Thomas didn't believe that Jesus was alive. He wanted to see Jesus for himself before he would believe.
Instruct the children to find the missing letters in John 20:28 ... Thomas said to Him, "My _ _ _ _ and My _ _ _ !"
Instruct the children to place bandages on Jesus' sides and red markers to show where the wounds by the nails were in His wrists.
Thomas had to see Jesus before he could believe Jesus was alive. We can believe Jesus is alive even though we've never seen Him because the Bible tells us so.
We can believe Jesus came back to life even though we don't get to see Him like Thomas did.
Again Jesus said, "May peace be with you! The Father has sent me. So now I am sending you." He then breathed on them. He said, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone's sins, their sins are forgiven.
Thomas was one of the 12 Disciples. He was also called Didymus. ?He was not with the other Disciples when Jesus came. So they told him, "We have seen the Lord!"
But he said to them, "First I must see the nail marks in His hands. I must put my finger into His side. Only then will I believe."
A week later, Jesus' Disciples were in the house again. Thomas was with them. Even though the doors were locked, Jesus came in and stood among them. He said, "May peace be with you!"
Then He said to Thomas, "Put your finger here. Reach out your hand and put it in to my side. Stop doubting and believe."
Thomas said to Him, "My Lord and My God!"
Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen me but still have believed.
NIrV May the Faith Be With You Holy Bible @ Zondervan 2017
Thursday, April 5, 2018
Jesus Is Alive - Children's Sunday School Lesson - John 20:1-12 - Sunday - 4/1/18
The Tomb Is Empty. Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene. Jesus Appears To His Disciples.
Who went to Jesus grave? What did she find? Who spoke to her? What happened to Jesus?
Jesus was God's Son. The Bible says it was impossible for Jesus to stay dead.
Jesus really did die. But He had the power to come back to life because He was God's Son.
Jesus Is Alive.
Acts 2:24 ... But God raised Him from the dead, freeing Him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on Him.
Early on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb. It was still dark. She saw that the stone had been moved away from the entrance. So she ran to Simon Peter and another disciple. She said, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb! We don't know where they have put Him!"
So Peter and the other Disciple started out for the tomb. The other Disciple ran faster than Peter. He reached the tomb first. He bent over and looked in at the stripes of linen lying there. But he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came along behind him. He also saw the funeral cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus' head. It was separate from the linen. The Disciples who had reached the tomb first also went inside. He saw and believed. They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead. Then the disciples went back to where they were staying.
But Mary stood outside tomb crying. She saw two angels dressed in white. They were seated where Jesus' body had been. One of them was where Jesus' head had been laid. The other sat where His feet had been placed.
They asked her, Woman why are you crying? Who are you looking for?
Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned toward Him. Then she cried out in the Aramaic language, "Rabboni!" Rabboni means Teacher.
Jesus said, Do not hold on to me. I have not yet ascended to the Father. Instead go to those who believe in me. Tell them, 'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'
Mary Magdalene went to the Disciples with the news. She said, "I have seen the Lord!" And she told them that He had said these things to her.
On the evening of that first day of the week, the Disciples were together. They had locked the doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Jesus came in and stood among them. He said, "May peace be with you!" Then He showed them His hands and His side. The Disciples were very happy when they saw the Lord.
Scripture reference used from: NIrV May the Faith Be With You Holy Bible @ Zondervan 2017
Who went to Jesus grave? What did she find? Who spoke to her? What happened to Jesus?
Jesus was God's Son. The Bible says it was impossible for Jesus to stay dead.
Jesus really did die. But He had the power to come back to life because He was God's Son.
Jesus Is Alive.
Acts 2:24 ... But God raised Him from the dead, freeing Him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on Him.
Early on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb. It was still dark. She saw that the stone had been moved away from the entrance. So she ran to Simon Peter and another disciple. She said, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb! We don't know where they have put Him!"
So Peter and the other Disciple started out for the tomb. The other Disciple ran faster than Peter. He reached the tomb first. He bent over and looked in at the stripes of linen lying there. But he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came along behind him. He also saw the funeral cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus' head. It was separate from the linen. The Disciples who had reached the tomb first also went inside. He saw and believed. They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead. Then the disciples went back to where they were staying.
But Mary stood outside tomb crying. She saw two angels dressed in white. They were seated where Jesus' body had been. One of them was where Jesus' head had been laid. The other sat where His feet had been placed.
They asked her, Woman why are you crying? Who are you looking for?
Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned toward Him. Then she cried out in the Aramaic language, "Rabboni!" Rabboni means Teacher.
Jesus said, Do not hold on to me. I have not yet ascended to the Father. Instead go to those who believe in me. Tell them, 'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'
Mary Magdalene went to the Disciples with the news. She said, "I have seen the Lord!" And she told them that He had said these things to her.
On the evening of that first day of the week, the Disciples were together. They had locked the doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Jesus came in and stood among them. He said, "May peace be with you!" Then He showed them His hands and His side. The Disciples were very happy when they saw the Lord.
Scripture reference used from: NIrV May the Faith Be With You Holy Bible @ Zondervan 2017
Thursday, March 29, 2018
Jesus Tested in the Wilderness - Matthew 4:1-11 - Daily Reading from Sunday School Book
Jesus wasn't tempted in the Temple or at His baptism but in the wilderness where He was tired, alone, and hungry, and thus most vulnerable. Satan often tempts us where we are vulnerable when we are under physical or emotional stress (for example, lonely, tired, weighing big decisions, faced with uncertainly). But Satan also likes to tempt us through our strengths where we are suscepible to pride. We must guard at all times against his attacks.
Satan's temptations focused on three crucial areas: (1) physical desires, (2) possessions and power, and (3) pride. But Jesus did not give in. Hebrews 4:15 says that Jesus was in all points tempted like we are, yet without sin. "He knows firsthand what we are experiencing and he is willing and able to help us in our struggles. When you are tempted, turn to Him for strength.
Angels, like these who ministered to Jesus, have a significant role as God's messengers. These spiritual beings were involved in Jesus like on earth by (1) announcing his birth to Mary, (2) reassuring Joseph, (3) naming Jesus, (4) announcing His birth to the Shepherds, (5) protecting Jesus by sending His family to Egypt, (6) ministering to Him in Gethsemane.
Next Jesus was taken into the wild by the Spirit for the test. The devil was ready to give it. Jesus prepared for the test by fasting forty days and forty nights. That left Him, of course, in a state of hunger, which the devil took advantage of in the first test: "Since you are God's Son, speak the Word that will turn these stones into loaves of bread.
Jesus answered by quoting Deuteronomy: "It takes more than bread to stay alive. It takes a steady stream of words from God's mouth.
For the second test the devil took Him to the Holy City. He sat Him on top of the Temple and said, "Since you are God's Son, jump." The devil goaded Him by quoting Psalm 91: "He has placed you in the care of angels. They will catch you so that you won't so much as stub your toe on a stone."
Jesus countered with another citation from Deuteronomy: "Don't dare test the Lord your God."
For the third test, the devil took Him to the peak of a huge mountain. He gestured expansively, pointing out all the earth's kingdoms, how glorious they all were. Then he said, they're yours - lock, and barrel. Just go down on your knees and worship me, and they're yours.
Jesus refusal was curt: "Beat it, Satan." He backed his rebuke his rebuke with a third quotation and only him. Serve him with absolute single-heartedness.
The test was over. The devil left. And in his place, angels! Angels came and took care of Jesus needs.
The Spirit led Jesus into the desert. There the devil tempted Him.
After 40 days and 40 nights of going without eating, Jesus was hungry.
