The Proverbs 31 Woman – Chapter 33 – Household Affairs

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The woman God honors and crowns “watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.” (Proverbs 31:27)

 

Watching over our household affairs as a wife and mother involves more than we may realize, but it is well within our ability and means. We can do far more than we think we can when we are doing the things that are good and right in the sight of God. Women should be very involved with all the things that concern their husbands, children and homes. The home of your family is your main priority in life as a wife and mother.

 

It is well within our ability and means to make the home, above all other places, the best place on earth for our family. God has given us the means with which to do so, but so often we do other things with what He’s given us.

 

As a young girl and young wife I never wanted to seek employment out in the world. I never understood why I didn’t have that motivation (as my mother and her husband wanted me to have). Then after I met Jesus and began to learn from God’s Word about my purpose as His daughter I understood why I was never motivated to work out in the world although I did. I had many different kinds of worldly jobs, but none of them were what I was meant to do with the wealth inside me. When I began doing what I was meant to do, I thrived! It fulfilled me.

 

I see so many girls and wives today wasting away because they do not understand their true purpose in life. The god of this world continues to blind eyes and lead people to live empty worthless lives. Most girls today are looking at the wrong role models and listening to the wrong teachers.

 

To be a wise manager of your household might mean that you stop pressing your husband on some issue and just submit to him and give the issue over to the Lord.

 

To be a wise manager of your home might mean you separate from a worldly friend who gossips and meddles, or from a demanding loved one because of how they want to control your time and resources. It might mean that you live with less worldly things, and from doing so many worldly things so that you can stay home and take care of your family and home. Home should be the best place on earth that your family has ever been.

 

Women that enjoy getting together to pray for their husbands and children are the good company you should keep as God’s daughters. To be your husband’s ‘true’ helpmate will be a battle that you must win, even daily, if you want a good stable marriage and godly children that will eventually make you both proud.

 

Most wives don’t know what their husband is going through each day, and sadly some of them really don’t care to know lest it take them away from something they would rather do. Your main priority is to make sure your husband comes home to a loving wife, thankful children and a peaceful well-kept home. No matter how you or your husband were brought up – you can still learn how to keep a peaceful clean organized home. It will feel like a fulltime job without pay, but your praise and reward will come in due time.

 

If you like to meddle, meddle at home where you have the ‘right’ to know and ask questions, and to be critical in a constructive way. Meddle with your own children; pry into their thought life to find out how they think and what their desires are. Ask questions to find out who their friends are and how they are conducting themselves around their friends. Most mothers don’t know what their children are faced with at school and what kind of company they are keeping.

 

If you’re duty-bound to criticize, then evaluate yourself as to your own intentions and work at home, and not someone else’s. When women get together to “chat” it’s inevitable that when words are many, sin is present. But, when women get together to “pray and build each other up” with the Word of God, the family and home is benefitted greatly.

 

As the wise manager of your household you should be aware of who your children are interacting with. They are ignorantly getting connected to threatening things to their person or purpose that they don’t see or understand. They are developing thought patterns and behavior patterns by who they are with and who they are being taught by. Your children are involved with people and dealing with things that you need to know about as a parent; that you need to be involved with for their sake whether they like or it not. There are people, places and teachers that your children need you to protect them from because of their strong influence on your children. God holds you responsible for what your children are taught and held accountable to by others. Children are first accountable to their parents, and then to God.

 

There are evil spirits that are at work around your husband and children (as well as yourself) that you need to be aware of as a wise manager of your household. I just wish I had not been so naïve when I was raising our four children. The older women should teach the younger women about the schemes of the devil against their marriage, children and home-life. What I see today are younger women shunning the wisdom and faith of older women. No wonder there is the rapid progression of broken marriages and dysfunctional families today within God’s church.

 

For a mother of ‘adult’ children it is hard to see things that grieve you and not say anything about it – until asked of course. I can’t tell you how many times I have found ‘prayer’ to be the perfect replacement for grief, anger, gossip, meddling and even for revenge. If we let it, prayer will teach us to be patient, understanding and hopeful.

