Message for 12/8/14
Greetings, I hope that your past week went by well and you found time to do some internal searching and research regarding the development of a proactive relationship with Christ. I pray that this week and this message finds you in good health.
As usual, In preparation for writing, God and I converse on issues that I or my family have faced, or issues that are going on in the world. Obviously, there's quite a bit that could be said. It is up to you if you choose to take a side. But as for what we will focus on today, is family. The foundation of what my personal belief, is the primary cause for much of the issues today. When I mention family, I don't just mean the human family, I mean your spiritual family. The one many of us are missing with the Trinity (The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). Please take a moment to review the Word of God below and I will explain later.
Book : Proverbs
Authors: King Solomon, other wise men, such as Agur son of Jakeh, and King Lemuel.
Time: The tenth century b.c., some comparables to writings of the second millennium b.c.; and it is believed that some important sections of Proverbs were compiled and edited from 715 to 686 b.c.
Purpose: "According to the prologue (1:1-7), Proverbs was written to give "prudence to the simple,knowledge and discretion to the young" (1:4), and to make the wise even wiser (1:5). The frequent references to "my son(s)" (1:8,10; 2:1; 3:1; 4:1;5:1) emphasize instructing the young and guiding them in a way of life that yields rewarding ends. Acquiring wisdom and knowing how to avoid the pitfalls of folly lead to personal well-being, happy family relationships, fruitful labors and good standing in the community (see outline, p. 1279). Although Proverbs is a practical book dealing with the art of living, it bases its practical wisdom solidly on the fear of the Lord (1:7; see Ps 34:8-14 and note)."
Proverbs 17:25-28 (New English Translation )
25 A foolish child is a grief to his father, and bitterness to the mother who bore him.
26 It is terrible to punish a righteous person, and to flog honorable men is wrong.
27 The truly wise person restrains his words, and the one who stays calm is discerning.
28 Even a fool who remains silent is considered wise, and the one who holds his tongue is deemed discerning.
Matthew Henry Commentary :
17:25 Wicked children despise the authority of their father, and the tenderness of their mother.
17:26. It is very wrong to find fault for doing what is duty.
17:27- 28. A man may show himself to be a wise man, by the good temper of his mind, and by the good government of his tongue. He is careful when he does speak, to speak to the purpose. God knows his heart, and the folly that is bound there; therefore he cannot be deceived in his judgment as men may be.
As I did some research, I went to a site called "Got Questions.Org", you may have seen me mention this site in the past. The question I asked was as follows : Question:"What does the Bible say about being a good parent?"
Answer: "Being a good parent can be a difficult and challenging venture, but at the same time can be the most rewarding and fulfilling thing we ever do. The Bible has a great deal to say about the way we can successfully raise our children to be men and women of God. As a good parent, the first thing we must do is teach them the truth about God's Word.
Along with loving God and being a godly example by committing ourselves to His commands, we need to heed the command of Deuteronomy 6:7-9 regarding teaching our children to do the same. This passage emphasizes the ongoing nature of such instruction. It should be done at all times—at home, on the road, at night, and in the morning. Biblical truth should be the foundation of our homes. By following the principles of these commands, we teach our children that worshiping God should be constant, not reserved for Sunday mornings or nightly prayers.
Although our children learn a great deal through direct teaching, they learn much more by watching us. This is why we must be careful in everything we do. We must first acknowledge our God-given roles. Husbands and wives are to be mutually respectful and submissive to each other (Ephesians 5:21). At the same time, God has established a line of authority to keep order. “Now I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God” (1 Corinthians 11:3). We know that Christ is not inferior to God, just as a wife is not inferior to her husband. God recognizes, however, that without submission to authority, there is no order. The husband's responsibility as the head of the household is to love his wife as he loves his own body, in the same sacrificial way that Christ loved the church (Ephesians 5:25-29).
