Monthly Archives: June 2010

Are you a good parent?

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 “Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward” (Psalm  127:3).  No gift or asset exceeds their value, the value of children!  And, no, they do not always drink their drinks “spill-free,” make 100s on their tests, make us proud by their conduct, or get along with others just so.  Yet, who would really trade them in?

    Parents must be a present force for good in their children’s lives!  They must seriously and joyfully undertake the privilege parenting presents.  Adults should regularly have a physical to ascertain their fitness.  In the same way, parents should have a regular spiritual to ascertain their fitness as parents.

    Upon examination, some parents find their:

    HEAD in the clouds!  Some children could never be guilty of any wrongdoing under any circumstances.  The teachers and others children with whom the child has problems are always to blame.  Really?!

  MIND in the gutter. Where will many children view their first pornography or nudity on the screen?  Yes, in the home.  Mom? Dad?  Are we guarding our lips (Titus 2:8) and hearts (Proverbs 4:23)?

    NOSE to the grindstone!  Sixty-hour workweeks, ten hours in commute, forty-two hours for sleep, and parents have left, at most, eight hours per day for their children.  If one bathes and dresses for work, chews his meals with care, buys groceries, pays bills, and watches the average daily dose of TV, how much time do the kids get?

    Down in the MOUTH!  It is true, children imitate the behavior modeled before them.  In an age of grumbling and complaining, parents must teach by example that such is not the way God wants to act (cf. Acts 2:14).

    EYES on the prize!  Spiritual focus is vital for successful parenting to occur (2 Corinthians 5:7).  When parents emphasize Christ above all, emulate Christ rather than any other, and esteem heaven rather than earth, children being to see things more clearly, too.

    The Great Physician says it all (parents should pay extra special attention) when he says, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind” (Matthew 22:37).  Parents, let’s always work on “shaping up” for our children’s sakes!

–Neal Pollard

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A Bible study on "remembering"

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WHEN THE OLD TESTAMENT LAW WAS IN FORCE THE JEWISH PEOPLE WERE TOLD, EXODUS 20:8, TO “REMEMBER THE SABBATH DAY” AND TO KEEP IT HOLY.

  1. This “remembrance” was more than a recollection; this was something the Jews had to do.
  2. Today there is still a day that we need to “remember” and this day is Sunday.
  3. In the new covenant that we live under, we are to “remember” Sunday.
  4. Jesus was raised from the dead on the first day of the week, Mk. 16:9.
  5. Since Jesus was raised on this day we would suspect this day is pretty special and this is correct.
  6. Acts 20:7 gives us an example of Christians worshipping on this day.
  7. The Corinthians also came together on the first day of the week, 1 Cor. 16:2.
  8. In 1 Cor. 16:2 the force of the Greek text is coming together EVERY first day of the week.
  9. Keep the Sabbath meant keep every Sabbath—once a year was not enough.

10.  Twice a year was not what God wanted; once a quarter or a few times a month was not enough.

11.  God says we now live under a new and a much better covenant.

12.  Our next verse about “remembering” comes from the book of Numbers, chapter 15.

13.  Fringe was to be put on the border of the people’s clothing, but this was not a fashion statement.

14.  If you have turned to Num. 15 let’s look at verses 38-40 – READ

15.  God wanted the people to have fringe on their clothing along with a blue cord for a memory device.

16.  If God wanted people to “remember” God’s law under the Old Testament, what about now?

17.  This is still true.  Rom. 15:4 says we are to “learn” from the Old Testament.

18.  We are still obligated to “remember” God’s commandments.

19.  In Num. 15 God said He wanted the people to remember “all” His laws and commandments.

20.  God says earth is a place where our character is proven and a lot of people fail this test.

21.  One man who failed the test is described in Lk. 16.

22.  This rich man was told to “remember” all the good things he had on earth – Lk. 16:25 – READ

23.  The word “remember” will be one of the things that separates that saved from the lost.

24.  This rich man had some good memories, but they were of no real comfort to him.

25.  Verse 24 – READ

26.  Look at Lk. 17:32 – READ

27.  God believes in the word “remember.”

28.  In Rom. 15:15 Paul said he was reminding those who received the Romans letter about some things.

29.  Paul said:  “putting you again in remembrance.”

30.  We can be a forgetful bunch of people, especially when it comes to spiritual things.

31.  God has designed singing to help us “remember” things about the Christian life.

32.  Eph. 5:19 describes “psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.”

33.  Other parts of our worship also help us bring to mind various points of Bible doctrine.

34.  Paul specifically made this point about the Lord’s Supper in 1 Cor. 11:24.

35.  Verse 13 of 2 Pet.1 – READ   Verse 12 – READ

36.  Christians can become lax in their “remembrance” of things.

37.  Usually when we get lax, things begin to slip.

38.  It has often been said that the church is only one generation away from apostasy.

39.  2 Pet. 1:9 speaks of Christians who were faced with spiritual amnesia.

40.  How is your “memory?”

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The importance of integrity

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SOMETIMES IT’S HARD to sell people on the value of integrity…
 
From all outward appearances, it doesn’t “pay” to be honest.
 
There were certainly times in the life of Joseph when he must have been tempted to say, “What good has it ever done to me to walk the straight path?”  Here was a young man who remained committed to integrity no matter what the cost.  Sold into slavery by his own brothers, he was eventually falsely accused and thrown into a dungeon before finally being vindicated by the Lord.
 
When Joseph ran from the crude seduction of Potiphar’s wife, he wasn’t just running from a woman.  He was running from anything that would abort God’s purposes in his life.
 
Do you remember what he told that adulteress (probably again and again)?  “How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” (Gen. 39:9).
 
He chose God’s way.  He chose to see God’s purposes fulfilled in his life rather than fulfilling a passing fleshly fancy.  He feared losing God’s blessing upon his life.  That’s why he didn’t walk or stroll out of that woman’s presence, he RAN. 
 
THOUGHT: Integrity says, what I am in public, I am also in private.  Integrity is what you do when you’re alone, and no one’s eye is upon you but the Lord’s.  (Ron Mehl)
 
“Discretion will preserve you; understanding will keep you” (Proverbs 2:11).
 
–Mike Benson

Why did my son have to die in Iraq?

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A mother asked President…Bush
“Why did my son have to die in Iraq?”

A mother asked President…Clinton
“Why did my son have to die in Saudi Arabia?”

A mother asked President…Bush
“Why did my son have to die in Kuwait?”

Another mother asked President… Johnson
“Why did my son have to die in Vietnam?”

Another mother asked President… Truman
“Why did my son have to die in Korea?”

Another mother asked President…Roosevelt
“Why did my son have to die on Iwo Jima?”

Another mother asked President…Wilson
“Why did my son have to die on a battlefield on a field in France?”

Yet another mother asked President… Lincoln
“Why did my son have to die at Gettysburg?”

And yet another mother asked President… Washington
“Why did my son have to die on a frozen field near Valley Forge?”

Then long, long ago, a mother asked…
“Heavenly Father …
why did my Son have to die on a cross outside of Jerusalem?”

The answer is the same…
“So that others may have life and dwell in peace, happiness, and freedom.”

Does anyone know the original source for this piece?