Monthly Archives: July 2023

Favorite

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What is your favorite topic to talk about? What lights you up and grabs your interest most? When around others, what are your go-to topics? Is it politics, work, cars, hobbies (hunting, fishing), or sports? “They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them” (1 John 4:5).

A person’s speech reveals the treasure of his heart. “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh” (Luke 6:45).

The point here is not to be condemning but to stimulate improvement. Examine your heart. Is the Lord and His work in lives (including our own) what most thrills you? If not, something isn’t quite right. Maybe your soul isn’t feeding on the Word daily but on the world’s message. Or might there be hidden sin or unresolved offenses? There should be no more thrilling subject than the Lord Jesus, His Word, and His working in souls. 

May our speech reflect the glory due His Name. May we seek Him, praise Him, and meditate on Him and His goodness. “Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD” (Psalms 105:3).

Worth It

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Teri and I are pretty careful about what we purchase. The more it costs, the more consideration and comparison shopping. Do we really need it, or is it a want? Is it really worth that much money?

What if you wanted something and it was going to cost you a literal “arm and a leg”? Of course, most (maybe all?) would never consider such a purchase. It would have to be more valuable than anything we purchased previously. I’m guessing most would not give an “arm and a leg” to purchase their house debt free. But what if your arm and leg would actually save your child’s life? Would you give your arm and a leg for that?

Consider now that Jesus Christ gave His life to purchase you and me. Not only His life, but suffered a cruel and horrible death to redeem us by His blood. My brothers, as you look at your life, since salvation, have you been a worthwhile purchase? Have you been a faithful servant or busy about your pleasure? Maybe you have given 80% to being a faithful servant and only kept 20% for your pleasure? 95% and 5%? May we be faithful 100% of the time. Pitch the TV, movies, news and sports. Invest in your family and be used of the Lord.

“Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:18-19). 

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Posted in: General

Looking Back

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Our country just celebrated another year of independence enabling “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” There have been approximately 250 years of independence/liberty for this country. How do you think that has gone? What fruit has there been from it; good or bad? “But wisdom is justified of all her children” (Luke 7:35).

Believers are called to be salt and light. We are blessed to live here. We are free to worship, serve, and tell others about the Lord Jesus Christ. Are we exercising our freedom to be salt and light (Matthew 5:13-16)? 

The lost are going to pursue the lust of the flesh. “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world” (1 John 2:16). For them it is all about pleasure (fun) and power. But we are called to a different life, being owned by the Lord.

“For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1 Corinthians 6:20).

“But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses” (1 Timothy 6:11-12).

Would you consider that the pursuit/passion of your life? “Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (2 Corinthians 5:20-21).

May We Always Pray

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The end of May, our youngest daughter, Mary, was married to a wonderful young man named Samuel. They met at Bible college where both were mission’s majors. Sam graduated in May. Now they are on staff at our church for about two years, interning and preparing to be sent out by our church, fully supported as international church planters. We are excited to have them here for their training and then to see how God will use them on the mission field.

At wedding time, Samuels’s dad shared with us how he and Sam’s mom had been praying for Mary, although they didn’t know who she was, since Sam was born. We thought how wonderful that was, recalling our prayers for our children growing up. As first generation, born-again Christians, without role models, Steve and I didn’t think about praying for spouses for our children until our first ones approached marriageable age. Before that, we were simply wrapped up in praying for the immediate needs of our children as we endeavored to “bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Eph. 6:4b).

Then when our oldest children reached their teen years, we began praying for future marriages, and we prayed that God would bring each child a godly spouse, according to His will, “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?” (2 Corinthians 6:14). We also asked the Lord for a spouse where the two of them could serve God better together than either could separately. Mary is twenty years younger than her oldest brother, and we started praying for spouses for our younger children when we were for the older ones. So that means she and Samuel had prayer support for their future marriage from Steve and me as well from Samuel’s parents from their infancy.

Here’s what Samuel’s mom told us about she and her husband’s praying for Samuel concerning a spouse as he grew older. 

“As Samuel was forming his plans for his future, we prayed for a wife to complement him and be a team with him. We prayed she would love the Lord. We prayed she would be ready serve the Lord in missions (even to the more primitive places that Samuel is drawn to).”

Aren’t those beautiful prayers for a child? We can attest to God’s answering those heartfelt cries in bringing Samuel and Mary together, both of them desiring a life of mission work, even to remote areas.

In one of our married son’s homes, when we are there at family Bible time in the evening, we usually hear him pray for spouses for his children, even though all his children are young. He and his wife are not waiting until their children are ready for marriage to ask God to work toward that end. 

Steve remembers talking to a friend and asking him if he prayed for a spouse for his teen-age daughter. He told Steve he had been praying about that since BEFORE his daughter was born. 

The spouse your child marries is a big deal in the future of his relationship with Christ, serving in His kingdom, and raising children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. That spouse can either encourage in those spiritual areas, totally derail and undermine them, or simply be neutral, which in the end is probably negative. You know this from your own marriage and from those you observe around you. 

Not only will your child and spouse raise children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, but Scripture tells us that marriage is a picture of Christ and His church. “For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church” (Eph. 5:31-32).

May I encourage you as you pray for your children that you are sure to include praying for a godly spouse for your children and even praying for that future spouse as well? What are those of you who are grandmothers? Are you are praying these prayers for your grandchildren?

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Posted in: Mom's Corner

Behold

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Consider. Out of legions of angels only two were chosen to roll back the stone from the door of the tomb and have the honor of proclaiming, “He is not here, but is risen,” (Luke 24:6). We are not told their names, but what honor God bestowed on them. 

A mother is the only one given the honor to carry and then birth her child into this world. Dad are you zealous for a similar honor? Sure, you can give life to a child, but in comparison to carrying and birthing, that isn’t much. However, you could be the one who introduces your child to the Savior—ushering him into eternal life. God called/commanded fathers to do that. “And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up” (Deuteronomy 6:7). 

Are you faithful to that command of proclaiming the Word of life to your children? Daily Bible time is assumed, but additionally, are you sharing your experience in Christ with them? May the honor be yours. Don’t miss out.