God's Pure Love for You

Is your family too busy for family Bible time? Feel like there are too many good shows on TV to take time to read the “Good Book”?

Consider some vital reasons to take the Bible down off the shelf, give it a good dusting, and open its pages. As part of  ”grandma’s corner” now, I can speak with some wisdom of hindsight, which always seems to be 20-20. We still have two of four children at home, though, so this can very much apply to me as well!

1. If you’re a Christian blessed with children, it’s your responsibility to teach them in God’s word. We’ll look at Deuteronomy 11:19.

2. What should influence your children more – secular television & music, the internet, peers, or God’s word?

3. Abuse of the internet can be detrimental to teaching God’s word to our families. It’s also a place of easy access to pornography and the beginning of sexual addictions and broken lives, all because we haven’t taught our children to guard their hearts against Satan’s attack. Oh, my dear readers, we parents need to step in and grab the reigns once again by establishing a consistent routine of family devotions to avoid these pitfalls!

4. If you don’t read/study the Bible with your children, you will increase the odds of them growing up not have trusting faith in the Lord Jesus.
Romans 10:14 (NIV) says, “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?”

I realize that children don’t want to be “preached at” by their parents, but I believe they will listen to Scripture being read to them if you start this practice at an early age. You will, in effect, become your child’s first “preacher” of the word of Life, an immense privilege and responsibility! Oh, Mom and Dad, you need to “get on the same page” at pursuing this very important task. Don’t pass the buck, as it were, to your spouse. Both parents need to be active participants in this exciting venture with the family! Your marriage will find the way to blessing as a result! Men and women following Jesus in this way will never regret it.

5. God tells us in Deuteronomy 11:19 (NIV), when to teach His words : “Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”

I believe we Christian parents will be required to give an account to God about whether or not we obeyed this command of His and taught our children His word.

6. Big reason for a family Bible time: It will be a great substitute for liberal mass media that has invaded our homes. Spending hour upon endless hour with our eyes and ears glued to the TV was never God’s plan for His people, the church, especially in these last days! Do we want to be in the middle of another episode of blood & gore on TV, when Jesus comes for His church in the Rapture, or do we want to be doing things like reading His word, praying, witnessing to the lost, and helping those in need? So choose the path to let your light shine!

7. Jesus said in Matthew 28:18-20 (NIV). “… ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’”

We must allow these words of Jesus to immediately spur us on to carving out time for personal and family Bible study, prayer, and witnessing! God calls us to take up the Sword of the Spirit (the word of God) in Ephesians 6:17. I believe we can through Bible study with our children, teaching them about who God is from its pages. This plan is about something so much better than some strict and stern other method enforcing our rules. Instead, family Bible study can be about teaching our children about the real meaning of life – having a redeeming relationship with the one true God who loves them. It’s about teaching them how to love and worship the LORD God – the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – who made us and willingly gave His life for us on the cross, and now gives us a resurrection, even Promised Land, type of living that can free us from the penalty and power of sin, so that we and our children (whoever trusts in Christ) may live the life of freedom and holiness in Christ, by His life and presence!

Let’s ask ourselves: Can this life of submitting to the Kingship of Christ be learned by sitting on the couch night after night, taking in secular TV, with all of its foul language, blood and violence, sex, and immorality? I think not! From what I’ve seen, most of TV and family don’t mix. Let’s shut those TVs off! (I do love to watch Christian TV channels while I do my exercise routine, but we must not succumb to surfing the other channels.) There are a few good specials on sometimes, but as a whole, TV is a time-waster. If we are tormented by this, let’s take a bold stand and cart the television(s) out to the roadside for trash pickup! Then, we’ll be more open, as part of the body of Christ, to seek God with all our hearts…and teach our children to do the same!

In a July 29, 2011 post  ”Jesus Feeds 5000; Will You Be Broken?”, I share how Jesus fed the multitude with bread. As parents and/or grandparents, we have the blessed opportunity to feed our children/grandchildren with the “Bread of Life”. Let’s not deprive them!

THE CHALLENGE:
*Find time as a Christian wife devoted to her husband and marriage, a mother, and homemaker, while caring for/enjoying that hubby and kids, and doing housework, meal-preparation, gardening, yard work,  canning, laundry, sewing,  entertaining, homework tutoring, church work, and whew…exercise (!)…to pursue freelance writing … as the inspiration hits!

*Write often enough, keeping creative juices flowing!

*Actually get published!

THE INSIGHT:
Let’s look at the life of Paul! The Apostle Paul wrote 13 of the 27 books of the New Testament. That’s 80 pages in my Bible, with no footnotes.  He wrote under the inspiration of God’s Holy Spirit, so he had God’s HELP, but he was also human and busy traveling throughout the known world spreading, in person (not by Internet), the Gospel of Jesus Christ! He made time to write; so should I! In 2 Corinthians 11:23-28, Paul tells how he went through labors, many imprisonments, 3 shipwrecks, was beaten times without number, and was often in danger of death. He received 39 lashes five times. Three times, he was beaten with rods, once he was stoned by persecutors in Lystra, and he spent a night and a day in the deep!

