Who Do You Have?
By Bishop Donald Hilliard
This week's topic: The Importance Of Family
Who protects you? When the Christians in Jerusalem wanted nothing to do with the newly converted Saul of Tarsus, Barnabas acted as his advocate. You don’t have enough voices. You need others to speak up for you.
Who shares your tears? Mary of Bethany was the only person in the room who understood what Jesus was going through as He came closer to His hour of death. She alone shared His tears.
Who’s close enough to you to pick up on the signals, to sense when fears and tears need to be shared? Yes, there are times when we need a pep talk or a shot in the arm, but there are also times when we need to be encouraged to lie low, to process our emotions. Who does that for you? Who rebukes you?
Even with 20/20 vision, one pair of eyes is not enough. You have blind spots. Satan is always ready to remind you of your good qualities. But a true friend is the one who exposes and challenges your self-seeking, self-pleasing and self-dependence, and helps you to restore to God the authority you’ve robbed Him of.
Who plays with you? Does this sound unimportant, even carnal? No! You must never let the seriousness of life override your need for recreation, a word that’s only understood when it’s hyphenated, re-creation. Who seeks God with you.
Praying together keeps us honest. It also keeps us dependent on God. We’re reluctant to open up, to get real about our areas of struggle. Yet it’s only in the honesty of shared prayer that we draw closer to God – and to one another.
Scripture Of The Day: “Two are better than one.” - Ecclesiastes 4:9 (NIV)
Bishop Donald Hilliard, Jr. is the Pastor of one church in three locations in New Jersey: Cathedral International in Perth Amboy, Cathedral Assembly by the Shore in Asbury Park, and Cathedral Assembly in the Fields in Plainfield. For more on Bishop Hilliard’s ministry, visit http://www.thecathedral.org.…
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Family: Your Greatest Asset!
Family: Your Greatest Asset!
By Dr. Frederick K.C. Price
This week's topic: The Importance Of Family
Unity in the family of God is of utmost importance to our Heavenly Father. His heart’s desire is that we be one; love each other, encourage each other, fellowship and that we come to each other’s aid. By doing these things, we become a stronger, more powerful entity in this earth realm. Only through unity can we really rule, reign, and advance in the will of God.
One thing that is intimately connected to this idea of unity is that, as the minister and his family go, so goes the church. The minister and his family should be a replica of the Body of Christ, with Jesus as the head and all of us as family members in the Body of Christ. Spiritually speaking, if the pastor does not have his life together it is going to show up in his ministry. He cannot suppress it. It is going to leak out and his congregation is going to become a reflection of whatever he really is.
When there is dissension, hard feelings, envy, selfishness, a struggle for power and all other manner of evil within the Christian family, God cannot operate as He would like to in that family – congregation. God cannot manifest His works through a Body that is filled with garbage! The flow of His Word is thwarted, and many lives are lost to sin, sickness, and poverty – lives controlled Satan.
Recently I dealt with ministers, stalwart men in the things of God, who have taken a misstep and faltered in their outward progress. The fact that these ministers faltered has in turn, adversely affected people in their respective churches. Ministers of the Gospel cannot afford to play games, yet I know too many ministers who are doing just that.
Ministers especially have a tremendous responsibility to walk by the Word, not by what the world allows. They represent God and Jesus and have a mandate from God to be what they preach. Christians ought to be so transparent that the world can look right through them! Too many ministers are playing roles much like an actor. These preachers need to realize that they are not performing a movie screen test. They are in the real world!
Part of living in the real world is being cognizant of the fact that all of us – ministers and laypeople alike – are supposed to be examples to the world on how to live. We are supposed to let our light shine before men (Matthew 5:16). The Body of Christ is a model for how our individual families should operate. The Christian family should set the standard for families in general. The lifestyle of our families should not mimic the world, but rather the Family of God.
Likewise, no book other than the Bible can adequately instruct man or woman how to be a good spouse or a good parent. For the most part, people are just jumping into life not knowing if they will sink or swim. Unfortunately, too many people sink! But Christians, you do not have to sink! Christians, you do not have to follow the ways of the world because we have the Word of God!
Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 10:13 that no temptation has overtaken us except such as is common to man. Nearly all of us have lived in families. Chances are that most of us will marry and raise families of our own. And, all of us will certainly be tempted.
I encourage all Christians to take a personal assessment of your own homes and make the necessary changes – now!
Scripture Of The Day: "Children’s children are the crown of old men, And the glory of children is their father." - Proverbs 17:6 (NKJV)
Dr. Frederick K.C. Price is the founder and pastor of Crenshaw Christian Center West in Los Angeles and CCC East in Manhattan. To obtain more information about his ministry, please call (800) 927-3436 or visit http://www.faithdome.org.