The tempter came to Him. He said, "If you are the Son of God tell these stones to become bread.
Jesus answered, "It is written, 'Man must not live only on bread. He must also live by every Word that come from the mouth of God. (Deuteronomy 8:3)
Then the devil took Jesus to the Holy City. He had Him stand on the highest point of the Temple.
"If you are the Son of God," he said "throw yourself down. It is written, the Lord will command His angels to take good care of you. They will lift you up in their hands. Then you won't trip over a stone.
Jesus answered him, "It is also written, Do not test the Lord your God.
Finally, the devil took Jesus to a very high mountain. He showed Him all the kingdom of the world and their glory.
"If you bow down and worship me," he said, "I will give you all this."
Jesus said to him, "Get away from me, satan! It is written, Worship the Lord your God. He is the only one you should serve." (Deuteronomy 6:13)
Then the devil left Jesus. Angels came and took care of Him.
May The Faith Be With You Holy Bible @ Zondervan 2017; The Message copyright @ 1993,1994,1995,1996,2000,2001,2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, IL 60188 & Life Application Bible @ 1986, 1988, 1989 by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, IL 60189
Satan's temptations focused on three crucial areas: (1) physical desires, (2) possessions and power, and (3) pride. But Jesus did not give in. Hebrews 4:15 says that Jesus was in all points tempted like we are, yet without sin. "He knows firsthand what we are experiencing and he is willing and able to help us in our struggles. When you are tempted, turn to Him for strength.
Angels, like these who ministered to Jesus, have a significant role as God's messengers. These spiritual beings were involved in Jesus like on earth by (1) announcing his birth to Mary, (2) reassuring Joseph, (3) naming Jesus, (4) announcing His birth to the Shepherds, (5) protecting Jesus by sending His family to Egypt, (6) ministering to Him in Gethsemane.
Next Jesus was taken into the wild by the Spirit for the test. The devil was ready to give it. Jesus prepared for the test by fasting forty days and forty nights. That left Him, of course, in a state of hunger, which the devil took advantage of in the first test: "Since you are God's Son, speak the Word that will turn these stones into loaves of bread.
Jesus answered by quoting Deuteronomy: "It takes more than bread to stay alive. It takes a steady stream of words from God's mouth.
For the second test the devil took Him to the Holy City. He sat Him on top of the Temple and said, "Since you are God's Son, jump." The devil goaded Him by quoting Psalm 91: "He has placed you in the care of angels. They will catch you so that you won't so much as stub your toe on a stone."
Jesus countered with another citation from Deuteronomy: "Don't dare test the Lord your God."
For the third test, the devil took Him to the peak of a huge mountain. He gestured expansively, pointing out all the earth's kingdoms, how glorious they all were. Then he said, they're yours - lock, and barrel. Just go down on your knees and worship me, and they're yours.
Jesus refusal was curt: "Beat it, Satan." He backed his rebuke his rebuke with a third quotation and only him. Serve him with absolute single-heartedness.
The test was over. The devil left. And in his place, angels! Angels came and took care of Jesus needs.
The Spirit led Jesus into the desert. There the devil tempted Him.
After 40 days and 40 nights of going without eating, Jesus was hungry.
The tempter came to Him. He said, "If you are the Son of God tell these stones to become bread.
Jesus answered, "It is written, 'Man must not live only on bread. He must also live by every Word that come from the mouth of God. (Deuteronomy 8:3)
Then the devil took Jesus to the Holy City. He had Him stand on the highest point of the Temple.
"If you are the Son of God," he said "throw yourself down. It is written, the Lord will command His angels to take good care of you. They will lift you up in their hands. Then you won't trip over a stone.
Jesus answered him, "It is also written, Do not test the Lord your God.
Finally, the devil took Jesus to a very high mountain. He showed Him all the kingdom of the world and their glory.
"If you bow down and worship me," he said, "I will give you all this."
Jesus said to him, "Get away from me, satan! It is written, Worship the Lord your God. He is the only one you should serve." (Deuteronomy 6:13)
Then the devil left Jesus. Angels came and took care of Him.
May The Faith Be With You Holy Bible @ Zondervan 2017; The Message copyright @ 1993,1994,1995,1996,2000,2001,2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, IL 60188 & Life Application Bible @ 1986, 1988, 1989 by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, IL 60189
Wednesday, March 28, 2018
Jesus Is Crucified - Children's Sunday School Lesson - Mark 15 - Sunday - 3/25/18
Jesus Is Brought to Pilate. The soldiers make fun of Jesus. Jesus is nailed to the Cross. Jesus dies. Jesus is buried.
This was a terrible, painful, and embarassing way for Jesus to die. Jesus could have rescued Himself. Jesus did not have to let those bad men take His life.
Who did Jesus die for? Why did Jesus die for you and me?
Jesus did not do anything wrong so He didn't deserve to die. Instead, Jesus decided to take the punishment all of us deserve for all the wrong things we have done. Jesus did it because he loves us.
The six hours (9am - 3pm) pm the cross Jesus touched a depth of suffering in body, mind and spirit beyond the stretch of our imagination. Jesus death paid in full the penalty for our sin. Jesus saved us from the death sentence, making possible the free gift of eternal life.
Jesus Words from the Cross:
Luke 23:34 ... Jesus said, "Father, forgive them. They don't know what they are doing." The soldiers divided up his clothes by casting lots.
Reference Scriptures: Matthew 27:35; Mark 15:24; John 19:23; Acts 3:17
Luke 23:43 ... (Jesus word to the thief on the cross beside Him who repented) Jesus answered him, "What I'm about to tell you is true. Today you will be with me in paradise.
John 19:26-27 ... (Jesus commending His mother to John's care) Jesus saw His mother there. Jesus also saw the disciple he loved standing nearby. Jesus said to His mother, "Dear woman, here is your son." From that time on, the disciple took her into his home.
Matthew 27:46 (Mark 15:34) ... About three o'clock, Jesus cried out in a loud voice. He said, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachtani?" This means "My God, my God, why have you deserted me?"
Psalm 22:1 ...My God, my God, why have you deserted me?
Why do you seem so far away when I need you to save me?
Why do you seem so far away that you can't hear my groans?
John 19:28 ... Later, Jesus knew that everything had now been finished. He also knew that what Scripture said must come true. So he said, "I am thirsty."
Reference Scripture ... Psalm 69:21
John 19:30 ... After Jesus drank He said, "It is finished." Then he bowed his head and died.
Reference Scripture ... John 17:4
Luke 23:46 ... Jesus called out in a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commit my life." After Jesus said this, He took His last breath.
Reference Scripture ... Psalm 31:5; Matthew 27:50; Mark 15:37; John 19:30
Scripture reference used from the New International Readers Version (NIRV May The Faith Be With You Holy Bible) Copyright @ 1995, 1996, 1998, 2014 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. & The New Analytical Bible Dictionary of the Bible, Authorized King James Version, World Bible Publishers, Iowa Falls, Iowa
This was a terrible, painful, and embarassing way for Jesus to die. Jesus could have rescued Himself. Jesus did not have to let those bad men take His life.
Who did Jesus die for? Why did Jesus die for you and me?
Jesus did not do anything wrong so He didn't deserve to die. Instead, Jesus decided to take the punishment all of us deserve for all the wrong things we have done. Jesus did it because he loves us.
The six hours (9am - 3pm) pm the cross Jesus touched a depth of suffering in body, mind and spirit beyond the stretch of our imagination. Jesus death paid in full the penalty for our sin. Jesus saved us from the death sentence, making possible the free gift of eternal life.
