Saturday, July 28, 2012

Prayerlessness

 By Tim Challies at Challies.com

In her book A Place of Quiet Rest, Nancy Leigh DeMoss includes several chapters on prayer. In a chapter titled “The Privilege of Prayer” she discusses a period of prayerlessness in her life and her growing conviction that she had to get to the root of it. “As God opened my eyes to this matter of prayerlessness, I asked Him to let me see it from His point of view. Here is what I wrote in my journal one day when God first began to deal with my heart.” She does not attempt to provide a doctrine of prayer or prayerlessness as much as a reflection on what prayerlessness means in her own life. I found it very helpful.

Here is what she says:

 I am convicted that prayerlessness …

- is a sin against God (1 Samuel 12:23).
- is direct disobedience to the command of Christ (“watch and pray,” Matthew 26:41).
- is direct disobedience to the Word of God (“pray without ceasing,” 1 Thessalonians 5:17).
- makes me vulnerable to temptation (“watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation,” Matthew 26:41).
- expresses independence—no need for God. gives place to the Enemy and makes me vulnerable to his schemes (Ephesians 6:10-20; Daniel 10).
- results in powerlessness.
- limits (and defines)
- my relationship with God. hinders me from knowing His will, His priorities, His direction.
- forces me to operate in the realm of the natural (what I can do) versus the supernatural (what He can do).
- leaves me weak, harried, and hassled.
- is rooted in pride, self-sufficiency, laziness, and lack of discipline.
- reveals a lack of real burden and compassion for others.

 

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Why Are Evangelical Young Adults Engaging in Premarital Sex?

 Here is an article from The Christian Pundit.  How do we raise our children?  Do we indulge their every whim and wish?  What kind of examples are we, do we indulge ourselves or do we ever deny ourselves?  Read this wonderful, thought provoking article by RVD.

On the weekend I was talking with a mother of teenaged girls about the statistic that 80% of evangelical, college age kids have premarital sex. Obviously, there’s a problem, and this mother was concerned for the future of the church.

People have pointed out the theological and ecclesiastical reasons for this stat: evangelical kids often come from churches that do not clearly teach biblical patterns of marriage and sexuality, and many teens leave church when they move out of their parents’ home for university or work. Those are problems, certainly. But there may be an even more fundamental issue here: a lack of self denial for Christ’s sake. Many sons and daughters have been indulged for a long time, by family and church. They’re entertained in worship, coached and aided into academic success, sent on fully funded “mission trips” sweetened by theme parks or resorts, allowed to wear what they want, watch what they want, eat what they want, and do what they want, hovered over by helicopter moms who are waiting to come to their aid, day or night. Should we wonder why they can’t deny themselves the strong urge to sleep with a boyfriend or girlfriend when the opportunity arises?

 While every child is certainly responsible for their own sins of impurity, at times parents may bear a share of guilt as well. Are we practiced in denying ourselves, taking up our crosses (i.e., crucifying the old man), and following Christ (Luke 9:23)? We may truly love Jesus and we don’t want our neighbors to go to hell, but are we hungering and thirsting after righteousness? We go out for dinner when we don’t feel like cooking; we love posh vacations; we have more clothing than we can regularly wear; we go golfing instead of serving at home; we expect help with normal child care; we skip evening worship because we want family time. While there is nothing wrong with restaurants, holidays, clothing, golf, etc., are we living routine patterns of self-indulgence to which evangelical Americans have become accustomed?

Not every child who sleeps around has a self-indulgent parent. Some of the most godly parents I know who have been exemplary in living and teaching the gospel to their children still have a son or daughter who end up in the sin and guilt of fornication. Some children heartbreakingly pursue sexual sin without repentance, turning their back on their faith. It is not what we do that saves our children; it is God. But Scripture also tells us that God often uses a pattern of holy living in parents to produce holy offspring. And unbiblical patterns of parenting always throw up obstacles for our children’s obedience.

Why would our kids listen to us telling them to pursue purity and godly restraint when we are giving in to shopping addictions, gluttony, love of money, love of pleasure, and other self-indulgent behaviors? We live with an entitlement attitude, bending Scripture’s commands to holiness when they are too uncomfortable or costly. Why are we surprised when our kids sleep around?

 In a sermon on Luke 9:23, John Wesley wrote that “if the will of God be our one rule of action in every thing, great and small, it follows, by undeniable consequence, that we are not to do our own will in anything. Here, therefore, we see at once the nature, with the ground and reason, of self-denial. We see the nature of self-denial: It is the denying or refusing to follow our own will, from a conviction that the will of God is the only rule of action to us. And we see the reason thereof, because we are creatures; because ‘it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves’.”

Jeremiah Burroughs wrote in The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment that we “must learn the lesson of self-denial or you can never become a scholar in Christ’s school, and be learned in this mystery of contentment. That is the first lesson that Christ teaches any soul, self-denial, which brings contentment, which brings down and softens a man’s heart.”

