Thank you Nancy for encouraging me again-love to you and the family your sister in Christ
Psalm 127:4-5, "As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that has his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate."
Many times we forget the purpose of our parenting, don't we? We plod along from day to day with what has to be done and we don't see the future picture. It is good to come back to the Word of God and be reminded of what we are supposed to be doing.
God talks of our children in the context of war. This life is a battle between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan. We are raising our children to be warriors for God's kingdom, to know how to face the battle and to stand strong for God.
Recently, I noticed something important in our above Scripture. We are training our children to speak! Did you notice that? We are to raise children who will speak with the enemies in the gates. In Bible times, the gates of the city were more than an entrance way. They were the busiest place in the city. It was here that the elders sat to rule and direct the affairs of the city. It was here the judges and officers judged the daily matters of the people. It was at the gates the soldiers stood sentinel to guard and protect the city.
And this is where God wants our children to speak--in the important places of the city, the state and the nation. He wants us to raise children who will be able to proclaim His truth in the gates--in the high places where decisions and laws are made. We are living in an era where "Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands afar off; for truth is fallen in the street and equity cannot enter." (Isaiah 59:14-15) In this hour of history, we need to raise children who know more than a few Sunday school stories, but children who understand God's truth, who have discernment and know how to execute justice. We need to raise children who are not afraid to speak God's truth, even in the face of opposition and persecution. The psalmist said, "I will speak of thy testimonies also before kings, and will not be ashamed." (Psalm 119:46) I love the Knox translation which says, "Fearlessly will I talk of thy decrees in the presence of kings, and be never abashed."
Truth is not always easy to make known. People often compromise the truth because they are scared of the repercussions. But we are not raising wimps--we are raising warriors. We are raising children who are not afraid to face the enemy. We need soldiers like C.T. Studd prayed for:
Lord, send us lion-hearted men With good courageous habits, Who ne'er will run from the devil's gun Like hares and bunny rabbits!
Some translations of Psalm 127:5 say, "Contend with the enemies in the gate." Our "arrows" must know how to contend for their faith and the truth.
"How do we train our children to speak?" you may ask. Perhaps Apologetics should be part of every homeschooling curriculum. Our children must learn how to give an answer for the faith that is in them (1 Peter 3:15). Of course, it will be difficult to prepare children to be truth-bearers if we are not heralding the truth ourselves. We must not be afraid to speak God's eternal truths, even when they are counter-culture. The ideologies of our society regarding family are not working. There is so much heartache in marriages and family life. Marriages are continually falling apart. God's way, although different to man's ways are the way to success if we are prepared to be obedient to them. We must not ever be ashamed of the truth. We do not have to be intimidated by our adversaries. We can speak with confidence for we know the way that works!
We should be like the apostle Paul who spoke boldly in the synagogue and in the market place, testifying, reasoning, disputing and persuading people in the truth. The psalmist and Paul both confessed, "I believed, therefore have I spoken." (Psalm 116:10 and 2 Corinthians 4:13) What do you believe? That's what you'll speak about. What are you teaching your children to believe? What is the passion of their heart? That's what they'll speak about. Not cliche's, but convictions!
Never forget--silence is surrender, but speaking the truth can change the culture of the nation.
Raise your children to be warriors for the Lord. Raise them to know the truth. Prepare them to speak the truth--anointed, not-giving-in, not-backing-down words--in the market place and in high places.
PRAYER:
"Lord, please lift my vision for parenting my children. Help me to train them to know and understand the truth and be filled with zeal and boldness to speak your truth to all they meet. Help me to also be a truth-bearer wherever I go and to never be ashamed of your timeless truths. Amen."
Adorn with the flowers of fair speech, kindly intuition, and gracious acts of mercy. Thriftly build upon what you already have. Build and restore that which is broken within and without. Willingly lay down your life that others around you may flourish. Cultivate, nurture, and beautify, with tenderness...
Offer repentance to God and man daily as I do! We may always wonder whether we will gain mastery over your spirit. Cry out every day “Help me God to do what’s right, give unto me Your wisdom and vision.” For God sees you and he knows you. “Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.”
A house is not built except one stone at a time.
Even what has been torn down can be rebuilt for service to God!
Let’s get building the home God has given each of us to cultivate!
thank you; Mercy King, you thoughts are leading...
Psalm 16 "You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing." LORD, You have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance. I will praise the LORD, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. I have set the LORD always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. He will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust."
A Christian Wife is not her own...but fully belongs to the will of her husband.
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.
Matthew 11: 28-30...restraining us and fixing us
As woman we need the strength of a our husbands; their powerful arms were made to engulf the fears that might other wise over take us. To surrounding us with a gird of protection, is actually an investment in themselves. We NEED their sheltering, protecting both body and soul, physically and spiritually. The security of their warriors souls -
Oh to have the refuge of knowing your own worth in the eyes and arms of your beloved, that He will never leave you or forsake you. To know that there is one who will lay down His very life to prevent you from being carried away and ravaged by the enemy.
We relax in the arms of our powerful hero's, knowing no harm can befall us, nothing will cross your path or overtake us. We are a most treasured possession, dearly loved and valued.
It's there we learn to become what we were created for. Where we find our greatest fulfilment, our joy and contentment. From this sheltered vantage point we learn to pour ourselves back out, with all our riches; a soft voice, a trendier touch, encouraging words, diligent, tireless work that can not be bought, or trained, only won. Given as a help meet who desires to please her Husband and bless him with all her might and ability.
For the love of our Husband we will do all things.
Which begs the question... Who is your Husband, really?
