​“Then were there brought unto him little children that he should put his hands on them, and pray: and the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” – Matthew 19:13-14

The heart of a child is extremely fragile and yet amazingly resilient. One harsh word can send it into the pit of discouragement; one jester of love can deliver it from years of hurt. Although most would never say it, many churches and adults develop the attitude of the disciples that children are a nuisance and not worthy of being bothered with. “Children are messy, ill-mannered; they’re takers not givers, they won’t pay the bills; you can’t build a church on children”. May I remind you that you were a child? Obviously in Jesus day people had a low view of children; children were to be seen and not heard and the sooner they could work and earn some money the better, otherwise they were only a burden on the family. Lest we think that we have advanced and become more caring, I need only to point out that millions of babies have been aborted by parents that didn’t want the hassle of raising them. Not to mention neglectful parents and those who off-load responsibility on others.

Notice Jesus’ interest in children. He not only counts them important, He says we are to learn from them. One lesson a child can teach is about faith. “Of such is the kingdom of heaven”. Early, Jesus said, “Verily I say unto you, except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” Salvation is by child-like faith (simple, complete trust and dependence). We receive the forgiveness of sins and eternal life by simple, complete trust in and dependence upon Jesus Christ and His finished work on the cross.

Jesus warn against offending children. “But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.” The word translated “offend” carries the idea of ensnaring them or enticing them to sin. Woe to those who lead a child into evil! In fact the Lord exhorts us to do the opposite. We are to seek to lead them to Christ. “Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.”
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Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world and so should we. This month our church has a free Vacation Bible School. What a wonderful time we have each year at VBS as we share the love of Christ with dozens of boys and girls. 

“Children's children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children are their fathers.” – Proverbs 17:6
 
God’s design from the beginning for the blessing and provision of man, is the family. That is why it is so sad that the devil has effectively undermined the family in our society today.  Frankly, I am amazed that more people are not alarmed by the obvious correlation between the decline of traditional families and the increase of a dysfunctional society. Instead society seems to go out of its way to encourage that which challenges the home.
 
As we see from the verse above, God meant for children and grandchildren to be the rewarding crown of old men. However, as families become more fragmented, old men today tend to take more pride in their achievements on the job, or in material things such as cars, houses, gardens, fishing boats or in hobbies rather than in their children. To be honest, many fathers see disappointment and frustration or just have a hard time understanding their children and perhaps even more the grandchildren. Perhaps it is because they put more of their life in their job or their hobby than they did in their child?
 
It is not my intention for this to be a negative essay but I feel the need to remind us as fathers that investing in the lives of your children, grandchildren and in your family as a whole is infinitely wiser than devoting your energies in things that will disintegrate soon after you’re gone. Dad, your greatest legacy and the most lasting contribution you can make to this world is your children! The Apostle John wrote, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.”  Children learn first and foremost from our example. You must be committed to walking in the truth of God if you hope to have the joy of seeing your child live consistent with God’s truth.
 
Notice also the end of the verse, “the glory of children are their fathers”. If you are a father with children still in the home, let me remind you that if you want to rejoice in your grandchildren some day you need to be the type of dad your children can glory in today. Be a man they can look up to and find the leadership and example they need to guide them through this changing world. Be a man they can trust, who is loyal and faithful to the home. Be a man they can confide in and know that they’ll always find love and respect. Children want to glory in their father; his wisdom, his strength, his guiding example, his faithful dependability. Christian Dad, you can be that kind of father as you look to your Heavenly Father and glory in Him.

