What Are You Thankful For?

My mouth is filled with your praise,

declaring your splendor all day long.

Psalms 71:8 NIV

I am thankful for a good day with my son. 

Baby Jesus, the Mighty One!

The Mighty One, God, the Lord,
   speaks and summons the earth 
   from the rising of the sun to where it sets.

From Zion, perfect in beauty, God shines forth.

Our God comes and will not be silent;
   a fire devours before him,
   and around him a tempest rages.

Psalms 50:1-3 NIV

Christmas is coming and I love this time of year. It always amazes me that Jesus came as a baby. He came down to earth and lived as one of us. Except without sin. This Jesus who humbled himself and became obedient to the point of dying on the cross for our sins. He is the Mighty One, God, the LORD of the whole earth. He is who we worship, trust and follow. 

Whatever the chaos, drama, or stress the season may bring, the real point is that we remember, celebrate and worship Jesus, who came in the flesh, lived and died for our sins and now sits at the right hand of the Father interceding on our behalf. 

Praise be to the Mighty One, the Lord Jesus Christ!

Fist Pump for a Good Prayer

The Lord blesses us in different ways. I was really blessed this week end by my sons. I went with my youngest son to a Boy Scout event called The Great Pumpkin Smash, where boys (and adults who wish to participate) get to destroy pumpkins with anything from arrows to shot guns. 

After we got home yesterday we cleaned up, rested a bit and then went out to dinner. My two oldest sons came over and joined us. At the end of the meal they tried to pay. It was very nice. 

Psalm 127:3-5 says:

   Sons are a heritage from the LORD,

      children a reward from him.

   Like arrows in the hands of a warrior

      are sons born in ones youth.

   Blessed is the man

      whose quiver is full of them.

   They will no be put to shame

      when they contend with their enemies at the gate. 

At camp breakfast my youngest volunteered to say grace for the meal. He got a sincere "good job" from the Scout Master. He prayed sincerely and with thanksgiving. It may seem weird to sort of fist pump your son for praying well, but, it seemed like he was praying to the God he knows, not just the one I tell him about. I'm proud of that.

I thank God that I was blessed to sit with my family and eat a meal with genuine love. That's a good day to me.

WHAT ARE YOU THANKFUL FOR?

"Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire. "

Hebrews 12:28-29 (NIV)

I am thankful for many things (my wife and children, friends, my job and co-workers to name a few), but my salvation and relationship with God must come first. God gives meaning to everything else. His love, forgiveness and grace are the cornerstone of the abundant life we are called to live. 

Father, we humbly thank you for all the many blessings you have provided. Thank you for our daily bread and for a place to call home. Praise be to you in us today!

NOT ASHAMED OF YOU

"Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So, Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers." Hebrews 2:11

I kind of felt sorry for my younger brother because he had to enter every class with a teacher who knew he was my brother. He was every teachers dream, while I was every teachers recurring nightmare.  I was not until we were in High School that I got my act together. Then only a few teachers would say, "You're his (spoken with disdain) brother..." By then I had given my life to Christ and was leading Bible studies and then my brother took up guitar and led worship. He would lead the worship and I would teach the Bible study. God redeemed us both and made us holy in his site. 

Jesus, has made us, who were formerly not so holy and possibly the "foolish" (see I Corinthians 1:20-2:5) of this world into the wisdom of God! I think that is amazing! How God has got me as far as he has gotten me is probably more miraculous than I can even imagine. That God is not ashamed of me is...beyond my ability to express!!! 

Think about that for a minute. We all have done things we not only wish we did not do, but, things we probably don't want anyone else to know. Peter, denied Christ three times at the most crucial moment in history! Yet, Jesus was not and is not ashamed to call him his own. 

Jesus is not ashamed to call you his brother! That is why Jesus is supreme! That is why he is the way, the truth, and the  life! 

Jesus is not ashamed to call you his brother...

Thank you, my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for making me holy and making me a part of your family! Thank you for not being ashamed to call me your brother! Praise be to you in us today!

REJECT PASSIVITY: II Timothy 1:7

"For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline." II Timothy 1:7

When I think of the Apostle Paul I never picture a sort of passive, meek, super sweet and gentle guy. If ever there was a type A personality, Paul the Apostle definitely was. 

For Paul, being a Christian and being a leader entails a certain amount of boldness. The rejection of passivity might be another way of putting it. As a man, a husband and a father, I can not afford to just let things influence my family. It does not matter about my level of spirituality, I am called to lead my family. I should be the one that prays with my kids at night. I share a verse with my family at dinner. I make sure we go to church. I am called to love my wife and children and that means I must be self disciplined enough to be make sure those things happen.

I encourage you to lead your family. You don't have to be a great Apostle or a great student of the Bible. You just have to trust God. 

Father, help us to act in faith and to lead our families before you. Praise be to you in us today!

HOW TO TREAT OTHERS: I Timothy 5:1-2

When I first started teaching I was single and my approach and perspective toward my students was sort of as an older brother. After I got married and had children my point of view changed. I began to see them through the eyes of a parent. Now, part of my philosophy as an educator is that I try to treat each student like I would like my children to be treated. As a Christian and a leader Paul gave these words of direction to Timothy and they still hold good for us today.

"Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity."        I Timothy 5:1-2

Paul's basic message is to treat each other like family, like a godly family, because we are the family of God. If something needs to be said, say it, but say it with respect and love. I have been in several situations as an administrator where I needed to "correct" someone. Delivery is everything. Sometimes teachers had much more experience than I did, but, they still needed "guidance". I tried my best to be respectful yet truthful. I even wrote up one of our long time security guards once. I did not do it with anger and gave him opportunities to do what was being asked by the district mandate. Just recently our school got a new principal (I recommend him and think he was a great choice). The security guard came up and said he wished I was the principal. 

