The Costs

Here I sit - at four o'clock in the morning - wide awake. My wife and I do not seem to get too much sleep these days, it is rare that either one of us get a full night of sleep. With a three-month-old, a three-year-old, a five-year-old, and an eight-year-old it seems like one of them is always awake - as if they are taking shifts throughout the night. So far tonight I have visited with three of the four!

A friend recently asked if we sleep well in our house. I responded; we sleep as much as can be expected for having four small children. And I am not complaining about the amount of sleep I get - or lack thereof. My wife and I knew what we were getting into when we decided to have multiple children. One of the "costs" of multiple children is that you must be willing to give up sleep on a regular occasion.

And, when I begin to think about it, there are several "costs" to having multiple children - but I will not begin to list them here. Yet, given all of the "costs", the benefits far outweigh the costs on any list that I could make - starring into the wide eyes of my infant daughter as she looks at me during her 3:00 feeding, singing over my other daughter as she drifts off to sleep with a bit of a smile on her face, and feeling my sons tiny toddler hand wrap my arm tightly around him as we "cuddle" in his bed. Who needs a full night of sleep when you have these gifts?

All this got me thinking about "costs". If we are not willing to face the "costs" we miss out on the gifts that wait for us. This is true in every relationship we have - friendship, marriage, parenting, and our relationship with Christ. But are we willing to face the "costs"?

Sometimes we wonder why we are not experiencing the great benefits in our relationships and yet we are not willing to face the "costs" that are required of us. Do we spend the time pouring into each of our relationships and into the people that we desire to be close to? Are we putting our money and resources into the individuals that matter the most? Are we willing to sacrifice some of the small things in order to build something that lasts?

Often the "costs" that we must face are sacrifices to us directly. We can never hope to build lasting relationships with friends, spouses, children, or Christ if we are overly focused on ourselves. Selfishness makes us more aware of the "costs" and causes us to overlook the gifts.

So let us take our focus off of ourselves and place our focus on others. And let us stop concentrating on the "costs" and begin to appreciate the gifts.

Encouragement for Believers

Are you looking for some encouragement?

Read the Apostle Paul's exhortation to the church in 1st Corinthians 1:1-9. The following at truths for every follower of Jesus Christ, who holds Him as their Lord and Savior.

You are sanctified in Christ Jesus
You have been set apart by Jesus for a special purpose.
You have been marked by the blood of Jesus to accomplish His distinct purpose.

You are called to be holy
You have been invited - urged - to be the most holy thing. You have been called to be a saint.

You have been enriched in every way
You have been made rich - given spiritual riches

You do not lack any spiritual gift
You have been given every gift you need
You are lacking nothing that is required

Jesus will keep you strong to the end
Jesus will confirm you to the final days - bringing you confidence and assurance in your faith

You have been called by God
This call that you have been given is a personal invitation, given to you by God, your heavenly Father.

God, who has called you into fellowship with His Son Jesus Christ, our Lord, is faithful.

Teaching: God's Faith through Spiritual Gifts

1 Corinthians 1:4-7

·         Enriched in every way

·         Do not lack any spiritual gift

The Corinthians church had all of the spiritual gifts that they needed to live the Christian life, to witness for Christ, and to stand against the paganism and immorality of Corinth. But instead of using what God had given to them, they were arguing over which gifts were more important

Do we understand this passage?

We must not miss this; God has equipped you with every spiritual gift that you need – know that believe it, and stand faithfully on it. We must not miss this and we must not allow others to miss this; God has given us all that we need.

Before we start talking about spiritual gifts though, we must understand that God has given us all that we need to live the life He has called us to live – that is perfection in Him

•         All that we need to know about Him is in His Word

•         All that we need to obey Him is in His Spirit

Romans 12:4-8

·         One in the body of Christ – we belong to one another

·         We are call to use our gifts generously, diligently, and cheerfully

1 Corinthians 12:4-11

·         Different kinds of gifts, service, and works given by God

·         Gifts are given for the common good, just as God determines

God gives us every spiritual gift we need – we do not lack any

•         God gives us spiritual gifts as He determines

•         God gives us spiritual gifts so that we can build up His church

To use these spiritual gifts effectively we must;

1.      Realize that all gifts and abilities come from God

2.      Understand that not everyone has the same gifts

3.      Know who we are and what we do best

4.      Dedicate our gifts to God’s service

5.      Give our gifts wholeheartedly – not holding anything back

Our role – then – is to be faithful and to seek ways to serve others with what Christ has given to us.

•         And to assist others in the church in doing the same with the spiritual gifts that God has given to them.

1 Corinthians 1:4-9

·         God, who called you into fellowship with Christ is faithful

Hebrews 10:23-24

·         Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess

·         God, who promised, is faithful

·         Let us consider how we may spur one another on

·         Let us not give up meeting together

2 Timothy 2:11-13

·         God is faithful even when we are not

1 Peter 4:7-11

·         Use our spiritual gifts to serve others.

·         Use our spiritual gifts faithfully administering God’s grace

PRAYER:

·         Praising God for the spiritual gifts that He has given to us,

·         Praising God for His faithfulness,

·         Asking for discernment in the body regarding our spiritual gifts,

·         Asking guidance in the use of our spiritual gifts.

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

·         God is faithful to sanctify you (set you apart for sacred use)

·         God is faithful to keep you blameless until the end

Revolutionary Parenting

I recently finished "Revolutionary Parenting" by George Barna, based on the research and data that was collected over several years from - what he calls - "Spiritual Champions" and their "Revolutionary Parents". Because there was so much content presented in each chapter, he included a section at the end of each chapter called "Rapid Review". The following are the reviews from each chapter.

