Many of our readers already know that our youngest son is autistic. His talking is delayed and he has a few other habits that are unique to him. For example, when I ask him to do something, he wants to be able to finish what he is currently doing before moving on to the next task. We expect our boys to obey their parents and to obey right away, but we also recognize that autism causes people to look at tasks differently.
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We were recently asked how much we let our son “get away” with because he is autistic. The person was asking because he knew of parents who had children diagnosed with certain conditions and those children were allowed to behave terribly.
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My answer was that sin is never acceptable and that as a parent I had to punish sinful behavior. At the same time, I recognize that because he has autism, there will be situations where immediate obedience will be more difficult for him than it will be for his brothers. With that in mind, we try to give him advanced notice when we tell him to do something so that he has more time to follow through. In other words, we do not want to put him in a place where we are hoping he fails at obeying his parents, but we also want him to understand that obedience is not an option to be ignored.
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Ephesians 6:1 says, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.” (NASB) Colossians 3:20 states, “Children, be obedient to your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing to the Lord.” (NASB) But then the next verse says, “Fathers, do not exasperate your children, so that they will not lose heart.” (NASB)
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As parents, we must enforce standards, but we must also realize that God has shown grace to us and we must show grace to our children. In many ways, God is like a strict parent who will not tolerate any misbehavior. In fact, He is so strict that he tells us in Romans 6:23 that the wages of sin is death. Yet God is so loving, that Jesus died on the cross for our sins. That payment only benefits us if we believe on Him as we trust Christ as our savior. Once we have done that, we become children of God, but that does not mean that we can do whatever we want. God is still a strict Father. Hebrews 12:5-11 says,
“and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons,“MY SON, DO NOT REGARD LIGHTLY THE DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD, NOR FAINT WHEN YOU ARE REPROVED BY HIM; FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES.” It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness. All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness. ” (NASB)
God is loving and merciful, yet He still disciplines us for our sins in order to make us more like Him. That should motivate us as parents to be consistent in disciplining our children when they sin. As long as we do not do it in a way that exasperates them, they will be better off because of the discipline.
Friday, October 30, 2015
Saturday, October 17, 2015
The Powerful 350 V8 Engine
We have a Suburban with the powerful 5.7/350 motor. These motors have a reputation for both power and reliability. I love having that extra power to merge with traffic as I pull onto the interstate. As I step on the throttle, the engine roars and pulls the big SUV forward.
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Our minivan does not have the same potential, so when I utilize that V8 muscle, our boys take notice. Though they are not usually back seat divers, they occasionally scold me for speeding as they hear that “Chevy” roar. I explain is that I am not speeding and am not driving in a reckless manner. It is just that there is such a contrast in power that they take notice.
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God has even more power than the most aggressive big block motor. How often do we act like my little boys and try to hold back His power for fear that something bad will happen if His full force is released? In other words, do we really trust His power.
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Although God may chose to grant our requests as we pray, we do not have the authority nor the power to order Him around. My boys can appeal to the authority of the traffic laws as they speak to me about my driving, but God is the ultimate authority over all matters.
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When Jesus was asked about how to pray, He told His disciples to address God as our Father in heaven and to set apart His name. Then He spoke of God’s kingdom coming and told us to ask that God’s will be done. As we appeal to God in prayer, HIS will should be what we pray for. Let us not forget that He is so powerful that we cannot make Him do anything. In fact, we are reminded how powerful He is as Jesus teaches on prayer in Matthew 6:8 and says at the end of the verse, “for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.” Imagine if my Suburban knew when to accelerate before I even touched the pedal and knew when that time would occur before I had even decided what road to drive on.
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God is so powerful He knows what we need before we even ask for it. Still He wants us to ask. In the next chapter of Matthew Jesus says, "Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you. "For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it shall be opened.” (Matthew 7:7-8 NASB).
