How blessed we are to live in a country where we can celebrate a “National Day of Prayer”! And even though we probably no longer have the right to call ourselves a “Christian nation”, we still live in the best nation on the planet and we still have many rights and privileges that our brothers and sisters in other countries do not enjoy. On this special day of prayer that is actually set aside by our government, let’s redouble our efforts and let’s pray to God on behalf of the many issues that threaten our wonderful country today! Let’s pray for God to have mercy on our land because of the shame and sins we have committed as a people. Let’s ask God to preserve the foundation of our culture that was fought for and won by the many brave men and women of past generations, and let’s pray for the men and women who are in difficult places fighting TODAY to preserve our freedom!
1. Praise for the country that is ours and for the freedom we enjoy!
2. Praise for the men and women who served in the military in order to secure the freedoms we enjoy!
3. Praise for the young men and women who are serving in the armed forces today in order to maintain those liberties.
4. Praise for the freedom to worship as we choose.
5. Praise for the spoken Word that goes out each and every day across this great nation proclaiming the Truth of God’s Word! Praise for those who have given of their time and their lives to make sure that people in this country are able to hear the message.
I could go on for a long time, for you see, we ARE a very blessed people! Let’s be thankful for the great opportunities we have and share our thankfulness and joy with those around us! May everyone who knows us recognize that we are truly the people of God by showing these attributes in the midst of the things we are facing as a nation!
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Lest We Forget the Lord
Deuteronomy 6:10-12 “…When the Lord thy God…give thee…houses full of all good things, which you did not fill, and wells digged that you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees that you did not plant; when you have eaten and are full; then beware lest you forget the Lord…!”
In these verses, which are a continuation of the topics we have been covering, God is warning the Israelites to be very careful of the consequences of coming into a land that was already established and ready to go without them having to work to make it that way. They would be coming into a land of plenty and God knew that that was dangerous enough for them that He warned them to “beware”!
If there has ever been a time in history when we need to beware of these same dangers, it is now and in the United States of America! I believe there is a real danger in this country for all of us to become lazy and very demanding and, yes, VERY soft! As we all know, we are very spoiled with things and variety of every kind from cereal to toys to shoes and on and on it goes! We allow our children to get caught up in this mindset because everyone else is there and it is easy to just get on board. Our children are bombarded on every side by things and stuff that they have in no way worked or paid for and it is so easy for them to become demanding and dependent on these things for their security, for their recreation, for their joy, etc. Does it surprise us that many young people from Christian homes are walking away from their faith and serving the ‘god of the stuff’? Does it surprise us that church has little or no relevance in their lives or that they are “forgetting the Lord”?
One of the most dangerous things in our culture, in my opinion, is all the ‘stuff’! I believe that it is part of the plan of the ‘god of this world’ to get all of us to be dependent on all that is in the world and get our eyes off the real meaning of life. He is not happy to just keep people from becoming born again, but he wants God’s people to have so much stuff that they are soft and not able to enjoy life without it! I believe there is going to be a day of reckoning for all of us here in this country and I wonder if we are going to be able to endure. Are we strong enough to stand and take our place on the Lord’s side should that day come in our lifetime? What about our children and grand children? Are they going to be able to stand for their faith? Will they even know what it is they are to stand for? I am not trying to be a doomsday person, but these are things I think we need to think about as we walk through this life.
I know it is very hard to live within this culture and not get caught up in all that is available. The first thing we need to do is to watch where we as the adults are with this problem. When you or I go to the store, do we determine whether to buy something by whether we can afford it or is the decision based on our need for such an item? Do we find ourselves being careless about such things as eating out just because we have the money? Are we more wasteful because we don’t need to be quite as careful as we used to be? I believe it is Larry Burkett who said something about finding the financial level at which you are comfortable and then stay there. In other words, don’t let your income level dictate how much you think you need. And, try to look at life through the eyes of your children. It is within your power to determine how your children look at their needs and wants. They should rarely receive things just because they ‘want’ it. Receiving gifts for birthdays or Christmas are the rare exceptions to this concept. Most often children should receive things that they need or things that are good for them to have. If they get into the habit of receiving things just because they want them, you are setting them up for a lot of difficulties down the road. (I will cover this topic in detail in a later discussion.) It is VERY good for children to have to earn and save up for some of the things they need or would like to have. Children need to learn the concept of working for things at an early age as it will give them a connection between work and having, and will build the beginning of a good work ethic, which is a Biblical concept, by the way!