Is it not the Lord Almighty? Does He not call you His bride? Did He not plan your days before time began, lay down His very life to protect you from evil? Will He not work out your salvation with you by way of the Holy Ghost? He interceded for you before the throne. His desire is to see you without blemish spotless before the throne. Whether single or married; whether young or old, rich or pour, healthy or sick, are your times not in His hands? Do YOU believe this? Does He love you? Do you not know He is for you? Then Live like you do! Trust Him, and receive your reward beloved. In the arms of the ones we love there is no greater peace, no greater joy, and nowhere else will we find more of a chance at maturating. Of meeting our full potential then in those treasured arms. Oh child, live for your man, be his help meet... but serve your Husband and be His wife.
An so sweet Lord as we maneuver through this world, even at times fighting like children, throwing our little tantrums, struggling and kicking, squirming with all might to get out from under the pains of this fallen world, complaining, comparing, judging, beating my fists against your chest and screaming out what we feel is wrong or unjust, hold us fast, tighten your grip around us, refuse to let us go. Patiently wait for us that we might be stilled, calmed again, falling limp in your embrace, excepting Your wisdom, Your ways, and growing in grace and beauty. Again Thank you for Your ways... Always.
Dedicated to my first born grandson; Joshua Alan Nice Born June 3ed--Died June 5th 2009 and my amazing daughter and son-in-law Crista and Matthew Nice With growing thanks to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, for all things; blessings to my Husband and teacher Patrick Frees and gratitude to my brother, his family, and church for time well spent hiding and healing. Mrs.Theresa Frees
The most excellent study for expanding the soul, is the science of Christ, and Him crucified, and the knowledge of the Godhead in the glorious Trinity. Nothing will so enlarge the intellect, nothing so magnify the whole soul of man, as a devout, earnest continued investigation of the great subject of the Deity.
"And whilst humbling and expanding, this subject is eminently consolatory. Oh, there is, in contemplating Christ a balm for every wound; in musing on the Father, there is a quietus for every grief; and in the influence of the Holy Ghost, there is a balsam for every sore. Would you loose your sorrow? Would you drown your cares? Then go, plunge yourself in the Godhead's deepest sea; be lost in His immensity; and you shall come forth as from a couch of rest, refreshed and invigorated. I know nothing which can so comfort the soul; so calm the billowing swells of sorrow and grief; so speak peace to the winds of trial, as a devout musing upon the subject of the Godhead. It is to that subject that I invite you this morning. " C.H. Spurgeon Excerpt from Knowing God by J.I. Parker
Mom and I went to the park a while back, had a little BBQ by the river.
It was wonderful!!!
I so enjoy being around her.
How often do I miss the best things in my life by simple having the wrong attitude and heart.
Wait--Don't answer that.
Why don't I do what I ought to do or why do I do what I don't like.
Like Paul I am living in this fallen world inside my own weak flesh.
I went riding on the motorcycle the other day with Pat b/c it was SO hot - just looking for a way to get cooled off - very aware of my own discomfort and sadly grumbling a bit. We decided to go by the McKenzie River to see if the air would be cooler, it was- and we were then too cool. (WOW)
I considered this - what comfort loving fleshy people we are. Pathetic really. Without the right attitude we will miss the best the Lord has for us and loose out on so much.
Check you attitude and give thanks in ALL things.
You will find contentment and peace there :0)
Forgive my Lord for taking the good and grumbling about the other!
This is a Day that the Lord has make I will rejoice and be glad in it.
Have you ever found it hard to rejoice in 'this day' that our Lord as given you? Are there times when it is indeed a sacrifice to offer praise? I believe by finding of our praise during times of great trial we strengthen our character & resolve - by making the choice to offer our hearts unto our Lord through wholesome words, deeds and thoughts, especially when it is hardest we are offering a sweeter more pleasing sacrifice. May our hearts find the strength to live for the Lord in the shadow, and may it bring him glory. 2 Timothy 4:17-19 But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion's mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Without God there could be no American form of government, nor American way of life. Recognition of the Supreme Being is the first expression of Americanism, thus the founding fathers of America saw it, and thus with gods help it will continue to be.
Preach it preacher!!!!
My heart honors men such as these. Men with such great valor and strength as to speekout for our great nation,and the way of life in which our Heavenly Father has blessed us in our freedoms if only we will live to hollow His name.