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By Dr. Frederick K.C. Price
This week's topic: The Importance Of Family
Unity in the family of God is of utmost importance to our Heavenly Father. His heart’s desire is that we be one; love each other, encourage each other, fellowship and that we come to each other’s aid. By doing these things, we become a stronger, more powerful entity in this earth realm. Only through unity can we really rule, reign, and advance in the will of God.
One thing that is intimately connected to this idea of unity is that, as the minister and his family go, so goes the church. The minister and his family should be a replica of the Body of Christ, with Jesus as the head and all of us as family members in the Body of Christ. Spiritually speaking, if the pastor does not have his life together it is going to show up in his ministry. He cannot suppress it. It is going to leak out and his congregation is going to become a reflection of whatever he really is.
When there is dissension, hard feelings, envy, selfishness, a struggle for power and all other manner of evil within the Christian family, God cannot operate as He would like to in that family – congregation. God cannot manifest His works through a Body that is filled with garbage! The flow of His Word is thwarted, and many lives are lost to sin, sickness, and poverty – lives controlled Satan.
Recently I dealt with ministers, stalwart men in the things of God, who have taken a misstep and faltered in their outward progress. The fact that these ministers faltered has in turn, adversely affected people in their respective churches. Ministers of the Gospel cannot afford to play games, yet I know too many ministers who are doing just that.
Ministers especially have a tremendous responsibility to walk by the Word, not by what the world allows. They represent God and Jesus and have a mandate from God to be what they preach. Christians ought to be so transparent that the world can look right through them! Too many ministers are playing roles much like an actor. These preachers need to realize that they are not performing a movie screen test. They are in the real world!
Part of living in the real world is being cognizant of the fact that all of us – ministers and laypeople alike – are supposed to be examples to the world on how to live. We are supposed to let our light shine before men (Matthew 5:16). The Body of Christ is a model for how our individual families should operate. The Christian family should set the standard for families in general. The lifestyle of our families should not mimic the world, but rather the Family of God.
Likewise, no book other than the Bible can adequately instruct man or woman how to be a good spouse or a good parent. For the most part, people are just jumping into life not knowing if they will sink or swim. Unfortunately, too many people sink! But Christians, you do not have to sink! Christians, you do not have to follow the ways of the world because we have the Word of God!
Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 10:13 that no temptation has overtaken us except such as is common to man. Nearly all of us have lived in families. Chances are that most of us will marry and raise families of our own. And, all of us will certainly be tempted.
I encourage all Christians to take a personal assessment of your own homes and make the necessary changes – now!
Scripture Of The Day: "Children’s children are the crown of old men, And the glory of children is their father." - Proverbs 17:6 (NKJV)
Dr. Frederick K.C. Price is the founder and pastor of Crenshaw Christian Center West in Los Angeles and CCC East in Manhattan. To obtain more information about his ministry, please call (800) 927-3436 or visit http://www.faithdome.org.
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Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Keeping Families Strong
Keeping Families Strong
By Taffi L. Dollar
This week's topic: The Importance Of Family
You don't have to look far these days to notice that the traditional family, as we have known it, is under attack. According to a 2001 Census report, nearly 1 of 5 adults has been divorced at least once. The Barna Group reveals that Christians are as likely as any other group to divorce. This raises serious concern. Satan is attacking our families, and we must fight back!
We do not have to stand by and accept defeat as the norm! The enemy has come only to steal, kill and destroy. This has been his intention from the beginning in the Garden of Eden. But Jesus has come so that we may have life and have it more abundantly. Abundant life is a life of peace, with nothing missing or broken. God wants the best for you and your family.
The enemy uses specific tools disguised, and often innocently packaged, to tear families apart. One of his devices is selfishness. When parents become absorbed in their own activities, not only will children adapt to a selfish lifestyle, but they will also feel neglected and unloved. Often children try to replace that love with other people and activities that may not be good for them. The aftermath of selfishness then becomes a domino effect. This is why the basis for family structure should be anchored in unconditional love.
God is love and love never fails, because God never fails. Love is patient and kind. It is not irritable or prideful and does not insist on its own way. When love is not the foundation, the family structure will crumble. As a family member, whether you are a single parent, married with no children or married with children, you have a responsibility to love everyone in your household unconditionally.
Each person plays a role; children can show their love by obeying their parents and doing their chores and parents can acknowledge their children's feelings, and make them feel valued. Consider each other's concerns, and take them seriously. When family members fail to love, the entire household becomes vulnerable to satanic attack.
Distraction is another blow to families; it is a direct spin-off of selfishness. Sometimes when we become overly involved in other relationships, activities and events, we can easily drift away from God and our families. This is when balance and direction from God is needed.
Miscommunication is yet another tactic Satan uses. Many times we feel we have communicated effectively with members of our households, only to later find out that something we said was misconstrued.
