It Starts at the Beginning

You bring home the most cherished gift you've ever received in your whole life. The majority of the population has one, but no one has one even remotely comparable to yours! The softest, sweetest smelling, most beautiful baby that you hold safely locked in your cradled arms, may not be your first, or last, but there is no other in the whole world like it. You seem to bring home only masterfully hand-crafted originals. This one, as did the others, came with a package full of "ready to mix; just add teaching" love.

You are fully prepared to place this love among the assortment you already have, and not so suddenly, you realize that the much required staple, teaching, must be added as well, so as to avoid the spoiling of the highly valued love. The land is fully equipped with this "teaching" ingredient, however, it's delicate nature leaves you uncertain of exactly what brand to get, how much to apply, and when to apply it.

These questions are easily answered by God, Himself. You couldn't possibly take counsel, in the handling of your most prized possession, from any other.

Psalms 118:8 It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.

Psalms 143:10 Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.

Psalms 25:4 Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths.

Psalms 25:9 The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way.

Of course you find yourself talking to the all knowing God, when you are caught in a struggle between your own will, and the desire to do the right things in life. So, it should be, when you realize that your wonderful gift of a child has found a will of his own. Immediately you decide that you need some words of encouragement through the confusing task of bending your child's will to fit the needs of others outside of himself. What better time is there to seek the wise and worthy counsel and assistance of the Creator of that very gift you are supervising?

Exodus 4:11-12 And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD? Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.

The LORD told this to Moses, but did He not preserve it for you to read? And can you not have confidence in the very same powerful God that leads His people still? So ask Him. He will give you the purest teaching with which to grow love!

You may still ponder the question of how often you should apply words of wisdom and instruction to this treasure of yours.

Deuteronomy 6:1-2 Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which the LORD your God commanded to teach you, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go to possess it: That thou mightest fear the LORD thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son's son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged.

It won't get much plainer than "all the days of thy life". The truth is that if your words are seasoned with the mercy and understanding that comes from the Holy Spirit within, as opposed to speaking from your own exerted will, you will find your words well received. You will find your child asking for your guidance, instead of avoiding it.

Proverbs 3:13-18 Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her. Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her.

Finally you are at possibly the most important step in the application of teaching; when to begin. As in the creation of any other fine masterpiece, you must begin at the beginning. Oh, you look at this paragon entrusted to you, and think what perfection this is, that God has created! And you are accurate in your thinking! However, the key word, to consider, is entrusted. God made man in His own image. Yet, sin entered the earth, and distorted the reflection of God, on man. Through His almighty design, God has entrusted each of His little ones into the care of a man. So however prodigious a treasure you find yourself holding, at the beginning; it is then that you must start pointing the windows of that beautiful soul toward his own esteemed Maker and Father; in order that The Light may shine into that very soul. If this duty of yours is overlooked, then the eyes of that child will be captured by his own worth above God and others. Any act of selfishness, no matter how minute, should not be left unattended. Oh, how God blessed you when He outfitted that little one with an insatiable desire to learn and to appease you. You may do well in turning that child's desire away from yourself, and toward his Father in Heaven!

Psalms 34:11-14 Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD. What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good? Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile. Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.

Just in teaching a child to control his voice, before he can talk, you are enabling him to seek peace. In the mere task of teaching him to refrain from touching certain objects or from going past the boundaries set for him in the yard, you are teaching him, through your affirmation of his good behavior, to depart from evil and do good. It is most useful to remove many obstacles from the awareness of a child, within his daily surroundings. But you will encounter much trouble, upon interaction with others, should you choose an alternative to adding the ingredient of teaching, at the beginning.

Help Me in Mine Unbelief

Galatians 5:4-5 Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. Think not that this passage is only for the Jews. Any of us, at any time, are guilty of living unto the law, and not unto Christ as LORD. Handle a matter on your own, without consulting the LORD for HIS direction, and notice it is then that you live unto the law, looking for no grace.

For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. We wait for the hope of righteousness. We do not try to achieve it along the way, by making self righteous decisions on every account. One can only include himself in this "we", while communing with the Spirit, and believing that only where there is God's will, there is a way. It was counted as righteousness when Abraham simply had faith. It is no different now.