It is my prayer that we can all get a handle on these issues and raise children and grandchildren who won’t forget the Lord! In this world, the last thing we need to do is to forget the One who is our source of everything we need to get through each day. Let’s set Godly examples in this area of wanting the ‘stuff’ and let’s pass on to our children the ability to live a Godly and contented life. Remember: “Godliness with contentment is great gain!” I Timothy 6:6
In these verses, which are a continuation of the topics we have been covering, God is warning the Israelites to be very careful of the consequences of coming into a land that was already established and ready to go without them having to work to make it that way. They would be coming into a land of plenty and God knew that that was dangerous enough for them that He warned them to “beware”!
If there has ever been a time in history when we need to beware of these same dangers, it is now and in the United States of America! I believe there is a real danger in this country for all of us to become lazy and very demanding and, yes, VERY soft! As we all know, we are very spoiled with things and variety of every kind from cereal to toys to shoes and on and on it goes! We allow our children to get caught up in this mindset because everyone else is there and it is easy to just get on board. Our children are bombarded on every side by things and stuff that they have in no way worked or paid for and it is so easy for them to become demanding and dependent on these things for their security, for their recreation, for their joy, etc. Does it surprise us that many young people from Christian homes are walking away from their faith and serving the ‘god of the stuff’? Does it surprise us that church has little or no relevance in their lives or that they are “forgetting the Lord”?
One of the most dangerous things in our culture, in my opinion, is all the ‘stuff’! I believe that it is part of the plan of the ‘god of this world’ to get all of us to be dependent on all that is in the world and get our eyes off the real meaning of life. He is not happy to just keep people from becoming born again, but he wants God’s people to have so much stuff that they are soft and not able to enjoy life without it! I believe there is going to be a day of reckoning for all of us here in this country and I wonder if we are going to be able to endure. Are we strong enough to stand and take our place on the Lord’s side should that day come in our lifetime? What about our children and grand children? Are they going to be able to stand for their faith? Will they even know what it is they are to stand for? I am not trying to be a doomsday person, but these are things I think we need to think about as we walk through this life.
I know it is very hard to live within this culture and not get caught up in all that is available. The first thing we need to do is to watch where we as the adults are with this problem. When you or I go to the store, do we determine whether to buy something by whether we can afford it or is the decision based on our need for such an item? Do we find ourselves being careless about such things as eating out just because we have the money? Are we more wasteful because we don’t need to be quite as careful as we used to be? I believe it is Larry Burkett who said something about finding the financial level at which you are comfortable and then stay there. In other words, don’t let your income level dictate how much you think you need. And, try to look at life through the eyes of your children. It is within your power to determine how your children look at their needs and wants. They should rarely receive things just because they ‘want’ it. Receiving gifts for birthdays or Christmas are the rare exceptions to this concept. Most often children should receive things that they need or things that are good for them to have. If they get into the habit of receiving things just because they want them, you are setting them up for a lot of difficulties down the road. (I will cover this topic in detail in a later discussion.) It is VERY good for children to have to earn and save up for some of the things they need or would like to have. Children need to learn the concept of working for things at an early age as it will give them a connection between work and having, and will build the beginning of a good work ethic, which is a Biblical concept, by the way!
It is my prayer that we can all get a handle on these issues and raise children and grandchildren who won’t forget the Lord! In this world, the last thing we need to do is to forget the One who is our source of everything we need to get through each day. Let’s set Godly examples in this area of wanting the ‘stuff’ and let’s pass on to our children the ability to live a Godly and contented life. Remember: “Godliness with contentment is great gain!” I Timothy 6:6
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Prayer Requests for April 24, 2008
God has called us to a high calling! Notice, we are to “abounding” in the work of the Lord! That is a deep and intense work that we are called to do. One of those works that He calls us to do is to pray. And we all know that we need great prayer for our country in this time. But along with that great calling is a promise – our labor will not be in vain in the Lord! So let’s hang in there and pray to see God’s plan implemented as we continue to walk through this time of election primaries in our country. (I am sorry for the mistake last week! Only PA primary was held yesterday! Others are still coming. )
1. Pray that God will use the results of the primary yesterday to further accomplish HIS purpose.
2. Pray for God’s people to be alert to the issues that face our country as a whole and that face us as God’s people specifically, in the coming months!
