Train up a Child

Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.
                                                                                                       Proverbs 22:6

I am writing this today to all those children, particularly adult children of strict Christian parents. I also write it as a warning to Christian parents who would be strict with their children.
Recently I was at a speaking engagement. It was a secular event and had nothing to do with the church.
There were several speakers at the event. Each of us were giving a talk about a specific traumatic event in our lives and how we dealt with it.
The speaker ahead of me in particular fascinated me. Although I’d heard her speak many times before it was only now that I realized that we were in many ways opposites. And I found myself feeling sorry for her.
She was a survivor and a very successful person. I have an incredible respect for her. But what stood out in my mind about her was that although she’d been brought up in a Christian home she’d wandered away.
From what she told me her parents were very strict Christians who for all intents and purposes forced their faith on her. Rather than turning her to the Lord all it had succeeded in doing was push her further away and into the world.
By contrast my parents were what I would call open minded democratic socialist who had shunned the church of England and Catholic church respectfully.
My parents encouraged my siblings and I to search out and question things around us. Politics, and current events were spoken often at the dinner table and as we grew into our teens especially we were encouraged to participate.
My parents had high moral standards and strongly believed that one should do what we could to help our fellow man.
It was precisely because of what they instilled in me that when I was introduced to the teachings of the bible I wanted to become a Christian.
At church I was speaking to some very godly people. People who love the Lord with all their heart and are working for Him. They told me that their adult children were not serving the Lord. My children are.
I’ve compared notes with these people and found some startling differences.
Now before I go any further let me make things clear I am not a child rearing expert.
I believe however that my children are serving the Lord because of the way my parents brought me up.
The Talmud states, “Whoever teaches his son teaches not alone his son but also his son’s son, and so on to the end of generations.”
Another Jewish writer Joshua Loth Liebman wrote, “Give your children unconditional love, a love that is not dependent on report cards, clean hands, or popularity.  Give your children a sense of your whole-hearted acceptance, acceptance of their human frailties as well as their abilities and virtues.  Give your children your permission to grow up to make their own lives independent of you.  Give them a sense of truth; make them aware of themselves as citizens of a universe in which there are many obstacles as well as fulfillments.  Bestow upon your child the blessings of your faith.  These are the laws of honouring your son and your daughter.  Out of these laws will be built the Declaration of Independence for the coming generation, a spiritual and emotional independence that, in turn, will make the world free, democratic, safe, creative.
The one key thing I hear from Christian parents who’s children are not serving the Lord are, “I wouldn’t let them watch anything that wasn’t Christian.”
Instantly when I hear that phrase I think of the forbidden fruit. Children want to know what’s on the other side of the fence and why they can’t go there.
In our house there was nothing off limits on the television except pornography. My children watched Homer Simpson and we talked about it after we’d watched it.
We watched things that in many Christian households would curl their hair. But we always talked about it.
We talked about Harry Potter, as well as the tales of Narnia
When something came up at church that my children didn’t understand or as they entered their teen years didn’t agree with, we talked.
There was open dialogue and there still is to this day even though they are now adults in their own right.
Today we are proud that are children are very active in the church they attend. One even goes on short term missions trips every year or two. Using his skills to help those less fortunate. I know their grandparents would be proud of them also.
Sadly I think Christian parents turn their children away from the Lord for several reasons.
First of all I think all too often they read Proverbs 22:15 which states,
“Folly is bound up in the heart of a child but the rod of discipline will drive it far from him.” 
Then they read Proverbs 23:13,14 which states,
“Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you punish him with the rod, he will not die. Punish him with the rod and save his soul from death.”
They see these two scriptures as they have to spank their child when he or she does wrong.
One commentary I read noted that the use of rod here is quite likely an expression for any kind of discipline. One does not always need to spank a child to discipline. There are many ways to show them they’ve done wrong that quite frankly work far better.
The one thing however when it comes to disciplining a child I see as being wrong is never, never, never, beat the child with scripture.
A friend of my son’s mother use to always lecture her son when he did wrong by quoting scripture. That young man while still friends with my son hardly ever attends church any more.
We need to build up our children. We don’t need to force anything on them. It is essential, that, we as far as we possibly can, live a good clean Christian life in front of our children.
Proverbs 4:3-13 states
“When I was a boy in my father’s house, still tender, and an only child of my mother, he taught me and said, “Lay hold of my words, with all your heart; keep my commands and you will live. Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or swerve from them. Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you. Wisdom is supreme therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding. Esteem her, and she will exalt you; embrace her, and she will honour you. She will set a garland of grace on your head and present you with a crown of splendor. Listen my son, accept what I say and the years of your life will be many. I guide you in the way of wisdom and lead you along the straight paths. When you walk, your steps will not be hampered; when you run, you will not stumble. Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life.”
This is what we should be instilling into our children from the day they are born. Not telling them what they can’t do.
We need to give our children as they say a little slack. Always keeping a dialogue open. Willing to answerer all their questions to the best of our ability. And above all live a Christian life before them. That they may see what is right in the sight of God. Which is all we can do, because ultimately each individual must make a personal decision to accept the salvation offered by Christ.