“And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God?” – Genesis 50:19
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Joseph’s father had died and his brothers were afraid that maybe Joseph has only been biding his time until their father died and now he will reap vengeance upon his brothers who had sold him into slavery. Joseph answers them with this question, “Am I in the place of God?” Joseph knew that vengeance belonged to God; it was up to God to settle the score not his. Had Joseph taken vengeance into his own had he would be taking God’s place.
I want to consider this question, “Am I in the place of God?” Do I ever try to take on something that only God can rightly handle? Maybe some of you have attempted to step into God’s place, not as a conscious thing but many times unintentionally. Let me suggest a couple of ways people often do this.
First, many Christians assume the place of God by leaning on their own understanding. Proverbs 3:5 says, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding”. Verse 7 says, “Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.” Man’s wisdom is often flawed by evil influences and carnal motives. We need God’s wisdom to navigate life successfully. Seek the Lord and His wisdom revealed to us in the Bible.
Another way we take on the role of God is by worrying about tomorrow. “Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.” (Matthew 6:34) Worry does not change anything except you. Someone once said, “Worry is faith in the negative, trust in the unpleasant, assurance of disaster and belief in defeat...worry is wasting today's time to clutter up tomorrow's opportunities with yesterday's troubles.” Cast your cares upon the Lord; He is equipped to handle them!
We can also take the place of God when we try to change other people. Listen to what Paul said in (II Timothy 2:25) “In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;” We do influence others but only God can truly change them.
Tragically, many want to assume God’s place in there eternal salvation. Going to heaven is not something you can work out for yourself, you must come to Jesus Christ by faith to be saved.
Putting yourself in the place of God in any one of these areas will only lead to frustration and loss. Put God in His rightful place and experience His joy.

“I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.” (Luke 13:3)
 
There is a teaching out there that says, there is no repentance necessary in salvation. This is a faulty doctrine. Some gravitate to this because they think when we say repent, we means you begin to clean up your life, turning away from sin in order to be saved; and that would be wrong (they would be right). However, they are misunderstanding the meaning of repentance in its relation to saving faith. – When one comes to Christ for salvation, he must come being in a certain condition, and that condition is lost. What makes him lost? Sin. So he only comes to Christ for salvation when he recognizes he is a condemned sinner. As such, he calls upon Jesus Christ believing that He is able to save him based on His death, burial and resurrection. He has just exercised repentance (whether he knows it or not).

He saw that he was a guilty of sin and for that reason he was lost and would be lost in eternity; hearing the good news that Jesus can deliver him from his sin he turns to Christ and by faith he is saved. – Don’t you see that there is repentance in that? There is a desire to be free from the condemnation of sin and inherent in that is a recognition that his sin is wrong and an attitude of wanting to be free of the sin that has separated him from the Saviour. – He hasn’t cleaned up his life at this point but he is hoping in Christ to be freed from sin.

To strip repentance from faith opens the door to a faith that doesn’t save. How is it that some who you tell of Christ will make a profession of faith but never evidence salvation in the slightest? – You tell him that God so loved the world, He gave His Son to die on the cross for our sins. You explain this to them and say whosoever believes in Jesus Christ shall not perish but have everlasting life. You ask, “Do you believe all that I have told you?” He says, “Yes”. You read Rom. 10:13 – Whosoever shall call ….. “Will you pray and ask Jesus to save you?” “Yes”. He prays and you rejoice, saying he got saved. But wait, he won’t come to church, no change at all ……. What about it?

Some make a false profession. What does that mean? Did he make the whole think up? – “I don’t really believe a word of that stuff but I’ll just play along to make him happy? Maybe? Or, maybe they heard this – “If you believe the story I just told you about Jesus dying and rising from the dead, that it really happened and pray this prayer you’ll go to heaven.” (his mind processes it this way and he thinks) “Do I believe that really happened?” “I see no reason to doubt that it happened”. “Do, I want to go to heaven?” “Well, yeah, of course. So, all I have to do is pray, well, why not? It can’t hurt.” (prays) What’s missing? – Faith? No, he took your word for it that you were telling the truth. (that is a type of faith) Did he call on the name of the Lord? Yes. He believed, he prayed, but he doesn’t get saved. (no evidence at all)

​You can conclude that he is saved, despite the absences of evidence, but there are undoubtedly converts who are not converted; what is missing is repentance – the actual recognition of lostness in sin so that when he prays he actually has something to pray about! You are not merely preforming one of the steps in the program as it was laid out to you but you are genuinely asking the Saviour to save you, because you have something to be saved from, and you are trusting that He can and He will; this is saving faith. Do you see the difference?