The mother I was speaking to on the weekend is doing a good job of living this. But a generation of her daughters’ peers has been left open to great temptation and sin by their own hearts and by parents who refuse to teach their children self denial by precept and example. Have we learned “the first lesson that Christ teaches any soul”? Are we helping our children to learn it so they can be holy even as God is holy (Lev. 20:26, I Peter 1:16)? Perhaps a generation of parents who are disciplined in prayer and Scripture reading, in fasting and tithing, in putting the old man to death and walking in newness of life (Rom. 6:4) will by grace be able to raise a generation of children who exceed their parents in holiness and living in the world, but not of it (Rom. 12:2).

 

Saturday, July 21, 2012

"What Do You Do When You Just Keep Failing?"

 Here is a beautiful article written by Mrs. Joseph Wood at a moment with mom.

This was the question one of my children presented as we drove into town. I asked them to explain and the conversation went on like this…

“What do you mean?” I asked. “Well, I just keep messing up. I keep trying, keep praying and yet, I keep doing what I don’t want to do!” the child replied. I asked my next question, “Well define failure for me?” The child went on to explain that it when you keep messing up and doing what you don’t want to do no matter how hard you try. I understood now and answered, “I see. We have different ideas of what failure is. See, I believe failure is when you stop trying. It’s when you mess up and stop trying to ever do different. That’s what failure is to me. The Scriptures tell us that while we will fall we will also arise. Failure is not messing up… even if you’ve messed up 1001 times. Failure is falling and never getting up. Failure is giving up. Failure is NOT the act of messing up no matter how many times you’ve messed up. As far, as I can tell you’ve not failed yet.” The child pondered for a moment and earnestly replied, “Hmm… I see now. I think I am looking at this all wrong.” with a smile I said,”I think you might be dear child.”

 How many times as wives and mothers we’ve felt the feelings of failure as well? Our homes aren’t as clean as we like, we’re not as sweet and dream, our tongues aren’t nearly as bridled as we know they should be, and the list could go on and on. We too need these reminders that messing up, getting it wrong… even if it’s the 100th time we’ve got it wrong, is not failure if we try again. Rather, let us place all our hope in His grace to help us overcome our weaknesses!

A few days later, we read Romans chapter 7 as a family. God opened each of our eyes. There before us, we read as Paul struggled with the same feelings of “failure”. Several times he said that he does that which he does not want to do concluding with, “O wretched man that I am!” Many of us giggled, understanding how torn you feel when you are trying to do that which you know is right and somehow find your flesh still overcoming and doing that which you do not wish to do! Would any of us call Paul a failure? Of course not! So why then, do we listen to the voices in our head, the lies that say we are failing, failed or failures? Let us put away such thinking! Let us cling to Truth and press forward in this race! If we do not grow weary in well doing we will reap a great reward!

Here are some passages you may enjoy posting throughout your home so you can ponder on them the next time feeling like you’re failing.

To God be the Glory,
Mrs. Joseph Wood

Romans Chapter 7

Micah 7:8 Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy; when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me.

Proverbs 24:16 For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.

Galatians 6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

 

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Love Thy Neighbor?

"My neighbor seems like a nice guy but suffers from muddled thinking. The other day he came over to see me and said he was overextended financially, had maxed out all his credit cards, and wanted to know if I could lend him some money. I told him that I usually didn't lend money to non-family members but asked how much he needed. When he said a "few thousand" I immediately told him no."

Read more at American Thinker.

(Thank you to Patrice Lewis for sharing this article on her blog Rural Revolution.)

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Homemakers Creed

This is Great!! I think I will copy this and put it on my wall. Thank you to Darlene at Time-Warp Wife for sharing this on face book. My family DOES deserve my best!!  And with God's help and their patience I will strive to do just that.

Do We See God's True Handiwork?

 by RVD at the Christian Pundit

"We love going through these houses and marveling at how men have taken raw materials from creation, used their gifts to cut, carve, shape and paint, and make something that brings delight: a porch with intricate stone work framing a lovely view; a Durer etching in exactly the right alcove; cut glass that takes sunlight and turns it into thousands of rainbows on a tile floor.

But how often do I take the time to delight in the Lord’s work in the souls of His people? When do I see the Creator’s handiwork in the life of a saint and wonder? Does evidence of sanctification in another believer cause me to marvel as much as Chippendale furniture does?"

Go to the Christian Pundit and read the entire article.
 

Sunday, July 15, 2012

Pensive, Doubting, Fearful Heart

 by John Newton

Pensive, doubting, fearful heart, Hear what Christ the Savior says;
Every word should joy impart, Change thy mourning into praise:
Yes, he speaks, and speaks to thee, May he help thee to believe!
Then thou presently wilt see, Thou hast little cause to grieve.

“Fear thou not, nor be ashamed, All thy sorrows soon shall end
 I who heav’n and earth have framed, Am thy husband and thy friend
 I the High and Holy One, Israel’s GOD by all adored;
As thy Savior will be known, Thy Redeemer and thy Lord.

For a moment I withdrew, And thy heart was filled with pain;
But my mercies I’ll renew, Thou shalt soon rejoice again:
Though I scorn to hide my face, Very soon my wrath shall cease;
‘Tis but for a moment’s space, Ending in eternal peace.