Jesus Words from the Cross:
Luke 23:34 ... Jesus said, "Father, forgive them. They don't know what they are doing." The soldiers divided up his clothes by casting lots.
Reference Scriptures: Matthew 27:35; Mark 15:24; John 19:23; Acts 3:17
Luke 23:43 ... (Jesus word to the thief on the cross beside Him who repented) Jesus answered him, "What I'm about to tell you is true. Today you will be with me in paradise.
John 19:26-27 ... (Jesus commending His mother to John's care) Jesus saw His mother there. Jesus also saw the disciple he loved standing nearby. Jesus said to His mother, "Dear woman, here is your son." From that time on, the disciple took her into his home.
Matthew 27:46 (Mark 15:34) ... About three o'clock, Jesus cried out in a loud voice. He said, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachtani?" This means "My God, my God, why have you deserted me?"
Psalm 22:1 ...My God, my God, why have you deserted me?
Why do you seem so far away when I need you to save me?
Why do you seem so far away that you can't hear my groans?
John 19:28 ... Later, Jesus knew that everything had now been finished. He also knew that what Scripture said must come true. So he said, "I am thirsty."
Reference Scripture ... Psalm 69:21
John 19:30 ... After Jesus drank He said, "It is finished." Then he bowed his head and died.
Reference Scripture ... John 17:4
Luke 23:46 ... Jesus called out in a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commit my life." After Jesus said this, He took His last breath.
Reference Scripture ... Psalm 31:5; Matthew 27:50; Mark 15:37; John 19:30
Scripture reference used from the New International Readers Version (NIRV May The Faith Be With You Holy Bible) Copyright @ 1995, 1996, 1998, 2014 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. & The New Analytical Bible Dictionary of the Bible, Authorized King James Version, World Bible Publishers, Iowa Falls, Iowa
Sunday, January 21, 2018
Pile of Masks: Exposing Christian Hypocrisy ... Book Review
Dustin Renz (the author), was recently introduced at a speaking engagement as - a graduate of Teen Challenge, Southeastern University and Pure Life Ministries. Both Teen Challenge and Pure Life Ministries are residential Christian programs that assist in setting people free from addictions and bondage. The seasons the author spent in those two programs serve as book - ends for nearly ten years of running from God, much like the biblical prophet, Jonah. But like Jonah, the author too realized the desperate situation he was in and cried out to God for mercy.
The author grew up in a middle - class home. He had parents who loved him and they lived a comfortable life. The greatest attacks came not from inside his home, but outside. They moved to Florida from New York when he was in the second grade. It was that year - at age seven - he was first exposed to pornography. All throughout his childhood, pornography continued to be readily available to him, which became a deeply - rooted stronghold in his life.
He became friends with another young boy and frequently spent time at his house. It was there where he was first exposed to satanic music, Ouija boards, horror movies, violent games, hypnotism and even sexual experimentation.
He went to church as a child. He claimed to be a Christian, but he had not been born again.
When he was eleven years old, his parents announced to his siblings and him that they had decided to get a divorce.
He had always been a deeply emotional person and most of his friends were female. He still attended church, but he despised Christians and hated God.
He discovered that he had the talent to rap and began rapping at parties and writing songs.
He spent all weekend partying and all week getting high or drunk before and after school.
He graduated high school, left home and began living with friends so that he could do as he pleased. It became necessary to live in his car to live in his car after having burned all bridges with family and friends.
His father allowed him to stay with him for a couple of weeks to try to help him get straightened out. After a near overdose, he realized he was out of control, and agreed to go to a program called Teen Challenge.
In July of 2002, he found himself in the intake office of Teen Challenge in Tarpon Springs, Florida. He had told his dad on the way to the program that he was not going to let them "brainwash him with all of that Jesus stuff." It soon became evident that God had a different plan!
He experienced what Scripture promises to those who surrender their lives to the Lord: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" He fell in love with Jesus. For the next year, he could not get enough of the Bible. He spent hours in prayer and worship. There was no doubt he had a real encounter was with Jesus Christ!
After graduating from Teen Challenge, he once again enjoyed freedom to do as he pleased - something he soon discovered he was not prepared for. Before he knew it, an addiction to pornography head once again taken control of his life. It was then that he met a girl named Brittany at the Christian college he was attending, and they fell in love. When he confessed to her about the pornography, she made it clear that unless he got victory over that area, there was no future for them.
They got married in May 2005. He justified his secret life. He cried out to God over and over again: repenting, apologizing and promising to do better. Clearly, he was only giving the Lord lip service and empty promises.
Over the coming months, he fell further from God. Soon, he was drinking liquor and abusing prescription pills whenever he had the chance.
He began to visualize becoming famous in the music industry and he was confident that his career would take off soon.
Brittany and he got involved in youth ministry, and he became the Assistant Pastor of their church. Lust grew in his heart, and whenever he was depressed, he would still go back to satanic music in his head for comfort.
When him and his wife was accepted to go overseas to assist missionaries for two years, everything escalated. They began the process of raising the necessary funds to go. He had definite fears about relocating to a foreign country, but instead of taking those concerns to God, he returned with great fervor to the old empty cisterns of this world.
He persuaded himself that when he got overseas, the struggle would end.
Their first daughter, Abigail, was born in May of 2010. This drastic change in their lives caused him to panic. He knew he was not ready to be a father, and the weight of that responsibility was more than he could take.
His wife began sensing that something was not right in his life. He told her that he had been lying and carrying on a secret life during the entire seven years of their relationship. She was devastated and immediately told their superiors. They were flown back to the U.S. and asked to resign.
You would think this would have been enough to bring him to repentance, but instead he grew bitter. His wife took control of their finances and watched his every moment.
When he arrived at Pure Life Ministries in April of 2011, one of the counselors said he looked like a dead man. He only agreed to enter the program in the hopes of saving his marriage, which at that point was almost certainly going to end in divorce.
There was no network television in any of their homes. They were not consumed with the latest technologies like smart phones and video games.
This was the turning point and the Lord began to restore him.
Dustin now have an abundant life in Christ and he has truly become an overcomer.
But the Lord has opened his eyes to the reality that there is freedom for the addict, purity for the lustful, and righteousness for the wicked.
Adam and Eve's oldest son provides for us the earliest example of hypocrisy.
A lifestyle of hypocrisy was at the root of Jehovah's chosen nation, Israel. This can be seen throughout the Old Testament, from the time Moses led Israel out of Egypt, to the time of the Babylonian and Assyrian captivities. It was the people's unwillingness to be fully devoted to the Lord that resulted in countless trial and judgments.
Hypocrisy is the reason that the Israelites were called to make a decision throughout the Old Testament. Perhaps the most popular Scripture where a line is drawn in the sand occurs in the book of Joshua. At this point in history, the Israelites were just setting foot into the Promised Land, but they had already shown their divided hearts on several occasions.
They had absolutely no faith to believe that the God who rescued them from Egypt could provide for their needs.
Jehovah had been good to them and provided for them the whole way.
The Israelites have the choice to either serve the Lord or to worship other gods. There is no middle ground.
Scripture says in 1 John 4:8 that God is love. Our relationship with Him is born out of a response to His love for us. Continually in Scripture, the relationship of God and man is compared to a marital relationship.
Song of Solomon paints a beautiful picture of the intimacy enjoyed between a husband and wife (and, allegorically, of God and man). We are called the Bride of Christ and Jesus the Bridegroom in several places in the New Testament. The Holy Spirit could have used any metaphor to describe our relationship with Him, but He chose to relate it to a marriage.