This version: Introduced in House. This is the original text of the bill as it was written by its sponsor and submitted to the House for consideration. This is the latest version of the bill available on this website. HRES 397 IH 111th CONGRESS 1st Session H. RES. 397 Affirming the rich spiritual and religious history of our Nation’s founding and subsequent history and expressing support for designation of the first week in May as ‘America’s Spiritual Heritage Week’ for the appreciation of and education on America’s history of religious faith. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES May 4, 2009 Mr. FORBES (for himself, Mr. MCINTYRE, Mr. LAMBORN, Mr. MCCOTTER, Mr. NEUGEBAUER, Mr. AKIN, Mr. LATTA, Mr. JORDAN of Ohio, Mr. FRANKS of Arizona, Mr. WILSON of South Carolina, Mrs. BLACKBURN, Ms. FOXX, Mr. GINGREY of Georgia, Mr. JONES, Mr. WOLF, Mr. TURNER, Mr. ADERHOLT, Mr. CONAWAY, Mr. SMITH of Texas, Mr. HOEKSTRA, Mr. YOUNG of Florida, Mr. WAMP, Mr. KLINE of Minnesota, Mr. DAVIS of Tennessee, and Mr. BISHOP of Utah) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform RESOLUTION Affirming the rich spiritual and religious history of our Nation’s founding and subsequent history and expressing support for designation of the first week in May as ‘America’s Spiritual Heritage Week’ for the appreciation of and education on America’s history of religious faith. Whereas religious faith was not only important in official American life during the periods of discovery, exploration, colonization, and growth but has also been acknowledged and incorporated into all 3 branches of the Federal Government from their very beginning; Whereas the Supreme Court of the United States affirmed this self-evident fact in a unanimous ruling declaring ‘This is a religious people . . . From the discovery of this continent to the present hour, there is a single voice making this affirmation’; Whereas political scientists have documented that the most frequently cited source in the political period known as The Founding Era was the Bible; Whereas the first act of America’s first Congress in 1774 was to ask a minister to open with prayer and to lead Congress in the reading of 4 chapters of the Bible; Whereas Congress regularly attended church and Divine service together en masse; Whereas throughout the American Founding, Congress frequently appropriated money for missionaries and for religious instruction, a practice that Congress repeated for decades after the passage of the Constitution and the First Amendment; Whereas in 1776, Congress approved the Declaration of Independence with its 4 direct religious acknowledgments referring to God as the Creator (‘All people are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness’), the Lawgiver (‘the laws of nature and nature’s God’), the Judge (‘appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world’), and the Protector (‘with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence’); Whereas upon approving the Declaration of Independence, John Adams declared that the Fourth of July ‘ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty’; Whereas 4 days after approving the Declaration, the Liberty Bell was rung; Whereas the Liberty Bell was named for the Biblical inscription from Leviticus 25:10 emblazoned around it: ‘Proclaim liberty throughout the land, to all the inhabitants thereof’; Whereas in 1777, Congress, facing a National shortage of ‘Bibles for our schools, and families, and for the public worship of God in our churches,’ announced that they ‘desired to have a Bible printed under their care & by their encouragement’ and therefore ordered 20,000 copies of the Bible to be imported ‘into the different ports of the States of the Union’; Whereas in 1782, Congress pursued a plan to print a Bible that would be ‘a neat edition of the Holy Scriptures for the use of schools’ and therefore approved the production of the first English language Bible printed in America that contained the congressional endorsement that ‘the United States in Congress assembled . . . recommend this edition of the Bible to the inhabitants of the United States’; Whereas in 1782, Congress adopted (and has reaffirmed on numerous subsequent occasions) the National Seal with its Latin motto ‘Annuit Coeptis,’ meaning ‘God has favored our undertakings,’ along with the eye of Providence in a triangle over a pyramid, the eye and the motto ‘allude to the many signal interpositions of Providence in favor of the American cause’; Whereas the 1783 Treaty of Paris that officially endied the Revolution and established America as an independent begins with the appellation ‘In the name of the most holy and undivided Trinity’; Whereas in 1787, at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, Benjamin Franklin declared, ‘God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid? . . . Without His concurring aid, we shall succeed in this political building no better than the builders of Babel’; Whereas the delegates to the Constitutional Convention concluded their work by in effect placing a religious punctuation mark at the end of the Constitution in the Attestation Clause, noting not only that they had completed the work with ‘the unanimous consent of the States present’ but they had done so ‘in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty seven’; Whereas James Madison declared that he saw the finished Constitution as a product of ‘the finger of that Almighty Hand which has been so frequently and signally extended to our relief in the critical stages of the Revolution,’ and George Washington viewed it as ‘little short of a miracle,’ and Benjamin Franklin believed that its writing had been ‘influenced, guided, and governed by that omnipotent, omnipresent, and beneficent Ruler, in Whom all inferior spirits live, and move, and have their being’; Whereas, from 1787 to 1788, State conventions to ratify the United States Constitution not only began with prayer but even met in church buildings; Whereas in 1795, during construction of the Capitol, a practice was instituted whereby ‘public worship is now regularly administered at the Capitol, every Sunday morning, at 11 o’clock’; Whereas in 1789, the first Federal Congress, the Congress that framed the Bill of Rights, including the First Amendment, appropriated Federal funds to pay chaplains to pray at the opening of all sessions, a practice that has continued to this day, with Congress not only funding its congressional chaplains but also the salaries and operations of more than 4,500 military chaplains; Whereas in 1789, Congress, in the midst of framing the Bill of Rights and the First Amendment, passed the first Federal law touching education, declaring that ‘Religion, morality, and knowledge, being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of education shall forever be encouraged’; Whereas in 1789, on the same day that Congress finished drafting the First Amendment, it requested President Washington to declare a National day of prayer and thanksgiving, resulting in the first Federal official Thanksgiving proclamation that declared ‘it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor’; Whereas in 1800, Congress enacted naval regulations requiring that Divine service be performed twice every day aboard ‘all ships and vessels in the navy,’ with a sermon preached each Sunday; Whereas in 1800, Congress approved the use of the just-completed Capitol structure as a church building, with Divine services to be held each Sunday in the Hall of the House, alternately administered by the House and Senate chaplains; Whereas in 1853, Congress