Permission to Brag (just a little)

Chase signed up for Bible drills at our church. He started a bit later than some of the other children, but he jumped right in and got on with it. Having participated in AWANA was a big boost for him. However, this is his first time to participate in Bible drills.

For several months the children who participated learned to recite from memory and word perfect 25 scripture references from the NIV translation. Also, there were 10 key passages that the children must learn. For example, if the caller called "The Faith Chapter," then the drillers must know from memory that is Hebrews 11. Also, the drillers must know the books of the Bible in order. Now here's the difficult part. When the caller calls out and then says start, the driller has 10 seconds to find it or recall it from memory in order to step forward.

Let's say the caller called out the book of Amos. The child has 10 seconds to find the book of Amos, place his (or her) finger on on the name of the book on the left or right hand corner, and then step forward. If the caller calls the number of the driller, he must state the book before the book called, the book called and the book after the book called. So for Amos, that would be Joel, Amos, and Obadiah. With the key passage, their finger must be on the passage. Such as "The Temptation of Jesus," the scripture reference must be found which is Matthew 4:1-11, the finger placed anywhere on that passage, and step forward in less than 10 seconds. If the caller calls the driller's number, he must state the title of the Key Passage, the scripture reference and then he will be asked to read a scripture from that passage.

There were three levels of competition--the church level, association and state. Chase advanced to state level this past weekend. At state level competition, the drillers may not use the Bible that they practiced with. Each driller receives a brand new Bible and has 15 minutes prior to the competition to break it in. If any of you have used a brand new Bible knows that is difficult. This presumably levels the playing field. Chase won STATE LEVEL PERFECT! Which means he did not miss any calls--24 in all. Five of the seven elementary drillers (4th -6th grade) from our church received State Level Perfect.

Chase won the Bible he used in the competition and received a certificate for his accomplishment. What can be a better prize than the Word of God? This is Chase's very first Bible of his own. We have plenty of Bibles in the house which he has used. But this is his first Bible with his name in it. He was so excited when he received it this morning in church, he started reading in Matthew. He told me he was going to read through the New Testament.


Proverbs 22:6
Train a child in the way he should go,
and when he is old he will not turn from it.

I pray that as Chase hides the word of God in his heart and learns how to use God's sword that he shall never depart from the ways of the Lord!!

Blessings in Christ--

What Not to Expect from Teenage Son

The following are things I have learned not to expect with a teenage son in the home:

1. To ask him to put away the food after dinner and find left overs for lunch the next day.
2. To receive answers to my questions in a complete sentence.
3. To wake up early.
4. To go to sleep early.
5. Leave for class or work early.
6. To drive slower down our street.
7. For him to ask, "Mother, Is there anything I can do for you today?"
8. Odor free and clean bedroom.
9. To use his dresser and closet for clothes.
10. To put things where they belong after use.

Psalm 127:3 NIV
Sons are a heritage from the LORD,
children a reward from him.

An Inheritance

As a mother of two boys, I want to leave for them an inheritance. I want them to have things that I did not have. I want them to live a better life as a productive member of society than myself or their father. I desire for them to have a godly inheritance. I pray both of them choose to serve the one and only true living God wholeheartedly.

I’ve always admired the story and teachings on Gideon. How God called him a “mighty warrior” yet he was scared to death of what God called him to do. (Judges 6:12) Then by the strength Gideon had and with the Lord with him, the Midianites were defeated. Gideon goes down in history as Israel’s fifth judge. The land experienced peace for 40 years after that. Gideon is listed in the Hall of Faith chapter of Hebrews 11. I wrote a devotional about “What Do You See?” based on this part of Gideon’s life. (Click on the title to read it.)

This past week as I read through Judges I realized I didn’t know the rest of the story. God’s word is written that we may learn from it. (2 Tim. 3:16) After the victory, the Israelites asked Gideon to rule over them. He declined and told them “The Lord will rule over you.” (Judges 8:23) But then he made a request that each one share the plunder with him. From all the gold Gideon received, he made an ephod which he placed in his town. Unfortunately at this point, all of Israel started worship the ephod instead of the Lord. (Judges 8:25-27)

Gideon got back to the business of living his life. He had many wives and 70 sons plus a son of a concubine. Then Gideon died. After Gideon died, Israel returned to Baal worship and forgot the Lord their God. (Judges 8:29-32) Gideon’s son, Abimelech, born from his concubine decided he wanted to rule over the people, which was the position of God. In his quest to be ruler, he raised support in his mother’s home town, Shechem. After being funded by temple of Baal-Berith, he killed 69 of his 70 brothers. Only the youngest, Jotham, of the 70 escaped and spoke a curse over Abimelech. (Judges 9:1-20)

Abimelech ruled for three years and Jotham fled to Beer. The people of Shechem turned against Abimelech. God did this to avenge the blood of those slain. In this battle Abimelech went to capture a tower. The men and women took refuge in it. As he stormed it to set it on fire, a woman dropped a millstone on his head and cracked his skull. Not wanting to go down in history as being killed by a woman, Abimelech asked his armor-bearer to kill him. In my opinion, he was killed by a woman. (Judges 9:22-57)

The lesson I learn from knowing the rest of Gideon’s story is teach my children to follow the ways of the Lord. Gideon failed to do so. He allowed them to worship the ephod he made from the gold. Sin crept back into their lives and multiplied. The son of his concubine brought great grief to the family and the nation. Gideon failed to pass on the godly inheritance as all his children and the nation returned to idol worship.