 

There is no better way to watch over the affairs of your adult children after they move out of your home, marry and begin their own families – than to bring your foresight, grief or anger to our Father who knows how to prod and teach them in ways you never could.

 

To be a wise manager of your home and family might mean you quit the job or career that demands too much of your thoughts and time. It might mean you move to a smaller home and learn to live on less. It might mean that you stay with your foolish husband, instead of leaving him, and learn to be his godly helpmate praying for him like a mighty warrior. It might mean that you stop going to women’s social meetings at church, or out with your girlfriends who just wanna’ have fun. It might mean that you stop watching so much television or spending so much time with Facebook conversations. It might mean that you open your home to the Lord for His use with neighbors or needy persons and let your children be involved. It might mean that you pull your children out of the public school to team up with home-schooling moms. It might mean that you go on a ‘fast’ so you can hear what the Holy Spirit is trying to say to you. As a wife and mother your life is about family and home first. The devil is working against this!

 

Being a good manager of your household means that you help your husband with what God gave him to do as the provider, protector and spiritual leader of the family. Helping him does not mean that you do it for him when you don’t think he’s doing it, or doing it right. Helping him means that you pray for him and encourage him. You might not know how to encourage him or pray for him, but the Holy Spirit does. And the same goes for your children. What we often think our husband and children need from God, might not be what God sees that they need from Him. The Holy Spirit is our guide into all the truth. (John 16:13)

 

Fallacy: Little children need a social life outside their family. Truth: Little children don’t need a social life outside their family. Family is more than enough of a “social life” for any little child. It is harmful when children have too many people and voices in their lives. Before their circle of influence increases they need to know some things that they can only learn at home with their parents that truly love them and are looking out for their godly good. There’s more than enough challenges at home for their mental and physical abilities to be developed. Too much challenge too early in their lives is harmful, even for most teenagers. Ignore the propaganda that tells you otherwise.

 

Fallacy: Children need to be sent to public school, and the earlier the better. Truth: Children are to learn from their parents at home until they are ready to develop skills that their parents do not have. There is a firm foundation of truth and godliness that first needs to form within our children, to develop their value system and form their godly character before they learn anything else out in the world. Remember what our Lord taught about the house built on sinking sand verses the house build on solid rock!

 

“And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell – and great was its fall.” Matthew 7:25-27

 

“The Lord will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure.” Isaiah 33:6

 

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. For through me your days will be many, and years will be added to your life. If you are wise, your wisdom will reward you; if you are a mocker, you alone will suffer.” Proverbs 9:10-12

 

Children will either grow up to be a benefit to society or a burden to society. When you send your little one out of your watch and care each day – do you know what you are allowing to seed and start in him or her? Putting them outside your home and in someone else’s care each day forces them to turn to other people instead of to you their parent. They trust that where you send them is good and safe for them. It can cause them to depend on people that in God’s eyes they should not depend on. They can learn from the wrong people how to take liberties they shouldn’t have yet until they understand the consequence of taking that liberty. Wherever a child is placed each day, there they will learn, but it may not be the learning they should have, or at least not yet. The devil works to make us think we have God’s blessing, when we don’t.

 

God is watching over His Household and He strengthens and rewards the woman who does her best to watch over hers. The confidence her husband has in her empowers her all the more.

 

The family is the second greatest enjoyment in life. Our first enjoyment is our relationship with our Father God through Jesus Christ His Son.

Are We Givers or Takers?

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Ephesians 6:1-3 “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ‘Honor your father and mother,’ which is the first commandment with promise that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.”

 

Genesis 22:2 “Then He said, ‘Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.’”

 

In Exodus 23 and Deuteronomy 16 it talks about a judge accepting a bribe. But what about a judge giving a gift. A judge while receiving something might look like he is accepting a bribe but what about him giving a gift?

 

According to Rabbi Daniel Lapin: “Ancient Jewish wisdom explains that when one person transfers something material to another, paradoxically, the giver tends to gain more affection for the recipient than the other way around.”

