Children in Church

For way to long, I have felt that children have been left out of the adult experience of Christianity. By this I mean, children, youth, young married couples, young married couples w/children, couples w/o children, empty nesters, semi retired, retired, and finally the ancients of days have all been pigeon holed into their own groups. The early church wasn’t that way.
When I hear comments and see some peoples reactions to children in the church, I think back to the days of Jesus, when he was preaching and teaching to large crowds in many different environments. Men and women, men and women w/ children, women w/ babies etc, all, wanting to hear the words of the Master, all wanting to be in his presents.
Children love to be around adults. Why? Adults are what they want to be. They learn by watching. If their allowed to hang around adults, it makes them feel like adults. They become interested in what their adult group in talking about (Hopefully about spiritual matters). They come interested in their music (again hopefully spiritual) and in what the adult group is doing and experiencing ( prayer w/ signs and wonders). Get children /youth involved in reality based Christianity you won’t have to worry about who their friends are and what their doing when your not around. They will be acting like you.
In Jesus day the parents (Mother and Father) brought the children up in the fear and admonition of the Lord in the home. The children had the support of parents and the Jewish community in their up bringing. They lived their Jewish lives at home and the children knew how to act like Jews in the community. Likewise they knew how to act in community worship services and at synagogue.
When my wife and I had children, we took them everywhere with us. If we couldn’t take our children, we just wouldn’t go. Our children grew up knowing how to behave in church type meetings. My oldest son, when he was a baby, would go to Full Gospel Business Men, events with us and fall asleep under our chairs. We wanted our children to be in a Christian Community environment. Our children were given to us as gifts from God, to bring up in His ways.
There is a young boy in the small group we go to, that is very desirous of the Lord and loves to pray, so the leaders of our group cultivate that. Jesus understood the nature of children and even said that we should become more like them in our faith. Yes, there is place for children in the small group. Their presents should be a constant reminder of our obligations toward them. As a Christian Community, we need to bring them up like tender plants they care and care for them both physically and spiritually. Include them as much as possible to encourage their growth and faithfulness in Christ. So when their grown, they will be able to be like strong trees, planted by the living waters of life, bearing fruit for the Master.

Fast food Christians

Remember Hot and Now’s motto or saying? I want it Hot and I want it now! Church to some Christians is fast food. Some Christians don’t know how to feed themselves. They wait till Sunday comes, so you can feed them. Babies are that way. They want, what they want, when they want it. If they don’t like it, they’ll spit it out.
My Mom was the best cook. As I’m sure yours was and is. I remember hating to work in my families large garden. It was bigger than large, it was acres. When different things were in season like strawberries and raspberries, blue berries and cherries, my Mom would have me out there gathering. Nuts, Oh the nuts. She knew where the nut trees were. Black Walnuts, Butternuts, Hickory Nuts. I grew up knowing how to gather and preserve all these things. The rewards were not always instant or fast. Sometimes it took till winter set in just to realize the full extent of the rewards.
Homemade jellies and jams. strawberry shortcake in the winter. green beans, peas, tomatoes, cucumbers etc. I really miss my Mom. She knew how to make a feast.
The Word of God is the same way. I takes time and work and you have to learn how to preserve it in your life. Daily reading, daily digging, daily picking it’s fruit. Like you said, it tastes like honey. It’s a light to our path, we just have to open the book and turn it on. It will illuminate our lives and our families lives. I like to feast. See you at the table

God is closer than you think!

Gods’ attributes are spelled out in his word. God holds His word above His name. That says a lot. He says His word is the same as yesterday, today and forever. I really don’t think that most people understand that.
God is always where he should be. So the question, when we don’t feel Gods presents, are we where we should be? As Christians, the fullness of the Godhead is to abide in us. Whether you feel them or not that is a stated truth. We are the temples of the Holy Spirit. Again, that’s a stated truth.
The Lord says, my people perish, because of lack of knowledge. What kind of knowledge is He referring to? There’s a lot of very intelligent people in the Body of Christ, that have degrees in theology, but their perishing. You preached on Jesus being a Rabbi, and only the best of the best became Rabbis, and that’s true.
Look at all the Sages and Rabbis in Jesus day. They knew the Torah. They knew the Mishna and the Talmud. But, they didn’t know Jesus and they didn’t know the Father. Jesus said that if they had known the Father, that they would have recognized who he was. To know Jesus is to know His word. Jesus is referred to as the word. We are to follow the teachings of Jesus and we are to walk in the light of Gods word.
David knew God. David wanted quick answers and responses and actions from God, just like we do today. God is not in a hurry. He has everything under control. He never sleeps or slumbers. He always on time, whether we think He is or not.
There’s a lot of scriptural affirmations that I could put in here right now, but I think it would be best for those reading this to reaffirm in their own hearts and minds, what they believe to be attributes of God in their lives. What I will tell you is, He is closer to you than a brother, He’s as close to you as your breath on a cold day. Now that’s close. Draw close to God and He will draw close to you. You have to take the first step.

dealing with guilt!

