Just sharing.

[beensetfree]

3 Ways Christian Parenting is Like Being a Personal Trainer






Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. Ephesians 6:4
Paul instructs Christian fathers to bring their children up in the training and instruction in the Lord. The word for “bring them up” is the idea of nurturing, and it has a holistic connotation. Paul actually uses the same word in the previous chapter when he says, “no one ever hates his own body, but he feeds and cares for it.”
It’s the concept (which we should all understand as parents) of making sure that you care for the development of your child, not just feeding them and caring for their physical development, but caring for their mental, emotional and spiritual development as well. And then he mentions “training and instruction.” Those are two sides of the same coin. Training is disciplining and correcting them with action, and instruction is disciplining and correcting them with words.
Here’s an illustration that I thought of from Ephesians 6:4, and perhaps it will help you look at parenting from a new perspective: Think of parenting like being a personal trainer.

If you go to the gym and there’s a goal you have in mind: you want to get in shape, tone up, lose weight, whatever. You can figure a few things out on your own, but you have such a better shot of succeeding if you have a personal trainer. A personal trainer is there to help create a custom program for you that is crafted to your goals and they succeed when you meet your health and fitness goals.
They have the knowledge, they have the know-how, they’re right there with you, they know when to push you and when to back off. They are training and instructing you, through action and through word, so that you can meet your goal. Not that different than parenting.
So, if the goal is that when kids launch out into the world as adults, that they are walking in Christ and they are ready to make a difference for Jesus, then as a parent you are their personal trainer. Try thinking about it that way and see if it gives you a different perspective. Here are three ways Christian parenting is like being a personal trainer:
1. Don’t make your kids an idol.

I get this from the word “training.” In Hebrews 12 this word is used four times when talking about how a father disciplines the son he loves, and even though discipline isn’t any fun, it’s for their good. That’s the idea behind training. When you train your child, that means there has to be ground rules and discipline. You can’t properly discipline someone when they’re your idol.
Years ago the term many people used about parenting was “helicopter” parents, the ones who hovered around and never let the kids do anything on their own. The term I used today is “lawnmower” parents, those who mow down anything difficult so that their kid never has to struggle. As loving as that might seem, it’s not setting them up for success later on in life if they never learn how to overcome adversity because they’ve never faced adversity.

Go back to the personal trainer illustration. It would be like you walking into the gym, and the personal trainer saying, “I don’t want you to have to sweat, so I’m actually going to lift all the weights for you.” That’s useless! We have to allow our kids to struggle, we have to teach our kids how to fail well, so that they’re ready for the real world. Many people in culture are bemoaning this next generation, calling them snowflakes because they’re so fragile they can’t deal with the real world. It’s our fault. When we make our kids idols we don’t allow them to learn how to develop courage, strength, perseverance. There has to be discipline.

2. Show them how to successfully navigate this world.
I also get this from the word “training” in Ephesians 6:4. When you have a personal trainer, their job is to help you learn more about your body, to teach you how to get fit and stay fit, so that when they’re gone you can still do it on your own. A good personal trainer knows how much weight to put on the dumbbells to push you. It’s a fine art, and this is where parents (including me struggle). If you put on too much weight, they’ll tear a muscle. If you don’t put on any weights, they’ll never get stronger.
If you protect your kids in bubble wrap, they’ll never gain the strength needed to successfully navigate this world. But if there are no limits, especially when they’re younger, this world will eat them up and spit them out. This is where as parents you need to be on your knees and ask the Holy Spirit for guidance. It’s not enough to protect them from the world, because sooner or later they have to fly out of the nest. The key is to allow them to engage the world in bite-size chunks. That means that you have to have lots of conversations, with God and with your kids.

It’s like ike when my dad taught me to drive. He didn’t completely protect me until the day I got my license then set me loose on the world. Neither did he give me the car keys when I was 8 and let me practice on my own. When I was 15, we started spending evenings on a big parking lot, lots of wide open spaces, so I could gradually learn how to drive.
You’ve got to develop that same finesse when you teach your kids how to navigate this world. If you’re too protective or not protective enough, they won’t thrive outside of the nest. It’s got to be just the right amount, and that’s getting on your knees every single day and asking for God’s wisdom.

3. Shape their world with your words.
This comes from the word “instruction.” If you want to allow the world to shape their values, then just leave them alone and the world will take care of it for you. You won’t have to do a thing. But if you want to raise your child in Christ, it means that your voice needs to be the strongest voice in their ear. Pastors can help, the church can help, a youth pastor can help, but you still need to be the primary influence.

What you speak into them from a young age shapes their world. Personally, I am not a night owl. After 9 pm I turn into a pumpkin. But even though I want to sit on the couch and relax at night, I’m intentional to tuck each of my four kids in individually, we read a story, we talk about something from the Bible, and we pray together.
Tell them the stories of Scripture. Read it with them. Stories help shape their perspective of the world. Be intentional to discuss Scripture often and speak words of life with them. A good personal trainer is right there next to you, encouraging you when you’re starting to get tired. Your personal trainer’s words will push you to go farther than you could go yourself. A personal trainer is absolutely useless if he’s over in the corner on his phone while you’re on the benchpress about to collapse. So, parents, get off your phones and shape your kids’ world with words of life.

 

[beensetfree]

I will see the goodness of the LORD I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD. Psalm 27:13,14 NIV __________________ For the LORD will not cast off for ever: But though He cause grief, yet will He have compassion according to the multitude of His mercies. For He doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men. Lamentations 3:31-33 KJV __________________ But the salvation of the righteous is from the LORD; He is their strength in time of trouble. The LORD helps them and delivers them; He delivers them from the wicked and saves them, Because they take refuge in Him. Psalm 37:39,40 NASB __________________ Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift: Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God is the object of our faith; the only faith that saves is faith in Him.

