Children, Arrows In Our Hands

Rob Whitacre is one of the best young daddies I will ever know.  He is a dear friend, brother and encourager and I want the world to know of his good work especially with the following.  A little lengthy for a blog post, but, then again, it is my blog. :-)  From the hills to the Wildwood and to you, "Children, Arrows In Our Hands."

The Psalmist penned, “Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate” (127:3-5). According to Wilson’s Old Testament Word Studies, heritage means “a possession or inheritance.” Therefore, children are God’s entrusted possessions given as a re-ward for man to guide and to provide him joy and blessedness.

The Psalmist describes children as “arrows in the hand of a mighty man…” Just think for a moment, what would the future of the Kingdom look like if all children from Christian families became faithful Christians? Instead of losing more than half of our children to the world, what if we were able to keep a vast majority? An arrow can be deadly accurate when put into the hands of an archer. Who holds the arrows? The psalmist said, “Happy is the man that has his quiver full…” The Bible teaches us that children are arrows and man is the archer. Where do children go when they are fired by an archer? Wherever the archer aims! What happens if we aim at the Kingdom? They will hit the Kingdom (notwithstanding, the free moral agency of man which at times allows for an errant arrow)! It begs the question if so many children are leaving the church, then where are some aiming their arrows? In this short article let’s examine three vital targets that every parent must aim for as they pull back the bow strings of life.
 
First, and foremost there is the target of Heaven. When an archer misses his target the Greeks would cry out, “hamartia.” This is the word for sin found in the Greek New Testament. Children need to learn about sin from God’s entrusted guardians (parents) and not from a callused and cold world. Studying about sin from the Bible is a godly way of learning about it. Once they understand sin we must help them see Jesus as THEIR Savior who died for THEIR sins. When children understand the consequences of sin we can point them towards the cross of Christ, where they will see the blood of Christ, and therefore want to be baptized into the death of Christ. Beware, a miss of this target area can be deadly to their souls.

Second, there is the target of the Heart. Solomon told his son, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life” (Proverbs 4:23). The tenderness of a child is a key to entering the Kingdom (Matthew 18:2-3). We are living in a saturated culture of sin that is bombarding our children with wickedness in every form. We need to aim them away from vulgar music, evil companionships, the lures of lust, and the dangers of atheism/evolution. Fleeing from and not flocking to sin is the Biblical aim. “You have to try it once to know it’s wrong” is a lethal target for the souls of our children. Parents who allow the world to have free and unfettered access into their children’s hearts will be held accountable before God.

Third, there is the target of the Home. We must teach our sons how to become men despite the role reversals and gender confusion of the American society. God wants us to teach our sons how to be sound in faith (Titus 2:2), loving husbands (Ephesians 5:23), strong fathers (Genesis 18:19), dedicated providers (I Timothy 5:8), examples of faith (I Timothy 4:12), servants of the church, teachers of the Gospel (Matthew 28:19), and future leaders in the church. We need to aim our daughters to be teaches of the Gospel (Matthew 28:19), virtuous (Proverbs 31:10), chaste, keepers at home, wives who will love and obey their husbands, and mothers who will love their children (Titus 2:3-5). Pointing our daughters to be career minded first and foremost is not a primary target given by God! If the family God created is going to survive in the way God made it, we must aim our sons and daughters for their targeted roles.

The Psalmist said, “Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.” In contrast a child left to himself will bring shame to his mother (Proverbs 29:15). Where are we aiming our children? Academics, athletics, and arts are admirable but Heaven, the home, and the heart are Preeminent. I would rather have a son or daughter who was a sub-par student academically, but a warrior for God’s Kingdom spiritually. Children are precious in the sight of God and can be powerful in the hands of those who aim their arrows at the right targets.

“It’s easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.”   ~~Fredrick Douglas~~

Youth Day is coming

I recall one of the first "youth rallies" I attended.  I was excited...didn't know what it was all about.  We did not have a "youth minister" where I grew up, ut some of the older guys went off to college at Lipscomb (one of them my cousin, Don) and sent word back about a youth rally in McMinnville.  Loved it.  As years went by, I found myself organizing youth days and youth rallies.  Still love them.  And I am REALLY going to love this one because it is at my home congregation where I've labored for ten years.  Chris Clevenger is one of my favorite young gospel preachers.  Not only will he be the speaker at our yoth day, but he will also be the preacher for our revival gospel meeting the next day. 

So, if you would, pass this on...bring a group...go to our webpage at www.eastsidecoc.org and get directions.  We'd love to have you...in the Wildwood.

God made a preacher

My beloved bride, Renita knew what I needed and send the following to me.  Thanks to Laura Boyd for the original post and glad to forward it...from the Wildwood. 

Inspired by the popularity of Ram's "God Made a Farmer" Super Bowl commercial...