Galatians 5:7-9 Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth? This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you. A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. The worldly rudiments hinder us. The world's treasures Colossians 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. Why would it have been necessary to state that there is no law against these things? Could it be because there is a time when some say that good comes from the opposition of these things? How often have you been told that meekness is a weakness that will get you nowhere? And is it true that getting angry is a right that you should uphold in order to soothe yourself upon being wronged by someone. Would it be an injustice to never allow yourself to become volatile with anger? Should you overindulge now and then, so you can feel that you have truly lived life? And should you ever meet with inconvenience without trying to change your circumstances? After all, one may be accused of slothfulness were he to live in the confines of contentment and peace. Were he to leave his fate in the hands of another, he would suffer the ridicule of those who actually seek their fortune. Action is the word and work of the day. Never be seen at rest. But, could it be that one cannot truly find faith when not at rest? Psalms 37:7-9 Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil. For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.

Colossians 3:23-24 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.

Lord, in Your name, help me in mine unbelief.

Matthew 13:57-58 And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house. And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.

Mark 9:23-24 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.

Hebrews 3:18-19 And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.

Hebrews 4:14-16 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Here am I, Lord. Help me in mine unbelief.

Deal Bountifully with Thy Servant

Deal bountifully with thy servant, that I may live, and keep thy word. Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law. I am a stranger in the earth: hide not thy commandments from me.

Psalms 119:17-19

Questions to consider….

Do I think of my relationship with the LORD a laborious task to be completed each day? Do I cause my children to take on a relationship with the LORD as a duty expected of them?

Think on this…

What is it like to fall in love? You can remember. Falling in love does not merely involve finding your life's mate; it also includes that friend you meet, with whom you just connect, or that new baby in the family that snuggles really closely to you, as if you were just the right comfort to him. You may find love in that little purr of your kitten, or in the way your puppy cocks his head when you ask him a question. You may even find it in a museum, where colors come alive on the canvas, causing your heart to skip a beat, or in a song that touches your innermost being, bringing tears to your eyes. Though, you can consider the love found between yourself and your soul mate; when you first realized that you were in it for good, and you couldn't find the end of yourself and the beginning of him/her.

Aren't these things given to us as the LORD's token of His affection for us? It is in these things that we find the love of our LORD God. When you think of this life on earth, it is easy to remember that we are just passing through, until that day when we will be with our LORD, yet it's also easy to forget that He put us here for specific reasons. I'm sure we all agree that one of the primary reasons is to spread the Gospel to those who have not heard. Well, couldn't that responsibility be as simple as sharing the connection of all good things with the good and gracious Master? He is the King!

When the king of the land holds a banquet, and you realize that sometime during that banquet, you saw him looking at you, you can't wait to tell someone! Oh, and when he sends you flowers… you're nearly breathless, trying to get to your loved ones to share the exciting news! And once you know him, they all expect that you will introduce them to him. They wouldn't want it so much if you'd told them that you thought he mechanically sent everyone flowers, and that there was so much expected of anyone who knows the king personally. And, though you wish to convey to them that they are only allowed in his presence if they come in washed clothes, you mustn't forget to tell them that (for he is such a loving king) he has new clothing, ready to fit those that he has summoned to his court, so long as they first stop outside the gate to lay down the old ones for these.

We often unload our own expectations on ourselves, our children, and others, despite the simplicity of the expectations that our Father really has for us. He will wash our clothes, if we arrive, humbly, to see Him. And, though we have such experiences in our lives that cause us to come to Him, joyfully, we cannot expect that our experiences will sustain another person past the mere point of wanting to meet Him. We need leave our loved ones with Him for a while, and even beg His attendance to where they are, and trust that He can find them…and know that He has an abundance to offer them that comes from the same wellspring of which He has sustained us. Once He talks to them, on any given subject, our work is simply to point them back to His Word on the matter and to simply go to Him with our fears for their lives in the matter, so that He can ease our suffering of worry, because He has their lives in His hands. His hands are perfect.

Jeremiah 23:23-24 Am I a God at hand, saith the LORD, and not a God afar off? Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the LORD.

Jeremiah 23:29 Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?