3. Pray that righteousness will prevail in the midst of all that is going on!
4. Pray for those “who call GOOD evil and call evil GOOD”.
1. Pray that God will use the results of the primary yesterday to further accomplish HIS purpose.
2. Pray for God’s people to be alert to the issues that face our country as a whole and that face us as God’s people specifically, in the coming months!
3. Pray that righteousness will prevail in the midst of all that is going on!
4. Pray for those “who call GOOD evil and call evil GOOD”.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Help Your Children Remember
Deuteronomy 6:8&9 “And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thy hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.”
(I once again need to apologize for a lapse here, but my husband was on spring break and we took a few days away to be together and to see our family that lives in the Dayton area. We had a great time, but it is always good to get home.)
Last time I posted, it was concerning the mandates in the verses in Deuteronomy that precede these two verses. Now, I am not qualified to exposit about these passages, but I am just trying to share some of the principles concerning child-rearing that I have gleaned from this passage over the years of my experience in raising three children.
I see in these verses the command to the Israelites to post something in three different places. In order to accomplish that task, it is necessary to know what it is they were to post! If you look back to verse 6 of this chapter, you will see that it is “these words” which we talked about in the last entry. And if you look ahead one more verse, you will see that they have to do with our love for the Lord. So it is that they were told to bind these words for a sign on their hands, put them between their eyes and write them on the posts of their house and gates. That command was specific to those people, but I think that the principle applies to us today!
I don’t think that we need to figure out how to place anything between our eyes or on our hands, but I do think that we can place appropriate things around our homes that will remind our children and others that this is a place where God is remembered and honored. If you look around your home, will your children be reminded to “Love the Lord their God” or will they be encouraged to love the world and its system? Do they see reminders of God and His plan and expectations for them, or do they see all the “stuff” that reminds them of the saying, “He who dies with the most toys wins”?
What then are some ways of displaying a God-loving and God-honoring attitude in your home? Is there a place in your home where your family meets daily for the purpose of family devotions and prayer? I am wondering if there is a Bible or a devotional book on your breakfast table that reminds your children that this is where God’s Word is read each morning before your family leaves the house for the day in order to give everyone encouragement as they head out to face the things that come along as we face the world each and every morning. Is there a Bible story book that reminds them that this is how we end each day before we all head off to bed after a busy day? Are there books on your bookshelf that encourage your family to study the deeper truths of God’s Word? Is there good music available for your family from good Christian children’s music to quiet devotional music for the family? These are just some of the ways of “posting these words” on the door posts of your home. We will all have different ways of accomplishing this mandate, but the important thing is that you DO IT! Start small, but start with a plan. Decide today that you will do one thing to make your home a place where God is remembered and honored. Pick one of these ideas or think of one of your own, but get started today! If you think, “Sometime I will have to do that” it won’t happen! And remember, your children are growing every day and they will some day leave home and then it will be too late! You only get one chance to raise your children. You can’t get to the end and decide, “I guess I blew it that time! Let’s try this again!” So get started on some of these things and let’s raise children that remember and have as their goal to “Love the Lord ‘their’ God with all ‘their’ heart, and with all ‘their’ soul and with all ‘their’ might!”
(I once again need to apologize for a lapse here, but my husband was on spring break and we took a few days away to be together and to see our family that lives in the Dayton area. We had a great time, but it is always good to get home.)
Last time I posted, it was concerning the mandates in the verses in Deuteronomy that precede these two verses. Now, I am not qualified to exposit about these passages, but I am just trying to share some of the principles concerning child-rearing that I have gleaned from this passage over the years of my experience in raising three children.
