Category: Faith

Never use a big word when a DIMINUTIVE one will do.

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I came across this saying the other day,   “Never use a big word when a diminutive one will do.”  The wit behind this statement caught my attention.  The irony is in knowing the meaning of the word, diminutive.  The word means “very small”.  The intent of this statement is to speak an absurdity in order to point out the absurd. 

While the point was taken, this statement made me ponder.  How often do people unknowingly do this very thing?  In other words, the very act of what is being done is contrary to the very words that are being spoken.  An example of this would be a child telling another one, “You’re a stupid- name-caller and you shouldn’t call people names” or perhaps, someone screaming, “WE DON’T SCREAM IN THIS HOME!!!!”  A woman teaching men the passage in I Timothy 2:12 or an unfaithful man counseling men on how to love their wives are examples.  All of these statements are counterproductive.

Never use a big word when a diminutive one will do.  This is what we do as Christian people when our lifestyle contradicts our very name.  Christian  –  it mean’s Christ-like.  The disciples were first called Christians in Antioch (Acts  11:26).  It wasn’t that they were going around calling themselves Christian.   The world looked at their lifestyle and said, ‘Those people act just like Christ.’  In light of all of this it made me think.  The word “Christian” is thrown around and misused to the point that no one understands its meaning.  What if over 80% of Americans didn’t call themselves Christian?  What if people didn’t associate the word Christian with someone who just goes to church on Sunday or “claims” to love Jesus?  What if you were only called a “Christian” if you only acted like Christ?  What if a person was only known as a Christian that only did the things Christ did?  Would I then be called a Christian?  He is my example and if my lifestyle does not reflect the same lifestyle that Christ lived then I should not be called a Christian.  Otherwise, the very name in itself is contradicted.   So I search my heart and ask God to reveal His truth to me.  Am I striving?  Am I reaching forth toward the goal?  Am I living a consistent Christian life?  Because otherwise why call myself Christian when the word hypocrite will do? 

“And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?”  Luke 6:46

                                                                                                                 

 

Moldy bread and teaching moments

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“Mom, why can’t I go and see that movie?  Everyone else is seeing it!”  Aaron asked one day.  We were in Arkansas and I was driving him to Fun City to meet one of his friends.  He was munching on a sandwich that he had made at his grandparents.   His father and I have had this conversation with him many times before but nevertheless I tried to explain our position again.  “Aaron,”  I explained, “it matters what we put into our mind.  We’ve done the reviews and although this movie isn’t as bad as most it still has some questionable things in it.”  “But Mom,” he said, “it won’t influence me.  It’s just one or two bad words.”   Sensing I was beginning to lose patience I shot up a quick prayer for heavenly wisdom.   A few minutes later as he was finishing up his sandwich I asked him if it was good.   To which he replied that it was great.  “So,”  I said, “it didn’t bother you that one side was moldy?”   “Yes!  Gross, I can’t believe that I ate moldy bread!  Wait a minute, you knew about it and didn’t tell me?”  He asked.  To which I replied, “Sure I knew about it, but it was just a little mold.  What’s the big deal?  The rest of the sandwich was fine, right?”  At this point I would have loved to have had a camera for the look on his face was priceless.  “No,” he said, “The rest of the sandwich was not fine!”  “But, isn’t that the same thing as the movie with just a few bad words?  You didn’t have any problems wanting to put that into your mind.”  I explained.  “In fact, it seems to me that it’s worse than the moldy bread because food comes into your body and leaves but what we put into our mind stays, goes into our heart and makes us who we are.” 

 

I hope and pray that he finally understood.  As a mother it’s important that we seize these teaching moments with our children and then pray that God will bless our efforts so that “the father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that begetteth a wise child shall have joy of him. Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bare thee shall rejoice.” (Pro 23:24-25)

 

“Mom,” Aaron asked a few minutes later, “that bread didn’t really have mold on it did it?”