It is important that you communicate effectively with your family. Always consider your motives before expressing your feelings. Also, when you are talking to someone, make sure that person understands what you are saying. Be sure to give your family members your undivided attention when they are speaking to you. Love and understanding are keys to effective communication.
Despite the enemy's attacks, your family can remain strong. Let God's Word be your foundation at all times. When you have a problem, search the Word for your answers. Remember, it is through skillful and godly wisdom a house, life, home and family are built.
Scripture Of The Day: "He decreed statutes for Jacob and established the law in Israel, which he commanded our forefathers to teach their children" - Psalm 78:5 (NKJV)
Taffi L. Dollar is the vice president of World Changers Ministries, president and CEO of Arrow Records, and overseer of the Women’s Fellowship at World Changers Church International. For more information, visit http://www.taffidollar.org.
By Taffi L. Dollar
This week's topic: The Importance Of Family
You don't have to look far these days to notice that the traditional family, as we have known it, is under attack. According to a 2001 Census report, nearly 1 of 5 adults has been divorced at least once. The Barna Group reveals that Christians are as likely as any other group to divorce. This raises serious concern. Satan is attacking our families, and we must fight back!
We do not have to stand by and accept defeat as the norm! The enemy has come only to steal, kill and destroy. This has been his intention from the beginning in the Garden of Eden. But Jesus has come so that we may have life and have it more abundantly. Abundant life is a life of peace, with nothing missing or broken. God wants the best for you and your family.
The enemy uses specific tools disguised, and often innocently packaged, to tear families apart. One of his devices is selfishness. When parents become absorbed in their own activities, not only will children adapt to a selfish lifestyle, but they will also feel neglected and unloved. Often children try to replace that love with other people and activities that may not be good for them. The aftermath of selfishness then becomes a domino effect. This is why the basis for family structure should be anchored in unconditional love.
God is love and love never fails, because God never fails. Love is patient and kind. It is not irritable or prideful and does not insist on its own way. When love is not the foundation, the family structure will crumble. As a family member, whether you are a single parent, married with no children or married with children, you have a responsibility to love everyone in your household unconditionally.
Each person plays a role; children can show their love by obeying their parents and doing their chores and parents can acknowledge their children's feelings, and make them feel valued. Consider each other's concerns, and take them seriously. When family members fail to love, the entire household becomes vulnerable to satanic attack.
Distraction is another blow to families; it is a direct spin-off of selfishness. Sometimes when we become overly involved in other relationships, activities and events, we can easily drift away from God and our families. This is when balance and direction from God is needed.
Miscommunication is yet another tactic Satan uses. Many times we feel we have communicated effectively with members of our households, only to later find out that something we said was misconstrued.
It is important that you communicate effectively with your family. Always consider your motives before expressing your feelings. Also, when you are talking to someone, make sure that person understands what you are saying. Be sure to give your family members your undivided attention when they are speaking to you. Love and understanding are keys to effective communication.
Despite the enemy's attacks, your family can remain strong. Let God's Word be your foundation at all times. When you have a problem, search the Word for your answers. Remember, it is through skillful and godly wisdom a house, life, home and family are built.
Scripture Of The Day: "He decreed statutes for Jacob and established the law in Israel, which he commanded our forefathers to teach their children" - Psalm 78:5 (NKJV)
Taffi L. Dollar is the vice president of World Changers Ministries, president and CEO of Arrow Records, and overseer of the Women’s Fellowship at World Changers Church International. For more information, visit http://www.taffidollar.org.
Monday, June 21, 2010
It's All In The Family
It’s All In The Family
By Bishop Vashti McKenzie
This week's topic: The Importance Of Family
All of us have relatives, whether we like it or not and whether we know some of them or none at all. There are the relatives we point to with pride, and the ones we’d rather not acknowledge at all. There are the ones who are a Godsend, and those who come from …well think of a place you don’t want to spend eternity.
It seems that all families have some of these. There’s the historian who knows all the family secrets, and the communicator who tells it all. There’s the talker who doesn’t know when to keep quiet, and the joker who laughs too loud at his own jokes. There is the one who makes sense most of the time, and one who has no sense at all. There is the family member who tries too hard, thinks too much, says the right things, makes the right moves, the nurturer, the lover, the risk taker, the detail tender, the cold fish, the late bloomer and the user.
Rick Brinkman writes that behavior in a family can be varied and diverse. Some of our relatives may be cautious, while others are carefree. He concludes that some are only there when you want them, while others are never there when you need them. Some, he notes are easily offended, while others are offensive. Some family members make sure you know how they are suffering because of you, and there are the ones who come and go like the wind without realizing the mess they leave behind. In any case, it’s all in the family.