Listen to the sound of a heartbroken God calling out to His people through the prophet Micah:
My people, what have I done to you? How have I burdened you? Answer me. I brought you up out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery.
Jeremiah 2:19 sums up a truth he had found to be absolutely certain: "Consider then and realize how evil and bitter it is for you when you forsake the Lord your God and have no awe of me ...
When it came to fighting against idolatry and syncretism in the Old Testament, there was one King who stood out above the rest. His name was King Josiah, and he took the throne of Judah when he was eight years old. He lived in a time when the land of Israel was divided into a northern and southern kingdom. The country was in a mess. Jehovah repeatedly sent prophets to the nation to try to get their attention and cause them to repent and turn back to Him. As we have discovered, Israel remained entrenched in idolatry and the worship of false gods.
Josiah became king a few years after Manasseh, who was one of the most wicked kings to ever rule in Israel.
During his reign, many people made idols for a living. There were full-time priests who served at the altars and temples of the false gods. Many in the land were enjoying the 'benefits' afforded to them by sacred prostitution. But Josiah did not fear men, he only feared the Lord and his actions proved it.
Josiah launches an all - out attack on idolatry.
Neither before nor after Josiah was there a king like him who turned to the Lord as he did - with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength, in accordance with all the Law of Moses.
Pharisaic:
1. adjective. emphasizing or observing the letter but not the spirit of religious law; self-righteous; sanctimonious
2. pretending to be highly moral or virtuous without actually being so; hypocritical
By The Close Of The Lord The Old Testament period, the nation of Israel had returned to their homeland after being held in captivity. Jehovah had allowed northern Israel to be exiled by Assyria in 721 B.C. Eventually, Judah was taken into exile by the Babylonians for 70 years. The period between the Old and New Testaments is a duration of four hundred years of prophetic silence. There was no Word from God to His people during this time.
Then John the Baptist appears on the scene and breaks the silence. Israel was ruled by the Roman Empire at this time and Rome stayed in power throughout the life of Jesus.
The Jewish community that Jesus was born into was not the same Israel He would have encountered had He been born one thousand years earlier. A person could cease visiting temple prostitutes and still be completely driven by lust inside. Remember, hypocrisy is always a heart issue.
The Pharisees were a very influential Jew party during Jesus' time on the Earth.
Historically, the people of Israel had broken even the most basic commandments by serving idols and foreign gods. It is important to understand that the sect of the Pharisees had good intentions. It is not fair to assume that every Pharisee was wicked, despite the descriptions given in the New Testament.
We also need to realize that there were some Pharisees who were on the right track. Some did love the Lord and honored Jesus, like Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea.
Hypocrite:
1. noun. a person who pretends to be what he or she is not; one who pretends to be what he or she is not; one who pretends to be better than they really are so; or to be pious, virtuous, etc. without really being so.
We Have Looked In-Depth At Hypocrisy in the lives of the Israelites in the Old Testament, and we have also encountered the double-minded Pharisees of Jesus' time. Neither the Israelites nor the Pharisees were born again believers, or even had a full knowledge of the New Covenant.
John Calvin was a follower of Christ with a great understanding of Scripture. He understood what the Bible teaches about looking for spiritual fruit. What he actually taught was that if you are genuinely converted, there has to be evidence of it in your life. He taught that true conversion was an irreversible decision on the Lord's part. He taught that the moment you are converted, your salvation is eternally secure. There would be no way for a true Christian to ever go back into habitual sin and fall away. That is not an option in Calvin's teaching.
Joseph Arminius was also a godly man who studied the Word of God. He agreed with Calvin that if you were truly saved, your life would have spiritual fruit as evidence. The major point they differed on - in regards to the permanence of salvation - is that Arminius believed that a person could fall so far away from God that they could 'lose' or 'reject' their salvation. He believed that humans had more free will in cooperating with God in salvation than Calvin did.
According to Calvin's interpretation of Scripture, the lack of fruit is in itself proof that the person was never truly converted. The Arminians would say to the same person that the lack of fruit is evidence that they either were never saved in the first place, or they are backslidden and in danger of losing (or rejecting) their salvation. Either that person needs to repent (and either return to Christ or be saved) or they are in danger of Hell.
The kind of fruit that we should be looking for is in our character and walk with the Lord.
Hypocrites need to examine whether or not their beliefs actually line up with the whole teaching of the Bible.
In the Kingdom, we humble ourselves and the Lord gives promotion to us. When Jesus gave the parable of the feast in Luke 14, He said:
But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, "Friend, move up to a better place." Then you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
Dustin Renz is a minister with a passion to see the Body of Christ become all that God has created it to be. He is the founder of Make Way Ministries, which exists to see the Body of Christ awaken, mature and arise to its responsibility in these last days.
The author grew up in a middle - class home. He had parents who loved him and they lived a comfortable life. The greatest attacks came not from inside his home, but outside. They moved to Florida from New York when he was in the second grade. It was that year - at age seven - he was first exposed to pornography. All throughout his childhood, pornography continued to be readily available to him, which became a deeply - rooted stronghold in his life.
He became friends with another young boy and frequently spent time at his house. It was there where he was first exposed to satanic music, Ouija boards, horror movies, violent games, hypnotism and even sexual experimentation.
He went to church as a child. He claimed to be a Christian, but he had not been born again.
When he was eleven years old, his parents announced to his siblings and him that they had decided to get a divorce.
He had always been a deeply emotional person and most of his friends were female. He still attended church, but he despised Christians and hated God.
He discovered that he had the talent to rap and began rapping at parties and writing songs.
He spent all weekend partying and all week getting high or drunk before and after school.
He graduated high school, left home and began living with friends so that he could do as he pleased. It became necessary to live in his car to live in his car after having burned all bridges with family and friends.
His father allowed him to stay with him for a couple of weeks to try to help him get straightened out. After a near overdose, he realized he was out of control, and agreed to go to a program called Teen Challenge.
In July of 2002, he found himself in the intake office of Teen Challenge in Tarpon Springs, Florida. He had told his dad on the way to the program that he was not going to let them "brainwash him with all of that Jesus stuff." It soon became evident that God had a different plan!
He experienced what Scripture promises to those who surrender their lives to the Lord: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" He fell in love with Jesus. For the next year, he could not get enough of the Bible. He spent hours in prayer and worship. There was no doubt he had a real encounter was with Jesus Christ!
After graduating from Teen Challenge, he once again enjoyed freedom to do as he pleased - something he soon discovered he was not prepared for. Before he knew it, an addiction to pornography head once again taken control of his life. It was then that he met a girl named Brittany at the Christian college he was attending, and they fell in love. When he confessed to her about the pornography, she made it clear that unless he got victory over that area, there was no future for them.
They got married in May 2005. He justified his secret life. He cried out to God over and over again: repenting, apologizing and promising to do better. Clearly, he was only giving the Lord lip service and empty promises.
Over the coming months, he fell further from God. Soon, he was drinking liquor and abusing prescription pills whenever he had the chance.
He began to visualize becoming famous in the music industry and he was confident that his career would take off soon.
Brittany and he got involved in youth ministry, and he became the Assistant Pastor of their church. Lust grew in his heart, and whenever he was depressed, he would still go back to satanic music in his head for comfort.
When him and his wife was accepted to go overseas to assist missionaries for two years, everything escalated. They began the process of raising the necessary funds to go. He had definite fears about relocating to a foreign country, but instead of taking those concerns to God, he returned with great fervor to the old empty cisterns of this world.
He persuaded himself that when he got overseas, the struggle would end.