 

[beensetfree]

“He humbled himself.”

Philippians 2:8

Jesus is the great teacher of lowliness of heart. We need daily to learn of him. See the Master taking a towel and washing his disciples’ feet! Follower of Christ, wilt thou not humble thyself? See him as the Servant of servants, and surely thou canst not be proud! Is not this sentence the compendium of his biography, “He humbled himself”? Was he not on earth always stripping off first one robe of honour and then another, till, naked, he was fastened to the cross, and there did he not empty out his inmost self, pouring out his life-blood, giving up for all of us, till they laid him penniless in a borrowed grave? How low was our dear Redeemer brought!

How then can we be proud? Stand at the foot of the cross, and count the purple drops by which you have been cleansed; see the thorn-crown; mark his scourged shoulders, still gushing with encrimsoned rills; see hands and feet given up to the rough iron, and his whole self to mockery and scorn; see the bitterness, and the pangs, and the throes of inward grief, showing themselves in his outward frame; hear the thrilling shriek, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” And if you do not lie prostrate on the ground before that cross, you have never seen it: if you are not humbled in the presence of Jesus, you do not know him. You were so lost that nothing could save you but the sacrifice of God's only begotten.

Think of that, and as Jesus stooped for you, bow yourself in lowliness at his feet. A sense of Christ's amazing love to us has a greater tendency to humble us than even a consciousness of our own guilt. May the Lord bring us in contemplation to Calvary, then our position will no longer be that of the pompous man of pride, but we shall take the humble place of one who loves much because much has been forgiven him. Pride cannot live beneath the cross. Let us sit there and learn our lesson, and then rise and carry it into practice.

 

[beensetfree]

How To Develop Godly Patience



Sometimes, patience is the last thing you have in this fast-paced, frantic world, so here’s how you can remain patient when everyone else seems to be losing theirs.
What is Patience?
The dictionary defines patience as: the ability or capacity to remain patient; the state of endurance under difficult circumstances; and/or persevering in the face of delay or provocation without acting upon it. That sounds a lot like Job. In the context of being persecuted for being Christ’s witness, Jesus said, “Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also” (Matt 5:29). This doesn’t mean we don’t lock our doors at night or don’t take precautions, but we do not respond in kind. This was not talking about physical violence but about being insulted for His name’s sake. We are to turn the other cheek in the sense of not retaliating when we are insulted for our faith. That is the context of verses 38-42 because Jesus went on to say that “if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.” Clearly this is a command to go the extra mile for someone and not give “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” (Matt 5:38). A person who is being persecuted for living a godly life shouldn’t be surprised by persecution (1 Pet 4:12-19; 1 John 3:13)…the surprise would be that a professing Christian is never persecuted for their faith.

“I choose the appointed time; it is I who judge uprightly” (Psalm 75:2).Drop the Gavel
In the 12th chapter of Romans, the Apostle Paul was writing to a heavily persecuted church in Rome, but he still tells them, “never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord” (Rom12:19). There are certain things we must leave up to the judgment God. The Psalmist understood that it was God Who would “choose the appointed time; it is I who judge uprightly” (Psalm 75:2). We do not overcome evil by getting even but we “overcome evil with good” (Rom 12:21b). Clearly, this means we “Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all” (Rom 12:17), with the understanding that God “will render to each one according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life” (Rom 2:6-7).

Biblical Patience
Patience is a powerful thing during tumultuous times. Solomon wrote that it is “With patience a ruler may be persuaded, and a soft tongue will break a bone” (Prov 25:15), and not by hard words spoken in anger, which only stirs up more wrath. Part of the difficulty with Christians today is that we are sometimes not very patient with one another, even though we are told to “encourage the fainthearted, help the weak [and] be patient with them all” (1 Thess 5:14), so may “the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God” (Rom 5:5-7). The only one I run out of patience for is the one who looks back at me in the mirror. He’s a handful in itself!

Jumping to Conclusions
When you’re waiting for someone or someone breaks a promise, we can sometimes jump to conclusions, and not always the best ones. For example, if someone didn’t make it in time to pick us up, we might think their being late is their own fault, but that’s not always the case, is it? A person that’s patient and loving will tend to believe the best in a person before assuming the worst. They know that “Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” (1 Cor 13:7). Love gives people the benefit of the doubt and does not think the worst in people.

All too often I assumed that someone did something with evil intent or motives, only to find out later that this was not the case. I’ve repented of that and strive to avoid doing that now, but I know I am told to “Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful” (James 5:7-11).

Fruit of the Spirit
The fruits of the Spirit are “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control…”
Patience is not a gift of the Spirit but a fruit of the Holy Spirit (Gal 5:22), and a fruit that’s interwoven through the other fruits, like “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another” (Gal 5:22-25).

Jesus said you will recognize a tree by its fruit, and the fruit shows us where its root is, since “every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits” (Matt 7:17-20). Naturally, only a good tree produces good fruit and a bad tree, bad fruit. Jesus warned that “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” (Matt 7:21). Time will tell if it’s godly fruit or wax fruit which will melt under the heat of persecution (Matt 13:20-21).

Conclusion
I’ve tried to focus on myself rather than others. That way I can be more patient with others. I realize that I cannot change people. Only God can do that (Prov 21:1), but I can change myself, and so I must be patient with others as the Bible commands, but I must also be patient with myself because our harshest judge is usually us! If I focus on being more patient with others, then others may be more patient with me. One thing that’s humbling is to know that before we trusted in Christ, “such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Cor 6:11). This means we are no better than anyone…just better off in our standing before God. Pray that those who are not yet justified through Christ that are reading this, might repent and come to saving faith in Jesus Christ today. In the meantime, be patient with them as the Lord was with us before we were saved.