How did he carry along his writing tools? He had no iPad, no laptop, no modern gadgets, not even paper and an ink pen! But he had something better. He had the indwelling Lord in his life, inspiring and compelling him to write something more important than any human literature. He was used by God to contribute to the writing of the Holy Bible, God’s word, and share the Gospel in written and spoken form! Second Timothy 4:13 implies that he studied and/or wrote on scrolls and parchments. “When you come, bring the cloak… and my scrolls, especially the parchments.” The scrolls may have been leather and the parchments of treated leather or papyrus. Let’s appreciate the advanced tools we have today!

In 2 Corinthians 11:26-29, Paul further tells that he was on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, robbers, countrymen, Gentiles, dangers in the city, the wilderness, on the sea, and among false brethren. He was in labor and hardship, had sleepless nights, hunger and thirst, was often without food, endured the cold and was naked. Plus, he had daily concern for all the churches. He was weak with the weak and intensely concerned over those led into sin.

If Paul went through all this and let God use him to write a big part of the New Testament, later being martyred in Rome, how can I let being a comfortable housewife keep me from writing about Jesus?! Can you identify?

THE SOLUTION:
Simplify! Declutter! Help others by giving things away, and focus!  Let Christ be preeminent in each of our lives! Then, by His  filling and empowerment, get writing, laying aside what easily encumbers. “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” – Hebrews 12:1. What hinders you from being all that God wants you to be? Throw it off, and focus on following Jesus! Then get writing, if that is God’s call to you! Most importantly, let your light (His light) shine!

Look at Paul’s life, and remember the words of missionary, C. T. Studd: “Only one life, ’twill soon be past; only what’s done for Christ will last.”

Your comments are very welcome. :)

Here are two very opposite wives! Which one do you want to be?

1. Desperate Housewife: Waits for husband to make her feel special and loved; meets his needs if he keeps up the good behavior!

OR

Godly, Virtuous Woman: Spends thoughtful time planning to make  hubby feel special, then carries through.

2. Desperate: Sits around house, never exercising, expecting hubby to love her the way she is. After all, she already caught him!

Godly Woman: Exercises regularly to look great for hubby, not taking him for granted.

3. Desperate: Hobbies are soap-operas and phone-gossiping.

Godly: Creative hobbies become money-making ventures!

4. Desperate: Bathrobe or sweatsuit – her only home wardrobe.

Godly: Morning exercise, daily shower, then work clothes; but she changes into something cute and flirtatious before hubby gets home.

5. Desperate: Complains about her day as soon as husband gets home.

Godly: Kisses her man at the door under mistletoe (hung there year-round), then rubs his shoulders while he unwinds on the couch!

6. Desperate: Unloads pain/loneliness by talking to girlfriends about lousy husband.

Godly: Praises her husband to her friends, never criticizing.

7. Desperate: Nags and belittles  husband in front of  kids.

Godly: Talks sweetly to husband when kids are around, keeping private discussions private.

8. Desperate: Calls her husband “loser”; gets histerical if he looks at her wrong.

Godly: Encourages husband with words of praise and faith.

9. Desperate: Loves to shop all day for things she wants!

Godly: Stays on budget; manages household well; puts others first.

10. Desperate: Expects husband to earn all  family income; complains when he doesn’t earn enough.

Godly: Has paying job (if needed) in area that fulfills God’s call on her life.

11. Desperate: Stays up late doing housework; wonders why husband is so cranky and distant!

Godly: Gets ready for bed before hubby and is always there for him; does housework when he’s at work.

12. Desperate: Reads her Bible,  looking up from it to argue with family.

Godly: Reads Bible prayerfully, and shows her faith by her actions.

13. Desperate: Prays, “Change my husband into a good husband.”

Godly: Prays, “Lord, change me to be like You. Help me be a better wife as I  trust in you.”

14. Desperate: Calls hubby unromantic, but never does anything to look attractive or to please him.

Godly: Believes, “Our marriage will only be as good as I prayerfully make it.”

15. Desperate: Talks to kids about their lazy, mean father.

Godly: Respects husband, saying only positive words about him to the kids.

16. Desperate: Waits until last minute to scrounge up some scrimpy meal, leaving everyone still hungry and malnourished.

Godly: Plans/prepares in morning for dinner, making mealtime memorably delicious!

17. Desperate: Easily finds snack for herself, forgetting about husband and kids.

Godly: Includes family at snack-time.

18. Desperate: Wastes hours on Internet while husband works; rises to complete chores when he comes home.

Godly: Budgets her time, doing most important tasks first; gives all her attention to hubby on his arrival home!

19. Desperate: Takes things into her own hands; lives life to please herself!

Godly: Lives with Christ as her King; lets Him live in/through her.

20. Desperate: Love’s all about getting!

Godly: Love’s all about Christ loving in/through her.

21: Desperate: If she “falls out of love”, she cheats or gets a divorce.

Godly: Prayerfully lets Jesus fill her heart when she feels unable to love.