The Bible is filled with relatives and their actions. Cain killed Able; Jacob tricked Esau; Laban switched brides on Jacob; Abraham took his son up a mountain to be sacrificed; Isaac pretended that Sarah, his wife, was his sister to stay alive in the land of the Philistines; and Joseph’s brothers plotted to kill him and ended up selling him into slavery to a passing caravan. Ruth refuses to leave Naomi; sons are a heritage and children are a reward from God. Men must leave their parents to cleave to their wives. Fathers and mothers are to be honored. The Bible is filled with relatives. Just spend some time among the begats!
All of us have relatives, even Jesus. There was Mary, a young girl betroved with no outstanding achievements on her resume who submits to the favor of God and becomes the earthly mother of Jesus. Jesus’ earthly father could have embarrassed his mother but didn’t, and went on to raise another man’s child. There is his Aunt Elizabeth who gives birth in her old age. There is good ole Uncle Zechariah who initially has a problem naming the late-in-life child, John.
The gospel of Mark records that one day Jesus was conducting a revival. The family of Jesus concludes that enough was enough of this preaching and teaching. They go to the house where he was and demands that Jesus stop all this foolishness and come home with them. They acted like the relatives Brinkman calls meddlers – in everybody’s business but their own.
Jesus settles the issue by redefining the meaning of relatives. He widens the family circle by declaring that anyone who hears and does the word of God is His relative. Inclusion is not based on blood or adoptive relationship. Connectedness has nothing to do with rights or privileges granted by the laws of the land. Belonging is predicated upon obeying the word of God. This is the invitation to the family reunion.
Whether we are the family member folk love to see come or love to see go; the one who comes to the rescue of other members of the family of God or the family member constantly needing a bailout plan; we’re in, as long as we hear and obey the word of God.
Scripture Of The Day: “Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.” - Mark 3:35
Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie is the presiding bishop of the 13th Episcopal District of the AME, and serves as a guiding example for women and church leaders throughout the country. For more on Bishop McKenzie, visit http://www.13thame.com or hear her messages daily at http://www.thisisyourwakeupcallonline.com.…
By Bishop Vashti McKenzie
This week's topic: The Importance Of Family
All of us have relatives, whether we like it or not and whether we know some of them or none at all. There are the relatives we point to with pride, and the ones we’d rather not acknowledge at all. There are the ones who are a Godsend, and those who come from …well think of a place you don’t want to spend eternity.
It seems that all families have some of these. There’s the historian who knows all the family secrets, and the communicator who tells it all. There’s the talker who doesn’t know when to keep quiet, and the joker who laughs too loud at his own jokes. There is the one who makes sense most of the time, and one who has no sense at all. There is the family member who tries too hard, thinks too much, says the right things, makes the right moves, the nurturer, the lover, the risk taker, the detail tender, the cold fish, the late bloomer and the user.
Rick Brinkman writes that behavior in a family can be varied and diverse. Some of our relatives may be cautious, while others are carefree. He concludes that some are only there when you want them, while others are never there when you need them. Some, he notes are easily offended, while others are offensive. Some family members make sure you know how they are suffering because of you, and there are the ones who come and go like the wind without realizing the mess they leave behind. In any case, it’s all in the family.
The Bible is filled with relatives and their actions. Cain killed Able; Jacob tricked Esau; Laban switched brides on Jacob; Abraham took his son up a mountain to be sacrificed; Isaac pretended that Sarah, his wife, was his sister to stay alive in the land of the Philistines; and Joseph’s brothers plotted to kill him and ended up selling him into slavery to a passing caravan. Ruth refuses to leave Naomi; sons are a heritage and children are a reward from God. Men must leave their parents to cleave to their wives. Fathers and mothers are to be honored. The Bible is filled with relatives. Just spend some time among the begats!
All of us have relatives, even Jesus. There was Mary, a young girl betroved with no outstanding achievements on her resume who submits to the favor of God and becomes the earthly mother of Jesus. Jesus’ earthly father could have embarrassed his mother but didn’t, and went on to raise another man’s child. There is his Aunt Elizabeth who gives birth in her old age. There is good ole Uncle Zechariah who initially has a problem naming the late-in-life child, John.
The gospel of Mark records that one day Jesus was conducting a revival. The family of Jesus concludes that enough was enough of this preaching and teaching. They go to the house where he was and demands that Jesus stop all this foolishness and come home with them. They acted like the relatives Brinkman calls meddlers – in everybody’s business but their own.
Jesus settles the issue by redefining the meaning of relatives. He widens the family circle by declaring that anyone who hears and does the word of God is His relative. Inclusion is not based on blood or adoptive relationship. Connectedness has nothing to do with rights or privileges granted by the laws of the land. Belonging is predicated upon obeying the word of God. This is the invitation to the family reunion.
