Influence our Children

Influence our Children

We are dreading it like the plague—and yet, we know there is nothing we can do about it. Our children will grow up, and one day leave home to build their own family. God blessed my wife and me with three precious children, who have brought a lifetime of joy and happiness. With bedraggled hair and lines on their faces, we have soaked up their morning smiles. And with comforting arms and a plethora of nightlights, we have conquered nighttime monsters. All the while, watching their beautiful handprints fill our house. But the time will come when they grow up and move away, no longer under our guidance and care. Thus, this open letter to you.

Do You Have Any Influence With The Children?

Do You Have Any Influence With The Children?

I don’t know what day it will be, or in what town you will likely see them. But chances are, in this “small world,” your paths will cross one day. I hope on that day, you will remember this letter and help their mom and me out. Believe me when I tell you that we are praying for that day. For you see, as parents, we want nothing more than to hear Almighty God say to our children “Well done good and faithful servants…enter thou into the joy of the Lord” (Matthew 25:23).

Now please do not think we are unloading our responsibility on you. This is certainly not the case. We know that children are like arrows in the hand of a mighty man (Psalm 127:4), and it has been with forethought and determination that we have launched them towards that goal that we so lovingly call Heaven. In fact, we have centered their lives around God and His Word from the day they were delivered into this world. We try to seize every opportunity available to teach them about God, Jesus, the Bible, and His creation around us. We not only “talk the talk” of Christianity, but we humbly “walk the walk.” But there will come a day when mom and dad’s voices will not be heard as loudly as others. And sadly, there will come a time when we will not load them into our car to go to worship with us. And so, we are soliciting your help.

My wife and I do not subscribe to the idea of “political correctness.” Thus, if you ever see our children doing something they shouldn’t, correct them, and add a good swat as a reminder. Should they be running, playing, and acting like the church building is a playground, block their path and rebuke them—remind them that tracks and playgrounds are for running. If our children look sleepy or tired in worship, please ask them what was more important the evening before that caused God to take a backseat. If they are late to worship, tell them to buy a watch. If they leave the auditorium during the sermon, kindly remind them to get “their business” done before worship begins. If they walk by without speaking to (or worse yet, almost knocking over) elderly members in the church, take them by the arm and nip it right then and there. If they appear to be passing notes or not paying attention, kindly take a minute to ask them what they learned in the lesson that day, and ask them why we worship. Do not be afraid to tell them if they are dressed inappropriately. And if for any reason you do not see them in a worship assembly that they should be in, please pick up the phone and call them (and us) immediately. For you see, we want our children not only to be “Christians” in name; we want them to live faithful Christian lives.

If you have the opportunity to teach either one of our children in school, or in a Bible class, please challenge them. I know many “specialists” warn that we should not push our children too hard, but we would like to see ours wrestle with a few problems. Part of learning is knowing how to think on your own. This lesson will never be learned if they are given the answers each time something is challenging. How will a child learn perseverance or diligence if they are handed everything on a silver platter? God blessed them all with brains, and we expect them to use them.

If you happen to be the parents who are currently rearing the children who will be their future spouses, know that we are praying for you as well. We know that the values, character, and spiritual emphasis you are currently placing in your children’s life, will one day greatly affect our own children. Our children are being taught that marriage is for life—period. We hope your children are hearing the exact same message. Your offspring will likely be one of the most influential factors in getting our children to heaven. Please do not take your job lightly!

The devil desperately wants my children. However, he knows that as long as their mother and I still have breath in our lungs, we will be fighting for their souls—a fight that we do not intend to lose. And with you in our Christian family, we know that the devil will fail. Know that we are eternally grateful for your help, and we ask for your continued prayers, as we do all we can to get our children to Heaven. –

Brad

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Prophecy of Zephaniah

Why The People Perish

Zephaniah was a descendant of good King Hezekiah and was contemporary with Jeremiah and Habakkuk. He prophesied in the days of King Josiah and undoubtedly had some impact on the king’s efforts to reform the spiritual climate of the Northern Kingdom of Judah.

Zephaniah prophesied to Judah.

Zephaniah prophesied to Judah.

As one will notice from the other prophets it is common to declare what exactly the people had done (and were doing) that would bring about God’s wrath and judgment on the people. Hosea spoke the word of the Lord saying, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being My priest. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children” (Hosea 4:6).

