Rearing Children Who Honor
One of the biggest problems we have in child rearing is getting our young people to understand early on to respect authority and to seek and honor wisdom. Leviticus 19:32 Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old man, and fear thy God:I am the Lord. Of course not every gray head is filled with God’s wisdom and that is why we have Proverbs 16:31 The hoary head is a crown of glory,
if it be found in the way of righteousness. It is essential that as we get older and move into the grandparent stage that we continue in righteousness, following the Lord. It is also essential that when we are young parents that we begin early to teach our children to respect their elders, their leaders, teachers, pastors, grandparents. The failure to lead them to respect will in fact lead them to a paradox- a right that is wrong. The scripture says that there is a man that does right, but it is right in his own eyes. Proverbs 12:15, “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.” The man that does right but it is his right and not authorities right- not leaderships right- not God’s right- is a fool. This is a dangerous place for our children to be for there are other attributes of a fool. Both Psalms and Proverbs teaches us that a fool denies God, a fool refuses correction, a fool lacks understanding, a fool is rebellious and prideful. These are just some of the characteristics of a fool and it all begins when a young person is allowed to believe that his way is the right way. They will think, feel and say “I am not doing anything wrong” because they follow only their own heart, not understanding that what they are so sure is right is often very wrong. This all begins early in childrearing when we spoil them and allow them to have their own way rather than disciplining, correcting and teaching them. This lack of discipline that the world promotes, teaches and pushes has led us to a generation described in Proverbs 30:11, “There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother. 12 There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness.13 There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes!and their eyelids are lifted up.14 There is a generation, whose teeth are as swords, and their jaw teeth as knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men.“ Lack of loving correction leads to spoiled, selfish children who bring heartache to their parents and to society and all the while they are doing right, but THEIR right which is wrong. This training begins when they are very young. Have you ever been in a store and watched a child is throwing a tantrum and screaming their lungs out to get something they wanted? So often the frazzled parent hands them the item just to shut them up. This is training the child to continue this behavior to make sure they get what they want. The answer is to let it be known from the beginning that the moment they cry for something that the item is automatically eliminated and they will not get it. A right attitude may bring the reward they desire, but a wrong attitude will definitely eliminate it. This made shopping with 6 children a lot more pleasant and they learned early on that their way was not always the right way. It is not always easy at times to rear and teach your children this, but the effort is worth it, for the result is children who live blessed lives. My wife will tell you that there were times when a child was misbehaving in a store and throwing a fit that she left her cart in the store, took the child out to the car or even home, at times, in order to instruct them in having a right attitude. If the child knew that they were going to be in big trouble if mom had to leave a store and this training would be greatly intensified, this also cut down on temper tantrums. At some point, training has to be more important than the demands of life. I have traveled to foreign countries where economically they struggle, but when it comes to a respect for the older generation they often surpass America. Many of these lands understand that with age comes the opportunity for great wisdom and experience. This is also what scripture teaches. Today in America the older generation is shoved into a corner relegated to insignificance because they may not understand technology. This generation again thinks it is right to believe that intellect and knowledge equates to wisdom but again this right is often wrong. Wisdom is obtained through the Word of God, from wise men and from life experience. Teach your children to respect the gray head and they will be truly right for learning right from those who have learned right which means that they will know a right that is right and not wrong.
The Bible and the Court
Not picking a fight but just want everyone to think about the fact that all that we hold dear in America is really based on the nearly 240 year old document, our Constitution and that document was based on the Bible. The courts are supposed to be guided by precedent which is established by these documents. The more we change either or both the more the courts believe they have the right to change or reinterpret. I believe that we as Christians will soon be brought before the courts to stand for our belief. The only hope we have is if we can stand and say our foundational belief has not changed. The court and public opinion has changed but we have not. The only way we will be able to do that is if we stand on the Bible which the nation was built upon. When we accept other Bibles that change or delete what is written, then this opens the door for the argument that anyone and everyone can write their own bible, which is in fact pretty much what we have. We have pro homosexual bibles, gender neutral bibles, we have bibles that delete Jesus as God, we have rap bibles, marijuana bibles. When we stand on or with any bible except the one that birthed the nation, we are then opening a door for the court to invalidate our stand, for once you leave the first then the court will believe we believe all others are acceptable, for our stand is a changing stance. We see the Supreme Court writing their own laws and we are appalled because it violates the constitution. Yet we write our own form of God’s law and effectively take the stand that everyone can write God’s law the way they want, to please themselves. I listened recently to the head of one of the translation committees and he said that they had no intention of making a literal translation. If it is not literal, it is not a translation, it is a commentary at best. I stand with the KJV by faith but also when it comes to the battle we face in the nation I stand with it by reason. This is not written in the spirit of debate but rather a warning of our need to prepare for the battle ahead.
