Instruction for Our Children

As adults, it is our responsibility to teach the next generation what they need to know, as far as what to expect and how to respond to circumstances, with the fact in mind that every decision that we make is crucial to the formula of who we will become. Not only do our decisions and actions affect us, but they affect others as well. And because of this, we should seek to be the very best that we can, as our best is potentially an example of a guideline to someone else's success as well. So in order to teach or instruct others with the "best", via our words or more so through our actions, we should look for the best lessons and instructions. For this, 2 Timothy 3:16-17 tells us that "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:  That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." This verse reveals that instruction from God has been given to us in the Bible, and it will teach us and maintain us in the ways of the Lord. By following the Scriptures, we will have equipped ourselves with what is necessary to keep us righteous, and thus pass it on.

‎From the very beginning, the first and most important lesson to be established is that God is real and all that we do should consider him first. God has blessed us with the opportunity to influence the future and teach this very lesson, and we should do it right. A firm foundation should be set based on God and understanding that we are sent as God's authority. The Scriptures, as afore mentioned, are written doctrine with which we can use to guide ourselves and others, teaching them through examples given in the Bible, by Jesus' life and even our own encounters.

Another crucial lesson on our agenda should be what Proverbs 19:20 says "Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future." Part of gaining this wisdom for the future is applying the instruction from the knowledge that is taught. If we know what to do and do not apply it, we leave room for inactivity (idle minds) and a potential for free interpretation of what is learned and basically hope that it is applied correctly.
In Psalm 32:8, David declares "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you."
We should witness the interpretation of the knowledge being played out. This will allow us to guide bad decisions back to the right coarse. In my roughly 15 years as a teacher, I watched as children acted on what they had learned. Some things from home, some from myself, and even some things that they had "taught" themselves. I was constantly reminding myself and realizing that they had only been here a few years. They were learning life and lessons that were second nature to me. It was up to me to realize what they did not know, reiterate what they did know and show them how to relate it all. In putting God first, we must teach the children in a way that will grow their intelligence and progression, and show them how to serve God with that knowledge and gained abilities. God has placed us all here on earth with talents and a purpose. We must guide our children in the way that they need to go to figure this purpose out. We must guide them to God.

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Our Hearts In Sync with God

Sometimes in life we find ourselves taking an inventory of who we are and what we have become, only to realize and, perhaps reluctantly, define ourselves as someone with whom we are not familiar. And if we are completely honest with ourselves, our demeanor and response to situations and people, how we think and perceive, what we say and decide to do, is all a reflection of our relationship with God and how in sync our heart is with him. Being out of sync creates confusion and provides an open gateway, an uninhibited pathway to carnage and utter chaos in our lives. If a computer is out of sync with its software, it will loop or freeze, unable to find what it needs to proceed, all the while being rendered useless. And so we too, like the computer can not proceed and access all potential growth without being in sync, rendering our lives, our witness, our testimony useless. But the great news is that, a pause is not the end. At times, what we see as an the end of our story is just God pausing to edit the story. And if we will just be patient and have faith, we will hear him telling us to simply turn the page and therein see a new chapter.
The familiar verses from Proverbs 3:5-6 say "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." Our faith in God should allow us to trust him enough to follow him without question, and make his ways ours. If we can let go of the reins long enough, God will work in our lives and situations, syncing us to his will and we will see and know that He has his hands on our circumstances.

Its all about our hearts. Seeking to be in sync with the desires and wants of God for our life. Being what and who He would have us to be. But no matter the appearance on the outside or what we say even to ourselves, if we do not truly seek to become in sync with God in regards to our hearts, all will be for naught. This transformation has to be a desire that one feels an absolute need to achieve, while understanding that sacrifice is essential, yet worth it. Colossians 1:10-11 sites good reason for being in sync with God. "That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;  Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness."
The key points in this verse reflect some amazing happenings to look forward to when we are in sync with God. Being worthy of God, fully pleasing to him, being fruitful, increasing, strengthened... Considering God and putting him first transforms our heart from carnal desires to His Holy fulfillment. This aligns us with God and causes us to walk the path of godliness with patience. To align oneself with him is to align themselves with infinite possibilities and blessings.

Manhood (pt.3): Leadership as a Teacher

A very important duty for a man is taking on the responsibility as a teacher. Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. (Proverbs 22:6 KJV)

The best type of teacher is the type that lives and acts out the lessons that they want for their students to learn.The lesson for young men would be showing them how to become a man. Respectful, knowledgeable, and strong in the Lord. He should honor his parents and seek to himself grow and take on his own family, and be the head of them. Learn the ways of God, so as to have a firm foundation with which to teach as well as discipline. Exhibit principles that show that strength is not always a product of large muscles, but of a full intellect that shows respect to all others even when it is not received. For the young woman he must teach her what type of man to accept into her life for a relationship. Show her how to respect herself and how to demand respect by he himself respecting her mother regardless of life's difficulties. Teach her that a woman's body is beautiful and as such, while it is enticing, it is a gift- a gift to her from God, and a gift to the right man. She is to take charge of herself in regards to her body, to protect it and keep it pure.

