Our Children

                                                Our Children

     Proverbs 22:6 (KJV) Says, "Train up a child in the way he should go:  and when he is old, he will not depart from it." In the book of Deuteronomy, chapter 6, the Israelites are instructed to obey the Lord's commandments, statutes, and judgments. Part of these instructions pertain to teaching our children.  Chapter 6:4-7 Says, "Hear, O Israel:  The Lord our God is one Lord:  And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these Words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:  And thou shalt teach them diligently to thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou riseth up."

     Let me begin by saying that whether we have children of our own or not, we more than likely have children in our lives. The importance of our teaching them about the Lord, and His Word, and setting a Godly example for them cannot be overstated. 

     The above verse of scripture taken from the book of Proverbs instructs us to train up children in a manner that guides them in a right direction, and that when we do so we are giving them a strong foundation on which to stand. That strong foundation is God, and His Word. There are situations where parents have raised their children teaching them about the Lord, and guiding them in a right direction, yet when these children grow older they veer from what they've been taught. I can tell you firsthand, however, that if they accept Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior that foundation doesn't crack, and the Holy Spirit will be relentless in nudging them back in the right direction. I strayed from my walk with God in my teenage years, and not a day went by during that stray that I wasn't reminded by the Holy Spirit that I needed to get back on track, and I praise God for never giving up on  me. I was brought up by a Mama who loved the Lord, and she saw to it that each of her children attended church, and were active in Sunday School, and other events that the Church offered. Of all the wonderful things my Mama did for me raising me in church, where I came to know and accept Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior, was the greatest. I was also blessed with a grandmother who was a huge part of my life, and she set a fantastic Godly example for me. She was a wonderful woman who had a huge impact on my life. 

     The above passage of scripture taken from the book of Deuteronomy makes clear that we are to teach our children the commandments, statutes, and judgments of the Lord. Not only does this passage instruct us to teach them, but to do so diligently. The word diligent in Greek is spoudazo, and it means to use speed, be prompt, to make effort, earnest. This term means "to hasten to do a thing, to exert oneself, give diligence, endeavor."

     In a world where the main focus seems to be getting children into the best colleges where they can earn a degree that will enable them to earn large sums of money, I encourage you to set for them, first and foremost, the goal of being the best Godly person they can be. I urge you to teach them about God and His Word, and the importance of living in obedience to Him. Be for them a great example of what that looks like. Teach them to love the Lord. Talk to them about God and his Word throughout the day as the above passage of scripture taken from Deuteronomy instructs us to do. It is by far the greatest thing you can ever do for them. Do your best to lead them to accept Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior reminding yourself that where they spend eternity depends on that. 

     If you have a prayer request and would like me to pray for you, leave me a message and I will be more than happy to do so. May God bless you.

     

     

     

Working All Things For Good

Romans 8:28 (KJV) Says, "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose."

In the above verse of scripture it is made clear that God will work all things in our life for good, if we will but love Him. It is worthy to note that this verse of scripture says ALL things, not one, some, or a few, but ALL. This includes even the mistakes we have made in our past. Does God prefer that we live our lives in obedience to Him our entire lives? Absolutely. He is, however, gracious, forgiving, and loving, and because of the tremendous love He has for us He blesses us with this promise along with  many others.

One manner in which God works All things out for good for those who love Him is by putting people in our path that are going through some of the same things we struggled with, when we were not living in obedience to Him. This allows us to share our story with the person struggling, and to testify to them as to all that God has done for us in seeing us through to victory over the very same struggles. Never be ashamed to share your story with someone who is walking through things you yourself have walked through because in so doing you make yourself relatable to them.  Hearing your story and all that God has done for you will prayerfully lead them to have the desire to accept Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior recognizing that with God they too can be victorious. Sharing  your story and all that God has done for you gives hope to the hopeless.

