Category Archives: Parenting

Children, Parenting, Traditions / Holidays

Let Us Celebrate, Honor, and Love Mothers

We should celebrate, honor, and love mothers all year round. Honoring mothers should be more than a once a year “Thank you, Mom. Here is a gift I bought.” Let’s reflect on some of what the Bible says about the role of wives and mothers.

Deuteronomy 5:16

16‘Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, that your days may be prolonged and that it may go well with you on the land which the LORD your God gives you.

Not everyone who gives birth is a good and selfless mother, but many mothers sacrifice daily to take care of their household. They work hard. They are compassionate and loving. Good mothers are seldom idle.

Proverbs 31:13-31

13She looks for wool and flax
And works with her hands in delight.

14She is like merchant ships;
She brings her food from afar.

15She rises also while it is still night
And gives food to her household
And portions to her maidens.

16She considers a field and buys it;
From her earnings she plants a vineyard.

17She girds herself with strength
And makes her arms strong.

18She senses that her gain is good;
Her lamp does not go out at night.

19She stretches out her hands to the distaff,
And her hands grasp the spindle.

20She extends her hand to the poor,
And she stretches out her hands to the needy.

21She is not afraid of the snow for her household,
For all her household are clothed with scarlet.

22She makes coverings for herself;
Her clothing is fine linen and purple.

23Her husband is known in the gates,
When he sits among the elders of the land.

24She makes linen garments and sells them,
And supplies belts to the tradesmen.

25Strength and dignity are her clothing,
And she smiles at the future.

26She opens her mouth in wisdom,
And the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.

27She looks well to the ways of her household,
And does not eat the bread of idleness.

28Her children rise up and bless her;
Her husband also, and he praises her, saying:

29“Many daughters have done nobly,
But you excel them all.”

30Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain,
But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.

31Give her the product of her hands,
And let her works praise her in the gates.

Good mothers help to teach and guide their children in righteousness.

Proverbs 6:20-22

20My son, observe the commandment of your father
And do not forsake the teaching of your mother;

21Bind them continually on your heart;
Tie them around your neck.

22When you walk about, they will guide you;
When you sleep, they will watch over you;
And when you awake, they will talk to you.

Children should live in righteousness and bring joy and gladness to their mother. This is a greater gift than can be put in a box with a bow to be given one day a year.

Proverbs 23:22-25

22Listen to your father who begot you,
And do not despise your mother when she is old.

23Buy truth, and do not sell it,
Get wisdom and instruction and understanding.

24The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice,
And he who sires a wise son will be glad in him.

25Let your father and your mother be glad,
And let her rejoice who gave birth to you.

Good mothers exemplify Biblical love, especially for their families. Their children should demonstrate this kind of love to them (daily) as well.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

4Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, 5does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, 6does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Remember to celebrate, honor, and love mothers all year round. There is no gift that can be purchased once a year that will bring more joy to them than loving and honoring them year round in a biblical manner. As children, let us seek to live in righteousness and lovingkindness, which will bring joy to good mothers and to YHWH.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, thank You for raising up compassionate and loving mothers among your people to care for their children and their families. Please encourage those who are overwhelmed or struggling. Please lift up godly examples for others to follow. Help us to show our love, appreciation and respect for them. Amen.

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Children, Parenting

God Cares How We Raise Our Children!

God has a lot to say about parenting. Whoever has ears, let them hear…

Children are a gift from the LORD; they are a reward from him. Children born to a young man are like arrows in a warrior’s hands. How joyful is the man whose quiver is full of them! He will not be put to shame when he confronts his accusers at the city gates. [Psalm 127:3-5]

Train up a child in the way he should go,  And when he is old he will not depart from it. [Proverbs 22:6]

The rod and rebuke give wisdom,  But a child left to himself brings shame to his mother. [Proverbs 29:15]

And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord. [Ephesians 6:4]

 

Children are truly a blessing. It is important though for us to train them up properly. We must always remember that they are smart and will learn first from what we do and remember that far longer than they remember what we say!

Don’t just go through the motions and do what your parents did when you were a kid or what others around you or the world do. Seek and understand what God wants us to do. You can set a strong foundation that they can build upon.

Challenge yourself to put God as the focus of celebrations and holidays, and especially our day to day. What media (e.g. movies, books, games, apps ,etc.) do you allow? Do they honor God? or do you rationalize that they are probably not as bad as other stuff that is out there? We should raise our expectations to follow God’s standard, not just try to be less bad than those around us!

