Tag: Prayer

Music To My Ears! |Training Up Children

Proverbs 22:6 NKJV

Poppa, I like bible study!” My grandson exclaimed. 

I turned around as I was getting ready to start our Saturday with an early breakfast. We had our Friday night study the night before, and my almost-three-year-old grandson and my practically one-year-old grand-daughter were with us.   

My grandson brought music to my ears when I heard him fluttering the pages of his children’s Bible. He was pretending to read along with the adults. 

I have been in all age group ministries. I have served kids of all ages, from babies to adults. There have been many great memories seared into my mind and spirit. Most of these have been wonderful to remember, with very few regrettable ones. 

The ones I cherish are not of significant events or church plays or retreats or after-glows. The ones that I hold close to me are the ones when I saw my children who are now adults, pick up their first bibles with the same awe of wonder and delight that my grandson did over the weekend. 

You see, it wasn’t just on Friday night and Saturday morning that my spirit leaped for joy. It was the whole long weekend. 

On-My-Own Reader Bible

This happened Friday night, early on Saturday morning before we left them, and again on Monday at our family get together. Rosh just keep on telling the story of Moses and Pharaoh, with his little voice changing when retelling what God commanded Moses to say to Pharaoh!

As my little buddy was glowing with delight over learning something new the night before, he then started recollecting Bible stories that my daughter and son-in-law tell him; and this Poppa was smiling from ear to ear with humble pride.

Yes. I know those two words are opposites, but that was the feeling at that very moment. Humbleness because I see my daughter’s children learning about God, His grace, and the gift of eternal life that we can receive. That is truly humbling and satisfying. Because what I heard from this toddler-boy was like Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. Or like Louis Armstrong’s rendition of What a Wonderful World. Or like your favorite sports team winning the championship.

“Poppa, I liked Bible Study!” Is still resounding in my mind…and yes, still bringing an immense smile to my face as I write this.

Some of you may be saying, ” Yes, that’s wonderful, but wait until his teenage or college years, Oscar.”

If there are some of you thinking the above, I encourage you to stop and then go and pray about not giving up on your children. Because we must hang on to God’s promises always. We are always to train our children and grandchildren, drenching them in God’s word. That is our job; it is God’s Spirit to bring them to His saving grace. 

I have heard the skeptics tell me throughout the years, what if your kids are out there doing stuff they are not supposed to? Why bother, when they, sooner or later, disappoint you? 

My question every time is, ” Do you have your kids in some sport or dance or music lessons?”

Most often, the answer is, “Yes, we do.” 

Then I ask them, “Why don’t you save yourselves the time, money and aggravation; just have them quit!”

In most cases, the parents think of what I have just asked, get annoyed because they realize their folly of answering. If they say, no, it’s an investment for our kids. They may get good enough to land a scholarship. Or we want them building character. Or, it helps them focus better, etc. Whatever the answer, what would be more important than knowing and committing to Christ at an early age?

If then, they stray when they reach young adulthood, God tells us that they, our kids, will not depart from the training of the Word of God which you diligently gave them. 

So, when I hear my grandson telling me that he enjoyed sitting with the adults and listening to Poppa talk about God, it fills my heart with hope for the future generations I will leave behind to share and point others to Christ. Because, being good at sports, or playing virtuously on an instrument, or being a great investor, or being able to figure out the Laws of Physics, will never get your children or grandchildren into God’s kingdom.

I encourage anyone reading this to not give up or get tired of speaking to your children and grandchildren about the LORD. I promise you, that the eternal dividends will be worth it! All the other wonderful achievements will be icing on the cake…

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The Man On the Rooftop |CaliforniaEducational Agenda

Man asked God for Help Story.jpg
By Oscar Roca

 

My take on this story, I don;t know who original person was who told it:

A man was stuck on top of his rooftop after the area had been flooded. He pleaded with God to save him. A few minutes later one of his neighbors came to help him on a small canoe, “Hey neighbor come down so we can get out of here!”
The man on the rooftop said, “No, you go ahead, God will save me!”
The neighbor pleaded to no avail and finally said goodbye. Another neighbor came to help, but he told the neighbors the same thing.
The man on the rooftop heard what sounded like a helicopter. All of a sudden he heard the Helicopter pilot telling him to take a leap of faith and grab on to the harness.
“No thanks, God’s got this. I’ll wait for him,” the man on the rooftop said.
A few hours later, storms came back, and the water levels reached above the rooftops, sweeping the man away.
Now this man was facing his Creator.
“Lord, I waited for You, why didn’t You come to rescue me?”
God stood up and replayed his whole life in a flash, but towards his last moments on earth, he slowed them down enough where the man was praying and pleading for God to do something… Then God pointed to the neighbors and the Helicopter, ” I did, but you sat in your rooftop doing nothing. I sent you helpers, and yet you did nothing. All you had to do was take the leap of faith and move…”

I am glad I don’t have any grade school children here in California anymore. Because if I did, I would take them right out of the public school system and then get a lawsuit going against the sophomoric, ill-intended representatives who have passed this fantastically bizarre new indoctrination.

