Do not be misled: "Bad company corrupts good character." -1Cor 15:33 (NIV)
By far, one of the greatest parts of watching the Super Bowl is always the commercials. Although as Christians we should not promote habits such as drinking and whatnot, a good variety of humor with good messages can be portrayed, even during the game. I must say, however, this past year was by far one of the most disgusting displays of our culture's perception of the world that I have ever seen. Follow me on this: My fiancee' and I were over at some friends' house with our children. We were all enjoying a great game, eating tons of food, and enjoying good fellowship. The children that were present were between the ages of nine and fourteen. If you remember correctly, the variety of commercials that played that day ranged from showing disgusting horror images, to Eminem saying "D--m" on TV, and of course- several commercials with sexual innuendo. The latter included the (unfortunately) infamous GoDaddy commercials, a florist business with a term referring to a woman's anatomy, and a pointless and tasteless appearing of Kim Kardashian in a shoe commercial. All of this was not only being poured into our children's heads- but hundreds of thousands worldwide!
As fathers, it is one of our greatest responsibilities to build a strong and deep foundation in our children when it comes to God's statutes and to ensure that they will not be swayed by such shallow influences. If and when situations arise that our children are exposed to media or examples of worldly influence, it is our responsibility as fathers to immediately identify the foul and correct the moment in a godly way. Possibly you could make a comment such as, "I wish they wouldn't play commercials like that."- thus sparking an opportunity to witness to your child; or immediately back it up with Scripture or a fun experience. Whatever the choice, make sure that YOUR impression is the one that sticks in your kid's mind- not the destructive one.
The greatest impact will come, however, when our children see that we actually model the behavior that we promote. Credibility can be lost in a heartbeat should we slip by swearing in front of our children, watching something racy or gory without them (but have them catch us), or laughing at crude humor. We must constantly keep our eyes on the cross and the world to our backs. Only then, will we continue to die to self and have the light of Jesus shine from the inside out through us. Dad, let your light shine! (Luke 11:33-36)
"Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord." -Eph 6:4 (NASB)
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Who you are in Christ
When I first became a father and then a Christian, my whole world had just been turned upside down. You see, for about 99% of my life I had lived the typical "worldly" and "bachelor" life. Money, women, and partying were at the top of my list every week- with no thoughts to repercussions or consequences. However, that all began to change from 2006 and on.
Today I consider myself a disciple of Christ and a godly father. I have nailed my old ways to the cross and strive daily to improve myself as a child of God. So how did I get there? I needed to learn (and continue to do so) who I am in Jesus Christ.
KNOW YOUR BLOODLINE
The bible tells us that Adam and Eve were the first humans created by God. We were created in His image, and Adam even walked with the Lord in the cool of the evening in the Garden of Eden. We were created for fellowship with God! But then sin entered in the world and perverted the whole thing. Later down the line, the Lord made a covenant with Abraham and told him that he would become the father of many nations. Eventually, through the lineage of David, Jesus was born in order to bring the world back to God's original plan of fellowship. Through the power of the Holy Spirit and a dying of the flesh, Jesus rose and took His rightful place as the Savior of the world. (Romans 1:3-5) We, too, must die to the flesh in order to receive our true bloodline and be brought back into fellowship with God! (Matt 16:24-26)
KNOW YOUR FAMILY
I was born into a dysfunctional family, and my guess I am not the only one, right? However, I soon learned after giving my life to Jesus, that I am not defined by my earthly family, and that a new family lineage can begin with me! One of the scriptures that I hold on to constantly is 1Peter 1:23, "for you have been born again not of a seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God." What that means is even though we are born of earthly family lineage, that all changes when we give our lives to the Lord. Jesus confirms who His (our) true family is in Matthew 12:46-50. We are NOT defined by our earthly families, surroundings, social status, addictions, our pasts, and by the world! We ARE defined as children of the living God- heirs to the Kingdom of God!
KNOW YOUR INHERITANCE!
"So that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope in eternal life." -Titus 3:7 (NASB)
Our God is the best Father we could ever pray for, and like every good Dad, he leaves an inheritance to His children. Only this time, the inheritance has eternal blessings. Once we step into the Kingdom of God, our eternal future changes for good. We are given crowns of righteousness (2Tim 4:8) and our validation/protection comes from the Lord Himself (Isaiah 54:17). We are sealed from anything this world can do to harm us, and in so- we can ensure the same for our children. Dad, if you haven't made the decision to follow Christ with all of your heart, today is the day. Thank Him for being the Father that He is; know where your true family lineage lies; accept His grace and forgiveness; and be ready to receive your inheritance! Once you've accepted Jesus fully as your Lord and Savior, understand that our job is to steward our kids in the same way- for God's purposes. Lead them the way they should be led, and show them that not only are you a great daddy, but their Father loves them more than they could ever comprehend!