declared that congressional chaplains have a ‘duty . . . to conduct religious services weekly in the Hall of the House of Representatives’; Whereas by 1867, the church at the Capitol was the largest church in Washington, DC, with up to 2,000 people a week attending Sunday service in the Hall of the House; Whereas by 1815, over 2,000 official governmental calls to prayer had been issued at both the State and the Federal levels, with thousands more issued since 1815; Whereas in 1853, the United States Senate declared that the Founding Fathers ‘had no fear or jealousy of religion itself, nor did they wish to see us an irreligious people . . . they did not intend to spread over all the public authorities and the whole public action of the nation the dead and revolting spectacle of atheistical apathy’; Whereas in 1854, the United States House of Representatives declared ‘It [religion] must be considered as the foundation on which the whole structure rests . . . Christianity; in its general principles, is the great conservative element on which we must rely for the purity and permanence of free institutions’; Whereas in 1864, by law Congress added ‘In God We Trust’ to American coinage; Whereas in 1864, Congress passed an act authorizing each State to display statues of 2 of its heroes in the United States Capitol, resulting in numerous statues of noted Christian clergymen and leaders at the Capitol, including Gospel ministers such as the Revs. James A. Garfield, John Peter Muhlenberg, Jonathan Trumbull, Roger Williams, Jason Lee, Marcus Whitman, and Martin Luther King Jr., Gospel theologians such as Roger Sherman, Catholic priests such as Father Damien, Jacques Marquette, Eusebio Kino, and Junipero Serra, Catholic nuns such as Mother Joseph, and numerous other religious leaders; Whereas in 1870, the Federal Government made Christmas (a recognition of the birth of Christ, an event described by the U.S. Supreme Court as ‘acknowledged in the Western World for 20 centuries, and in this country by the people, the Executive Branch, Congress, and the courts for 2 centuries’) and Thanksgiving as official holidays; Whereas, beginning in 1904 and continuing for the next half-century, the Federal Gvernment printed and distributed The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth for the use of Members of Congress because of the important teachings it contained; Whereas in 1931, Congress by law adopted the Star-Spangled Banner as the official National Anthem, with its phrases such as ‘may the Heav’n-rescued land Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation,’ and ‘this be our motto, ‘In God is our trust!’; Whereas in 1954, Congress by law added the phrase ‘one nation under God’ to the Pledge of Allegiance; Whereas in 1954, a special Congressional Prayer Room was added to the Capitol with a kneeling bench, an altar, an open Bible, an inspiring stained-glass window with George Washington kneeling in prayer, the declaration of Psalm 16:1: ‘Preserve me, O God, for in Thee do I put my trust,’ and the phrase ‘This Nation Under God’ displayed above the kneeling, prayerful Washington; Whereas in 1956, Congress by law made ‘In God We Trust’ the National Motto, and added the phrase to American currency; Whereas the constitutions of each of the 50 States, either in the preamble or body, explicitly recognize or express gratitude to God; Whereas America’s first Presidential Inauguration incorporated 7 specific religious activities, including-- (1) the use of the Bible to administer the oath; (2) affirming the religious nature of the oath by the adding the prayer ‘So help me God!’ to the oath; (3) inaugural prayers offered by the President; (4) religious content in the inaugural address; (5) civil leaders calling the people to prayer or acknowledgment of God; (6) inaugural worship services attended en masse by Congress as an official part of congressional activities; and (7) clergy-led inaugural prayers, activities which have been replicated in whole or part by every subsequent President; Whereas President George Washington declared ‘Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports’; Whereas President John Adams, one of only 2 signers of the Bill of Rights and First Amendment, declared ‘As the safety and prosperity of nations ultimately and essentially depend on the protection and the blessing of Almighty God, and the national acknowledgment of this truth is not only an indispensable duty which the people owe to Him’; Whereas President Jefferson not only attended Divine services at the Capitol throughout his presidency and had the Marine Band play at the services, but during his administration church services were also begun in the War Department and the Treasury Department, thus allowing worshippers on any given Sunday the choice to attend church at either the United States Capitol, the War Department, or the Treasury Department if they so desired; Whereas Thomas Jefferson urged local governments to make land available specifically for Christian purposes, provided Federal funding for missionary work among Indian tribes, and declared that religious schools would receive ‘the patronage of the government’; Whereas President Andrew Jackson declared that the Bible ‘is the rock on which our Republic rests’; Whereas President Abraham Lincoln declared that the Bible ‘is the best gift God has given to men . . . But for it, we could not know right from wrong’ Whereas President William McKinley declared that ‘Our faith teaches us that there is no safer reliance than upon the God of our fathers, Who has so singularly favored the American people in every national trial and Who will not forsake us so long as we obey His commandments and walk humbly in His footsteps’; Whereas President Teddy Roosevelt declared ‘The Decalogue and the Golden Rule must stand as the foundation of every successful effort to better either our social or our political life’; Whereas President Woodrow Wilson declared that ‘America was born to exemplify that devotion to the elements of righteousness which are derived from the revelations of Holy Scripture’; Whereas President Herbert Hoover declared that ‘American life is builded, and can alone survive, upon . . . [the] fundamental philosophy announced by the Savior nineteen centuries ago’; Whereas President Franklin D. Roosevelt not only led the Nation in a 6 minute prayer during D-Day on June 6, 1944, but he also declared that ‘If we will not prepare to give all that we have and all that we are to preserve Christian civilization in our land, we shall go to destruction’; Whereas President Harry S. Truman declared that ‘The fundamental basis of this Nation’s law was given to Moses on the Mount. The fundamental basis of our Bill of Rights comes from the teachings which we get from Exodus and St. Matthew, from Isaiah and St. Paul’; Whereas President Harry S. Truman told a group touring Washington, DC, that ‘You will see, as you make your rounds, that this Nation was established by men who believed in God. . . . You will see the evidence of this deep religious faith on every hand’; Whereas President Dwight D. Eisenhower declared that ‘Without God there could be no American form of government, nor an American way of life. Recognition of the Supreme Being is the first, the most basic, expression of Americanism. Thus, the founding fathers of America saw it, and thus with God’s help, it will continue to be’ in a declaration later repeated with approval by President Gerald Ford; Whereas President John F. Kennedy declared that ‘The rights of man come not from the generosity of the state but from the hand of