23 Aug (Matt 10)

The Gospels: Jesus Chooses the Twelve Disciples

Matthew 10

(v.7) When Jesus was on the earth in His first coming, the kingdom of heaven was there. They were charged with representing their King as ambassadors...we are to do the same today.

(v.20) It's hard sometimes to come up with the right words in certain situations, and we also are fearful that we may misspeak. We need to trust in the Holy Spirit, and He will speak for us.

(v.24) As someone who is learning from my Master, I am His disciple. I am being disciplined in the ways of my Master. We who are His are His disciples, and His ambassadors on earth. We need to always remember this when witnessing.

(v.32) I love this verse! I often hear skeptics say that being a Christian is a personal relationship with Christ, so it is private. I agree with the first part, but here Christ tells us to share His work with the world. How can we be saved and not want others to be saved as well, if we have the love of Christ in us? It's one thing to be a blowhard, but we should share what Christ has done in our lives to all who are seeking Him.

(v.34) Because Jesus is God in the flesh, and He died for our sins...we have a choice to make. This choice will either strengthen or divide families. Jesus wants our hearts, and if that means that those who wish to reject Him are less in our lives, then so be it. Of course, we should always be loving and try to reason with that family member or friend that rejects Christ, but we should never compromise our faith to get along with others.

Apr 28 (1 Kings 11-12)

1st Kings 11

(v.4) What a sad commentary for the wisest man on earth...he let his 700 wives lead him away for the only true God. This should make us all take a moment to think about our own situations, and stay focused on God, instead of things of this world. If the wisest man God created could be led astray from God, then we need to be even more diligent about our walks with God.

(v.11) I teach my kids that there are consequences for disobedience. Some view Christianity as a life of "no" meaning we are shackled, when it's quite the opposite. If we are obeying God, we will have less problems, and enjoy more of His blessings.

(v.14) God disciplines us with other people and by hard times. God used Israel's enemies to bring them back to Him. That is why Rom 8:28 is so true...no matter what we do, God will use bad events to draw us closer to Him. All we have to do, is repent and obey, then we'll enjoy His peace.

(v.36) God doesn't forget His promises. Solomon disobeyed and disgraced his father's name by turning away from God. But God made an unconditional promise to David, that his seed will produce the Messiah, who will save the world from sin. We can take comfort in this, since God has promised us eternal life with Him, if we have faith in His Son. John 3:16

1st Kings 12

When Rehoboam decided to listen to the young men, and ignore the older men's advice regarding Jeroboam, it seems that he was using his free will to decide. But then, it also seems that God steered Rehoboam that way, so the prophecy that He told Jeroboam earlier would come true. So which is it? Did Rehoboam act on his free will, or did God decide for him?

Calvinists believe that no one comes to God, unless God had already preordained them to salvation. After all, God is sovereign, and He can't learn anything. But if He made some to live, and some to be destined to hell, then John 3:16 and 2 Peter 3:9 are not true!

The Arminians believe that we all have free will, and we can accept, and even lose our salvation by our actions. This takes the work on the cross that Jesus did, to be for nothing, if we can earn or lose our own salvation.

So, many good scholars believe that both are true, but not in their extremes. God is sovereign, and He moves us according to His purposes. However, He does allow us free will, to choose to accept Him, and to choose to live for Him.

Apr 19 (Prov 22-24)

Proverbs 22

(v.1) I try to teach my kids that a good reputation for good character and integrity is far better to be known for, than your talents or riches. Our looks, talents and riches can come and go, but our character and values should be a constant. If we are walking with the LORD, we will show our integrity by our actions and words. People will respect us for our faith.

(v.4) Worldly riches are only good if they are used to further God's kingdom. If we fear and respect the LORD, we will be rewarded on earth, but more importantly, in heaven.

(v.6) This is one of the verses that inspires me to do this blog, and to document what I'm teaching my kids. It is my prayer that the LORD will use this blog to help other parents grow in the LORD, and to have practical ways to teach their kids His ways. Teaching my kids the Word is my first priority as a Daddy.

(v.28) When I read this verse, it makes me think of the land that God gave Israel through Abraham. It is much larger than the borders of Israel today, and I believe Psalm 83 predicts that one day soon, Israel will become larger, and prompt the great Magog invasion described in Ezekiel 38 & 39. Israel is God's land, and NO ONE should mess with it...including the USA!

Proverbs 23

(v.13) As a parent, I don't like to discipline my kids, but God does show us that it's important to discipline them so they don't stray too far from Him. There is a big difference between punishment and discipline. Whenever I discipline my kids (which gratefully, is not often) I tell them why they're being disciplined, and after they are spanked, I hug them and tell them I love them.

