Job's Faith - ultimately shaken but not destroyed....

Often, I find myself reading the Word of God and realizing sometimes how much I shrink my faith, if even at the worst possible times I would have faith at all, given the many situations that life brings us:  Pain, suffering, trial, tribulation, joy, heartbreak, peace, war, and the like.  The week before Easter I spent time in the Book of John and as I said earlier listened to the entire CS Lewis's Screwtape Letters.  The point being, have I ever had that moment where the only place to turn was God?  Have I ever had that moment that brought me to my knees and where did my faith take me.As we begin to read,  Job 1, (ESV) Job's Character and Wealth  1 There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job, and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil. ² There were born to him seven sons and three daughters. ³ He possessed 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, and 500 female donkeys, and very many servants, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the east. ⁴ His sons used to go and hold a feast in the house of each one on his day, and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. ⁵ And when the days of the feast had run their course, Job would send and consecrate them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, “It may be that my children have sinned, and cursed^[a] God in their hearts.” Thus Job did continually.

As a parent, we learn a path quickly in this journey, trust God, lean not on our own understanding but trust in God no matter what, pray to Him continually.  Lift up prayers to God the Father every day for our children who are walking with Him or walking away.  God loves them more than we, as parents ever can.

As we continue to read, we learn that there is a dialogue between God and Satan,

Job 1:6-22

English Standard Version (ESV)

Satan Allowed to Test Job

⁶ Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan^[a] also came among them. ⁷ The Lord said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.” ⁸ And the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?” ⁹ Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for no reason? ¹⁰ Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. ¹¹ But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.” ¹² And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand.” So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.

Satan Takes Job's Property and Children

¹³ Now there was a day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house, ¹⁴ and there came a messenger to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them, ¹⁵ and the Sabeans fell upon them and took them and struck down the servants^[b] with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” ¹⁶ While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, “The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” ¹⁷ While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, “The Chaldeans formed three groups and made a raid on the camels and took them and struck down the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” ¹⁸ While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house, ¹⁹ and behold, a great wind came across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young people, and they are dead, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”

²⁰ Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. ²¹ And he said, “Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”

²² In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.

This is a hard part of the story as we realize that his faith is tested and that God is sovereign and that no matter what, Satan can do nothing without God.  God is in control!!!  The hard part of this story, for me, is that in a shadow of an eye and a blink of the light, everything is gone- Everything.  The only thing left was his wife and him and a few servants bearing the bad news.  Job's response amazes me and makes me question my faith, And he said, “Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”

Just when  you thought that nothing could get worse, Job's best friends come to be with him.  At first you think this could be good, they will lay out their hands for him and comfort him and encourage him and urge him to live a life worthy of God, instead they virtually condemn him and say that surely there must be something in his life that is unrepentant and that he needs to turn toward God.  They go on and on in their discourses about the wisdom of God and what God's opinions would be on all this matter.

This should be a careful warning for us all:  Do not try to speak for God, let His words of truth do.  In everything look for God's fruit, if you see it, then don't condemn it.  If you don't see it then help the person(s) look for it.  And if you see the fruit of the sinful nature present, then ask for God's wisdom and discernment in how to handle it (if God wants you involved at all).

There is a moment of that knee bending faith that came to me about 5 years ago and then again 4 years ago - I almost lost my wife to a rare situation that almost brought her body to renal failure.  To this day we do not know how it happens but we know that when she has fevers it triggers that mechanism which breaks down the muscle in her body which overruns the body in which cause life threatening issues, needless to say, thank you Lord that the past few years have been without incident (although this week she has encountered a bad cold which has led to some fevers - praise God that they have not triggered anything!).  After the first episode five years ago, my wife was hospitalized for 6 days.  I had nowhere to go, no place to turn except the Word of God and for friends and loved ones to pray, to pitch in and to comfort my family (I thank God for these people in my life).  My life and my world were turned upside down.  At this time I had a two-year old, and 4 and 5-year-old - what was I to do (after this my outlook and respect for single parents completely changed).  By day four, I was deep into Colossians, Romans and Job and the phone rang and it was the prayer team leader of our church who called to tell me that a few women and her were praying for my wife's healing and for our family.  Right before they called I had this peace come over me.  You see, the night before I wrestled and cried and argued with God and asked him if this was His plan for my life.  After hours of tears and lack-less sleep the words that He was waiting on finally came across my lips - not my will, Lord, but your will be done.  You love her and you know what's best, she is yours, I give everything to you.  After the phone call, I smiled and sang praises to my God.  My wife was still in the hospital for another 30 hours, but I had this unbelievable peace.  What is really cool is that 2000 miles away, my mother-in-law, who was coming back from Florida had this exact time and exact peace that I did - God is in control!!!

