Thank God for Mothers!

“I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also” 2 Timothy 1:5

It was Sunday morning and her son still had not appeared at the breakfast table. She had tried yelling up the stairs: “Wake up and get down here!” But there had been no response. Finally, she went up the stairs and opened the door to her son’s room and said, “You need to get up and get dressed. It’s time to go to church!”

“I don’t want to go to church,” her son groaned from under the covers.

“You can’t give me a good reason not to go to church, so get up!” his mom replied.

“Actually, I’ll give you three reasons. Number one: it’s boring. Number two: the people there are gossipy and critical. And number three: no one likes me. So why should I bother?”

“I’ll give you three reasons,” retorted his mom. “Number one: the Bible says you should go. Number two: you’re 45 years old. And number three: you’re the pastor! Now get out of bed and get dressed for church!”

Where would we be without the tireless urging of our mothers to do what is right? All over the United States this weekend, flowers will be delivered, homemade cards will be given, and moms will be celebrated on Mother’s Day. And it’s fitting that we should do so. I know of very few roles that demand such unconditional, self-sacrificing perseverance and commitment as that of motherhood.

In his second letter to Timothy, Paul pauses to acknowledge the impact that a mother can have, mentioning Lois, Timothy’s grandmother, and Eunice, his mother. Paul’s mention of these women is interesting because he personally could claim a great deal of influence on the spiritual journey of Timothy. Paul called him his spiritual son (2 Timothy 1:6; 1 Corinthians 4:17; Philippians 2:22) and had not only included Timothy on missionary journeys, but had entrusted numerous assignments to him, including shepherding the growing church at Ephesus. It’s clear that Paul had invested much of his life in mentoring and helping to make Timothy capable and usable.

But Paul readily and willingly acknowledged that the seeds of Timothy’s faith were planted by these two women. We know very little about Lois and Eunice, but our imaginations can picture them praying with young Timothy, teaching him the simple stories of Jesus and the life-changing truths of God’s Word, and introducing him to the early leaders of the church. All of us know that mothering is a challenging task, but the rewards to faithful moms are great. Think of how Timothy’s mother and grandmother must have felt to see him blossom as a leader in the work of Jesus!

I know for certain that my character and faith has been shaped and molded by my mom. I will be forever grateful for her influence in my life. And it’s been a privilege for me to watch the way my wife, Martie, has impacted the lives of our kids, and now our grandkids. So this weekend, I’m excited for the opportunity to celebrate the significant role of our mothers.

Because, let’s face it, where would we be without them? Let’s hear it for moms!

YOUR JOURNEY…

• For some, Mother’s Day brings pain—perhaps the pain of a fractured relationship between a mother and child, the pain of losing a loved one, or the pain of unfulfilled longings for motherhood. Psalm 34:18 offers these compassionate words: “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” Jesus knows and understands your pain and is ready to not only grieve with you, but to bring you His gentle peace and hope.
• If you are a mom, how does it encourage and excite you to know that you can have such a key role in the life of your kids (and grandkids)?
• Take a moment to thank the Lord for your mom, and then be sure to express your thanks to your mom in specific ways!

http://getmorestrength.org/daily/thank-god-for-mothers/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GetMoreStrength+%28Strength+For+The+Journey%29

The Habit of Keeping a Clear Conscience

. . . strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men —Acts 24:16

God’s commands to us are actually given to the life of His Son in us. Consequently, to our human nature in which God’s Son has been formed (see Galatians 4:19), His commands are difficult. But they become divinely easy once we obey.

Conscience is that ability within me that attaches itself to the highest standard I know, and then continually reminds me of what that standard demands that I do. It is the eye of the soul which looks out either toward God or toward what we regard as the highest standard. This explains why conscience is different in different people. If I am in the habit of continually holding God’s standard in front of me, my conscience will always direct me to God’s perfect law and indicate what I should do. The question is, will I obey? I have to make an effort to keep my conscience so sensitive that I can live without any offense toward anyone. I should be living in such perfect harmony with God’s Son that the spirit of my mind is being renewed through every circumstance of life, and that I may be able to quickly “prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:2 ; also see Ephesians 4:23).