Discipline and instruction are integral parts of being a good parent.Proverbs 13:24 says, “He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him.” Children who grow up in undisciplined households feel unwanted and unworthy. They lack direction and self-control, and as they get older they rebel and have little or no respect for any kind of authority, including God's. “Discipline your son, for in that there is hope; do not be a willing party to his death” (Proverbs 19:18). At the same time, discipline must be balanced with love, or children may grow up resentful, discouraged, and rebellious (Colossians 3:21). God recognizes that discipline is painful when it is happening (Hebrews 12:11), but if followed by loving instruction, it is remarkably beneficial to the child. “Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4)."
You may question the connection between the issues today and the biblical foundation laid out in the Bible. You may question why I chose to put so much faith in God's word and subject my family to God's grace, mercy, and wisdom. Finally, you may ask how can I build a relationship with Christ. Well, let's consider what we just read. Take a look at our society and the social problems of today. While heading to dinner with my family, we were listening to XM Radio, on the Radio Classics channel they were playing the speech given by President Roosevelt regarding the attack on Pearl Harbor, which had occurred on 12/7/41. At the end of the speech, the radio announcer played the National Anthem. We explained to our son that although we weren't around then, we missed how at night in the 70's and 80's, the National Anthem would play at night and television would go off the air for time. Obviously, he thought it was awful and failed to understand why we missed it. We explained how it forced us to talk and we developed such imaginations and family bonds. Today, our children have no time to verbally speak with each other and parents are to busy to have dinner together. I even notice that children today don't even have true relationships to emulate. They rarely see husband and wife hold hands or kiss, long-term marriages (man and woman), and people taking their families to a bible believing church.
In a recent discussion that took place this weekend, and one that happened several weeks ago, I spoke to several parents about how today parents spend so much time either trying to be friends with thier kids or worried about their kids feelings when making a parenting decision. They find this overwhelming urge to give the child rights, privacy, and the feeling of being involved with family decisions. While thier may be a time and a place for it, it should be severely limited. Improperly teaching your child the meaning of equality could be detrimental. Think about it, do you see yourself equal to God, your heavenly father. If he punished you for doing something wrong, do you believe that you could talk back to him and say something stupid like, "Well Joey did it and Satan (The father of lies) didn't punish him. I'm older now, and I should be able to do what I want!" How well do you think that will go over with Him?
My point to all of this is that as a parent, building the proper foundation with Christ is key to good parenting. Taking stock in that relationship will put your relationship with your family in check quickly. Social media, technology, and basically the evil desires of the world truly have a stronghold on the dreams and aspirations of our youth today. From music, reality TV, to movies, the Bible offers ther best and only blue print to raise your child and strengthen your family.
As I try to rap this up consider the previously mentioned verses in Proverbs 17:25-28, verses 26 - 28, are key developments to aiding a young person in life. These character building traits are ones that only the Bible can offer. There will be days such as we see in the media where people judge others motives, when the only facts they have are thier actions; anger or misinformation causes them to make a rash decision or join the wrong crusade, because they fail to remain silent long enough to discern right from wrong.
I can only ask that you consider my comments, but moreover the words pulled from scripture. The world may be against you or others believing in Christ, or it may a difficult choice to brave the level of adult peer pressure that you will face; I can only ask that you consider giving God a try. Not only for yourself, but for your children and your family.
Finally, a little help from Got Questions.Org, on salvation from Christ; Answer: “All you need to do to be saved is to ask Jesus to come into your heart...” "When the Bible gives a gospel presentation, it encourages people to believe (John 3:16;Acts 16:31), receive (John 1:12), or change their minds, i.e., repent (Acts 3:19). That is the proper response to the gospel. We are to change our minds about our sin and about who Christ is, believe Jesus died and rose again, and receive the gift of eternal life in faith. We are to recognize that we are sinners (Romans 3:23), understand that we deserve to be eternally separated from God (Romans 6:23), trust that Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins (2 Corinthians 5:21;1 Peter 2:24), and receive the gift of salvation God offers us (Ephesians 2:8–9). All of this is done in faith, with God’s enabling (John 6:44). Salvation is not something we do or earn. Salvation is something we receive from God due to His mercy and grace."
References :
Read more:http://www.gotquestions.org/good-parent.html#ixzz3LFd6rXcM
Read more:http://www.gotquestions.org/ask-Jesus-into-heart.html#ixzz3LHbfNI2K
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