When my kids were getting ready for grade school, my wife and I made a decision to home-school them for a bit. It was the best period of their learning. At the age they were in, they had absorbed everything being taught to them. To the point that both were above their grade level when tested at the local public school, they would be attending in the future.

I must say, I have told them that I wish we have homeschooled them more but I have no regrets. The public school system we had them in, was a solid one.

Fast forward to now and I can’t say the same thing about the California school system. The agendas being pushed towards kids who can’t even tie their own shoes right, is simply quite frightening and staggering.

Schools are indoctrinating babies, yes, because they are babies, and it is utterly ludicrous, asinine, irresponsible and criminal.

When I was that age, I wasn’t thinking of whether I was a boy or girl. It never came into my mind or thought process. All I wanted to do was play and eat, and play again. Even school was about the two things I thought of, not whether I felt feminine or if I identified as something other than a boy.

  • It is time young parents, it is time grandparents, it is time Christians, wake up and be heard.
  • First by protesting this unjust and unGodly new “Health Education Framework” being passed in California.
  • Secondly by letting these so-called educators know that they can’t put any new curriculum, sex education or any other thing that goes against your faith and moral values!

  • It is time to stop a small minority of people from dictating what should be taught in schools.

  • It’s time to take our rights to have teachers teaching without agendas; from those who would harm our children and grandchildren, and the best way to do this is to protest their foolish teachings and by lawsuits.
  • School districts or rogue teachers will no longer be able to teach from their secret agendas.
  • They will concentrate on teaching Reading, Writing & Arithmetic without adding their personal agendas and indoctrinating our children and grandchildren anymore.

  • This Independent-of-political-party-male-father-grandfather is fed up seeing what the Left has done. Especially to young impressionable children.

  • It’s time to bring this state back to the center and not allow any more secret agendas to infiltrate our children and grandchildren’s minds.
  • The job of educators is to teach school studies and school studies alone.
  • The job of parents is to teach them eveything plus morality and faith.

  • It is not for school districts and rogue teachers to teach their personal political, sexual or religious views. 

  • To those that say, “I’ll let God take care of this, I say to you, remember the story of the man who drowned in his own rooftop…

 

TAKE ACTION:

Focus On the Family

References:

Health Education Framework

LifeSiteNews

 

 

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‘Til Wedding Day Do Us Part! |Marriage Series

Eph 4_1-6.png

Isncript.com

—Imagine being so enthralled in the action that you forget the commitment?

—We have many young people committing to a marriage & not ready for it.

I remember when I was younger, a few of my friends were getting married. Their future wives were so hypnotized by the whole ‘getting married process’.

—Now before I go on, I want to make sure that I don’t come across as anti-ceremony; this is by far the opposite of what I am.

—Marriage is to be celebrated. It is to be shared and witnessed by friends and family and made a priority before the LORD.

 

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BUT.…yes there is a ‘but’…

—But, what I have noticed even in some young Christian couples, I will say this again, some have turned the thrill of the action of getting married, to the all-encompassing reason why they are getting married. They have subconsciously turn their Wedding Day into an idol.

When young engaged couples have asked, I tell young couples getting married this:

  1. Please be careful not to get caught up making the Wedding Day planning the main thing and forget about the life-long commitment of marriage.
  2. Many churches have great marriage classes and counseling but it is not enough.
  3. Brides plan their wedding day in more detail than finding out about how the other person is doing spiritually, mentally and financially.
  4. Again, the latter should not play a huge part in committing to the marriage but it should be looked over from both sides.

—Parents, please do not forget this most important part:

  1. You have done a great job praying, studying for your kids’ school and Devotion time.
  2. You have taken them to soccer or baseball or swimming through their time with you.
  3. You then hear that your son or daughter is engaged, and you’re happy for them.
  4. But this is just the beginning.
  5. As parents, you are responsible, not the church, for the spiritual well-being of your kid.
  6. Now also, your future son or daughter-in-law.
  7. This is where you jump in and make sure both of them have a firm foothold on The Rock. Because the foundation in faith is the most important part of starting a life together.

—It is not how much money the wedding is going to cost or how many family and friends you’re going to be able to invite.

—The real thing everyone in the family needs to be thinking of is:

— Have we done enough to have these two engaged people stand firmly in their faith so they do not get divorced in the future?

—Dads and moms, you are the most important person in the wedding. So goes your leadership in this, so goes the rest of the wedding.

—Your son or daughter will be enamored with the process and date of ceremony that you’ll need to be their compass.

—You’ll need to bring them back to reality. Specially if it’s a daughter. Trust me, I know!

—This pre-wedding day process is for you to remind them of all the things you have taught them about God and about marriage.

—Let them know that the Ceremony Day is just that, a day in their lives that some will remember vividly, but a flash in time for most invited guests.