 

[beensetfree]

Do not envy sinners Then Jesus said to his disciples: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest? Luke 12:22-26 NIV __________________ Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long. For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off. Proverbs 23:17,18 KJV __________________ Do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: "He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us"? James 4:4-5 NASB __________________ Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift: Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God is the object of our faith; the only faith that saves is faith in Him.

 

[beensetfree]

“Received up into glory.”

1 Timothy 3:16

We have seen our well-beloved Lord in the days of his flesh, humiliated and sore vexed; for he was “despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief.” He whose brightness is as the morning, wore the sackcloth of sorrow as his daily dress: shame was his mantle, and reproach was his vesture. Yet now, inasmuch as he has triumphed over all the powers of darkness upon the bloody tree, our faith beholds our King returning with dyed garments from Edom, robed in the splendour of victory. How glorious must he have been in the eyes of seraphs, when a cloud received him out of mortal sight, and he ascended up to heaven!

Now he wears the glory which he had with God or ever the earth was, and yet another glory above all—that which he has well earned in the fight against sin, death, and hell. As victor he wears the illustrious crown. Hark how the song swells high! It is a new and sweeter song: “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, for he hath redeemed us unto God by his blood!” He wears the glory of an Intercessor who can never fail, of a Prince who can never be defeated, of a Conqueror who has vanquished every foe, of a Lord who has the heart's allegiance of every subject. Jesus wears all the glory which the pomp of heaven can bestow upon him, which ten thousand times ten thousand angels can minister to him.

You cannot with your utmost stretch of imagination conceive his exceeding greatness; yet there will be a further revelation of it when he shall descend from heaven in great power, with all the holy angels—“Then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory.” Oh, the splendour of that glory! It will ravish his people's hearts. Nor is this the close, for eternity shall sound his praise, “Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever!” Reader, if you would joy in Christ's glory hereafter, he must be glorious in your sight now. Is he so?

 

[beensetfree]

Read The Eulogy Today



Nearly every funeral service or memorial service contains some form of a eulogy, but why wait until it’s too late for the deceased to hear it?
Words
Jesus once said that “by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matt 12:37), so we can see that words are important. Christ went on to say that “whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels” (Mark 8:38). To be ashamed of Christ’s words means we never share Christ’s words, primarily as a way to share the good news. Sometimes we’re too ashamed to bring it up in the conversation, but if we never speak of Christ, then we are denying Him by our silence, however, for those who have passed away, our edifying words may come too late.

Our “I love you” comes too late. Or, “You are something special” falls on deaf ears. Are we ashamed to compliment them today, while they’re still with us? We are told to “encourage one another with these words” (1 Thess 4:18), and we presume Paul intended these words for the living! Even though the Apostle Paul was writing this in the context of the coming of the Lord, we still need to hear encouraging words from our family and friends. All too often we can end up in a “quarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers” (2 Tim 2:14), so if we are to say anything at all, let our words build up rather than tear down. Let them encourage rather than discourage. Otherwise, it’s best to remain silent.

The Eulogy
A eulogy is basically a speech or piece of writing that gives accolades to someone who has just died. It is an opportunity to acknowledge the importance of the person’s life. The eulogy might include a brief account of their life, education, work, or relationships, but we rarely ever say anything negative at a funeral or memorial service in behalf of the deceased. Eulogies are typically flattering to the deceased, and sometimes include lists of accomplishments or special recognition. This is all good and proper, but my question is, “Why wait until the person is gone to tell them how much they meant to you?”

Your words will do them no good if they’re gone…it may make the family and friends of the loved ones feel better, but it does nothing to help the deceased. It’s too late to do that now. These things might have been better said while the person was still living so they could appreciate it, and it would do them good. Words have great meaning. They have the power of life and death (Prov 18:21), but eulogies are words that fall on deaf ears of the deceased, and are intended more to make the living feel better. Of course, that’s fine in itself, but why wait till they’re at the kingdom’s gate!?

Encouragement
Paul knew the power of words, so he was continually suggesting that the church “encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing” (1 Thess 5:11). After Moses’ death, God gave great encouragement to Joshua, telling him, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9). In all the churches, Paul desired that “their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ” (Col 2:2). Paul said that he personally “exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory” (1 Thess 2:12), so his hope was that they would “encourage one another and build one another up” (1 Thess 5:11), and stop tearing one another down.

Read the Eulogy
Life is so short. It’s like a morning fog. It burns off quickly, and it’s gone. Life is like that. One day your friend or loved one is there…the next, they’re gone. And now it’s too late to tell them what they’ve meant to you over all these years. The time’s passed when you can tell them, “Thank you” and “I love you.” If they only knew how much they’ve enriched your life, so why wait until they can’t hear it? What value is that to them after they’re gone? Perhaps there is value in those words for those left behind to hear, but what should have been said while they were living is now too late for them to hear.

Solomon tells us, “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring” (Prov 27:1). We should never “say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit” (James 4:13), because “you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes” (James 4:14). James’s point is well taken. We have no guarantee that tomorrow will come for us, or for those we love. Today is the best of days to tell your loved ones and friends what they mean to you. If you wait…it may be too late. They may be gone, but so may we!

Conclusion
Time waits for no one. We know that life is full of surprises. Today someone is here, and the next, they’re gone. We have no idea what today or tomorrow may bring, so today is the best of days to tell people how much they mean to you, and to tell others too. Words have meaning…but words cannot help those who cannot hear them. Say it today. Have the eulogy. Encourage someone today because we don’t even know if we’ll see them tomorrow.

 

[Hanslesley73]

In The Mirror

Someone will always be prettier.

Someone will always be smarter.