36 Minutes

Thirty-six minutes

God gives you 1440 minutes in a day

Sleep takes up approximately 448 minutes,

Work and travelling to and from work takes up approximately 600 minutes,

You are left with approximately 360 minutes for yourself.

Are you willing to spend 36 of them with God?

Are you willing to spend just 2.5% of all the minutes in a day God give you,

 with Him?

I'm

I'm.

1. A child of God.
“The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children”
                                                                                              Romans8:16

2. Forgiven
“For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”
   Col. 1:13,14

3.Saved by grace through faith
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God”
                                               Eph. 2:8
4.Justified
“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,”
                             Romans 5:1
5.A new creature
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”
                        2Cor.5:17
6.Led by the Spirit of God
“because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God”
                                                                                           (Romans 8:14)
7.kept in safety wherever I go.
 “For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;”
                                                                                                                Ps 91:11
8 Casting all my cares on Jesus.
“ Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”
                                                                                      1Peter 5:7
9. Doing all things through Christ who strengthens me.
“I can do everything through him who gives me strength.”
                                                                                          Phil 4:13
10. Bringing every thought into captivity.
“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ”
                                                                                                               2 Cor. 10:5
                                                                                             
11. Being transformed by a renewed mind.
“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
                                   Romans 12:1,2
12. The righteousness of God in Christ.
" God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
                             2Cor. 5:21
13. An imitator of Jesus
“Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”
                                                                                                                Eph.5:1,2
14.filled with laughter and rejoicing
“He will yet fill your mouth with laughter  and your lips with shouts of joy.”
                                                                                                     Job 8:21

Quintessence

Quintessence
Quintessence is to quote Webster dictionary: “the essence of a thing in its purest and most concentrated form.”
To my mind love is the quintessence of Christianity.
Jesus said:
“But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you”
          Matthew 5:44
In Matthew 22:37-40 Jesus said:
“Jesus said to him, ‘you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment and the second is like it you shall love your neighbour as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.’”
The Apostle Paul, when writing to the Corinthians gave what to my mind is the best definition of love ever written.
 “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.”
                   1Corinthians 13:4-8b
The verses quoted above say it all.  God set an example, He loved the world so much he sent His one and only Son to die for us.
The Bible make it clear that Jesus did not come into the world to condemn the world.
John 3:17 states:
“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”
God loved the world so much He sent Christ to us. He has no desire to see anyone perish. That’s why He sent His son. That’s why He told us to love our enemies.
If we truly love God we will show that love in all we do, to all we know.
The apostle Paul wrote this in Romans 12:9-21:
“Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.
Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honour giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the LORD, rejoicing in hope,
 patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer, distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality. Bless those who persecute you, bless and do not curse. 
Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.  Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things,  but associate with the humble. 
 Do not be wise in your own opinion. Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. 
Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give no place to wrath, for it is written:
 “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the LORD. Therefore“If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.”  Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
This is what it is to act like a Christian.
We have no record of Jesus ever speaking out against the secular, civil Roman authority.
He, a Jew, spoke against the wrongs being preached in the name of God by the Pharisees.
When He spoke He spoke to correct those who would pervert the Word of God. Those who would put up roadblocks to people coming into a personal relationship with God.
Jesus exhibited love.  He even prayed and asked forgiveness for those who crucified him.
If we are truly Christian, we need to do this also.
Our love should not be conditional on who a person is. It should not be conditional on the lifestyle of a person or upon them changing their lifestyle. That is between them and God.
Jesus in Matthew 7:1 warns us not to judge. We don’t have the whole story and we cannot see into a person’s mind and soul. Only God can do that.
A persons relationship with God is between them and God.
The Holy Spirit is the one who convicts a person of sin.
It is He who truly knows the heart and when it is the right time to reveal to a person the changes they need to make in their lifestyle.
The Christians responsibility is to present God’s Love. To show anyone who will listen the way to heaven.

“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone”

“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone”                                                                                                          Romans 12:18

All to often we in the church, with all that’s going on in our world forget about the basics. We let the things that are happening in the secular world side track us from what we are suppose to be doing for God.
It is very easy to see what is happening in politics and society and see how far away from God our society is. Its so very easy to stand on a soap box and criticize the secular society we live in, but that is not what God wants.
The Apostle Paul when he walked into Athens I’m sure realized just how far from God the secular society of his day was, but he didn’t criticise . Instead he said these words.
Then Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus, and said, “Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious; “for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription:
TO THE UNKNOWN GOD.
Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you:
“God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is LORD of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands.“Nor is He worshipped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things.“And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, “so that they should seek the LORD, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each of us;“for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’
“Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man’s devising. “Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent. “because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained.  He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.”
                                       Acts 17:22-31
Paul was I believe a Christian leader after God’s heart. He concentrated on the job at hand, evangelism and teaching. The primary jobs of the church.
It’s a job I see as forgotten by many who claim to be church leaders  in the media.
It seems to me that the easiest way to get a Christian leader in the media side tracked today is to pass a law that they disagree with.
Suddenly it seems that the pulpit they have in the Media becomes a soap box for them to criticise and condemn, both the government that passed the law and anyone who agrees with the law.