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So why don’t Christians get whatever they ask for? God is powerful enough to know our needs before we even ask. That means He is also powerful enough to know what is best for us. Perhaps I want a new Suburban, but God knows that it is better that I keep my old one. Consider the very next verse in Matthew 7, “Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?” (Matthew 7:9)
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Further, if I asked for a new Suburban, it would be because I was greedy, not because I wanted God’s will to be done. James clarifies this, “You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.” (James 4:3 NASB) My wife really likes our Suburban. Imagine if she was praying that we keep the old one and I was praying that we get a new one and we both believed our prayers would be answered and both of us were praying that we would only have one Suburban. This is not a problem, because our faith is not more powerful than God’s will. God knows what is best and we can trust whatever He decides.
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Think of it this way, if you ask for something in Jesus’ name and it is not God’s will, it is like forging His name without authority. God is far too powerful for us to always get our way instead of His. Trust His power and His will.
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Our minivan does not have the same potential, so when I utilize that V8 muscle, our boys take notice. Though they are not usually back seat divers, they occasionally scold me for speeding as they hear that “Chevy” roar. I explain is that I am not speeding and am not driving in a reckless manner. It is just that there is such a contrast in power that they take notice.
-
God has even more power than the most aggressive big block motor. How often do we act like my little boys and try to hold back His power for fear that something bad will happen if His full force is released? In other words, do we really trust His power.
-
Although God may chose to grant our requests as we pray, we do not have the authority nor the power to order Him around. My boys can appeal to the authority of the traffic laws as they speak to me about my driving, but God is the ultimate authority over all matters.
-
When Jesus was asked about how to pray, He told His disciples to address God as our Father in heaven and to set apart His name. Then He spoke of God’s kingdom coming and told us to ask that God’s will be done. As we appeal to God in prayer, HIS will should be what we pray for. Let us not forget that He is so powerful that we cannot make Him do anything. In fact, we are reminded how powerful He is as Jesus teaches on prayer in Matthew 6:8 and says at the end of the verse, “for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.” Imagine if my Suburban knew when to accelerate before I even touched the pedal and knew when that time would occur before I had even decided what road to drive on.
-
God is so powerful He knows what we need before we even ask for it. Still He wants us to ask. In the next chapter of Matthew Jesus says, "Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you. "For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it shall be opened.” (Matthew 7:7-8 NASB).
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So why don’t Christians get whatever they ask for? God is powerful enough to know our needs before we even ask. That means He is also powerful enough to know what is best for us. Perhaps I want a new Suburban, but God knows that it is better that I keep my old one. Consider the very next verse in Matthew 7, “Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?” (Matthew 7:9)
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Further, if I asked for a new Suburban, it would be because I was greedy, not because I wanted God’s will to be done. James clarifies this, “You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.” (James 4:3 NASB) My wife really likes our Suburban. Imagine if she was praying that we keep the old one and I was praying that we get a new one and we both believed our prayers would be answered and both of us were praying that we would only have one Suburban. This is not a problem, because our faith is not more powerful than God’s will. God knows what is best and we can trust whatever He decides.
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Think of it this way, if you ask for something in Jesus’ name and it is not God’s will, it is like forging His name without authority. God is far too powerful for us to always get our way instead of His. Trust His power and His will.
Friday, October 2, 2015
Why are Shootings Happening?
Aside from casino robberies, we don’t expect to hear about much crime in southeast South Dakota. Yet, a school shooting took place in Harrisburg. Praise God there were no serious injuries. Less than a year earlier Lennox was the scene of a workplace shooting with tragic results.
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The citizens of our communities are right to be concerned. Some think the solution is fewer guns. Others recognize that it is impossible to get rid of all guns and are suggesting that more guns is the solution so that victims can protect themselves.
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The problem is that when we start talking about guns, we end up being distracted from the real issue: SIN. Neither the event in Harrisburg, nor the incident in Lenox would have occurred had it not been for sin the hearts of the shooters.