Someone's house will be bigger.
Someone will drive a better car.
Someone's children will do better in school.
And her husband will fix more things around the house.

So let it go, and love you and your circumstances.

Think about it.
The prettiest woman in the world can have an ugly heart.
The most highly favored woman on your job may be unable to have
children.

The richest woman you know - she's got the car, the house,
the clothes - might be very lonely.

The Word says if I have not Love, I am nothing.

So, again I suggest, love you.

Love who you are right now and let God be your barometer.
Mirror Him.

Look in the mirror in the morning and see how much of God you see.
He's the only standard and even when you come up short,
He will not leave you or forsake you.

Smile and may God continue to bless you.

How typical of today's world mentality - to make-believe that prettiest people can have an ugly heart. When in real life, usually the ugly ones have a bad heart mainly because they indulge in their bitterness of being ugly. Pretty ones are too busy to care (able to be more compassionate and let the uglies self-soothe themselves with this make-believe)because pretty ones are more content/thankful about being in their pretty self. For example - Ho Ching would definitely like to make believe that pretty ladies are bad....coz just look at Ho Ching's face and you will understand. Moral of the story is - ugly people, please beautify yourself instead of bad mouthing pretty people. As the saying goes,'there is no ugly women, only lazy ones.'

 

[beensetfree]

Patience + Endurance At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. Matthew 24:10-13 NIV __________________ My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. James 1:2-4 KJV __________________ Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul. Hebrews 10:35-39 KJV __________________ Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift: Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God is the object of our faith; the only faith that saves is faith in Him.

 

[beensetfree]

“He that loveth not knoweth not God.”

1 John 4:8

The distinguishing mark of a Christian is his confidence in the love of Christ, and the yielding of his affections to Christ in return. First, faith sets her seal upon the man by enabling the soul to say with the apostle, “Christ loved me and gave himself for me.” Then love gives the countersign, and stamps upon the heart gratitude and love to Jesus in return. “We love him because he first loved us.”

In those grand old ages, which are the heroic period of the Christian religion, this double mark was clearly to be seen in all believers in Jesus; they were men who knew the love of Christ, and rested upon it as a man leaneth upon a staff whose trustiness he has tried. The love which they felt towards the Lord was not a quiet emotion which they hid within themselves in the secret chamber of their souls, and which they only spake of in their private assemblies when they met on the first day of the week, and sang hymns in honour of Christ Jesus the crucified, but it was a passion with them of such a vehement and all-consuming energy, that it was visible in all their actions, spoke in their common talk, and looked out of their eyes even in their commonest glances.

Love to Jesus was a flame which fed upon the core and heart of their being; and, therefore, from its own force burned its way into the outer man, and shone there. Zeal for the glory of King Jesus was the seal and mark of all genuine Christians. Because of their dependence upon Christ's love they dared much, and because of their love to Christ they did much, and it is the same now. The children of God are ruled in their inmost powers by love - the love of Christ constraineth them; they rejoice that divine love is set upon them, they feel it shed abroad in their hearts by the Holy Ghost, which is given unto them, and then by force of gratitude they love the Saviour with a pure heart, fervently. My reader, do you love him? Ere you sleep give an honest answer to a weighty question!

 

[beensetfree]

Psalm 103 And The Compassion of God



Psalm 103 perfectly captures the essence of God’s fatherly nature.
Forgiveness
King David must have been feeling blessed, because twice in two verses he says, “Bless the Lord, O my soul” (Psalm 103:1-2), and blessed he was, and so are those who have trusted in Christ. The psalmist reminds us to “forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases” (Psalm 103:2c-3). Through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, David writes that it is God “who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy” (Psalm 103:3). God withholds what we deserve (His wrath) because of Christ, so that’s mercy. Our iniquities are forgotten but not His benefits…that’s grace. The ultimate healing is spiritual, when we receive Jesus’ own righteousness imputed on our behalf (2 Cor 5:21). If you are forgiven, then your soul is blessed!

Judgment
The Apostle Paul tells us to “never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord” (Rom 12:19). In that light, David reassures us that “The Lord works righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed” (Psalm 103:6), so it is God Who will make all things right, not us, but it will be in His own time and way. We’re simply told to “Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all” (Rom 12:17), so we leave justice up to God. Remember that at one time, we ourselves were ungodly, wicked enemies of God (Rom 5:6-10), but “The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love” (Psalm 103:8), for all who have trusted in Christ.

Mercy
The psalmist includes the fact that not only does God forgive and forget our sins, but “He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities” (Psalm 103:10). Of course, we’ll still receive the consequences of our actions, but the sin in doing them is absolved. It is because of God’s great mercy that David can say, that just “as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him” (Psalm 103:11). To use a physical analogy, David says that “as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:12). Since east and west don’t meet as do north and south (at the equator), this means our sins are sent out to a point where they’re never seen again or heard about again. It is only when we try to resurrect our old, dead, and forgiven sins that they’re brought back up, but God does not dig up the past of what’s been buried. He is not like we are.

Compassion
The psalmist describes God as having a fatherly nature when he writes about God’s tender compassion toward His children. For example, David writes, “As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him” (Psalm 103:13). He is compassionate toward us because “he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust” (Psalm 103:14), or remembers how we’re built. Mankind’s “days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field” (Psalm 103:15), so our lives, when compared to the eternal God, are just like “the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more” (Psalm 103:16), however there is hope beyond the grave since “the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children’s children” (Psalm 103:17). He is the God of the Living and not the dead (Mark 12:27; Luke 20:38).
Bless the Lord


The psalmist concludes the psalm in the same way that he started it. He writes, “Bless the Lord, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his word, obeying the voice of his word” (Psalm 103:20), and again, “Bless the Lord, all his hosts, his ministers, who do his will” (Psalm 103:21). And for the third and fourth time, David writes, “Bless the Lord, all his works, in all places of his dominion. Bless the Lord, O my soul” (Psalm 103:22). You get the idea. Bless the name of the Lord for all His wonderful blessings, and there are many. This praise psalm is just what we need when things get hard.

