Tag Archive | parents

The path to true love!

May6

I would like to present a rather radical explanation, in our time anyway, to describe a common occurrence concerning relationships in our society. 

   During the time of adolescence, there is a stirring that becomes keenly apparent to girls early on, and typically to the guys a bit later. It has been assumed by our society that this stirring heralds the beginning of “the search” for a future spouse, and as a result, girls and guys begin counting the days when they will become old enough to date. And, as our society relaxes its standards, the age to begin this search becomes younger and younger. When you add to that the ease of communication between our young people, guy/girl relationships develop in their intensity long before the individuals have reached a level of maturity to be able to handle such intensity. p 71, 3rd edition FD’s

   Society’s definition (a powerful fiery dart) of what the stirring is all about sets individuals, particularly parents, on a hazardous path. Just take a look at the wrecks that have taken place on such a path. In examining these wrecks we find travelers who became disoriented. Their focus became blurred and many lost their way. Their emotional and spiritual health suffering extensive damage.

   Relationships that are formed based on society’s premise of the stirring, are often at risk for failure. Resulting in divorce rising to such proportions that society is tempted to do away with marriage all together. Living together is seen as a viable option to marriage. 

However, consider this

   Remember in Part One, I said that Satan has a plan for our lives and that is to kill, steal, and destroy whatever it is that God has planned for us. Let’s go back to that “stirring” I mentioned earlier. Could it be that the stirring in our heart, which initiates a search for true love, is the Holy Spirit calling us to a love relationship with our Creator? I think so! Why else would Satan enforce a plan to do everything he could to make sure that we misunderstand what this stirring encompasses? p 74, 3rd edition FD’s

    An attitude such as the one above, sounds positively radical to someone who has bought into society’s definition of the stirring. But let’s examine the nature of the path one would encounter if the above attitude was adopted.

   If we could be grounded in our understanding of true love, by spending time learning about true love from the very source of true love, God, then we would enter relationships as whole, healthy, and complete individuals. We would handle problems we  encounter in those relationships from a healthy perspective. Having been taught to recognize genuine love, we would avoid relationships that offered anything less. p 74, 3rd edition FD’s

Therefore, we are faced with a choice.

Which path as an individual should we choose?

Which path would we as parents want to prepare our children for?

When bad looks good!

Aug30

In recent days the headlines have been buzzing with the performance exploits of a certain young entertainer.  She presented herself onstage as someone who was not constrained by any sense of right or wrong, proper or improper public behavior.  And much of the nation was shocked!

And why were we shocked?

Why, because this young lady started out portraying a wholesome image, and parents (many of them Christian) put their stamp of approval on her by encouraging the idolization of their young daughters for her.  Her motivation for wholesomeness apparently wasn’t based in pleasing God, therefore did she ever get off track! Then when she went to the ‘dark side’ suddenly these same parents were horrified at the influence this young lady might now have over their daughters.

Consider this.

Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness, who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. Isaiah 5:20 HCSB

A commentary on this verse nails it when it comes to describing what is going on in our country today:

Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil,…. That call evil actions good, and good actions evil; that excuse the one, and reproach the other; or that call evil men good, and good men evil; Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

Let’s face it, we live in a country that is seeing the verse in Isaiah 5:20 played out in almost every level of society and in every venue.  How did we get so far off track?  A quote from my book should shed some light.

 “… allowing society to have more of an influence on our understanding … than we allowed God to have.” pp. 76-77 Fiery Darts

In chapter 7 of Fiery Darts: Satan’s Weapon of Choice, I make the point that loving God and pleasing Him (not the world) is the best motivation in determining how we should behave.

When we have a clearer understanding of true love then much will change in our lives depending on the extent of our level of what we have misunderstood. We will want to change things like our dress, our attitudes, our activities, our speech and the manner in which we behave towards others.  When we are motivated by a pure love for God, then we will want to please Him in all our ways as 1 Timothy 4:1a points out, “Finally, brothers, we instructed you how to live in order to please God,…” (NIV) Therefore, when we identify things in our lives that don’t please God, we will desire to eliminate those things.

If you identify things in the lives of others that do not please God, why would you want to give them the preciousness of your focus and admiration?  When you choose your objects of admiration, make sure their ways please God.

So parents and young people alike.  Your focus and admiration is a valuable commodity and it should be directed toward those who are worthy.  Don’t throw away your admiration on someone who has fame and fortune just because they have fame and fortune, Duh!.

There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death. Proverbs 14:12, HCSB

Remember, fiery darts are designed to make something that is bad look good.  Just like it says in Proverbs, it may look good to man but it’s a dead end path.

So what must you do as parents?  Model for your children what is worthy of our admiration and what is not.  Talk about why it’s worthy or not worthy.  Be smart about what the Word says about those seeking our children’s attention and direct them towards those whose ways please God.  And most of all:

Dig deep into the Word of God so you will not be deceived by fiery dart thinking and pass what you learn there along to your children.  

Defeating the Enemy-One book at a time!

Apr18

Book signing at Applegarth Books

Things went well at my last book signing.  Dorie & Rachel both were there giving me their faithful support.  Rachel had the poster made (can’t see details because of the glare but it was just what I needed) and provided me with the stand.  This will be handy for future book signings.  While there were family members who weren’t able to attend (some just too far away!!!), it is comforting to know they would have been there if they could have.  Having my family’s support in this endeavor is a blessing from God.

I haven’t any personal ambitions concerning this book for what’s important to me is that other’s learn how to equip themselves to fight victoriously the battle against fiery darts.  With each book I sell, I’m encouraged that one more person has been given instructions in how to defeat the Enemy.

And if I’ve discovered anything, it’s that the skill to identify fiery darts grows with practice.  But I’ve also discovered that with increased skill comes increased attacks.  That’s not necessarily bad news folks!  It’s good news actually because it means more and more Christians are experiencing victory instead of defeat.  AND we live in a time when spiritual warfare has been intensified, SO we need to be prepared.

I’m particularly concerned for young people who live in a world that has trashed God’s standards for conduct.  I’m concerned for parents who have become confused and disoriented about how to raise their children to be strong in the LORD.  I’m concerned about the Church’s failure to support missions and to encourage discipleship; focusing instead too much on themselves.  I’m concerned that godly men and women in the political arena seem to be so confused about the difference between right and wrong.

At the core of the above problems are people who have become delinquent in their communication with God through prayer and Bible study.  Because of this, they aren’t aware of the most subtle and destructive weapon of fiery darts.  BUT I BELIEVE, that these same people will, if alerted, step up to the plate and cooperate with God in transforming their lives to becoming young people who are singleminded about serving their LORD; to becoming parents who know how to shut down the influences of the world on themselves and their children and instead raise up their children to be bold and active in living for God; to becoming the Church that never lacks the resources to send out missionaries (no matter the economic state of their environment) and has their priorities set on making Christ known to the world; to becoming a politician who isn’t confused about right and wrong and is bold and fearless when it comes to taking a stand for Christ.

Hosea 4: 6 (KJV) My people perish from a lack of knowledge.

The ability to obtain knowledge and not perish is available to anyone who desires it.  Hopefully, what you read in my book (and others like it) will alert you to the manipulation you might have succumbed to and you will turn to God and His Word and keep the Enemy at bay!