When we lose someone who is a huge part of our lives and that we love tremendously it is devastating. God can and does work this out for good as well in that we are then able to comfort others who are walking through the storm of losing a loved one, and we are able to do so on another level having a higher level of compassion, sympathy, and understanding. For example, I lost my Daddy a few years back and it was devastating. God has worked good in this loss by allowing me to relate to those who lose their Dad with a level of compassion, sympathy, and understanding that was not possible prior to my own personal loss. Having experienced the loss of my Daddy also allows me to share with others the things that helped me through my grief.

Above are just a couple of examples of the many ways in which God works ALL things together for good for those who love Him, and are called according to His purpose, there are many others. I urge you to share your story including all that God has done for you with those it will benefit recognizing that God is allowing you to bring encouragement and hope to those who find themselves in a storm that has left them feeling hopeless. I urge you to share the gospel and give your testimony taking advantage of every opportunity you are given to do so. Don't allow pride and shame to stand in the way of you sharing your testimony with someone else. Failing to testify to others can have devastating consequences in that it could make the difference in them finding hope in Christ and accepting His precious gift of salvation or remaining in a hopeless state. Withholding your testimony could make the difference in a person spending eternity in Heaven with God or remaining lost and spending eternity in Hell. It doesn't get more vital than that.

If you have a prayer request and would like me to pray for you, leave me a message and I will be more than happy to do so. May God bless you!

Christ In You

2 Timothy 3:12 (KJV) Says, "Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." John 15:18 (KJV) Says, "If the world hate you, ye know that it hated Me before it hated you. John 3:20 (KJV) Says, "For everyone that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved." Matthew 5:10 (KJV) Says, "Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake:  for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven." Luke 6:22 (KJV) Says, "Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of Man's sake."

When anyone chooses to accept Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior they can expect to lose friends, and sometimes even have family members turn against them. Many who are lost or have turned away from God after being saved do not want to socialize with Christians. We should not take this personal as often times it is not us they are uncomfortable with, but rather Christ in us. The world is a dark place and born again believers and followers of Christ, who are living in obedience to Him, have His light shining through them. When we are living right others can see the light of Christ in us, and it prompts them to consider their ways. If they are not ready to accept Christ or they have turned away from Him, they have no desire to be reminded of the changes they need to make. The light of Christ forces them to consider their ways, and if they're not ready to accept Him or make the changes they need to make they often choose to avoid those with the light of Christ shining through them. The above verse of scripture taken from the book of Luke tells us that men shall hate us and separate us from their company.

In the above verses of scripture God's tells us, when we opt to accept Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior, and choose to live in obedience to Him, we will suffer persecution. We are also reminded that the world persecuted Jesus Himself. Note Jesus tells us in John 15:18 that the world hated Him before it hated us. Jesus was persecuted while here on earth in various ways. He was falsely accused, betrayed, mocked, spit upon, beaten, and so much more with the greatest persecution being His crucifixion, and we are not greater than or even equal to Jesus, therefore we too should expect to be persecuted while in the world.

When we first accept Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior we can expect some friends and family members to abandon us, it can be hurtful, and leave you feeling lonely. I encourage you not to be discouraged as you are never alone because God is always with you. You have the Holy Spirit dwelling within you, God promises in His Word that He will never leave you nor forsake you, and He also tells us in His Word that He is holding our right hand. God will bring the right people into your life to walk beside you, be patient and trust Him. Beware of those who tempt you to fall back into old ways and habits that no longer fit who you are as a born again believer and follower of Jesus Christ. There will more than likely be those who try their best to encourage you to do just that. I urge you to Stay strong, resist temptation, and stand firm in your faith knowing that choosing to live your life in a Christ-like manner is choosing to live the best life you could ever possibly hope to live. When we live our life in a Christ-like manner, others recognize that, and it is our greatest testimony. It is the hope that the lost come to desire for themselves what they see in us which is Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior.

If you have a prayer request and would like me to pray for you, leave me a message and I will be more than happy to do so. May God bless you!

