Sunday, February 5, 2012

Jesus, the Hope for Our Children

"That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth; that our daughters may be as corner stones, polished after the similitude of a palace." Psalms 144:12

The following sermon by Min. David Wilkerson is called "Who Is Guarding the Front Door of Your House" and was posted in a comment today. 

We have written before about how the education system in this country has been designed to destroy our young people by indoctrinating them with new age, anti-Christ teaching.   We have spoken about the defiled music which imparts a spirit of rebellion into them so that they resent authority and are desensitized to illicit sexual activity. 

Many things in our culture work to pervert the youth of today, but the first lessons that our children will learn are in the home.  We cannot leave the raising of our children to anyone else; it is not the responsibility of the schools or of the churches.  It is the responsibility of the parents.

In times of despair, we must remember that we have been given power by the Lord Jesus to raise our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, to stand in the gap for them should they stray, and to hold back the evil schemes of the devil from trying to destroy their lives.

Let's take this calling to heart.  God has entrusted these blessings to us, so let us never shirk this responsibility or take it lightly.
  • It is not the music, the education system or the backslidden church which is sending young people on the path to Hell.  It is something that happens in the home.
  • It is the responsibility of the parent to set a Godly example of faith for their children.
  • Many are rushing around to go to revival meetings to get a blessing, but the children are falling to the wayside.
  • A true revival, a true work of the Holy Spirit is that of restoring the gates that guard the house from abominations with parents guarding the doors.
  • We are going to have to answer to God for how we have raised our children.
  • For children who have gone astray, we have the power to pray & seek the face of God, bathing our children in prayer as we pray Holy Ghost miserables on them until sin becomes so miserable that they are brought back to the cross.
  • Don't preach or nag at your children if they are backslidden.  Take it to God in prayer and leave it there.  Turn them over to Jesus!
  • If you stand unwavering for the word of God, He promises that somewhere along the way they will be brought back to the place of obedience to that word (Proverbs 22:6).
  • There is a covenant promise in His word available to us if we decide to fast and pray for our children (Isaiah 44:1-4).  

    "Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant; and Israel, whom I have chosen: Thus saith the LORD that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, which will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; and thou, Jesurun, whom I have chosen. 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: And they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water courses."

  • Don't let Satan lie to you that you will lose your kids.  Keep in prayer and have faith.
  • The very Holy Spirit that God has poured on you He will pour on your children!
  • Lay your hands on them and pray over them, even while they are sleeping.  
  • Claim the promises of God over your children and you will see the devil run from them.

7 comments:

  1. i just had a conversation like this with a co-worker. it started from a comment she made about children in an off handed quasi- negetive way. i cant remember the exact comment but i responded that our children are not going astray for no reason i told her that God is not a liar and i dont care who the parent is or what they say they are the liar and not God. she said well, what if the parent has raised the child right and prayed and fasted and did everything they were supposed to do and the child is still in rebellion? i looked at her and said God is not a liar and He said to train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it.i told her that if we as parents are absolutely relying, depending on God in all situations at all times in raising our children we will get godly results. if we as parents stop being selfish chasing after a "life" for ourselves, when being godly parents is the call of God for our lives, we wouldnt be in all these prayer lines and always requesting prayer for our children.when we fail God in raising godly kid's thereby failing our kid's we like to absolve ourselves and label the child a bad seed. we are just like adam blaming eve and she blaming the serpent.if we are seeking after and listening to and obeying God as we are raising our children then the results will be godly no if and's or but's about it. i know there are such people who are bad seed's but the vast majority of us cant claim that and even then God will deal with that as He see's fit and let you as the parent know if that's what youre dealing with but again my belief is that that situation is the exception rather than the rule. if we really took it seriously that as a matter of FACT we will give an account for our parenting we would most definitely do things differently. i had my daughter when i was 24 and i came from a family of wicked sinners on both sides and i knew i didnt have a clue about parenting but i also knew i would answer to God for how i handled my daughter so i prayed that God would give me a mother's heart and teach me how to raise her in the fear and admonition of the LORD and time has shown that my prayer was heard and answered. every one who meets my daughter praise her and me for the kind of person she is but i tell them my testimony and let them know that ALL praise goes to my Heavenly Father. she is a very obedient, respectful child who unashamedly professes and loves Jesus Christ. all who conversate with her come away impressed with her. they cant believe the depth of conversation she holds. this is ALL the effects of Jesus Christ being LORD of her life with my doing all i knew according to the LORD to ensure HIM total access to her at all times.God made our children and HE knows how to communicate to them and with them from the ealiest stage of their understanding onward and thats how i approached raising her.the Heavenly Father has entrusted these unique and wonderfuly precious human beings to us for us to give them back to HIM so lets be found faithful in all HE entrusts to us including our children who really are not ours...they belong to GOD. what will HE say to us when HE returns to collect from us that which belongs to HIM. this is how i was led in parenting, hopefully it will be inspiring and a blessing to others. my child will be 16 this year and almost daily for her whole life i have with GREAT joy, love given thanks to the Father above for her and for HIM teaching me every step of the way.you have to lay your life down for them and seek the LORD and obey HIM for HE is faithful and true. i know i have a few years left before she's an adult but i have every confidence in the GOD who alone is the guardian of HIS word and the lover of our souls and our children's souls.i love you all and what i pray for my child i pray for the children of all my brother's and sister's. be encouraged and stay focused in and on the LORD. HE is faithful who also will do it!!