I see in these verses the command to the Israelites to post something in three different places. In order to accomplish that task, it is necessary to know what it is they were to post! If you look back to verse 6 of this chapter, you will see that it is “these words” which we talked about in the last entry. And if you look ahead one more verse, you will see that they have to do with our love for the Lord. So it is that they were told to bind these words for a sign on their hands, put them between their eyes and write them on the posts of their house and gates. That command was specific to those people, but I think that the principle applies to us today!
I don’t think that we need to figure out how to place anything between our eyes or on our hands, but I do think that we can place appropriate things around our homes that will remind our children and others that this is a place where God is remembered and honored. If you look around your home, will your children be reminded to “Love the Lord their God” or will they be encouraged to love the world and its system? Do they see reminders of God and His plan and expectations for them, or do they see all the “stuff” that reminds them of the saying, “He who dies with the most toys wins”?
What then are some ways of displaying a God-loving and God-honoring attitude in your home? Is there a place in your home where your family meets daily for the purpose of family devotions and prayer? I am wondering if there is a Bible or a devotional book on your breakfast table that reminds your children that this is where God’s Word is read each morning before your family leaves the house for the day in order to give everyone encouragement as they head out to face the things that come along as we face the world each and every morning. Is there a Bible story book that reminds them that this is how we end each day before we all head off to bed after a busy day? Are there books on your bookshelf that encourage your family to study the deeper truths of God’s Word? Is there good music available for your family from good Christian children’s music to quiet devotional music for the family? These are just some of the ways of “posting these words” on the door posts of your home. We will all have different ways of accomplishing this mandate, but the important thing is that you DO IT! Start small, but start with a plan. Decide today that you will do one thing to make your home a place where God is remembered and honored. Pick one of these ideas or think of one of your own, but get started today! If you think, “Sometime I will have to do that” it won’t happen! And remember, your children are growing every day and they will some day leave home and then it will be too late! You only get one chance to raise your children. You can’t get to the end and decide, “I guess I blew it that time! Let’s try this again!” So get started on some of these things and let’s raise children that remember and have as their goal to “Love the Lord ‘their’ God with all ‘their’ heart, and with all ‘their’ soul and with all ‘their’ might!”
Monday, April 14, 2008
Prayer Requests for Thursday, April 17, 2008
Elijah prayed and it did not rain. (James 5:17) Moses prayed and fire burned up the sacrifice even though the altar had been doused with buckets of water! Hannah prayed and received the power to conceive! Time and time again, God heard and answered the prayers of His people! We serve the same powerful and faithful God Who delights in hearing the prayers of His children and He delights in answering those prayers. God is still able to “do abundantly over and above all that we could ask or think”. There are some very important events taking place on our political landscape in the next week and we need to hold our country up in prayer to the God Who answers those prayers!
1. Pray for the primary in Pennsylvania, North Carolina and other states which will be taking place next Tuesday, April 22.
2. Pray for God’s people to come out and vote and express their desires.
3. Pray that God’s people will be informed of the issues so that they can make decisions that reflect the Truth of God’s Word.
1. Pray for the primary in Pennsylvania, North Carolina and other states which will be taking place next Tuesday, April 22.
2. Pray for God’s people to come out and vote and express their desires.
3. Pray that God’s people will be informed of the issues so that they can make decisions that reflect the Truth of God’s Word.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Prayer Requests for Thursday, April 10
As we approach this 2008 election and all of the issues that we face at this time in our country’s history, let us come with joy and thanksgiving, remembering that God is all He says He is and His Word is truth! There are candidates who are promising to give the “whole world” to anyone who “needs” it, but we serve the God Who has not only given us promises, but He is the One Who ALWAYS keeps His promises – every time! Lets come before Him boldly asking for His grace and mercy and trust Him to fulfill each and every one of His promises!
Here are some specific requests:
1. Pray for safety for all of the candidates as they travel back and forth across the country. One or more has not even asked for secret service protection yet, so let’s remember them!
2. Pray for John McCain as he contemplates who he should choose for his running mate.
3. Pray for Christian radio hosts as these people have opportunity to greatly affect the decisions that Christian people will be making over these next months. Pray for wisdom for them as they schedule programming. May they take their role very seriously!