22. Desperate: Treats husband and children by her up-and-down emotions.

Godly: Loves others with Christ’s love, not by her own roller coaster emotions.

23: Desperate: Nice to hubby if he’s nice to her!

Godly: “…does him good and not evil all the days of her life.” – Proverbs 31:12

All of life and relationships are a chain. The strongest link should be our union with Christ. All other links will be affected by the strength of my link to Christ!

Next, the strongest link must be my marriage. Christ is the “bonding glue” or “strength of the metal”  that holds the marriage together. If union with Christ is weak, the bonds of marriage will be weak. If it is strong, the marriage will be strong. This bond is made solid as the believer yields completely to Christ, through prayer, Bible study, and his walk with Christ.

Our children and family are the next links. Each link will affect the chain a certain way, if the chain is complete and strong, or weak and unconnected. If one link is ignored or weakened enough, the chain or family will be broken.

The more the power and love of Christ holds the husband and wife link together, the more that power will flow out to the temporarily smaller links. The other links or children will grow to be as strong or as weak as the link between the husband and wife, except by the grace and mercy of God.

Grandchildren are also more links in the chain!

After Christ, all of the links eventually become of equal importance as individual links and in holding the chain together.

As each link yields to the power flowing through the chain, or to Christ, through prayer and submission to Him and His Word, the chain will become unbreakable and will shine forth as pure gold to the world, inviting outsiders to join the chain that is bonded together in Christ!

Even so, there are instances, in 2 Kings, of the godlessness of a father not being seen in the grand-son. One big example is in 2 Kings 21 -23:30. God, in His mercy produced a godly king named Josiah after Manasseh, his grand-father, reigned as king over Judah. Manasseh had committed “wickedly more than all the Amorites did who were before him, and …also made Judah sin with his idols.” – 2 Kings 21:11. 2 Kings 21:9 also says, “…Manasseh seduced them to do evil more than the nations whom the LORD destroyed before the sons of Israel.” Manasseh’s son, Amon, reigned only 2 years, did evil in the sight of the Lord as Manasseh had done, and was killed in his own house by his servants! – 2 Kings 21:19-26.

But then Josiah showed up to “save the day”. Josiah began reigning as king at eight years old! He did right in the sight of the LORD and walked in all the way of his father David, nor did he turn aside to the right or to the left. He had the Temple of the LORD repaired, humbled himself before the Lord when the neglected Book of the Law was found, and made a covenant with God to obey God with all his heart and soul.The people of Judah also entered into this covenant. After this, Josiah reformed the nation to serve God. He destroyed all the idols, their altars, the idolatrous priests, and anything associated with idol worship, and he restored observance of the Passover.

There was no king before or after him who turned to the LORD as much as he did, as told in 2 Kings 23:25. So if you come from a bad, broken chain or dysfunctional family, there is still great hope for you, if you turn to the LORD! You can then influence for good the generations to come from you!

Please read my next post, “THE GOSPEL CHAIN”, to see how all of Scripture is a chain and tool for evangelism!

Satan’s been attacking me through one of the things I value most – my marriage! Then he accuses me with the words, “No, it’s just you,” shifting all the blame to me. It’s easy to blame Satan, just as Eve did in the Garden of Eden, but Satan wants to keep me down. I’m a blood-washed, born-again believer, whom Jesus died for. As a Christian, God’s plan for me is to enjoy Christ’s abundant life! This won’t happen as long as I call myself worthless and hopeless. I must acknowledge that Satan is behind my depression/defeat!

Satan is described as the accuser of the brethren in Revelation 12:10. – “Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, ‘Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night.’”

No, Satan won’t accuse us forever, but will finally be thrown down by God Himself! Praise the Lord! Why deny existence of his torment today? It’s very real, since he accuses me before my God day and night. If I admit that marital strife begins in Satan’s attacks, then I can move on to victory! My trouble is not just self-made, as Satan, the troublemaker, wants me to believe. If I admit that he’s behind my trouble, I can proceed to let Christ defeat him in my life!

When Satan accuses me, I imagine Christ saying, “She’s My child being conformed to Myself. Leave her alone!” Christ is the Victor! He is against Satan, my foe! As the song says, “Satan, the blood of Jesus is against you!”

Not only against Satan, but He also intercedes for me with the Father. Hebrews 4:14-16 says, “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore, let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 7:25 reassures: “Therefore, He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.”

So we have a great high priest sympathizing with our weaknesses and interceding for us! We can confidently approach His throne of grace for mercy and help in time of need! God has so much more for the Christian than Satan has to harm us. Let’s focus on Christ, drawing near to Him in time of need!

Romans 8:33-34 gives further peace: “Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.”

Satan wants to discourage me (a writer) and demolish my marriage to my precious husband, the innocent bystander and man who lead me to the Lord. What better scheme could there be? But God is greater than Satan’s schemes. I’ll trust in God, who will see me through this, bringing me out stronger with my marriage more blessed, helping us establish daily couple’s and family devotions, teach our children, and  forsake excess TV.

I commit these desires to Christ, who is “faithful to complete it”!

Does this help you?