Their first daughter, Abigail, was born in May of 2010. This drastic change in their lives caused him to panic. He knew he was not ready to be a father, and the weight of that responsibility was more than he could take.
His wife began sensing that something was not right in his life. He told her that he had been lying and carrying on a secret life during the entire seven years of their relationship. She was devastated and immediately told their superiors. They were flown back to the U.S. and asked to resign.
You would think this would have been enough to bring him to repentance, but instead he grew bitter. His wife took control of their finances and watched his every moment.
When he arrived at Pure Life Ministries in April of 2011, one of the counselors said he looked like a dead man. He only agreed to enter the program in the hopes of saving his marriage, which at that point was almost certainly going to end in divorce.
There was no network television in any of their homes. They were not consumed with the latest technologies like smart phones and video games.
This was the turning point and the Lord began to restore him.
Dustin now have an abundant life in Christ and he has truly become an overcomer.
But the Lord has opened his eyes to the reality that there is freedom for the addict, purity for the lustful, and righteousness for the wicked.
Adam and Eve's oldest son provides for us the earliest example of hypocrisy.
A lifestyle of hypocrisy was at the root of Jehovah's chosen nation, Israel. This can be seen throughout the Old Testament, from the time Moses led Israel out of Egypt, to the time of the Babylonian and Assyrian captivities. It was the people's unwillingness to be fully devoted to the Lord that resulted in countless trial and judgments.
Hypocrisy is the reason that the Israelites were called to make a decision throughout the Old Testament. Perhaps the most popular Scripture where a line is drawn in the sand occurs in the book of Joshua. At this point in history, the Israelites were just setting foot into the Promised Land, but they had already shown their divided hearts on several occasions.
They had absolutely no faith to believe that the God who rescued them from Egypt could provide for their needs.
Jehovah had been good to them and provided for them the whole way.
The Israelites have the choice to either serve the Lord or to worship other gods. There is no middle ground.
Scripture says in 1 John 4:8 that God is love. Our relationship with Him is born out of a response to His love for us. Continually in Scripture, the relationship of God and man is compared to a marital relationship.
Song of Solomon paints a beautiful picture of the intimacy enjoyed between a husband and wife (and, allegorically, of God and man). We are called the Bride of Christ and Jesus the Bridegroom in several places in the New Testament. The Holy Spirit could have used any metaphor to describe our relationship with Him, but He chose to relate it to a marriage.
Listen to the sound of a heartbroken God calling out to His people through the prophet Micah:
My people, what have I done to you? How have I burdened you? Answer me. I brought you up out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery.
Jeremiah 2:19 sums up a truth he had found to be absolutely certain: "Consider then and realize how evil and bitter it is for you when you forsake the Lord your God and have no awe of me ...
When it came to fighting against idolatry and syncretism in the Old Testament, there was one King who stood out above the rest. His name was King Josiah, and he took the throne of Judah when he was eight years old. He lived in a time when the land of Israel was divided into a northern and southern kingdom. The country was in a mess. Jehovah repeatedly sent prophets to the nation to try to get their attention and cause them to repent and turn back to Him. As we have discovered, Israel remained entrenched in idolatry and the worship of false gods.
Josiah became king a few years after Manasseh, who was one of the most wicked kings to ever rule in Israel.
During his reign, many people made idols for a living. There were full-time priests who served at the altars and temples of the false gods. Many in the land were enjoying the 'benefits' afforded to them by sacred prostitution. But Josiah did not fear men, he only feared the Lord and his actions proved it.
Josiah launches an all - out attack on idolatry.
Neither before nor after Josiah was there a king like him who turned to the Lord as he did - with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength, in accordance with all the Law of Moses.
Pharisaic:
1. adjective. emphasizing or observing the letter but not the spirit of religious law; self-righteous; sanctimonious
2. pretending to be highly moral or virtuous without actually being so; hypocritical
By The Close Of The Lord The Old Testament period, the nation of Israel had returned to their homeland after being held in captivity. Jehovah had allowed northern Israel to be exiled by Assyria in 721 B.C. Eventually, Judah was taken into exile by the Babylonians for 70 years. The period between the Old and New Testaments is a duration of four hundred years of prophetic silence. There was no Word from God to His people during this time.
Then John the Baptist appears on the scene and breaks the silence. Israel was ruled by the Roman Empire at this time and Rome stayed in power throughout the life of Jesus.
The Jewish community that Jesus was born into was not the same Israel He would have encountered had He been born one thousand years earlier. A person could cease visiting temple prostitutes and still be completely driven by lust inside. Remember, hypocrisy is always a heart issue.
The Pharisees were a very influential Jew party during Jesus' time on the Earth.
Historically, the people of Israel had broken even the most basic commandments by serving idols and foreign gods. It is important to understand that the sect of the Pharisees had good intentions. It is not fair to assume that every Pharisee was wicked, despite the descriptions given in the New Testament.
We also need to realize that there were some Pharisees who were on the right track. Some did love the Lord and honored Jesus, like Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea.
Hypocrite:
1. noun. a person who pretends to be what he or she is not; one who pretends to be what he or she is not; one who pretends to be better than they really are so; or to be pious, virtuous, etc. without really being so.
We Have Looked In-Depth At Hypocrisy in the lives of the Israelites in the Old Testament, and we have also encountered the double-minded Pharisees of Jesus' time. Neither the Israelites nor the Pharisees were born again believers, or even had a full knowledge of the New Covenant.
John Calvin was a follower of Christ with a great understanding of Scripture. He understood what the Bible teaches about looking for spiritual fruit. What he actually taught was that if you are genuinely converted, there has to be evidence of it in your life. He taught that true conversion was an irreversible decision on the Lord's part. He taught that the moment you are converted, your salvation is eternally secure. There would be no way for a true Christian to ever go back into habitual sin and fall away. That is not an option in Calvin's teaching.
Joseph Arminius was also a godly man who studied the Word of God. He agreed with Calvin that if you were truly saved, your life would have spiritual fruit as evidence. The major point they differed on - in regards to the permanence of salvation - is that Arminius believed that a person could fall so far away from God that they could 'lose' or 'reject' their salvation. He believed that humans had more free will in cooperating with God in salvation than Calvin did.
According to Calvin's interpretation of Scripture, the lack of fruit is in itself proof that the person was never truly converted. The Arminians would say to the same person that the lack of fruit is evidence that they either were never saved in the first place, or they are backslidden and in danger of losing (or rejecting) their salvation. Either that person needs to repent (and either return to Christ or be saved) or they are in danger of Hell.
The kind of fruit that we should be looking for is in our character and walk with the Lord.
Hypocrites need to examine whether or not their beliefs actually line up with the whole teaching of the Bible.
In the Kingdom, we humble ourselves and the Lord gives promotion to us. When Jesus gave the parable of the feast in Luke 14, He said:
But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, "Friend, move up to a better place." Then you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
Dustin Renz is a minister with a passion to see the Body of Christ become all that God has created it to be. He is the founder of Make Way Ministries, which exists to see the Body of Christ awaken, mature and arise to its responsibility in these last days.
Friday, December 29, 2017
Praying the Scriptures for Your Adult Children - Book Review
Parenting is one of the toughest jobs in the world, and today's culture isn't making it any easier. And when we feel like were struggling, it can be tempting to throw up our hands and simply declare, "All we can do now is pray!"
Once our kids have "flown the nest," our parenting will change dramatically, but our sons and daughters will always need our prayers.
Prayer is one of the most important parenting assignments we've been given. It is an eternal investment in our kids' hearts and souls, and we must never under estimate its impact.