Here are some specific requests:
1. Pray for safety for all of the candidates as they travel back and forth across the country. One or more has not even asked for secret service protection yet, so let’s remember them!
2. Pray for John McCain as he contemplates who he should choose for his running mate.
3. Pray for Christian radio hosts as these people have opportunity to greatly affect the decisions that Christian people will be making over these next months. Pray for wisdom for them as they schedule programming. May they take their role very seriously!
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Teach Your Children Diligently
Deuteronomy 6:5-7 “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. YOU SHALL TEACH THEM DILIGENTLY TO YOUR CHILDREN, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down and when you rise up.”
There is a lot in these few short verses! I will not be going into the first verse about loving God with all of our heart, soul and strength! That is a major challenge in itself! That command is pretty clear and pretty much covers the manner in which we should live our lives! You know at least some of what you need to do in order to flesh that out, but I want to go on into what it means to teach our children diligently. What should we teach them and what are some specific things we can do to make sure this commandment gets followed in our homes? The thoughts in Deuteronomy 6 will be covered in two or three postings, so I will just be covering some thoughts about what needs to be taught and some practical ways to accomplish it.
According to Webster’s dictionary, the word ‘diligent’ means “to persevere with careful steady work”. This implies that teaching diligently isn’t something that can be accomplished in a very short time. It is my understanding that “teaching diligently” would take a lifetime. Now over the lifetime of our children from babyhood to adulthood, the style and content of the teaching would change, but it looks to me like it is an ongoing effort. There is no implication that there is a starting and an ending time.
So, what is it that we are to teach? Verse 6 says that we are to teach “these words which I command you today”. Then we look one verse ahead of that and we see in verse 5 the command to “love the Lord your God with all your heart…soul and ...strength.” So from this, I understand that we are to teach our children that God is to have first place in their lives! Well, as I have been thinking about this, I am not really sure that any of us really knows what that would look like, but I do know that most of us are not there and it is something that we need to work on VERY ‘diligently’!
So what are some practical and specific ways that we can accomplish this teaching? Verse7 tells us to “talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down and when you rise up.” This pretty much encompasses the whole 24 hours in the day! I think this means that our Christian faith is pretty much a way of life and not something we put on and take off as we walk through our life! It means that when we are sitting in our homes, there should be reference to God and our Lord Jesus as if He were there in person. At first it may take effort to try to work conversation about God into your everyday household conversation, and you should take that effort to do it! For instance, when you are enjoying a fresh homemade cookie, talk about how thankful you are that God has provided us with stoves for baking good cookies. Talk about how wonderful it is that God made things grow so you could have the chocolate chips that are in the cookies! And of course, there is the usual prayer at the meals, but it needs to be more than that. When you are out walking (and you should be making time to be out walking with your children), talk about all the beauty and things that God has created. Probably one of the easiest things is to approach this idea by repeating all of the things for which you can be thankful. When you lie down is a good time to rehearse all of the wonders of the day and if the day wasn’t so wonderful, you can remember that God was there and gave strength for the day and how He has good plans for tomorrow. And of course, when you get up is a good time to pray and ask for God’s help and guidance for a new day! One big condition about all of this is that you need to be there in order to accomplish this. This will take time and it will take planning at first, but the rewards are eternal and well worth the effort!
Just one short thought to finish off for today is to remember that one of the main ways to accomplish this whole task is to live a good example of Godliness and thankfulness. As your children go from small children to being adults, it probably becomes more important than ever to live a Godly and thankful example. Adult children need you to show them how to live in the culture that is constantly changing. It is typical for your example to become more important while the words you speak become fewer.
Next time, I will continue this thought and cover some more in Deuteronomy 6. Trust you will have a great week and now I am off to make sure that I accomplish these things as I live my life before my adult children and my young grandchildren!