 

Didn’t Jesus say that it was better to give than to receive?

 

Ancient Jewish wisdom basically brings out that when we do give a gift or a favor that we have a subconscious tendency to like that person. We looked at the word ‘love’ in a previous letter and saw basically the Hebrew word is made of two shorter words – “I give.”

 

Daniel Lapin brings out that when the first time the word or concept is used in the Bible it is important. The first mention of love is Abraham and his love for his son Isaac. Genesis 22:2 “Then He said, ‘Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.’”

 

There is a lesson for parents here. We as parents have given to our children our time, energy, resources, etc. and the question arises then: Who loves the most? This is why it is important for us to allow our children to give to us as soon as they are able to.

 

My youngest daughter was telling me about her seven-year-old daughter wanting to come and help in cooking, washing dishes, etc. This is good, because the daughter is building affection towards her mother. Sometimes we do not allow our children to do certain things because it might be somewhat inconvenient or we do not want to take the time, but by not allowing the child to help takes something away in the child/parent relationship that is very important.

 

You are building up your children’s affection towards you as well as building up their abilities to be responsible when you allow your children to be involved and to give. This also applies in other relationships as well – husbands and wives, coworkers, or those that you might feel alienated from, and by reaching out and giving to them feelings can begin to change.

 

I have seen this in my own life in regards to my wife. Since her stroke I have been put into the place of giving of my time, energy, etc. in order to meet her needs at this difficult time. In so doing I have found a more loving aspect towards my wife and a sense of truly wanting to meet her needs. In other words, I have found my relationship with my wife going into a deeper level.

 

So, the question is: Are we givers or takers?

The Proverbs 31 Woman – Chapter 32 – Fine Linen and Purple

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“….she is clothed in fine linen and purple.”  Proverbs 31:22

As women we demand respect from the opposite sex in the way we dress, talk, behave socially and stand guard over our heart that we not fall to temptation and shame ourselves before our Father God. When I came to the Lord I needed to acknowledge and repent of living a promiscuous lifestyle, and then begin to live the life I was meant to live as the Lord got working in me.

 

Promiscuity: a lack of discrimination, entering into sexual intercourse indiscriminately or with many persons; morally confused.

 

I’d hate to have this said of me or of my daughter the way our heavenly Father describes worldly women: “She is shameless. She dresses like a prostitute and has crafty intent. She is loud and defiant. Her feet never stay at home. She lurks about; hangs out waiting for her prey. With persuasive words she seduces and leads her victim astray like an ox to the slaughter not knowing it will cost him his life. Her way is wicked leading down to the chambers of death.”

 

If you dress like a prostitute or a slob you will be recognized and treated as one. If you dress like a man and want to be treated like a man – you will be denied the many wonderful benefits of true femininity.

 

You don’t have to degrade yourself to get your boyfriend or husband’s attention and affection. If you are married to a man who expects you to act in a degrading way then start praying against that wicked mindset in him. God knows ‘exactly’ how to change his perspective and expectation of you. Let the Holy Spirit help you take your stand for virtue without a bit of compromise. That man will eventually see the light.

 

Ladies, getting face-lifts, tummy-tucks, breast enlargements and tattoos (to name a few physical adjustments) is all vain and insulting to our Creator and Father. (Leviticus 19:28) If you want to improve yourself then start with your soul. You might have some real issues with your body, but God expects us to come to Him first about it. He made you.

 

God does not expect his daughters to be sexy or seductive; not for their husbands or for anyone. He created the female gender distinctly feminine. God also created the male gender distinctly masculine, and for modern day women this seems to offend and annoy them – so they groom their boyfriends, husbands and their sons to be more feminine. Is it any wonder we have homosexuality running out of control?

 

Satan has men trapped in confusion. They have not understood what manhood really is and so they don’t understand what true femininity is or what marriage is all about either. Most guys go after the sexy girl for the sex they want, but when it comes to marriage a guy really does want a lady who has saved herself for him; one who has self-respect in the way she thinks, talks and behaves. If he doesn’t, then he’s not a real man. Self-respect in a woman is attractive to a real man.