Whatever is causing your guilt, you need to deal with it in a scriptural manner. The only thing that can separate us from the love of God, is our unwillingness to deal with our sin. You might say, I don’t have any sin. The word tells us, that if we say that we are without sin, the truth is not in us. We think we’re doing everything right, but are we? What is the standard that we use to measure success or failure? Is there failure in Christ? If we’re not doing our best, then there should be some guilt. And if we know absolutely, that we’re doing our best than what do we have to have this guilt for?
Guilt like you said, will either draw you closer to God or make you go farther away. But both are a choice, so it’s up to us to choose wisely, based on the truth. The Word of God is another thing that we have to choose what to do with. We know that the Word of God is True. The Word of God will either bring you closer or drive you away. Again, the choice is ours to make. Believe the Word of God and act on the truth or turn away. When we intentionally reject what the Word of God says, and decide to go contrary, God cannot and will not be able to bless us because of our disobedience. Without Gods presence in our life, we are just existing. We’re like a garden that is left to the weeds. Then guilt sets in.
Many of the Godly men of old experienced their share of guilt, along with many other emotions, that temporarily robbed them of their relationship with God. The Word of God, when we read it shows us, how they got connected again. Everybody falls, fails, miss the mark, sins. When anyone falls into one of these categories where their knocked down, beat up, because of bad choices or whatever, one thing you need to remember. When you fall the biggest sin is not what you did wrong, it’s not getting up again and continuing your journey with God. Remember, God chose you. He is the author and the finisher of your faith. What He started in you, He will finish. True repentance is the key. God will not reject a broken and contrite heart. Guilt is something you might feel. But knowing your forgiven is the way that you need to live. There are things in my past that I still remember and feel really bad about to this day. This one thing I know. I asked Father in Jesus name to forgive me of my sins. They are under the Blood of Christ. I have to believe that. I choose to believe that. I live my life the way I do because I believe that.
It’s not a matter of if, but when I miss the mark today or tomorrow or the next day. I have an Advocate with the Father. His name is Jesus. The Word says that if we confess my sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us of all unrighteousness. If we truly repent with Godly sorrow, we can say to guilt, “ I’m forgiven, it’s under the blood in Jesus name. Then live in that truth from Gods word.
Yes, we need to learn to live in freedom from guilt. He whom the Son sets free is free indeed.

Just talk!

Another day at work, another day of listening to the dispair of the people around me. Sometimes I don't like what I'm doing, but I make the best of it and take one for the team. My team is my family. Even with my children grown up and out of the house, their still there and sometimes still have needs.
While others talk, I try to walk what I believe in. Knowing that all things work to the good for them that love the Lord, I try to find the silver lining in an otherwise worn out coat. I took the overtime today because I knew that the Lord was giving me a choice of having and not having what I need to supply the needs of those around me. Whether it's my team (family) or someone else that the Lord puts in my way. I'm blessed to be able to wrk and make a living the way that I do. Sometimes I'm not appreciative of that. My team and I, have been given good health from the Lord and He supplies our needs abundantly.
Well enough about me. I pray my wife and children, all have a blessed day and that they may feel the presents of God wherever their at, and rest in the fact, that He loves us.

Christian Right

People like Pat Robertson, Jerry Fallwell, and the rest of the Christian Right movement are so out of touch with their theology it makes me sick. I view most of these individuals as Kingdom Now oriented. They're not will to wait for Jesus to return so they fell that they are the leaders to bring the Kingdom of Heaven to earth and their the Kings and Princes.
Robertson and Fallwell need to dissolve into obscurity like Oral Roberts. They and their followers damage the cause of Christ everytime they open their mouths.
When Jesus comes back he's not going to be pleased with whats been going on in his name.

What is Faith?

Faith is believing and doing what you say you believe. Anything less is unbelief