They forget Paul’s words to the Romans. 

Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities,

 for there is no authority except that which God has established.

 The authorities that exist have been established by God. 

Consequently, he who rebels against the authority 

is rebelling against what God has instituted, 

and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.”

                                                                                                  Romans 13:1,2

Even the most uneducated Christian has to admit that when Paul wrote those words Rome was not the type of democracy we see in the United States, or Canada.
Although when it comes to it’s multicultural make up Rome was almost as certainly diverse.
I’m sure Rome had many laws that were not exactly compatible with the beliefs of the early Christians. Yet the gospel not only survived but thrived.
They did so because they stuck to the basics. They presented the gospel, and taught the converts what it was to be a Christian.
They didn’t jump up on a soap box and scream “you heathen that law is wrong!!” they couldn’t. To do so would have meant the end of the fledgling church.
Paul could never have stood in the Areopagus and denounced the practices of those who worshipped Diana, or Bacchus.
He couldn’t have called on the Roman emperor to end the bloody gladiatorial contests that went on in the Colosseum simply because they were against what he believed. Even though he had freedom of speech.
Christ taught that we were to love our enemies. In loving we are showing respect even if we don’t agree with them. Love and respect are virtues people see in others and more often than not return in kind.
“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” states Paul in Romans 12:18
“Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord.” he adds in verse 19.
God is the righteous judge we are not.
God will ultimately hold all men to account, even Christians.
He however does not want us to be a stumbling block to those who are seeking Him. That’s why the call not to judge. That’s why Paul states, "If your enemy is hungry, feed him;  if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.  In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." Romans 12:20.
We as Christians have an obligation to complete the work Jesus began. To make disciples of all nations.
Jesus was emphatic when he said, “ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:17
Many  in the church today are out their criticising our society. We don’t need them.
What we need are more leaders like Paul, preaching the pure Word of God.
The answer to all the worlds problems is Christ Jesus.

How will you be remembered?

How will you be remembered?

“David reigned over all Israel, doing what was just and right for all his people.” 
                                                                                                   2 Samuel 8:15

 Someone has said, that great men are simply ordinary men doing what is right in extraordinary circumstances. Oh, to have more “ordinary”men.”

 The prophet Isaiah said of man:
“All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field. 
The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the LORD blows on them. Surely the people are grass. 
The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the Word of our God stands forever.” 
                                                                                                    Isaiah 40 6-8.
 I think, it can safely be said, that for the most part ,the majority of the billions of people on this earth will be born, live their life, and die in relative obscurity.
 It’s fair to say, that less than one percent of all of the people on the earth, will be mentioned in the history books, and most of them will be forgotten.
 Most people, at the end of their days, will be laid to rest with a few friends and family gathered round, saying nice things about them.
 They will not mention that he or she worked ridiculously long hours, at a relatively inconsequential job.
 They will not mention that he or she, had all the latest toys and gadgets the world had to offer.
 They will mention what kind of person he or she is, and in some cases, it will take a lot of thought to say nice things.
Ultimately in ten years, fifteen, fifty, a hundred the words written on the tomb of the unknown soldier will be referring to you. “Known only to God.”
What will you be remembered for?
 You may not be a great pastor or evangelist. You may not ever be elected to parliament or become a great general.
Ultimately it will only be what you did for God that will count.
 What will you be remembered for? Is your life worthwhile?
 Ben Zion Bosker wrote:
The man sweeping the synagogue paused for a moment.  He looked at the flowers lying about in disorder, ‘What waste!’  He said to himself.  Those roses had adorned the pulpit at a wedding an hour before.  Now all was over and they were waiting to be discarded.
 The attendant leaning on his sweeper was lost in thought, when suddenly he heard a strange sound.  One of the roses replied to him:
 ‘Do you call this a waste?” the flower protested, ‘What is life anyway, yours or mine, but a means of service?  My mission was to create some fragrance and beauty, and when I have fulfilled it, my life has not been wasted.  And what greater privilege is there than to adorn a bride’s way to her beloved, what greater privilege than to help glorify the moment when a bride and groom seal their faith in each other, by entering the covenant of marriage?’
 Our little flower paused for a moment to watch the man’s face, and then continued her discourse.
 ‘Roses are like people.  They live in deeds, not in time.  My glory was but for a brief hour, but you should have seen the joy in the bride’s eye.  I  like to believe that I had something to do with it, by creating a suitable setting for the moment of her supreme happiness.  So, don’t grieve for me.  My life has been worthwhile.
 Having spoken her little piece, the rose was once more silent. 
 The attendant, startled from his reverie and a little wiser, pushed the sweeper again and continued with his work.
                                     
 What deeds will you be remembered for. Will people at your funeral mention that you were a reliable worker around church, or at a local service club, or a volunteer at the local hospital?
 There are many opportunities for you, to serve in your church or community even in a modest way.
 There is always a need for volunteers will you be remembered as one?
 Will they be able to say you brought a little joy, laughter and happiness, to those whom your life touched? Will they?
 Think about it.