After reading and pouring through Job, I had a new-found respect for this unbelievable servant of God:

• He knew Jesus Christ
• He believed that Jesus was to be Messiah and that He alone would be his intermediary
• He defended the weak and poor and the victims of this earth
• He was very content

At this point you are asking yourself, how did he know Jesus, well let me present the following scripture:

Job 9:33-35

New International Version (NIV)

³³ If only there were someone to mediate between us,     someone to bring us together, ³⁴ someone to remove God’s rod from me,     so that his terror would frighten me no more. ³⁵ Then I would speak up without fear of him,     but as it now stands with me, I cannot.

Job 16:19-21

New International Version (NIV)

¹⁹ Even now my witness is in heaven;     my advocate is on high. ²⁰ My intercessor is my friend^[a]     as my eyes pour out tears to God; ²¹ on behalf of a man he pleads with God     as one pleads for a friend.

Job 19:25

New International Version (NIV)

²⁵ I know that my redeemer^[a] lives,     and that in the end he will stand on the earth

Secondly, Job teaches us how we should live in our place in the world:

Job 29:7-17

New International Version (NIV)

⁷ “When I went to the gate of the city     and took my seat in the public square, ⁸ the young men saw me and stepped aside     and the old men rose to their feet; ⁹ the chief men refrained from speaking     and covered their mouths with their hands; ¹⁰ the voices of the nobles were hushed,     and their tongues stuck to the roof of their mouths. ¹¹ Whoever heard me spoke well of me,     and those who saw me commended me, ¹² because I rescued the poor who cried for help,     and the fatherless who had none to assist them. ¹³ The one who was dying blessed me;     I made the widow’s heart sing. ¹⁴ I put on righteousness as my clothing;     justice was my robe and my turban. ¹⁵ I was eyes to the blind     and feet to the lame. ¹⁶ I was a father to the needy;     I took up the case of the stranger. ¹⁷ I broke the fangs of the wicked     and snatched the victims from their teeth.

Some other verses that teach us how to "live"

• Romans 10:9-10 (NIV) ⁹ If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.

• Colossians 3
• Romans 12

He knew the secret to life:

• It all comes from God
• Philippians

I don't ever want to have my faith tested like Job's and I thank God for the blessings in my life.  I have learned to be thankful for the testing of my faith in trials and tribulations.  Sometimes it really hurts especially when the one's we love sometimes are the one's who hurt us most, but then I remember - God is in control!!!

Blessings,

D

Remember the Alamo

Battle Summary:

During the early days of the Texas Revolution, a Texan force under Stephen F. Austin encircled the Mexican garrison in the town of San Antonio de Béxar. On December 11, 1835, after an eight-week siege, Austin's men were able to compel General Martín Perfecto de Cos to surrender. Occupying the town, the defenders were paroled and sent back to Mexico. The fall of Cos' command eliminated the last major Mexican force in Texas. Returning to friendly territory, Cos provided his superior, General Antonio López de Santa Anna, with information about the uprising in Texas.

Establishing his headquarters at San Luis Potosí, Santa Anna began assembling an army of 6,000 with the goal of marching north and putting down the revolt in Texas. In early 1836, after adding 20 guns to his command, he began marching north through Saltillo and Coahuila. To the north in San Antonio, Texan forces were fortifying the Misión San Antonio de Valero, also known as the Alamo. Possessing a large enclosed courtyard, the Alamo had first been occupied by Cos' men during siege of the town the previous fall. Initially manned by about 100 volunteers, the mission's garrison grew as January passed.

The Alamo was again reinforced on February 3, with the arrival of 29 men under Lt. Colonel William Travis. A few days later, the Alamo's commander, Colonel James C. Neill, departed to deal with an illness and left Travis in charge. Travis' ascent to command did not sit well with Jim Bowie, who led the volunteers, and had arrived on January 19. A renowned frontiersman, Bowie argued with Travis over who should lead until it was agreed that the former would command the volunteers and the latter the regulars. Another notable frontiersman arrived on February 8, when Davy Crockett rode into the Alamo with 12 men.