And always remember that the best way to show love is not to buy something but rather to spend quality time with them doing something they enjoy.

Focused Ministry

  • Focus on the Family is a ministry with specific focus around marriage and family. There are many resources available including material focused on parenting.

Books and Other Resources

  •  While They Were Sleeping  is a prayer guide that guides moms (and dads) through prayer for their children focused around 12 important character traits we all want our children to have.

Check out our website resource page for Parenting to follow as we add more resources that help us honor God as we raise our children.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please lead and guide Your people as parents raising children. Help us to raise godly seed. Help us to set the example of being set apart from society. Help us to set and lead to Your standards and not simply be “less bad” than others around us, because that standard is constantly changing and moving further and further from You. Prepare our children to be bold and courageous in living for You and embracing Your ways. Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Children, Consequences of Sin, Idols / False Gods, Parenting, Repenting from Sin, Traditions / Holidays, Unteachable / Foolish, Wickedness / Evil

Will You Lead Your Children in Righteousness or Be a Stumbling Block?

The actions of parents can have significant impact on the path which their children follow. Parents who live in sin and rebellion, apart from Yahweh, set that example for their children. Even if the parents later repent, and humble themselves before Yahweh, there is still opportunity for their children to stay on the wrong path.  Parents have potential to be a big help or a stumbling block for their children in their walk with the Yahweh.

2 Chronicles 33:21-25

Amon Becomes King in Judah

      21Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem. 22He did evil in the sight of the LORD as Manasseh his father had done, and Amon sacrificed to all the carved images which his father Manasseh had made, and he served them. 23Moreover, he did not humble himself before the LORD as his father Manasseh had done, but Amon multiplied guilt. 24Finally his servants conspired against him and put him to death in his own house. 25But the people of the land killed all the conspirators against King Amon, and the people of the land made Josiah his son king in his place.

I am sure Manasseh would not have wanted this path for Amon. Manasseh humbled himself and repented before the LORD. However, Manasseh had previously created idols and led the people to wrongful worship of false gods and even after he repented, the people still worshipped at the high places, against Yah’s instruction. Manasseh’s actions, even though he later repented, established potential to impact not only his people, but his own children.

Let us humbly remember the same for our own lives. We have impact on those around us. In particular, we have impact on those who are closest to us. Keep this in mind when considering your relationship with Yahweh. If there are things that you should repent of, do so early and take on the hard work of change and repentance so your children may not have to or so they have a better chance of success doing so! Do not be a stumbling block for your own children in their pursuit of Yahweh.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me see and repent from anything in my life which calls for repentance. Help parents of Your people have wisdom, discernment and courage in leading their children. Help us to worship You in the way You ask and to turn from the ways of men. Amen. 

 

Courage / Fear, Devotions by John, Lying / Deceiving, Parables, Parenting, Purposeful / Intentional, Submitted / Servant, Traditions / Holidays, Worldliness

The Parable of the Two Fathers

This is not a biblical parable, but one based on biblical teaching and in fact it is a true story many times over.

In a certain town there were two fathers who were neighbors, each of whom had a son. Both men wanted to honor God. They both went to church every week and prayed with their sons every night. They each read the Bible with their son regularly.

The first father truly wanted to submit his life and that of his family to God, even if it was difficult at times. The father was sometimes mocked for being different from those around him when he was standing up for God, and his son noticed. The father refused to lie to his son, and his son noticed this also. This father always remained clear that there is only one God, whom we can know through Jesus Christ. He taught his son that God has already defined what is good and bad and there are real consequences for sin, which is to say… rebelling against God’s instruction and authority. As the son grew older, he sometimes wondered how he could know Jesus was real since he could not “see” him or “touch” him but accepted it because his father was always honest with him. He learned to stand for Jesus even when it was hard, because he learned by watching his father.

The second father was content to continue living his life in the traditions of his parents and grandparents. It felt comfortable, most of his friends and neighbors lived their lives in a similar manner so there was no conflict. He did not feel that God really cared that much about some areas of how he and his family led their daily lives. He told his son that Jesus was the way to God, but he also liked to tell his son seemingly harmless made-up stories about make believe characters. He enjoyed telling his son about the tooth fairy, Easter bunny, and of course Santa Claus. He continued the stories for many years until finally his son would learn on his own that each story was not true. The father even went out of his way to provide false evidence that the stories were true… like money under the pillow for a tooth or telling his son that the bunny hid the eggs and brought him a basket, and of course having lots of presents at Christmas… all from Santa.  He even ate cookies and milk on behalf of Santa. After all, it’s just a bit of fun. What harm can it do?