This is like what our Heavenly Father does with us...when we mess up, there is usually a hard lesson to learn, but He's always there, and He always lifts us up after we repent.

(v.18) It's hard for adults to fully grasp heaven...so it's even harder for kids. They haven't (for the most part) experienced life's troubles, so they don't seek heaven nearly as much as those of us who've lived quite a few decades. We yearn for Jesus to return, but not so much our kids. However, we still need to assure them that heaven and hell exist, and their choices in life will determine their destination. With that said, I encourage them, that if they understand and accept what God did for us on the cross and His resurrection, then their destination is assured.

(v.33) Those of us who've had too much to drink at times in our lives can identify with this verse! We regret our actions or words after being moved by strong drink. There is no Scriptural command to refrain from wine or alcohol (except for pastors), but we should always be in control and let the Holy Spirit be our intoxication of choice! Remember, Jesus drank wine, but He never drank a lot, so we should do the same.

Proverbs 24

(v.3) If we have God's wisdom being discussed and obeyed in the house, then we will be in a house with less chaos and strife. The more we know God's Word and live it, the more firm our family foundation will be.

(v.4) When we have a home that loves and respects the LORD, we are blessed with children who love and respect their parents, other parents, and all forms of authority. Children who love the LORD are more precious than the most beautiful jewelry stones!

(v.17) This is hard for me to obey, let along kids who endure bullying, mockery and snickering at school. But it's important to instill in our kids the concept of letting God fight our battles for us. If they have a fragile self-esteem, we parents need to routinely tell them that they are beautiful, unique and valuable. God thought of them before He made the universe...I like to let them think on that, and assure them that God specifically designed them, and has great plans for them!

(v.21) The last Presidential election was about "change" but we see that the change wasn't what we really wanted! God's Word should never be changed, and America's Constitution shouldn't either! I teach my kids to pray for President Obama, since God put him in office as He does with all leaders in authority, and also it would be a great witness to the world if Obama was born again while in office! We need to pray for our leaders, and let God work in their lives.

(v.27) This is a farming reference, where the farmer should establish his crop before he spends a lot of time with his house. We need to make sure we dutifully provide for our family before we do our hobbies or less important things.

Apr 14 (Prov 11-13)

Proverbs 11

(v.4) The wealthy often get out of trouble because they can buy their way out, but when they face God in the day of Judgment, they will be powerless. Only the blood of God's Son can keep us from the wrath of God on all wickedness. If we aren't with God, then we're with Satan, and God will bring His righteous wrath upon evil.

(v.14) This is a great verse for life. It applies to business, relationships and many other things in life. If we have a big decision to make, we should discuss our options with other believers who trust in God, and hear what God says through them. If they are saying what God has been saying to you, then you know it's the will of God to do it.

(v.30) Those of us who are born again are required to share our joy in the LORD! However, if we are truly saved, it won't be forced upon us to share the LORD...we will be so eager to share the Good News of Christ to others, that we will often need to be told to shut up!

Proverbs 12

(v.4) This is another great verse for us husbands to meditate on...if we are godly, and we're teaching our family the Word, then our wives will be like a crown to us. She will be beautiful on the inside and outside, she will be loving and kind, and other people will gravitate to her because they will want to be around her!

(v.10) We are to treat our animals with respect and love. They are God's creatures, created to serve and love us. Animal cruelty is an abomination to the LORD!

(v.26) I talk to my kids a lot about who they associate with at school. We have the choice of who we call our friends. If we choose friends for what they can give us (popularity, self-esteem, riches) then we will be disappointed in the end. I teach my kids to have friends who value them and don't want anything from them.

Proverbs 13

(v.4) The ungodly desire many things, but they will never be satisfied. But the godly will be grateful for what they have, and be joyful for what God gives them. For the godly, their riches are wisdom and salvation!

(v.20) Who we associate with rubs off on us...if we hang around fools, we will become fools ourselves. If we hang around godly people who have wisdom, then we will be like them as well.

(v.22) This is piercing, since the times we live in today, everyone is all about the present...not the past or future. We need to plan and save for our futures, and if not for our futures, then for our children's futures. It's the right thing to do.

But this is not only about money...it's about what we leave with our kids regarding God. Did we teach them His ways? Did we show them how to live godly lives? If we did, then they will have an inheritance greater than gold.

(v.24) Most of us parents were spanked as children, but we've been taught by society to do "time outs" instead. There is a big difference between punishment and discipline. We should never spank a child when we're still mad. I've been given good advice: tell the child to go to their room and think about what they did. During that time, we parents should pray and let our anger subside. Then, when we go into our child's room, they will already be repentant. We should still give them a spank, but quickly follow it with a hug. If our kids only see the anger, they won't learn...they need to see that we discipline out of love for them.