I took Tina & Mom to the movie Courageous tonight. The entire movie is what my emails / blog have been www.whatadaddoes.blogspot.com I was greatly encouraged to hear Adam, the protagonist (played by Alex Kendrick) share that just being a good dad isn’t good enough….the Lord has many directives for us fathers to follow in scripture. However, most of us have been too busy to read our Bibles and seek out God’s instructions for dads. I’m sure you’ve heard about this movie but if you’ve not seen it, please make time to go see it in the theaters. Movie moguls need to know what America really wants and needs. Learn all about Courageous at www.courageousthemovie.com
As I was reading in my quiet time last week God pricked my heart with the following passage:
GIVE EAR, O my people, to my teaching; incline your ears to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth in a parable (in instruction by numerous examples); I will utter dark sayings of old [that hide important truth]-- Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from our children, but we will tell to the generation to come the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, and His might, and the wonderful works that He has performed. For He established a testimony (an express precept) in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, commanding our fathers that they should make [the great facts of God's dealings with Israel] known to their children, That the generation to come might know them, that the children still to be born might arise and recount them to their children, That they might set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but might keep His commandments And might not be as their fathers--a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation that set not their hearts aright nor prepared their hearts to know God, and whose spirits were not steadfast and faithful to God.(Psalms 78:1-8 AMP)
I sent a note to one of my sons who is now a father and asked him for his thoughts on the passage and here’s what he wrote. “In regards to your question about my thoughts on these verses…It is imperative that "mom and dad" are living their faith in front of the family. It is not a "personal" or hidden faith, but one that is real and growing. I believe this is one of the main differences between faith with and without works (dead faith). Too many children see the religious actions of parents and yet do not see the living faith that attracts the spiritually hungry. I know that you and mom are not perfect, but I am grateful for the living faith that you both displayed humbly and openly before our family. I believe this is one of the reasons that my siblings and I are pursuing Jesus, because we have "lived it" with you and were able to make that transition and take up the mantle for our families. The key to "passing the torch" is walking in the light, being that city on a hill. The light of the gospel can only make sense when it is seen at work in the life of a transparent believer.”
Do you feel a pressing urgency to make sure the next generation “gets it”? Do you realize that if you don’t do what God says a dad does future generations will not make it to heaven?
I really appreciated that Adam in Courageous took his daughter out on a date and asked her for her heart until God might bring the right fellow into her life. I am convinced that after our biggest problem....loving the world more than God....the second is letting our children marry people who don't love the Lord....one of the main reasons that the baton isn’t passed to the next generation.
What will you do? Have you told your children “the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, and His might, and the wonderful works that He has performed” from Scripture AND from your own life? Two hundred years from today, provided Jesus tarries that long, will your great, great, great grandchildren be sitting in their house discussing the mighty deeds of the Lord because you were faithful to train up your children in the fear of the Lord and that they have the same imperative?
THIS IS WHAT COURAGEOUS DAD DOES!
No comments:
Post a Comment