How We Should Be Praying for Our Children (and Grandchildren)

“And his sons would go and feast in their houses, each on his appointed day, and would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. So it was, when the days of feasting had run their course, that Job would send and sanctify them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, ‘It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.’ Thus Job did regularly.” (Job 1:4-5)

God has given us these beautiful gifts from Heaven in our children. It’s important that as parents we pray faithfully for them knowing that they need God’s help, guidance and protection. Following are some of the things that every parent should be asking regularly for their kids.

We should Pray…

1.     That they will trust Christ as their Savior as early in life as possible. (2 Timothy 3:15; Psalm 63:1)

2.     That they will live committed lives to Jesus Christ. (Romans 12:1-2)

3.     That they will have godly hatred for sin. (Psalm 97:10)

4.     That they will be caught when they do wrong. (Psalm 119:71; cf. 119:67, 94:12)

5.     That they will be protected from the evil one in every area of their lives: spiritual, emotional, physical, and financial. (John 17:15, 1 Peter 5:8)

6.     That they will respect those in authority over them. (Romans 13:1)

7.     That they will desire the right kind of friends and be protected from the wrong friends. (Proverbs 1:10)

8.     That they will be brought to the right spouse and kept from the wrong one. (1 Corinthians 6:15)

9.     That they, as well as the ones they marry, will be kept pure until marriage. (1 Corinthians 6:13-20)

10. That God will teach them the virtue of humility. (James 4:6)

Add to the list other things that God lays on your heart and that find support in the scripture.

Service Cancelled Tonight at LMBC!

As strange as it may seem, the decision about whether to cancel a church service due to weather conditions can be a difficult one to make.  My personal inclination is to never cancel a service and to let each individual make his/her own personal choice about venturing into the weather. But, I am becoming increasingly more cautious with these decisions every year.

A few times over the years the decision has been easy because there was so much snow that it was impossible for us to clear the parking lots. On most occasions, however, it is much more difficult simply because you cannot predict whether a given snow storm will produce what is forecast or know exactly the impact it will have on the community.

You also have to take into account the difficulty of operating our ministry when there is the potential of significant numbers of people absent from their areas of service due to snowy/icy weather. And, if you continue with the schedule in spite of the conditions, some of our dedicated staff will try to be present even if they would not choose to do so otherwise. The consequence is that some people are unduly jeopardized by a decision to continue with a service when there is snow.

In addition, a church our size simply cannot mobilize for services without sufficient time to prepare, nor can we cancel a service effectively without plenty of time to get the word out. Consequently, the decision about canceling or conducting a service when weather is threatening usually has to be made well in advance of us knowing the full impact of a storm. That means that we may choose to cancel on the basis of the information we have at the time only to have conditions improve rather than worsen.

As you can see, a lot of factors play into any decision to cancel a service when the weather is snowy. Having heard horror stories of people injured or even killed trying to get to church in bad weather, I now choose to err on the side of caution more often than I did in the earlier years of my ministry. I love our people too much to place them in jeopardy of a fall or car accident on slippery roads/parking lots.

Since we aren’t having services tonight due to these weather conditions, take the evening and spend it with your family. God will be pleased if we use this opportunity to give quality time to those that matter the most to us.

Why Did Christ Come?

1. To Fulfill O.T. Prophecy.

And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. (Matthew 1:21-23)

The virgin birth was more than a means to protect Christ’s sinlessness, it was a “sign” declaring Him to be the Messiah (Isaiah 7:14).

2. To Reveal God To Man.

No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.    (John 1:18)

If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. Philip saith unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake. (John 14:7-11)

3. To Be A Sympathetic Priest.

Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. (Hebrews 4:14)

4. To Show A Godly Example.

For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps…    (1 Peter 2:21)

5. To Sacrifice Himself For Sin.

For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. (Hebrews 10:1-10)

He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. (1 John 3:8)

6. To Seek And Save Sinners.

For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. (Luke 19:10)

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. (John 10:10)

This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. (1 Timothy 1:15)