Proverbs 13:22 AMP

A good man leaves an inheritance [of moral stability and goodness] to his children's children, and the wealth of the sinner [finds its way eventually] into the hands of the righteous, for whom it was laid up.

As parents, the Bible says we’re to leave an inheritance of goodness to our children and even on to their children. I desire and pray this will be ingrained in my boys lives so they may receive the inheritance promised in Jesus Christ that can never be taken away.

1 Peter 1:3-5 NIV

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

Oh Lord, I give You praise for this day. I thank You for Your Word that teaches us Your truths. Lord may we learn from the examples You have given us in Your word. Lord, as a mother, I ask You to help us teach our children Your ways. That we will leave them with an inheritance to pass on to their children. Lord, the inheritance that comes through the resurrection of Jesus Christ that will never perish, spoil or fade away. That through faith is shielded by Your power.

Blessings in Christ--

Note: This post comes from what I learned through the yearly chronological Bible reading with Bev. Please visit her site for more info.

Listen to the Coach

The boys of summer are back in action. Little league baseball is in full swing. My 10 year old son moved up to the major league. He’s playing with the big boys now. There have been practices and practices and practices since the first week of March. The game is on now. The other night our team lost – got stomped actually by another team with experience (mostly all 12 year olds).

On the way home, my dear son started with his complaints about what happened. He didn’t get to play as much as he wanted to play. He played second base for two of the four innings. Twice the ball went past him. He made one really good play by stopping the ball and getting it to first base. Yet it was just a second to late. The runner was deemed safe by the umpire. Throughout the first two innings, the boys of this team seemed to do what they wanted and ignored the coaches instructions. The last two innings, they started to follow instructions and played better. By this time though, the other team had too many runs on them to catch up.

Other team players also displayed attitudes. In a previous game, one said that he was too good to play outfield. He let two balls go past him. The coach pulled him immediately. My son asked why the coach pulled him out or pulled others out. I explained to him that the coach did what was best for the whole team, not what each boy wanted.

After this episode with the team, the coach called a “boot camp” session last night. The boys ran lots of laps. Whenever one person made a mistake, they all performed pushups. If teamwork work was not displayed, such as one boy called he had a fly ball, yet another one tried to catch it anyway. Therefore, the ball fell to the ground. More push ups. The coach is teaching these boys to work together as a team. He is working to empty them of their own selfish desires and play for the benefit of the team. The coach watches the whole playing field, while each player only sees his position.

Can we be like that in the body of Christ? Do we want our own position and think we know what is best? Do we do what is best for the benefit of others? Or what is best for me.

Our Father, the Coach, watches and sees the whole playing field. He knows what play needs to take place to benefit the team. If He instructs us to play a position and we refuse, it affects the whole team. Yet when we heed His instruction, it benefits the whole team. We must lay aside our desires. We must listen to the Coach, our Father.

Christ in His love for us, even though we are sinners, compelled Him to obey the Father. He went to the cross in pain and agony. He prayed and asked the Coach to take it from Him if it be His will. Yet the Father, told Him pay the penalty. Christ obeyed without complaint or hesitation. Christ trusted the call of the Coach. Therefore, we can let the love of Christ motivate us to live for Him and not for ourselves. This will benefit the whole team—the body of Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:14-15 HCSB

For Christ's love compels us, since we have reached this conclusion: if One died for all, then all died. And He died for all so that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for the One who died for them and was raised.

Lord, we give You praise for this day. Lord You are our team Coach. You see the whole playing field—this world. You know what is in the best interest of the team. Lord, I ask You to direct me and lead me in what position You want me to play. I ask You to teach me to play that position well. I pray that I live for Christ and not for myself. I pray I do my part that will benefit the team. May You, Lord, receive all the glory and honor. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

Nothing But the Truth

Have you ever served on a jury or been a witness in the courtroom? Or perhaps you’ve seen court proceedings on television? The witnesses are sworn in before giving their testimony. The witness takes an oath to “tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help me God.” Anyone who is caught perjuring will be punished by the court.

As believers in Jesus Christ, we are witnesses to the world in God’s court. We are to testify to the truth of Jesus Christ. Those who believe in Jesus will be saved from God’s judgment of sin. There is no one without sin and all in need of a Savior. (Romans 3:23)

Perjurers are going to be among us to deceive many. Jesus warned us and told us to watch out for them.

Matthew 24:10-11 NIV

At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.

These false prophets and teachers will slyly distort the truth. It may look good. These teachings may sound good. And it may even sound Christian complete with Christian-ese language. Peter also warned us about those.

2 Peter 2:1-2 NIV

But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute.

How do we know if what someone is teaching is false?

First we need to know the One who is the Truth.

John 14:6 NIV

Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Once we know Jesus as our personal Savior and have a relationship with Him, we will know His voice.

John 10:27-28 NIV

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.

Then we are not to believe everything we hear, but to test it to see if it lines up with the Word of God.

1 John 4:1-3 NIV

Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.

Jesus is the only way to the Father, our God. There is no other way! Period. Recorded in the Scriptures are warnings that godlessness and wickedness will suppress the truth. (Romans 1:18) Beware of those teachings. Flee from them.

Let us also pray for those who are perjurers and those being deceived. Let's pray for them to see the real Light of Jesus Christ.

Follow nothing but the Truth!