God always instructs us down to the last detail. Is my ear sensitive enough to hear even the softest whisper of the Spirit, so that I know what I should do? “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God . . .” (Ephesians 4:30). He does not speak with a voice like thunder— His voice is so gentle that it is easy for us to ignore. And the only thing that keeps our conscience sensitive to Him is the habit of being open to God on the inside. When you begin to debate, stop immediately. Don’t ask, “Why can’t I do this?” You are on the wrong track. There is no debating possible once your conscience speaks. Whatever it is— drop it, and see that you keep your inner vision clear.

http://utmost.org/the-habit-of-keeping-a-clear-conscience/

Being a Mensch

“Endow the king with your justice, O God, the royal son with your righteousness. May he judge your people in righteousness, your afflicted ones with justice.” — Psalm 72:1–2

Psalm 72 is widely believed to be King David’s last. The final line reads “this concludes the prayers of David son of Jesse.” The theme of this psalm is a prayer for Solomon, King David’s son who would succeed him. It is a moving account of everything the psalmist wished for his child. It speaks volumes about what is really important in life.

What do you wish for your children and loved ones? Most of us would say things like health, wealth, happiness, and the like. What does the psalmist ask for? The first thing he prays for is “endow the king with your justice, O God, the royal son with your righteousness. May he judge your people in righteousness, your afflicted ones with justice.” Translate:  “Let my son know right from wrong and may he always do the right thing.” Judaism has invented a one-word term for this trait. It’s called being a mensch.

The word “mensch” means to be a person with integrity. A decent human being. You know, the kind who lets you cut in front of him in traffic or goes out of her way to return a lost wallet with every dollar still inside. A mensch is humble and honest. He tries his best to do the right thing all of the time. When she messes up, she feels bad about it and tries to make things right again.

King David is teaching us that the most important thing in life is to be a mensch. In fact, in Judaism there’s an expression that says “derech eretz kadma l’torah,” “good character comes before Torah.” In other words, being a mensch is even more important than being spiritual. It’s the pre-requisite! You cannot have a good relationship with God if you do not have a good relationship with His children.

A person may study the Word of God and be able to quote verses by heart, but if he can’t apply them to his life, it’s not worth very much. When King David prays for his child’s future he recognizes that more important than everything King Solomon will have or do, is the kind of person that he will be. First, he must be a mensch. Everything else will follow.

Imagine how the world might be different if all parents gave this message to their children: Sweetheart, be a lawyer or a street cleaner, be rich or be poor, be bookish or artistic. Be whatever you want – as long as you are a mensch!

Health, wealth, and happiness are all things that we want to have. But a mensch is who we first need to be.

http://www.holylandmoments.org/devotionals/being-a-mensch

Unadorned Life

“These were the potters, and those that dwelt among plants and hedges: there they dwelt with the king for his work” (1 Chron. 4:23).

Anywhere and everywhere we may dwell “with the king for his work.” We may be in a very unlikely and unfavorable place for this; it may be in a literal country life, with little enough to be seen of the “goings” of the King around us; it may be among the hedges of all sorts, hindrances in all directions; it may be furthermore, with our hands full of all manner of pottery for our daily task.

No matter! The King who placed us “there” will come and dwell there with us; the hedges are right, or He would soon do away with them. And it does not follow that what seems to hinder our way may not be for its very protection; and as for the pottery, why, that is just exactly what He has seen fit to put into our hands, and therefore it is, for the present, “His work.” –Frances Ridley Havergal

“Go back to thy garden-plot, sweetheart!

Go back till the evening falls,

And bind thy lilies and train thy vines,

Till for thee the Master calls.

“Go make thy garden fair as thou canst,

Thou workest never alone;

Perhaps he whose plot is next to thine

Will see it and mend his own.”

