Backsliden Children

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Dealing with a Backslidden Child

 

Judges 14:5

"Then went Samson down, and his father and his mother, to Timnath, and came to the vineyards of Timnath: and, behold, a young lion roared against him."

One of the worst things to see is a parent who is brokenhearted over their child who is backslidden. Often parents will ask me how to deal with their child who has gone wayward. Samson's parents can certainly understand the feeling of dealing with a wayward child. Here was a young man who had all the potential in the world to do something for God, and yet he wasted his life in sin. Though you may feel for Samson's parents, you will see that they made a bad mistake by condoning his sin in an attempt to get him back. As bad as they wanted him to come back to God, they should have done right, even if he wouldn't have agreed with them. Let me give you several helps on dealing with a backslidden child.

First, never support their disobedience. Often parents will feel guilty if they don't support their child, but you must realize that you can only support obedience. For example, if your child is getting married and they are planning to have alcohol at the reception, you should support them by being at the wedding, but don't go to the reception. You would be supporting their disobedience if you went to the reception. They need to understand that you will never support disobedience no matter what the event may be.

Second, find the good that they do and praise it. Though your child may be doing wrong, I would imagine there is something that they are doing right. Find the good that they are doing and praise that good. Remember that the Scriptures say in Romans 12:21 that you "...overcome evil with good." Your child still needs to see that you still notice the good that they do.

Third, don't preach, but pray. What I mean by this is there are many parents who think they need to preach at their children every time they are around them in an attempt to get them right with God. The only thing you will do by preaching at them is to run them away. Praying for them will do more to bring them back than preaching at them will. They expect you to preach at them, and because of their backslidden ways, they will give you more reasons to preach. Pray for them and let God do the work in their heart.

Fourth, don't bargain right to get them to come back. Often parents will compromise something in an attempt to get their child back. Christian, never let down in one area thinking that if you do they will come back. You must realize that truth must always be obeyed. Don't let your heart make the decision, but let truth decide how you live. If they can get you to compromise in one area, then they will justify what they are doing by thinking that truth must not be that important to you if you will change.

Fifth, don't sacrifice the other children for one. This is tough, but when you allow a backslidden child to do wrong under your roof, you are ruining your other children. There will be times when you will have to ask a backslidden child to move on for the sake of saving your other children.

Last, love your backslidden child. They need to know that you love them for who they are and not for what they do. That is how God loves us. When you love them where they are and not for what they do, that love will convict them in a greater way. It is amazing how love can many times preach the loudest sermons to the backslidden.

Parent, don't ever give up in your desire to see your backslidden child get right with God. Do right and trust God that He is dealing with their heart. You are not the first one who has had a child disappoint you, so don't second guess yourself and keep doing right.

Too Many

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Too Many for God

 

Judges 7:2

"And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me."

In the verse above, God made a statement that could almost seem to contradict what He says in other parts of the Scriptures. Of course, the Word of God never contradicts Itself, but this statement could almost be taken that way if you don't look at it in its context. God said, "...The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands..." God told Gideon that he had too many people, not that God couldn't work with that amount of people, but that God enjoys working with the remnant crowd or the smaller crowd. God knows that when He takes the remnant and they win that He will receive the glory for the victory.

Christian, this should encourage you. You may not think that you have much to offer God, but let me remind you that God is the God of the little things. It is often with the little things that God does His greatest work. When you think you have no talent and that God could not use you, that is when God steps in and can use you in a great way. God doesn't always look for the talented, but He often uses those who don't have much talent to give.

God used David who was the least likely in his family to be the one whom God would use. God used Moses who had a speech impediment that would seem to hinder him from doing anything great for God. Look at the disciples whom Jesus chose. Most of His disciples were not men of great talent or influence, but they were common men who had great weaknesses. However, God used these men in spite of their lack of talent. There are many in the Scriptures who had nothing to offer, but He chose them and used them in a great way in spite of their weaknesses.

Furthermore, God can use the church that doesn't seem to have much to offer God. I know there are many church members in smaller churches who think that nothing great can come from their church. Christian, let me remind you that most great men of God did not come from large churches, but they came out of a smaller church. You may think that the mega-churches have more to offer, but when you read the story above you will realize that many times the mega-churches are "too many" for God. Not that God can't use the mega-church, but He will often choose to use a church of your size to do great things.

When God made the statement, "...The people that are with thee are too many for me..." He was simply reminding us that He often works with the remnant. Don't lose your faith in the fact that God can save your nation. You may think that there are not many who stand for truth, but God doesn't need many to do a great work. In fact, God will use a remnant to do a great work for Him.

Will you be part of the remnant that God will use? The best way to be used by God is to jump in and do your best with what you have. God doesn't ask for you to have talent or great numbers to be used, He just asks for you to surrender to His will and allow Him to work through you. Great movements always start with one person. Be that one who doesn't wait for the many to do something for God, but is part of the few who jumps in and serves Him with what they have. It is always through the few that God does His greatest work. Though you may not have great talent or a great crowd with you, just do your best and God will do the rest.