So, I encourage you to treat others, no matter who they may be, in a godly manner. God will bless that and use you. 

Father, help us to treat others with love because you first loved us. Praise be to you in us today!

LET TRUTH HOLD YOU: I Timothy 3:9

The writers of the Declaration of Independence wrote, "We hold these truths to be self-evident..." and then they listed the them and led a revolution that changed the course of history. Those core beliefs have guided the United States of America ever since. The Apostle Paul reminded young Timothy that church leaders should be people who hold the truths of the faith. Holding on the the deep truths of the faith, as a husband and a father, is good practice.

"They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience." I Timothy 3:9 

When my oldest son was in middle school he attended a "Christian" school. One of his teachers questioned the validity and authenticity of the Bible in front of the students. I was, to say the least, a bit upset. I wrote him a "note" to the effect that we did not send our son to a Christian school to learn how to doubt God. We  could do that for free by sending him to a public school. Also, I told him that if he had any questions regarding the reliability of the Bible or the existence of God I would be glad to "discuss" them with him and maybe encourage him in his faith.

My youngest son is like a sponge when it comes to information. So, after watching some programs that spoke dogmatically about evolution as if it were unquestionable truth, we had some discussions about the cartoon religion called evolution verses the Creator of all things and the truth of the Bible. It is my responsibility as his father to teach him that God is the Sovereign Lord and Creator of all things and that God has spoken to us through Christ and his Word, the Bible. 

Having a clear conscience does not mean we are perfect. Having a clear conscience means we keep our relationship with God clear. This is why the daily disciplines of prayer and reading the Bible are so important. But, the truth is, they remind us that God loves us and he longs to daily commune with us. That is what we teach our children.

Father, help us to hold fast to the deep truths of the faith and keep our consciences clear. Praise be to you in us today!

RESPECTABILITY: I Timothy 3:8

Respect is often misunderstood in our culture, I think. For some it means fear. For some it means to be blindly given or received. I think respect has many facets. Respect is both given and earned. I respect someone who does what they say and considers the needs of others, not just their own. I think respectability is a trait every Christian should desire.

"Deacons, likewise, are to be men worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain." I Timothy 3:8

In this verse Paul is describing men who act honorably and their character proves them to be respectable. I will show respect to some people because it is the right thing to do even though some do not act in a way that warrants respect. This verse is dealing with men whose actions show them to be worthy of respect. 

As for us the question is do I act honorably? Do people respect me? I know that sounds like a bit of an egocentric question, but, I think it is a good question to ask ourselves. Do my wife and children respect me? Do they respect me or do they simply show me respect? Do I do what I say? Am I a man of action? 

I don't mean to condemn in any way, because all of us fall short of the glory of God, but, I do want us to take an honest look at ourselves. If I am not acting respectably I need to change. 

How can you act today that will be worthy of respect?

Father, by your power and grace, make us people worthy of respect. Praise be to you in us today!

JUST LEAD: I Timothy 3:7

During the last Presidential election Herman Cain was developing a lot of momentum and then a story broke out about some inappropriate dealings with some female employees. His run for the Presidency came to a screeching halt. If a political enemy can find a way to discredit someone, think about our enemy, the accuser of the brethren. What about our reputation within our families?  

"He must have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and the devil's trap.                               I Timothy 3:7

No one knows you like your family. I knew a pastor once who said whenever he would teach about the family his wife would just sit there and shake her head, east and west, because he was not living what he was teaching. So, he stopped teaching about the family until he began putting what the Bible taught into practice in his own life. 

I don't want to condemn anyone. I just want to encourage you to live by faith as a husband and a father. Being Christlike in your marriage and fatherhood is to be  the husband of one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome and not more concerned with money than your family. 

As husband and  father I encourage to pray with your children at night. Share a verse a day. Be the one that says, "Time for church, let's go." Be the one to say, "Let's pray about..." Just seek God with your wife and children. 

Here's the deal. Maybe you have not been the best leader of your family spiritually. Remember God's merciful grace and forgiveness. Just start seeking him. He will turn your family around. You don't have to announce it. Just do it. 

Father, help us to lead our marriages and families as we seek you daily. Praise be to you in us today!

TO LEAD YOU FAMILY, SERVE YOUR FAMILY: I Timothy 3:6

There is a marked difference between how Christ viewed leadership and how the world views leadership. Christ emphasized that if you want to be great you serve (Mark 9:35), while the world emphasizes being served. Humble leadership is what builds a family.

"He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgement as the devil." I Timothy 3:6

The point of family leadership isn't to always get your way. The need isn't to be always right. The goal is that I live as Christlike as I can and seek to allow Christ to reign in my family. 

The danger is when I (either spouse actually) seek to be king  of my castle and impose my will upon my subjects. The problem that Paul recognized with recent converts becoming church leaders was that they were easily tricked into thinking that their worthiness was warranted because of their innate righteousness. They became conceited. Think about Moses when he smote the rock the second time (Numbers 20:9-11). He got into trouble not because he got angry, but because he said, "Must we" as in God and I!  God will not share his glory. 

As a father. I am a sinful human, saved by grace, to live a life of faith by loving my family, which happens to be other sinful humans. I serve. I love. I forgive. I love. I serve. 

Father, help us to serve our families by faith in love. Thank you for you unfailing love and mercy for us! Praise be to you in us today!