The colored sunsets and starry heavens, the beautiful mountains and the shining seas, the fragrant woods and painted flowers, are not half so beautiful as a soul that is serving Jesus out of love, in the wear and tear of common, unpoetic life. –Faber

The most saintly spirits are often existing in those who have never distinguished themselves as authors, or left any memorial of themselves to be the theme of the world’s talk; but who have led an interior angelic life, having borne their sweet blossoms unseen like the young lily in a sequestered vale on the bank of a limpid stream. –Kenelm Digby

http://devotionals.ochristian.com/mrs-charles-cowman-streams-in-the-desert-devotional.shtml

A Woman Of Influence

During the early years of the Protestant Reformation in Europe, Katharina Von Bora, a former nun, married Martin Luther (1525). By all accounts, the two had a joyous married life. Luther said, “There is no bond on earth so sweet, nor any separation so bitter, as that which occurs in a good marriage.”

Because Katharina rose at 4 a.m. to care for her responsibilities, Luther referred to her as the “morning star of Wittenberg.” She was industrious in tending the vegetable garden and orchard. Also, she administered the family business and managed the Luthers’ home and property. In time, the couple had six children for whom Katharina felt the home was a school of character development. Her energetic industry and care for the family made her a woman of influence.

Katharina seems to have been a woman like the one described in Proverbs 31. She was indeed a virtuous wife who awoke “while it [was] yet night” and provided “food for her household” (v.15). She also watched “over the ways of her household, and [did] not eat the bread of idleness” (v.27).

From role models like Katharina, we can learn about the love, diligence, and fear of the Lord that’s needed to be a woman of influence.

Lord, thank You for the influence our mothers and wives have had on us. We too want to touch the lives of others, to point them to You. We know we need Your Spirit’s power to do that. Fill us and use us, we pray.

Good mothers not only tell us how to live— they show us.

http://odb.org/2012/05/13/a-woman-of-influence/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+odb%2Ffeed+%28Our+Daily+Bread%29

Does God Care About Mother’s Day? by Mark D. Roberts

Psalm 128:6

May you live to enjoy your grandchildren.      May Israel have peace!

Psalm 128:6

Today is Mother’s Day in the United States. This means that many of us will get together with our mothers to celebrate their lives and thank them for their faithfulness. Those of us who can’t be with our mothers will probably call on the phone. Did you know more people are on the phone on Mother’s Day than on any other day of the year? In addition to thanking our mothers, taking them out for a meal, and giving them a card, many of us will also go to church with them. Mother’s Day has higher church attendance than just about any other Sunday of the year. Some surveys place it right behind Christmas and Easter.

Many churches make a big deal of Mother’s Day. But some churches studiously ignore it. When I first began as Senior Pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church, our tradition was to say almost nothing about Mother’s Day, because “it’s not a Christian holiday.” Indeed, it doesn’t show up in the liturgical calendar, which is still focusing on the celebration of Easter. But, beyond this fact, my church seemed to assume that paying attention to mothers wasn’t really spiritual enough for worship.

But then there are biblical passages like Psalm 128. Though it is actually more of a Father’s Day psalm, this text celebrates the blessing of family, in which mothering is central. The final verse adds this wish prayer: “May you live to enjoy your grandchildren” (128:6; the Hebrew reads literally, “May you see your children’s children”).

Psalm 128, like the whole of Scripture, doesn’t divide life up into the spiritual and unspiritual parts. All of life is a result of God‘s good creation. All of life matters to God and should matter to us. All of life’s goodness is worthy of celebration, as we thank God for his manifold gifts. So, it’s appropriate for God’s people to celebrate mothers when they gather for worship, to offer thanks and prayers.

I made it clear to the worship planners at Irvine Pres that I intended to focus my pastoral prayer that morning around the themes of Mother’s Day. I offered thanks for mothers and prayed for them. Recognizing that some in our congregation yearned to be mothers but hadn’t been able to have children, I prayed for them. I also added prayers for mothers who grieved the loss of their children, for mother-child relationships that were strained, and for those whose mothers had gone to be with the Lord.

Does God care about Mother’s Day? I can’t speak with certainty about how God regards our particular national holiday and its expressions. But, on the basis of biblical texts like Psalm 128, we can be sure that God cares about mothers and children. He values marriage and family. He wants to bless us in our families. Thus, it is right to thank him for the gift of family, including our mothers. And it is always right to pray for mothers!

QUESTIONS FOR FURTHER REFLECTION: In what ways have you experienced God’s blessings in your family? Do you tend to think of your family as central to God’s presence and work in your life?