To whomever a man is teaching, he should be the example of what a man's role is in accordance to his Christianity. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.(Matthew 5:16 KJV)

But not only is a man teaching through his actions and his words but he is also teaching by the things that he denies or stays away from, and doing so with courage, persistence, and integrity. His Integrity towards his beliefs will show his true strength. The strength that matters in life when dealing with life's troubles, life's rewards, and every aspect of what we do on a day-to-day basis.Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; (Philippians 1:27 KJV) The places we go, the things we watch, the things we listen to, the words we say... All these things need to have a filter, if not for ourselves, then for those who we may be teaching inadvertently without knowing.

I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old:  Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.  We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the Lord , and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done.  For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children:  That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children:  That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments:  And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God.
(Psalms 78:2‭-‬8 KJV)

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Womanhood (pt.2): Virtuous Woman

And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.
(Genesis 2:18 KJV). A man is not an all powerful being; therefore, there come times when he needs help. God created a woman to help a man. While in this context there is mention toward creation for companionship, in 1Peter 3:1-2 the woman/wife is a help to a man/husband in times when he may not be in the Word as needed of him. Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives;  While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear.(1 Peter 3:1‭-‬2 KJV)

In the natural flow of things, a godly man will by example teach his family the way of godly success. It is not his way, but yet the ways of He who taught him. If at any point in time a man loses his way, it is imperative that he regains his Christian leadership, and that should be done by his wife, without opposition and challenge hinging from his failure. Therefore, this process should be done with the proper level of respect and discretion similar to the address given to the wives of deacons, which required that they be not slanderers (1Timothy 3:11). She should reflect, not the behavior of her own desires and discernment, but those of God. And by this, she will not shame him, but she will be the crown of her husband and a virtuous woman(Proverbs 12:4).

Womanhood: Professing Godliness

Throughout history we have been given definitions of what and who a woman should be. Celebrities, news anchors, politicians, teachers, moguls, and even preachers tell us what a real woman is. But unless these people derive their opinions from a Biblical basis, they and all who follow them are sadly mistaken and do not know the truth. Proverbs 31 gives examples of some of the workings of a woman. She fed and clothed her household and was respected by her children. She was called blessed by her family.

1 Timothy 2: 9-10 said in regards to her appearance, that she "adorned herself in modest apparel with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with braided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; but with good works (which becometh women professing godliness.)"
She dresses such that her clothes, hair, and jewelry do not take precedent for her or others with whom she comes into contact, over her dedication to God. And to be clear, the text warns of the unnecessary focus and not against the action of her adorning herself. Shamefacedness means being modest while showing reverence to God and self-control. Therefore, she would have regard for her husband or father and not want to shame him because her head is her father or her husband, and his is Christ, and Christ's is God. Following this line, to respect herself would be honoring her father or husband, then Christ and then, above all, God. Doing so makes her “the glory of the man.”

In regards to sobriety, this simply refers to control over the desires of the flesh dealing with promiscuity. So, in this instance, such as in sobriety referring to alcoholic beverages for example, she would be “fighting the urge” of promiscuity and not allowing it to control her thoughts of the flesh before those thoughts of God.

These examples of what a woman should be, can also refer in some regards to us as Christians toward the Lord Jesus Christ. In a long line of what we should and should not do, these have strong bases. However, these are not the only things that we as Christians, or in this regard a woman, should take into consideration. There are other things that are important and in time we will review those things….

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Sacrifice (pt.2): Right Reasons. Right Heart.

SACRIFICE (pt.2): Right Reasons. Right Heart.

As with anything that we do for God, others and even ourselves, we must be cautious to be sincere and true in our intentions. In other words, we must do so honestly and with a good heart. G. Batiste said, “Sacrifice means nothing if you are doing it for the wrong reasons.” In relation to this, it is perhaps best if first we establish the “why” and determine further if the course of action is pleasing to God.

In Genesis 4, Cain and Abel gave a sacrifice to God from the best that they had to offer. But reading this passage, we find that God rejected Cain's sacrifice (v.3-5). It was not said exactly why God rejected Cain's sacrifice, but no doubt, it had something to do with his heart. Perhaps his intentions on some level or another were not righteous. In later verses, we see God warning Cain to guard his heart from evil, lest it consume him (v.7). His intentions at that moment were about himself, and he slew his brother. Perhaps his heart had already been tainted with a self-serving drive even before giving his sacrifice. We do not know for sure, but God knew. And He still knows now the longings and intentions our our hearts today. It is great to follow God's commands, but it is empty unless we have our hearts in the right place. Our service is useless without substance.

Later in the Old Testament, the wise King Solomon stated, “The sacrifice of the wicked is abomination: how much more, when he bringeth it with a wicked mind?” (Proverbs 21:27)
An abomination is something that God detests or makes him want to turn his face from. If God were to turn from us, we would have no hope of peace and no substance. We need God. Therefore, all that we do should be for him. All sacrifices should be modeled after the sacrifice given for us- with not only good intentions but aided with a righteous heart. Good intentions are not enough, but acting also, with good Christian thoughts will bring good intentions to a righteous destination. God wants our sacrifice. And when done with the right reasons and the right heart, God will accept it and favor us.

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