To the surprise of the defenders, Santa Anna's army arrived outside of San Antonio on February 23. Having marched through driving snow and foul weather, Santa Anna reached the town a month sooner than the Texans anticipated. Surrounding the mission, Santa Anna sent a courier requesting the Alamo's surrender. To this Travis responded by firing one of the mission's cannon. Seeing that the Texans planned to resist, Santa Anna laid siege to the mission. The next day, Bowie fell ill and full command passed to Travis. Badly outnumbered, Travis sent out riders asking for reinforcements.

Travis's calls went largely unanswered as the Texans lacked the strength to fight Santa Anna's larger army. As the days passed the Mexicans slowly worked their lines closer to the Alamo, with their artillery reducing the mission's walls. At 1:00 AM, on March 1, 32 men from Gonzales were able to ride through the Mexican lines to join the defenders. With the situation grim, legend states that Travis drew a line in the sand and asked all those willing to stay and fight to step over it. All except one did. At dawn on March 6, Santa Anna's men launched their final attack on the Alamo.

Flying a red flag and playing the El Degüello bugle call, Santa Anna signaled that no quarter would be given to the defenders. Sending 1,400-1,600 men forward in four columns they overwhelmed the Alamo's tiny garrison. One column, led by General Cos, broke through the mission's north wall and poured into the Alamo. It is believed that Travis was killed resisting this breach. As the Mexicans entered the Alamo, brutal hand-to-hand fighting ensued until almost the entire garrison had been killed. Records indicate that seven may have survived the fighting, but were summarily executed by Santa Anna.

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The odds were unbeatable and the men that were defending the Alamo were estimated between 180 to 200 people against an unstoppable force of 6000 Mexican troops.  The outcome was severe and only women and children who were in the church were eventually freed.  The Christian walk is a lot like this.  Our battle cry is Remember the Cross, which was the instrument that saved us from an eternity of punishment for our sins.  Remember Jesus Christ who came, died and rose again for our resurrection.  Remember the love that God has for us that He gave us His only Son - Hallelujah!

If you do not think, as a Christian, that we are at war, then you are kidding yourself.  Ephesians 6, "12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places."

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSFWJycQkb0]

What then, if we are really at war, should we just live each day to satisfy ourselves and to let the world move on?  What if, just what if, we really did have an enemy who wanted to destroy us - no surrender, no prisoners to be taken, that this is a battle for our very souls - then what?

2 Timothy 4:1-3

English Standard Version (ESV)

Preach the Word

4 I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. 3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound[a] teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions,

1 Peter 3:15

English Standard Version (ESV)

15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,

What I learned this past week when visiting the Alamo:

• Worrying beyond the point of action causes nothing but stress and worry and inaction
• Trusting a greater sense of urgency (call it valor, integrity, righteousness) listening to that voice that gives us right from wrong - make a stand when you hear that voice
• You cannot measure cost based on what others think you will lose
• Choose this day who you will serve,  as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord
• Never give up, never surrender and trust Lord with all your heart, soul, mind and strength
• Have others around you who you can trust
• In the end, God wins, therefore, we win

On our drive back to the airport, on a Spring Break trip that took us from Chicago to Dallas, to San Antonio, to Austin, back to Dallas and then home to Chicago - my family and I had a chance to talk about the Bible, about our hopes for them when they became adults and how important their choice in faith is to their mom and dad:

Things my wife and I told my kids:

• We choose our friends, our family is forever and we are to love and respect each other
• We want our children to own our faith in Jesus Christ, therefore, I walks have to be real
• We want them to grow up to be independent, confident, and equipped to navigate the daily jaunts of life - we have to live it and model it for them
• We can agree to disagree, but we still have to respect each other
• No matter what society and life tells us, the Word (the Bible) is true and awesome.
• When talking to them about other religions, we told them not to put down other religions, but rather, to challenge others to have a real relationship with Jesus Christ, not to just be a "follower" but instead a Disciple!

The best thing about this trip was the time that my wife and I got to spend with our kids and how we were able to talk about real life issues both in life and our faith through these circumstances.

I am not sure about you, but today I am remembering the cross, Jesus and how much God loves us for what he did for us!

Blessings,

Dante

Count your blessings

I am not sure about you, but for me, sometimes in the daily jaunts of life and the trials and tribulations that I may be going through (some of my own device, some of spiritual warfare and others just because of the situations that I am in) I forget to count my blessings.  Also, when I look back at my journal and prayer log I find myself amazed at God's faithfulness even when I am not.Jesus asks all of of to be faithful stewards with our time, talent and treasure.  He wants us not to just be followers, but to be actively involved in his path to discipleship and in teaching others about the Good News (the Gospel of Christ).