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  2. Hi Anonymous,

    I definitely take the raising of children seriously and believe parents play a primary role in that. Scripture of course also holds us accountable, i.e. having the raising of Godly children as a criteria for leadership in the church. So clearly this is something God expects from us.

    Yet as a parent, I cannot help but daily throw myself on the mercy of God. I know the issues He is working out in me and I also know that - in spite of the best intentions - I fail. Nothing hurts my heart more than to think of my children suffering because of my own shortcomings before the Lord. But, that is kind of the way it is. We are not perfect and we must trust God to cover for our imperfections. I also know the strength of evil that is active in the world, pulling on them to forget about God and enjoy the lusts of this life.

    Yes, I do believe that God is faithful and will give us understanding in the best way to raise our children. I also believe that should they grow to serve the Lord, the praise is all due to Him and Him alone.

    The bottom line for me is that we must not look for excuses, but fully appreciate the job God calls us to do in raising His little ones. This is what I got from Min. Wilkerson's message. It should be a priority for God has entrusted them to our care. How can I disciple the lost around me when I have not taken care to disciple the ones in my own household? This is one of the top things God has given for me to focus on in recent years.

    May we keep our kids in prayer and take to heart our responsibilities towards them. Let's hold on to God's promises for us & them in this area, knowing that He alone can bring it to pass.

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  3. There are also some great messages from Pastor Poonen on How to Build a Godly Home.

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  4. hello all,
    may your daughter continue to be a shining example of godliness and the love of Christ shed abroad in her heart. may she continue to always walk uprightly before the Lord God and not turn off the path of holiness in which Jesus has graced you to faithfully train your daughter, His child.

    i am happy to read a testimony of praise that a child is living for the Lord and that her conversation is centered in Him. i pray that as she continues to grow into womanhood, she will grow even more dependent on the Holy Spirit for wisdom, and discernment. may she be kept pure and virtuous until her wedding day, (Lord permitting) and continue to be steadfast, unmovable, and always abounding in the work of the Lord.

    anonymous1, you didn't say what happened to your child's father and your writing gives the impression that you raised her without one. if this is the case, may God cover her and give her guidance when it comes time to deal with the opposite sex if she didn't get a godly father's input in her nurturing.

    also, i would like to ask if you why do you think israel backslid so much when they had God, the Perfect parent? and please explain what you mean by having a bad seed. thank you.