 

 

Making Christmas Meaningful

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The one theme throughout the entire Bible is relationships, our relationship with God and our relationship with others.   There is no better time to develop these relationships than during the Christmas Season.  And as parents, there is no better time to teach your children this important lesson.  Too many children tend to have a selfish attitude when it comes to Christmas and too many parents play right along with them, even encouraging them toward this.  How many times have you seen a child produce a mile-long wish list for themselves?   The Christian life should be a selfless life that gives to others, not one that says “ME, ME, ME”.  Instead of making a Christmas wish list, something that we have taught our children to do is to make a “wish list” of what they would like to buy for others.  This takes the focus off of them and puts it on those around them.   A child is never too young to learn this godly principle.   For several years now each year at Thanksgiving my parents have given to each of their grandchildren a gift of money.  They are told that this money can be used for anything they want as long as it’s used for someone else.  My children have been very creative in how they spend their money.  We have made gift bags and spent the day at a nursing home giving them out.  We have given gifts to the elderly at our church.  The kids one year picked a lonely neighbor to give gifts too.  We’ve given to foster children and to children in Homes.  Every year we pick a different project and every year we are blessed beyond measure.  It truly is “more blessed to give than receive.”  My all-time favorite tradition our family does is the celebration of Advent.  Advent is a threefold celebration of the birth of Jesus, His eventual second coming to earth, and His continued presence in our lives here and now – God in our past, God in our future, and God in our present.  For us we set aside a time each day from Thanksgiving to Christmas to center our thoughts on Jesus.  It’s a time of family worship, a time of reflection, and a time of focus.  In the midst of December’s commotion and stress, it’s a few moments to stop and renew our strength from the only One who can provide true strength.  Each night before the children goes to bed we light candles and they gather around while Dana reads a story, he then shares scripture and then we sing a song and pray.  Once we start getting Christmas Cards in the mail we will use this time to have a special prayer for those who sent them.  Whatever Christmas traditions you decide to make just be sure to make some.  It’s the most wonderful time of the year for your family to develop a closer relationship with our Heavenly Father and then with others.

I Surrender…. Some?

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Music stirs the soul.  This is the reason that music is one part of worship.  I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving.  (Psa 69:30)  Maybe some of you have grown up in church as I have.  Before I could walk or talk I had heard the old hymns sung each and every week, not only at church but in our home.  Amazing Grace, I Need Thee Every Hour, and Jesus Paid it All are just a few of the songs I had memorized at an early age.  I heard one of my favorite invitational songs, I Surrender All, the other day.  The song moved me.  “All to Jesus, I surrender; all to Him I freely give.  I will ever love and trust Him; in His presence daily live.  I surrender all, I surrender all.  All to Thee my blessed Saviour, I surrender all.”  What powerful words!  I have thought about this song often and the message behind it.  Just what does it mean to surrender?  The dictionary definition of surrender is “to yield (something) to the possession or power of another.”  Can I say that I truly surrender, yield, give up and submit all to Jesus?  All means everything  –  my entire life  –  every thought, every motive, every word and every deed.  Have I surrendered my marriage to Christ?  Do I yield my children to Christ?  Have I submitted all my daily activities to Christ?  Consider what the 2nd verse to the songs says,   “All to Jesus I surrender; humbly at his feet I bow, worldly pleasures all forsaken; take me, Jesus, take me now.”  When I sing this song, “worldly pleasures all forsaken”  do I mean it?  Or, is it just hypocritical church singing.  What about “humbly at His feet I bow”?  It’s hard to bow at the feet of Jesus when caught up in worldly pleasures.  A.W. Tozer once said, “Christians don’t tell lies; they just come to church and sing them.”  My prayer is that cannot be said of me.  But, the times when I do fail, I quickly repent and fall at the feet of Jesus.  Dear Jesus, may the words I sing always be pure, holy and true.

Growing Up

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“Mommy, what did you want to be when you grew up?”  Andrew asked one day while playing with toys in the floor.  This one question started an exchange of ideas between my boys.  That particular week Aaron wanted to be a Biblical Archeologist and Andrew wanted to be a FBI agent.   As mothers do, I started pondering.  What was it I wanted my boy to be when they grew up?  Sure, every mother wants the best for her children.  Did I want them to get a good college education?  Did I want them to have a successful, good paying career?  Did I want them to have a beautiful wife, 2.5 children, a dog, two-story home, and luxury cars and take extravagant vacations?  If my standards were based on the world I would be saying, Yes, Yes, and Yes!   But as I searched my heart I had to admit that these things were not my deepest desires for my boys.  You see, my desire is not for my boys to live for this world (I Jn 2:15).  I don’t want my boys to try and get all they can here on earth (Matt. 6:24).  I don’t want them laying up treasures here where moth and rust corrupts and thieves break through and steal (Matt. 6:19).  What I truly want for my boys is for them to love God above all, for loving God is the only thing that will bring true peace. I want them to follow Him and His leading wherever that takes them.  I want my boys to grow up to fear God.  For the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.  I want my boys to become Godly men who calls evil by its name and stands up for what’s right.  I want my boys to become hard workers who realize that all they do is for God’s glory.  I want my boys to grow up and marry godly women who love the Lord.  I want them to know that it is their job as men to be the provider for their family.  I want my boys to lead their families physically and most importantly spiritually.  I want them to raise children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.  When my boys grow up I want them to be as the godly man in Psalm 1, for this man is blessed.  This is my desire for my boys.