2 Timothy 2:12-14

English Standard Version (ESV)

12 if we endure, we will also reign with him;if we deny him, he also will deny us;13 if we are faithless, he remains faithful—

for he cannot deny himself.

A Worker Approved by God

14 Remind them of these things, and charge them before God[a] not to quarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers.

2 Peter 3:9

English Standard Version (ESV)

9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you,[a] not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

Psalm 103:2

English Standard Version (ESV)

2 Bless the Lord, O my soul,and forget not all his benefits,

2 Timothy 3:16-17

English Standard Version (ESV)

16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God[a] may be complete, equipped for every good work.

So, now that Scripture is clear, please indulge me while I count my blessings:

• For a loving wife
• For three beautiful children
• For a Church that stands on the word of God
• For friends who love me
• For Men of Faith
• For the gift of work
• For the gift of marriage (between one man and one woman)
• For discernment and wisdom in various situations
• For being an Elder
• For vacation(s)
• For a school staff that love my children

What are some of your blessings?  Have you counted them recently?

Blessings,

Dante

Through the storms in life (our trials and tribulations)

Last night I had the pleasure to teach on our Midweek Service at my church.  I was humbled to be in that position and it felt very good to see the Word resonate and make a difference in peoples lives.  The main scripture that was taught was:

Mark 4:35-41

New International Version (NIV)

Jesus Calms the Storm

³⁵ That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” ³⁶ Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. ³⁷ A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. ³⁸ Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”

³⁹ He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

⁴⁰ He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

⁴¹ They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

I do not know about you, but what this said to me was that I need to let things go.  That is, to say, that I have been given gifts by the Spirit that God promises to those who love him and I am called to use this gifts to build his Kingdom.  For some that means the gift of giving, for others the gift of hospitality and so on and so on as each of us have been given different gifts which make up the body of Christ.  Jesus tells us in Scripture that if they have persecuted him that we (those who profess His name) will surely be persecuted - so then why do we think that Christianity and our disciples walk should be easy?  It's not!

As in life, as in Discipleship, there are highs and lows and different seasons for us all.  In the book of James we read:

James 1:2-4

New International Version (NIV)

Trials and Temptations

² Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,^[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³ because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. ⁴ Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

I used to struggle with the phrase, "Consider it pure Joy" until I came through some of those trials and tribulations.  I think the ultimate compliment to any disciple is that when the world and the chruch looks at them, that they no longer see that person, rather, they see Jesus.  To me, that is gain, and all else is loss.  The thing is that we are going to struggle and we are going to face trial and tribulations - the problem is not whether or not we face them, but are we going to try and go at this alone or lean on Him who controls the storms and sea and the winds...?

Isaiah 43:16-19

New International Version (NIV)

¹⁶ This is what the Lord says—he who made a way through the sea,a path through the mighty waters,¹⁷ who drew out the chariots and horses,the army and reinforcements together,and they lay there, never to rise again,extinguished, snuffed out like a wick:¹⁸ “Forget the former things;do not dwell on the past.¹⁹ See, I am doing a new thing!Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?I am making a way in the wildernessand streams in the wasteland.

What Jesus is really telling His disciples is, do you trust me?  Have I taken you this far to let go?  All he is asking of us (for what he has done for us) is to let go and let God have control over all of our lives...

What does it take for you:  PROAPT

Pray - "Lord, teach me your way"Read - (read His word)Observe (What is the text saying, what does it mean for our life

Apply - (how can i use what i read and answer to prayers or quiet voice in my life - where should i go)Pray - (be bold)Tell - (Be a disciple - not just a follower)

Thoughts?

Dante

The least of these....most of us

James 1:27

English Standard Version (ESV)

27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, andto keep oneself unstained from the world.

Matthew 25:31-45

English Standard Version (ESV)

The Final Judgment

31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separatesthe sheep from the goats. 33 And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers,[a] you did it to me.’

41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44 Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ 45 Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’

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This morning at our church we had our old teaching pastor and his younger brother (who is disabled and was deemed unworthy of completing seminary due to his condition) teach at our church.  This weekend was to highlight our Reflectors ministry in helping those families that have disabled members.  There was a staggering statistic that 20% of families have disabled family members and that a good portion of these families do not attend a church because either the church cannot handle them, does not welcome them or simply does not carry their burdens (will explain that statement later).