God’; Whereas President Ronald Reagan, after noting ‘The Congress of the United States, in recognition of the unique contribution of the Bible in shaping the history and character of this Nation and so many of its citizens, has . . . requested the President to designate the year 1983 as the ‘Year of the Bible’, officially declared 1983 as ‘The Year of the Bible’; Whereas every other President has similarly recognized the role of God and religious faith in the public life of America; Whereas all sessions of the United States Supreme Court begin with the Court’s Marshal announcing, ‘God save the United States and this honorable court’; Whereas a regular and integral part of official activities in the Federal courts, including the United States Supreme Court, was the inclusion of prayer by a minister of the Gospel; Whereas the United States Supreme Court has declared throughout the course of our Nation’s history that the United States is ‘a Christian country’, ‘a Christian nation’, ‘a Christian people’, ‘a religious people whose institutions presuppose a Supreme Being’, and that ‘we cannot read into the Bill of Rights a philosophy of hostility to religion’; Whereas Justice John Jay, an author of the Federalist Papers and original Justice of the United States Supreme Court, urged ‘The most effectual means of securing the continuance of our civil and religious liberties is always to remember with reverence and gratitude the Source from which they flow’; Whereas Justice James Wilson, a signer of the Constitution, declared that ‘Human law must rest its authority ultimately upon the authority of that law which is Divine . . . Far from being rivals or enemies, religion and law are twin sisters, friends, and mutual assistants’; Whereas Justice William Paterson, a signer of the Constitution, declared that ‘Religion and morality . . . [are] necessary to good government, good order, and good laws’; Whereas President George Washington, who passed into law the first legal acts organizing the Federal judiciary, asked, ‘where is the security for property, for reputation, for life, if the sense of religious obligation desert the oaths in the courts of justice?’; Whereas some of the most important monuments, buildings, and landmarks in Washington, DC, include religious words, symbols, and imagery; Whereas in the United States Capitol the declaration ‘In God We Trust’ is prominently displayed in both the United States House and Senate Chambers; Whereas around the top of the walls in the House Chamber appear images of 23 great lawgivers from across the centuries, but Moses (the lawgiver, who--according to the Bible--originally received the law from God,) is the only lawgiver honored with a full face view, looking down on the proceedings of the House; Whereas religious artwork is found throughout the United States Capitol, including in the Rotunda where the prayer service of Christopher Columbus, the Baptism of Pocahontas, and the prayer and Bible study of the Pilgrims are all prominently displayed; in the Cox Corridor of the Capitol where the words ‘America! God shed His grace on thee’ are inscribed; at the east Senate entrance with the words ‘Annuit Coeptis’ which is Latin for ‘God has favored our undertakings’; and in numerous other locations; Whereas images of the Ten Commandments are found in many Federal buildings across Washington, DC, including in bronze in the floor of the National Archives; in a bronze statue of Moses in the Main Reading Room of the Library of Congress; in numerous locations at the U.S. Supreme Court, including in the frieze above the Justices, the oak door at the rear of the Chamber, the gable apex, and in dozens of locations on the bronze latticework surrounding the Supreme Court Bar seating; Whereas in the Washington Monument not only are numerous Bible verses and religious acknowledgments carved on memorial blocks in the walls, including the phrases: ‘Holiness to the Lord’ (Exodus 28:26, 30:30, Isaiah 23:18, Zechariah 14:20), ‘Search the Scriptures’ (John 5:39), ‘The memory of the just is blessed’ (Proverbs 10:7), ‘May Heaven to this Union continue its beneficence’, and ‘In God We Trust’, but the Latin inscription Laus Deo meaning ‘Praise be to God’ is engraved on the monument’s capstone; Whereas of the 5 areas inside the Jefferson Memorial into which Jefferson’s words have been carved, 4 are God-centered, including Jefferson’s declaration that ‘God who gave us life gave us liberty. Can the liberties of a nation be secure when we have removed a conviction that these liberties are the gift of God? Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just, that His justice cannot sleep forever’; Whereas the Lincoln Memorial contains numerous acknowledgments of God and citations of Bible verses, including the declarations that ‘we here highly resolve that . . . this nation under God . . . shall not perish from the earth’; ‘The Almighty has His own purposes. ‘Woe unto the world because of offenses; for it must needs be that offenses come, but woe to that man by whom the offense cometh’ (Matthew 18:7), ‘as was said three thousand years ago, so still it must be said ‘the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether’ (Psalms 19:9), ‘one day every valley shall be exalted and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh see it together’ (Dr. Martin Luther King’s speech, based on Isaiah 40:4-5); Whereas in the Library of Congress, The Giant Bible of Mainz, and The Gutenberg Bible are on prominent permanent display and etched on the walls are Bible verses, including: ‘The light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehendeth it not’ (John 1:5), ‘Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore, get wisdom and with all thy getting, get understanding’ (Proverbs 4:7), ‘What doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God’ (Micah 6:8), and ‘The heavens declare the Glory of God, and the firmament showeth His handiwork’ (Psalm 19:1); Whereas numerous other of the most important American government leaders, institutions, monuments, buildings, and landmarks both openly acknowledge and incorporate religious words, symbols, and imagery into official venues; Whereas such acknowledgments are even more frequent at the State and local level than at the Federal level, where thousands of such acknowledgments exist, and Whereas the first week in May each year would be an appropriate week to designate as ‘America’s Spiritual Heritage Week’: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the United States House of Representatives-- (1) affirms the rich spiritual and diverse religious history of our Nation’s founding and subsequent history, including up to the current day; (2) recognizes that the religious foundations of faith on which America was built are critical underpinnings of our Nation’s most valuable institutions and form the inseparable foundation for America’s representative processes, legal systems, and societal structures; (3) rejects, in the strongest possible terms, any effort to remove, obscure, or purposely omit such history from our Nation’s public buildings and educational resources; and (4) expresses support for designation of a ‘America’s Spiritual Heritage Week’ every year for the appreciation of and education on America’s history of religious faith
We live in a world of sound pollution-too much sound all the time. We spend so much time listening to indiscriminate sounds that we often fail to hear the music of life. We need to reduce the pollution and start listening to the most imported music-the sound that makes a Christian household a Christian household.
