Parental Authority

The words "Parental Authority" are so misunderstood today.  We didn't even understand this in the 1950's.  I really don't know how far back it has been in such wrong thinking.  The truth is a child is under a parent's authority until he/she is married.  This means if you are in your twenties and single, you are under your parent's authority.  Yes, you must obey them even if it seems like they are wrong and ruining your life.  God has ordained this authority in his Word:

Ephesians 5:31



“Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”

Unfortunately, this has even been left out of our teachings inside the Church.  Why?  It is a "hard saying" and we must handle this great truth with diplomacy, right?  Wrong.  Our children are in such confusion today because we have not taught this truth!  There is a wonderful promise to those children who obey their parents:

Ephesians 6:1-3

Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.

² Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise;

³ That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.

 

Worthy of Me

There are so many things in this life that can get us side tracked from God.  The deep sorrow of lost ones in our family is no doubt at the top of the list.  The enemy haunts us with thoughts that they will end up in hell.  This is done to get our eyes off of Christ and our realationship with Him.  We sorrow over them and certainly pray for them, but all too often we let it consume us until we are depressed.

Jesus said:

Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn 'a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law--a man's enemies will be the members of his own household.' Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

Matthew 10:34-37

We must love the Lord more than "anyone".  The One who created us must have our full attention.  Of course, we love our family, but if we let it control our thoughts then we fall into a snare of the devil. 

Let your eyes look directly ahead And let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you.

Proverbs 4:25

Travelers

Glitter and gold will you behold?  Lots of shiny things in this world to catch our eye.  The lust of the eye though can get us into so much trouble.  It might even lead to death.  Does this mean we are never to own a new car or home?  I don't think so.  It is the "lusting" that makes it a sin.

"This world is not my home" is not only an old adage, but also scriptural (Hebrews 11:9).  We are but strangers traveling through a strange country looking for our real home.  What does it mean to be a "traveler"?  To me it is the knowing that we own nothing in this world!  In New York did you know when you purchase a building, you must also purchase the air above it?  This would make a good laugh if it wasn't the truth.  Men live in their wisdom, which is foolishness unto God (I Cor 3:19).

"Travel light" is another old adage.  It should be seared into our hearts as those who belong to Christ!  To me, traveling light means we are to be content with what we have.  Our time is brief  on this earth; every breath we take is allowed only to us by our Creator Christ Jesus, who died so that we might have eternal life. (John 3:16)

I Timothy 6:8-10

⁸ And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. ⁹ But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. ¹⁰ For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

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Menopause 101

Menopause is spelled "men~of~pause".  God made woman beautiful with all of her wonderful tender qualities...like "nurturing".  To put it plainly ladies "we are a lovely basketful of hormones" [snicker].  No, this is not an article for men, but it would be good reading for all husbands.  We are special with all of our hormones!

In the days of Jesus, when he walked the earth, the average span of life for a man was forty-five years and maybe even less for a woman.  Today women are living to be in their eighties and beyond, so we go through that time when estrogen begins to decrease in our forties.  I won't give you the details of symptoms like hot flashes etc. because every woman has googled them to death!  No, I want to give you something more.

Most women like a good challenge; if this were not so there would be no one wanting to get pregnant!  This is a great challenge and one to behold in all of it's glory!  The challenge of Menopause is a big one too!  After the fall of mankind we can be certain that Eve knew what these changes were, for she probably lived a long time. "There is nothing new under the sun" (Eccl. 1:9).  I'm so glad that the Lord made me a woman!  Please check out the link below, I found it to be very uplifting:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1165686/Why-menopause-best-years-life.html