 

As Christians, we can all say that our standards should not be set based on the world but upon God and His Word.  Parents, we need to have Biblical standards for our children.  Our children should grow up to be loving, peaceful, kind, tenderhearted, forgiving, pure and holy. This is true for all of us.  So to answer that question, what did I want to be when I grew up?  Well son, I’m still growing!

God’s Blessings….NO THANK YOU!

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Yesterday, I heard the statement that “Christianity in America is dying one home at a time.”  From the same man I heard him say, “Yes, we want our country to be Christian, we just don’t want to birth, raise, and train children to be Christians.”  The sermon I heard made me think.  Was this just this one man’s opinion or could it be backed by the Word of God?  So I went to the Source of all knowledge, the Holy Bible. 

“Except the LORD build the house, they labor in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep. Lo, children are a heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.” (Psa 127:1-5)  When I took the time to put this verse in context it really spoke to my heart.  First of all, unless the Lord is the foundation of our homes and cities, all is in vain.  Secondly, God will send blessings through having children.  Thirdly, through having many children we will overcome enemies.  Since this subject was on my heart I took some time and did some research on birthrates.  What I found was astonishing.  Here is America for the first time our replacement level of 2.1 is lower than our fertility rate of 1.9.  Please understand this  –  the Christians in America are not having enough children and the ones we do have are not staying in the faith.  Depending upon which statistic you look at the failure rate is 70-80%.  In addition, the Jewish community is dying. One article said that “low fertility and high intermarriage are pushing American Jewry toward extinction.”    What we have done is mocked the blessings of God.  We have said that we want the prosperity this world has to offer more than we want the blessings of God.  God told Adam, Noah, Abraham, Jacob and all the children of Israel to “be fruitful and multiply” throughout Scripture.  God said that He would bless his people through their offspring.  I could not find anywhere in Scripture that said once the world’s population reached a certain number we should stop having children.  Nor, could I find anywhere that said that since it is so expensive to raise children that we should only have a few.  All I could find was that God is Jehovah Jireh, the Provider and that having children was a blessing from Him.   So whatever view we have about children if it is contrary to the Bible it is a false world view.  That’s a hard statement to say, because I’ve had this worldly view myself.  Only through searching the Scriptures has God opened by eyes to His glorious truth.

 

Just a note….there is one group in the world that has a grasp on the truths that children are a blessing.  The Muslims have a fertility rate of 6 children per woman.  I read one article, Muslim birthrate worries Russia (www.wwrn.org) that declared the national fertility rate in Russia is 1.28 children per women far below what was needed to maintain the countries population.  However, with the Muslim fertility rate of 6 by sheer numbers alone in a few generations the country will be entirely Muslim.  The same thing is happening in France and America is not far behind.  Should we be surprised when we laugh at God and mock His Word?  God help us when we despise His blessings!

 

 

GAS IS $4.00 A GALLON!!!! Thank you Lord!

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In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

(1Th 5:18)  Years ago I remember sitting in a worship service at our church listening to our pastor preach on this verse.  That day he challenged us to sincerely give thanks for all things, not just the good but “in everything”.  I took the challenge to heart; after all, it wasn’t as though it was just his opinion.  It is God’s will for us to give thanks in everything.  But, with the national average of gasoline at $4.00 per gallon one would wonder what in the world would we have to be thankful about.  Since thankfulness is an attitude of the heart if we earnestly look we can find the silver lining in every cloud.  Consequently, I have come up with three good reasons in which we can be thankful for high gas prices. 