There is music in the sound of family worshipping the Lord together. There is music in the sound of babies laughing, of children studying at the family table, of sisters preparing meals for their family, and of mom's reading bedtime stories to little ones. When these sounds truly reflect hearts that long to please their heavenly father, they make up the aroma of life well lived before the Lord.
Of course, the most beautiful music to a fathers ear are any sounds which allow him to experience the blessing of which his children walked in truth. On this point Jesus Christ, the author of the Holy Scripture, wrote, "I have no greater joy then to hear that my children walk in truth" 3 John 1:4. I am persuaded that the sounds of a household are a window into the soul of the family.
For most American families today, the sounds being projected today are filled with the noise pollution of the television or even with the discordant shouts of family turmoil. In other cases, the modern household is an empty tomb-a shadow of what family life was meant to be. In these households, there is little sound because there are no children. Or perhaps the silence stems from years of family fragmentation in which mother, father, and children each have their own individualized lives largely lived out far from home.
The Christian household is meant to be different. It is a place of love and living.
And that means noise. It means houses filled with the glorious echoes of babies crying, of children playing, of mothers teaching, of fathers training, and even a few animals chirping, meowing, or woofing. It means life with all it's glory, sadness, and joy. It means happy homes of highly eccentric families, each with their own unique vision, style, personality traits, and expressions.
These homes are not museums. That means that they are rarely immaculate. Gloriously organized chaos is sometimes a more apt description. They are homes made up of grateful and forgiving sinners who recognize that their is no greater joy then to daily experience the nobility of the commonplace, for the simple disciplines of Christian life-prayers, studies, work-to the thrill of watching fathers eating the fruit of their labor, of moms who radiate the glory of being fruitful vines, and of brothers and sisters who gather around the family table like precious olive plants Psalms 128.
Look for these households. For there number is growing. They are part of a great spiritual work where the hearts of the parents are turning to their children and the children to their parents Malachi 4:6. And when you find them, listen. If you listen carefully enough, you may hear the sounds of little children singing. They will likely be singing psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs, or perhaps even the sweet refrains of nursery rhymes and childhood ditties.
But for my taste, there is no sound as exalting to the spirit then the sometimes melodious but always enchanting, lyric exclamations of little ones engaged in a sacred art of home school opera.
Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come before him: worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness. "1 Chronicles 16:29"
Excerpts from The Little Boy Down The Road by Douglas W. Philips
A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts.
I have the greatest work in the world; The job of rocking a baby to sleep, That of guiding his tottering feet, A baby's clothes to launder and fold, A precious life to shape and mold, A drink to give from a little cup, At night his toys to gather up, Hurts to heal and fears to quell, A baby to keep clean and well, A stack of diapers to put, Oh, what a happy worthwhile day! I am a "Mother."
I have the greatest work in to world; A husband to encourage when things go wrong, When he comes from work to greet with a song, Denims and shirts to wash and mend, A helping hand, when needed, to lend, Three times a day is meals to cook, To strive to be my best to look, His back to rub at the close of the day, For his faithfulness to God I pray, When hubby's in the field I take lemonade, for all these tasks his love has Paid. I am a " Wife."
I have the greatest work in the world; A home to keep happy, clean and bright, Make things go smooth and strive for the right, Jams to cook and jellies to make, Cookies and pies and bread to bake, Washing, ironing, and sewing to do, So many tasks, will I ever get though? Lettuce to wash and peas to pick, floors to scrub, lost items to seek, Dishes to wash and windows to shine, These and many more tasks are mine. I am a "Homemaker."
Help me, Father, to faithfully work, Forgive if I unconsciously shirk, give me the patience and love I pray, To keep myself in duties way; With all the hustle that each day brings May I not neglect the needing things; Each day to spend time alone with Thee That Jesus Christ be seen in me. Thank you for husband, our home, our girls and boys; Thank you for love which brings me much joy. Thank you , Lord.
Be a light to your family-- honor the Lord with the days of your youth, for great is the reward.
One of my fondest memories from when I was a young girl is hearing my big brother humming Amazing Grace. He new the Lord long before I… but I received so much of our Lords grace through the transforming work I witnessed in my brother. By GODS grace Sean has always been a rich, living, example of what fervently seeking His face looks like. My brother would be the first to tell you he is not worthy in or of himself, but only by Gods sweet grace has he seen true growth and lasting change in his life. To which he has been blessed to work into his wife, his children, his mother, & his little sister, (and by Gods grace generations to come) Or should I say Gods wife, Gods children, Gods mother, and Gods little sister…
“At the end of the day, the Christian warrior fights for two things. First, he fights for the crown rights of his eternal king, the Lord Jesus Christ. Second, he fights for his wife, his children, his family, and his household (Nehemiah 4:14.) Only on these two grounds does he lawfully war for his nation.” Excerpt from: The Little Boy Down The Road by Mr. Doug Phillips Great book I highly recommend it.
All should realize the sublime idea that their houses are the schools for eternity; their children the scholars; themselves the teachers; and evangelical religion the lesson. Yes, with every infant born into the family comes the injunction from God, "Take this child and bring it up for Me!" God sent this child into the world, to be trained up in the way he should go—that is in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.Those parents who neglect the religious education of their children, whatever else they may impart, are more guilty than Herod! He slew the children of others—they slay their own children! He slew only the body—they slay the soul! He slew them by hired assassins—they slay their children themselves! We shudder at the cruelties of those who sacrificed their babes to Moloch; but how much more dreadful an immolation do they practice, who offer up their sons and daughters to Satan, by neglecting the education of their souls, and leaving them to grow up in ignorance of God and their eternal destiny!