Conclusion
The phrase, “Bless the Lord” is mentioned more than anything else in this psalm, and we can see why after reading psalm 103. God is good to His children. He does not give them what they deserve, and we call that mercy. Then He gives them what they don’t deserve, and that’s called grace (Eph 2:8-9). God as a Father is a fitting image for this since He remembers that our frame is fragile, being but dust…He knows our sins and is quick to forgive us when we confess them (1 John 1:9). To confess means to agree with God about our sins. Then God blesses us with everlasting life through Jesus Christ. The Lord testified, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this” (John 10:25-26)? I hope you do believe this. Only those who God brings to repentance and faith in Christ will be saved, and there is no other way (Acts 4:12), so come to Christ today and be saved….and do it while it is still called “today” (2 Cor 6:2).

 

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Concerning Money One man pretends to be rich, yet has nothing; another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth. A man's riches may ransom his life, but a poor man hears no threat. Proverbs 13:7,8 NIV __________________ Better is little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and trouble therewith. Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith. Proverbs 15:16,17 KJV __________________ A man with an evil eye hastens after wealth And does not know that want will come upon him. Proverbs 28:22 NASB __________________ Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift: Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God is the object of our faith; the only faith that saves is faith in Him.

 

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“Are they Israelites? so am I.”

2 Corinthians 11:22

We have here a personal claim , and one that needs proof. The apostle knew that his claim was indisputable, but there are many persons who have no right to the title who yet claim to belong to the Israel of God. If we are with confidence declaring, “So am I also an Israelite,” let us only say it after having searched our heart as in the presence of God.

But if we can give proof that we are following Jesus, if we can from the heart say, “I trust him wholly, trust him only, trust him simply, trust him now, and trust him ever,” then the position which the saints of God hold belongs to us—all their enjoyments are our possessions; we may be the very least in Israel, “less than the least of all saints,” yet since the mercies of God belong to the saints as saints , and not as advanced saints, or well-taught saints, we may put in our plea, and say, “Are they Israelites? so am I; therefore the promises are mine, grace is mine, glory will be mine.” The claim, rightfully made, is one which will yield untold comfort.

When God's people are rejoicing that they are his, what a happiness if they can say, “So am I !” When they speak of being pardoned, and justified, and accepted in the Beloved, how joyful to respond, “Through the grace of God, so am I .” But this claim not only has its enjoyments and privileges, but also its conditions and duties. We must share with God's people in cloud as well as in sunshine. When we hear them spoken of with contempt and ridicule for being Christians, we must come boldly forward and say, “So am I.” When we see them working for Christ, giving their time, their talent, their whole heart to Jesus, we must be able to say, “So do I.” O let us prove our gratitude by our devotion, and live as those who, having claimed a privilege, are willing to take the responsibility connected with it.

 

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What the Parable of The Prodigal Son Teaches Us About God


There are many stories throughout the Scriptures that teach us what happens when families fight. In fact, it could be argued that that is what a good majority of the book of Genesis is all about. From Cain and Abel to Jacob and Esau, all the way to Joseph and his older brothers, this book is chock full of family drama, vengeance, and out-and-out violence.

These stories are not included without reason, however. It’s not just drama for the sake of drama. There’s real anthropological and psychological meat for us to chew on.
In the story of Cain and Abel, for instance, we have a tale about two brothers who vie for God’s favor in the form of sacrificial offerings. Both brothers desire God’s blessing and favor, and when only one is perceived to have it, they get into a bitter rivalry that ends in spilt blood: Cain rises up and kills his brother Abel. This starts the downward spiral of seventyfold vengeance that culminates in a flood of epic proportions.

Fast forward a handful of generations to Jacob and Esau. On the one hand, Esau was loved by the boys’ father, Isaac, but on the other, their mother, Rebekah, loved Jacob. Family drama, am I right?! Mimetic jealousy of the highest order! On top of that, there was this whole business about the birthright and blessing from Isaac. Who was gonna get it? Well, tradition stated that it was to go to Esau, being that he was the eldest. But Jacob, being the heel-grasper that he was, used his deceptive nature to trick Isaac into giving it to him. This causes a near lifelong crisis that, on multiple occasions, almost ends in blood.

And finally, there is the story of Joseph and his brothers. And again, it all comes back to fighting over who is the “chosen one.” Who is gonna find favor? Who is “the man?” In this story, it was going to be Joseph, the youngest of the lot. At least, according to Joseph’s dreams. In them, it was implied that all of the brothers were going to serve the youngest. Joseph was going to be supreme among them.

So, they plot to kill him. But instead, Joseph gets away, is sold into slavery, and then rises the Egyptian ranks until he becomes Pharaoh’s right-hand man. After some plot twists and a bit of deception by Joseph, it is revealed that Joseph indeed became “the man” among them, and there you have it, the dreams come true.
What can be gleaned, among other things, is that when we compete for God’s good graces, or our father’s blessing or birthright, we end up tangled up in mimetic rivalry that often ends in bloodshed. The same could be said about the two brothers in the Parable of the Prodigal Son.

In this parable, after the younger brother squanders his entire inheritance, forcing him to become a swineherd, he comes crawling back to his father with his proverbial tail between his legs. His father, however, showing no favor to either son based on any merit or good-standing in the family, comes running down the lane to shower his son with love and, shortly thereafter, a celebratory meal. That is to say, the father showers his son with preemptive love, grace, and mercy.


