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DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20240912T080000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20240912T170000
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CREATED:20240912T152008Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240912T152008Z
UID:3918-1726128000-1726160400@givemethatbook.com
SUMMARY:Building a Family Ark
DESCRIPTION:“But\, as for me and my house\, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15 \n“The overwhelming majority of Christians in the world had Christian parents who poured the gospel into them from infancy. More people are won to faith by their parents than by all evangelists\, missionaries\, pastors\, and Christian workers combined.”\n-Andy Davis “Two Journeys” \nLast month we hosted a seminar at Mudzi Owala\, where over 1000 hungry hearts came seeking to find Christ in His Word. I had the privilege of introducing a topic that I will address later in a full seminar entitled\, “Raising children who seek\, savor and serve Jesus Christ.” This crucial subject is simply not taught to our parents in Malawi. As I have said before\, the missionaries may have completed their task of evangelizing Malawi\, but they did not complete Christ’s mandate to disciple the nations by teaching them to obey everything he taught. (Matthew 28:18-20) Consequently\, the Church is weak and believers are at risk. \nI opened the seminar by asking if they\, as parents\, would let their children go out to play in the village if they knew a lion was roaming about their village. Of course\, they said\, “no!” Then\, I explained to them that there is a lion who roams about their villages seeking whom he may devour. He is called the devil. (1 Peter 5:8) If they do not prepare their children by impressing upon them the truth of God’s Word\, the lion will devour their faith and destroy their lives by his deceptive lies.  \nThen\, I switched metaphors. I asked\, “Would you let your children go out to play in the villages if a great cyclone was approaching their village?” Again\, the resounding answer was “No!” I then informed them that a great cyclone of evil is coming upon their children. If they do not protect them from it’s terrible power\, they will be destroyed. That cyclone will come in three waves: The devil; the world; and their own fallen heart. \nI then pointed them to the story of Noah. Hebrews tells us that “By faith\, Noah\, when warned of things not yet seen\, in holy fear\, built an ark to save his family.” (Hebrews 11:7) As believing parents with children\, their home must become an Ark of safety\, where fathers and mothers protect their children and raise them up in the truth and promises that are ours in Christ Jesus.  \nIt is too late to wait until they are young adults. In Malawi\, sexual sin may not be advocated by the preacher\, but it is promoted even by the parishioners.  The traditions of the culture\, what we would call the “way of the world\,” is for mothers to take their daughters who come of age to the river. Their they are given instructions on how to please their men with sexual techniques. No Bible is opened. No instructions on purity are given. No commands to wait till marriage. Sex is expected and even encouraged by many Christian parents! \nBut\, it is not the mothers who are primarily to be blamed for this tragedy. It is the men\, the husbands and fathers. They have simply not been taught\, or they refuse to fulfill their God given duty to raise up a God-honoring\, Christ-following family. They have not the spirit of Joshua. Listen to his final words to Israel before he would die:\nNow fear the Lord and serve him with faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshipped beyond the River and in Egypt\, and serve the Lord. But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you\, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve\, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River\, or the gods of the Amorites\, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my house\, we will serve the Lord. (Joshua 24:14-15) \nIn Malawi\, the men in the village too often are caught up in drunkenness and promiscuity. It is not uncommon for the men to have more than one wife and to secretly have more than one family. I met young lady working in a store who told me her husband abandoned her and her baby and went to South Africa to find work. She had not heard from him in a year. He most likely started a new family there.  \nNot all men abandon their families or are unfaithful\, but few have been trained to be Godly leaders in the home. A dark and aggressive culture surrounds the children of the villages. Unless the men stand up and resolve to be God-honoring\, wife-loving\, children-training and family-building leaders\, the children will not be ready for the attacks of that roaring lion. Church attendance alone and the best efforts of Sunday school teachers cannot build an ark strong enough to save the children.  \nSo\, in 2025\, by God’s grace\, we will take up a new priority directed at the Malawian family. Our priority will be to train parents on how to raise their children in a Bible centered home. One of the first verses my mother taught me was this: “You word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” (Psalm 119:105) It has proven true in my life over and over again. It allowed me to “run in the path of your commands for you have given me life.” (Psalm 119:32) That Word is still valid today\, even in Malawi.  \nThis is my conclusion: If Malawi is to be transformed to the glory of God; if the Church is going to stand strong and make a significant difference in her culture; if she is to grow in the knowledge of Christ and in the power of the Word; we must enable her fathers and mothers to build strong Family Arks. Then\, discipled in the Word; convinced of the truth; in the power of the Spirit\, her children can carry the fight to the enemy\, tearing down his strongholds\, to the glory of God and the joy of his redeemed people. \nWhat is true in Malawi is true in America. When I was growing up\, the culture supported a morality-based life. Not anymore. Parents cannot assume that Sunday School classes will be enough. The enemy is too subtle and his traps are too hidden for our children to stand against his onslaught. Parents: Teach your children to fear the Lord. Then\, teach them to love the Lord. Teach them the truth and power of God’s Word\, by your life and by your lessons. When you lay down at night and rise in the morning\, speak of the unmatched joy and blessings of knowing Jesus our Lord. Teach them that the way to satisfying living is honoring Jesus with their lives. You have to do it. If you love your children\, build a Biblical Ark of Safety!