 

The woman of great worth is as delicate and transparent as fine linen. Delicate: delightful to all the senses, soft and gentle, subtle, truthful, sincere, easily damaged, sensitive. Her motives are pure and seen as pure in how she conducts herself and treats others. She is honest and has nothing to hide; transparent. She lets her husband know how she feels, but she does it gently and without condemnation or judging. She quickly repents before her Father God, and gets right with others when she sins against them.

 

The virtuous woman sees herself, her husband and her children as royalty in God’s kingdom because God has said it’s so for those who worship Him and obey His Word.  The Proverbs 31 woman is highly valued for her noble thinking and godly ways. Therefore, she is clothed in fine linen and purple. Fine linen depicts the righteous acts of the saints. (Revelation 19:8) Purple is the color of royalty.

 

When He Shuts the Door

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What is it about the Bible that scares people? Is it what is said that will happen to those who refuse to believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord? Is it that Jesus is coming again? Is it the fear of persecution if you follow Jesus and obey His instructions, and stand up for the truth?

 

People need to understand that Jesus will never grow weak of protecting His children, nor weary of providing for His children. Those who stand with Jesus in truth and righteousness will be given power and strength so they can walk in this wicked world and not get tired or fearful of living for the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

But for those who do know Jesus Christ as their Savior and yet compromise His truth so that they can feel safe and secure in their time on earth will lose what they thought they had with Him. They will lose their children to the god of this world, to the enemies of Christ and evil workers of inequity. The children of those who shrink back from walking with Christ will reject the Word of God, and have no hope or joy for the future.

 

Jesus is calling to all those who want to be accepted by this world, to return to Him and obey His Word. Ask for His wisdom and power to live the life of faith, hope and love – before it’s too late; for the LORD says there is a time when the door will be shut.

What is Real Love?

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1 John 3:16-17 “By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?”

 

Love is another word that is used quite frequently, but that I believe has lost its meaning. We say that we love so many things like our dog, cat, car, and the list could go on. We also say how we love our wives and children, but what does ‘love’ really mean?

 

This is where God’s language is so important in defining this word ‘love.’ Rabbi Daniel Lapin brings out that the word for love goes with giving, they go together. In other words, when I say that I love my wife it means I will give to my wife, having an overwhelming desire to give to her, and by doing so I am more fulfilled by her acceptance of my giving.

 

What did Paul have to say about this in Ephesians 5:25-29? “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; to sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word; that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church.”

 

How did Christ love the church? He gave His life for them. So, it is with husbands in regard to their wives. If a man says that he loves his wife – will he willingly and unselfishly give to her?

 

We see this coming out with Jacob and Rachel in Genesis 29:20-21. “And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her. And Jacob said unto Laban, ‘Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in unto her.”

 

Rabbi Lapin brings out that the second part of the Hebrew word for love is the word ‘give.’ Paul is bringing this out in Ephesians 5 where if we love our wives we will give to them.

 

This has been a lesson for me since my wife had an aneurysm and has been unable to do the duties that she used to do. In order for me to meet my obligation (again another word that goes along with love) I had to ‘give up’ certain things, or duties, so that I might ‘give’ to my wife according to what she needs.

 

One of the great verses of the Bible is John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

 

 

 

 

Good Intentions

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Genesis 22:3 “So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.”

 

The word “early” in Hebrew is ‘shawkam’ can be taken to mean ‘shoulder a burden,’ but literally means to ‘load up’ like putting on the back of man or animal.

 

A phrase that we often hear is that “good intentions are like crying babies in the church; they must be carried out.” The start of this coming year will be like so many past years as we will come and make our resolutions, our good intentions, but will we carry them out?

 

We start out well, but then soon lose interest and fall by the wayside and our good intentions get put on the shelf. Why is this? Like Daniel Lapin says, “The nature of man is always down, like gravity it tries to keep us on the ground; so it is with our nature.”