As the son of the second father grew older, he was confused. The son sometimes wondered how he could know Jesus was real since he could not “see” him or “touch” him. He loved his father, but throughout his life his father had lied to him and even gone out of his way to fake evidence in many make-believe characters. He could not help but wonder if Jesus and the Bible were like the rest of the made-up stories and he had many doubts.

Ask yourself about each of the made-up stories that you may tell… “Is lying to my children about this really honoring God or teaching God’s message effectively?” (To be clear, lying is when you convince your child the made-up story is true… not just telling them a fictional story.) But let’s go further, beyond even lying to your children and the possible mistrust that creates for more important issues later.

Let’s take the story of Santa Claus as a representative example and see what it teaches. I will name a few, you can probably think of more.

  • The focus of Christmas, especially for kids, is “What stuff do I get?” With Santa, the story does not even focus at all on giving but rather only on getting. Trying to tell a child Christmas is about Jesus, but then overwhelming them with presents and made-up stories about Santa is like telling a child to eat a carrot and then putting in front of them a table full of cookies, brownies, cakes, and ice cream. At the very least, the table of desserts is a major distraction. In most cases, the children will remember the desserts long after they forget the carrot.
  • Gifts are not received from parents out of love, but rather you receive gifts because you deserve them. You were “good”.  Rather than a sign of love and sacrifice from parents who worked to earn money and chose to spend it on presents… it is a right to get gifts.
  • Supposed accountability for “bad” behavior (e.g. coal in the stocking) never really happens. There really is no punishment for poor behavior… or perhaps we just need to do more good works than we do bad… and then the bad is ok.
  • There is another person, different from God, that has god-like powers. He is essentially all knowing, very powerful, and can be in many places at the same time. He is eternal. He judges who is good and bad.
  • After spending years lying to children and convincing them that Santa is real, even when they start to recognize it and ask questions, we will then tell them it was all in fun… but trust me about Jesus.

Santa is in fact accepted around the world by many because he is absolutely not pointing to God, but rather distracting attention away from God or replacing God completely. Christians and non-Christians alike accept him. In one very recent example, Santa’s picture was used as a spokesman for a billboard campaign by atheists basically saying we can be good without need of God. “Go ahead and skip church! Just be good for goodness sake.” (link to article here). [How an atheist can define “good” while claiming there is no God is an interesting conversation for another day.]

I recognize that this is an emotional subject for many and admitting that we should change is very hard. Even if we accept it and change our behavior, there will be much difficulty among family. This is to be expected when we stand for Christ above all others. Jesus said so himself in Matthew 10:32-39.

32 “Everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. 33 But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven.

34 “Don’t imagine that I came to bring peace to the earth! I came not to bring peace, but a sword.

35 ‘I have come to set a man against his father,
    a daughter against her mother,
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.
36     Your enemies will be right in your own household!’[l]

37 “If you love your father or mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine. 38 If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine. 39 If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.

We each must decide whether or not we submit to God fully or hold tightly to the traditions of man. By the way… study of the new testament clearly shows that clutching to the traditions of man was the way of the Pharisees and Sadducees, not the way of Jesus.

God wants his people to be holy (set apart for God’s use) and righteous (living according to God’s commands rather than the world’s). He wants us to put Him first, above everything else.

Challenge yourself to objectively evaluate your traditions and seek first the kingdom of God. Do not dismiss this quickly but rather prayerfully seek God to show you the truth of His word and how to apply it in your life.

—-

Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Children, Holy / Set Apart, Humility, Obeying God, Parenting, Seeking God, Submitted / Servant, Teachable

Jotham Learned from His Father’s Right and Wrong Choices

The message of 2 Chronicles 27 is fairly simple on the surface. Do right in the sight of the LORD and draw near to Him. Things will go well for you. Of course, this does not mean everyone will be a powerful king. However, the principle is there… seek the LORD and live according to His ways.

A second principle that pops out is that the son learned from what his father did well, honoring God, and also from the mistakes his father made, entering the temple where only the priests should go. I hope to help my children learn from me in the same way.

