December 14, 2014

“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation”. Romans 5:1-11

According to this GREAT portion of Scripture, even if you are the Grinch and you don’t believe any of the Christmas story, Christmas means this – GOD BELIEVED IN YOU!

How do I know that?

The verses above clearly say so. There are a number of other portions of Scriptures declaring the same truth.

“But I don’t believe the Bible”, you say.

That changes nothing! He still believes in you!

Christmas happened because God believed in you. He believed you were worth redeeming. He thinks you should have a second chance to be rescued from your sins. He believed it so strongly that He gave His Son in exchange for your salvation. He believes that you are worthy of an even swap – His son for your sins.

Think about that for a moment. Even though you may not believe in God, He believes in you! Even though you may not believe in you, He does! And He is the One Who knows EVERYTHING about you! Imagine all those secrets that you hide from every one for fear if you’re ever exposed you would be flatly rejected by those you love – He knows! And knowing every ugly truth about you He still chooses to believe in you and offers you a chance to be more like Him!

Christmas can make believers out of unbelievers! That is the point of Christmas! God was willing to prove He believes in you in hopes that you would some day be convinced to believe in Him.

Believe it!

December 13, 2014

"And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man." Luke 2:52

One more thought on this comprehensive verse that chronicles the growth and development of our Savior. I have been using His development as a model for rearing our own youngsters. Jesus was well-grounded in His faith, well-rounded in His interests and unbounded in His potential.

I contend we could benefit by adopting this model and establishing these goals in the development of our children.

You may ask, "Are you saying I should expect my child to grow up and become like Jesus? Isn't that unrealistic?"

Well, let's think about that.

Can your child be well-grounded?

Yes!

Your child can and should come to a realization of his need for Christ resulting in a decision to receive Christ as Savior.

Is that not true?

Then your child CAN be well-grounded!

Can your child grow in grace and in knowledge of God's Word?

Of course, if he is exposed to and taught those principals in a regular and consistent basis!

Then your child CAN be well-grounded!

Can your child be well-rounded?

Children are born naturally inquisitive. Young children are on a steep learning curve and find themselves interested in practically everything. 

The real challenge is not as much about making them interested in life but rather directing their interests into areas where they possess the most talent to be effective. Anyone who tries to be good at everything will find himself mediocre in many things.

Your child would benefit from experiencing and experimenting with music, art, sports, handicrafts, outdoor activities, travel, and cultural events.

Once the child shows an aptitude for a few things after experimenting with many things, being well-rounded involves rounding him down to a focus on the few things he does best. There is a life principle that states, "the more narrow the wedge the deeper it cuts."

Jesus, as the Son of God probably did many things well, but the closer He got to launching His earthly ministry the more He narrowed the focus of His life. His life cut deep into the moral history of mankind!

Help your child become well-grounded and well-rounded! But also help your child to become unbounded. Jesus was unbounded in His pursuit of His Father's will.

Brad, what do you mean by unbounded?

By unbounded, I mean unhindered in the ultimate pursuit of God's will and purpose for your life.

Joseph and Mary did that for Jesus!

What are some of the tendencies parents must overcome in order to keep their children unbounded?

Avoid the tendency to over-protect.

When you are charged with the responsibility of bringing up the Son of God Who will save the world from sin, wouldn't you find it tempting to be over-protective?

I would! 

Who wants to be remembered as the person who let something bad happen to God's Son?

But, to their credit, this young couple chosen to be Jesus' earthly parents resisted the urge to over-protect.

Will you ask God to help you keep your kid(s) unbounded in that area?

Avoid the tendency to over-correct.

Can you imagine that Joseph and Mary may have felt the pressure of not allowing the Son of God to become an unruly brat? Don't think for a moment that Jesus wasn't subject to the foolish behavior that afflicts every child. Their challenge was to correct the humanity of Jesus without hindering His divinity! And history reveals that they got it right! 

Will you ask God to help keep your child on the correct path without over-correcting and becoming overly strict.

Avoid the tendency to over-direct.

Every parent knows the temptation of being overly directive toward your child. Any why not? You have lived many years and learned many things with many scars to prove it but your child is young and very inexperienced at living.

Joseph and Mary had the Son of God. They pretty much knew the plan God had for His Son so it may have been less tempting for them to over-direct Jesus.

Pray that God will keep you from over-directing your child so His will can direct them instead!

Those aren't the only ways of putting barriers or speed bumps in the path of your children and hindering how God wants them to develop, but they are three of the most common!

Like Joseph and Mary did with Jesus, we want FredWes kids to grow up well-grounded, well-rounded and unbounded!

Sunday morning when the FredWes kids are up front doing their Christmas program and overwhelming us with their charm. Will you whisper a prayer for each of them and their parents?