I want to praise our church leadership and the Reflectors ministry leader (aka Vinnie).  I want to thank the leadership for "getting out of the boat" and out of our comfort zone into a ministry that clearly bears the fruit of the Spirit on this ministry.  What compels me to write this post are this:

• We are all broken (a sinful people separated from God if we do not have his Son, Jesus, as our savior)
• We, like Chris (the Pastor's little brother), are broken and twisted inside if we lack the knowledge of Jesus as savior
• We need Jesus, the Holy Spirit and God in our lives
• We cannot do this on our own
• When we are the body of Christ, doing what God calls us to do, instead of what we think we ought to do, God moves in mighty ways
• We need to let go and let God.

This ministry impacted me in a very mighty way a few months back.  As an elder of this church we have to meet with new members (people need to attend our discovery class before they can join and we have to make sure that they know the Lord as Savior as they want to become part of the body of Christ at our church).  Well, I had the pleasure to meet a single mother who had a special needs child.  She asked to meet with me and another elder.  I recognized the name immediately and was glad to meet with her with another elder and myself.  Several years ago (about  10 to 12 years ago) I was, at that time, taking the train into work and would talk to her in the morning.  We would talk about faith and about her son and about life.  I would encourage her to visit our church, but up until just this past year, she never wanted to attempt "church" with her son due to his special needs.  Once, however, the Reflectors ministry took off, more of her friends planted the seed and she eventually came and brought her son.  Upon the first visit she was hooked and then proceeded to join our church.  She wanted to meet me because she heard my name in church as an Elder and wanted to personally thank me for inviting her.  What struck me was how God works on His timing - 10 years he has been working on this lady and was faithful through it all - praise God!

In the message today, Pastor Jeff shared how some families would take their special needs children to various churches and that these bodies would treat them as outcast and would isolate them in such a way that they felt like they weren't welcome.  Things like moving away from where they were sitting to completely being shut-off from the body.  I don't blame the church for this, I blame the ignorance of myself and others who don't understand God's love and His son's heart for the broken.  Because, if I am honest enough, I am like this special needs child whose head (Jesus being our head) is not connected to my sinful body.  Somehow, I need the receptors and neurons and chords and nerves to work and because of my sin - they don't connect.  Once I accepted Jesus in my heart and He called me to be his own -that all changed.

As disciples of Christ we are called to be pure, to be holy and to get out of the proverbial boat.  We are called to be the body of Christ.  We are called to do to the least of these.  We are the least of these in our broken bodies.  Sin separating us from a holy and righteous God - thank you Jesus for what you have done for us.

Jesus is asking us today to do to the least of these as we have done to him.  That is a lesson that I never want to forget.  This was a message that rings truth in my heart, ears, head and soul.

The challenge that we were left with was to:

Serve these needs for the least of these (the least in ourselves, that is, we are all broken)

Treat them as ourselves (special needs are still one of us)

To care for them like we care for our bodies

To love them

The biggest thing that struck me today was watching the parents of those children who were singing with Vinnie and our worship team this morning.  They were smiling and praising God for a church body who told them that they belong to our body.  That we love them and that we are have to carry each others burdens.  I love my church!  I love a God who gave His only son for us.  I love this God who gives me second and third and multiple chances to get out of my way to to follow his Way!

Blessings,

Dante

6 Ways To Build Everyday Character Into Our Children: Part 2

In the late 90′s, Dr. Thomas Stanley of the University of Georgia set out to research and discover the traits of the top leaders, innovators and achievers in various professional industries. Dr. Stanley’s goal was to find out what made these achievers different then the rest of the population and how we too could be more like them. Dr. Stanley’s colleagues initially thought Intelligence (GPA), Top College Attendance and Luck would rank among the top factors for these achievers success. But these factors did not even make the top 10 list.

After thousands of interviews, Dr. Stanley discovered that a person’s intelligence (Most of the subjects were B and C students), college attendance nor luck had much to do with their overall achievement. Almost all of the top 10 factors cited by thousands of these achievers and leaders were character traits learned in the home or through life experience and work.

Therefore (according to Stanley’s research) if we as parents want to truly give our children an advantage in life, we should focus on modeling and building character into our children each and every day.

In this series we will explore 6 ways we can build character into our children on a daily basis:

#2 – Integrity

Integrity can be easily defined as doing what's right even when no one is looking.  Even if no one will find out, even if there is a shortcut.

There was once a time when a man's word was his bond, his honor meant everything and men would duel to the death to defend their word and honor.

