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Thy Seed Isa. 44:3-5 “For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring: (4) And they shall spring up [as] among the grass, as willows by the water courses. (5) One shall say, I [am] the LORD'S; and another shall call [himself] by the name of Jacob; and another shall subscribe [with] his hand unto the LORD, and surname [himself] by the name of Israel.” The Lord has begun the transition of giving His outpouring to the new generation. Our destinies are being fulfilled in this very hour. It will encompass all age groups that are living. It will happen because we have prepared for it and others have waited on it. If we do not yet understand our purpose for being here, we better get on board quickly. God has given us His manual with all the requirements and proper uses and warns what will happen to those who misuse or add to it. We have prophesied that our teenagers will be the backbone of this great outpouring in which multitudes will turn to God. But there is only one way for it to happen: To choose personally to give our lives to God and to say "yes" to His purposes by putting ourselves in a place of training and submission to the will of God. To understand the purpose of God for this generation is to make ourselves available to God now. It involves every one of all ages and groups who is willing. It involves families willing to stand together in their responsibilities to embrace and pursue God's purpose for life. Today we have many unhappy families in the church because they have tried to add God to their own plans. They want Jesus to keep their children free of trouble, drugs, and sex, but still live their lives the way they want. People still believe their kids are good as long as they don't live destructive lifestyles. But now is the time to see God has a purpose. THE SEED OF YOUR BEING IS NOT FOR YOU, BUT FOR GOD ALMIGHTY. Everything of the world is simply an obstacle to sidetrack the eternal purpose God has for us and for our children. The purpose of God for the family is not simply to live successfully, nor to be happy and attentive to each other, but to rear our children after GODLINESS! Mal 2:15 “And did not he make one? Yet had he the residue of the spirit. And wherefore one? That he might seek a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth.” God's purpose for our children is that they be a godly seed who love and glorify Him! The only freedom a parent can have during the years of rearing children is to know they are being brought up for God's purpose and not your own or society’s. The whole attack against the children today is a work of the enemy because of God's plan. This attack is endorsed by educators and government to get young people to believe the highest goal is self-realization! Based on pride, self-centeredness, achievement, and competition with the attitude “May the best man win,” it seeks to enjoy the “good things” of this life. It is based on humanistic thinking that tells us all are good if given the right set of circumstances. The Word tells us no one is good and only when we are born-again and begin to live only to Christ can any good be found in us (Rom.1-2). Too many Christians believe that deep down inside the heart of their children that they are good no matter how rebellious they act. Adults feel the same way, which simply gives them the freedom to live in sin while they think they are born-again! Jeremiah tells us the "heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked who can know it?” ONLY THE HOLY SPIRIT WITHIN YOU! AND IF HE ISN'T OPERATING, THEN YOU WILL NEVER KNOW WHAT IS IN YOUR HEART. Secular humanism has now become "Christian Humanism." Churches promote personal goals above the goal of God. We see little sacrifice because we are so needy, and we have teachers who give us quick fixes to strengthen the family ethics and then add the Church to all of it. CHRISTIAN HUMANISM says "put the family before God and what His Word teaches.” Though it sounds like it will strengthen the family, it simply results in cultivating an attitude of selfishness in the family as it relates to the church." Ultimately it will be the prime reason why the family will miss the MARK, which is to live for the glory of God. It is our responsibility to find the will of God for our lives within God's eternal purpose. The scripture is clear about this: Eph 1:4-5 “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: (5) Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,” When we are born-again we enter God's family, the household of faith. We cannot separate God's family from our earthly family because the Church, God's family, is made up of our earthly families. So we do not go to church, we are the Church. And the Church functions as successfully as our families function. Our being dedicated to God's purpose of holy living in love and becoming mature sons of God bring Him glory in the earth... As we become the Church that God intended, we will stay free of humanistic ideals for self-realization and realize the purpose of God for our lives. Some people have trouble setting priorities for their family. It doesn't have to be that way. There doesn't need to be frustration or strife in this. The Godly pattern must always rule according to the Word. If we set this goal first, everything else WILL fall into place. That is why Jesus taught the priority of seeking His Kingdom FIRST. EX: If there is not enough time to give to the vision of the local church, then you need to change your involvements and outside interests. It doesn't mean those activities are wrong or sinful, but do they build the inner man of the spirit and draw you closer to the Lord? THE WORLD HAS NOTHING TO CONTRIBUTE TO YOUR INNER MAN! Mar 8:36 “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” The world has so much to offer that many Christians have become burdened rather than free. Born in 1592, a man named Jon Amos Comenius who became the originator of EDUCATION, was told he was retarded because he could not learn like others. Later he called that kind of teaching "slaughterhouses of the mind." At the age of 22 he became a teacher and began to teach that all things were made through Christ and for Him (Col 1:16). Four years later he became a pastor of a Moravian community which later ushered in the world's greatest revival up to that time. Through all of this, the 100 year war began, wiping out 2/3 of the population of his country, including his wife and children. Comenius believed that war was the result of human ignorance. His goal was to provide education for all classes of people in the entire world. Up until then, only the rich and famous were educated. His teaching was "The Prince of Peace" would bring peace to the nations. Comenius’ goal was quality education based on a deep love for God. All teachers had to have this operating in their lives. The result was for each child to become "a creature which shall be the joy of his creator." Comenius taught that all education established on Christ alone would bring unity as it spread across the globe, thus ending war. One hundred years later, this teaching gave birth to world missions. Comenius believed by planting TRUTH in the innermost being, the mind would become renewed in the knowledge of Christ. His writings of over 90 books are the foundation of today’s educational tools. Finally, Comenius believed that the seed of those who would follow this teaching would produce the last great revival of History. Four hundred years later, the seed is not dead. Will it bring forth the prophesied revival? Yes, under the right spiritual conditions, it is bringing forth the truth for which this man sought and gave his entire life. IS THE SEED OF YOUR LIFE DEAD, OR ARE YOU BRINGING FORTH THE CONDITIONS FOR SPIRITUAL LIFE IN YOUR FAMILY? How you as a parent respond to the purpose of God will directly affect your children's lives. Deu 6:7 “And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.” Continually offering to your household godly virtues will usher in the Revival of this age that can usher in the Lord's return. To neglect it can bring disaster that will be seen in this generation like no other. You will succeed if you sincerely follow the example of Manoah, Samson's father: "How shall we order the child, and how shall we do unto him?" (Judges 13:12) When we ask the Lord and obey His instruction as to how to order our children's lives, then the Godly Seed will be realized. Only when attention is given diligently to the Word of God can we expect to enjoy a godly household. -Pr. Steve June Newsletter 2005 | Thy Seed | Trying Times | Pastor's Journal June 2004 Ministry Minded part 1 of 3 | The Suddenlies of God part 3 of 3 |
Biblical Counseling for Leaders
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