Not your average rapper. “I do it for the kids and the streets dig that.” Oceanside, San Diego rapper Mikel Anthony releases his first single “Bobby Brown” produced by Dj Rek off of his album in process “Sleeping Giant.” The concept behind the single is to do you, don’t focus on what everyone else is doing. As an individual you have the right and creative freedom to follow your dreams and priorities. Download the single and turn up to it. “I be on my bobby.”
Let’s talk about the big problems of the first family.
No, I’m not referring to the President and the First Lady, but to the original first family, Adam and Eve. They were also the first family to have big problems–I mean big problems. Adam and Eve sinned by disobeying God, and their sin infected the whole human race.
They had two boys, Cain and Abel, and the problem of sin carried over to their children’s lives. Cain became so jealous of Abel’s blessings that he murdered him.
The first family had real problems–from Adam and Eve’s simple disobedience, to seeing one of their children murder his brother. The family of man still struggles with the same problem of sin today. But God has a solution in the person of Jesus Christ, Who came to save us from our sin problem. When a person looks to Christ, in faith, for salvation from sin, it breaks the negative chain of sin that enslaves people and families.
And they answered, Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ [give yourself up to Him, take yourself out of your own keeping and entrust yourself into His keeping] and you will be saved, [and this applies both to] you and your household as well.
(Acts 16:31 AMP)
There are many enemies within the home seeking to destroy the family. Let me share a few:
Busyness. Everyone is over-committed, mostly through workaholism and activity-itus. This is true for all ages with our over-organized children’s activities.
Lack of spiritual and moral leadership by the father. Approximately 34% of all births in the U.S. are to single moms. Even in some families that have a dad, he’s often absent or practically non-existent.
Negative influence of media and technology. Kids spend more time with the TV than they do with their parents, and its influence can be overwhelmingly negative. It’s a substitute for family communication. Internet pornography is devastating marriages and perverting how some men view women.
Parents, a vibrant relationship with God through Jesus Christ is the best way to battle the many enemies within the home.
Beware lest there be among you a man or woman or clan or tribe whose heart is turning away today from the Lord our God to go and serve the gods of those nations. Beware lest there be among you a root bearing poisonous and bitter fruit, (Deuteronomy 29:18 ESV)
The Trinity is a theological term to describe God as three persons in one. The actual term is never mentioned in the Bible, but the concept is in the Old and the New Testament.
In the very first chapter of the Bible, God says, “Let us make man in our image.”
Who do you think “us” and “our” are? There is no indication of God being married, so it’s not His wife. And Angels don’t create, they’re a creation of God. There’s only one logical answer: It’s God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
When Jesus the Son was baptized, God’s Word tells us God the Father spoke from Heaven and said, “This is my son. I’m proud of Him.” Then God the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in the form of a dove. All three were there. All three are one God.
It’s a mystery our finite human minds have a hard time grasping. But the Trinity–God as three in one–fills us with wonder at the unexplainable greatness of God.
Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory. (1 Timothy 3:16 ESV)
Your sibling did something horribly bad! They cheated on a test, no. They shaved the cat, no. They took dad’s new car for a joy ride, yeah that might work.
Not only did your sibling take the car out, but they damaged a good portion of the driver’s side. Dad is going to be extremely upset.
Your sibling thinks it was fun, funny, & that its no big deal because Dad will just get it fixed. At least that’s how you see it. You just know your sibling will take no responsibility when it comes to the consequence.
You know that you’ve gotten in trouble a lot with day. He helped you learn your lesson & be remorseful of your mistakes. But your sibling doesn’t seem that remorseful.
Ironically, you recall when you did the same thing. You took Dad’s car & got into an accident.
What do you do?
A) Do you pretend that nothing ever happened?
Dad won’t notice, or if he does you’re not responsible so you don’t need to say anything or do anything about it.
B) Do you help your sibling escape the blame & consequence by creating a believable story?
Lie to Dad. Tell him it wasn’t your siblings fault. Tell him someone must have stole it.
C) Do you speak up to Dad & tell him the whole truth about what happened?
Your sibling might despise you, but they might just need to learn a lesson or morality & values. Wouldn’t you want to be disciplined now before you veer too far off the path? Why not do your sibling the same favor.
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In conclusion:
“So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”
Are you excited about God? Do you talk about the amazing things He has done in your life in the morning, over dinner, and when your kids go to bed? That’s the attitude the early believers had, and it was the impetus for spreading the Word in the earliest days.
Kids are attracted to great stories, and they want to be a part of something dynamic that stirs their blood. We do our kids a big favor when we make being a follower of Jesus something that is exciting and rewarding, rather than a tedious effort to follow a bunch of rules. Recognize God’s movement in your life and tell your kids about it. Make Christianity exhilarating.
When the God of heaven and earth touches your life, it is exciting! Share those stories with your kids.
We cannot keep quiet about what we have seen and heard.
Our response to painful situations in life demonstrates the level of trust we have in God. This is true in our lives and the lives of our kids. God has told us many times that He allows trials to perfect us and make us more like His Son. Trials are not to be dodged or avoided as much as they are to be endured for the sake of the lesson.
Asking God the right question in the middle of a trial is an expression of your trust in Him. The question should not be, “How am I going to get out of this?”, but rather, “What am I going to get out of this?” By changing “how” to “what”, you illustrate your dependence on Him to teach you and your willingness to learn.
Teach your kids to substitute an attitude of “what can I learn?” for “how can I escape?” when they face trials.
We know that God is always at work for the good of everyone who loves him. They are the ones God has chosen for his purpose.
In times of struggle, we often seek a counselor — a trusted friend or a confidant to talk with about our troubles or from whom we seek guidance and direction. The disciples saw Jesus as their counselor, and were worried when He said He was leaving them. It was then that Jesus promised the ultimate Counselor — the Holy Spirit.