When my peaceful bow appears Painted on the wat’ry cloud;
‘Tis to dissipate thy fears, Lest the earth should be o’erflowed:
‘Tis an emblem too of grace, Of my cov’nant love a sign;
Though the mountains leave their place, Thou shalt be for ever mine.

Though afflicted, tempest tossed, Comfortless awhile thou art,
Do not think thou canst be lost, Thou art graven on my heart
All thy walls I will repair, Thou shalt be rebuilt anew;
And in thee it shall appear, What a God of love can do.

 

Saturday, July 7, 2012

How the American Church Paved the Way for ObamaCare

 Posted by Scott T. Brown of NCFIC on June 29, 2012

 The United States Government has done it again! With the recent Supreme Court validation of ObamaCare, it has usurped the role of individual citizens to care for themselves and will punish them through taxation if they try. The “Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave” has taken another giant leap towards the “land of the oppressed and home of the coward.” However, hope for America does not depend on Republican control of the White House and Congress, but instead in the rising awakening of churches and families who desire to be governed by scripture. I am connected with many of these and have much hope, regardless of the big government threat.

First, let’s examine what just happened. The Supreme Court’s validation of the Affordable Care Act can seem confusing, but it boils down to a simple fact. Under the Constitution, Congress cannot compel you to buy something, but it can tax you for not complying. Passing this law means that the Court creatively justified something that is wrong in principle. They used the Constitution to abuse the Constitution. It was legislative licentiousness.

But all of this is nothing new!


The government has always used taxes to control behavior and now it wants to control your healthcare. Government healthcare is logically consistent with our headlong sprint toward socialism in America. We are systematically surrendering every personal responsibility we have been given by God to be pampered and coddled by a doting Government. We have surrendered the role of parents to educate their children to the public school system. We have surrendered the role of families and churches to care for orphans and widows to Government assistance programs and welfare. The menagerie of further Government control and oversight being proposed should not surprise us. From the bizarre suggested ban on buying a 44 oz coke in New York, to the outright attack on biblical family life with the Delaware legislative attempt to penalize disciplining children – all of these moves are consistent.

 Is this what the founders of America envisioned? Doesn’t the Constitution of the United States forbid giant government from taking over every area of life in America? Yes, it does! Then how did we get here? We got here by increasingly considering the Constitution as outdated, by abandoning the Word of God as a standard, and by “reimagining” government with enlightened, postmodern minds freed from the shackles of the old and dusty “rules.”

But before we simply point fingers at the Government we need to stop and take a hard look in the mirror. The church is supposed to “hold to the pattern” (2 Tim 1:13) and be a “beacon on a hill” (Matt 5:14) setting an example of obedience to God’s word and faithfulness to “His ways.” But in my own lifetime, I have seen the church “re-imagine” itself every few years and furiously work to leave behind the old dusty “rules” in favor of enlightened, approaches that appeal to the impulses of our modern self exalting affections.

The Government is simply doing what pastors and churches do all the time. The church in America has come to do what it wants based on pragmatism by saying, “Anything goes, I am under grace not law.” Churches often grow themeslves by ignoring the clear teaching of Scripture in order to achieve pragmatic objectives and then justifying the “advances.” The church has freely set aside the biblical language of church government, church offices, and church practices. It has disregarded simple and clear statements about sexuality, manhood, and womanhood and rejected the clear teaching of Scripture on the matter of educating children. Like the Government, the church has become comfortable throwing off all restraint if it can find an excuse. We do not want to be restrained, but the truth is that Scripture restrains. The truth is, the Constitution restrains. They were designed to restrain evil, abuses of power, and inappropriate creativity.

What does a lawless church have to do with a lawless court? Everything! As the family goes, so goes the church. As the church goes, so goes the nation. In this case, home life and church life gave birth to Supreme Court life. Church leaders and their people don’t want the Bible to constrain them any more than they want the Constitution to constrain them. This is how the church paved the way for ObamaCare.

Revelation 1:5 says that Jesus Christ is “ruler over the kings of the earth.” But we are in no position to demand that our Government honors Christ as King or that it constrain its actions to honor the Constitution, until first we honor Christ as the ruler of our families, churches, and personal lives by constraining our actions according to His revealed Word!

So in the wake of this devastating Supreme Court decision, my heart is actually full of hope. Contrary to the antinomian culture at large and unlike lawless churches and homes that have thrown off “the old paths” (Jer 6:16) and paved the way for today’s ObamaCare, I see a rising remnant of families and churches returning to God and His Word. They are raising up a new generation of sons and daughters who desire to be governed by the Word of God alone and as a result, honor the Constitution of the United States. And in time, I believe this will produce a new generation of leaders, even Supreme Court justices and congressmen, who have grown up in families and churches that have loved submission to God’s Word, and who have seen their fathers and mothers constrain their lives by the “Law of liberty”! This gives me great hope for the future of America.

Do you think the church paved the way for ObamaCare?

Do you think that a reformation of church and family life and the true conversion of its members is the answer for America?

 

Thursday, July 5, 2012

First Episode of Church & State

Where is our world going? Where have we come from? Listen to this young man give some challenges to all Americans.