 

When we see a plane in the air it is a beautiful thing and the reason it looks beautiful is because it is applying the laws of God. So, it is with us and when we reach back into the wisdom of God’s Word, we too can fly in the sense of carrying out our intentions. However, we become discouraged when we see that we fail in keeping our intentions. We find that procrastination is easier than pushing through or ‘shouldering the burden.’ Or, like the writer of the Hebrews says, that we have a tendency to drift with the flow rather than go against the current.

 

We often try to escape into drugs, alcohol, sex or something else, but this is not the answer. This is where Abraham in the Bible can teach us about perseverance, according to Rabbi Lapin. Abraham awoke early. We saw already that “he woke early” is related to the word for ‘shoulder.’ The two of them bring out the idea of ‘to shoulder a burden.’

 

What does this mean and how do we apply it to our situation? Abraham woke early to carry out, or shoulder the burden, that God had given him. WE too must wake early to carry out our good intentions (or what God is giving us to do).

 

By waking early to do what must be done (with good intentions) we begin to experience life more fully and a sense that we are overcoming.

 

Early in my Christian ministry I was with a team in Spain. One brother came to me and told me in no uncertain terms that if I did not get up early and have my quiet time that I would not be able to make it. This spoke to me and I decided early in my Christian life and ministry that I would wake up early and meet with the Lord for my instructions for the day, and carry my burden for the day.

 

Jesus said: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

 

So, like Abraham who woke up early to carry out his burden, and in this case Abraham found God helping him by supplying a substitute sacrifice in place of Isaac his son.

 

So it is with us when we wake up early to be with God so we can carry out our burden – that we too have a ‘burden carrier’ with us: THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Proverbs 31 Woman – Chapter 31 – Clothed in Love

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When God made Adam and Eve feel ‘ashamed’ for disobeying His command – it was for their own good. Today we hear that it is wrong to shame someone for what they did that is shameful, according to God that is. God shamed His first two children, but then He followed up with His mercy and grace: His love. We can learn a lot from our heavenly Father in how to parent our children because God is perfect in all that He does, and we are not.

 

God took no pleasure in cursing His children with hardship, pain and death. It brought Him heartache to curse the earth too. He got no delight in making man’s work harder and childbirth painful for the woman. (Genesis 3:16-19) But, God is more concerned for building our character as His true sons and daughters.

 

To feel ashamed only means that you still have a sensitive conscience to what is good and right. The conscience that feels no more shame is seared or hardened. The conscience is said to be “seared,” unable to process or think right. When you continually reject the truth (believing the lies of the devil) your conscience doesn’t work right anymore. God knows how to re-sensitize a conscience with His Spirit and Word.

 

Jesus taught that everything said against Him will be forgiven, but when anyone rejects His Holy Spirit – that is not forgiven. Why? It’s the Spirit of God who draws us to the Savior, and it’s the Spirit of God that comes to live in us so that we have been given the right to become the children of God. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in Truth.

 

When God turns you over to your depraved mind (a conscience that no longer feels shame or guilt for disobeying God – Romans 1:21-32), God’s Spirit no longer comes to you. You have become “filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity.”

 

God loves and honors righteousness, not wickedness, and He’s not a respecter of persons. If you are filled with evil because you hate God, even after He has come to you over and over to extend His love – then God will show you the same rejection on judgment day.

 

God will keep His children clothed in His love. He covers us like a shield so that the devil isn’t able to get at us like he used to. He covers us like a mother embracing her frightened child. He covers us like an attorney defending us against accusations. He covers us like a father holding his children accountable for their good. He covers us like a friend who won’t leave us when we offend Him. His love never fails!

 

As we look out into our world we can see the increasing battle against godly conviction; we see all the evil things happening in the world that Jesus said would depict the time of His coming. We see the rapid increase and intensity of evil as it is coming to a hideous climax.

