proper focal point. If your focal point is Jesus Christ and the Word of God, your balance will be restored, and you can be free to concentrate on your performance.
“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge...” Proverbs 1:7
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Drifting from Devotion
“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: The One who holds the seven stars in His right hand, the One who walks among the seven golden lampstands, says this: ‘I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false; and you have perseverance and have endured for My name's sake, and have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place--unless you repent. Yet this you do have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.’” Revelation 2:1-7
Jesus speaks to the New Testament church of Ephesus in this passage in Revelation, but to how many twentieth century fellowships and individuals do His words apply as well?
Remember the first stirrings of the emotion of love? Some have referred to it as intoxicating. You saw the color and texture of life with clarity which you had not known before. The possibilities of life stretched before you like an unexplored new land. If you traveled on, you experienced the thrill and joy of discovering what you had never known before.
Awaking to true love is the God-given foundation from which a deepening relationship can be built and upon which a meaningful and lasting marriage can be sustained and matured. But what happens to a love relationship when one partner leaves their “first love”? Too often it is divorce.
Do we “divorce” ourselves from God when we are guilty of leaving our first love, our preeminent love for Christ? Restoration comes through the channel of repentance and a reaffirmation of commitment and dedication to your “first love,” the person of Jesus Christ.
The world does not need a definition of Christianity as badly as it needs a demonstration.
Jesus speaks to the New Testament church of Ephesus in this passage in Revelation, but to how many twentieth century fellowships and individuals do His words apply as well?
Remember the first stirrings of the emotion of love? Some have referred to it as intoxicating. You saw the color and texture of life with clarity which you had not known before. The possibilities of life stretched before you like an unexplored new land. If you traveled on, you experienced the thrill and joy of discovering what you had never known before.
Awaking to true love is the God-given foundation from which a deepening relationship can be built and upon which a meaningful and lasting marriage can be sustained and matured. But what happens to a love relationship when one partner leaves their “first love”? Too often it is divorce.
Do we “divorce” ourselves from God when we are guilty of leaving our first love, our preeminent love for Christ? Restoration comes through the channel of repentance and a reaffirmation of commitment and dedication to your “first love,” the person of Jesus Christ.
The world does not need a definition of Christianity as badly as it needs a demonstration.
Monday, September 6, 2010
Peter’s Bold Proclamation
“Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know--this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power.” Acts 2:22-24
“This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses. Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear. For it was not David who ascended into heaven, but he himself says:
‘The Lord said to my Lord,
sit at my right hand,
until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.’
Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ--this Jesus whom you crucified.” Acts 2:32-36
After his experience of brokeness, after being filled with the Spirit, Peter boldly, joyfully, and confidently preached the gospel with the assurance that he was telling the truth. Though Peter was the bold, brash fisherman - even while he was in Christ’s presence - he never exhibited the kind of powerful, dynamic personality which surfaced on the day of Pentecost. He exuded such confidence, such complete assurance - even in the face of those who earlier had screamed for the blood of Jesus - that he hardly resembled the one who denied Christ three times.
God’s truth had penetrated Peter’s heart and mind. It was a personal revolution. To Peter came the realization of Who this Jesus really was. Not only was He the Healer, the Teacher, the Wonder of the day, but He proved Himself to be the long awaited Messiah. Peter’s earlier confession - “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” - came to fruition in Peter’s life on the day of Pentecost.
“You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” John 8:32
“This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses. Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear. For it was not David who ascended into heaven, but he himself says:
‘The Lord said to my Lord,
sit at my right hand,
until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.’
Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ--this Jesus whom you crucified.” Acts 2:32-36
After his experience of brokeness, after being filled with the Spirit, Peter boldly, joyfully, and confidently preached the gospel with the assurance that he was telling the truth. Though Peter was the bold, brash fisherman - even while he was in Christ’s presence - he never exhibited the kind of powerful, dynamic personality which surfaced on the day of Pentecost. He exuded such confidence, such complete assurance - even in the face of those who earlier had screamed for the blood of Jesus - that he hardly resembled the one who denied Christ three times.
God’s truth had penetrated Peter’s heart and mind. It was a personal revolution. To Peter came the realization of Who this Jesus really was. Not only was He the Healer, the Teacher, the Wonder of the day, but He proved Himself to be the long awaited Messiah. Peter’s earlier confession - “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” - came to fruition in Peter’s life on the day of Pentecost.