2 Chronicles 27

Jotham Succeeds Uzziah in Judah

      1Jotham was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Jerushah the daughter of Zadok. 2He did right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Uzziah had done; however he did not enter the temple of the LORD. But the people continued acting corruptly. 3He built the upper gate of the house of the LORD, and he built extensively the wall of Ophel. 4Moreover, he built cities in the hill country of Judah, and he built fortresses and towers on the wooded hills. 5He fought also with the king of the Ammonites and prevailed over them so that the Ammonites gave him during that year one hundred talents of silver, ten thousand kors of wheat and ten thousand of barley. The Ammonites also paid him this amount in the second and in the third year. 6So Jotham became mighty because he ordered his ways before the LORD his God. 7Now the rest of the acts of Jotham, even all his wars and his acts, behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah. 8He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. 9And Jotham slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David; and Ahaz his son became king in his place.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help us learn from one another and draw nearer to You. Help fathers realize the impact they have on their children to lead them to live godly lives, following after You. Help them to make good choices. Where mistakes are made, help us to learn from them and our children as well. Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Blessed, Children, Discerning / Judging, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Is the Old Testament Relevant Today?, Obeying God, Parenting, Purposeful / Intentional, Seeking God, Teachable, Wise

Receive David’s Advice to His Son Like it Was Directed at You

We have previously studied 1 Chronicles 22 from the perspective of one who is great, like David, playing a supportive role to honor God, even though he wanted to play a lead role in building the temple. He did not go halfway. His focus was on bringing glory to God, not himself. David made ample preparations to set up Solomon for success in the mission that he wanted for himself.

This time we will focus in on the advice that David gave to his son Solomon. David was a great king and despite many mistakes, he was a man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14, Acts 13:22). When he sinned, he repented. He gave much glory to the LORD and had a very open and close relationship with Yahweh.

1 Chronicles 22

David Prepares for Temple Building

      1Then David said, “This is the house of the LORD God, and this is the altar of burnt offering for Israel.”

      2So David gave orders to gather the foreigners who were in the land of Israel, and he set stonecutters to hew out stones to build the house of God. 3David prepared large quantities of iron to make the nails for the doors of the gates and for the clamps, and more bronze than could be weighed; 4and timbers of cedar logs beyond number, for the Sidonians and Tyrians brought large quantities of cedar timber to David. 5David said, “My son Solomon is young and inexperienced, and the house that is to be built for the LORD shall be exceedingly magnificent, famous and glorious throughout all lands. Therefore now I will make preparation for it.” So David made ample preparations before his death.

Solomon Charged with the Task

      6Then he called for his son Solomon, and charged him to build a house for the LORD God of Israel. 7David said to Solomon, “My son, I had intended to build a house to the name of the LORD my God. 8“But the word of the LORD came to me, saying, ‘You have shed much blood and have waged great wars; you shall not build a house to My name, because you have shed so much blood on the earth before Me. 9‘Behold, a son will be born to you, who shall be a man of rest; and I will give him rest from all his enemies on every side; for his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quiet to Israel in his days. 10‘He shall build a house for My name, and he shall be My son and I will be his father; and I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever.’ 11“Now, my son, the LORD be with you that you may be successful, and build the house of the LORD your God just as He has spoken concerning you. 12“Only the LORD give you discretion and understanding, and give you charge over Israel, so that you may keep the law of the LORD your God. 13“Then you will prosper, if you are careful to observe the statutes and the ordinances which the LORD commanded Moses concerning Israel. Be strong and courageous, do not fear nor be dismayed. 14“Now behold, with great pains I have prepared for the house of the LORD 100,000 talents of gold and 1,000,000 talents of silver, and bronze and iron beyond weight, for they are in great quantity; also timber and stone I have prepared, and you may add to them. 15“Moreover, there are many workmen with you, stonecutters and masons of stone and carpenters, and all men who are skillful in every kind of work. 16“Of the gold, the silver and the bronze and the iron there is no limit. Arise and work, and may the LORD be with you.”

      17David also commanded all the leaders of Israel to help his son Solomon, saying, 18“Is not the LORD your God with you? And has He not given you rest on every side? For He has given the inhabitants of the land into my hand, and the land is subdued before the LORD and before His people. 19“Now set your heart and your soul to seek the LORD your God; arise, therefore, and build the sanctuary of the LORD God, so that you may bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD and the holy vessels of God into the house that is to be built for the name of the LORD.”