Blocking The Light Of Christ

Romans 3:23 (KJV) Says, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" I Peter 5:8 (KJV) Says, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:"

As the above verse of scripture, taken from the book of Romans, tells us we as human beings are all sinners, and each and every single one of us fall short of the glory of God. This means we all have weaknesses, and that we all have areas within ourselves that we need to work on. With that said, once we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior we should have the desire in our hearts to grow in Christ, and become more and more like Him. In order to do this we must identify and work on getting rid of the things in our life that do not reflect who we are in Christ. To be a Christian by definition means to be Christ-like.

Although we will never reach perfection, it is vital that we identify our areas of weakness and address those issues. The first step to correcting those things in our lives that do not fit who we are as born again believers, and followers of Jesus Christ is to admit them. As long as we remain in denial about the personal behaviors within us that do not fit who we are in Christ, we will cease to grow in Him. Once we get out of denial and face our issues then we can go to God in prayer asking Him to help us make the changes we know we need to make. If we will do our part in making those changes, then we can rest assured that God will do His.

God's Word tells us that as Christians we should be known by our fruit, and that fruit is listed for us in Galatians 5:22-23 (KJV) which reads "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law." Do you have issues in your life that are contradictory to who you are in Christ? Do your actions and words reflect your love for others? Remember love is an action word. Do you walk in the joy of Christ or do you gripe, complain, and wear a miserable look on your face? Do you have the divine peace in your heart that God has so freely given you or do you carry turmoil in your heart? Are you patient, gentle, and kind? Do you truly walk by faith, and not by sight? Are you humble? These verses taken from the book of Galatians tell us specifically what others should see in us, and anything and everything in our lives that demonstrates opposite behaviors should be addressed, and weeded out.

There are multiple issues that can be found in human beings that do not fit the life of a Christian. Maybe you're dealing with envy, jealousy, greed, a disrespectful attitude, unkindness, an addiction such as drugs, alcohol, gambling, or over eating. Maybe you have anger issues, bitterness in your heart, or you're harboring unforgiveness. The list goes on and on. The truth is whatever our weaknesses are we are aware of them even if we are not willing to profess them. Many people refuse to look at their weaknesses because along with facing them comes the awareness that they need to be addressed, and some are simply not ready to do that.

It is important for us to recognize that it is often times through our weaknesses that Satan temps us in an attempt to lead us away from Christ. As the above passage of scripture taken from I Peter tells us Satan roams the earth looking to devour. It is worthy to note that God uses the words roaring and devour in this verse which are strong words insinuating the fierceness of the lion, and letting us know that Satan is looking to completely consume us. The great news is that for every temptation Satan puts before us God provides a way out. Having freewill, however, we must opt to take the way out that God provides in lieu of falling prey to the temptations of Satan.

I encourage you to conduct a self-examination, and identify the areas in your life that do not fit who you are in Christ. Once you identify them, go to God in prayer and ask Him to help you weed those things out. Do your part in making the changes you know you need to make, and trust God to do His. I urge you to begin today examining your heart and your life, and to get started making the changes you know you need to make. Choosing to address your issues and make the changes you know you need to make will help you to grow in Christ becoming more and more like Him. The more your life reflects who you profess to be, the more joy and divine peace you will have in your heart. I urge you to get rid of the things in your life that are blocking the light of Christ in you. Move those things out of the way, and allow others to clearly see His light shine through you with the hope that they will want what you have. After all, the manner in which we live our lives is our greatest testimony.

If you have a prayer request and would like me to pray for you, leave me a message and I will be more than happy to do so. May God bless you!

Called To Be A Light

Matthew 5:16 (KJV) Says, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven." Ephesians 5:8 (KJV) Says, "For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord:  walk as children of light:"

When we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within us, and we become new creatures in Christ. As the above verse of scripture taken from the book of Matthew tells us, we are to let the light of the Holy Spirit within us shine through in all we do so others can see our good works, and glorify God for them. As the above verse of scripture taken from the book of Ephesians tells us we are to walk as children of light. In short, we are called to be a light in a dark world.