God bless you all.
Today I consider myself a disciple of Christ and a godly father. I have nailed my old ways to the cross and strive daily to improve myself as a child of God. So how did I get there? I needed to learn (and continue to do so) who I am in Jesus Christ.
KNOW YOUR BLOODLINE
The bible tells us that Adam and Eve were the first humans created by God. We were created in His image, and Adam even walked with the Lord in the cool of the evening in the Garden of Eden. We were created for fellowship with God! But then sin entered in the world and perverted the whole thing. Later down the line, the Lord made a covenant with Abraham and told him that he would become the father of many nations. Eventually, through the lineage of David, Jesus was born in order to bring the world back to God's original plan of fellowship. Through the power of the Holy Spirit and a dying of the flesh, Jesus rose and took His rightful place as the Savior of the world. (Romans 1:3-5) We, too, must die to the flesh in order to receive our true bloodline and be brought back into fellowship with God! (Matt 16:24-26)
KNOW YOUR FAMILY
I was born into a dysfunctional family, and my guess I am not the only one, right? However, I soon learned after giving my life to Jesus, that I am not defined by my earthly family, and that a new family lineage can begin with me! One of the scriptures that I hold on to constantly is 1Peter 1:23, "for you have been born again not of a seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God." What that means is even though we are born of earthly family lineage, that all changes when we give our lives to the Lord. Jesus confirms who His (our) true family is in Matthew 12:46-50. We are NOT defined by our earthly families, surroundings, social status, addictions, our pasts, and by the world! We ARE defined as children of the living God- heirs to the Kingdom of God!
KNOW YOUR INHERITANCE!
"So that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope in eternal life." -Titus 3:7 (NASB)
Our God is the best Father we could ever pray for, and like every good Dad, he leaves an inheritance to His children. Only this time, the inheritance has eternal blessings. Once we step into the Kingdom of God, our eternal future changes for good. We are given crowns of righteousness (2Tim 4:8) and our validation/protection comes from the Lord Himself (Isaiah 54:17). We are sealed from anything this world can do to harm us, and in so- we can ensure the same for our children. Dad, if you haven't made the decision to follow Christ with all of your heart, today is the day. Thank Him for being the Father that He is; know where your true family lineage lies; accept His grace and forgiveness; and be ready to receive your inheritance! Once you've accepted Jesus fully as your Lord and Savior, understand that our job is to steward our kids in the same way- for God's purposes. Lead them the way they should be led, and show them that not only are you a great daddy, but their Father loves them more than they could ever comprehend!
God bless you all.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
True Rest
“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. For My yoke is easy and my burden is light.” –Matt 11:28-30 (NASB)
I have a close friend that I work with who recently lost his sister, Michelle, at the tender age of 47 after a long battle with diabetes. Now, I did not know Michelle personally, but after a great memorial service, I felt that I had a much better understanding of what a wonderful person she truly was. Michelle was a very upbeat person- the kind of woman that made everyone else around her better when she was near. Although she never had any kids of her own, Michelle also took on a motherly or mentoring personality over several individuals. She was strong in her faith and walked in a matter worthy of a Christ follower.
Eventually Michelle was struck with type 1 diabetes. Her body began to shut down, even to the point that she had to have one of her legs removed. Michelle would not let something like the loss of a leg slow her down, she even made jokes like, “I’m a foot shorter now.” She was a strong woman of faith and courage, and she passed in the winter of 2011.
My friend and I talked about Michelle’s life and passing at work; we prayed and thanked the Lord for the miracle of her life; and even though it is always hard losing a loved one- my buddy told me where he found the greatest peace in all of this. You see, near the end of her time here on earth, Michelle was living at home with her family. She would always fall asleep in the living room chair, but one day when her father went to wake her- she was gone. As he recalled the final day of Michelle’s life, my friend shared with me that Michelle had died with a smile on her face. She knew it was time to leave this world and a dying body. It was a time to rejoice as she was about to enter into the arms of her Savior, to a place where there is no more pain and no more tears, but only a love and comfort that we will all know one day. Michelle died with a smile on her face because she had finally found that eternal rest for her soul.