What advice did David give to his own son? We should probably receive it as if it was given to us directly.

  •  11“Now, my son, the LORD be with you that you may be successful, and build the house of the LORD your God just as He has spoken concerning you.

David knew it was important for Solomon to live in such a way that the LORD would be with him. This is key in accomplishing what the LORD calls us to do. We are not to try to go do it on our own. Ask and wholeheartedly seek the LORD. It should not be an afterthought, but rather a priority.

  •  12“Only the LORD give you discretion and understanding, and give you charge over Israel, so that you may keep the law of the LORD your God. 13“Then you will prosper, if you are careful to observe the statutes and the ordinances which the LORD commanded Moses concerning Israel. Be strong and courageous, do not fear nor be dismayed.

Seek wisdom and discernment from the LORD. Seek His help in whatever your responsibility may be. For Solomon, it was ruling Israel. For many of us it may include spouse, children, ministry, community, and work.

Observe the statutes and ordinances the LORD commanded. This is not just the 10 commandments, but all the statutes and ordinances of the Law. Christianity has not replaced the Law of God. In Messiah, we are grafted in to Israel. We should follow the same law that Jesus did when he was judged to have lived a sinless life. We do need to understand more detail on this matter, as it can seem complicated. There are some parts of the Law which we can no longer follow. To learn more, read Understanding the Law. What Does it Mean for Us Today?

Notice this is not always easy. David implores Solomon to be strong and courageous right after telling him to obey the Law. People will come against you and try to convince you to live another way. This reminds me of the guidance Joshua received from the LORD in Joshua 1:6-9.

6“Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. 7“Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go. 8“This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success. 9“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

  •  19“Now set your heart and your soul to seek the LORD your God

This last piece of advice is aimed at the leaders of Israel rather than Solomon, but was to good to leave out.

Reflect prayerfully on this advice as if it was directed at you. Ask the Spirit to reveal to you any areas of your life which you should make changes.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, thank You for Your written word to lead and guide us. Help us to have wisdom and discernment to understand how You want us to live generally and specifically for each of us. Help us to be strong and courageous. Draw us to seek You wholeheartedly. Please walk with Your people and help us to walk in righteousness. Amen. 

 Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

—-

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Evidence in Scripture, Marriage, Parenting

Are Genealogies Important?

I will admit that I am not naturally engaged by reading the genealogy sections in scripture. However, the fact that they are included and in quite a few places should signal to us that they are important. I can think of at least two simple conclusions I can reach. First, family is important. It is part of our heritage. It is the organizational structure that Yahweh chose for how His people would be organized. Second, it reminds me that many books of the Bible are historical accounts. We can take them in that perspective. The books of Kings and Chronicles are among the historical accounts. They are not just stories. They really happened.

I am personally convinced that deeper study of the genealogies can reveal much more to us as well, but let us at least recognize the surface significance and not overlook them. If Yahweh saw fit to include them in the Bible, we should read them and pray for insight about them.

1 Chronicles 1

Genealogy from Adam

      1Adam, Seth, Enosh, 2Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared, 3Enoch, MethuSelah, Lamech, 4Noah, Shem, Ham and Japheth.

      5The sons of Japheth were Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech and Tiras. 6The sons of Gomer were Ashkenaz, Diphath, and Togarmah. 7The sons of Javan were Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim and Rodanim.

      8The sons of Ham were Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan. 9The sons of Cush were Seba, Havilah, Sabta, Raama and Sabteca; and the sons of Raamah were Sheba and Dedan. 10Cush became the father of Nimrod; he began to be a mighty one in the earth.

      11Mizraim became the father of the people of Lud, Anam, Lehab, Naphtuh, 12Pathrus, Casluh, from which the Philistines came, and Caphtor.

      13Canaan became the father of Sidon, his firstborn, Heth, 14and the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites, 15the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites, 16the Arvadites, the Zemarites and the Hamathites.

      17The sons of Shem were Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, Aram, Uz, Hul, Gether and Meshech. 18Arpachshad became the father of Shelah and Shelah became the father of Eber. 19Two sons were born to Eber, the name of the one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided, and his brother’s name was Joktan. 20Joktan became the father of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, 21Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, 22Ebal, Abimael, Sheba, 23Ophir, Havilah and Jobab; all these were the sons of Joktan.

