Monthly Archives: February 2022

Fine For Weather

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Fine For Weather

Here in Kansas the weather is quite flakey. The temperature can vary greatly day-to-day, regardless of the season. On Monday the high was 69, and on Wednesday we’ll see a low of 6 degrees. 

Great variability may be fine for weather, but if that describes someone spiritually or their closeness with the Lord Jesus, that isn’t good. Likely you have known professors of faith in Christ who were “flying high” one day, and then the next time you see them they had “crashed.” Possibly, that could describe some readers as well. May I encourage you, that isn’t good, or normal, and it doesn’t have to be like that. 

First, be sure that you have saving faith in Christ. Our salvation is dependent on Him alone, not of works. Works follow salvation. We trust in Jesus’ shed blood on the cross for the covering of our sins. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Be careful not to rely on your how you feel. Emotions can follow circumstances. “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it” (Jeremiah 17:9).

Keep/obey His Word. “Quench not the Spirit” (1 Thessalonians 5:19).

Don’t give your time to the things of the world. They will pull you down. “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth” (Colossians 3:2).

Feed daily on His Word. “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby” (1 Peter 2:2). 

The Mission

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Jesus’ relationship with the Father and the mission He was on, were always at the front of His thoughts, even when He was young. “And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business” (Luke 2:49)? 

Examples:
o “Wither I go, ye cannot come” (John 8:21).
o “But He that sent me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I have heard of him” (John 8:26).
o “When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.” John 8:28
o “For I always do those things that please Him” (John 8:29).

My Brothers, how would you answer these questions? 
o “What is your driving purpose in life?” 
o “What consumes you?” 

Next even more important, what would your wife, children, and friends say they believe your driving purpose is and what consumes your thoughts? Ask them. 

“Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me” (John 16:24). Are we following? If not, as long as we have breath, there is still time.

“If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth” (1 John 1:6). 

Maybe Most Difficult to Learn

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It is far, far more difficult to learn than reading, arithmetic, and most college classes. It can be so problematic that many (most?) never learn it well. I’ve never spoken to someone who complained of having too much of it. Lack of it ended King Solomon’s life in shame. (1 Kings 11).

Ever hear of someone destroying his life/health through lust, appetite, speech, anger, eating, drinking, or drug use? Yes, of course, and not just someone, but sadly, countless. 

Lust (2 Timothy 2:22) and anger/wrath are examples of things that simply must be said “No” to, while many things, such as eating, sleeping, pleasure, and speech we must exercise self-restraint over. “He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man: he that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich” (Proverbs 21:17).

Self-control, moderation, or temperance (whatever you prefer to call it) are essential if lives are not to be in bondage. If you ask someone enslaved to food, pleasure, or entertainment, if he is pleased with his life, an honest answer would be “NO!” “All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any” (1 Corinthians 6:12). 

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Posted in: Dad's Corner

Trying to Cool a Hot Topic

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Teens and Cell Phones

With the age for kids to get cell phones moving younger, we are alarmed about those ramifications. Families share with us heartbreaking stories about the negative, unexpected consequences of their children’s cell phones. These are particularly in the areas of time wasted on the phone, negative influences by others, and boy/girl relationships before the time is right for them. Once these addictions, texting, and social media relationships are established, pulling them back is at best, difficult, and at worst, impossible. 

From our perspective, as we evaluate these stories, the parents didn’t anticipate the potential problems, prepare for them, and communicate well with their children about them. Things were good in their home – solid relationships and children who were obedient. The phone was given as a practical tool but soon morphed into an engaging allurement that pulled the child’s heart into anything from many wasted hours to other untold evils.

In the past, we were concerned about the influence of TV, movies, and videos games in conservative, Christian homes and shared warnings with you about that. Now an even greater danger is trolling for your children. 

“A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished” (Proverbs 22:3). Is there any way to avoid your child falling into the evil clutches that can come with cell phones? We aren’t fully sure about that, but we think Proverbs encourages an attempt. Sometimes it seems hopeless, but if we were parents with children at an age to get a cell phone, we would sure try. Here are some thoughts about it.

Need?

Does your child really NEED a phone? We remember the years with our children growing up and how they didn’t get driver’s licenses until they truly needed one. At that point, they were earning income to either buy their own car or pay their share of the insurance and car maintenance. While this wasn’t the norm for teens and driving, it sure protected our children in many ways. Just because everyone else has a phone does not mean it is the right or best choice for your child. 

Plan

Think through the boundaries and parameters for your child having a phone and set them out clearly, even in writing. If you don’t want your child texting or communicating via the phone with friends of the opposite sex, let them know that up front. If there are apps you don’t want them to use, state that, or perhaps simply state what apps they can use. What about how much time can be spent on the phone? 

Research and consider installing protection and accountability on your child’s phone. We like Accountable2you, and our adult children chose to use that while living in our home. However, it is accountability not protection. We tried several protection plans but couldn’t find one that was reliable and didn’t lock our children regularly from the Internet. Our children were young adults at this time and needed the internet for their livelihood. So we moved from protection on the phone to accountability. 

If you want to look at your child’s phone sometimes, agree on the password, and then look at the phone regularly, so they expect it. Even if you are not concerned about anything at the time, if you wait until you are, it will be hard for your child to turn his/her phone over to you for your perusal.

Communication and Relationship

Ultimately what your child does on his/her phone grows out of your solid relationships and hopefully their desire to please the Lord. They will not want to follow your rules and counsel if they don’t respect you and your guidance. That’s part of a heart relationship with your children. 

Communication is key in those relationships. Don’t assume your child knows and understands your concerns and the dangers of the phone. Communicate clearly and often what the phone is for and what your concerns are about it and its dangers. 

Please dear sister, the potential evils are so big with teens and cell phones. Don’t think it will all be fine and then be blindsided when the unthinkable happens. Be proactive if you allow your teen to have cell phones. 

Hopefully Not You or Yours

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Growing up, I loved going to the movies, and the more exciting the show, the better. I’m guessing most kids today would be bored to watch what we considered thrilling. We didn’t have the amazing graphics technology brought to entertainment in this age, but it still got our hearts racing and wanting more. 

Gratefully, once I received Jesus as my Lord and Savior I lost all interest in violence. Actually, it repulses me now, and I instinctively look away if confronted with things like that while in a store or restaurant. 

We are living in a time where big money is being made providing entertainment filled with inhumane violence perpetrated against people – human beings who are made in the image of God. “For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence” (Proverbs 4:17). 

What do you enjoy and allow as entertainment for your family (video games, sports, movies, TV shows)? Is there any violence in them? Consider what appetites you are instilling in your children for entertainment? “The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth” (Psalm 11:5). Let that sink in. God hates those who love violence.