• You cannot control the outcome of your parenting efforts.
• Your responsibility is to be obedient to God in raising your children; you must leave the outcomes up to Him.
• Revolutionary Parents are great coaches.
• Count the costs involved in expanding your family.
• Socioeconomic factors do not provide an excuse for failing to produce spiritual champions. 
• Parenting is your primary full-time job. 

• Focusing upon raising spiritual champions is the chief obligation in the life of Revolutionary Parents.
• Faith in God is very real and central in the lives of Revolutionary Parents. That faith is perceived as the most valuable asset they can transfer to their children.
• Raising a spiritual champion for Christ requires developing and sustaining an authentic relationship with the child, based on love and trust.
• The Christian faith of Revolutionary Parents must be continually maturing.

• The world begin influencing the values and beliefs of your children sooner than you may think. You've got to join the fray when your children are very young. 
• Set responsible goals for your children and stick with them. 
• Every child requires a unique strategy and plan. You can apply the same principles with each child, but you must customize the implementation. 
• Don't force your little people to become big people before they're ready. Let them develop at a pace that suits their God-given makeup.
• Nothing will serve your children better than working on instilling godly character. 
• Use your time well; establish your parenting priorities and major on them.
• You're not your child's best friend, only his or her best parent.
• Your kids need stability; provide the structure that gives the support they need.
• Use your local church as a support system, not as the leader of your children's spiritual development journey. 
• Never lose sight of the big picture of what you are striving to facilitate. Daily nuisances get to you if you're not careful.

• Pick your fights. not everything merits a confrontation. Be prepared to win your battles. 
• Establish clear rules and expectations. You are responsible for establishing guidelines your children can understand and follow.
• Establish and enforce a curfew.
• Participate in the selection of your children's friends. Those peers have a dramatic influence on your children.
• Identity the media regimen you will allow for your children. Limits must be set and enforced, or your kids' media diet will expand according to the time available.
• Empower your children to adopt your morals and values.
• Identify a model of discipline you will use, and deploy in consistently.

• You are in charge of your family. That must be the undisputed truth in the minds of all residents of your household. You cannot allow the kids to challenge or mock your authority.
• Always keep your emotions under control. never let your anger take over.
• When your children ask for an explanation of your decisions or reasoning, give it to them. They deserve it, and it becomes a teaching moment for you. 
• Don't shortcut your role by trying to deliver "quality time" without "quantity time" `as well. Always invest ample time in your relationship and duties with your children.
• Model the principles and behaviors you want the kids to adopt.
• Be consistent. Nothing undermines your efforts like waffling or changing gears.
• Take on the role of spiritual mentor with enthusiasm and expectation. 

• You can't pass on what you don't possess, so be sure you have a vibrant relationship with God. Pursue Him and practice good spiritual habits.
• Regard the Bible as your guidebook. Trust it and rely on it in all circumstances.
• Embrace the existence and significance of absolute moral truths revealed by God.
• Be active in a community of faith.
• Never push salvation on your children. Lead them toward Christ, encourage them to accept Him, but allow the decision to be theirs.
• Serve other people with your children.
• Pray, regularly, openly, and faithfully.

• Teach your children to think independently, based on appropriate principles.
• Be careful that you do not burden your kids with too much activity and responsibility. Just like adults, they can burn out or crack under the stress.
• Help them learn important faith skills, such as prayer, Bible study, and worship.
• Explore different faiths with your children, pointing out similarities and differences.
• Teach your kids the central beliefs and principles of Christianity, using stories and teachings that have personal and practical applications. 

• Children are God's gift to you. Enjoy and treasure that gift.
• Always look out for your children's well-being. It's your job to protect them.
• In raising your children, work as an inseparable, mutually supportive team with your spouse.
• Remember that your children were made in god's image, not yours; raise them that way.
• We were made to be obedient. Satan lives to undermine those efforts. Do what you can to foster a commitment to doing whatever honors God.
• Discipline your children. It's your job. Nobody else can do it as effectively, nor should yo expect them to.
• Provide a positive, nurturing home environment. 
• Show your children what Christianity looks like by the way you live.
• Be firm but gentle with them. You want to shape them, not break them.
• Work at helping them to understand the Bible. It's more important than any other book they will ever read.
• Purify their character. It will define them for the rest of their lives.
• Obliterate any obstacles to their relationship with God. 

A Pleasing Aroma

I like to burn incense in my office at the church. You might think it is odd but it really helps me to focus and creates an atmosphere that helps me read, study, contemplate, and write. Several people have commented on the smell, some even saying that it is a bad smell coming from my office. Yet, to me it is pleasant, and that's the point.

Throughout the Old Testament you can find the words "pleasing aroma" regarding gifts, offerings, and sacrifices made to God. One example is the sacrifices and burnt offerings made by Noah following the flood and Noah's departure from the ark.

Genesis 8 says; "The Lord smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: 'Never again will I curse the ground because of humans, even though every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done.'"

See, the "pleasing aroma" of Noah's Gift moved God, it touched His heart. What is exciting is that we have the ability to do the same.

As David prays in Psalm 141; "May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice."

Is this your desire too? Do you want your prayers to go before God and for Him to accept them as a "pleasing aroma"?

In Revelation 8 John writes; "Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God’s people, on the golden altar in front of the throne. The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went up before God from the angel’s hand."

With your prayers, you have the ability to move God, and to touch His heart.