​“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” – Psalms 1:1-3
 
Raising children has never been an easy task. There has always been the influence of evil, the temptations of sin and the pressure to conform to immoral ways. However, today our kids are connected to the vast world of influence as never before through technology. As a Christian parent it is my desire and responsibility to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord (Eph. 6:4) I pray that they would not be comfort to this world (Rom. 12:2) but to be fashioned into the image of Christ (Rom. 8:29). In other words, that they would live by the principles and values of Christ and not the world’s.
 
Notice the verses above from Psalms 1. The counsel (advice, philosophy) of the ungodly leads to living in the way of sinners and eventually to even scorning or mocking the ways of God. Sadly our children are bombarded daily with a philosophy that is contrary to the Bible. They are enticed by the way of sin and often exposed to those who ridicule God and the Bible. How does a parent combat this influence?
 
You cannot sit idly on the sidelines and hope for the best. If you don’t rear your children, others will! Godly standards in the home are important to protect and teach Christian values. Many parents sit passively by and allow the counsel of the ungodly into their homes through TV, videos, music and other media. Friendships have to be monitored and a good example must be set by us. Your church is a great ally you should cherish. However, church cannot make up for absent parenting. Biblical parenting is about cultivating a child’s heart—in a relationship with the parent and for a relationship with God. Behavior matters (of course), but any lasting change begins with reaching the heart. As stated in the Psalm, the Word of God offsets the influence of the ungodly. Help your children to develop a heart for God and therefore a respect for the Bible and to understand that the boundaries you set up are based on the Bible. This will enable them to embrace Bible principles and apply them to all areas of life. 

​“For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.” (Job 19:25-27)
Those of you who are familiar with Job in the Bible, know that he faced some very difficult days. Within a short period of time his children were all killed and his material wealth was taken from him. I can’t imagine all of the sorrows he and his wife must have felt. Nevertheless, Job kept his faith in God. I believe that the main source of Job’s strength during those hard times is found in the opening words of the Scripture above; “I know that my Redeemer liveth”. Regardless of what circumstances brought or what others thought of Job, he had an anchor for his soul and it was the knowledge that his Saviour lives! Jesus Christ is the risen Redeemer who died on an old rugged cross, not for crimes that He had done but for all of the sins committed by you and me. He was taken down from the cross and laid in a tomb. Yet after three nights in the grave He arose from the dead and is alive forever more. The message of Easter is the message of resurrection.
Many well celebrate Easter this month. Some will hunt for colorful eggs, exchange baskets of candy and many will attend church. But how many can say with Job, “I know that MY Redeemer lives”? Have you by faith asked the living Saviour, Jesus Christ, to redeem your life from sin, to cleanse your soul and trusted Him to give you eternal life. If you have you can also say with Job, “though my body will decay in the grave, yet in a resurrected body I shall see God; mine eyes shall behold Him. Because He lives, I too shall live on long after death has its ways with this old body of mine.
This is no fairy tale my friend. Job knew that although his Redeemer would die one day outside Jerusalem for man’s sins, yet He would rise from the dead and Job too would be raised from the dead to meet God face to face. Millions of others throughout history have found the same hope that lifted up Job’s weary head and gave him hope for all eternity. The Lord is risen indeed! Have a wonderful Easter.

“Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.” – Matthew 2:1-3
 
Signs of Christmas are appearing all over town and it has put me in the mood to write about the Birth of Christ.  I titled this article “The Five Kings of Christmas” because in the Biblical account of the birth of Christ there was one in Israel who bore the title of “king”; His name was Herod. In addition there were “wise men” from the east, referred to in song and tradition as 3 kings. Then of course, there was He who was born “King of the Jews” bringing our total to five. It is interesting to note and compare several things about these five kings of Christmas.
 
King Herod was troubled by the news that One had been born King. His throne was threatened, and in a brutal move to kill this opponent and cling to power he had children two years old and younger killed. It seems ludicrous that he would fear an infant so much. However, I still marvel today at those who feel threatened by Jesus. Yes, He is the rightful king of your life and you ought to yield the throne of your heart to Him, and if you do you will find Him a wonderful and gracious Lord.
 
“We Three Kings” is one of my favorite Christmas hymns but it is somewhat misleading. The Bible never calls them kings nor does it say that there were three. So much for my title. Actually, they were “wise men” what we might consider scholars, students of the sciences. As they studied the prophecies of the Messiah and studied the heavens, they were able to deduce the meaning of the strange star that appeared.
 
