It’s Time To Step It Up

Click Here: Read Luke 18

 

“But Jesus called for them, saying, “Permit the children to come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.” – Luke 18:16-17

 

Jesus father figure on earth was Joseph.  Not much is known about him, other than he was from Bethlehem, and lived in Nazareth near Galilee. He was a carpenter by trade, and a devout Jew by heritage.  We know this because of his adherence to Jewish law and the visit of God’s angel to tell of Mary’s pregnancy.  Jesus as a boy would have followed Joseph, watched him and learned from him about life, about hard work, about how to treat others.  I can imagine Joseph knew of his son’s special place in God’s plans, which had to cause some level of uncertainty in his abilities as a father to God’s son.  We don’t see Joseph at the end of Christ’s life, during his years of ministry, death and resurrection.  But, when Jesus calls the children to come to him, all of the instincts from his loving fatherly relationship with Joseph kick in.  I can picture him laughing, tickling, hugging, and bouncing these children on his knee, while demonstrating just how much they are loved by God the father.

What a blessing it is to be a father and a grandfather.   There is nothing that can come close to the joy of seeing your children grow, mature and experience life to the fullest.  When they are born, you realize just how little you know about being a Dad.  The fears, the commitment and the protector in you develops quickly though.  It’s amazing how much you realize the selfishness that is within as you begin to whittle away at your own desires and begin to take on theirs.  The life mission of a parent shifts from dreams of personal gain and success, to supporting and fulfilling the dreams and desires of others.

Small things in their life began to take on huge meaning. With each passing moment, they become more distant and self-sufficient.  Within a very short time, you realize they do not need you as much as you need them.  They try your patience as they make mistakes, but they love you more than you deserve or could ever imagine.  As a parent you also will make mistakes in life, and the ones most impacted, by those mistakes, will be the ones you are trying to protect the most.  But, this is also the same group that will be the most forgiving and accepting of your faults and failures.


Realize you are their role model, you alone will determine who they become in life and what they will aspire too.  Jesus came to the earth as our role model.  He lived a life perfect from sin, loving others and speaking the truth and righteousness of the Father.  His war was with Satan, not mankind.  He brought a message to the masses that we are to love one another, and forgive one another.  He is our guide, our safe place and our example to live by, so that our children might one day claim Him as their own. 

You need not live perfectly in this world, for it is impossible to do so.  But, you do need to live a life that your children and the children around will see Christ in your actions.  Just as Joseph had the task of raising the son of God, you have the task of raising disciples of Jesus Christ.  Step up and realize the potential God has placed within you to parent these children for His Kingdom.

© Sondove Enterprises, 2018
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He Knew His Purpose

Click Here: Read Luke 4

“Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”"  – Luke 4:20-21

His mother was Mary and his father was Joseph.  They were from Nazareth, in Galilee, and were known by the Jewish leaders of the day.  His father was a carpenter and was known in the villages around the Sea of Galilee – Tiberius, Capernaum and others.  His mother was likely known amongst the women of the villages and surrounding cities as she was seen carry for her children including Jesus.  There are records of their trip to Jerusalem during the Feast of the Passover when Jesus was 12 (Luke 2:41-50), and Jesus was observed studying in the temple with the elders and teachers.  This boy was known in and around the area.

I picture in my mind, Jesus running through the streets of Nazareth, Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Tiberius playing with the other boys.  I can picture him playing with a stray puppy in the market, laughing and giggling as they would wrestle.  I imagine him skipping stones at the Sea of Galilee, while his parents shopped in the marketplace, and I see him lying on his back in a pasture of green staring up at the soft puffy clouds as they float by on a bright summer afternoon.  Jesus was a boy from Galilee who studied alongside the other boys and learned the Torah (first four books of the Bible) from the elders in the Synagogue of Nazareth.

I picture Jesus as a strong, well defined young man working alongside of Joseph in the family business of making furniture from wood.  Sweat upon his brow, calloused hands, covered in sawdust and dirt from the day’s work.  I picture him coming into his mother’s home, sitting for the evening meal and tending to the chores of the home as necessary in those days.  He grew up in Nazareth, was known by the people in town, the leaders of the Synagogue and the Pharisees of the day.  He was no stranger in Galilee by any means.