Whether we are the family member folk love to see come or love to see go; the one who comes to the rescue of other members of the family of God or the family member constantly needing a bailout plan; we’re in, as long as we hear and obey the word of God.
Scripture Of The Day: “Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.” - Mark 3:35
Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie is the presiding bishop of the 13th Episcopal District of the AME, and serves as a guiding example for women and church leaders throughout the country. For more on Bishop McKenzie, visit http://www.13thame.com or hear her messages daily at http://www.thisisyourwakeupcallonline.com.…
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Family: GOD"S Divine Institution
Family: God’s Divine Institution
By Pastor Paula White
This week's topic: The Importance Of Family
God designed the family as the divine institution that – ideally -- provides a safe, nurturing, transformative environment for each of us. In God’s plan, within the circle of family we are cared for, loved and protected. It is a group of connected people growing, loving, and building together, encouraging each other’s highest potential.
The family design emerged in the very beginning of the Bible, in Genesis 2:18 -- when God created man and said, “And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.” After creating Adam and his partner, Eve, God instructed them to “be fruitful and multiply” (see Genesis 1:28). It was always God’s intention to ‘grow’ human families; His actions and commands in Genesis illustrate His original intention – for the fullness and perfection of humanity to be found and expressed within loving relationships with others in a safe place – a ‘home’ (initially the Garden of Eden!) -- full of abundance, wholeness, and God’s blessing.
Today, research shows that God’s original intention for the family is still the perfect model for humans. Recent studies show that increased time spent enjoying family can add years to our lives. Other research has indicated that quality family relationships, rather than money, contributes to our overall, life-long happiness.
It is within our earliest relations with family members and caretakers that we experience the initial social interchanges that influence healthy self-perception and healthy relationships. Our family -- parents, older siblings, grandparents -- and caretakers nurture us during infancy and childhood while we are totally dependent. During adolescence those same parents and care-takers must learn to manage the challenges of their adolescents’ new desire for independence. Later, as teenagers and young adults, we rely on our family for guidance, advice, and comfort as we move out into the ‘real world.’ Much of how we will relate to the world during adulthood will depend on how we are impacted and molded by these foundational years in our families.
It is also within the family that we are taught to establish healthy emotional boundaries – the ability to determine and assert what our personal responsibilities are -- and aren’t…in our relationships with others. If we don’t learn healthy boundary setting in our families, we will lack the proper relational and self-care skills needed for life-success later on…in our careers, in our relationships, and in the work God has for us to do here on earth.
In Ephesians 6:14, God makes it clear that both parents and children must respect certain boundaries if the family relationships are to be kept healthy and nurturing. Children must learn to respect and listen to their parents. Parents must avoid emotionally crippling their children, and rather, always being led by God’s Word, set them on the straight path -- by loving them, nurturing them, and when necessary, responsibly disciplining them.
It is in our families that we also learn to develop our core values. Parents must instill in their children that what is important to God, must be important to them! As parents develop and mature in their own “fruit of the Spirit” -- love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness faith, meekness, and temperance – they model those attributes to their children. Encouraging gratefulness to God through shared worship and prayer time within the home are also vital keys for nurturing our families’ greatest blessing.
So take time out today to give thanks to God for His divine institution of family… His design for the perfect incubator of greatness, wholeness, and abundance!
Scripture Of The Day: "Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord." - Ephesians 6:1-4
A life coach, author, and highly sought after motivational speaker, Pastor Paula White is the host of her own television program—Paula Today, which reaches an audience of 2.3 billion people worldwide, spearheading a number of global humanitarian efforts. Her mission in life is to Transform Lives, Heal Hearts and Win Souls. Visit http://www.paulawhite.
By Pastor Paula White
This week's topic: The Importance Of Family
God designed the family as the divine institution that – ideally -- provides a safe, nurturing, transformative environment for each of us. In God’s plan, within the circle of family we are cared for, loved and protected. It is a group of connected people growing, loving, and building together, encouraging each other’s highest potential.
The family design emerged in the very beginning of the Bible, in Genesis 2:18 -- when God created man and said, “And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.” After creating Adam and his partner, Eve, God instructed them to “be fruitful and multiply” (see Genesis 1:28). It was always God’s intention to ‘grow’ human families; His actions and commands in Genesis illustrate His original intention – for the fullness and perfection of humanity to be found and expressed within loving relationships with others in a safe place – a ‘home’ (initially the Garden of Eden!) -- full of abundance, wholeness, and God’s blessing.
Today, research shows that God’s original intention for the family is still the perfect model for humans. Recent studies show that increased time spent enjoying family can add years to our lives. Other research has indicated that quality family relationships, rather than money, contributes to our overall, life-long happiness.