Ask anyone who has fallen from grace for lack of integrity and they will tell you it does not happen all of a sudden, it's the slow, daily cutting of corners and "little white lies" that eventually snowball into full blown criminal and immoral actions.

As a parent, whether we like it or not, we are living a 24/7 character profession.  What we do and the examples we set are much more powerful than the words we speak.

If we ask our own children to lie about their age for a measly couple of dollars off an admission ticket, what example are we showing them.

This message from the 80's rang true then and now.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfj3dPkeaqI

Our children learn the importance of integrity when they see their parents valuing truth and living out our moral convictions.

Proverbs 20:7 NASB says "A righteous man who walks in his integrity, How blessed are his sons after him."

Moral Convictions are what a person is willing to die for.

Until you have something worth dying for, you have nothing worth living for.

I often ask atheists this question.  I myself cannot understand living a life simply for my own pleasure with no ultimate reason or higher purpose.  It just seems pointless.

Four convictions worth dying for in our home are: Faith, Family, Friends and Freedom.   

On top of this, we strive to model these convictions in positive ways not negative ways.  We don't go around talking badly about those who criticize us or do not share our beliefs or political opinions.

My kids hear everything that comes out of my mouth.  At party's, gatherings and social events.

Research by David Kinnaman shows that most people know Christians for what they are against (homosexuality, abortion) than what they are for.  They see Christians as a negative group of people and don't want to be apart of that type of negativity.

The following are some practical ways to model integrity on a daily basis to our children:

1. Obey traffic laws and show respect and honor to law enforcement officials.

2. Don't talk or text on your phone while driving.

3. Never ask your children to lie for you.

4. Take responsibility for your own mistakes and make no excuses.  Ask forgiveness for wrongdoings.

5. Fathers, never allow your children to disrespect their mother.

6. Give you children tasks or assignments that require their follow-through without supervision.  Check back to see if they follow through and carry out your instructions on your own.

Stay Tuned for our next trait:  Poise

Patterns and Healthy Habits

Patterns and Healthy Habits

2 Timothy 1 English Standard Version (ESV)

Guard the Deposit Entrusted to You

³ I thank God whom I serve, as did my ancestors, with a clear conscience, as I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day. ⁴ As I remember your tears, I long to see you, that I may be filled with joy. ⁵ I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well. ⁶ For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, ⁷ for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.  ⁸ Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, ⁹ who saved us and called us to^[a] a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began,^{[b] 10} and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, ¹¹ for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, ¹² which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me.^{[c] 13} Follow the pattern of the sound^[d] words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. ¹⁴ By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you

I have been very blessed this past several weeks as I get to be intentional in mentoring and walking in accountability with some of my dear brothers in Men of Faith.  One brother of mine and I have been sharpening and challenging each other to grow spiritually.  He is older than me, but asked if I would mentor him.  I accepted on what condition, that he would mentor me as well, that this would be a give and take relationship.  This has been very rewarding and yet humbling for me.  Over the past two weeks we have been challenging each other to pour into the book of 2^nd Timothy.  There is such wealth in the Bible and in this first chapter alone that we could spend months on end unwrapping this in our men’s ministry.  Three things that I have underlined above are paramount in our discipleship:

What is holding us back?

• Fear?
• Anxiety?
• Stress?
• Anger?
• Unconfessed Sin?

We are not doing this alone.  For those of us that profess Jesus Christ as Savior we know that Jesus promised us that we would not be left alone to tend to his business while he sits at the right hand of God until his time has come.  He has left us His Spirit, our counselor.  We are given His Spirit in us – This very Spirit was from the very beginning of our creation.  This Spirit is part of the triune God.  This Spirit is in us.  This Spirit leads us in ways that we do not always know where we are going, but God does.  This Spirit is of Power and Love and Self Control.

We need to embrace this Power:

• Let Go and Let God
• Let Go and Listen to His Spirit
• When in doubt, pray
• When in confidence, lean not on our own understanding
• When we are sure, praise God
• Do not be afraid!  Trust in the Lord with all of your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.  In all of your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight (Hallelujah!)