The Battle Begins
Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes. -- Nehemiah 4:14
The things you give to God in prayer - your worries, concerns, and needs - are the ties that bind your heart to his. Our struggles are his entry points.
The more we allow the Bible to shape our prayers, the more our requests will line up with God's plan.
There is no "perfect" family.
Everyone - even that beautiful woman who sits across the aisle from you at church, the one with the daughter who just got engaged and the son who just got promoted - has issues. When it comes to raising our children and pursuing God's best for their lives, we all need huge buckets of his grace, and we are all in this together.
It's never too late to start praying God's best for your children.
It doesn't matter how old your children are. You never stop being a parent. You never stop caring.
Blessing and Releasing Your Adult Child
Our adult children have different needs, but all of them can use the prayer of blessing.
A blessing is not the same thing as an endorsement. It's a way of handing our children's future over to God.
As you pray God's blessing on your children, release your plans and trust in God to accomplish his.
Praying for Your Child's Transition to Adulthood
When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. -- 1 Corinthians 13:11 NLT
God's ways are not our ways. Ask him to show you how to pray for your children.
As your children navigate the path to adulthood, ask God to help them be wise and make the most of every opportunity.
God gave our children unique talents and abilities. Trust him to put these attributes to good use.
A Year of Prayer
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. -- Romans 12:12
Choosing one verse to pray all year long expands your time horizon and allows an awareness of God's faithfulness to take root in your prayer life.
When God gives you a promise to pray for your adult child, leave room for him to fulfill it in ways that go beyond anything you could have imagined.
Reading the Bible allows God's message to penetrate our minds, shape our desires, and give voice to our prayers.
Praying for Good Friends and Fellowship
As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. -- Proverbs 27:17
We are created for connection. Ask God to bless your child with rich and meaningful relationships.
Ask God to use your children's worldly interests to connect them to people whose passion is for him.
If your child is not going to church, ask God to prompt someone to invite him.
The Bible offers several portraits of friendships marked by loyalty, dependability, and faithfulness. Jonathan became "one in spirit" with David, giving him his robe (symbolic of his identity) and making a covenant of friendship that would last between their descendants forever. Let's ask God to give our kids faithful friends and to draw them into a life-giving relationship with Jesus, the one who gave up his life "for his friends."
Praying for a Future Spouse
"Let her be the one that the LORD has chosen for my master's son. -- Genesis 24:44
When the time came for his son to get married, Abraham had one main request: Issac's bride couldn't be a Canaanite; rather,he wanted her to be someone from his own country. He sent his servant off to do the picking, and when the fellow got to Abraham's hometown, he prayed a very specific prayer: "LORD ... make me successful today ... May it be that when I say to a young woman, 'Please let down your jar that I may have a drink; and she says, 'Drink, and I'll water your camels too' - let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Issac."
Rebekah showed up, gave the servant a drink, and then offered to fetch water for the camels too - all ten of them.
Almost everyone the author has talked to said they wanted their son or daughter to marry a Christian.
When you pray for your child's marriage partner, it's okay to be specific, but be prepared for God to surprise you.
Praising God changes our perspective and releases supernatural peace, hope, and joy.
Pray that your child's sense of identity and worth will be found in Christ rather than in being single or married.
Praying for a Young Marriage
A man shall leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. This is a profound mystery. -- Ephesians 5:31-32
We do the praying; God does the changing.
When your children get married, your prayers take on a new dimension. Now you're not just praying for him or for her; you're also praying for them.
Consider using the example of biblical characters - real people, with real relationships and real problems - to shape your prayers for your children.
With a Spirit-filled marriage, all good things are possible.
Praying through a Trouble Married or a Divorce
Be patient, bearing with one another in love. -- Ephesians 4:2
Destructive family patterns can be broken. Ask God to break these bonds and set your children free.
"Let's pray to break any generational bonds or patterns of evil."
When you pray for your child's troubled marriage, remember that his or her spouse is not the enemy.
When your children go through painful trials, ask God to use their suffering to produce perseverance, character, and hope.
Praying for a Good Place to Live
God begun by making one person, and from him came all the different people who live everywhere in the world. God decided exactly when and where they must live. -- Acts 17:26 NCV
Finding a good place to live can take time. Ask God to give your children (and you, if they are at home) the strength to "walk and not be faint."
Asking God to give your child wisdom is always a good starting place for prayer.
Sometimes the best way to help our adult children isn't to give them money or even advice; it's simply to pray.
Praying for a Job
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. -- Psalm 32:8
If we want to pray with faith, we must anchor our requests in God's promises.
We can make all the plans we want - and so can our kids - but God is the one who directs our path.
Trusting God with our children's future means being willing to trust his timing.
Praying When Your Children Have Children
I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants. -- Isaiah 44:3
Praying for your grandchildren strengthens your relationship with your children and their spouses.
Ask God to provide friends and mentors who will lovingly point your grandchildren toward Christ.
If you have concerns about your grandchildren or how they are being raised, take your worries to God and give his grace time to work.
Praying through a Health Crisis
This is what the LORD ... says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you. -- 2 Kings 20:5
Trusting God when we don't know what the future holds opens the door to peace.
Sometimes the key to praying with perseverance is simply to stop looking at your problems and focus instead on who God is and what he has done.
Jesus offers this invitation: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." What a beautiful promise, particularly as we pray for our children's health and safety.
God doesn't just want to heal your child; he wants to take care of you too.
Praying for Mental and Emotional Health
I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. -- Psalm 40:1-3
When you pray your child through a mental or emotional illness, don't let shame or fear keep you from enlisting trusted prayer partners to help you carry your burden.
God is in the business of transformation, and he has promised to renew - body, mind, and spirit - day by day.
An unforgiving spirit can hinder your prayers. Ask God to search your heart - and be ready to extend grace (even to yourself) and receive God's love.
Praying for Protection from Harm
The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him. -- Psalm 34:7
If God calls your child to a place or a job that scares you, slip your hand into your heavenly Father's and pray, trusting him to guard what you give him.
Asking God to put his angels in charge of your child's safety encompasses more than just physical protection. We can trust him to stand guard over their hearts and minds too.
When you feel too frightened or overwhelmed to pray for your child's safety, remember that God's power is made perfect in your weakness.
Praying through a Job Loss or Financial Difficulty
When I said, "My foot is slipping," your unfailing love, LORD, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy. -- Psalm 94:18-19
The Bible has a lot to say about money. Ask God to help your children to manage it wisely.
When we pray our kids through loss or rejection, it helps to remember that Jesus knows exactly how they feel.
God knows how our children are formed, and what they do with their lives matters to him.
Ecclesiastes 7:12 adds this: "Wisdom is a shelter as money is a shelter, but the advantage of knowledge is this: Wisdom preserves those who have it."
Praying through the Struggles of Infertility
You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing. -- Psalm 145:16
As you ask God to fulfill your children's deepest longings, pray that they will be satisfied with the gift of his presence.
When God gives your children a promise, come alongside them and believe it.
Praying for Strength to Resist a Party Culture
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. -- Matthew 5:6
Your adult children may be out of your reach, but they are never out of God's sight.
Today's party culture offers counterfeit joy. Pray that your kids will want the real thing.
We cannot glory - steal from God.
Praying for Protection from Sexual Sin
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. -- Romans 12:2
God loves us unconditionally. Ask him to help you show that same kind of love to your children, even if you don't like what they do.
God's kindness leads us to repentance. Ask God to surround your children with people who will lovingly point them toward him.
Light scatters darkness. Ask God to turn your children from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God.