It is within our earliest relations with family members and caretakers that we experience the initial social interchanges that influence healthy self-perception and healthy relationships. Our family -- parents, older siblings, grandparents -- and caretakers nurture us during infancy and childhood while we are totally dependent. During adolescence those same parents and care-takers must learn to manage the challenges of their adolescents’ new desire for independence. Later, as teenagers and young adults, we rely on our family for guidance, advice, and comfort as we move out into the ‘real world.’ Much of how we will relate to the world during adulthood will depend on how we are impacted and molded by these foundational years in our families.
It is also within the family that we are taught to establish healthy emotional boundaries – the ability to determine and assert what our personal responsibilities are -- and aren’t…in our relationships with others. If we don’t learn healthy boundary setting in our families, we will lack the proper relational and self-care skills needed for life-success later on…in our careers, in our relationships, and in the work God has for us to do here on earth.
In Ephesians 6:14, God makes it clear that both parents and children must respect certain boundaries if the family relationships are to be kept healthy and nurturing. Children must learn to respect and listen to their parents. Parents must avoid emotionally crippling their children, and rather, always being led by God’s Word, set them on the straight path -- by loving them, nurturing them, and when necessary, responsibly disciplining them.
It is in our families that we also learn to develop our core values. Parents must instill in their children that what is important to God, must be important to them! As parents develop and mature in their own “fruit of the Spirit” -- love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness faith, meekness, and temperance – they model those attributes to their children. Encouraging gratefulness to God through shared worship and prayer time within the home are also vital keys for nurturing our families’ greatest blessing.
So take time out today to give thanks to God for His divine institution of family… His design for the perfect incubator of greatness, wholeness, and abundance!
Scripture Of The Day: "Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord." - Ephesians 6:1-4
A life coach, author, and highly sought after motivational speaker, Pastor Paula White is the host of her own television program—Paula Today, which reaches an audience of 2.3 billion people worldwide, spearheading a number of global humanitarian efforts. Her mission in life is to Transform Lives, Heal Hearts and Win Souls. Visit http://www.paulawhite.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Father Figure
Father Figure
By Pastor Marvin Moss
This week's topic: Fathers
Throughout the New Testament, Jesus continuously reminds us that He is not functioning in or under His will, but He is doing the will of His father who is in heaven. Even in His most agonizing moment in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus keeps us focused on the connection that has been established and maintained between Him and His father, God. We do not read where Jesus disobeyed His father. We do not read where Jesus disrespected His father. We do not read where Jesus denied knowing His father. This was indeed the perfect relationship--this was the perfect connection.
As men, we find ourselves caught in the trap of trying to meet the daily demands of life on our own. In the dark and difficult times, we lose focus. We lose the connection, and sometimes we lose our very purpose for being. We are then faced with the challenge of refocusing, reconnecting, and returning to our purpose and call to be kings and priests, leaders in our homes, communities and churches. The good news is that through prayer and fasting, study and meditation, worship and fellowship, the temple is rebuilt; the spirit is renewed; and the fellowship is restored. Fundamentally, through our faith and obedience, men and women can experience the same relationship that Jesus had with God, our Father.
As earthly fathers, we strive for a perfect relationship and a perfect connection with our children. Despite our best efforts, sometimes we miss the mark. Many of us grew up with fathers who were absent from the home, in many cases because they were working multiple jobs to sustain the family. Our fathers may not have been there physically, but we had “clothes on our backs” and “houses over our heads.” Then there are fathers who were such disciplinarians that we may have respected (and in some cases feared) them more than having a loving relationship. For those of you who’ve had those experiences- just be thankful that your Father made sure you were out of trouble and safe.
If you now find yourself in a position as a father, uncle, guardian or mentor, take the time to take time for your child. If your dad wasn’t always around for whatever reason-- so be it. Now you can make the difference. Be the father figure God has called you to be.
Circumstances and trials arise that we cannot ignore. Through it all, we must exhibit much patience, love, understanding, and a solid spiritual foundation. It is the solid spiritual foundation that fathers have with God that will enable us to be in relationship with our children and other children. Each year in June, we celebrate fathers and let them know how special they are. Father’s Day is also a time of reflection and recommitment for those of us who are fathers to our own children and to children whose father is not present.
Fathers, as we celebrate, reflect and reconnect, we must remember that our homes, our communities, our churches are dependent upon us to continue to do the will of our Father in heaven who has sent us. Let this be your year to rebuild, renew, and be restored. Go a little farther this year. Testify and encourage another brother! Happy Father’s Day!
Scripture Of The Day: "Going a little farther, He fell with His face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” - Matt. 26:39 (NIV)
Pastor Marvin Moss is senior pastor of Cascade United Methodist Church, located in Atlanta, Georgia. Pastor Moss is extremely active within the Atlanta community, and serves on the Board of Trustees at Gammon Theological Seminary. For more information about Pastor Moss, log onto http://www.cascadeumc.org.