 

Beloved, “the end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:7-9

 

We don’t cover up sin; we cover over sin. How? Love has to do with truth. We speak the truth in love. We say what needs to be said and we do what needs to be done, according to God’s love and truth, not according to our anger, resentment, hurt, fear or pride. Some things don’t need mentioning – just covered, but some things do need brought out in the light for a person’s freedom. The wise know the difference between covering up and covering over because they understand the love of God.

 

People want to be loved by God without being convicted by God. This is what the Lord told me when I had been accused by my sisters. They accused me of not loving our mother when the Lord told me to separate myself from my mother (and siblings) for a time, for my own good and my children’s good. It’s a long story as to why the Lord told me to do this for seven years, but I will just say that there is a lot of ignorance in the church about the love of God.

 

Love without truth is merely human affection. Truth without love is annoying arrogance. Love and truth go together for either to have the good effect on people that God wants.

 

I remember a few times my husband had to call a family meeting because he and I were grieved over something that had happened with our kids when they were teenagers. As we all came together for the truth to come out our love for one another stirred up humble confessions of tears and apologies. They quickly confessed sin and asked Jesus to forgive them. A deeper love for one another was the outcome. Christ-like character was formed. Family unity was strengthened.  The conscience needs to be set free from its guilt and shame. Jesus took care of their guilt and we took care of their shame. Forgiveness is powerful! There is a difference in the result when Christ’s “love covers over sin,” than when family just covers up sin. Family loyalty is not the same as godly unity in a family.

 

Our kids have willingly confessed things to us that most parents would never hear from their kids, especially their teenagers. At times we have shared with them about the struggles we had as teenagers and still have with sin.  Now, as a family unit, our five households stand up for each other over the right things, but not the wrong things.

 

When one of us is in the wrong we pray-pray-pray and wait for God to open the door if truth needs to be spoken. God knows the right time when truth spoken will have its good work in us, because “truth compelled by God’s love” has the potential and power to set a person free from all kinds of habitual evil practices.

 

Everyone has extremely cold and hot days to endure and get through that are not comfortable to the soul. On one occasion, I rallied our four children (ages then about 4 to 11) together for prayer because Dad had just stormed out of the house hot with anger. My husband had been going through a very long season of disturbances in his extended family with false accusations. He had been unfairly accused by a close nephew he grew up with and highly respected.

 

The kids and I sat in a circle on the living room floor and held hands as I prayed for their very tired and disheartened daddy. We tearfully and hopefully asked Jesus to protect him, to help him and bring him home to us – healed and encouraged.

 

When he returned later that evening he told us how Jesus had met with him under a tree (about 50 miles away). Four little faces lit up with joy that their prayer had been answered. It was a beautiful home-coming to say the least; lots of loving hugs and joyful tears.

 

There are some very private things you don’t need to share with your children, but to think they don’t ever need to know the hurts and struggles you have is not helpful for them. We need to keep them clothed with our trust in them; trusting them and honoring them as our confidants. Their senses are keen, even as little children. They know when something is wrong at home with mom and dad. If you try to protect them from knowing what they want to know you will mislead them. They will feel left out and come to resent you. You want them to grow up to be your friends and allies one day. So, involve them and trust their unconditional love for you that children seem to have. Let them hear you confess and pray to God; let them pray with you. This is how they learn about the love and grace of God, that there’s power in prayer and that love never fails.

 

 

No Hope?

Posted by & filed under Mikes Blog.

Today there are so many people who have no hope. They think that the world as they know it is falling apart. They are upset over the election of Donald Trump as our next president, fearful that we will go back to a time when there was a different type of hope.

 

The hope of the past was not in man, but in God. When your only hope is in man – you are hopeless; for man can not bring anyone hope and peace. Hope that is true hope – can only come from the One who created th…e world and set the future for man. Listen to, and heed what He says and you just might feel God’s hope – blessing you!

 

So this Thanksgiving I want to encourage you to have the hope that comes from God! If you continue to put your hope in any man or woman, or government, or religion, then it will result as having a false hope; you will be gravely disappointed. False hope has no other result than anxiousness, frustration, unforgiveness, anger and turmoil, even resulting in sickness and deep depression. But, when God and His Word is your hope it does not matter what man does or does not do, because man cannot affect eternity. Man can not upset true hope from God.