Zephaniah gives four clearly defined faults in Zephaniah 3:2 which would lead to the demise of the people:

  • Jerusalem did not obey the voice of God.
  • She would not be corrected.
  • She did not put her trust in the Lord.
  • She would not draw near to Him.

Men are no different today and neither is the Lord (Hebrews 13:8). Many in our nation and, yes, even in the church, refuse to obey, will not be told they are wrong without getting angry and defensive, do not truly trust in the Lord by following His Word, and continually move further and further away from God and move closer and closer to hell.

In order to be spiritually blessed by God and saved when this life is over it is imperative that every accountable man and woman:

Obey Him: “When the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. (2 Thessalonians 1:7 – 8).

When we sin we must allow His Word to correct us: “For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation; but the sorrow of the world produces death” (2 Corinthians 7:10). “Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live?” (Hebrews 12:9).

We must put our trust in the Lord: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5).

And we must draw near to Him: “Let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water” (Hebrews 10:22).

Where am I lacking in saving myself from this crooked generation (Acts 2:40)? We must die to ourselves and live to righteousness in this world (1 Peter 2:24) if we hope to live with Him in eternity. Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins (Acts 2:38), confess His name with your words and your life (Matthew 10:32 – 33), and be faithful (Revelation 2:10; Matthew 25:21, 23).

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Acts of Worship

How Should We Worship?

The Word of God will be the final say as we shall be judged by it (Jn. 12:48).  Let us therefore turn to the Bible to learn the answer to the above Question.

How should we worship to be pleasing to God?

How should we worship to be pleasing to God?

“And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things.  Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.” (Rev. 22:8-9)

Man is a worshiping creature.  Without command from the Bible, the history of man has been that of worship.  He has bowed himself down to different objects made by his own genius.  Without authority from God, regardless of were men dwell, they worship some one or some thing.  In order to worship God acceptably, we must do that which God has prescribed in his word.  God in his word has taught you and me the proper object of worship and the proper way and manner in which to render the acts required. Everyone that worships does not worship the right object.  Everyone that worships the right object does not necessarily worship in the right spirit or in the right way.  The combination of the above must be present in order for man to worship God.  The majestic writer of the book of Revelation would have us to know that the right object of worship is God.  Men have worshiped angels and other lesser beings, but the Bible prescribes that we worship God.  That should settle thee matter in the mind of honest people.  However, what acts do we perform in worship?

Some folks count beads as part of their worship.  Others will throw their new born babies into the Ganges river to appease the gods of wrath that have taken their punishment upon them.  Neither one of these acts are approved unto God as worship.  A long list of other things that men do and pass off as worship could also be outlined.. There is the god of fashion, the god of recreation, the god of sports and hunting, the god of mammon, and the list continues.  All of these are gods that men worship, but these are in contrast with the God of the Bible.

Remember that worship must be in spirit and Truth.  Truth is as the Bible commands it.  Jesus said, “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth” (Jn. 17:17).  Since the word of God is truth and God cannot lie (Heb. 6:18), then we need to turn to the Bible to see what God accepts as acts of worship.

In Acts 2:42, the scriptures says, “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.”  The apostles’ doctrine was simply the things which the apostles taught.  That which the apostles taught is further enumerated by the rest of the verse.  The apostles taught breaking of bread as an act of worship.  The Lord’s supper was partaken of on the first day fo every week (Acts 20:7).  The people were taught to give as they had been prospered (1 Cor. 16:2).  Notice that men were no longer commanded to tithe, but to give as they had been prospered.  For other pertinent facts on giving see 2 Cor. 8-9.

The apostles also taught that prayer was an act of worship unto God.  Paul, an apostle, commanded, “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17).  Jesus taught that men should pray and not faint (Lk. 18:1).  Also, in this list and completing it, we are commanded to sing and make melody in our hearts unto God (Eph. 5:19).  Unless we do these things in the prescribed manner., we cannot say that we have worshipped God acceptably.  What does it take to constitute and act of worship which meets God’s approval?  The act must be directed unto God, the right object; second, it must be done in spirit, which means prompted by the right motive and third, the act must be in truth or according to God’s word, with is the Truth.

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Your Bucket List

Your Bucket List

Over the last few years, individuals have started making lists of the things they want to be sure they accomplish before they die. The term used for these lists is bucket lists. This phrase likely is used because it contains the goals a person plans to reach before they “kick the bucket.”

