Friends Shape Friends No. 179

Proverbs 13:20, "He that walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed."

Isn't amazing how our children grow up so quickly? It seems like one blink of my eye that our eldest son (who is nearing 44 years old) was born. I don't know where the years have flown.

I remember when my children were babies, and as I experienced beautiful moments with them, I thought I would remember the moments forever. But now they are fading from my memory. My little babies grew up to be teenagers. Then they married, and now they are raising their own children. My oldest grand-daughter will soon be 21 years so maybe it won't be too many years before she is married and starts raising her children.

When my children were teens, I raised them on the above Scripture. I like the Knox translation of Proverbs 13:20 which says, "Wise company brings wisdom; fool he ends that fool befriends." How true this is. Peer pressure is a big pull upon children in their teen years. You can be the godliest parents in the world, but if your children get into the wrong company, your influence as a parent is weakened.

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PARENTS HAVE HONOR! No. 178

Leviticus 19:3, "Ye shall fear every man his mother, and his father… I am the Lord your God."

God has given honor to the status of parenthood. God is a Father and He wants His children fathered in the anointing of His fatherhood. God also has a maternal heart and He has ordained that mothers should mother with the anointing of His mother heart.

God gives many Scriptures to remind us of the honor He has placed upon parents.

Exodus 20:12, "Honor thy father and thy mother; that thy days may be long upon the land…"

Deuteronomy 5:16, "Honor thy father and thy mother, as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee…"

So that we do not forget, this command is repeated in the New Testament in Matthew 15:4; 19:19; Mark 7:10; 10:19; Luke 18:20 and Ephesians 6:2-3.

I am always astounded by the Scripture mentioned at the beginning. Not only are children commanded to honor their parents, but to fear them. The word 'fear' that is used here is the same word that is used to 'fear' God. Do you also notice that the mother is mentioned first? Children often have a healthy respect for their father's authority but fail to honor their mother's authority. This is not God's intention. He wants children to have an awe and reverence for their mother too.

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A Constant Reminder, No. 177

Exodus 28:29, "And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart, when he goes in unto the holy place, for a memorial before the Lord continually."

I am always amazed at the incredible specifications God gave for the High
Priest's clothing. They were to be holy garments, made for "glory and for
beauty." A whole chapter of the Bible, Exodus chapter 28, is given to
these instructions. One of the instructions was to take two onyx stones
and grave on them the names of the children of Israel, six names on one
stone and six on the other. They were then to be set in gold and placed
in the shoulder-pieces of the ephod so that Aaron could carry these names
before the Lord as a constant reminder.

God knew the names of the tribes of Israel which represented every adult
and child in each tribe, but He wanted the names before Him continually.
In the Word of God the shoulders speak of responsibility and government.
It was the High Priest's responsibility to do this. I believe that it is
also the responsibility of parents to bring their children's names into
the presence of the Lord. We are to carry them before the Lord
continually. We often feel the weight and burden of raising children. It
can bear down upon us. But the greatest way to bear the weight is to bear
it upon our shoulders in prayer and to bring our children's names
constantly before the Lord.

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FAMILY TOGETHERNESS, NO. 176

Proverbs 18:19 Knox, "When brother helps brother, theirs the strength of a fortress, their cause is like a city gate barred, unassailable.”

God created the family unit. It was His idea. It is how He planned for mankind to live—in a family! God wants families to be strong. Strong families make a strong nation.

Satan wants families to be weak. We must beware of allowing Satan to destroy our families. Let’s face it. No family is perfect. We are trying to get along with a whole lot of sinners. Because of this, every one of us face hurts and grievances in our immediate family and in our extended family. Family members will do something that hurts. Or they will say words that pierce like a sword. Unless we walk in the spirit, it is easy to allow unforgiveness and hurt to fester in family relationships.

We cannot allow this to happen. We must be big enough to lay down our own agenda. We must say No to the flesh and allow the Holy Spirit to work in our lives. We must show grace. We must forgive. We may have to forgive again and again and again. Seventy times seven! This is God’s way and the only way that works.

Seek to strengthen your family—and your extended family of aunts, uncles and cousins. A strong extended family is a powerful force in the nation. Here is a little acrostic about Family Togetherness.

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God's Power In Your Home, No. 175

Colossians 1:11-12, "Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; giving thanks unto the Father…”

Do you need more of God’s power in your life? Do you need more of His power to help you mother each day? I have wonderful news for you. As you allow Him, God’s power is working in you mightily. Not ordinary power, but the dunamis power of God, the power of God in action which releases miracles. It is the dunamis power of God which was poured out upon the disciples when they received the Holy Spirit to take the Gospel to the uttermost part of the earth. (Acts 1:8) This is where we get the word dynamite—explosive power!

How easily we become deadened to the knowledge of the truth, the truth of God’s power that works in us. Let’s read some other Scriptures…

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