      24Shem, Arpachshad, Shelah, 25Eber, Peleg, Reu, 26Serug, Nahor, Terah, 27Abram, that is Abraham.

Descendants of Abraham

      28The sons of Abraham were Isaac and Ishmael. 29These are their genealogies: the firstborn of Ishmael was Nebaioth, then Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 30Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema, 31Jetur, Naphish and Kedemah; these were the sons of Ishmael. 32The sons of Keturah, Abraham’s concubine, whom she bore, were Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak and Shuah. And the sons of Jokshan were Sheba and Dedan. 33The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida and Eldaah. All these were the sons of Keturah.

      34Abraham became the father of Isaac. The sons of Isaac were Esau and Israel. 35The sons of Esau were Eliphaz, Reuel, Jeush, Jalam and Korah. 36The sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zephi, Gatam, Kenaz, Timna and Amalek. 37The sons of Reuel were Nahath, Zerah, Shammah and Mizzah. 38The sons of Seir were Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, Dishon, Ezer and Dishan. 39The sons of Lotan were Hori and Homam; and Lotan’s sister was Timna. 40The sons of Shobal were Alian, Manahath, Ebal, Shephi and Onam. And the sons of Zibeon were Aiah and Anah. 41The son of Anah was Dishon. And the sons of Dishon were Hamran, Eshban, Ithran and Cheran. 42The sons of Ezer were Bilhan, Zaavan and Jaakan. The sons of Dishan were Uz and Aran.

      43Now these are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom before any king of the sons of Israel reigned. Bela was the son of Beor, and the name of his city was Dinhabah. 44When Bela died, Jobab the son of Zerah of Bozrah became king in his place. 45When Jobab died, Husham of the land of the Temanites became king in his place. 46When Husham died, Hadad the son of Bedad, who defeated Midian in the field of Moab, became king in his place; and the name of his city was Avith. 47When Hadad died, Samlah of Masrekah became king in his place. 48When Samlah died, Shaul of Rehoboth by the River became king in his place. 49When Shaul died, Baal-hanan the son of Achbor became king in his place. 50When Baal-hanan died, Hadad became king in his place; and the name of his city was Pai, and his wife’s name was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, the daughter of Mezahab. 51Then Hadad died.
Now the chiefs of Edom were: chief Timna, chief Aliah, chief Jetheth, 52chief Oholibamah, chief Elah, chief Pinon, 53chief Kenaz, chief Teman, chief Mibzar, 54chief Magdiel, chief Iram. These were the chiefs of Edom.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please let Your Spirit lead and guide me in understanding all aspects of Your word. Help me to embrace the reality that the Bible is filled with historical accounts of what really happened. It is a non fiction work of literature. Let there be healing and transformation in our family structure today. There are so many broken families due to sin and separation from You. Please restore the importance and focus on biblical marriage and parenting and biblical focus on honoring parents even after we are adults ourselves. Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

—-

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Children, Parenting, Righteousness / Serving God, Wickedness / Evil

Fathers, Lead Your Children in the Ways of the LORD

2 Kings 21 records the transition of kingship from Hezekiah to Manasseh. It is a stark contrast from righteous to evil.  You can read the full details of the preceding verses by clicking the link below. Verses 19-26 focus on the son of Manasseh. He became king and like his father, did evil in the LORD’s sight. He walked in the ways of his father. Things did not go well for him.

2 Kings 21:19-26

Amon Succeeds Manasseh

      19Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Meshullemeth the daughter of Haruz of Jotbah. 20He did evil in the sight of the LORD, as Manasseh his father had done. 21For he walked in all the way that his father had walked, and served the idols that his father had served and worshiped them. 22So he forsook the LORD, the God of his fathers, and did not walk in the way of the LORD. 23The servants of Amon conspired against him and killed the king in his own house. 24Then the people of the land killed all those who had conspired against King Amon, and the people of the land made Josiah his son king in his place. 25Now the rest of the acts of Amon which he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 26He was buried in his grave in the garden of Uzza, and Josiah his son became king in his place.1:

As I reflect on this passage, I am struck by the impact that a father can have in shaping the character of his son. There appears to be a clear failure in this area in regards to Hezekiah preparing his son Manasseh to be king and to follow the LORD. Here we see Amon following in the ways of his father to do evil. We see this trend with other kings as well, such as David. They do not appear to have been good fathers, even if they were walking with the LORD.