“You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” John 8:32
Sunday, September 5, 2010
My Anchor Holds
“And He said to them, ‘Where is your faith?’ They were fearful and amazed, saying to one another, ‘Who then is this, that He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him?’” Luke 8:25
The following hymn by D.B. Towner is a beautiful illustration of the faith we can place in Christ - our Anchor.
Tho’ the angry surges roll
O’er my tempest-driven soul,
I am peaceful, for I know,
Wildly though the winds may blow,
I’ve an anchor safe and sure,
That shall evermore endure.
Mighty tides about me sweep,
Perils lurk within the deep,
Angry clouds o’er-shade the sky,
And the tempest rises high;
Still I stand the tempest’s shock,
For my anchor grips the Rock.
I can feel the anchor fast
As I meet each sudden blast,
And the cable, though unseen,
Bears the heavy strain between;
Thro’ the storm I safely ride,
Till the turning of the tide.
Troubles almost ‘whelm the soul;
Griefs like billows o’er me roll;
Tempters seek to lure astray,
Storms obscure the light of day:
But in Christ I can be bold,
I’ve an anchor that shall hold.
And it holds, my anchor holds;
Blow your wildest then, O gale,
On my bark so small and frail,
By His grace I shall not fail,
For my anchor holds, my anchor holds.
The following hymn by D.B. Towner is a beautiful illustration of the faith we can place in Christ - our Anchor.
Tho’ the angry surges roll
O’er my tempest-driven soul,
I am peaceful, for I know,
Wildly though the winds may blow,
I’ve an anchor safe and sure,
That shall evermore endure.
Mighty tides about me sweep,
Perils lurk within the deep,
Angry clouds o’er-shade the sky,
And the tempest rises high;
Still I stand the tempest’s shock,
For my anchor grips the Rock.
I can feel the anchor fast
As I meet each sudden blast,
And the cable, though unseen,
Bears the heavy strain between;
Thro’ the storm I safely ride,
Till the turning of the tide.
Troubles almost ‘whelm the soul;
Griefs like billows o’er me roll;
Tempters seek to lure astray,
Storms obscure the light of day:
But in Christ I can be bold,
I’ve an anchor that shall hold.
And it holds, my anchor holds;
Blow your wildest then, O gale,
On my bark so small and frail,
By His grace I shall not fail,
For my anchor holds, my anchor holds.
Friday, September 3, 2010
What to do in a Storm
“Now on one of those days Jesus and His disciples got into a boat, and He said to them, ‘Let us go over to the other side of the lake.’ So they launched out. But as they were sailing along He fell asleep; and a fierce gale of wind descended on the lake, and they began to be swamped and to be in danger. They came to Jesus and woke Him up, saying, ‘Master, Master, we are perishing!’ And He got up and rebuked the wind and the surging waves, and they stopped, and it became calm. And He said to them, ‘Where is your faith?’ They were fearful and amazed, saying to one another, ‘Who then is this, that He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him?’” Luke 8:22-25
Remember, you’re always in one of three places - (1.) You’re heading into a storm, (2.) you’re coming out of one, or (3.) you’re in one. The question is - What do you do when the storms of life come?
1. Stay in the boat. The best place to be is where Jesus is. Don’t panic, don’t bail, or jump ship. Stay in the boat.
2. Thank God for it. 1 Thess. 5:18, “in everything give thanks...” even storms.
3. Organize your thoughts. Ask the question: Why am I in this storm? If there is sin, repent. If it’s to grow you up, then hold on.
4. Remember the promises of God. He has you and will never leave you. Know there is always a purpose.
5. Keep moving forward. If you stop rowing, you get blown back. Go on, keep moving, and always remember God can take away the storm when you learn whatever it is He is teaching you!
A smooth sea never made a skillful mariner.
Remember, you’re always in one of three places - (1.) You’re heading into a storm, (2.) you’re coming out of one, or (3.) you’re in one. The question is - What do you do when the storms of life come?
1. Stay in the boat. The best place to be is where Jesus is. Don’t panic, don’t bail, or jump ship. Stay in the boat.
2. Thank God for it. 1 Thess. 5:18, “in everything give thanks...” even storms.
3. Organize your thoughts. Ask the question: Why am I in this storm? If there is sin, repent. If it’s to grow you up, then hold on.
4. Remember the promises of God. He has you and will never leave you. Know there is always a purpose.
5. Keep moving forward. If you stop rowing, you get blown back. Go on, keep moving, and always remember God can take away the storm when you learn whatever it is He is teaching you!