Is your bucket list full? Do you have any goals?

Is your bucket list full? Do you have any goals?

I have a niece whose list contains the goal of visiting all fifty states. This came about because years ago her friend challenged her to see which of them would be the first to do this. Another friend’s list was to visit all seven continents before he died. Because his father had connection with the airlines, he was able to visit the Antarctica and checked that goal off his list.

David had a “bucket list.” Because of the book of Psalms, we know so much about the heart of this godly man. By reading the psalms, we can change our hearts to be like the heart of the man who had a heart like God. It may seem strange, but David only had one item on his “bucket list.” Take time to meditate on the one thing David wanted to accomplish more than anything else. “One thing I have desired of the Lord, That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord, And to inquire in His temple” (Psa. 27:4).

Paul had a “bucket list.” Paul wrote half of the books of the New Testament. In one of these, he looked at all which he had done. Compared to what was still on his list they were rather meaningless. He said, “I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead” (Phil. 3:13-14). He wanted one thing above everything and that was to reach the prize awaiting those who respond to the upward call of God.

Do you have a “bucket list”? A bucket list may help you to keep focused and give you goals to drive you to do more in your life. They are sometimes “fun” to make and compare them with others to see what they have on their lists. However, just make sure that you have something on your list which is like that one thing both David and Paul wanted to accomplish and had on their list.

Also, take time to make sure that it heads your list. What things do you want above all others to accomplish in your life? If you make a list, just remember that whether or not you accomplish everything on your list really will not matter as long as you do the first thing on the list. Even if you do not have a formal list, make sure that written on your soul are words of David and Paul.

When we’ve been there ten thousand years you will be thankful for the first thing you had on your list!

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Difficult Words

 The Most Difficult Words to Say

Difficult words are hard to say...

Difficult words are hard to say…

The four most difficult words to say: “I have done wrong.” We generally do not like to admit that we have done wrong. One reason is pride. Pride is one of the most dangerous sins that affect humanity. It was the first one listed in God’s list of hated sins: “These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look…” (Prov. 6:16-17). Another reason is denial due to self- deception. As we have often stated tongue-in-cheek, “‘Denial’ is not just a river in Egypt.” The danger of deception is always prevalent (1 Cor. 6:9; 15:33; Gal. 6:7; Eph. 5:6; 2 Thess. 2:3; 1 John 3:7), but the most dangerous is self-deception. “Let no man deceive himself” (1 Cor. 3:18; cf. Gal. 6:3; James 1:22, 26; 1 John 1:8). Satan is the great deceiver (Rev. 12:9), and he has convinced many who are plagued with sin that they have not done wrong. Thus, we must be true and honest with ourselves whenever we look to the word of God as a mirror of our souls (cf. James 1:22-25).

The three most difficult words to say: “I am sorry.” Closely akin to the aforementioned words, this is the next step of digression. Even when one may be willing to admit that he has done wrong, he may not be willing to apologize for it. This is where rationalization enters. We know that we have done whatever action, but we are unwilling to say, “I am sorry.” Apologies are often difficult to express. It must come from a heart free from selfishness and pride. Those who find it difficult to apologize have developed hard hearts. Conversely, the psalmist declared, “…a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise” (Ps. 51:17). How many times have we planted ourselves behind our pews during the invitation song and refused to walk down the aisle because we are ashamed to say, “I am sorry” whenever we know we have done wrong?

The two most difficult words to say: “Thank you.” Ingratitude is among the ugliest sins (cf. Rom. 1:21). Even from youth, we as parents teach our children to express gratitude. Nevertheless, children who never learn to say, “Thank you,” grow up into adults whose character reflects unkindness. When individuals do things for us, whenever people help us, when friends even do little things to express kindness and love, we ought always to say, “Thank you” (cf. Luke 17:11- 19). How amazing it is that these two little words can signify so much!

The single most difficult word to say is, “No.” All sin comes from an unwillingness to say this single word. Whenever Satan tempted Jesus in the wilder – ness, He responded three times by quoting scripture that reiterated His expression: “No!” Whenever we face temptation, we are at a crossroads—do we give in and yield by saying, “Yes,” or do we stay resolute to what we know the Bible teaches and resoundingly say, “No.” It is so easy to give, but it is very difficult in the heat of various trials and temptations of life to say, “No.”

Let us resolve to learn how to say these difficult words. What a blessing our lives to God will be!

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