God has His purposes in order, and He will convict His loved ones in His own timing. While we teach right from wrong, please share the beauty of all there is to consider, concerning the King. This can really only be done through actions and by sharing the tales of all the good that He has bestowed on you.

On Victory...

There was a war. It was grievous and long, with much bloodshed and anguish. Hatred was found among many; misunderstanding, among most. The battles were endless, it seemed, and much too numerous to count. Some fought for the justice that was branded in their thoughts, usually by the rearing they received when once most impressionable; others fought for mere gain, which was the motivation behind their every thought: the latter due to their forgetfulness of God. By and by the war blazed through endless generations. Over time, there were many prison camps, with vast numbers of souls in capture. There were camps that held events of such horror, one cannot describe them in human tongue. However, others were not so bad. The events of these became repetitious, and somewhat saturated the fire that once induced these souls to fight against unrighteousness. In light of either outcome, it were all the better for those who died the nobleman's death on the front lines.

In the days of old, previous to the heated wages of war, there was Life with Perfection. Beauty also resided there with Goodness and Righteousness. The blissful days were spent in awe and praise to Omnipotence. This was a hardship for one who needed to be worthy of praise, rather than to praise The Worthy: Thus, the spark that lit the fires of pride. When left to choose between the present bliss and the thrills of the unknown, this one chose to leave the path of which he had been placed by Perfection. And the Perfect Way was to show this one that only His Will could prevail.

The Word was spoken, and The Plan put forth, which would settle this matter throughout infinity. War was inevitable, as too was Victory. When Omnipotence gives His life to all, this leaves no room for error. When Pride thinks he's been conquered, his only repose is deceit.

So, the battles rage on, with little concern of Victory's significance. Some say Victory is dead: others never aware of His arrival.

In any occurrence, it should be shouted among the Bride of Victory – "He has arrived! It is finished! His name is our strong tower! Run in, and be safe! Come out of your battles, your prisons, and your captive towers of indifference.

Redemption has freed you! These swords you draw, are they sharpened by the promises of The Word? The shield you carry, does it bare the insignia of Love, painted with The Blood? Does your breastplate reflect The Light? The armor of The Almighty Potentate is issued to those who have heard the cry of Victory, and are ready to uphold His song of peace!"

After all, does anyone ever say, "War be with you."?

Deuteronomy 33:29 Happy art thou, O Israel: who is like unto thee, O people saved by the LORD, the shield of thy help, and who is the sword of thy excellency! and thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee; and thou shalt tread upon their high places.

Psalms 76:1 To the chief Musician on Neginoth, A Psalm or Song of Asaph.

In Judah is God known: his name is great in Israel. In Salem also is his tabernacle, and his dwelling place in Zion. There brake he the arrows of the bow, the shield, and the sword, and the battle. Selah. Thou art more glorious and excellent than the mountains of prey. The stouthearted are spoiled, they have slept their sleep: and none of the men of might have found their hands. At thy rebuke, O God of Jacob, both the chariot and horse are cast into a dead sleep. Thou, even thou, art to be feared: and who may stand in thy sight when once thou art angry? Thou didst cause judgment to be heard from heaven; the earth feared, and was still, When God arose to judgment, to save all the meek of the earth. Selah. Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee: the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain. Vow, and pay unto the LORD your God: let all that be round about him bring presents unto him that ought to be feared. He shall cut off the spirit of princes: he is terrible to the kings of the earth.

Psalms 79:13 So we thy people and sheep of thy pasture will give thee thanks for ever: we will shew forth thy praise to all generations.

Psalms 81:13 Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways! I should soon have subdued their enemies, and turned my hand against their adversaries. The haters of the LORD should have submitted themselves unto him: but their time should have endured for ever. He should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat: and with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee.

Colossians 2:4-15 And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words. For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ. As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments (elementary principles and basic skills) of the world, and not after Christ. For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

2 Timothy 2:23 But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes. And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.

1 Timothy 6:11 But thou, O man of God, flee these things (mention in the previous verses); and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession; That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ: Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.

James 1:25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain. Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

James 3:17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.

1 Peter 2:15 For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God. Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.

1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

Ephesians 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

Drenched in His Word, you shall stand in victory!