Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. (Deut.6:4-8) 'Passing on the faith' has to do with teaching Gods commandments to the next generation. That's the WHAT. Thankfully, God also gave us the HOW.
We need to be careful not to treat it as a checklist of information we need to 'serve' to our children. In todays culture, we're used to giving/receiving information, services or products, in the form of transactions. We drive up to Starbucks, place an order, pay for that order, and receive that order. Done. Move on. We log on to Google, type in a request, receive the information, and move on. DANGER in this method: We'll segregate our time into buckets of activities that are 'Christian/holy/faith-based, etc.' and buckets that are 'secular/non-faith-based.' To the Christian, everything we do must be done with a clear conscious and with full dependence on God. Teaching our children and the next generation about God and His marvelous works must be a lifestyle. Speak His Word, sing it, live it, listen to it, act it out (for the younger children), ask questions about it, study it, write it, record it, share it etc., as you go about your daily life. When you wake, when you sleep. When you travel, when you're at home. That's what God tells us in Deuteronomy 6. And, not that you need a reminder but...God knows best! BENEFIT of this method: We will develop a holy habit of putting God at the center of everything - faith, family, career, and so on. Note: This lifestyle method is not about making Him the Lord of your life. That's an overused and misused Christianese phrase. He already IS the LORD! Whether you 'make Him Lord' or not, does not diminish His power or authority. It will, however, diminish yours. Keep the Fire Burning, Danny Below is a link to an Instabook that I wrote after reflecting on a phrase I wrote down while listening to a sermon at church...
PATH to PEACE Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you... (2 Tim.1:6)
We were made to move. Our bodies and our spirit were created to connect with the Creator and, in so doing, to experience life...real life! Paul reminds Timothy that the stirring up of the gift of God (fan in to flame, in other translations) is something we do. The very fact that we have a gift from God, inside of us, should motivate us to want to use it. So, stir it up! How can we get our mind, body & soul into holy action? 1) THINK ON things above Get your mind off the petty things of earth, which will soon pass, and think on things that are holy and pure. Where your mind goes, your daily life will & habits will follow.
If you don't, who will!? The best way to live a healthy lifestyle is to present our bodies before God as a living sacrifice (Rom.12:1). Then, we will want to take care of it so we can use it for His glory!
You can get in a lot of unnecessary trouble if you don't watch what you speak. Words have the power to tear down or to build up. Put the world around you in holy motion by using sound and healthy words!
Keep the Fire Burning, Danny One night, Levy asked me why only the priest was allowed to meet with God (in the holy of holies, as we read in the Old Testament).
What a question, from a 5 (almost 6) year old. I did my best to explain to him that this was a special work established by God, to be conducted by appointed men, for the purpose of meeting with God on behalf of His people. I tied in the fact that it was a symbol (foreshadow) of the work of Jesus Christ, our Great High Priest; He died once and for all so that anyone can have a relationship and direct access to God, by faith! For all you (newer) parents with young children, here's a quick pocket-guide to being able to answer your children's questions about God and all things spiritual. It's important that you don't just brush them off with a quick answer or revert to the not-so-meaningful 'because I told you so.' 1) First, know the Bible! You cannot make it up. Kids have a way being able to tell when you're not sure about something. When they ask you a Bible-related question, use the Bible to answer them. 2) Keep it simple. Don't get ultra-theological. Speak at their level, as Jesus did with the rural listeners in his day; remember, even children were attracted to Him because He not only came down to earth, but He was down to earth. Explain things in terms they can relate to. 3) Connect it to daily life. Make a connection to every day life and explain how His Word is a light and a guide for us. Relate the answer you give to a spiritual discipline, principal, or truth from the Word of God that they can apply. Keep the Fire Burning, Danny Ephesians 6:4b - "...bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord." The other night we went to sleep without praying together as a family. It doesn't happen very often. I used to feel very bad about it, even to the point of frustration, but I don't feel as bad anymore. I know this may sound spiritually negligent, but I've learned that I need to build an altar throughout the day, and give God my best, not just at key hours of the day.
An altar is anywhere you meet with God. It's intentional, but it doesn't have to be too structured. Sometimes it's all about praise. Sometimes it involves repentance and weeping. Other times we build an altar of thankfulness. Altar building can, and should, happen at any time during the day. It needs to be a lifestyle, springing forth from the heart, not a date/time on a calendar. Don't segregate God. He is omnipresent. He is pleased with you wanting to please Him by being disciplined with your time and allotting a 'spiritual' slot into your schedule. But it's such a limited perspective of our deep relationship with Him. I enjoy it far more when I connect with my children throughout the day and take the time to be with them no matter how 'busy' I am. And I know they do too. I like it when they come to me out of the blue during the day - with a new drawing they just completed, or a game they invented, or an idea they had. This brings me so much joy and makes me smile. Get in a holy habit of keeping God at the center of all your daily activities. Make Him smile. Today, 'surprise' Him and build an unscheduled altar. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. Take to heart these words that I give you today. Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you’re at home or away, when you lie down or get up. Write them down, and tie them around your wrist, and wear them as headbands as a reminder. Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates. - Deuteronomy 6:5-9 My boy's can tell when my heart is not into something. Especially when they ask me to play a game with them but I'm just not feeling it.