The contrasting response of these men at the first Christmas resembles the response of men today. The wise men recognized the identity of the babe and came to worship Him. Herod and others were troubled and held tight to their little kingdoms refusing to surrender the throne of their life to the new born King. Had you been there, which group would you have been in?

​“Children's children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children are their fathers.” – Proverbs 17:6
 
God’s design from the beginning for the blessing and provision of man, is the family. That is why it is so sad that the devil has effectively undermined the family in our society today.  Frankly, I am amazed that more people are not alarmed by the obvious correlation between the decline of traditional families and the increase of a dysfunctional society. Instead society seems to go out of its way to encourage that which challenges the home.
 
As we see from the verse above, God meant for children and grandchildren to be the rewarding crown of old men. However, as families become more fragmented, old men today tend to take more pride in their achievements on the job, or in material things such as cars, houses, gardens, fishing boats or in hobbies rather than in their children. To be honest, many fathers see disappointment and frustration or just have a hard time understanding their children and perhaps even more the grandchildren. Perhaps it is because they put more of their life in their job or their hobby than they did in their child?
 
It is not my intention for this to be a negative essay but I feel the need to remind us as fathers that investing in the lives of your children, grandchildren and in your family as a whole is infinitely wiser than devoting your energies in things that will disintegrate soon after you’re gone. Dad, your greatest legacy and the most lasting contribution you can make to this world is your children! The Apostle John wrote, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.”  Children learn first and foremost from our example. You must be committed to walking in the truth of God if you hope to have the joy of seeing your child live consistent with God’s truth.
 
Notice also the end of the verse, “the glory of children are their fathers”. If you are a father with children still in the home, let me remind you that if you want to rejoice in your grandchildren some day you need to be the type of dad your children can glory in today. Be a man they can look up to and find the leadership and example they need to guide them through this changing world. Be a man they can trust, who is loyal and faithful to the home. Be a man they can confide in and know that they’ll always find love and respect. Children want to glory in their father; his wisdom, his strength, his guiding example, his faithful dependability. Christian Dad, you can be that kind of father as you look to your Heavenly Father and glory in Him.

Where We Came From Makes a Difference
 
“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” – Genesis 1:1

The Bible begins with a statement of great importance and meaning. Man has grappled with the question of his origin for centuries and has come up with some pretty outlandish theories. Egyptian myth postulated a primeval ocean upon which appeared an egg. From the egg was born the sun god, and the sun god had four children: Geb, Shu, Tefnut and Nut. From the rivalries of those god-born children of the sun the creation took place. The ancient Babylonians, Greeks and other cultures had scenarios that follow a similar mythical vein.  The most recent of these myths is of course is evolution.

The interesting thing is that none of this theorizing is necessary because we have a direct statement from the One who created the universe. We have begun a study of the book of Genesis on Thursdays at 7 pm. The first two chapters of Genesis give us many details about God’s creative process. When we understand that we are not just a product of a series of random accidents over billions of years, we can begin to understand the meaning and purpose of life. We are not just intelligent animals that live 80 or so years whose sole goal is to be as happy as we can be. Your creator has a great interest in and purpose for your life and desires a relationship with you. When life is lived in concert with the way God designed there is wonderful fulfillment and blessing.
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I know there are many who would argue with my classification of evolution as myth. We all have been told that evolution is a conclusion of sound science. Nevertheless it is at best unproven science. When I attended school it was referred to as a theory. Somewhere over the years it was promoted to fact without any more real proof. Furthermore, in a world bent on becoming more secular, evolution was crowned the absolute monarch of science silencing all nonconformists. There are many good scientists who see no contradiction between true science and the Biblical account of creation. However, they are never given a voice in secular academies or media.
Logic alone raises serious doubt about the vast universe coming from nothing or that our highly complex, beautifully engineered world came about by random chance. It is absolutely impossible to get life from non-life. The truth of the matter is that man wants to reject any accountability or responsibility to God. If you knew the Creator and how He loves you, you would not want theories that deny Him.