At some point He came to realize His true identity as the Son of God.  Did He realize this fact since His birth?  Did He come into this knowledge through a revelation from above or from His mother?  We don’t know.  What we do know from scripture though is that His ministry started around the age of 30 and lasted but only a few years.  As we discussed yesterday, He came into the calling of His Father in Heaven and was baptized by John in the river Jordan where God acknowledged him as the “My Son….”  We pick up in Chapter 4 with Jesus being tempted by Satan in the wilderness for 40 days.  If we were to focus on Jesus’ responses in that dialogue alone, we could solve many of today’s problems.

Then we watch as Jesus separates Himself from the village of Nazareth (Luke 4:16-30), having been rejected by the elders there for claiming to be the fulfillment of the prophecy from Isaiah 58:6.  He knew His purpose on this earth and spent His final two years of life pursuing nothing but that purpose – to bring salvation to the world.

Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God, came to the earth to bring salvation for the lost.  He did not come to bring peace or to reign on earth, but to provide a way for mankind to be redeemed once again to the intended right standing with God the Father.  Many still chose to reject Him because they knew Him as the boy from Nazareth, the son of Joseph.  Even, today there are many who reject Him for that same reason, and ask – “Why would God choose to save the world through the son of a carpenter?”  There is only one way to answer these skeptics; “Because He is God and you’re not.”



© Sondove Enterprises, 2018
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Passing it On

Read It, Learn It, Live It, Share It

“After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers." – Luke 2:46-47

Twenty one, as in years. The Bible records the impact of Jesus’ life from the age of 12 through His death at the age of 33.  At the age of 12 he was in the temple with the Scribes and Pharisees, studying the word of God.  His father, Joseph, was a carpenter and his mother, Mary, was a strong, courageous woman who was loved by the one true God.  We must draw the conclusion that Jesus was raised learning and memorizing the scriptures, just like the other boys his age in Nazareth, as was the custom in those days.  For you see there was no Bible laying on the coffee table or nightstand.  There were scrolls for each book and chapter of the Torah (first five books of the bible), that had been written and re-written over the last 400 years prior to Jesus birth.  But these weren’t available to the common folk, they were stored in the Synagogue under the watch of the Pharisees and Scribes of the day.  No, Jesus would have memorized scripture from the teachings of his father and other men around Galilee.

I was fortunate enough to visit the Western Wall of the temple during one of my visits to Jerusalem many years ago.  I was invited to join a father and his family inside of the Western Wall, for their reading from Numbers in their native language.  I couldn’t understand a word that the man was saying, but to experience first-hand the love, passion and importance that this father spoke to his children with will forever be etched in my mind.  He unfolded the scroll, and read from the scriptures.  Then he had his eldest son read some as well, and then the family proceeded to pray together.  Closing the scroll, he kissed it and placed it back into the ark for storage until the next day.  This principal of reading the scriptures as a family unit was practiced for generations and generations, handed down over centuries.  In the days of Jesus the Torah was to be memorized and drawn upon for comfort, peace, law and governing.  The Holy Word of God was carried in the hearts and minds of every devout Jew and passed on to the children.

Where has this practice gone and why?  Is our life so much more under control that we no longer need to partake in the practice of teaching our children the scriptures?  I realize that we live in a much faster paced world than 1st Century AD, but by all means, this is not something we should have let fall away.  For it is in knowing the scriptures that we will be made stronger in times of struggle and strife.  As we face challenges in this life, drawing upon the wisdom found in the Holy Bible is where we will find the answers. 

I can comment to you today that this is a practice that will once again become common in the Palmer household for generations to come.  I am no longer content to study God’s word on my own and hope that my children are doing likewise.  I am going to take a proactive part in their learning and studying of God’s word.  I’m asking each of you reading this Daily Thought today, to take this practice seriously and begin anew reading scriptures with your children, grandchildren, parents and spouses daily.  Quit complaining about the demise of Christianity in the 21st century and do something about it.  Teach and learn from the One who wrote the book.       

             

© Sondove Enterprises, 2013
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