By Pastor Marvin Moss
This week's topic: Fathers
Throughout the New Testament, Jesus continuously reminds us that He is not functioning in or under His will, but He is doing the will of His father who is in heaven. Even in His most agonizing moment in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus keeps us focused on the connection that has been established and maintained between Him and His father, God. We do not read where Jesus disobeyed His father. We do not read where Jesus disrespected His father. We do not read where Jesus denied knowing His father. This was indeed the perfect relationship--this was the perfect connection.
As men, we find ourselves caught in the trap of trying to meet the daily demands of life on our own. In the dark and difficult times, we lose focus. We lose the connection, and sometimes we lose our very purpose for being. We are then faced with the challenge of refocusing, reconnecting, and returning to our purpose and call to be kings and priests, leaders in our homes, communities and churches. The good news is that through prayer and fasting, study and meditation, worship and fellowship, the temple is rebuilt; the spirit is renewed; and the fellowship is restored. Fundamentally, through our faith and obedience, men and women can experience the same relationship that Jesus had with God, our Father.
As earthly fathers, we strive for a perfect relationship and a perfect connection with our children. Despite our best efforts, sometimes we miss the mark. Many of us grew up with fathers who were absent from the home, in many cases because they were working multiple jobs to sustain the family. Our fathers may not have been there physically, but we had “clothes on our backs” and “houses over our heads.” Then there are fathers who were such disciplinarians that we may have respected (and in some cases feared) them more than having a loving relationship. For those of you who’ve had those experiences- just be thankful that your Father made sure you were out of trouble and safe.
If you now find yourself in a position as a father, uncle, guardian or mentor, take the time to take time for your child. If your dad wasn’t always around for whatever reason-- so be it. Now you can make the difference. Be the father figure God has called you to be.
Circumstances and trials arise that we cannot ignore. Through it all, we must exhibit much patience, love, understanding, and a solid spiritual foundation. It is the solid spiritual foundation that fathers have with God that will enable us to be in relationship with our children and other children. Each year in June, we celebrate fathers and let them know how special they are. Father’s Day is also a time of reflection and recommitment for those of us who are fathers to our own children and to children whose father is not present.
Fathers, as we celebrate, reflect and reconnect, we must remember that our homes, our communities, our churches are dependent upon us to continue to do the will of our Father in heaven who has sent us. Let this be your year to rebuild, renew, and be restored. Go a little farther this year. Testify and encourage another brother! Happy Father’s Day!
Scripture Of The Day: "Going a little farther, He fell with His face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” - Matt. 26:39 (NIV)
Pastor Marvin Moss is senior pastor of Cascade United Methodist Church, located in Atlanta, Georgia. Pastor Moss is extremely active within the Atlanta community, and serves on the Board of Trustees at Gammon Theological Seminary. For more information about Pastor Moss, log onto http://www.cascadeumc.org.
Friday, June 18, 2010
When Fathers Run
When Fathers Run
By Milan Ford
This week's topic: Fathers
Not long ago, my wife and I stayed up late to watch a program that aired on a particular Christian network that was featuring several dynamic leaders. The primary focus of the program was to discuss the importance of re-establishing a connection between fathers and sons; not simply in the arena of family, but specifically in the arena of ministry.
For approximately 90 minutes, we watched as these leaders shared their passion to see believers awaken to the importance of seeking out a spiritual covering to operate and grow under. They concluded that in the hearts of many within today's generation, there is a seed of rebellion rooted within a desire to succeed and conquer in life as individuals.
Over the past few years, I have had the opportunity to mix and mingle with many leaders my age and younger who have become dissatisfied with where they are in life, and have begun to lean hard into the unknown. While some believe wholeheartedly that their decisions to launch out are God-inspired, there are also some who are honest enough to admit that their decisions to launch out are deeply rooted in what they perceived to be a father’s failure to launch.
Every year, new ministries and churches are being forming out of the pain of unfulfilled sons, rather than out of the joy of fulfilled fathers, who have come to the conclusion that the sons and daughters they have raised are ready to receive an inheritance, and be planted elsewhere. This growing trend has in many ways delayed the blessings that are in store for sons when they refuse to ‘turn their hearts back to their fathers’ (see Malachi 4:5v).
However, as a son, and now a father of three, there was only one thing that troubled me after watching the program. In fact, it troubled me so much that I stayed up through the night reading over a familiar passage of scripture to us all, which is found in Luke 15:
Then He said: “A certain man had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood. And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living.
But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.
“But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”’
Any of this sound familiar? Yep, it is from the parable of the lost son. The prodigal son.
Arguably one of my favorite stories in the entire Bible. So why did I seek this passage out?
What is it about this passage (and the program I had watched that night) that kept me up reading?
The answer is below:
And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
“But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.'