Do not think that just because you focus on walking with Yahweh, your children are guaranteed to turn out the same way. You must invest time with them. You must be intentional in mentoring and raising them… in loving them. You must teach them to walk in our Father’s ways. You must teach them to be set apart from culture around them.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please open my eyes to the needs of my children or other children around me for the influence of a godly father or man in their life. Grant me the courage to step up and take on that challenge for my children and for any others you may put in my path that may not have that godly father. Help me to instruct them in the way they should go so that they would not soon stray from it. Help children who are fatherless or have fathers that are not engaged in leading them to find those godly role models to lead them to You. Amen.

Shalom.

Devotion by John in service to Christ

—-

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Children, Kindness / Gentleness, Loving / Kind, Parenting, Purposeful / Intentional

Do Not Be Too Busy for Children

It is often easy for us to get busy pursuing what we think we need to do, including ministry. We can sometimes overlook the children, even our own, to some extent. Yeshua loves children. He does not want us to overlook them. He wants us to make time for them.

Matthew 19:13-15

Jesus Blesses Little Children

      13Then some children were brought to Him so that He might lay His hands on them and pray; and the disciples rebuked them. 14But Jesus said, “Let the children alone, and do not hinder them from coming to Me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” 15After laying His hands on them, He departed from there.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me and all your people to look favorably on children, to make time for them, to treat them as having significance and not just being “in the way”. Please especially help parents to embrace their children as a blessing and not look at them as a burden. Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

—-

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Children, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Love, Parenting, Purposeful / Intentional, Submitted / Servant

Should We Do What Is Allowed by God or What Is Desired by God?

Should We Do What Is Allowed by God or What Is Desired by God? This is a simple question, that if you truly embrace it, could change your life and your walk with our Father. What is spoken in Matthew 19 about marriage is clearly very important and we need to remind ourselves about Yeshua’s instruction, but the applicability of this scripture goes much wider to all aspects of our lives.

Matthew 19:1-13

Concerning Divorce

      1When Jesus had finished these words, He departed from Galilee and came into the region of Judea beyond the Jordan; 2and large crowds followed Him, and He healed them there.

      3Some Pharisees came to Jesus, testing Him and asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason at all?” 4And He answered and said, “Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning MADE THEM MALE AND FEMALE, 5and said, ‘FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH’? 6“So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.” 7They said to Him, “Why then did Moses command to GIVE HER A CERTIFICATE OF DIVORCE AND SEND her AWAY?” 8He said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses permitted you to divorce your wives; but from the beginning it has not been this way. 9“And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.”

      10The disciples said to Him, “If the relationship of the man with his wife is like this, it is better not to marry.” 11But He said to them, “Not all men can accept this statement, but only those to whom it has been given. 12“For there are eunuchs who were born that way from their mother’s womb; and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men; and there are also eunuchs who made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. He who is able to accept this, let him accept it.”

How often do we act like the Pharisees in this way? How often do we focus on what is “allowed” instead of what is “desired” by God? I have encountered more than a few who when you start discussing application of Biblical teaching to their lives, instead of asking “what is more pleasing to God”, they focus on “what is allowed without sending me to hell”. Boy, there is certainly a wide range between those two positions. If we are really trying to decide what to do based on “not going to hell”, that is the wrong heart and attitude. That is selfish rather than loving God. Let us rather start by focusing on doing what is pleasing to the LORD.  This is what demonstrates our love for Him, in that we die to self and surrender to Him.

Let us compare it to someone who works for us, perhaps maid or gardener. Do you want them to do only what is the bare minimum for you not to fire them? or would you be more pleased if they directed their work such that they met your desires and preferences, going beyond the minimum? How do you feel in each case? Which way do you want God to feel about you?

The same could be said about a parent and child relationship. Do you want your child constantly doing the bare minimum? If you ask them to clean their room, do you prefer they go do it properly or just move a few things or maybe half and then claim they have accomplished what you requested? Even if you allow them to get away with that, which approach is more pleasing? Again, which way do you want God to feel about you?

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me and all those who are called by your name to focus on what is pleasing to you and not simply what is allowed or tolerated. Let it transform me personally, my family, and all those called by your name so that we would truly be submitted servants that are pleasing in your sight and can serve as lights to others to come to you. Amen.

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

—-

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.