Praying for Recovery from an Addiction
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners. -- Isaiah 61:1
Addiction is a formidable enemy, but the weapons we fight with - including prayer - have divine power to demolish strongholds.
God is always at work in our kids' lives, and he can use the worst things to bring about good.
We cannot control or cure our children's addictions, but we can hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, knowing that he who promised is faithful.
Praying for Your Prodigal
I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the LORD. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart. -- Jeremiah 24:7
Ask God to work in your prodigal's mind and spirit, demolishing arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God.
God knows what it's like to grieve over a prodigal child - and to rejoice over his return.
Our struggles are often God's entry points.
Is Jesus Enough?
God doesn't want us to trust in an outcome; he wants us to trust in him.
Heavenly Father...
Whom have we in heaven but you? Work in us and in our children, so that nothing compares to the desire we have for you. Be the strength of our hearts and our portion forever. Amen. -- Psalm 73:25-26
Jodie Berndt is the author of several books, including The Undertaker Wife, Praying the Scriptures for Your Children, and Praying the Scriptures for Your Teens. She and her husband, Robert, have four grown children and two son-in-laws. A Speaker and Bible Teacher, Jodie encourages readers to pursue joy, celebrate grace, and live on purpose.
Once our kids have "flown the nest," our parenting will change dramatically, but our sons and daughters will always need our prayers.
Prayer is one of the most important parenting assignments we've been given. It is an eternal investment in our kids' hearts and souls, and we must never under estimate its impact.
The Battle Begins
Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes. -- Nehemiah 4:14
The things you give to God in prayer - your worries, concerns, and needs - are the ties that bind your heart to his. Our struggles are his entry points.
The more we allow the Bible to shape our prayers, the more our requests will line up with God's plan.
There is no "perfect" family.
Everyone - even that beautiful woman who sits across the aisle from you at church, the one with the daughter who just got engaged and the son who just got promoted - has issues. When it comes to raising our children and pursuing God's best for their lives, we all need huge buckets of his grace, and we are all in this together.
It's never too late to start praying God's best for your children.
It doesn't matter how old your children are. You never stop being a parent. You never stop caring.
Blessing and Releasing Your Adult Child
Our adult children have different needs, but all of them can use the prayer of blessing.
A blessing is not the same thing as an endorsement. It's a way of handing our children's future over to God.
As you pray God's blessing on your children, release your plans and trust in God to accomplish his.
Praying for Your Child's Transition to Adulthood
When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. -- 1 Corinthians 13:11 NLT
God's ways are not our ways. Ask him to show you how to pray for your children.
As your children navigate the path to adulthood, ask God to help them be wise and make the most of every opportunity.
God gave our children unique talents and abilities. Trust him to put these attributes to good use.
A Year of Prayer
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. -- Romans 12:12
Choosing one verse to pray all year long expands your time horizon and allows an awareness of God's faithfulness to take root in your prayer life.
When God gives you a promise to pray for your adult child, leave room for him to fulfill it in ways that go beyond anything you could have imagined.
Reading the Bible allows God's message to penetrate our minds, shape our desires, and give voice to our prayers.
Praying for Good Friends and Fellowship
As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. -- Proverbs 27:17
We are created for connection. Ask God to bless your child with rich and meaningful relationships.
Ask God to use your children's worldly interests to connect them to people whose passion is for him.
If your child is not going to church, ask God to prompt someone to invite him.
The Bible offers several portraits of friendships marked by loyalty, dependability, and faithfulness. Jonathan became "one in spirit" with David, giving him his robe (symbolic of his identity) and making a covenant of friendship that would last between their descendants forever. Let's ask God to give our kids faithful friends and to draw them into a life-giving relationship with Jesus, the one who gave up his life "for his friends."
Praying for a Future Spouse
"Let her be the one that the LORD has chosen for my master's son. -- Genesis 24:44
When the time came for his son to get married, Abraham had one main request: Issac's bride couldn't be a Canaanite; rather,he wanted her to be someone from his own country. He sent his servant off to do the picking, and when the fellow got to Abraham's hometown, he prayed a very specific prayer: "LORD ... make me successful today ... May it be that when I say to a young woman, 'Please let down your jar that I may have a drink; and she says, 'Drink, and I'll water your camels too' - let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Issac."
Rebekah showed up, gave the servant a drink, and then offered to fetch water for the camels too - all ten of them.
Almost everyone the author has talked to said they wanted their son or daughter to marry a Christian.
When you pray for your child's marriage partner, it's okay to be specific, but be prepared for God to surprise you.
Praising God changes our perspective and releases supernatural peace, hope, and joy.
Pray that your child's sense of identity and worth will be found in Christ rather than in being single or married.
Praying for a Young Marriage
A man shall leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. This is a profound mystery. -- Ephesians 5:31-32
We do the praying; God does the changing.
When your children get married, your prayers take on a new dimension. Now you're not just praying for him or for her; you're also praying for them.
Consider using the example of biblical characters - real people, with real relationships and real problems - to shape your prayers for your children.
With a Spirit-filled marriage, all good things are possible.
Praying through a Trouble Married or a Divorce
Be patient, bearing with one another in love. -- Ephesians 4:2
Destructive family patterns can be broken. Ask God to break these bonds and set your children free.
"Let's pray to break any generational bonds or patterns of evil."
When you pray for your child's troubled marriage, remember that his or her spouse is not the enemy.
When your children go through painful trials, ask God to use their suffering to produce perseverance, character, and hope.
Praying for a Good Place to Live
God begun by making one person, and from him came all the different people who live everywhere in the world. God decided exactly when and where they must live. -- Acts 17:26 NCV
Finding a good place to live can take time. Ask God to give your children (and you, if they are at home) the strength to "walk and not be faint."
Asking God to give your child wisdom is always a good starting place for prayer.
Sometimes the best way to help our adult children isn't to give them money or even advice; it's simply to pray.
Praying for a Job
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. -- Psalm 32:8
If we want to pray with faith, we must anchor our requests in God's promises.
We can make all the plans we want - and so can our kids - but God is the one who directs our path.
Trusting God with our children's future means being willing to trust his timing.
Praying When Your Children Have Children
I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants. -- Isaiah 44:3
Praying for your grandchildren strengthens your relationship with your children and their spouses.
Ask God to provide friends and mentors who will lovingly point your grandchildren toward Christ.
If you have concerns about your grandchildren or how they are being raised, take your worries to God and give his grace time to work.
Praying through a Health Crisis
This is what the LORD ... says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you. -- 2 Kings 20:5
Trusting God when we don't know what the future holds opens the door to peace.
Sometimes the key to praying with perseverance is simply to stop looking at your problems and focus instead on who God is and what he has done.
Jesus offers this invitation: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." What a beautiful promise, particularly as we pray for our children's health and safety.
God doesn't just want to heal your child; he wants to take care of you too.
Praying for Mental and Emotional Health
I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. -- Psalm 40:1-3
When you pray your child through a mental or emotional illness, don't let shame or fear keep you from enlisting trusted prayer partners to help you carry your burden.
God is in the business of transformation, and he has promised to renew - body, mind, and spirit - day by day.
An unforgiving spirit can hinder your prayers. Ask God to search your heart - and be ready to extend grace (even to yourself) and receive God's love.
Praying for Protection from Harm
The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him. -- Psalm 34:7
If God calls your child to a place or a job that scares you, slip your hand into your heavenly Father's and pray, trusting him to guard what you give him.
Asking God to put his angels in charge of your child's safety encompasses more than just physical protection. We can trust him to stand guard over their hearts and minds too.
