God knows the intention of our Hearts.
a broken spirit and a contrite heart He will not despise.
Friday, November 4, 2011
Its nice to be back!
its been a while that this blog has not been updated. sorry for the inconvenience....
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Lesson # 15 : Bringing Them Up
God entrusts kids to us so we can nurture them to maturity— Intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually. Our goal is to help them find and fulfill God's design for their lives and to teach them about the character of Christ. We usually think of training and instruction as words, but words can end up exasperating our kids.
God's plan may involve some difficult times, and we should teach our kids that a strong character will help them through those times. The character we should be teaching them to adopt is the character of Christ. The choices they make and the consequences they face are opportunities to talk to them about the character of Jesus.
They allow us to focus on internal—what is going on inside the child—rather than external behavior.
Teaching your child "survival skills," as contrasted to spending most of your efforts ensuring their survival. Too often, we attempt to ensure survival by rescuing, nagging , and we end up with children unprepared to face the world without us.
Redefine what it means to train and instruct your kids about the character of Christ.
God's plan may involve some difficult times, and we should teach our kids that a strong character will help them through those times. The character we should be teaching them to adopt is the character of Christ. The choices they make and the consequences they face are opportunities to talk to them about the character of Jesus.
They allow us to focus on internal—what is going on inside the child—rather than external behavior.
Teaching your child "survival skills," as contrasted to spending most of your efforts ensuring their survival. Too often, we attempt to ensure survival by rescuing, nagging , and we end up with children unprepared to face the world without us.
Redefine what it means to train and instruct your kids about the character of Christ.
Lesson # 14 : Exasperating Your Kids
"exasperate" means to provoke to anger or to enrage.
And, the fastest way to exasperate a child is to micromanage every move, correct each misstep, and point out all the areas he needs to improve. Kids who are nagged and lectured soon become frustrated and often respond by rebelling, withdrawing, or "losing heart." We are so inclined to over-correct, we often end up fighting about small things that aren't important. We may win the argument, but lose the war as we find our kids disconnecting from us.
Instead, try walking beside your kids as you lovingly allow them to experience the consequences of their choices. This is a far better way to create an environment in which a child can understand and embrace God's design for his life.
Pick your battles and avoid exasperating your kids.
Eph 6:4: Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord (NIV).
And, the fastest way to exasperate a child is to micromanage every move, correct each misstep, and point out all the areas he needs to improve. Kids who are nagged and lectured soon become frustrated and often respond by rebelling, withdrawing, or "losing heart." We are so inclined to over-correct, we often end up fighting about small things that aren't important. We may win the argument, but lose the war as we find our kids disconnecting from us.
Instead, try walking beside your kids as you lovingly allow them to experience the consequences of their choices. This is a far better way to create an environment in which a child can understand and embrace God's design for his life.
Pick your battles and avoid exasperating your kids.
Eph 6:4: Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord (NIV).
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Lesson # 13 : Passing on knowledge with love
Knowledge alone doesn't make you an effective parent—It is the ability to pass that knowledge along lovingly. A child who is afraid of the dark and thinks something is hiding under the bed probably won't be convinced by an argument against the existence of monsters! They are much more likely to feel safe when you sit beside them and walk through their fears with them.
Likewise, Bible knowledge can be a weapon if it is not handled with love and care. Too often, Bible verses are presented in a way that obscures the real intent of Jesus—to show us His love. Knowledge offered with love helps the weak believer become stronger.
Talk about the Bible with an attitude of love, and your kids are more likely to receive it gratefully.
Likewise, Bible knowledge can be a weapon if it is not handled with love and care. Too often, Bible verses are presented in a way that obscures the real intent of Jesus—to show us His love. Knowledge offered with love helps the weak believer become stronger.
Talk about the Bible with an attitude of love, and your kids are more likely to receive it gratefully.
Lesson # 12 : Power through humility
Most of us get excited at the thought of raising powerful kids. We want them to be in control of their circumstances. We want them to be first in line, to take charge, and to be the one deciding who and what goes where and when. Unfortunately, the pursuit of power without humility can lead to disastrous results. Kids who seek power for its own sake can be arrogant, domineering, and disrespectful of authority.
Christians are told how to become truly powerful—by humbling themselves before the Lord. When we demonstrate the proper respect for God's authority, He allows us to be eternally influential in the lives of others.
"True greatness does not have power as its goal, but it often gains power by default." The amount of influence your child can have as an adult will be proportionate to their ability to grasp this principle as a child.
Teach your children humility and watch their influence grow
James 4:10: Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up (NIV).
Christians are told how to become truly powerful—by humbling themselves before the Lord. When we demonstrate the proper respect for God's authority, He allows us to be eternally influential in the lives of others.
"True greatness does not have power as its goal, but it often gains power by default." The amount of influence your child can have as an adult will be proportionate to their ability to grasp this principle as a child.
Teach your children humility and watch their influence grow
James 4:10: Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up (NIV).
My Apologies
Sorry for the late updates on my blogs. Its just a busy month for me. Anyways lets continue our lessons...Hope you enjoy reading once again.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Lesson # 11 : Are You Impatient ?? - Trust HIM
How many of us have wondered why God doesn't answer some prayers? You know, the ones about getting that new home, or curing a sickness, or saving a person, or getting a job, or whatever it is. I have sometimes found myself bewildered that God doesn't open the eyes of someone lost in a cult, especially when all the evidence and truth are right there in front of him. Then there is the time when we have a sick loved one and we ask the Lord to heal and the healing either comes or doesn't come quickly. Sometimes, medicine is needed and much time. In each situation we have to wait to see what happens, to learn how the Lord has worked it out, to find out the method of His answer.