God Made a Preacher

God looked down on the earth he created and said, "Man has left me with his sin and I need to bring him back"; and so,

... God Made a Preacher...

God said. “I need a man who will talk with Me, starting each day and every day in prayer and will not cease to pray about anything and everything, then having spent all day serving Me, will stay up past midnight listening to Me through my word.”;

So God Made a Preacher...

"I need someone with tough skin, tough enough to handle the harshest critics without retaliating, and gentle enough to comfort those who have been wrongly treated; Somebody to call on the sick, listen to the hurting, help with other’s problems and come home hungry and tired, only to put his own needs aside, and hurry right back out to share with someone the good news of Jesus.”

So God Made a Preacher...

God said, “I need someone to sit up all night with parents whose teenager has run away or whose child is sick to death. I need someone who each week can prepare two sermons from scratch; teach Bible class on a moment’s notice; write a bulletin article worth reading, that few will read; study diligently to understand every word of God’s word so that he can communicate it effectively to others; follow-up with visitors; conduct regular Bible studies; one who will typically finish his 40 hour week by Tuesday noon, then put in another 72 before Sunday comes.”

So God Made a Preacher...

God had to have someone to calm the angry, encourage the faith-hearted, motivate the lazy, strengthen the faithful, promote evangelism, squelch gossip, all without failing; yet, ready to stop at any point and help with some members ‘crisis;

So God Made a Preacher...

God said, “I need somebody strong enough to never show weakness, and yet weak enough to show patience. One who can be an example in word, thoughts, deeds, study, prayer and service; and who will stop his most important work to help with someone else’s simple task.

So God Made a Preacher....

It had to be someone who would dig deep in scripture, prepare messages and not cut corners; somebody to seed, weed and feed the souls of men. To teach and preach and reach those who are lost; to show the light everywhere and go spread the light anywhere; to work with everyone and to work when no one will. Someone whose invests in the family of God as he invests in his own family, giving neither preference over the other. A man who will rejoice with those rejoicing and cry with those who are weeping; he will show humility, wisdom, patience and strength in every situation. Then with a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye, get up tomorrow, ready to do it again.

So God Made a Preacher.

Remembering Mama and Daddy

I remember when...you COULD take a gun to school and show it to a friend.  You didn't hide it from the teacher, not did you take it for a weapon.  Used to trade knives, too.  Didn't use those as weapons, either. 

See, if you did, you were called a sissy...and you did not want to be a sissy.  If you got in a tussle or a fight, you didn't use a weapon.  If you got whipped, so be it...the other guy gained your respect and you probably became best friends.  If you won, that settled it, too.

Side note...Mama and Daddy knew if you took them to school, too, but you also knew IF you used them or even thought about it, neither would have left the house...due to Mama and Daddy.

Boy, when Mama and Daddy ran our lives, it sure was safer...sure wish they were sitting in my office chatting with me and you...from the Wildwood.

Superbowl Sunday and the Spiritual

             Several years ago, a good brother in Christ and I penned some things concerning the Super Bowl.  Blending the “then” with the “now,” we find once again that this Sunday evening will contain one of the most watched sporting events of the year.  Companies spend millions upon millions of dollars for 30 seconds to advertise their product(s) during this televised event.  People will travel to New Orleans from almost every state in our nation via cars and planes. 

For the Christian who enjoys watching football the problem is the time of the game.  Each year the Super Bowl interrupts the evening worship hour of God’s people.

            For some this conflict poses no problem.  They don’t come regularly anyway so no one will think anything about their Sunday evening idolatry in front of the television set.  Some “churches” will change or even cancel their entire serve to accommodate this secular event as they bring in the big screen television and watch the game in the name of “fellowship” (may I say “funship”).  I recall several years ago an article in the Nashville Tennessean where a minister was mulling over whether to attend the Super Bowl or “miss church” because he had won tickets.  The congregation where he preached moved its evening worship service from 6:00 to 4:00 PM for a large Super Bowl party.  His quote… “We just decided this is a phenomenon we want to embrace.”  Physical prioritizing for spiritual compromising…yep, that’s sacrificing, all right.  Yes, you can guarantee I wrote that preacher.

I knew of another congregation that would watch the game until halftime, have a “short devotional service” then watch the rest of the game.  I wonder what would have happened had someone responded to the invitation to be baptized.  Could you imagine?!?!  I can hear it now, “Humph, missed two minutes of the third quarter!”

            Now, before I continue onward…I am not dealing or discussing the good genuine wisdom of elderships or of “brethren meetings” in deciding the best meeting times for a congregation.  For example…

1)      Several years ago, an eldership in Tennessee decided to assist the brethren who drove several miles to worship as gas prices eased upwards.  So, they selected the first Sunday of each month to meet Sunday morning as usual, have a meal and then a 1:00 service to help.  Nothing wrong with that…an honest decision for care and concern (Heb. 13:7, 17).  I recall one of the elders telling me, “And, now, they moved the Super Bowl to the first Sunday, but we know why we made this decision and our members know why we made the change and the Super Bowl had nothing to do with it.”