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank you for the reminders of Psalm 128. Thank you for the blessing of family, and for the many gifts you give us through our families.

Today, we thank you for mothers. Thank you for those who gave birth to us and who raised us. Thank you for their sacrifice, patience, and love. Thank you for ways our mothers helped us to see something of your love through their lives.

We pray for mothers today, that you would bless them with all they need to fulfill the calling you have given them. Give them wisdom, strength, and vision. Fill them with your love and goodness. We pray especially for those who are struggling to be faithful mothers, that you will give them an extra measure of your grace today.

We also pray for those for whom this is a difficult day: for children who have lost their mothers, for mothers who have lost children, for mothers and children who are estranged from each other, for those who would like to be mothers but are not, for those whose memories of their mothers are painful, and for so many others. May those who hurt today know that you are with them in their pain. Heal their hearts and give them hope, Lord. Wrap them up in your arms of love.

All praise be to you, O God, for the blessings you pour out upon us. Amen.

http://www.thehighcalling.org/reflection/does-god-care-about-mothers-day?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheHighCallingDailyReflections+%28Daily+Reflection+%26+Prayer%29

Tozer Devotional-Unlimited Resources but Limited Receptacles

Unlimited Resources but Limited Receptacles

Since God is infinite, whatever He is must be infinite also; that is, it must be without any actual or conceivable limits. The moment we allow ourselves to think of God as having limits, the one of whom we are thinking is not God but someone or something less than and different from Him. To think rightly of God we must conceive of Him as being altogether boundless in His goodness, mercy, love, grace and in whatever else we may properly attribute to the Deity. It is not enough that we acknowledge God’s infinite resources; we must believe also that He is infinitely generous to bestow them. The first is not too great a strain on our faith. Even the deist will admit that the Most High God, possessor of heaven and earth, must be rich beyond the power of man to conceive. But to believe that God is a giver as well as a possessor takes an advanced faith and presupposes that there has been a divine revelation to that effect which gives validity to our expectations. Which indeed there has been. We call this revelation the Bible. Believing all this, why are we Christians so poverty stricken? I think it is because we have not learned that God’s gifts are meted out according to the taker, not according to the giver. Though almighty and all-wise, God yet cannot pour a great gift into a small receptacle.

http://www.cmalliance.org/devotions/tozer?id=548

Hang In There · Max Lucado

Hang In There · Max Lucado.

Raising Kids in an Insecure World

“I prayed for this child.” 1Sa 1:27 NCV

Protectiveness is part of parenting. But unless you’re careful you can shield your kids from the very things they need to mature. Sheila Wray Gregoire says we should Surrender them to God. We think we control their futures, but most of the time they turn out differently than we planned. Samuel’s mother, Hannah, said: “I prayed for this child …Now I give him back to the Lord” (vv. 27-28 NCV). Whether He chooses to send them to the jungles of Africa…the inner city…or a house around the corner…God knows best. Live with hope, not wishful thinking. Trust God to use them and guide them through life, even if He never reveals how or why. From this perspective it’s easier to accept that circumstances don’t determine the final outcome; they’re just the tools God uses to shape character. Encourage responsibility. Letting kids experience consequence shows them what works and what doesn’t. For example, a tumble off the swing set teaches them not to be reckless…and that failure to study results in poor grades. “It is good for people to endure burdens when they’re young” (Lam 3:27 GWT). Kids who learn responsibility and independence early are better equipped to succeed. Pray often and with purpose. Instead of praying for his “spiritual children” to be spared persecution, Paul said: “My prayer [is] that your love…abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so …you may be able to discern what is best and…be pure and blameless until the day of Christ” (Php1:9-10 NIV). Being a Christian doesn’t mean life is always easy. But when you, the parent, demonstrate faith in God, your kids learn to trust Him too.

http://theencouragingword.wordpress.com/2012/05/13/raising-kids-in-an-insecure-world/

Judge Takes a Chisel to the Ten Commandments

God Almighty needs an editor, according to a federal judge in Virginia. At least, He does when the Ten Commandments are on government property.