December 12, 2014

"And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man." Luke 2:52

Jesus, the Perfect Child was well-grounded and well-rounded. We have already discussed those two aspects of His life and we have held them up as goals for our own children as they develop.

Today, I want to call your attention to a third aspect of Jesus' development as a child, He was unbounded.

What do I mean by unbounded?

Joseph and Mary set up boundaries around Jesus but didn't set up obstacles or barriers in front of Him! Jesus' parents were wise enough to know He belonged to God more than He belonged to them. They knew He belonged to the ages  and not for those years.

Joseph and Mary keep Jesus unbounded by not pressuring Him into a career of their choice or pushing onto a path that pleased them. Instead, they steered Him toward God's Word, toward God's Will and toward His own areas of giftedness. They guided Jesus toward the discovery of His Master and  toward His mission and as He made those discoveries His life took on new meaning. They made sure Jesus life would be defined by nothing less than God's vision for His life.

That is a great model of parenting for those who have small children today. Establish boundaries around them and enforce those boundaries with loving guidance and discipline, but don't put unnecessary barriers in front of them. 

Resist the temptation to relive your dreams or desires through your children. Refuse to superimpose your dreams for your children upon them, but commit to helping them discover God's vision for their life.

Just like Jesus, your child's calling should be decided for him on the basis of God's Word, God's will and the gifts God has invested in his life. 

That is parenting that shapes unbounded children. The only limitations on their lives are those placed by their faith, their commitment, their talents, their gifts, their personal discipline, their motivation, the people they bring around themselves  and their opportunities.

An unbounded child is like a blank check that you have created and nurtured and then given to God to write in the amount.

At FredWes, we want to develop unbounded children! We want to raise up world-changing champions for God who trust Him use their lives "exceedingly abundantly more than they can ask or think".

Jesus grew to greatness by being well-grounded, well-rounded and unbounded. God help us to develop Christ-like kids!

December 11, 2014

"And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man." Luke 2:52

Jesus, the Perfect Child, was well grounded in His faith and beliefs!

At FredWes, we believe in well-grounded kids! We will do the best we can to work with our parents in developing well-grounded youngsters!

Also, we desire well-rounded kids!

Jesus was well-rounded! This verse declares that He grew intellectually, He grew physically, He grew spiritually and He developed socially!

It is not easy for one man to change the world, even if He is the Son of God! For Jesus to have the impact on history that He has He needed to be well-rounded. We know He was intellectually developed because at age 12 He was found in the synagogue debating with Rabbis and Scholars. There are too many examples of His spirituality to list in this short article, take His teachings for starters. And, He had to be physically strong to withstand 40 days of fasting! We also know He was a carpenter. Being a carpenter was physically demanding job.

At FredWes, we want our kids to get the best education available to them. It is important they develop their intellect. It is also important for our kids to be as physically strong and healthy. We encourage our kids to be involved in some sort of athletic activity. Team sports are helpful in teaching many good life lessons. But, we want our kids to put God first and place a priority on their spiritual commitment. Sports are important but always secondary to spiritual commitments. Why would you put temporary involvements above those things that are eternal? Finally, we want our kids to be socially healthy! Faith is best experienced in relationship with others and faith is effectively shared within trusted relationships.

Our goal at FredWes: kids that are well-grounded and well-rounded, just like Jesus!

December 10, 2014

"And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man." Luke 2:52

When you aspire as a Christ-follower to raise your children to also be passionate Christians, it is helpful to know how Jesus grew.

While the Gospel record doesn't provide specific details on Jesus childhood, we do know from this portion of Scripture that Jesus was a well-grounded child.

What do I mean by well-grounded? 

I mean He had a solid foundation of knowledge in the Law and the Prophets and Jewish faith traditions. I can imagine Mary or Joseph telling young Jesus the creation story as they tucked Him in for bedtime. They told of the other Bible heroes like Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Daniel, and David.

How do I know Jesus was well-grounded?

I know because Luke 2 Mary and Joseph found the young Jesus in the synagogue holding His own in discussions and debates with the Religious Leaders, Scholars, and Rabbis. How could he keep up with these learned men unless He, too, was well-grounded in His faith.

As Pastor at FredWes, I want our precious children to be well-grounded in the knowledge and understanding of their faith. I am confident our many fine parents share that goal with me.

To me, being well-grounded first requires knowing Jesus Christ as their personal Savior just as soon as they are old enough to understand their need for salvation. Once they find Jesus they should be able to name all 66 Books of the Bible and their Old Testament and New Testament divisions. Being well-grounded means knowing all the Heroes of the Faith in both the Old Testament and the New Testament. I think, too, it means knowing all the great Biblical stories. It should include having the Ten Commandments committed to memory. They should know the Twelve Disciples and about John the Baptist. Children should know the story of Jesus' birth and why He had to come to earth. And, they should know about Jesus' death on the Cross, why He died and how He rose from the dead.