This, as we’re all probably aware, pisses the eldest son off. He gets caught up in pure mimetic jealousy: “Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!” (Luke 15:29–30) For the eldest, it was all about a quid pro quo: I did this so I deserve that; he didn’t do this so he deserves nothing! But for the father, who is to be a picture of God, there is no such exchange, no such mimetic set-up for the sons.

The father, rather than getting annoyed by his eldest’s jealousy, reminds him that, “Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found” (Luke 15:31–32). What we should notice here is that the father’s grace is free, and his love for his sons of equal breadth and depth. Unlike Isaac, who specifically loved Esau over Jacob, there is no favor shown one way or the other. One isn’t blessed over the other. Both are blessed equally.

Everything that is the father’s is also the sons—both sons, regardless of their behavior.
Now, we certainly can see how this sort of unadulterated grace can cause scandal for many. We still tend to operate under systems of exchange, a tit for a tat and all that. We expect that our “good” behaviors will be rewarded while their “bad” behaviors will be punished. We expect the Deuteronomic God who blesses the righteous and punishes the wicked (see Deuteronomy 28). But God isn’t like that. As Jesus teaches us in Matthew 5:45, God sends rain on both the righteous and the unrighteous. God, like the father in the parable, gives all he has to both sons, regardless of their past deeds (or misdeeds).

Sadly, this is something that is often either missed or overlooked by many Christians. We tend to oversimplify things and only focus on the sons in the story. What we need to do, however, is focus a little bit of our attention on the father because it seems to paint a picture of God that is strikingly dissimilar to the gods we tend to concoct in our image. We approach things in an economic way and tend to create gods who act similar. We bless those in the right while punishing those in the wrong and we tend to think God acts like that. But not for Jesus. Not here in this parable. God is always giving all God has, even when we don’t think they deserve it.
Let us be less like the sons and more like the father.

 

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No evil shall befall you Life will be brighter than noonday, and darkness will become like morning. You will be secure, because there is hope; you will look about you and take your rest in safety. You will lie down, with no one to make you afraid, and many will court your favor. Job 11:17-19 NIV __________________ For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil. And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good? 1 Peter 3:12,13 KJV __________________ Because you have made the LORD your refuge, the Most High your habitation, no evil shall befall you, no scourge come near your tent. For he will give his angels charge of you to guard you in all your ways. Psalm 91:9-11 NASB __________________ Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift: Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God is the object of our faith; the only faith that saves is faith in Him.

 

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“Be zealous.”

Revelation 3:19

If you would see souls converted, if you would hear the cry that “the kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord;” if you would place crowns upon the head of the Saviour, and his throne lifted high, then be filled with zeal. For, under God, the way of the world's conversion must be by the zeal of the church. Every grace shall do exploits, but this shall be first; prudence, knowledge, patience, and courage will follow in their places, but zeal must lead the van.

It is not the extent of your knowledge, though that is useful; it is not the extent of your talent, though that is not to be despised; it is your zeal that shall do great exploits. This zeal is the fruit of the Holy Spirit: it draws its vital force from the continued operations of the Holy Ghost in the soul. If our inner life dwindles, if our heart beats slowly before God, we shall not know zeal; but if all be strong and vigorous within, then we cannot but feel a loving anxiety to see the kingdom of Christ come, and his will done on earth, even as it is in heaven.

A deep sense of gratitude will nourish Christian zeal. Looking to the hole of the pit whence we were digged, we find abundant reason why we should spend and be spent for God. And zeal is also stimulated by the thought of the eternal future. It looks with tearful eyes down to the flames of hell, and it cannot slumber: it looks up with anxious gaze to the glories of heaven, and it cannot but bestir itself. It feels that time is short compared with the work to be done, and therefore it devotes all that it has to the cause of its Lord. And it is ever strengthened by the remembrance of Christ's example. He was clothed with zeal as with a cloak. How swift the chariot-wheels of duty went with him! He knew no loitering by the way. Let us prove that we are his disciples by manifesting the same spirit of zeal.

 

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6 Things That Damage Our Relationship With God



There are a lot of things that might destroy our relationships with others, but what 6 things can damage our relationship with God?
Words
How can words damager our relationship with God? Our words can hurt others, and it’s not true that “words can never hurt me.” That’s probably uttered by someone who’s been hurt, but harsh or judgmental words spoken to others, and in particular to brothers and sisters in Christ, is something Jesus takes personally. Remember when Jesus met Saul (later, known as the Apostle Saul) on the Damascus Road? Paul had been persecuting believers, some to the point of death, so Jesus asks him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me” (Acts 9:4)? Wait! Isn’t Jesus in heaven? Then how can Saul have been persecuting Him? Because anyone who persecutes believers, is persecuting Jesus since He is the Head of the church and we are the Body of Christ.

Unconfessed Sin
For a long time, King David suppressed his sin…the sin of conspiracy to commit murder, and adultery; both sins that were punishable by death in Israel, but even though David took a long time in confessing these sins, and it took Nathan the Prophet to finally penetrate his conscience, David was miserable. In perhaps one of the greatest prayers of repentance, David wrote, “I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me” (Psalm 51:3), showing that his unconfessed sin was a burden that wouldn’t go away, saying that “when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long” (Psalm 32:3). He told God, it was like, all “day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer” (Psalm 32:4). Unconfessed sin has similar effects our human relationships, so how much more does it affect our relationship with God?