I’ve always marveled at how Jesus chose to unwrap this story. Here we find a son, who because of his desire for what was ahead of him, made a decision to disconnect with what was behind him. A decision that cost him everything.
However, when the son discovers that his decision to leave was incorrect, he ‘came to himself’ and arose to come back home to his father. But what is interesting about this story is what happens next. When the father saw that his son was still ‘a great way off’ – he RAN to meet his son.
He ran.
He did not wait for his son to fully return.
He did not wait for His son to issue an apology.
He ran.
While I wholeheartedly believe that more sons need to arise and return back to reconnect to the hearts of fathers, I also believe that there is a responsibility for fathers to RUN. What many fathers fail to realize is that many of their sons have been walking back home for quite some time. However, the length of the road that separates where they are and where their fathers STAND may often give the impression that the process of reconciliation has not begun.
And since many sons have yet to see their fathers RUNNING…
…many have turned away and decided to walk down a different path.
As we pause this upcoming weekend to celebrate the importance of fathers, I want to encourage and strongly admonish every father (both in the natural and the spiritual) to begin to RUN after your sons and daughters as fast as you can. There may be perhaps no greater demonstration of God's love.
Scripture Of The Day: "But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him." - Luke 15:20b (NKJV)
Milan Ford has been a leader (and survivor) of ministry within the local church for most of his life. The author of the brand new book, 83 Things I Wish The Black Church Would Stop Doing, you can find Milan rambling and writing at http://www.thepewview.com.…
By Milan Ford
This week's topic: Fathers
Not long ago, my wife and I stayed up late to watch a program that aired on a particular Christian network that was featuring several dynamic leaders. The primary focus of the program was to discuss the importance of re-establishing a connection between fathers and sons; not simply in the arena of family, but specifically in the arena of ministry.
For approximately 90 minutes, we watched as these leaders shared their passion to see believers awaken to the importance of seeking out a spiritual covering to operate and grow under. They concluded that in the hearts of many within today's generation, there is a seed of rebellion rooted within a desire to succeed and conquer in life as individuals.
Over the past few years, I have had the opportunity to mix and mingle with many leaders my age and younger who have become dissatisfied with where they are in life, and have begun to lean hard into the unknown. While some believe wholeheartedly that their decisions to launch out are God-inspired, there are also some who are honest enough to admit that their decisions to launch out are deeply rooted in what they perceived to be a father’s failure to launch.
Every year, new ministries and churches are being forming out of the pain of unfulfilled sons, rather than out of the joy of fulfilled fathers, who have come to the conclusion that the sons and daughters they have raised are ready to receive an inheritance, and be planted elsewhere. This growing trend has in many ways delayed the blessings that are in store for sons when they refuse to ‘turn their hearts back to their fathers’ (see Malachi 4:5v).
However, as a son, and now a father of three, there was only one thing that troubled me after watching the program. In fact, it troubled me so much that I stayed up through the night reading over a familiar passage of scripture to us all, which is found in Luke 15:
Then He said: “A certain man had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood. And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living.
But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.
“But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”’
Any of this sound familiar? Yep, it is from the parable of the lost son. The prodigal son.
Arguably one of my favorite stories in the entire Bible. So why did I seek this passage out?
What is it about this passage (and the program I had watched that night) that kept me up reading?
The answer is below:
And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
“But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.'
I’ve always marveled at how Jesus chose to unwrap this story. Here we find a son, who because of his desire for what was ahead of him, made a decision to disconnect with what was behind him. A decision that cost him everything.
However, when the son discovers that his decision to leave was incorrect, he ‘came to himself’ and arose to come back home to his father. But what is interesting about this story is what happens next. When the father saw that his son was still ‘a great way off’ – he RAN to meet his son.
He ran.
He did not wait for his son to fully return.
He did not wait for His son to issue an apology.
He ran.
While I wholeheartedly believe that more sons need to arise and return back to reconnect to the hearts of fathers, I also believe that there is a responsibility for fathers to RUN. What many fathers fail to realize is that many of their sons have been walking back home for quite some time. However, the length of the road that separates where they are and where their fathers STAND may often give the impression that the process of reconciliation has not begun.
And since many sons have yet to see their fathers RUNNING…
…many have turned away and decided to walk down a different path.
As we pause this upcoming weekend to celebrate the importance of fathers, I want to encourage and strongly admonish every father (both in the natural and the spiritual) to begin to RUN after your sons and daughters as fast as you can. There may be perhaps no greater demonstration of God's love.
Scripture Of The Day: "But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him." - Luke 15:20b (NKJV)
Milan Ford has been a leader (and survivor) of ministry within the local church for most of his life. The author of the brand new book, 83 Things I Wish The Black Church Would Stop Doing, you can find Milan rambling and writing at http://www.thepewview.com.…
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