Nothing will ruin my testimony more quickly than pretending to be on fire for God at church but living halfheartedly at home or at work. I need to be the same person when I pray as when I play. The same energy, the same heart. Why? 1) I cannot (should not) separate my faith from the activities that make up my daily life. I have to live it out in every area. When I'm at home and when I'm at work. When I'm on vacation and when I'm at church. In my own backyard or at the neighbors for barbecue. Everywhere. And at all times. 2) It shows them that when I serve people and spend time with them, I represent the love of our great God. When I make time for them I'm showing them that people matter because they matter to God. We often put on a facade. We wear a somber, pious face when it comes to 'holy' things and we become indifferent when it comes to so-called menial activities like playing hide-and-go-seek. Or, for some, it's vice versa. Growing up, I remember hearing some preachers who would talk differently at the pulpit than when they spoke with you one on one. They had a more harsh, deeper intonation when they preached but sounded 'normal' during a conversation. I was determined to never do that. I've not arrived, but it's getting better. I'm determined to be 'normal' at all times. Bottom line: We need to demolish the silos. Whatever you do, be you. And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men - Col.3:23 The days are long and the years are short. Sometimes I feel like I need to cram as much of the Bible in my children's head and heart, or else they're not going to make it in this world. If you've ever felt the same, let's stop and take a minute to just relax. There's a better way...
Pick one truth today to share with your children. It doesn't have to be a sit-down, lecture setting. Share it as you go about your day. Over dinner. While playing or doing an activity. On the road. Pick a simple truth such as God is faithful. Explain to them that God can be trusted no matter what we're facing in life, even when we don't understand. Come up with a story on this principle or teach them a verse from the Bible about it (for example, see 2 Thess. 3:3). Then, should the Lord grant you tomorrow, do it again. They say, It takes a village to raise a child*. Well, the problem is, you never know who's in that village and what they're teaching.
I can't abandon my principal responsibility as a parent to raise my children in the ways of the Lord. It is my only unique leadership role in life. And a very serious one. It cannot be replaced by any other. Every other leadership role, be it pastor, director, business owner, and so on, will pass. If I have 'succeeded' everywhere else but have failed at home, have I really succeeded? So, if you've been a bit disconnected from your children lately and feel you haven't done your part, there's hope. Start today. If they're young, re-evaluate the foundations you've been setting and start building on the truth clearly found in the Word of God. If they're older, repent and reconnect. Be there for them. And create the environment and emotional atmosphere where they want to be there for you. The 'village' has too many unknowns. It can certainly be helpful and I know from experience that there have been a handful of people in my life, outside of my family, who have made a significant imprint on my life, for the better. But, still, there's no place like home. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. - Deut. 6:6,7 *It is said that this phrase is attributed to an Igbo and Yoruba proverb. The origin is a mystery. Some people believe it originated in an ancient African proverb; others believe it came from a Native American Tribe (quora.com) If I build 2020 on personal effort, goal-setting and hustle, I'm doomed from the start.
I need something reliable. Unmoved by the changing seasons of life or the latest secular trends. That something is someone, God our Father. He remains the same! The same in the way He loves, forgives, strengthens, and heals. The same in the way He corrects, disciplines, and speaks. Politicians will change this year. Economic conditions will change. People around you will change, whether they realize it or not. Things at work will change. Your bank account will change. Your body will change. Your schedule will change. And the list goes on. But, remember, God will remain the same! There's an anchor we can all rely on for this new year. But You are the same, And Your years will have no end. The children of Your servants will continue, And their descendants will be established before You. - Psalms 102:27,28 Never settle for the cheapest option.
If you want a nice house, you have to pay for it. If you want a strong marriage, you have to pay for it. If you want to eat healthy, you have to pay for it. The cheapest option will cost you more in the long run. We've heard it said, Nothing good comes without sacrifice. Well, the greatest Good was Jesus giving His life for us on the cross. He is our example of real sacrifice and what it means to not only count the cost, but to pay it. He wasn't stingy. He gave His all (see John 13:1). When it comes to meeting with God as a family, I've re-learned that I can go cheap or I can sacrifice and pay the price. Paying the price means denouncing anything that my flesh wants. Going cheap means giving in to the flesh and putting God at the bottom of my to-do list. Whether I go with the first or the latter, I will have to live with the return of my investment. Why not make it count. |
ABOUTBiblical, on-the-go, tips for meeting with God. Written from our experiences as parents. This is our digital space for jotting down learning moments from our devotional time throughout the week. ARCHIVES
November 2023
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