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The sin problem is actually more widespread than just these shootings. Without sin, there would be no murder or stealing. Further there would no longer be broken marriages caused by adultery. In fact, there would not even be arguments between husbands and wives caused by selfishness. There would be no lying, no cheating, no greed, no parents being dishonored by children. Without sin, people would put God first and not worship anyone or anything else. They would honor His name and not use it as a swear word. They would love God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength. They would also love their neighbor as themselves.
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We obviously do not live in such a world. Since Adam disobeyed God, all people have continued to sin. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (Romans 3:23 NASB). “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned--” (Romans 5:12 NASB). Eve disobeyed God before Adam did, but once Adam disobeyed as well, then all humans on the earth at that time were sinners and sin thus passed to all their offspring.
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God knew this would happen. It was serious, because God is holy and sin separates man from God. But God still loved the people He created and He provided a way to deal with sin. Before Jesus died on the cross, people offered animals for their sins, but that offering was only a temporary covering until something final could be done.
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Romans 6:23 tells us that the wages of sin is death. Romans 5:12 told us that death is the consequence of sin. Because we have all sinned, we all deserve death- not just physical death which is separation of body and spirit, but eternal death which is separation from God for eternity in the lake of fire (see Matthew 25:41 & 46; Revelation 20:15).
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In order to deal with the sin problem, God sent His son to pay for our sins on the cross. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
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Jesus was able to pay for our sins, because He never sinned Himself. Sin did not pass on to Him from His father, because He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, not by man. “For if by the one man's offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.) Therefore, as through one man's offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man's righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous.” (Romans 5:17-19 NKJV).
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Sin is the problem with our world. Jesus is the solution. Once we believe on Him as our savior, our sins are forgiven. We do not stop all sin at that point, but He does give us power to say no to sin. (see I Corinthians 10:13). Getting rid of guns is not the way to stop sin. Jesus is.
-
The citizens of our communities are right to be concerned. Some think the solution is fewer guns. Others recognize that it is impossible to get rid of all guns and are suggesting that more guns is the solution so that victims can protect themselves.
-
The problem is that when we start talking about guns, we end up being distracted from the real issue: SIN. Neither the event in Harrisburg, nor the incident in Lenox would have occurred had it not been for sin the hearts of the shooters.
-
The sin problem is actually more widespread than just these shootings. Without sin, there would be no murder or stealing. Further there would no longer be broken marriages caused by adultery. In fact, there would not even be arguments between husbands and wives caused by selfishness. There would be no lying, no cheating, no greed, no parents being dishonored by children. Without sin, people would put God first and not worship anyone or anything else. They would honor His name and not use it as a swear word. They would love God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength. They would also love their neighbor as themselves.
-
We obviously do not live in such a world. Since Adam disobeyed God, all people have continued to sin. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (Romans 3:23 NASB). “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned--” (Romans 5:12 NASB). Eve disobeyed God before Adam did, but once Adam disobeyed as well, then all humans on the earth at that time were sinners and sin thus passed to all their offspring.
-
God knew this would happen. It was serious, because God is holy and sin separates man from God. But God still loved the people He created and He provided a way to deal with sin. Before Jesus died on the cross, people offered animals for their sins, but that offering was only a temporary covering until something final could be done.
-
Romans 6:23 tells us that the wages of sin is death. Romans 5:12 told us that death is the consequence of sin. Because we have all sinned, we all deserve death- not just physical death which is separation of body and spirit, but eternal death which is separation from God for eternity in the lake of fire (see Matthew 25:41 & 46; Revelation 20:15).
-
In order to deal with the sin problem, God sent His son to pay for our sins on the cross. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
-
Jesus was able to pay for our sins, because He never sinned Himself. Sin did not pass on to Him from His father, because He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, not by man. “For if by the one man's offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.) Therefore, as through one man's offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man's righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous.” (Romans 5:17-19 NKJV).
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Sin is the problem with our world. Jesus is the solution. Once we believe on Him as our savior, our sins are forgiven. We do not stop all sin at that point, but He does give us power to say no to sin. (see I Corinthians 10:13). Getting rid of guns is not the way to stop sin. Jesus is.
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