A house is only as solid as the foundation that supports it. The same is true of a home and the strength of a church is largely dependent on how solid its families are. Well grounded kids can only be raised by parents who are well-grounded in the faith, as well.

Let's raise Christ-like kids that are well-grounded in Biblical truth!

December 9, 2014

"And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man." Luke 2:52

Nowadays we have complete and voluminous pictorial records of our children at every age and stage of development. That is a good thing, but it is also a fairly recent phenomenon due to the rise of technology.

We get just a few glimpses of Jesus as a child and then this summary statement of Him from age twelve until age 30. I certainly would have been glad to know more about Him as a child and then as a teen and later as a 20-something. But instead, I get an 18-year leap and to the time when He launched His earthly ministry at 30 with a brief statement - "And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man."

Another way to state this verse is, "As Jesus grew older He continued to get better!" His personal popularity increased as His spiritual purity became apparent. He was better at 15 than He was at 12 and better at 18 that at 15, and so on.

I think it is safe to say that Jesus, thanks to His Heavenly Father and His earthly parents was very well-grounded in His knowledge and understanding of the Jewish law and customs. He was well educated!

It's also true that Jesus, again thanks to Mary and Joseph, was well-rounded. He was well mannered and had good social graces. He was thoughtful and helpful. Joseph taught Him a trade and made Him a partner in his carpenter's business. According to some secular historians, Jesus was known for His competence as a tradesman. We do know He was able to support Himself and His mother, Mary, after the death of Joseph.

Let me also suggest that Jesus was unbounded. Because of His relationship with His Heavenly Father He had a different perspective and worldview than others. There were times even Mary didn't understand Him and "pondered" in her heart what she saw and heard from Him. Jesus didn't allow Himself to be defined by His parents, by His hometown, by His trade, by His humble surroundings, or by His Hebrew identity. Jesus lived a life bounded only by the will of His Father.

Jesus, God in the flesh, was well-grounded, well-rounded and unbounded. No wonder God could use Him to change the world!

At FredWes, where we have a vision to raise up our next generation to be more passionate about God than we are, this sounds like a good pattern for us to follow. Let's raise kids that are well-grounded, well-rounded and unbounded!

December 8, 2014

"And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told." Luke 2:8-20

I get some of my news from the Free-Lance Star newspaper, I get some news from the Roanoke Times online version, I get some from The Warsaw Times-Union on the internet, some from the radio, some from Fox news, and most from the internet. Rarely do I get good news from any of those sources.

The shepherds got their news from and angel. Lucky shepherds!

As you would imagine, the breaking news that the angel brought was good news! In fact, it was great news that brought joy! Talk about a news flash! One moment these shepherds are staring at the stars and the next moment an angel appears!

What was this good news? God had heard the prayers of His people over the centuries and now the Messiah was about to be born! The silence of God was to be broken and the Son of God would soon appear!

You have to love how these shepherds responded to the news. We can learn from them!

Good news is to be believed!

The shepherds heard the news from angel and believed it! Of course, hearing it from angels makes it a tad more believable! But, also, they believed it because they know the prophecies and were versed in the teachings of the religious leaders. They were spiritually attuned enough to recognize that something was from God! Are you?

Good news is to be beheld!

".....the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

Hearing this news was wonderful! Going to see it would be better - so, off they went according to what the angels had said. They found it to be exactly as the angel had said - except better!

"So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger."

Good news is to be believed and it is to be beheld and one more truth we can learn from the shepherds - good news is to be broadcast!

"When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them."

When good news is believed and beheld and then broadcast, it is believable and it blesses! Good news is meant to be shared!

One more thing about these as they returned from sharing this good news that they believed and beheld and broadcast, one more thing happened to them - they were blessed! When you share good news and it is believed by others, it causes you to believe it more! When you see others be blessed by the good news you beheld and broadcast it blesses you! That happened to these shepherds!

If you want this Christmas to be a time of "great joy", believe the good news that a Savior is born! Do you believe it?

This Christmas can be a time of "great joy" if you will behold the Savior! Take a fresh look at the story. Read it. Read it out loud to someone else. Meditate on it. See Him afresh and new in your eyes of faith! Will you behold Him this Season?

Christmas 2014 will bring you "great joy" if you will broadcast it! Tell others with your lips and with you life that Jesus is born and it matters to you! Who will you tell?

The "great joy" is enhanced when you see others believe the story and when it blesses them, you are blessed! If you want to be blessed this Christmas, share the blessing with others!

How do we know these shepherds, believed and beheld and broadcast it and were blessed? Who else passed on the story? We know it because they were faithful to share it! Will you be faithful with this transforming truth?