No Communication
When we are mad at someone, we sometimes refuse to speak to them, and giving them the silent treatment makes it harder to reconcile the differences. When communications are severed between parties, there’s slim chance for reconciliation, so when we cut ourselves off from God, we won’t be able to hear His voice as easily. I don’t mean His audible voice, but how He speaks through the Spirit of God. A man wrote his girlfriend for 3 straight years since he lived a long distance from her. He wrote her almost every day…so what happened? She married the postal carrier! Bad story, but the point is, if we don’t seek to communicate with God in daily prayer, we’re cutting ourselves off the most critical communication we have. And it seems the longer you go without praying (same thing with Bible reading and study), the harder it is to get back to it. Before you know it, it’s been 3 months since you prayed. I have found that the times when I least feel like praying, are the very times when I need it the most.

Worry
Imagine your child coming to you, day after day, asking to see the kitchen cupboards, look into the refrigerator, and ask how much is in the bank. If a child kept coming back to ask, “Mom, is there enough food for me to eat tomorrow,” mom would finally say, “Enough. Yes, we have enough food for tomorrow and the next day and the next week!” Of course, children don’t do that (usually) because they trust that their parents will provide for them. They feel a sense of security. Now think how God feels when we don’t trust Him with today, not to mention tomorrow?

To me, worry is the opposite of trust. If I worry about someone driving too fast, it’s because they could get someone hurt (including me!), but if they’re driving the speed limit, I don’t have to worry, at least as much. Jesus said that we should “not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear’” (Matt 6:31). Paul echo’s that statement by writing, we should “not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (Phil 4:6). Worry says, “I don’t trust You God,” but trust says, “I’m not worried because You are God.”

Robbing Glory
God is never happy when we take credit for something He has done. Paul would asked, “What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it” (1 Cor 4:7)? John the Baptist correctly stated that “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven” (John 3:27), so we must acknowledge Him in all things, and give thanks to Him for the many blessings. The psalmist got it right when he wrote, “Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory” (Psalm 115:1a). We must acknowledge God and how much He has blessed us by making it known to others. If you (and I) can learn to always “acknowledge him,” “he will make straight your paths” (Prov 3:6).

The World

There is an unholy trinity out there that seeks to destroy us. The Apostle John says that “all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world” (1 John 2:16). Those three are what brought down Adam and Eve in the Garden, and we battle the same three things every day, so we are told, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15). If we claim to know God but live like the world, we ought to examine ourselves to see if we’re really in the faith (2 Cor 13:5; 2 Pet 1:10-11). Living like the world is certainly going to damage our relationship with God.

Conclusion
There are dozens of other things that can damage our relationship with God. Maybe you can think of one, but I know by experience that I’ve hurt God by my ungodly behavior, many times. Thankfully, He is a God Who forgives, and there is no sin that the blood of the Lamb of God cannot cover. Have you trusted in Him today? If not, you don’t have a relationship with God, but that relationship begins with Jesus Christ. And today is the best of days to come to Him (2 Cor 6:2).

 

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Why did Messiah come? For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. 1 John 3:8b,9 KJV __________________ This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 1 John 4:9,10 NIV __________________ But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. Romans 5:8-10 NASB __________________ Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift: Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God is the object of our faith; the only faith that saves is faith in Him.

 

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“Thou shalt see now whether my word shall come to pass unto thee or not.”

Numbers 11:23

God had made a positive promise to Moses that for the space of a whole month he would feed the vast host in the wilderness with flesh. Moses, being overtaken by a fit of unbelief, looks to the outward means, and is at a loss to know how the promise can be fulfilled. He looked to the creature instead of the Creator. But doth the Creator expect the creature to fulfil his promise for him? No; he who makes the promise ever fulfils it by his own unaided omnipotence.

If he speaks, it is done — done by himself. His promises do not depend for their fulfilment upon the co-operation of the puny strength of man. We can at once perceive the mistake which Moses made. And yet how commonly we do the same! God has promised to supply our needs, and we look to the creature to do what God has promised to do; and then, because we perceive the creature to be weak and feeble, we indulge in unbelief.

Why look we to that quarter at all? Will you look to the north pole to gather fruits ripened in the sun? Verily, you would act no more foolishly if ye did this than when you look to the weak for strength, and to the creature to do the Creator's work. Let us, then, put the question on the right footing. The ground of faith is not the sufficiency of the visible means for the performance of the promise, but the all-sufficiency of the invisible God, who will most surely do as he hath said.

If after clearly seeing that the onus lies with the Lord and not with the creature, we dare to indulge in mistrust, the question of God comes home mightily to us: “Has the Lord's hand waxed short?” May it happen, too, in his mercy, that with the question there may flash upon our souls that blessed declaration, “Thou shalt see now whether my word shall come to pass unto thee or not.”

 

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When Church Is Optional, You Set up Your Kids to Fail



“Hey Pastor, I just wanted to let you know that we won’t be at church for the next three months because my girl is playing ball and they have games on Sunday and practices throughout the week.”
My heart sank into my stomach. I wouldn’t call it shock, because I had heard this statement, or at least something like this, dozens of times from different parents over the years. Sports, plays, bands, fundraisers, on and on went the list of programs and distractions that would inevitably take the family out of church for a season. “Well, let me encourage you to reconsider that”, I began.

But there was no talking him down. I explained in a hushed tone the importance of his role as a father to set the standard for his children. I talked about the importance of putting the Lord first. I talked about the importance of *GULP* attending the local church (Heb 13:17). But, standing before me was a father and husband who, instead of leading his family in holiness was choosing to inflict them with spiritual wounds.
“Well they are saved, so what else is there?” he said, jovially.
I felt my face go flush. “What else is there?” I asked. “Life! The Gospel is for all of life; not just a ‘get-out-of-hell-free’ card. Being here as a family will do far more for them in the long run than this sport. Trust me.”