As Christians we should be easily identified by our words, and actions. People should be able to identify us by the fruit of the Spirit. Galatians 5:22-23 lists the fruit of the Spirit as follows: love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance. I encourage you to ask yourself, if others see these things in you. Are others able to recognize that there is something different about you? Can they clearly tell by your words and actions that you are a born again believer, and follower of Jesus Christ? Or, do you dim the light of Christ within you via your words and actions? It is vital that we live our lives in a manner that reflects who we are in Christ. The manner in which we live our personal lives is our greatest witness for Him. When others see us live our lives in a Godly manner and the divine peace and joy it brings us, they will want what we have.

Far too many self-proclaimed Christians attend Sunday morning worship services, and allow that to be the only way someone could recognize them as being of the Christian faith. Attending worship services on Sunday mornings, and then going out into the world displaying behavior that in no way reflects the light of Christ within us does more damage than good. Proclaiming to be a Christian and living like lost souls does more harm than good to the reputation of Christians, and Christianity overall. This type behavior has earned Christians labels such as "hypocrites." Clearly when the lost see negative behavior in Christians they may decide they want no part in becoming a Christian or in Christianity overall. The vital point here is this type behavior can result in lost souls dying without having accepted Christ.

I urge Christians everywhere to make sure your words and actions line up with who you say you are as a born again believer, and follower of Jesus Christ. Live you life in a manner that makes clear you have the Holy Spirit dwelling within you. Conduct yourself in a manner that allows others to see the fruit of the Spirit. Stand firm in your faith and on God's Word even if it means standing alone. I encourage you to remember that you are called to be a light in this dark world.

If you have a prayer request and would like me to pray for you, leave me a message and I will be more than happy to do so. May God bless you!

Feel Good Preaching

2 Timothy 3:16 (KJV) Says, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:"

Take note that the above passage of scripture uses the phrase "All scripture" recognizing that all scripture means that each and every Word of the Bible is important, necessary, and has a purpose. This verse goes on to tell us God's Word is profitable for doctrine which means a belief or set of beliefs taught by a Church. It further instructs that it is profitable for reproof which means an expression of blame or disapproval. It goes on to inform us that scripture is profitable for correction and for instruction in righteousness which means that it is profitable in correcting us, and in instructing us on how to live our lives in obedience to God. All of the profitable elements listed in this verse of scripture are of vital importance as is each and every single Word of God.

We live in a world where many people are adding words, changing words, and taking words away from the Bible in order for it to fit the lifestyle they are choosing to live. The Bible tells us in the book of revelation not to add or take away one word from scripture yet that is going on. There are pastors who opt only to preach on God's promises, and the blessings that He is prepared to rain down upon us while omitting sermons that touch on the importance of living in obedience to God, and the curses that come with failing to do so.

I am by no means saying that preachers should not preach sermons that lift up and encourage. Sermons that uplift and encourage, sermons that include the fact that God desires to bless us, and sermons that include all the wonderful promises He has made to us are very important. What I am saying is that sermons that include how important it is to live in obedience to God and the trouble it causes us when we don't are equally important.

Preachers who preach only what I call "feel good preaching" are not doing their hearers justice as they are limiting scripture by omitting vital sermons on obedience and disobedience. If a child misbehaves their parents are more than likely not going to bless them with a new toy. Just as this is true congregation members should not be led to believe God is eager to rain blessings down upon them while they are living in disobedience to Him.