The ACLU had sued the Giles County district for posting the Ten Commandments in its public schools, and U.S. District Judge Michael Urbanski sent the case on Monday to mediation, suggesting a compromise: deleting the first four commandments. Here’s the short version of those:

1. I am the LORD your God. You shall have no other gods before me.

2. You shall not worship idols, for I am the LORD your God.

3. You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.

4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.

An Obama appointee, Judge Urbanski also issued a preliminary injunction on behalf of the ACLU in February prohibiting the Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors from “invoking the name of a specific deity associated with any one specific faith or belief in prayers given at Board meetings.” No word yet on how much this ticked off the local Hittites and voodoo priests.

It’s all part of the campaign for “religious equality,” in which atheism and tree worship are considered equal (or superior) to the nation’s founding faith. The only surprise Monday was that the ACLU didn’t immediately object to leaving intact the commandment against adultery.

Among the items displayed alongside the Ten Commandments at Narrows High School are the Declaration of Independence, the Mayflower Compact, the Magna Carta, the words to the Star-Spangled Banner, and the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom.

Since none of the other 10 documents is being challenged, it’s obvious that the Ten Commandments are offensive solely because they are religious in origination, and remind people of America’s dominant faiths, Christianity and Judaism.  In a brief filed on behalf of the Freedom from Religion Foundation, the ACLU says the presence of the Decalogue violates the Establishment clause of the First Amendment.

For 10 years, the Ten Commandments had been posted in a frame in each of the public schools of Giles County. They were gifts to the schools from a local pastor, who thought they would be a good addition in the wake of the Columbine High School massacre in Colorado in 1999.

The displays were not a problem until December 8, 2010, when the Freedom from Religion Foundation sent a letter to the superintendent demanding that the displays be removed after a single complaint by a student and the student’s parent.

The schools tried a variety of solutions, including replacing the Ten Commandments with a copy of the Declaration of Independence. This didn’t sit well with many in the community. On Jan. 11, 2011, a meeting was held with about 200 people, including pastors, and a short time later, the school board voted to reinstall the displays.

The Commandments were re-posted, and then taken down again upon the advice of counsel. A local attorney proposed a display that would include the Decalogue in a historic exhibit about Western foundational law and government.

It’s unclear whether the ACLU will accept the judge’s offered compromise, since the six remaining commandments came from the God Who is not supposed to be mentioned on government property, even though it’s part of the universe that He created.

“We intend to show that the School Board cannot simply shroud its religious purpose for posting the Ten Commandments by surrounding it with historical documents,” said ACLU of Virginia Legal Director Rebecca Glenberg.

The ACLU’s press release notes that “The Ten Commandments are posted on a main hallway at the high school, near the trophy case and on the way to the cafeteria, where it is seen by students every day.”

If that’s not enough for a sensitive, easily offended student to lose his or her lunch, what is?

According to Liberty Counsel, which is representing the school district, “The Virginia Standards of Learning requires students to know about the foundational principles of civilizations, including the Hebrews, and the foundations of law and government. Secular textbooks published by Prentice Hall and McGraw-Hill trace the roots of democracy and law and specifically refer to the Ten Commandments and many of the documents posted as part of the Foundations Display.”

To the ACLU, the other documents are fig leaves:

“Given the history of the School Board’s Ten Commandments displays, any alleged secular purpose for the current displays are [sic], and will be perceived as, a sham. The displays were erected with the primary aim of advancing religion.”

 

It’s a warped reversal of the ACLU’s logic back when they argued that fig leaves like Hugh Hefner’s hedonistic “Playboy Philosophy” essays turned his skin magazines into constitutionally protected works of literary merit.  Hefner’s primary aim, of course, was to advance pornography (and his wallet), but in the ACLU’s world, that’s more than okay. So what if it was a sham?

C.S. Lewis observed that the agenda of the Left is to make religion private and pornography public.  In Virginia, the ACLU, otherwise known as the devil’s law firm,  is still doing its best to live down to that demonic goal.

Robert Knight

Robert Knight is an author, senior fellow for the American Civil Rights Union and a frequent contributor to Townhall

http://townhall.com/columnists/robertknight/2012/05/13/judge_takes_a_chisel_to_the_ten_commandments/page/full/