First, and the most obvious, is that being thankful for high gas prices helps to maintain the biblical mandate found here in I Thessalonians 5:18.  By reading the scriptures it’s easy to conclude that God desires for His children to be thankful.  “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. “ (Col 3:17)

Secondly, high gas prices teach us to be dependent upon our Father in Heaven.   We all know what a strain these prices have put on our families budgets.  This can be especially true for the elderly living on a limited income, single mothers, and those families whose husbands are the sole providers and have chosen to live on one income.   Do you have no one to turn to except the Lord?  Are you relying upon Him daily?  Do you trust in Him to provide all your needs?  We can be thankful for these things because “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1)

The third reason we can be thankful for high gas prices is that it gives us a good reason to stay home.  We are living in a time and age where the acronym B.U.S.Y. (Bound Under Satan’s Yoke) rings loudly.  We go nonstop from one activity to another.  We eat on the run rarely taking time for family dinners.  From here to there and back again, our families are constantly exhausted and over extended.  We’re too busy to talk.  We’re too busy to spend time together.  We’re too busy to pray with our children.  Fathers are too busy to lead in family worship.  Mothers are too busy to teach their daughters how to cook, garden, and sew.  Husbands and wives are too busy to spend time together as a couple.   If high gas prices does anything to our economy let it be that it helps Christian families prioritize.

So ladies, if you find yourself sitting at home a lot this summer you can be thankful.  It’s a great time to be creative.  Have a family campout in the back yard.  Spend a Saturday taking a walk and getting to know your neighbors.  You could start a phone ministry to the lonely or a card ministry to the sick right from your home.  Turn off the TV and read classic literature to your children.  Slow down, look up, and let the Lord use you right where you are at. After all, even spending time with three children playing a game of Monopoly can make a perpetual difference in their precious lives.

Feminism

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There seems to be two ways of looking at things; the world view and the Biblical view. 
When it comes to feminism the world view is prevalent.  Feminism has been telling us for years that there is no difference in the roles of men and women.  “Anything you can do I can do better” is the attitude of most feminist when it comes to men.  The question isn’t rather women can do the jobs better but rather should they.  Because of the confusion of the roles of men and women, not only have women wanted to act like men, but now men are acting like women.  This attitude is a complete slap in the face of the Almighty God who created us for different purposes.  Remember, woman was created to be the help meet of man.  The feminist says, “I will lead this family because I’m more spiritual.  I will make decisions because I’m smarter.  I will raise the children according to my wishes because I spend more time with them.  I will decide what to do in this house because if ‘Mom isn’t happy, no one is’.  He can not tell me what to do because he has faults of his own and etc., etc., etc.”  But the Biblical view is completely different than the worlds.  In fact, in most cases if your attitude doesn’t stand out in the world and is different then most of those around you then you probably do not have a Biblical view.  When it comes to women the Biblical view is, “My husband will lead this family is all areas, physically, spiritually, and financially.  He is responsible and will answer to God for the holiness of the family, for how the children are raised, for the decisions made within the family.  I will respect his God given position regardless of his faults.  I will lift him up in prayer and honor him as unto the Lord.  I will not talk down to him or about him to others.  I will be his helper in every area of life.”

 

Do you see how different this mind set is?

 

We’re to the point now that when the world sees a man who is the leader of his family it’s very offensive.  But can I tell you that from a woman’s perspective who truly wants a Godly husband that it’s a wonderful thing when a man realizes his responsibilities to God and his family.  When your husband is a Godly leader there is security in all areas of life.  God blesses a man who stands up and leads.  Look at Noah, Abraham, Moses, Joshua, David.  Take a look at the men in the New Testament church.  These men were leaders not only in their homes but also in the church.

 

Ladies, until we find our God give role as women; there will never be happiness or contentment in this life.  There will be struggles and fighting.  But when the Biblical role of womanhood is embraced there is peace and joy.  As we humble ourselves before the Lord may God bless our efforts to live a life that is pleasing to Him.

Dr. Seuss vs. Shakespeare

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Don’t you just love Dr. Seuss books?  When Andrew is sent to get some books to read without fail he always gets one or two Dr. Seuss books.  They rhyme, are easy to read, and just plain silly.  I’m personally fond of them because they bring back precious memories of holding my children and spending quality time reading to them.   There is nothing wrong with reading Dr. Seuss books, especially if you are a child.  But, if I only encourage my children to read Dr. Seuss their vocabulary will never mature.  They will never grow in knowledge and be able to understand classical literature.  A child who never reads beyond Dr. Seuss will never be able to comprehend Shakespeare.  It just won’t happen. 