The second thing that we learn from this text (amongst many other things) is that we need to have biblical patterns (also hobbies and habits) in our life.  We need margin, that is, stewardship (of our time, our talents and our treasures).   The purpose of biblical pattern in our life is that we hear from God through His living word.  We lean on His word and not on our own understanding.  We form healthy patterns to the wants and desires from God for our life.  We read that He has plans for us that will not harm us and that will bless us by what He calls the abundant life.  Does this mean that we will always be prosperous – yes (BUT NOT IN WORLDLY TERMS).  Don’t listen to individuals who teach prosperity gospel.  God says for us to test him in giving, but he doesn’t promise prosperous gains of fortune, rather he promises blessing.  What is that blessing?  It is different for each one of us.  To some are given 10 talents, to others 5 talents and to others 1 talent.  To some is given the gift of teaching and preaching, to others the gift of mercy and still to others the gift of giving.  In this life, when we profess the name of Jesus, we are sure of two things:  1) Our salvation and 2) that trials and tribulations will come because of this name – Jesus.

By putting pattern and habits and hobbies of biblical application in our life, we can see spiritual growth because it is no longer on our understanding and accord.  Instead, we yield in prayer and meditation to the will of God.  We can avoid pitfalls and temptations from the evil one and spiritual warfare is no longer having its way with us, instead, the true disciple is praying the prayer for Armor (Galatians 6) and leaning on God’s ways and not our ways.

Some of these ways are:

• Praying daily
• Reading the word daily
• Meditating daily
• Attending a bible study, a small group (church) and regularly attending a church body (becoming part of that body instead of being a spectator)

We are to guard this knowledge with our life.  I am a movie guy and the one movie that really drives this point home is The Book of Eli (starring Denzel Washington).  The movie is violent and not for impressionable minds, however, the movie has an unbelievable message about guarding this knowledge – an incredible message.  If you haven’t seen this movie – tell me what you think.  If you are not a violent type of moviegoers than email me at dante@legacydad.com and I will respond to you via email about the symbolism of this message in the movie.

In all that you do, seek first the Kingdom of God.  Love your neighbor as yourself and bear witness to His Gospel.Blessings,

Dante

Raising Kids In A Fallen World

This past week, Dante emailed me asking if his recent post I Am Free To Be Me came off as too harsh or judgmental.  The post talked about a familiar topic here at Legacy Dad - parenting in the world but not of it and raising kids who are compassionate versus judgmental and hypocritical.Here are my comments from an email to Dante.  Dante thought I should share these comments with our entire Legacy Dad community.

My wife and I walk a fine line between in the world and of the world with our kids.  I guarantee some of our friends and other parents in our church do not agree with this parenting choice.  Many Christian parents cloister their children from the world out of fear that the world will influence or somehow infect their Christian children.  To some extent, I agree with them.  At younger ages (under 12) I say protect them as much as possible and to use these years to build a solid Christian foundation in our children.   However, at some point, they are going to be faced with the culture and living in the world.  Our goal has always been to build a solid Biblical foundation within our children so when they do come face to face with the fallen world, they will make the right choices and default to their Christian morals and values.

Unless we raise our kids in a hermetically sealed Christian environment (which I don’t recommend)  sadly these days, they will often be the anomalies among their peers.  Most of my children’s peers for the past 5 years have had no relationship with Christ or a superficial relationship at best.  But rather than only allowing our kids to associate with other Christian kids, we've encouraged them to build bridges and relationships with their non-Christian friends.

My wife and I’s approach is to raise kids who are in the world everyday and who are a light to their peers.  As a result, our kids are accepted by both the Christian crowd and the non-Christian crowd, which both have their positives and negatives.   To date, my kids have been exposed to drug and alcohol use, sexual activity, explicit media, etc. all via their peers both Christian and non-Christian.   However, rather than choosing to take part in these activities, they abstain from them and do what is morally right.  In many cases, they have won the respect of others because of their faith and morals.  Almost daily, we talk as a family about their struggles and their peers making destructive choices.

I'll be the first one to admit, many Christian parents are not comfortable with this environment, yet we are taking this approach to show our kids that they can live in the world but not be of the world.  Even though our kids are exposed to the world, they continue to choose not to succumb to the sins of it.  In our opinion, this is preparing them for life.  When they leave our home, they will be exposed to all the evils of the world and they will be able to make whatever choices they want.  My wife and I are trying to give them a track record of dealing with these issues and choosing not to sin over a several years rather than throwing them to the wolves in college or when they leave our home.

I think a great metaphor is modern video games.  Many researchers think first person shooter games teach and influence kids to kill.  Just as many researchers say it does not.  My opinion is that it is not the games but the child's moral foundation that predicts whether someone would be influenced by this form of media or not.  When my son turned 13, he wanted to start playing these games because most other boys were playing them.   When I questioned my son about this, his answer was that "a game was fantasy not reality".  He said, "in reality, killing is wrong and a sin but killing is also a reality in our fallen world."  Both our kids understand that all forms of media – games, television, and music is not a reflection of reality but fantasy or someones lens of a particular situation, often with an underlying message that may be biased or have an influential agenda.