    joyful saint~

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  5. hello joyful saint, thank you so much for those godly words of prayer and encouragement. i want to answer your last question first. a bad seed would be , in my most humble opinion, someone like judas iscariot, king ahab,cain,balaam, absolom, even king saul. people who are so diametrically opposed to all righteousness regardless to knowing good or right and always choosing evil without provocation.these type of people are pure snake and beast nature they cannot comprehend or see the value of godliness and righteousness and other people hold no true value to them, i believe psychiatry calls them psycopaths and sociopaths and society in general deems them empty inside..souless.israel backslid so much ,as the bible explains, because of their evil hearts of unbelief which is why the bulk of them didnt enter the promised land. they were'nt just in egypt but egypt was IN them for no matter what great thing GOD did for them they handled HIM the same way the egyptians and pharoah did. they had fallen from being earthly, sensual and finally devilish. there is so much more to be said on this but if you read this blog then i know you follow the ministry and know what im saying here. you cannot bathe your soul in the world and then think you can comprehend or apprehend GOD. my husband left his family and is now in his third marriage after less than a year of marriage to his second wife. we divorced when our child was 9 but even before that i was alone in raising her to honor GOD. time does not permit now but one day i will give our testimony it is so unreal but it happened and through all of that too much to handle hell that we went through GOD remained faithful and true and my child and i were built up in HIM and not destroyed in any way as satan intended halelujah!. we are all in egypt even now and those bathing in it will backslide just as israel did but the rest of us will remain in the company of joshua and caleb... we, by GOD'S power, will be well able to take the land. no matter how great or perfect the parent is if the child is bent on the way of destruction...then destruction the child will get. our children should be bathed in godliness from conception to birth and onward preparing them to recieve the LORD. be sure that if we arent getting godly results we shouldnt be like job in absolving ourselves but see ourselves by GOD'S light so we find correction and grace to recover all and then some. GOD doesnt lie to us. if its not working we are at fault NEVER the HEAVENLY FATHER, NEVER.i can tell you that godly parenting requires that we die to the flesh and know our abject need for the FATHER to lead and guide us EVERY step of the way and through this holy way CHRIST is being concieved and formed in both parent(s) and child. upon questioning my co- worker i was able to point out reasons why her nephew is the way he is and her sister is not as blameless as she'd like to think and have others think. i'm not saying this to condemn but if we want divine intervention complete honesty are the words of the day.if we truly dont know our failings the HEAVENLY FATHER is faithful to reveal hidden things to us. HE is for us in this matter, not against us.i hope ive answered you and if not let me know and i'll do better.may the HEAVENLY FATHER bless and keep you promoting you higher and higher in our LORD.

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  6. i would like to add to my last post by saying it is only by GOD'S wisdom that we raise our children right.and we should approach this with total trust in the LORD unmixed with the fear the world has in this area. when i read that if i TRAIN my child in the way he/she should go they wouldnt depart well i wholeheartedly expected GOD to not only teach me to parent but to keep HIS word in keeping my child for HIMSELF.please know that if thats your hearts true desire for your children then satan will fight you hand, tooth, and nail in this area and maybe thats what most of us are experiencing. dont lose faith or hope just trust the LORD and do as HE leads you. no need to fear this present evil age or your own fears of missing it our GOD is mightier than all that and eveything else. HE saves us in the midst of hell from hell... think on that. who will be ruth, queen esther, deborah, sarah etc. etc. if we dont raise godly, virtuous girls?? who will be caleb, joshua, joseph, paul,john the beloved,elijah etc. etc. if not our sons?? this is the generation we should be offerring up to the LORD for his service. why does HE make them one... because HE is seeking a godly seed to represent HIM and do HIS work in this world.and just as it was GOD in CHRIST reconciling the world to HIMSELF so must it be GOD in us by CHRIST reaching through us as parents bringing our children to HIMSELF.this is really all im trying to say. im just a single mom with no college and a G.E.D but i want GOD to have everything that is HIS desire to have in our children and in us as HIS children.we cannot achieve this with dishonesty or other things of darkness standing between us and our victory who is JESUS CHRIST.so let us all come to the LIGHT which does make manifest to proove that our deeds are of GOD and the LIGHT will reveal these things to us.we live what we believe be ye saint or sinner so ....whom and what do we believe???

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  7. Thank you for allowing Jesus to use you... this was much needed in our family's time of need. Bless you and your ministry.

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