We are to encourage our precious charges to live thankful lives, by example... to be found contented, full of joy and good works.
Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life. 1 Timothy 6:17-19
Don't forgo quiet times of sitting and talking to your little ones, also while you are side by side working willingly with your hands to create a Godly home.
Take great pleasure in expressing with word and scripture your delight in fashioning warmth around the hearth of HOME.
You ought never begrudge this sacred work, be mindful of the seeds you might carelessly plant by a loose word or resentful attitude. And do not grow weary of doing good, but be thankful for the everyday tasks that enrich, and build up, strengthen and bring maturity.
Show the laundry, the dishes, even the bathrooms all as part of you ministry in His name.
And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. Colossians 3:17
Seek creative ways to show gratefulness for their Father... bless their father, honor him in the home always. This will bring such joy to them you have never seen.
Continue to make memories worthy of being pass down to your grandchildren.
Oh what a bountiful harvest you will reap in due time.
Daily bible stories, running hugs, huge smooches, warm smiles and friendly greetings for all who come to your home. Be the first to help, the last to leave, greedily looking for ways to bless. Mindful of others needs, if possible, even before they know them themselves. With this you will earn a good name and find contentment even in weariness of body. But not soul :)
To teach all the academics in the world and fail to do this, is to fail your children.
Hi...I think this is wonderful. Be prepared to give an answer for what you believe. This young girl is clear, kind, and respectful. I enjoy the way the Lord's percepts are spoken with conviction and confidence.
Today I collapse onto your grace my Lord. Grace that has been set aside from me from before time began. You have thought of everything All my needs are met How marvelous are you…
Salah You’re unsearchably sovereign
I’m trusting in the unseen Considering things still approaching.
My hope is in you
You demand that I purposely my thoughts today; No letting them just drift away In this manner I am taught by you To be accountable for what I say and do
It may seem hard – At times it’s all I can do But I find contentment in knowing you are near When I seek you You let yourself be found
Your grace pours over me
I offer my praise My strength is in you my Lord Your faithfulness refreshes me Your words to me are stead fast I am lifted up on wings like an Eagle.
You are sweet and kind to me. I hope in you and I am changed Your words are cool still waters In your meadow I find a reprieve.
Glorify- Worship- and Adore The living God For he cares for you
Praise be to the name of my Lord In whom I will trust - in whom I will rest Here I bring this one request Refresh me, teach me, strengthen me a new That I may continue- and be found pleasing to you.
Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.
“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 1 Peter 5:5-6
Now read all of Daniel 4
If every believer had a spiritual day planner complete with a "to do" list, we might find one common denominator—the challenge to overcome pride is at the top. Perhaps no other spiritual obstacle is quite like this one. A simple reason exists for its Goliath proportions: pride is Satan's specialty. Pride is the characteristic that most aptly describes him. It is the issue that had him expelled from heaven. It is still one of Satan's most successful tools in discouraging people from accepting the gospel of Jesus Christ. Let's not fool ourselves into thinking that pride is a problem only for the lost. The most effective means the enemy has to keep believers from being full of the Spirit is to keep us full of ourselves. No wonder the Bible states and restates that God hates pride. It is the enemy of genuine ministry. It is the end of many homes. Scripture exhorts believers, "Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand" (1 Peter 5:6). God's Word also makes that very unsettling statement in Daniel 4:37: "Those who walk in pride he is able to humble." I believe the sum total of those two verses is that we can humble ourselves, or God can humble us. God won't put up with pride in His own children very long without dealing with it. He's much too faithful—and far too much is at stake. I know from personal experience that humbling ourselves is far less painful than inviting God to humble us. He tends to make sure His lessons "take." I am absolutely convinced that the most painful season God has taken me through to date was primarily to shatter my yoke of pride. A yoke, incidentally, I didn't even recognize I had. Believe me, I'm on the lookout for it now every single day. In some ways, Christians have to be more alert to pride than anyone. If we don't presently have an issue that is actively humbling us, we veer with disturbing velocity toward arrogance and self-righteousness. We are wise to remember that Christ never resisted the repentant sinner. He resisted the religious proud and Pharisaic. Remember, pride wears many masks. I once spoke on pride only to have someone remark afterward that she had far too little self-esteem to have pride. Pride is not the opposite of low self-esteem, but rather the opposite of humility. We can have a serious pride problem that masquerades as low self-esteem. Pride is self-absorption whether we're absorbed with how miserable we are or how wonderful we are. We are wise to be on the constant lookout for pride in our lives. I believe we can safely say that if we're not deliberately taking measures to combat pride, it's probably doing something to combat humility. Pride is the welcome mat in every figurative prison cell. All we have to do to remain bound in any area is to refuse to take responsibility for our strongholds and repent of the sin involved. Pride is a monumental boulder in the path toward breaking free. These are some thoughts God gave me on the subject several years ago. May He use them to speak about the biggest injustice of pride: it cheats wherever it plays.
My name is Pride.
I am a cheater.
I cheat you of your God-given destiny...
because you demand your own way.
I cheat you of contentment...
because you "deserve better than this."
I cheat you of knowledge...
because you already know it all.
I cheat you of healing...
because you're too full of me to forgive.
I cheat you of holiness...
because you refuse to admit when you're wrong.
I cheat you of vision...
because you'd rather look in the mirror than out a window.
I cheat you of a genuine friendship...
because nobody's going to know the real you.
I cheat you of love...
because real romance demands sacrifice.
I cheat you of greatness in heaven...
because you refuse to wash another's feet on earth.
I cheat you of God's glory...
because I convince you to seek your own.
My name is Pride.