It seems that more and more sermons are aimed at keeping congregation members coming back. Many sermons have the purpose of ensuring congregation members are reminded and encouraged often to tithe. In short, many are about money. Many pastors seem to avoid preaching the whole truth for fear they may run some people away from the Church, but this should never be a reason to sugar coat the Word of God. The truth does in fact upset some, but that's okay. If the truth offends some people, then they needed to hear it. I encourage you to recognize that God does indeed have the desire to rain blessings down on us, and that He has made us wonderful promises that He will keep. I encourage you also to recognize the importance of living in obedience to God because you have the desire in your heart to do so. Live in obedience to God, and you will be living the best life you could ever possibly hope to live.

If you have a prayer request and would like me to pray for you, leave me a message and I will be more than happy to do so. May God bless you!

Equally Yoked

II Corinthians 6:14 (KJV) Says, "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers:  for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?"
I Corinthians 15:33 (KJV) Says, "Be not deceived:  evil communcations corrupt good manners."

In the above verse of scripture taken from the book of II Corinthians Christians are warned about surrounding ourselves socially with unbelievers. While Christians are to mingle among the lost spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ we are not to spend idle time with them involving ourselves in activities that do not fit who we are as born again believers in, and followers of Jesus Christ. Christians are human beings, and as such we can fall into temptation. If we surround ourselves with people who tell dirty jokes, get drunk, partake in sexual promiscuity, lie, cheat, are unkind to others, abuse the people in their life, and other like behaviors we are headed for trouble. First and foremost as Christians we should be uncomfortable with these behaviors secondary to the Holy Spirit dwelling in us. Secondly, Satan is a master manipulator. He is a liar, deceiver, and the author of confusion. He would love nothing better than to cause you to turn your back on God, stop spreading the gospel, and live your life in a manner that matches that of a person who is lost. When you surround yourself with lost souls, slowly but surely Satan will draw you into the secular world, and you will appear no different than one that is lost. You will no longer be a light in a dark world. As my twin sister says, "It's a short trip from standing outside the fire to being in the middle of it."

As the above passage of scripture taken from I Corinthians warns us evil communication can corrupt us. We must be vigilant recognizing that interacting with evil communication is a snare of Satan. For example, if someone tells a dirty joke, and we listen to it and join in the laughter it brought on we are behaving no differently than the lost. Being surrounded by the wrong people makes us vulnerable to falling prey to those Satan has sent to tempt us with phrases such as "just try it." If we agree to go to a movie that we know has content that God would not approve of just to be accepted socially then we are hiding the light of Christ in us. If we listen to or join in on gossip then we are partaking in a behavior that does not fit the Christian we claim to be. In short, when we as Christians live our lives in a manner no different from those that are lost while proclaiming to be Christians, we are damaging the reputation of Christians and Christianity overall. It is behavior such as this among self-proclaimed Christians that has earned Christians the reputation among non-believers of being a bunch of hypocrites. Worst of all, we are missing opportunity after opportunity to lead lost people to Christ.

I cannot stress enough the importance of being equally yoked in all of our relationships. This means we marry someone who is Godly, and that we surround ourselves with friends who are born again believers in, and followers of Jesus Christ. It is so important that we stress this lesson to our children in hopes that  they heed the lesson, and avoid inviting chaos into their lives. I've witnessed married couples who are unequally yoked and the struggles they face with some ending in divorce.  I've witnessed Christians who have gotten off track because they chose to spend idle time with friends that are unequally yoked for purposes other than witnessing to them in an attempt to lead them to Christ.  I've seen firsthand born again believers in Jesus Christ, who were serving the Lord in many ways, turn their back on God, and fall prey to the temptations of the world after allowing Satan to lure them away with his wiles.

I encourage you to stand firm in your faith, if it means standing alone. I encourage you also to live your life in a manner that fits who you say you are as a born again believer, and follower of Jesus Christ.  Don't fall prey to Satan's wiles, and participate in things that you know do not fit who you claim to be. I urge you to be the Godly witness, through your words and your actions, that God has called you to be.

If you have a prayer request and would like me to pray for you, leave me a message and I will be more than happy to do so. May God bless you!