 

The same thing applies to growing in spiritual knowledge.  There is a time and place for “Dr. Seuss” type learning.  A new believer can be quite overwhelmed with the concepts laid out in scripture therefore a practical Bible study guide can be very beneficial.  But over time, the new believer should be moving on to the deep doctrines of Christ.  “For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” (Heb 5:12-14)   

I believe that the Bible is clear on how to study scriptures and grow in knowledge.  “Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:” (Isa 28:9-10) Scripture should be studied in context; precept upon precept, line upon line.  The most common mistake made in studying the Bible is taking verses out of context.  Text without context is pretext.  When scripture is taken out of context it is easy to have preconceived ideas about what is means.  It’s easy to twist verses taken out of context and teach false heretical ideas.  For that reason expository study is the best in order to fully understand the truths of God.

 

So, you may ask, do I believe that all Bible studies are wrong?  Of course not, no more than I believe that it’s wrong to read Dr. Seuss.  But, I do believe that if you want to grow and learn the doctrines more perfectly than you should open up your Bible and study from it; verse by verse, line by line, chapter by chapter and book by book.  The best commentary for the Bible is the Bible itself.  The Bible never contradicts itself, hence any truth found in one portion of scripture will be found elsewhere.   One of the main problems that I have with most “Bible Studies” is that most will come from the mistaken view of ecumenicalism.  As a result of this wrong thinking the teachers will purposely avoid any “divisive doctrine” in scripture in order to reach out to a wider range of evangelicals.  Therefore, what is taught is shallow and just scratches the surface of the deep waters of truths.  (Or, in a worse situation the scripture is taken completely out of context and is heretical.)

 

So, do you want a challenge?  Do you want to mature in your faith?  Would you rather read the Words of Christ?  Then put on the Holy Spirit and dive into the life giving waters and be prepared to go deeper and deeper than ever before.

Ambulances, Fire Trucks, and Prayers

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And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. (Deu 6:7)

As Christian parents one of the greatest responsibilities given to us is the spiritual training of our children.   I realize that God ultimately holds my husband accountable for the family but my role as his wife is to come along beside him in the training of our children.  I’m to be his help meet in all areas including our children’s spiritual upbringing.  Giving our children a Christian education or making sure they are at church each Sunday will not be enough.  Many children who do not see the Christian faith lived out daily will not be grounded in sound doctrine; they will be tossed to and fro and carried away. (Eph 4:14)  These children will grow up resenting their Christian heritage.  Instead of looking to Christ as their supreme example they will use the hypocrisy of others as a stumbling block.  As a mother it is imperative that our children see our faith as real.  If we tell them to honor their parents yet we speak dishonoring of our own parents we are hurting our children’s faith.  If we tell them to love their brothers and sisters, yet they hear us talking in a negative light about our brothers and sisters in Christ, we are hurting our children’s faith.  If we tell our children that we should submit to Christ, yet they do not see us submissive to our husbands, we are hurting our children’s faith. If we tell our children that going to church is important yet they see us make excuses for our unfaithfulness, we are hurting our children’s faith.  If we tell them to forgive others yet we hold grudges in our own hearts, we are hurting our children’s faith.  If we tell them to respect authority yet we have a rebellious attitude toward those in authority we are hurting our children’s faith.  Being a mother comes with a lot of responsibility.  Being a Christian mother comes with even more.  So, how do we live out a life of faith so that we will point our children to Christ?  Deuteronomy 6:7 states that we are to be constantly teaching our children God’s law.  We should teach it to them when we get up, throughout the day, when we go to bed –  all the time.  In other words, teaching our children the ways of God should be a lifestyle.  A mother has many teachable moments with her children.  We can tell our children that we should pray for others but when we show our children they are impacted greater.  Many years ago when Aaron was very young we taught him that when an ambulance or fire truck passed us on the road we should pray for all the people involved.  Now, it has become a habit within our family.  We pray that God will watch over the workers, bless those who are hurt and most importantly that God will use the situation to draw people to Him.  This is a small teachable moment.  Several months ago after praying for an ambulance, our children later learned that they had been praying for Johnny and Barbara after their car accident.  God used this simple act of prayer to encourage and strengthen our family.  If we will look around with a pure heart we can see God in every moment of our day.  Then as we take those moments and teach our children, showing them God’s Word and living it out, our children will be pointed in the right direction and our homes will be homes of peace, joy and love.