“This will be written for the generation to come, That a people yet to be created may praise the LORD” – Psa. 102:18
Point our children toward faith in meaningful ways.
Tag Archives: parenting
From Childhood You Have Known the Holy Scriptures
“and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” – 2 Tim. 3:15
Timothy had been taught the Scriptures from childhood (no doubt from Momma Eunice & Grandma Lois; 1:5) How important it is to teach our children the word of God to make them wise for salvation through faith in Jesus.
God; The Unloving Parent
I let my kids play in the busy street today. They wanted to really bad and who am I to tell them what they ought or ought not do? So I let them.
I also let my kids eat as much candy as they wanted. I told them it was bad in the long run, but they complained saying I didn’t really know what I was talking about. So I let them.
Then I let my kids out in the woods with a pack of wolves. I explained that the wolves looked soft & cute, but were actually extremely dangerous, but they said I was just being silly. So I let them.
Am I a good parent? Of course not! Those actions wouldn’t prove that I love my kids – it would prove that I don’t love them. It would be irresponsible and disqualify me as a parent.
So why do we doubt, second-guess, and complain about God’s ways?
GOD’S BOUNDARIES & GUIDANCE ARE FOR OUR GOOD, NOT HIS.
“For the Lord corrects those He loves and disciplines those He calls His own.” – Heb. 12:6 (Deut. 8:5; Psa. 94:12; Prov. 3:11)
Bring Them Up in the Training and Admonition of the Lord
“And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.” – Eph. 6:4
“Bring them up” = ektréphō – feed.
“Training” = paideía – instruction to reach maturity.
“Admonition” = nouthesía – setting the mind through God-inspired warning.
So let me sum this up:
Fathers, feed your children instruction that will mature and set their minds to God’s mind, through faith, to reach God’s solutions.
Ref:
Straining at Rowing
I took Mary kayaking this weekend. Typical of a 2-year old, she wanted to “do it myself!” Needless to say, we didn’t get very far and she ended up pretty frustrated. Truth be told, she was a hot mess and I apologize to anyone who was expecting a peaceful afternoon on the water, but was instead subject to a full-blown temper tantrum that I’m sure was heard far and wide.
I kept thinking: If she would just relax and let her father do the rowing, we could have fun zipping all over that lake. Instead, she huffed & puffed and sweated & cried. Instead of going somewhere, we went nowhere. Instead of fun, it was… torturous. I was reminded of the disciples on the Sea of Galilee.
“Then He saw them STRAINING AT ROWING, for the wind was against them. Now about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea, and would have passed them by.” – Mark 6:48 (NKJV) [Emphasis mine.]
“Straining” doesn’t do that Greek word justice. Basanizó literally means TORTURING.
They were literally torturing themselves by not relying on Jesus! Likewise, you and I are literally torturing ourselves by not relying on Jesus too.
Whenever we try to earn our salvation by being a “good person,” we are straining at the oars. Whenever we try to save ourselves with religious rituals, we are straining at the oars. Whenever we try to do ANY of the rowing, we will inevitably be straining at the oars.
Thinking you have anything to do with your redemption is the opposite of the gospel. Paul says that teaching telling you otherwise is not even a gospel; it is distorted and accursed, twice! (Gal. 1:7-9) Listen: we are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, by His blood, through faith. Period. (Rom. 3:24-25)
We are all in a tempestuous sea. The wind is against us. No matter how furiously we strain, ROWING IN OUR OWN STRENGTH will never get us to shore. Aren’t you tired of rowing in circles? Aren’t you tired of torturing yourself? Jesus can easily step in if we would only let Him. He calms the sea, silences the wind, and gets us safely to the other side.
But we must first hand the oars over to Him.
Let God help you.
Michael Todd’s Promise To His Daughter
Insights from Proverbs 22 & 23
Insights from Proverbs 22 & 23 for the 22nd and 23rd:
Kids have got to be trained. You don’t have to teach a kid to be bad; No, you have to teach them to be good. I’ve heard if you toss 1 ball in with 3 kids, you’ll immediately see 4 of the 7 deadly sins: greed, envy, wrath, and pride. Sharing is like the toughest thing to get your child (and some adults) to do, right?
The rod of discipline is necessary. Whatever that “rod” is: time-outs, taking away things for a disclosed time, and yes: spankings. Whatever it is, pick something and be consistent with it. Trust me: Your future self thanks you! (22:6 & 15, 23:13-14)
Time flies and so does money. All you have to do is look at $ and it’s gone. Solomon says your money will grow wings & fly away! (23:4-5) What’s more important is your relationship with the Lord, who will NEVER forsake you.
23:17-18 is a tender moment between a father and son. He brings his son in tight & encourages him. “It’s ok, son. God has a bright future planned for you. Chin up. Remain zealous for the Lord. He will be your hope.”
Wow. Fathers, take note.
Last thing – Solomon offers a scary image for those who like to party too much. It seems like fun, but in the end, it will bite you. It’s like sleeping on a raft in a raging sea. What a rough way to go through life! (23:29-35)
22:12 is interesting. Read it for yourself. Comment on what you think it means.