A smooth sea never made a skillful mariner.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
An Anchor for the Storms
“Immediately He made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side, while He sent the crowds away. After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone. But the boat was already a long distance from the land, battered by the waves; for the wind was contrary. And in the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea. When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, ‘It is a ghost!’ And they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.’ Peter said to Him, ‘Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.’ And He said, ‘Come!’ And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’ Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, ‘You of little faith, why did you doubt?’ When they got into the boat, the wind stopped. And those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, ‘You are certainly God's Son!’”
Matthew 14:22-33
One of the standard pieces of equipment found on a boat, large or small, is an anchor. Its purpose is to hold the vessel fast and to secure it to one spot, keeping the boat from drifting while not under power. When a storm strikes, a ship’s anchor often will be lowered in order to provide resistance to the storm and, hopefully, maintain control.
In life we sometimes encounter what easily could be referred to as storms. How well do you ride out the storms you encounter? Do you merely survive - blown around by every contrary wind and wave? Or do you cast your anchor - and does your anchor hold you fast? How did you respond to the last storm you encountered in life? In what have you placed your hope as your anchor?
If you are depending on anything or anyone other than Christ, the Solid Rock, you will surely know disappointment.
“Jesus my Lord is real to me,
Daytime or when the nighshades fall,
Whether on land or stormy sea,
He is my Friend, my All in all.”
“Jesus is a Rock in a weary land, a Shelter in the time of storm.”
Matthew 14:22-33
One of the standard pieces of equipment found on a boat, large or small, is an anchor. Its purpose is to hold the vessel fast and to secure it to one spot, keeping the boat from drifting while not under power. When a storm strikes, a ship’s anchor often will be lowered in order to provide resistance to the storm and, hopefully, maintain control.
In life we sometimes encounter what easily could be referred to as storms. How well do you ride out the storms you encounter? Do you merely survive - blown around by every contrary wind and wave? Or do you cast your anchor - and does your anchor hold you fast? How did you respond to the last storm you encountered in life? In what have you placed your hope as your anchor?
If you are depending on anything or anyone other than Christ, the Solid Rock, you will surely know disappointment.
“Jesus my Lord is real to me,
Daytime or when the nighshades fall,
Whether on land or stormy sea,
He is my Friend, my All in all.”
“Jesus is a Rock in a weary land, a Shelter in the time of storm.”
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Your Motive to Serve
“Slaves, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart, as to Christ; not by way of eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart. With good will render service, as to the Lord, and not to men, knowing that whatever good thing each one does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether slave or free. And masters, do the same things to them, and give up threatening, knowing that both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him.” Eph. 6:5-9
Employer/employee relationships are difficult at best. Many large corporations spend a great amount of time and money to study how to develop good working relationships. Some provide side benefits for loyal and productive employees in order to promote a level of commitment which is healthy for both.
The Christian employee who walks in the Spirit should need no other motivation beyond that given by Paul in the above reference. If you will replace the word slave with the word employee, you will find some indispensable guidelines for your own situation. Key in on verse six. It gives the real heart of what your approach should be. Paul is teaching that you are to serve your employer as if you were serving Christ Himself.
With that mindset, much of the negative stuff that goes on in the workplace would vanish. What actually happens? Greater productivity in a business occurs due to a sharper focus by employees. Clearly, the Word of God does speak to the daily issues of our lives. Our responsibility is to respond by expressing faith in what God has said and obeying what we know to be right.
Don’t learn the tricks of the trade - learn the trade!
Employer/employee relationships are difficult at best. Many large corporations spend a great amount of time and money to study how to develop good working relationships. Some provide side benefits for loyal and productive employees in order to promote a level of commitment which is healthy for both.
The Christian employee who walks in the Spirit should need no other motivation beyond that given by Paul in the above reference. If you will replace the word slave with the word employee, you will find some indispensable guidelines for your own situation. Key in on verse six. It gives the real heart of what your approach should be. Paul is teaching that you are to serve your employer as if you were serving Christ Himself.
With that mindset, much of the negative stuff that goes on in the workplace would vanish. What actually happens? Greater productivity in a business occurs due to a sharper focus by employees. Clearly, the Word of God does speak to the daily issues of our lives. Our responsibility is to respond by expressing faith in what God has said and obeying what we know to be right.
Don’t learn the tricks of the trade - learn the trade!
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