URL:https://givemethatbook.com/event/building-a-family-ark/
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DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20220128T080000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20220128T170000
DTSTAMP:20260416T184730
CREATED:20220128T142023Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20220128T142023Z
UID:3481-1643356800-1643389200@givemethatbook.com
SUMMARY:Time for Big Men to Stand Tall
DESCRIPTION:“When small men begin to cast big shadows\, it means that the sun is about to set.”- Walter Savage Landor  \nWe look for big men\, men of character\, leaders who have integrity and will not compromise their principles no matter what it costs them; leaders who have the wisdom to tackle the tremendous challenges of our day. We look for them\, but\, we find few. Most of our leaders are small. The fact that our country has elevated them to leadership is a sign that we\, as a nation\, are also small and in a very dark and dangerous time. We desperately need men and women who have principles and the courage to not budge from them\, no matter how much pressure comes against them. \nDavid writes of such a leader. In Psalm 15\, he asks\, “Lord\, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill?” (1) For David and for believing Christians\, our one passion is to be near God\, to enjoy him\, please him\, obey him and worship him. That life dominating purpose separates us from all other men. Pursuing power and prestige is not the goal; pleasing the Lord is. Consequently\, integrity is more important than popularity. Standing alone for what is right and true is a small price to pay for the privilege of serving our Lord. \nThat is what David means by “blameless” and “righteous.” A God-honoring life is one that obeys the commands of His Lord. His or her marching orders do not come from the masses\, but from their Master. Position\, popularity and prestige are not priorities to those who possess a pure of heart. \nAnd so\, David details the actions of a big man in God’s sight. First\, “He speaks the truth from his heart.” He does not lie\, does not shade the truth\, does not conceal hidden motives. What he speaks is what he is. It is a matter of his heart\, his identity. To lie would be self-assassination. He would be killing the essence of his being. He knows the Truth. He loves the Truth. He would rather die than betray the Truth. What he speaks he is. You can take his words to the bank! \nSecond\, “He has no slander of his lips.” (3) A Man or woman of God believes that the Lord is in control of his life. He does not have to put others down to lift himself up. In fact\, humility is woven into his character because he knows that all of the good that he possesses\, come from His Lord. Instead of attacking the character of his rivals\, he can serve them and even find reasons to honor them when appropriate. “He does his neighbor no wrong and casts no slur upon his fellow man.” (3) Of course not\, the whole purpose of his leadership is to serve others\, not to use them or hurt them. He is just following the ways of his Lord\, “who causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteousness.” (Matthew 5:45) \nBut\, this man is no whimp. Thirdly\, he speaks out and stands against vile men\, those who do evil and use their position to rob from the poor to make themselves rich. He cares not whether they are President or General of leader of the Senate. When they are wrong\, when they need correction\, he will risk their disfavor and hostility by confronting them with truth. He does it\, with boldness\, not because he loves conflict\, but because he loves truth. \nHe is also quick to honor those who\, like him\, fear the Lord\, even if they are in the other party. He will stand alongside the woman who has the guts to risk riling up the anger of the power wielders\, because she honors God’s name more than theirs.  \nFifth\, he “keeps his oath even when it hurts.” Ah! Here is a line of demarcation! How many times have we seen politicians make promises they knew they could not keep and would not keep\, just to get the votes from naïve citizens. They know they can’t keep the oath\, but it is necessary to put out there so they can get the position they want. Pragmatics push aside principles. And\, when he attains the status that he seeks\, he finds that his vow costs more than he is willing to pay. So\, he discards integrity and displays duplicity. \nSixth\, he does not get rich because he holds an important office. David writes\, that when “he lends his money\,” it is “without usury and (he/she) does not accept a bribe against the innocent.” (5) We all have seen the reports of a politicians who has spent most of their adult life in an elected position\, becoming millionaires from “serving the people.” David’s point is that a blameless and righteous man\, lives to serve others\, not to become rich. In fact\, they give away their money to the hurting\, without any thought of personal gain. Bribes? Never! His character cannot be bought or sullied by bribes. Everything he has comes from God and is on loan. He will give an account for his stewardship of all that he has been entrusted. \nAnd\, what is the end of such a servant. “He will never be shaken.” He will stand like Gibraltar. The winds of popularity will not move him one inch. The storms of adversity will not change his character. The temptation of riches will not alter his vote. The threats of lost position and popularity will not intimidate him. His will is cast. His heart is true. His life is the Lord’s. He will not be shaken! \nLord\, raise up a whole new tribe of Big Men who stand tall in these dark days. Our nation desperately needs them.
URL:https://givemethatbook.com/event/time-for-big-men-to-stand-tall/
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