In The Spirit

Posted by & filed under Franks Blog.

Ephesians 6:18 “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.”

 

We must remember that when Jesus was here in the flesh He was engaged in the same conflict that we are in. The devil assailed Him and the weapons that Christ used are the same weapons that we Christians have as well to defeat the enemy.

 

Ephesians 6:18 starts out with the words, “praying always.” Prayer is not necessarily another piece of armor that we put on, but when we are putting on the armor it means that we are covered with each piece as we pray with all prayer and supplication. I believe it is like some Bible scholars bring out that the armor which is provided by God for us is not effective unless we are in fellowship and communion with God.

 

We can be orthodox in our theology, but that is not enough. There is such a thing as a dead orthodoxy. There can be people who understand the truth with their mind, point out the errors in other people’s teaching and yet their life has no value to anyone, because they are still being defeated by the devil.

 

The same can be applied to the church as a whole. Often this might be the case of why so many churches, traditional in their theology, are making very little impact in their society or in their surrounding area where they live or work. Why is this the case? Perhaps it is because they have forgotten the further admonition of the apostle Paul when he said, “praying always.” It is possible that the people or churches who are the most orthodox are those who realize least – the value of prayer.

 

In one sense, to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might, is not to forget this last admonition of the apostle Paul of praying always. We cannot rely upon our own intellect, philosophy, traditions, rituals, etc., but on the power of God and our continual close communion with Him.

 

When we look at the New Testament, and especially the four gospels, we see the example of the Lord Jesus Christ in human form with prayer walking the earth depending solely on His Father. We see Jesus constantly arising early in the morning to seek out a place to pray; we see Him praying all night; we see Him constantly going off to meet with His Heavenly Father. This is why in the gospel of Luke the disciples came and said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray.” Luke 11:1

 

Our ultimate position as Christians is tested by the character of our prayer life. Prayer to the Father is more important than knowledge and understanding. If all my knowledge and understanding does not lead me to prayer then there is something wrong with my understanding.

 

What does Paul mean when he talks about praying with all prayer? I would tend to think that he is referring to private prayer, communal prayer, oral prayer, silent prayer and possibly even different positions of prayer. It does not mean that we have to be in a church building for prayer, we can pray as we walk, as we drive, take a shower, as we go about our daily business; we can be talking with our Heavenly Father even as we talk with our spouse or close friend.

 

Some of our prayers can be orderly as we see with the Lord’s Prayer. Our prayers need to be intelligent knowing what God says in His Word. Also, prayers can be a groan or a cry from the heart that words cannot express. Paul said in Romans that the Spirit makes intercession for us.

 

Look at the prayers of the prophets, like Isaiah, who prayed with adoration, worship, thanksgiving and praise to our Heavenly Father. We are to pray bringing our petitions before God because we are told to “let your requests be made known unto God.”

 

However, Paul says “praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit.” I believe that “In the Spirit” is the real essence of true prayer. Just as Jesus had access to the Father so we too find in Ephesians 2:18 that “through Him, we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.” Paul refers to the same thing in other epistles – like in Romans 8:6.

 

When Paul uses the phrase “in the Spirit” in relation to prayer – prayer is to have its proper place before the Father. It will not be because of our repetitions like the Pharisees who loved to hear themselves pray, or by the length of our prayers, etc., but it is to be “in the Spirit” that we pray.

 

Prayer “in the Spirit” is the opposite of prayer that relies upon forms of rituals, as we again see with the Pharisees. Praying in the Spirit is the opposite of cold, heartless, proud and formal prayers. We do not come before the Father and just ‘say a prayer.’ Praying in the Spirit becomes the most important part of a person, and as natural as having a conversation with a friend or your spouse. Praying in the Spirit is not necessarily an emotional prayer although it can be, but what it means is that it is the Holy Spirit that is directing us in prayer. He creates the prayer within us and empowers us to offer it with confidence. This also results in worship, praise and adoration to our Heavenly Father.