Remember to Stir Up Your Faith
Tonight was beautiful but it starting to have that cool crispness in the air. You kind of know fall is near. I guess it was the similarity of the night but for some reason tonight while I prayed my mind went back 33 years ago this October. I was a police officer in TN but I had also surrendered to preach some months before. God had allowed me the privilege of preaching several times in country churches around West Tn but in Oct of that year the Lord placed on my heart something different. I had read about Brush Arbor meetings of the past and I decided that I wanted to have one out in the country where I grew up.
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Cleaning out confusion
A short time ago I was asked to visit a home with a pastor, where the family said they were being frightened by a an apparition, (of course we knew that if there were something it would be a demonic spirit not a ghost. Each had a story of hearing or seeing something. The one most bothered was a young teen girl. The first thing to do was check on their salvation. The girl seemed very unsure so I asked the pastor to witness to her while I looked at her room.
Friend that Sticketh Closer than a Brother
Tonight was an exceptional blessing. As I prayed I said to the Lord that I wanted to know Him and speak with Him and be to him as Abraham, who was a friend of God, as Moses who spoke to Him as a friend to a friend. That is when the Lord said to my heart you can have that be so much more for I am your Father and you are my son, my adopted son. This means He chose me. Now I know He chose every human being in the world but some did not and have not accepted His choice, but I did as many who will read this did. Therefore we are special because we are adopted. Rom 8:15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
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The music we listen to
Sticking my nose in again, but please be careful of the music you listen to. As I walk city streets, it is heartbreaking the confusion, chaos and unhappiness in which so many people are living. Always music is an obvious and integral part of their lives. Even Christians that I have observed who are living in unhappiness and discouragement seem to have the common denominator of the world’s music. I observe and counsel Christians who are struggling and some who have fallen into sin and always music is involved.
By music, I mean music with a rhythmic beat. It does not matter what the category or name it has. It begins with the subtle soft beat that stimulates the body and creates sensuality. It progresses to more addictive and dynamic styles, but always leads to sensuality, and inevitably is a direct contradiction of
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Don’t Miss It
This sermon by Bro. Hooker is a great Easter sermon.
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Strength through Weakness
This afternoon I wrote the previous post about weariness. I don’t normally write about my walks at that time of day. Normally I do as I am doing now which is writing immediately after my walk. At the time I wrote I was very weary, from physical exertion and from some issues which are simply out of my realm of ability to fix. Like most men I struggle with those things that hurt my family that I can not take away. Today we face a few of those humanly unsolvable things. Thank God that I was able to one more night go to meet the One who can solve the unsolvable. He did not take them away but He reminded me of Paul and how he had a thorn in the flesh and three times asked the Lord to take it away. Finally, he came to the conclusion that God did not want to remove it and as Paul realized the real truth behind God’s refusal to remove it, he saw the real source of strength.
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Avoid the Roadblocks
God has been so real but the attack seems so consistent and persistent. I know God has a wonderful plan but at times I get weary. I know I am not to be weary in well doing as it says in Ga 6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. I do not plan to faint and this is why I must walk each night because I become weary each day. As I walked last night I kept saying to God, I love you with all my heart, soul, mind and strength but Lord I am weary and I feel I need to make a step of growth if I am going to win in this battle. That was when the Lord spoke to my heart and said, if you want to grow, then love thy neighbor.
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Don’t Waste the Wasted Years
The Lord spoke to my heart tonight that I should not get too caught up and frustrated over whether things are happening in this life the way I think they should. I was having a pity party and telling the Lord I have served for 33 years and this should be the peak of my game but rather I feel like of I am often sitting on the bench. I have never been one to sit on the bench. As I was “complaining” to God, He said, I know, after 33 years in my life, through man’s eyes things were not going too well either, but in the eyes of My Father it was exactly what was suppose to happen, just the way it was suppose to happen. That is when the Lord impressed upon my heart that the resurrection could not have happened if there had not been a death.
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Culottes – Misses
Hope
Jesus, Only Jesus