Like the disciples, we are given a Counselor to teach and remind us what Jesus taught (John 14:26). The Holy Spirit is available 24/7 and is absolutely free because Jesus paid His “fee”. He gives us the ability to understand our issues from Christ’s perspective and He exposes the false promises of the world. He offers us “the mind of Christ” (1 Cor 2:10-16).
Do you take advantage of the best counselor in heaven or earth? He is available to you when you trust Christ for your salvation.
But I tell you I am going to do what is best for you. This is why I am going away. The Holy Spirit cannot come to help you until I leave. But after I am gone, I will send the Spirit to you.
The Spirit will come and show the people of this world the truth about sin and God’s justice and the judgment.
Traffic, gas prices, long lines, screaming children, demanding bosses. Each day offers lots of opportunities to gripe, complain and argue. Do you take the bait?
Most times we respond to these situations poorly and without thinking, but consider the fact that these can be opportunities to demonstrate our trust in a powerful, loving God. When we approach trials from God’s eternal perspective, they can become opportunities to show our kids that satisfaction and peace are not based on the world’s response to us, but rather our response to the world. Show them you are willing to accept inconveniences without complaining or arguing and make the best of each day regardless. This attitude is a “light” to your children.
Let’s stop complaining and arguing, and show our children we trust in God’s plan.
Do everything without grumbling or arguing. Then you will be the pure and innocent children of God. You live among people who are crooked and evil, but you must not do anything they can say is wrong. Try to shine as lights among the people of this world.
This passage referred to the responsibility of leaders to study and rely upon the law of God as they governed. It kept them humble, centered on God, and guided their decisions so they would not stray from His path. Of course, this wasn’t easy and the Israelite leaders failed many times. When they strayed, God faithfully delivered consequences for their failures.
God’s advice for leaders hasn’t changed! As the leader of your family, recognize your need to learn from God’s Word. When we sacrifice personal study and meditation, we tend to lose our godly focus quickly, both for ourselves and for our family as well. Are consequences far behind?
Part of being a good leader is turning to your Leader for guidance every day.
Each day the king must read and obey these laws, so that he will learn to worship the Lord with fear and trembling and not think that he’s better than everyone else.
If the king completely obeys the Lord’s commands, he and his descendants will rule Israel for many years.
The twentieth century was a time of radical change in our education system. A study done of the Fullerton, California, School System compared the problems in the 1940′s to the 1980′s and the differences were astounding. In the forties, the major problems with students were truancy, running in the halls, talking in class, and chewing gum. In the eighties the major problems included teenage pregnancy, violence, stealing, rape, bringing knives and guns to school, drug abuse and vandalism. And with the recent school shootings, the problems are even worse.
When we hear results like this, we realize the tremendous decline of values in our overall society. I encourage you to look to the Ten Commandments. The fact is, you can’t find better guidance for teaching our children how to live a successful life and how to care for their fellow man than the Big Ten. And why not begin by teaching them to your own children? Society will be a better place because of it.
Pay attention, my children! Follow my advice, and you will be happy. Listen carefully to my instructions, and you will be wise. (Proverbs 8:32, 33 CEV)
The Greek word for workmanship is poiema, from which we get our word “poem”. It is used also in Romans 1:20 where Paul explains that God’s eternal power and divine nature can be seen in nature, His poiema. Paul tells us that all of creation contains works of incredible art created by God to demonstrate and reflect His glory, and that our kids are part of the art show!
If God was willing to put that kind of love and care into creating our children and preparing a path for them to follow “for good works”, doesn’t it make sense that we should work to find God’s path for our kids and surrender any path we may have dreamed up without Him?
God is the great artist and He is preparing a work far greater than any of us can see. It involves all of us. And we can participate by finding the role he created for each of us in His great design. Let’s resolve to stop trying to make our own primitive finger painting, and join the rest of God’s creation in His work.
Let’s surrender our independent plans and assume our role in the greatest work of art ever created!
God planned for us to do good things and to live as he has always wanted us to live. This is why he sent Christ to make us what we are.
Do you ever get caught up in gawking at the “lifestyles of the rich and famous”? The media offers us a front row seat to the excesses of the super rich. Their houses, cars, clothes, and hobbies are all paraded before us as examples of “success”. Hasn’t it always been true that “men praise you when you prosper”?
In light of the world’s preoccupation with achieving “the good life”, isn’t it ironic that anything with a price, no matter how extravagant or expensive, will have zero eternal value? Help your kids fight materialism by focusing on eternal significance. The most effective way to communicate this message is not with your words, but with your example. Take a moment and ask God to reveal any blind spots you might have in this area. Commit to making one change, no matter how small, that more effectively demonstrates what you truly value.
Teach your children not to confuse price with value.
From what I hear, grandchildren are God’s reward for making it through all the years of worry your children caused you. You can play with grandchildren–and give them back when it’s time for diaper changes or bedtime routines. Having grandchildren is like a mulligan from God–you can make up for some of your parenting mistakes by doing it better with them.
While you now enjoy a break from the physical work, God still has important spiritual work for you. “Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them” (Deuteronomy 4:9).
Here’s a special salute to all the grandparents who for whatever reason have to (get to) raise their grandchildren. What a gift of love! You rock!
This is also for everyone over 60–the world needs honorary gramps and grannies. With the stories you tell children, you have a fabulous opportunity to share the good news of God’s forgiving love. The offerings and gifts you give keep the Word moving in the ministries you invest in. Even from your nursing home, your prayers can reach around the globe and change lives.
The seniors who gave you extra mentoring and love when you were little are eagerly awaiting your arrival in heaven. Well done, good and faithful servant!
“Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children’s children—