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Insights from Proverbs 4
Insights from Proverbs 4 for the 4th:
As a parent, we strive to raise wise, compassionate, and strong kids. Our highest responsibility is to point our children to a personal relationship with Jesus.
This is especially true for fathers.
Fathers are their son’s first hero and their daughter’s first love. A fatherless home or a home where the father is not intentionally leadership in spiritual development is tragic.
This Proverb is like eavesdropping on a father advising his son. He is imploring his son to pursue wisdom & avoid the path of the wicked.
There is time given to watching how you talk; “put a corrupt mouth far from you.” Words have power, be careful how you use them! Ever been around a negative person? Their words are like poisonous daggers. It gets old. Don’t be that guy.
Instead,
“above all things, guard your heart for everything you do flows from it.” (v. 23)
You know, we guard stuff that is important to us, but we let anything & everything into our hearts. We guard our phones better than we guard our hearts. Solomon tells his boy; more treasured than $$$ or career – is your heart: is it left out in the open & exposed? A sitting duck? Or is it Fort Knox? Is it the Iron Dome?
He talks about how the unrighteous eat & drink violence. Their path is in the dark. Literally. Since they can’t see what’s in front of them, they constantly trip and fall into holes. Don’t follow their blind lead.
However, the path of the just is like the light of dawn. It shines brighter & brighter until it is full day.
One trail is pitch-black, one is well-lit; which would you like to take?
He warns not to be enticed off the just way. Isn’t that what the world is doing to our youth; baiting them to turn to the left or right? They don’t care which direction – as long as it gets our children away from God.
- God’s Word is life to those who find them and health to one’s whole body.
- The world’s ways are death to those who find them and sickness to one’s whole body.
Fathers, we must be diligent in which direction we are aiming our precious arrows.
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Christians Are Like Tea Bags
I heard this saying attributed to either Chip Ingram or Greg Laurie:
“Christians are like TEA BAGS; you don’t know what they’re made of until you put them in hot water.”
Isn’t that about the truth!
Is the heat being turned up in your life?
This is where “the rubber meets the road,” right? Anyone can act nice when everything is going their way, but what seeps out when things aren’t? What comes out of that teabag?
- Fruit or works (Gal 5)?
- Fresh water or salt water,
- Bitter or sweet (James 3:11)?
- Or… are you like a box of chocolates?
Something you may never have thought of is the fact that teabags are useless without hot water, aren’t they? It’s actually IN the hot water that teabag finds their purpose and usefulness.
Try to remember this the next time you find yourself in proverbial hot water. Pray for me as I pray for you.
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Ref: https://www.facebook.com/moodyradio/posts/848812451813491
ttps://www.goodreads.com/quotes/1944-a-woman-is-like-a-tea-bag-you-never-know
How Can a Loving God Send Anyone to Hell?
How can a loving God send anyone to Hell? Why unlimited punishment for a limited behavior? Isn’t Hell cosmic overkill? Too harsh! Not fair!
I’ve heard this objection many times and it seems reasonable… at first.
John Bunyan said, “No sin against God can be little, because it is against the great God of heaven and earth.” Jonathan Edwards said, “The greatness of a sin is determined by the greatness of the being against whom it is committed.”
Erwin Lutzer gives the following scenario:
To throw a snowball at a mailman is one thing; to throw one at a policeman is another. And if you throw a snowball at the President of the United States, you will be arrested. Using that analogy, think of the infinite crime of sinning against an infinite God. Sin is much more serious to God than it is to us.
I’ve never had the opportunity to throw a snowball at the POTUS, but I’m sure if I tried – the Secret Service would tackle me faster than you can say Barry Allen. And that’s just the President! Imagine throwing a snowball at God? Unthinkable.
God doesn’t send anyone to Hell, they send themselves.
Heaven is God giving people want He wants. Hell is God giving people what they want. C.S. Lewis said that the doors of Hell are locked from the inside.
God wants ALL PEOPLE to be saved (1 Tim. 2:4). He takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked (Ezek. 18:23, 32). He patiently wishes that NONE perish (2 Pet. 3:9).
Does a doctor enjoy telling her patient: Hey, you have asthma; smoking is not healthy. You should stop. Does she enjoy it year after year, telling the patient the same diagnosis? You should stop. Here is the medicine. Please take it! Of course not. Is God any different? But He won’t force the medicine on us. He loves us too much for that.
Here is justice in its purest form: You reap what you sow.
Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. – Gal. 6:7-8
You wouldn’t let just anyone come into your home, would you? Would you let in a thief? A murderer? A rapist? No. You have a standard. So does God. Unfortunately we can never meet that standard. So He made it easy on us: we come in with His Son (1 Cor. 6:9-11).
It all comes down to how you respond to Jesus.
For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. – John 3:17
The real question is: Why would God send anyone to Heaven?
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Ref:
http://www.biblebb.com/files/bunyan/sayings.htm
https://www.monergism.com/jonathan-edwards-we-are-inclined-sin
A Verse A Day 