When you feel too frightened or overwhelmed to pray for your child's safety, remember that God's power is made perfect in your weakness.
Praying through a Job Loss or Financial Difficulty
When I said, "My foot is slipping," your unfailing love, LORD, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy. -- Psalm 94:18-19
The Bible has a lot to say about money. Ask God to help your children to manage it wisely.
When we pray our kids through loss or rejection, it helps to remember that Jesus knows exactly how they feel.
God knows how our children are formed, and what they do with their lives matters to him.
Ecclesiastes 7:12 adds this: "Wisdom is a shelter as money is a shelter, but the advantage of knowledge is this: Wisdom preserves those who have it."
Praying through the Struggles of Infertility
You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing. -- Psalm 145:16
As you ask God to fulfill your children's deepest longings, pray that they will be satisfied with the gift of his presence.
When God gives your children a promise, come alongside them and believe it.
Praying for Strength to Resist a Party Culture
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. -- Matthew 5:6
Your adult children may be out of your reach, but they are never out of God's sight.
Today's party culture offers counterfeit joy. Pray that your kids will want the real thing.
We cannot glory - steal from God.
Praying for Protection from Sexual Sin
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. -- Romans 12:2
God loves us unconditionally. Ask him to help you show that same kind of love to your children, even if you don't like what they do.
God's kindness leads us to repentance. Ask God to surround your children with people who will lovingly point them toward him.
Light scatters darkness. Ask God to turn your children from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God.
Praying for Recovery from an Addiction
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners. -- Isaiah 61:1
Addiction is a formidable enemy, but the weapons we fight with - including prayer - have divine power to demolish strongholds.
God is always at work in our kids' lives, and he can use the worst things to bring about good.
We cannot control or cure our children's addictions, but we can hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, knowing that he who promised is faithful.
Praying for Your Prodigal
I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the LORD. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart. -- Jeremiah 24:7
Ask God to work in your prodigal's mind and spirit, demolishing arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God.
God knows what it's like to grieve over a prodigal child - and to rejoice over his return.
Our struggles are often God's entry points.
Is Jesus Enough?
God doesn't want us to trust in an outcome; he wants us to trust in him.
Heavenly Father...
Whom have we in heaven but you? Work in us and in our children, so that nothing compares to the desire we have for you. Be the strength of our hearts and our portion forever. Amen. -- Psalm 73:25-26
Jodie Berndt is the author of several books, including The Undertaker Wife, Praying the Scriptures for Your Children, and Praying the Scriptures for Your Teens. She and her husband, Robert, have four grown children and two son-in-laws. A Speaker and Bible Teacher, Jodie encourages readers to pursue joy, celebrate grace, and live on purpose.
Monday, December 18, 2017
May The Faith Be With You Holy Bible - Book Review
This Bible is perfect is for ages 6-10. It includes 24 full - color pages exploring the marvel of God's creation and the meaning of faith.
This Bible is easy to read and understand. It is the New International Reader's Version. It is called the NIrV.
People who are just starting to read will understand and enjoy The NIrV. Children will be able to read it and understand it. So will people who have a hard time understanding what they read. And so will people who use English as their second language.
The NIrV is based on the NIV. The NIV Committee on Bible Translation (CBT) did not produce the NIrV. They tried to use words that were easy to understand.
This Bible has a title to almost every chapter. Sometimes they to even gave a title to a section. They did these things to help the readers understand what the chapter or section is all about.
In the New Testament the Sea of Galilee is also called the sea of Gennesaret. But in the NIrV they decided to call it the Sea of Galilee everywhere it appears.
For example, sometimes the Bible says "the River" where it means "the Euphrates River." In those places, they used the full name "the Euphrates River."
They wanted the NIrV to say what the first writers of the Bible said. So they kept checking the Greek New Testament as they did their work. That's because the New Testament's first writers used Greek. They also kept checking the Hebrew Old Testament as they did their work. That's because the Old Testament's first writers used Hebrew.
Psalm 23: David wrote this psalm as a song to praise God. Read the words below and think about all the ways God, our great Master, takes care of us.
The LORD is my shepherd. He gives me everything I need.
He lets me lie down in fields of green grass.
He leads me beside quiet waters.
He gives me new strength.
He guides me in the right paths for the honor of his name.
Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid.
You are with me.
Your shepherd's rod and staff comfort me.
You prepare a feast for me right in front of my enemies.
You pour oil on my head.
My cups runs over.
I am sure that your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life.
And I will live in the house of the LORD forever.
What Is Prayer?
Prayer is simply talking to God - just like you would talk to a friend. But you can tell God absolutely anything and everything, and you can talk to him anytime and anywhere!
An easy guide to prayer is to use your hands! Each finger can remind you who to pray for:
Thumb: (People closest to you.) Tell God thank you for your friends and family and ask him to take care of their needs.
Pointer: (People who point the way.) Thank God for the leaders, teachers and pastors in your life. Pray about the important work they do.
Tall Finger: (People in authority.) Our police, government and military need God's wisdom and protection. Pray for their needs.
Ring Finger: (People who are weak.) Pray for the sick and weak. Ask God to give them healing and strength.
Little Finger: (Yourself.) Ask God to forgive you for your sins. After you have prayed for others, God wants you to talk with him about what you need too!
This Bible is easy to read and understand. It is the New International Reader's Version. It is called the NIrV.
People who are just starting to read will understand and enjoy The NIrV. Children will be able to read it and understand it. So will people who have a hard time understanding what they read. And so will people who use English as their second language.
The NIrV is based on the NIV. The NIV Committee on Bible Translation (CBT) did not produce the NIrV. They tried to use words that were easy to understand.
This Bible has a title to almost every chapter. Sometimes they to even gave a title to a section. They did these things to help the readers understand what the chapter or section is all about.
In the New Testament the Sea of Galilee is also called the sea of Gennesaret. But in the NIrV they decided to call it the Sea of Galilee everywhere it appears.
For example, sometimes the Bible says "the River" where it means "the Euphrates River." In those places, they used the full name "the Euphrates River."
They wanted the NIrV to say what the first writers of the Bible said. So they kept checking the Greek New Testament as they did their work. That's because the New Testament's first writers used Greek. They also kept checking the Hebrew Old Testament as they did their work. That's because the Old Testament's first writers used Hebrew.
Psalm 23: David wrote this psalm as a song to praise God. Read the words below and think about all the ways God, our great Master, takes care of us.
The LORD is my shepherd. He gives me everything I need.
He lets me lie down in fields of green grass.
He leads me beside quiet waters.
He gives me new strength.
He guides me in the right paths for the honor of his name.
Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid.
You are with me.
Your shepherd's rod and staff comfort me.
You prepare a feast for me right in front of my enemies.
You pour oil on my head.
My cups runs over.
I am sure that your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life.
And I will live in the house of the LORD forever.
What Is Prayer?
Prayer is simply talking to God - just like you would talk to a friend. But you can tell God absolutely anything and everything, and you can talk to him anytime and anywhere!
An easy guide to prayer is to use your hands! Each finger can remind you who to pray for:
Thumb: (People closest to you.) Tell God thank you for your friends and family and ask him to take care of their needs.
Pointer: (People who point the way.) Thank God for the leaders, teachers and pastors in your life. Pray about the important work they do.
Tall Finger: (People in authority.) Our police, government and military need God's wisdom and protection. Pray for their needs.
Ring Finger: (People who are weak.) Pray for the sick and weak. Ask God to give them healing and strength.
Little Finger: (Yourself.) Ask God to forgive you for your sins. After you have prayed for others, God wants you to talk with him about what you need too!
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