 

Prayer is not a duty, but rather it should be a delight to talk to our heavenly Father – just as it is a delight to have a two-way conversation with your loving spouse or closest friend.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sword of the Spirit

Posted by & filed under Franks Blog.

Ephesians 6:17 “…and take the Sword of the Spirit, which is Word of God.”

 

All the other parts of armor protect particular parts of the body. However, it seems that the Sword of the Spirit not only holds back the enemy in a defensive matter, but also it offensively protects the entire body.

 

James 4:7 says “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” The question that comes is how do we resist?

 

Christ is an example for us when He was being tempted by the devil in the wilderness by using the Word of God. Satan has a strategy with tactics. One tactic is to try to terrorize us, produce a fear that will paralyze and stop us; hinder us from doing what God wants us to do. Because of this we must be confident in resisting the devil and this brings us back to the Word of God. We can resist the devil and cause him to flee. However, to do this we must stand and withstand using the Sword of the Spirit which causes him to flee.

 

What does it mean to take the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God? Some translations bring out instead of the “Word of God” the “words that come from God.” However, I do not believe that this is what is meant. Yes, I believe, we are to take the Word of God, the Scriptures from the Holy Bible. We read in chapter 4 about Jesus defeating the devil as He was being tempted in the wilderness. He took hold of the Scripture and the devil left Him.

 

The Holy Scriptures found in our Bibles is the Sword of the Spirit. I take this to mean that ‘truth’ in the Scriptures is the Sword that the Holy Spirit gives us to use against our enemy. The Spirit of God trains us to properly use the Word of God.

 

We know from Scripture (1 Timothy 3:16) that all Scripture is God breathed. This means that what we have in our hand the Bible which has been given to us by God – to use.  It was God’s Spirit who moved upon men chosen by God that wrote down the revelation from Him. Like one Bible scholar said: “It was breathed into these men and they wrote it.” We must also realize that it’s only by the Holy Spirit that we can understand the Word of God.

 

1 Corinthians 2:12 “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.”

 

We will not understand Scripture by intellect alone. It does not make any difference on whether we are a genius or like some say a great scholar; it will only be by the Holy Spirit who gives us understanding of God’s Word. Not only will He, Holy Spirit, give us understanding, but also wisdom that helps us to use the Word properly.

 

It is very important for us to understand the relationship between the Spirit and the Word. Some today say that since we have the illumination of the Spirit we do not need the written Word. What a tragedy! But, we have the other side that tends to say that since we have the written Word we need nothing further. Again, what a tragedy. The Spirit and the Word always go together.

 

When we read through the Gospels we see how Jesus (our example) perfectly used the Word of God. When the Pharisees, or lawyers who were trained men and supposedly experts in the Jewish Law, tempted Him – He always defeated them by using the Word of God.

 

We live in a world today that believes that there is no such thing as ultimate truth, and the only way that we can defeat “fake news,” or untruths that are being promulgated today, is to use the Word of God.

 

It was 500 years ago that a man by the name of Martin Luther discovered the truth that “the just shall live by faith.” Luther brought about what we now call a “Reformation” that basically transformed Western civilization. One of the things that took place was that the Bible was getting into the hands of the common man.

 

Tyndale, wanting us to have a good translation in the English language, said that “his resolve was that every plow man, every boy at the plow should be able to read and understand God’s Word in order that they might be safeguarded against the false teaching of the Roman Catholic Church.” It was at that time the Catholic Church was keeping the Holy Scriptures out of the hands of laypeople.

 

This brings us to the point that we all are to know the Word of God. It is available to us and with it we can give an answer to anything that might come to us and against us. Keeping to the Word of God for truth with Christ’s teachings – we too can cause the enemy to flee. We need to be students of the Word of God and depend on the Holy Spirit in how to use it properly.

 

Just as God told Joshua – so God is telling us: Joshua 1:8 “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”

 

Just as Joshua was strong in the Lord and the power of His might, we can be as well.