Value

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Leadership's Value

 

Judges 3:29

"And they slew of Moab at that time about ten thousand men, all lusty, and all men of valour; and there escaped not a man."

In the sports world the value of a coach is often debated. There are those who think the players are more important to winning a championship than the coach, and then there are those who feel the coach is the key to winning a championship. However, when you look at any championship team, you will always see a great coach leads that team.

In the verse above, you have the story of Ehud leading Israel to victory. For many years the Israelites were in bondage to the Moabites. Eglon was the leader of the Moabites at this time. As long as Eglon was alive, the Moabites had the strength to subdue Israel, but within the hour of his death, you will read that Israel subdued Moab. In the verse above, you see that Eglon had great warriors in his army. Yet, these great warriors were not able to bring victory to Moab without their leader. It was their leader who channeled their strength to overcome armies.

Dr. Lee Roberson, who was a great church builder of the past century, often said, "Everything rises and falls on leadership." The value of leadership in a person's life or in an organization or church cannot be stressed enough. It doesn't matter how great an organization is, it will fail without the proper leadership. Every great church or organization acquired their status because of one leader. The reason it is important for every Christian to treat their leaders in a proper manner is so that they can reach the potential that God has for them.

Understanding that leadership's value is great, you need to learn not to fight the leadership in your life. Too many people often question and fight leadership's decisions when they need to learn to follow. I have learned by experience that God often gives leaders a special wisdom to lead. Therefore, it would be wise for you not to fight your leaders.

Moreover, allow leadership to lead. Leadership is only as great as its followers. Maybe the reason we don't have many great leaders today is because we don't have many great followers. Your leader can only lead you if you will follow. I'm not talking about following someone into error, but as long as leadership doesn't contradict Scriptures, you need to learn to follow.

Furthermore, pray for God to protect your leaders. You must understand that the Devil is after your leaders because of their value in your life. You should daily ask God to protect them from sin and harm so they can continue to lead you where God would want you to go. A few minutes in prayer every day for your leader may go a long way in helping them to properly fulfill their role in your life.

Finally, pray for God to give your leaders wisdom. Leaders make many decisions every day that will affect your life. With this in mind, you should realize the importance of them having God's wisdom. Ask God to give your leaders the wisdom they need in leading you so you can reach your fullest potential.

A leader's value in your life if very great. God has placed you under the leadership you need so that you can reach your fullest potential. You will only reach your potential if you learn to follow the leadership that God has given you.

Confined

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Confined and Expansion Needed

 

Joshua 19:47

"And the coast of the children of Dan went out too little for them: therefore the children of Dan went up to fight against Leshem, and took it, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and possessed it, and dwelt therein, and called Leshem, Dan, after the name of Dan their father."

Have you ever felt confined in your Christian walk and wanted to do more for God? That is how the children of Dan felt with the inheritance they received from God. Their families were growing, and they felt confined in the portion given to them. So instead of complaining about what they didn't have, they stepped out to conquer in their attempt to acquire more land for their families. In order for them to expand, they had to be willing to fight.

Growth is one of the most important elements in the Christian life. However, one of the mistakes that many people make is they focus on growth itself instead of the principles of growth, thus leading to compromise. Instead of focusing on growing, if you would just apply the principles of growth, then you would find that growth is the byproduct of those principles. Some of the principles of growth that you need to apply are found in the verse above.

First, don't complain about what you don't have. The children of Dan didn't complain about not having enough land, instead they did something about it. Too many Christians complain about not growing when they need to realize that their lack of growth is their fault.

Second, don't expect growth as a handout. We live in a handout society that expects something for nothing. There is nothing free in life. God is not just going to give you growth because you want it. Like the children of Dan, you must step out and start doing something to see your growth. Too many people sit in the church pews waiting for God to grow them when growth occurs through activity. Until you step out and start applying the principles of growth, then you will never see the growth you desire.

Third, you must fight to grow. You will notice that the children of Dan had to fight a battle to get their growth. Growth is not free, there is a price to be paid for it. You will have to battle yourself and the Devil in order to grow. In other words, you will need to have some fight in you if you want to grow. Passive Christians never grow. You must be willing to fight through trials, obstacles, criticisms and the desire to quit to acquire growth.

Last, growth takes patience. Don't immediately expect to get to your final desired destination of growth. It will take patience. Be patient with yourself as you grow, for growth is not an immediate process. Don't get down on yourself and beat yourself up because you are not where you would like to be. God is pleased with you if you are growing.

So, you feel confined and need an expansion in your Christian life? Then step out and start applying the principles of growth. It will take some fight to get there, but as long as you apply the principles of growth, then you will find the byproduct will be the expansion and growth you desired.