2)      There are congregations of the churches of Christ who have always met on Sunday mornings due to the distances some members drive, especially in the Midwest and Northeast.  Again, an honest and good decision and they still meet upon the first day of the week (Acts 20:7).

3)      There are congregations of the churches of Christ that change their evening worship times to assist with the time change for elderly members.  Again, not dealing with that.

4)      Not dealing with weather conditions…sometimes it is quite dangerous and again, a conscience decision is made for safety and concern of the flock over which an eldership has the charge to oversee (Acts 20:28ff).

But, the issue for thought is when the decision is made, if you will, to cancel or alter a service solely because of an athletic event.  May I ask, where does it stop?  Should we then cancel certain nights of VBS because of little Johnny’s ball game?  Gospel meeting night for little Suzie’s soccer match?  Why not back up the starting times for Sunday morning for the Daytona 500?

            I am 50 years of age…I’ve watched the Super Bowl evolve into a HUGE event.  It used to never, ever be an issue with the church and it really doesn’t have to become one now.

            For Christians the Super Bowl is viewed as nothing more than another test of their faith.  Beloved, who do we love more?  What is more important?  What would Jesus have us to do?  For those that “seek first the kingdom of God” and have their “minds on things above and not on the things of the earth” there is no choice.  They will meet faithfully Sunday evening and pray, sing and study from the Word of God.

            I recall when the Titans made the Super Bowl, one of the guys at the church where I preached had two VCR’s ready at this house.  He recorded the game as we all were at worship.  When we arrived at his house, he pulled the first tape and popped in the next one and kept recording.  We watched the first one, never missed a play and fast forwarded through all the other stuff.  Nowadays, DVR’s are perfect…same effect (but no tapes).  TiVo is great as well.  Have brethren over that night to watch it but don’t lower spiritual standards and place a secular game with only temporary enjoyment before your spiritual obligations that have eternal rewards and consequence.  Is the Super Bowl really worth Heaven?

            I am thankful to labor at a congregation that our evening attendance is some of the strongest for “Super bowl Sunday” evening.  Afterwards, I have had the blessing of joining brethren to watch the game and have a wonderful time together.

            Enjoying the Super Bowl can be done without a change in our spiritual priorities.  I mean, come on…when you really get down to it, it is nothing but a football game.

            And, well, it’s just not “super” unless my Titans are in it...loyal fan I am...from the Wildwood.

           

Special thanks to my co-author, Rob Whitacre for the article, idea and permission for adaptation.

What will you be worth after your dead?

(A post from the “Hills” instead of the Wildwood, but anyway…)

Elizabeth Taylor made $210 million in 2012; Elvis Presley, $55 million; Marilyn Monroe, $10 million…even Steve McQueen, $8 million.  

And all of them passed away before 2012.

It was interesting to read this in Forbes, 11/19/12 and to see how each of these and countless others made this amount in the past 12 months…yes, after their deaths and in some cases many, many years after their death.

Name power is still strong, of course.  Marketing that name is even stronger.

What crossed my mind?  Of course, I thought of Abel.  “By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh” (Heb. 11:4).  After many more years than those listed above, Abel’s offering by faith still speaks from the dead.

I think of the name power of Christ even to this day from Acts 4:12, “Neither is their salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved.”

How are we marketing HIS name in our lives and by our lives?

And, how much will we be worth after we are gone?  Will our faith live onward?  And, what will it be worth?

Just a thought on a quick Saturday…from the “Hills.”

Which are you?

Can’t take original credit for this…got it some time ago from a church bulletin titled Words of Life, vol.3, # 3, Hickory, KY.  It’s pretty good…enjoy!

A CARROT, AN EGG, AND A CUP OF COFFEE!

 

            A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her.  She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up.  She was tired of fighting and struggling.  It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.  Her mother took her to the kitchen.
            She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire.  Soon the pots came to boil.  In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans.  She let them sit and boil, without saying a word.  In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners.  She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl.  She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl.  Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl.  Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me, what do you see?"
            "Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied.  Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots.  She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it.  After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg.  Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee.  The daughter smiled, as she tasted its rich aroma.  The daughter then asked, "What does it mean, mother?"  Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity.  Boiling water and each reacted differently.
            The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting.  However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak.  The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened.  The ground coffee beans were unique, however.  After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.
            “Which are you" she asked her daughter?  "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond?"  Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?"  Think of this: Which am I?  Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?  Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat?  Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff?  Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?  Or, am I like the coffee bean?  The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain.  When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor.  If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you.  When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate yourself to another level?  How do you handle adversity?  Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?

Thanks for coming by and pilling up a chair for our visit...from the Wildwood.