I have a close friend that I work with who recently lost his sister, Michelle, at the tender age of 47 after a long battle with diabetes. Now, I did not know Michelle personally, but after a great memorial service, I felt that I had a much better understanding of what a wonderful person she truly was. Michelle was a very upbeat person- the kind of woman that made everyone else around her better when she was near. Although she never had any kids of her own, Michelle also took on a motherly or mentoring personality over several individuals. She was strong in her faith and walked in a matter worthy of a Christ follower.
Eventually Michelle was struck with type 1 diabetes. Her body began to shut down, even to the point that she had to have one of her legs removed. Michelle would not let something like the loss of a leg slow her down, she even made jokes like, “I’m a foot shorter now.” She was a strong woman of faith and courage, and she passed in the winter of 2011.
My friend and I talked about Michelle’s life and passing at work; we prayed and thanked the Lord for the miracle of her life; and even though it is always hard losing a loved one- my buddy told me where he found the greatest peace in all of this. You see, near the end of her time here on earth, Michelle was living at home with her family. She would always fall asleep in the living room chair, but one day when her father went to wake her- she was gone. As he recalled the final day of Michelle’s life, my friend shared with me that Michelle had died with a smile on her face. She knew it was time to leave this world and a dying body. It was a time to rejoice as she was about to enter into the arms of her Savior, to a place where there is no more pain and no more tears, but only a love and comfort that we will all know one day. Michelle died with a smile on her face because she had finally found that eternal rest for her soul.
A Father's Love
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
I chose to open with the most well known scripture for one reason in particular: that as fathers, we must know how loved we are so that we can then love our children the same. God our Father loved EVERY SINGLE ONE of us so much, that He sent Christ to die in our place once and for all. Our debt was paid in full on Calvary, now we must accept His love with our hearts wide open. For some of us, that may be hard. Although single dads yourselves, many of you (myself included) came from a home without a father. It's hard to grasp the concept of an “Abba” Father- one who loves us unconditionally, and will never leave or abandon us. (Deut. 31:8; Josh 1:5) Once we've accepted the fact God loves us enough to send Jesus to die in our place, we move onto another level- laying our lives down for our children. “We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” (1John 3:16) As followers of Christ, and as fathers- our children are relying on us nowadays more than ever. Kids are screaming for attention in so many ways, and often the cries go unheard. They are acting out through a variety of disastrous methods, sometimes hurting themselves or others. A loving word, hug, or act from dad will mean more to a child than we could ever know. Even at 34 years old, I would absolutely be floored with emotions to hear the words “I love you” or “I'm proud of you” come from my dad. It's never too late dad- tell your kids what they mean to you. Get involved in their lives. Find out where their interests are and where their dreams can take them. If you do these things and keep Jesus as your ultimate example, love God with everything you got, and listen to what your kids are saying- you will become more of a father than you ever thought you were capable of. I know, because that's what happened to me.
I chose to open with the most well known scripture for one reason in particular: that as fathers, we must know how loved we are so that we can then love our children the same. God our Father loved EVERY SINGLE ONE of us so much, that He sent Christ to die in our place once and for all. Our debt was paid in full on Calvary, now we must accept His love with our hearts wide open. For some of us, that may be hard. Although single dads yourselves, many of you (myself included) came from a home without a father. It's hard to grasp the concept of an “Abba” Father- one who loves us unconditionally, and will never leave or abandon us. (Deut. 31:8; Josh 1:5) Once we've accepted the fact God loves us enough to send Jesus to die in our place, we move onto another level- laying our lives down for our children. “We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” (1John 3:16) As followers of Christ, and as fathers- our children are relying on us nowadays more than ever. Kids are screaming for attention in so many ways, and often the cries go unheard. They are acting out through a variety of disastrous methods, sometimes hurting themselves or others. A loving word, hug, or act from dad will mean more to a child than we could ever know. Even at 34 years old, I would absolutely be floored with emotions to hear the words “I love you” or “I'm proud of you” come from my dad. It's never too late dad- tell your kids what they mean to you. Get involved in their lives. Find out where their interests are and where their dreams can take them. If you do these things and keep Jesus as your ultimate example, love God with everything you got, and listen to what your kids are saying- you will become more of a father than you ever thought you were capable of. I know, because that's what happened to me.
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