Success

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Obtaining Success

 

Joshua 1:8

"This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success."

The greatest book on success is the Word of God. You will find more fail-safe principles for success in the Word of God than you will in any other book. However, Joshua chapter 1 is probably the greatest chapter on success. The only time you will find the word "success" in the Scriptures is in the verse above. One of the reasons for that is because God wants you to focus more on the principles that lead to success than on the desire for success. If you will just practice the principles of success, then you will find success. You will find in the first eight verses of this chapter six principles that will lead you to success.

The first principle for success is initiative. In verse 2, God told Joshua to "arise." This is initiative. Successful people are people who have initiative. In other words, you must be able to get yourself going without someone else having to push you. Until you learn to push yourself, you will never experience success.

The second principle for success is drive. In verse 2, God told Joshua to "go." Successful people not only have the initiative to get up and do something, but they also have a drive that won't let them stop. In today's terminology we would call them workaholics. Initiative gets you up, but drive keeps you going. In other words, drive keeps you going when you don't feel like going. Drive keeps you going when you don't have immediate success. Drive is the determination that you won't let anything stop you.

The third principle for success is attitude. In verse 6, God told Joshua to, "Be strong and of a good courage." Your attitude is very important to your success. Attitude will determine whether you will go up or down. You must have a positive attitude in the midst of negative in order to succeed. You must have a fearless attitude in order to succeed. You will never succeed if you let fear control you. You must have a positive and fearless attitude to overcome the obstacles and believe that whatever you are doing will happen.

The fourth principle for success is counsel. God says in verse 7, "...that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee:..." Joshua got his counsel from Moses. In other words, good spiritual counsel is an important part of success. You must be willing to get counsel and follow it if you want to succeed. You will never succeed without counsel.

The fifth principle for success is obedience. God says in verse 8, "This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth;..." Obeying God's Word is important to your success. You may succeed to a certain degree without following God's Word, but you will never achieve your potential until you obey God's Word. Obedience to God's Word brings blessings, and blessings are a big part of success.

The last principle for success is meditation. God says in verse 8, "...but thou shalt meditate therein day and night..." You must meditate, or think about God's Word in order to obtain success. That means you need to read God's Word daily if you are going to think about It. Furthermore, you need to take time to meditate or think of ideas. Thinking is a very important part of success. If you are not a thinker, then you will not obtain success.

Success never comes easy, but when you follow the principles that lead to success, it is much easier to obtain. Stop focusing on trying to succeed and simply focus on following the principles the lead to success. You will find the byproduct of those principles will be success.

Music

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The Value of Christian Music

 

Deuteronomy 31:19

"Now therefore write ye this song for you, and teach it the children of Israel: put it in their mouths, that this song may be a witness for me against the children of Israel."

The power of music on one's life is amazing. Studies have shown that you can control crowds through music. Music is powerful because God created mankind with the need for the right kind of music. Music is so important to God that He created angels for the purpose of singing in Heaven. The Devil also knows the power of music. That is why he has tried to corrupt music by providing his own style of music. However, when you study the Scriptures, you will find that God wanted His people to listen to the right music. Though music is one of those topics where preference often defines what is right and wrong, the Scriptures do give us clear guidelines on the value of good music.

First, music teaches. In the verse above, God shows that it teaches when He says, "...and teach it..." All music will teach you to do something. That is why it is important that the music you listen to teaches you the ways of Christ. God used the song of Moses to teach the children of Israel what way they should walk. You need to make sure that your music teaches you the ways of Christ. This is why the world's music is wrong because it doesn't teach you the way of Christ, but rather it teaches you the way of the world. Music is valuable because it teaches you. So, be careful to listen to music that will teach you the right way.

Second, music reminds. In Deuteronomy 31:21 it says about music, "...that this song shall testify against them as a witness;..." The word "testify" is talking about reminding God's people. Your music should not only teach you the right way to live, but it should also remind you to live right. Whenever you listen to your music, does it immediately remind you of God, or does it remind you of something you did in the world? Music is a great tool to help people remember the right ways of living, so be sure that your music reminds you of God's way.

Third, music witnesses. In the verse above, you see that the music of the children of Israel was to be a witness. In other words, your music should tell others to Whom you belong. Let me ask you, when others overhear your music, can they tell you are a Christian by the songs you listen to? You may think it's nobody's business what type of music you listen to, but whether or not you like it your music should testify to others that you are a Christian.

Last, music convicts. Good music will convict the backslidden Christian about their backslidden ways. That is why most of the contemporary Christian music is wrong. It wouldn't convict people of their worldly lifestyles because it sounds like the world. If you are living wrong, your music should convict you.

Music is a valuable tool. Be sure that you listen to the type of music that teaches and reminds you of the right way, the type of music that is a witness to others that you are a Christian, and the type of music that will convict you if you are living wrong. If your music does this for you, then you can rest assured that you are listening to the right music.