AND MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL:

—Let them know that they need to go and speak to as many people whom they admire, from your Christian circles. Those who:

  1. Have been married for a short time.
  2. Those who have been married for a long time.
  3. Those who are divorced.
  4. Those who are in ministry.
  5. Specifically those who are pastors.
  6. Ask them this:

            a. How is your marriage doing?

            b. What would you do differently for your marriage and the wedding day?

            c. Any advice for us?

—If they are willing to answer all the questions, keep them as mentors. Most of them will automatically tell your kids how a strong faith in God & constant prayers helped them through the many obstacles of marriage and family…

More on this on next post….

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New Birthday Tradition |Friendships

If you are taking the time to read this, I want to thank you for it, even if I don’t know you. I hope that you find this helpful in your lives. This is something I will start this year. It was an idea that flashed through my mind a day before my birthday last week. 

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— I’m beginning a new tradition. Every year on my birthday I will be sending a thank you message to all those that have affected my life. I always make sure that I remember those that helped me in my life in one way or another.

  • I wish I could tell the people who were there for me in whom I have lost touch with, what I feel about having encountered them the life stages where they came into the scene.
  • Every person I have ever met has taught me a lesson in life. Some, have given me priceless and precious moments. A few, have taught me that not all people we come across are looking out for you, even at churches.

— I have and do know people who are not Christians that hold to a more reputable friendship than a few who profess to be Christ followers.

  • I have learned to learn from and move on from  toxic people; it is quite rare that I have done this, but one must choose life and those who encourage it. 
  • While getting rid of those relationships which will ultimately chip away the pavement on the road you’re traveling on your journey.
  • These types of relationships, you must learn from even more but keep as far away as possible.

— The Bible speaks of friendships that sharpen you spiritually and mentally. 

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— In Proverbs chapter 27 verse 17, it explains those friends who encourage and keep their friends accountable and close. This is what I look a for when speaking to people. Some shy away from this responsibility, and some thrive on helping and being there for you — both sets of friends needed in your life.

  • The shy ones, will when given a chance, surprise the daylights out of you!
  • The straightforward friends are the ones that you need even closer.  They are the ones who will keep you in check sometimes, with tough love.
  • These two types of friends are hard to come by. Just like looking for a valuable treasure at the beach, it takes hours and hours of investment, but when you find these true friends, you give glory to God for their relationship.

—Some friends we may not see in a long while, yet when you sit with them, it’s like you never lost contact. Those are also the friendships I don’t take for granted. I enjoy catching up with them and knowing about their lives.

— All this to say, I am truly blessed to know and have shared time with everyone I have come across. I have learned, cherished and kept all of what people have taught me through knowing them for a short, or long time.

  • So from now on, every birthday the Lord gives me will be a thank you to them. It’s a better present to give to others than for others to give to me…

 

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Your Kingdom Above All Else |Prayer Series + Life Series

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Gospel of Matthew 6:33

  • What better way for me to start this year by doing something with prayer.
  • Praying intentionally requires us to get rid of all the white noise around us.
  • What is white noise?

  • Anything that keeps us from concentrating and giving our full attention to the LORD.

  • I am talking about your:
  • Cell phones
  • Radios
  • TV’s
  • Video games
  • Significant other
  • Family
  • Kids
  • Sports
  • Food
  • Drinks
  • These are just a few of our favorite things that need to be less while we communicate with our Maker.
    I have found that the times I want to get rid of all the above, and more:
  • Someone will call or text me.
  • Or I get a text saying something about this politician or that sports team.
  • I may get a call from someone I haven’t heard in a while.
  • Or, I can all of sudden hear something happening outside.
  • Whatever it is, I have learned to drown out the noise. All that white noise is not good for us. This is not the way were created.

God had something perfectly planned for all of us in the Paradise our forefathers called the Garden.
Yet, we managed to kill a good deal…and before blaming Adam and Eve, I often wonder how we ourselves would do in that place. Walking and talking with God and taking Him for granted.

  • My pen.jpeg
    —All this to say—
  • What is your weakness?
  • Whatever it may be, God has it covered.
  • If you feel you can’t sit and pray, stand and pray!
  • If you can’t sit or stand to pray, go for a walk and pray!
  • If you need music to pray, play that funky music.
  • As long as you are not caught up in the action instead of the worship and communication.

Remember, first make God your priority. With Him, in Him and through Him in Your prayers. That’s all he’s ever wanted. Your undivided attention, adoration, and communication…

 

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Pray Intentionally |Prayer Series

“Don’t pray when you feel like it. Have an appointment with the Lord and keep it. A man is powerful on his knees.”—Corrie ten Boom

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—Lord, may we be extremely intentional when it comes to communicating with You above all else.

—May we not forget to listen to what You have to say to us.

—May we sit still enough to hear Your Spirit and be filled by You so that we could have our full warrior armor on! because the only way we can pray in the Spirit at all times is by having our warrior armor on!

If you want to pray intentionally and you don’t know how.  Start here:

How Can I know God?

Steps to Peace With God

Know God

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