I am a cheater.
You like me because you think I'm always looking out for you.
Untrue.
I'm looking to make a fool of you.
God has so much for you,
I admit,
But don't worry...
If you stick with me
You'll never know.
Lord, please help me to remember the ugliness of pride as I go about my day. Thank You for showing me the dreadful effects of this sin. How I want to live a righteous life, in the name of Jesus! Take out my prideful heart and give me instead a genuinely humble heart that is pleasing to You. I love You, gracious Lord. Amen.
Adapted from Praying God's Word, by Beth Moore, pages 57-60. Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 2000.
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
~Use hospitality one to another without grudging.~
1 Peter 4:9
Travel-weary and hungry, our family arrived in town just before dark.
Mama carried the baby while I, being the oldest boy, helped Papa with the luggage.
The scent of cinnamon and cloves drifted out to the yard to greet us. Suddenly the door flew open, and we were assaulted with hugs and greetings by a happy crowd of curly-blond Miller children.
"Here, let me carry that for you," they all seemed to say at once. The oldest daughter asked, "Can I get you something to drink?"
So let's not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good.
At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don't give up, or quit.
Right now, therefore, every time we get the chance, let us work for the benefit of all, starting with the people closest to us in the community of faith. ______________________________________________________
Mr. and Mrs. Miller met us in the doorway grinning. Mama hugged Mrs. Miller and whispered her thankfulness for good friends and warm welcomes.
The Millers house was always warm and cozy, and without a word, we always knew we were welcome; Mrs. Miller and her daughters served our family with joy and ease. It seemed so natural--as if they were doing what they were created to do.
I observed how Mr. Miller pulled back Mrs. Miller's chair before she sat, and I noticed a lump in my own throat as he prayed over our meal at dinner with such passion and genuine gratefulness to his God.
The Millers were Christians, but I have met Christians before--the man screaming on television and asking for money was a Christian. And the lady who lives next door to us must be a christian because she has one of those fish symbols on her car--and she handed me a gospel tract once-- but she must not like being a Christian much because she never smiles.
Mr. and Mrs. Miller seem to smile all the time.
But Papa says the Millers are a different kind of Christian. Papa says being around the Millers makes him 'consider his ways'. Tonight I saw him sitting in the corner thumbing through the Bible...and as I drifted off to sleep, I saw Mama kneeling beside Papa and I could have sworn I heard him weeping.
_______________________________________
Let no man seek his own, but every other man's wealth.
By showing hospitality to others, specifically unbelievers, a family exemplifies the Gospel in a living way.
By revealing what a Godly Christian marriage looks like, your parents demonstrate the wonder of Christ and His Bride.
By honoring your father and serving in your role as a maidenly daughter in your home, you display the appeal and loveliness of contented femininity.
A Christian family working together in love to bless and honor someone else beautifully communicates the scripture directive of putting others before ourselves.
Living out our Christianity in this fashion enables us to develop relationships and credibility with our guests. We may even be asked how in the world our family can function as it does, As God goes before us in this way, we are then ready to share the answer.
Since our righteousness in not due to our own personal human enlightenment, mere coincidence, or any unique spark of goodness we possess on our own, we have the opportunity to testify of the One to whom all glory and honor are due, We can tell of our gratefulness for the inestimable grace and love of our Savior and the power that He has to cleanse us of our sins and transform our families. Compare this ancient method of communicating the Gospel to the modern practice of passing our Christian tracts or street witnessing, and you may decide that you have found a quite natural ministry for your family--one where the whole family can be involved.
Imagine how the simple example of a Godly, loving family working together and joyfully serving others at hearth and home speak honestly of the transforming power and loving nature of God. Consider how communicating the Gospel in a living way, within the biblical roles of a real family, can be and effective means of exemplifying the grace of God and causing others to "consider their ways," When we seek God's wisdom and strength in living our lives and glorifying Him with all we have and do, we communicate Him and His Truth to the world.
"In my view, the Christian religion is the most important and one of the first things in which all children, under a free government ought to be instructed...No truth is more evident to my mind than that the Christian religion must be the basis of any government intended to secure the rights and privileges of a free people. - Preface"
Noah Webster
I posted a link to the Noah's 1828 Dictionary so we can look things up.
Titus 2:4-5: "That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their own husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, Keepers At Home..."
According to the words of God, I, one of the aged women, am commanded to teach the young women to be Keepers at home. This is not a suggestion; it is God's will for wives.
"I would therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully" 1 Timothy 5:14
God's will for a young women, according to the verse above, is that she guide the house and provide no occasion to bring reproach upon the family from Satan.
Let us give each other confidence with joyful noises and love offered through words of encouragement ~ this can mean the difference between gaining ground and giving in. Lady's it is a biblical mandate --it is fun -- and it is something we ought to do more of.
The word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than a two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Hebrews 4:12
Building up our own husbands as leaders with submission and respect
"A true wife makes a man's life nobler, stronger, grander, by the omnipotence of her love 'turning all the forces of manhood upward and heavenward.' While she clings to him in holy confidence and loving dependence she brings out in him whatever is nobles and richest in his being. She inspires in him courage and earnestness. She beautifies his life. She softens whatever is rude and harsh in his habits or his spirit. She clothes him with the gentler graces of refined and cultured manhood. While she yields to him and never disregards his lightest wish, she is really his queen, ruling his whole life and leading him onward and upward in every proper path. -JR Miller
I am the wife of Patrick Frees...Through whom the Lord continues to teach me astonishing things. He is my greatest love and I am committed to serving the Lord by joyfully serving him and my children in our home.
We having been blessed with five wonderful children thus far... I hope you will feel the warmth of Gods teaching hear and be enriched and blessed by what you read.
