Mr. C's Blog

“There are really two major obstacles all parents face in teaching their children to obey: not only is the world they live in corrupt, but they themselves are sinful creatures too. They face a difficult struggle both inside and outside.”-John MacArthur

I used to love to ride my bike when I was a kid. In those days, we never wore protective gear such as helmets or knee pads. Today, we equip our children with knee and elbow pads, helmets, and gloves to ride their bikes to protect them from falls. We go to great lengths to protect children against physical injuries, but do we take any precautions to protect them spiritually?

When our children are little, it is important to teach them Biblical principles such as to be kind to one another and to teach them the importance of sharing. As our kids begin to grow, we need to develop a more detailed spiritual plan that will equip them to face the battles on the outside that Paul described in 2 Corinthians 7:5. A great detailed battle plan is found in Ephesians 6:11-18:

“Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.”

The concept of daily putting on the armor of God is one of the most important Biblical principles we can teach our children. If they are to be victorious in their Christian life, putting on the armor of God daily will be essential. From this passage, what are we to teach our children:

• Their battle is not with people. It may seem like it at times. However, I wanted to teach my kids to love others and recognize that problems and disputes occur between people but learn not to take things out on people we are upset with. I want them to be quick to forgive and ask for forgiveness.
• I want them prepared through a study of God’s Word how to use the Bible as their sword to deal with the conflicts, disputes, and problems that come their way. Knowing God’s Word and hiding it in their heart will provide them with the tools necessary for the battle.
• I want them to own their faith boldly as their helmet of protection. Knowing that they are a child of the King will provide them much needed security for the battle.
• I want to teach them to walk in the Spirit as Colossians tells us so that they can wear the body armor of God’s righteousness.
• I want to teach them to be filled with the Spirit so that they will readily share the Good News, sense the peace of God, and know the comfort of truth.

Parents, prepare your children for the battles of life with teaching them the principle of putting on the armor of God.

I have always believed the education of our children to be one of the greatest responsibilities we have as a parent. I believe that God has provided us with great principles that outline how we should educate our children. My good friend, Dr. Glen Schultz, who wrote the book “Kingdom Education” gave 10 Principles for Kingdom Education that I want to share with you today. I pray that you will find these to be a blessing and encouragement to you in your journey in providing your children a Kingdom education.

Principle #1: The education of children and youth is the primary responsibility of parents (Deuteronomy 6:4-9; 11:18-21; Psalm 78;1-7; Psalm 127:3; Proverbs 22:6; Malachi 2:13-16; Ephesians 6:4).

Principle #2: The education of children and youth is a 24-hour-a-day, 7-days-per-week process that continues from birth until maturity (Deuteronomy 6:7; 11:19; Proverbs 22:6).

Principle #3: The education of children and youth must have as its primary goals the salvation of and discipleship of the next generation (Psalm 78:6-7; Matthew 28:19-20).

Principle #4: The education of children and youth must be based on God’s Word as absolute truth (Matthew 24:35; Psalm 119).

Principle #5: The education of children and youth must hold Christ as preeminent in all of life (Colossians 2:3, 6-10).

Principle #6: The education of children and youth must not hinder the spiritual and moral development of the next generation (Matthew 18:6; 19:13-14; Mark 10:13-16; Luke 18:15-17).

Principle #7: The education of children and youth, if and when delegated to others by parents, must be done so with utmost care to ensure that all teachers follow these principles (Exodus 18:21; 1 Samuel 1:27-28; 3:1-10).

Principle #8: The education of children and youth results in the formation of a belief system or worldview that will be patterned after the belief systems or worldviews of the person’s teachers (Luke 6:40).

Principle #9: The education of children and youth must lead to true wisdom by connecting all knowledge to a biblical worldview frame of reference (Romans 1:20; Psalm 19:1; Proverbs 4:5,7; 3:19; 9:10, Psalm 104:24; 136:5; Jeremiah 10:12; Romans 11:33; Luke 11:52; Colossians 2:3; 1 Corinthians 8:1, 13:8; Romans 1:28.

Principle #10: The education of children and youth must have a view of the future that includes the eternal perspective (Colossians 3:1-2; Matthew 6:19-20; 2 Timothy 4:6-8; Acts 20:24; Hebrews 11:13; Colossians 3:23-24).

“Maybe Christmas, the Grinch thought, doesn't come from a store.” Dr. Seuss

I love to see the excitement of children at Christmas each year. When mine were little, they could not wait to open presents. Even today, they are still excited to open presents now that they are grown. As parents, we tried very hard to teach our children to make sure and properly thank those who had given them gifts at Christmas.

We wanted them to recognize and thank the gift giver. We also wanted to teach them the reason for the gift was found in the spirit of the one giving the gift. We felt it important to teach our kids that the real spirit of Christmas is found in the love of God. We felt that if they understood this principle they could then grasp just what God has done for us and thus understand the real meaning of Christmas.

John 17:7 declares: “Now they know that everything I have is a gift from you.” What a realization it is for us as followers of Christ to affirm that everything we have is a gift from God. Our life, our family, our possessions, every item, every aspect, and most importantly our salvation is from God.

Christmas is even more special when we recognize the real gift giver, God. But I wonder what would happen if we would allow this attitude to permeate our lives throughout the year. From this attitude, I believe that we could begin to understand not only what God has done for us but also how to really give ourselves.

The real meaning of Christmas is what God did by sending His Son, Jesus, here to die for our sins. Dr. Seuss was right that Christmas does not come from a store! Christmas is not about buying and giving presents. Christmas is about how God loved us so much that He gave His Son. He gave His Son to die for our sins. The greatest gift of all time.

John 3:16 tells us: “For this is how God loved the world: He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.

I pray that this Christmas we would celebrate the real meaning of Christmas and take time to thank the real gift giver. In my own life, I also want to recognize the real gift giver every day beyond Christmas. If we can do that, I believe that we can then follow the example of Jesus and begin to love more like Him!

I pray that you and your family will have a blessed Christmas and enjoy the real gift giver!

“For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.” James 1:23-25 

As I have gotten older, I sometimes think in my mind that I am still a young man. In those times, I find it hard to believe that I have gotten old. However, one look in the mirror reminds me of the truth. The mirror reveals the gray hair and wrinkles that are there dispelling the notion that I am still a young man.

Once I have seen what the mirror reveals, I can choose to walk away content with what I have seen or I can choose to make a change to my appearance. I could choose plastic surgery to remove wrinkles or dye my hair to change my appearance so I can have the mirror reflect something different in the future.  (No need to worry - I am not doing that). My point is the mirror just reflects what is there.

In the passage above, James shares a similar analogy about the mirror when it comes to our spiritual lives. He tells us that reading and hearing the Word of God will reveal who we really are and the true condition of our walk with God. The passage speaks of how many times we will see the picture of who we are through God’s Word, but we will walk away quickly without making any changes to our lives.

Other times, I am afraid we will not even consider the mirror of God’s truth because we do not want to face what the mirror of truth will tell us. I know that this has been true in my life at times in the past. When we do this, we are being held captive to a life that never satisfies.

This passage in James is offering us a better way to approach the mirror of truth. Instead of looking and quickly walking away from it, he is instructing us to “look carefully” at the truth that “sets you free” and “do what it says.”

James is teaching us to do three things. First, he is telling us to meditate on the Word of God, second to obey what it says, and lastly to not forget it. Let me leave you with two verses to consider that will help us as we approach the mirror of truth.

“Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.” - Joshua 1:8 

“I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” - Psalm 119:11 

The mirror truly does not lie! I pray that we would all look carefully at what God is revealing to us through His Word!