He snapped back, this time with a more serious tone, “Well, they [his kids] need to learn teamwork and stuff.” We exchanged a few more words and then he walked out – his children and wife in tow. We saw the kids at a couple more youth events and then never again.
Pastorally I still ache thinking about that exchange and others like it. As a believer who considers the gathering of the saints as a commanded, valuable, necessary privilege of grace; I had always struggled with these talks – I suppose I still do. I am stupefied at how readily professing believers throw God on the backburner – especially when the heart of their children is on the line.

Where did we go wrong? How can we sing on Sunday morning that Jesus is my “all-in-all” and then decide to sacrifice the glorious, life-giving truths of the Gospel on the bloody altar of hobbies? At what point did so many professing Christians parents exchange the instruction, “keep your eyes on Jesus” for “Keep your eyes on the ball”?
Oh great, another blog post about the evils of hobbies… I should say this, there is nothing inherently wrong with sports or any other kind of hobby, so long as it doesn’t violate God’s law. I am a huge Phillies baseball fan and an avid hunter (If you didn’t dislike me up to this point – you probably do now).
I wrestled with the tensions between hobbies and church for years. Swinging from one end of the pendulum – it doesn’t matter, to the other – all hobbies are evil and pull people away from God. I would like to think today, through studying God’s Word, I now have a more biblical understanding.

I do not believe that skipping out on the Lord’s Day services is ever appropriate unless divinely organized (sickness, hospitalization, etc.) Sunday is a special day for God’s people and ought not be treated like a second Saturday. This means that hobbies should fall second to the things of God. This thought is certainly counter-cultural. My unsaved family thinks I’m crazy, because every hunting season I come down out of the mountains with my wife and daughters, shower at a truck stop, and attend the service at a small rural church in the nearest town – effectively “wasting” the entire day… and I love it every time. Admittedly, there are times when I am driving down the mountain pass and thoughts of the big muley bucks I’m missing out on trot through my mind, but then the truth hits me, “Glorious are you [God], more majestic than the mountains full of prey” (Ps 76:4). Hobbies and convenience are no reason to disobey clear commands (Heb 10:25) – not even hunting season. I don’t ever want my girls thinking that we vacation from God.

I believe that the problem is not the sport or hobby itself – the problem is often the forgetfulness of the parents.

Parents Have Forgotten Who Is Responsible for Their Kid’s Spiritual Well-Being.
Children are a heritage and a blessing from the Lord (Ps 127:3-5), and as gifts from the Lord they are to be handled and cared for as precious beings made in His image (Gen 1:27). It is the parents that are commanded in scripture to discipline their children (Prov 25:19) and teach them what they are to know about God (Prov 22:6, Duet 6:7). It is the parent’s responsibility to introduce their child to the scriptures, “…which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” (2 Tim 3:14-17). Oddly, in all of the passages we read about raising children, nowhere are these responsibilities shifted to the church. If I must give an account for my family, then I must take these responsibilities seriously.

Parents Have Forgotten the Purpose of Youth Ministry.
We can argue the validity of youth ministry all day, but most of us should at least agree, as mentioned above, youth group is not an acceptable substitute for Godly living and training at home. I am the first to recognize that there are a lot of bad youth programs out there. However, youth ministry, in its purest form is to come along side parents in helping to equip, meet, and reinforce the spiritual needs and habits of their children. Unfortunately, instead of being used as a helpful tool, youth ministry is often used as a substitute spiritual guide. It is a sad day when spiritual care of kids is pawned off onto the church, who having them for an hour or two each week is supposed to make up for the lack of spiritual vitality and leadership at home. Is it any wonder that kids get “bored” and fall away? It is even less of a wonder that upon the child falling away the blame is often placed directly on the lap of the church. Imagine if parents took to regularly praying with, studying with, and investing spiritually into their kids!


Parents Have Forgotten the Purpose of the Local Church Gathering.
When parents choose to enroll their children in programs that will directly violate the clear commands of Hebrews 10:25, it is a sign that they have forgotten the purpose of the local gathering. It’s easy to say “___________” is more fun than church, the kids enjoy it more; forgetting, of course, that the purpose of the church is not to entertain you! Gathering together fulfills a much greater purpose than simply something to do on Sunday morning (as long as nothing else is going on.) Mark Dever summarizes the purpose of the church gathering in this way: “The proper ends for a local congregation’s life and actions are the worship of God, the edification of the church, and the evangelization of the world. These three purposes in turn serve the glory of God.” (A Theology for the Church, p. 809)

Parents Have Forgotten Their Greater Affection
Most Christians profess that they love God. 1 John 4:19 reminds us that, “we love because he first loved us.” In fact, love for God and love for others is the most prominent mark of believers (John 13:15). Jesus says in John 14:5, “If you love me, keep my commandments.” Simply put, the Christians life is marked by love.

Consider the fact that Jesus lived, died and rose on your behalf. He died as the propitiation for your sins; satisfying the divine wrath of the Father that would have justly fell on you (1 Jn 2:2), had His mercy not spared you. You who were once dead in your trespasses and sins have been made alive (Eph 2:1). When you were born again, Christ took out that old stone heart and replaced it with a heart of flesh that would worship, honor, communion with, and glorify Him (Ez 11:19).

You were bought with a price, believer, and you are no longer your own (1 Cor 6:20). Jesus and His commands are EVERYTHING to the believer and it is that love and passion for Jesus that we should be demonstrating and passing down to our children. Friend, as much as I like baseball and hunting – neither of those have done what Jesus has done for me.
When I pull my children away from the things of God for the sake of hobbies, I am not loving God and I am not loving them. I am programming them to be satisfied with lesser affections – I am programming them to fail.

Conclusion
Parents, we need to stop “programming” our children to fail in spiritual things by substituting spiritual things with an excess of programs (say that 10X fast), and get back to reminding ourselves of our responsibilities and showing our children that true joy is found in the presence of King Jesus (Ps 16:11).