When it comes to media, my kids have repeatedly illustrated to my wife and I that they understand that many of these people are not role models but lost people without Christ living in a fallen world.  My kids moral compass tells them that this is crude entertainment and not a reflection of God nor reality.  One might argue, why not just filter all their content and not expose them to any of this in the first place?  In my opinion, it's because we are teaching and allowing our children to make their own choices and reinforcing the idea that when you are confronted with this type of media, they have a choice to make and they have to decide whether this is glorifying God or not.  We could filter and control their lives but they are already seeing and dealing with these choices by living everyday in our fallen world.

I honestly believe that if you build the foundation of morals and values strong, it does not matter what the world throws at them as they will default to Christ and their faith.  They may struggle or have setbacks, even strong Christian adults do this, but they are learning at an early age to think for themselves and make educated choices that are consistent with their faith and beliefs.  The reality is that we are all tempted, this does not go away when we give our hearts to Christ, but how we positively deal with this temptation and influential messages, is evidence of our faith, character and submission to Christ.

However, if a child's (or adults) moral foundation is weak, superficial and shallow or the child has not been allowed to make independent decisions often in the past, they may be influenced by these forms of media and that can be dangerous, in these cases greater parental oversight may be needed.  This is a question each parent has to ask themselves and decide based on each child and their current walk with Christ.  My wife and I have chosen to teach independent, faith-based decision making since our kids were toddlers.  The older they get, the more freedom we give them to make these decisions as they prove they are mature and capable enough of making these choices.

I am a lot more lenient on media content as the kids grow older because I know it’s more of a “fitting in” thing among their peers than our kids being influenced by these media outlets.  When we see or hear questionable media, I often let it slide but also explain why it’s not appropriate.  Some parents would not agree with me on this and I would support them.  Again, we are walking a fine line between in the world and of the world and not everyone is comfortable with that nor are their children prepared for that.  Our aim in parenting is always moderation while adhering to strong morals and values.  We are not overly restrictive or fear-based parents (which studies show leads to rebellion and kids leaving their faith) but we are also not liberal, permissive parents that have no boundaries.  Many parents we know do not allow their children to make the choices we allow our children to make but, to each their own.

We’re at the point now where we only minimally filter their media content but we remind them and expect them to choose appropriate material.  We place the responsibility on them and hold them accountability or make comments if they choose questionable material.

Bottom Line:  We could spend all our time filtering and keeping our kids from the evil and influences of the world or we can spend all our time modeling to them what right looks like, what authentic faith is, what Godly choices are and not worry about what the world throws at them.  If our faith is strong and our God is mighty and on our side, why should we fear the world and it’s corruption?  We are trying to show our kids that temptation and sin is real and a fact of life, how we react and the decisions we choose makes all the difference.

Recently, my son was around some friends who were smoking marijuana and I asked him if he had thought about doing it too.  He became very upset with me over the fact that I would question his character or even think that he would do this.  He was hurt that I did not trust him to make the right choice, especially given his previous track record.  I had to change my tone with him, tell him I'm sorry and ensure him that I did trust him and I know he would make the right choice.

Again, this is a scary path for most parents, you are basically testing your children’s faith and character on a daily basis.  However, I honestly believe this is how spiritual growth and discipleship happens.  Our kids will face all these challenges and choices as adults, so why not teach them now?  My wife and I give our kids a lot of freedom and then check, almost daily, how they are dealing with this freedom and the choices they are making.  We are constantly reinforcing what Godly morals and values look like without having to restrict or censor their lives and they have yet to stumble badly with this approach.

The other side to this approach is that although our kids are living in the world and being put in situations where they are facing and dealing with sin, temptation and non-Christians on a daily basis, our kids have also had the opportunity to befriend many lost and hurting kids, give them hope, bring them to Christ or showed them what God looks like.  The only way this happened was by being in the world alongside these lost and hurting kids and earning their trust.

My kids have led more of their friends and on some occasions their friends entire families to Christ in their few short years on this earth, than I have in all mine.  In my mind, this is my evidence that what we are doing (raising kids in the world but not of the world) really works and really builds authentic faith that can be outwardly expressed in compassion and empathy for the lost.

Not sure if this helps or just opens up more questions?

Lance