Noah had to wait 120 years while building the ark before the word of the Lord would be fulfilled. Abraham had to wait until old age before Sarah gave birth to Isaac. The Israelites had to wait hundreds of years to be delivered from Egypt. Ruth had to wait patiently for the Lord to provide Boaz to marry her. David had to wait until after Saul had died and the Lord had placed Him as king. The woman with the issue of blood had to wait 12 years to be healed by touching Jesus' garment. Jesus had to be born, grow, and wait until the age of 30 before he could begin His ministry and fulfill the predetermined plan of God (Acts 4:27-28). God has a plan and a purpose and they are worked out in lives, in history, in time. Therefore, we have to wait for the Lord to provide for our needs, healings, and hopes. We must be patient and not give up hope. God is patient. God has a plan in your life and the lives of others.
Waiting is a virtue. Its durability is directly related to its object of faith. If you trust the Lord and His goodness and if you believe that the Lord will provide what you need, then waiting for His answer and provision is an act of faith. Remember, faith is only as good as who you place it in. But, also remember that you must pray for God's will to be done, not your own. This is what Jesus prayed for in the Garden (Luke 22:42).
The resurrection of Jesus is the proof of God's love for you. The fact that Jesus has physically risen from the dead (John 2:19-21; 1 Cor. 15:1-4) is proof that God loves you and has provided for you. Even as Jesus had to wait three days to be raised, so too you must wait the appropriate length of time for the Lord to raise in you the work He has called you to do. You must wait for the answers to your prayers. But, you can patiently wait on God trusting that He loves you and wants the best for you.
So, labor patiently for the Lord. Pray always. Keep believing despite the circumstances and in spite of the long periods of time that sometimes wane between the request and the answer. Wait in faith knowing that the call of God will come as well as the answers to the questions of your heart.
Noah had to wait 120 years while building the ark before the word of the Lord would be fulfilled. Abraham had to wait until old age before Sarah gave birth to Isaac. The Israelites had to wait hundreds of years to be delivered from Egypt. Ruth had to wait patiently for the Lord to provide Boaz to marry her. David had to wait until after Saul had died and the Lord had placed Him as king. The woman with the issue of blood had to wait 12 years to be healed by touching Jesus' garment. Jesus had to be born, grow, and wait until the age of 30 before he could begin His ministry and fulfill the predetermined plan of God (Acts 4:27-28). God has a plan and a purpose and they are worked out in lives, in history, in time. Therefore, we have to wait for the Lord to provide for our needs, healings, and hopes. We must be patient and not give up hope. God is patient. God has a plan in your life and the lives of others.
Waiting is a virtue. Its durability is directly related to its object of faith. If you trust the Lord and His goodness and if you believe that the Lord will provide what you need, then waiting for His answer and provision is an act of faith. Remember, faith is only as good as who you place it in. But, also remember that you must pray for God's will to be done, not your own. This is what Jesus prayed for in the Garden (Luke 22:42).
The resurrection of Jesus is the proof of God's love for you. The fact that Jesus has physically risen from the dead (John 2:19-21; 1 Cor. 15:1-4) is proof that God loves you and has provided for you. Even as Jesus had to wait three days to be raised, so too you must wait the appropriate length of time for the Lord to raise in you the work He has called you to do. You must wait for the answers to your prayers. But, you can patiently wait on God trusting that He loves you and wants the best for you.
So, labor patiently for the Lord. Pray always. Keep believing despite the circumstances and in spite of the long periods of time that sometimes wane between the request and the answer. Wait in faith knowing that the call of God will come as well as the answers to the questions of your heart.
Lesson # 10 : Praying for your Kids
Ephesians 1:15-17: For this reason ... I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better (NIV).
Paul's prayer for the believers at Ephesus gives us a wonderful blueprint for how we can best pray for our kids. He starts by approaching God with a spirit of thanksgiving. How many times do we dive right into our needs and wants without first acknowledging our blessings and His glory?
Paul knows that wisdom will give the believers' insight into the true nature of things and revelation will reveal the character of God, allowing them to know Him in a personal and intimate way. Paul prays that they may fully understand the hope and power that is their inheritance because this is how they will experience the peace in Christ that transcends earthly circumstances.
Thanksgiving, wisdom, knowledge of God, and peace. What more could we hope or desire for our children?
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Lesson # 9 : "Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them."
In other words, stop showing off! Stop calling attention to your righteousness! And then, to make the warning stick, our Lord gave three specific examples of how people show off their own righteousness so that others might ooh and aah over them.
In Matthew 6:2 Jesus says, "So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you." In other words, when you perform acts of charity or assist someone in need, keep it quiet. Remain anonymous. Jesus promises that "your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you" (6:4).
In Matthew 6:16 Jesus says, "Whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do." Fasting is when the show-off really hits his stride! He works overtime trying to appear humble and sad, hoping to look hungry and exhausted like some freak who just finished walking across the Sahara that afternoon. Instead, we ought to look and sound fresh, clean, and completely natural.
Our Lord reserved His strongest and longest sermon not for struggling sinners or discouraged disciples but for hypocrites . . . for glory hogs. Unfortunately, most of them never change because they don't hear what He says to them. Show-offs, you see, are terribly hard-of-hearing
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