There is a lot in these few short verses! I will not be going into the first verse about loving God with all of our heart, soul and strength! That is a major challenge in itself! That command is pretty clear and pretty much covers the manner in which we should live our lives! You know at least some of what you need to do in order to flesh that out, but I want to go on into what it means to teach our children diligently. What should we teach them and what are some specific things we can do to make sure this commandment gets followed in our homes? The thoughts in Deuteronomy 6 will be covered in two or three postings, so I will just be covering some thoughts about what needs to be taught and some practical ways to accomplish it.
According to Webster’s dictionary, the word ‘diligent’ means “to persevere with careful steady work”. This implies that teaching diligently isn’t something that can be accomplished in a very short time. It is my understanding that “teaching diligently” would take a lifetime. Now over the lifetime of our children from babyhood to adulthood, the style and content of the teaching would change, but it looks to me like it is an ongoing effort. There is no implication that there is a starting and an ending time.
So, what is it that we are to teach? Verse 6 says that we are to teach “these words which I command you today”. Then we look one verse ahead of that and we see in verse 5 the command to “love the Lord your God with all your heart…soul and ...strength.” So from this, I understand that we are to teach our children that God is to have first place in their lives! Well, as I have been thinking about this, I am not really sure that any of us really knows what that would look like, but I do know that most of us are not there and it is something that we need to work on VERY ‘diligently’!
So what are some practical and specific ways that we can accomplish this teaching? Verse7 tells us to “talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down and when you rise up.” This pretty much encompasses the whole 24 hours in the day! I think this means that our Christian faith is pretty much a way of life and not something we put on and take off as we walk through our life! It means that when we are sitting in our homes, there should be reference to God and our Lord Jesus as if He were there in person. At first it may take effort to try to work conversation about God into your everyday household conversation, and you should take that effort to do it! For instance, when you are enjoying a fresh homemade cookie, talk about how thankful you are that God has provided us with stoves for baking good cookies. Talk about how wonderful it is that God made things grow so you could have the chocolate chips that are in the cookies! And of course, there is the usual prayer at the meals, but it needs to be more than that. When you are out walking (and you should be making time to be out walking with your children), talk about all the beauty and things that God has created. Probably one of the easiest things is to approach this idea by repeating all of the things for which you can be thankful. When you lie down is a good time to rehearse all of the wonders of the day and if the day wasn’t so wonderful, you can remember that God was there and gave strength for the day and how He has good plans for tomorrow. And of course, when you get up is a good time to pray and ask for God’s help and guidance for a new day! One big condition about all of this is that you need to be there in order to accomplish this. This will take time and it will take planning at first, but the rewards are eternal and well worth the effort!
Just one short thought to finish off for today is to remember that one of the main ways to accomplish this whole task is to live a good example of Godliness and thankfulness. As your children go from small children to being adults, it probably becomes more important than ever to live a Godly and thankful example. Adult children need you to show them how to live in the culture that is constantly changing. It is typical for your example to become more important while the words you speak become fewer.
Next time, I will continue this thought and cover some more in Deuteronomy 6. Trust you will have a great week and now I am off to make sure that I accomplish these things as I live my life before my adult children and my young grandchildren!
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Prayer Requests for Thursday, April 3,2008
It is part of God’s plan in the world for Christians to pray for those who are in authority over us. I believe this also means that we need to pray for those who aspire to be in authority over us. So today, let’s remember these specific requests:
1. Pray for President Bush as he finishes up his term. Pray for safety for him and his family.
2. Pray that righteousness will prevail among those who are running and that any deceit will be exposed and be purged from the scene.
3. Pray for the safety of all the candidates as they are out among the people and becoming vulnerable to the public.
4. Pray that God’s people will acquire great discernment to know how to respond to the things that are confronted each day.
5. Pray that we, God’s people, will maintain the source of our joy and hope and display that to a world that is caught up in confusion.
1. Pray for President Bush as he finishes up his term. Pray for safety for him and his family.
2. Pray that righteousness will prevail among those who are running and that any deceit will be exposed and be purged from the scene.
3. Pray for the safety of all the candidates as they are out among the people and becoming vulnerable to the public.
4. Pray that God’s people will acquire great discernment to know how to respond to the things that are confronted each day.
5. Pray that we, God’s people, will maintain the source of our joy and hope and display that to a world that is caught up in confusion.
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