Wonderful Jesus!

Tag: children

• His Name is Everlasting Father!

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on September 29, 2020

  Isaiah 9:6 – “For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” NKJV

  

  Jesus loves the little children
  All the children of the world
  Red, brown, yellow
  Black and white
  They are precious in His sight
  Jesus loves the little children
  Of the world!

  his-name-is-everlasting-father_-1.mp3

  I learned this song in Sunday School, or Vacation Bible School, as a child! If you were brought up in a Christian environment, or, are raising your children in one, you probably have learned it, also! As children we are taught of the God who loves us, and as adults, we tend to forget how very much we are loved by Him. A father’s love has the power to bring security and peace of mind, while the lack thereof can bring dysfunction, insecurities and a host of other negative things. There is one Father, who will always be available to His children, Jesus! His name is Everlasting Father!

  Jesus told us that when we pray, we are to refer to God as our Father. On many occasions He called God, His Father! Now, we will look for the qualities of a Father in our Savior, understanding that He is the Everlasting Father! Pretty much, this verse in Isaiah 9:6 is saying that the Child born to us, would be God! Every aspect of God that we love and saw demonstrated in the Old Testament, has been made available to us through Jesus!

  In Ephesians 1, Paul wrote that we were predestined to adoption as sons by Jesus to Himself. As we believe on Jesus, because He is God, He is also our Father! In Hebrews 2, the writer stated that the captain of our salvation (Jesus) is bringing many sons to glory! Who has sons? A Father!

  My husband is an amazing dad! As I’ve watched him with our daughters, in their formative years, and even now, I can say that I envy them and their relationship. My father died early in my life, and even before he died, he had too many kids, and too many responsibilities to be much more than a provider. But my husband is such a great dad, that I have even heard my girls reference their relationship with God, to their relationship with their dad. It’s the picture God intended for them to have.

  One important quality in a dad, to me, is being present. My husband was a pilot in the Navy. When he left the Navy he could’ve been a commercial pilot, as many of his friends had become. However, he chose to forego that career because he wanted to be with his family. He didn’t want to miss out on anything in their life. Jesus said to us that He would never leave us, nor would He forsake us. He promised to be with us til the ends of the world. That’s staying power! That’s being present! Not just as we are growing, but until the world ends! No other father can make that statement, but Jesus does!

  My girls like to talk with their dad. They talk about politics, their jobs, and anything else that they want to, with him. He’s always listened to them. They know from years of experience that he is there for them. Jesus bids us to come and talk to Him. He said that if we are burdened, or carrying a load, to bring it to Him because He will give us rest! Day or night, we can go to Jesus! He is never too busy, or too tired; and any conversation we are willing to have with Him, He will have with us. He’s our Everlasting Father!

  Another quality of a good father, is that he is wise. My husband invests, and because of that, he has counseled our daughters to be investors. Their first job saw them investing, and when they have questions about investments, they talk to their dad. When they have major decisions to make, or even minor ones, they want to know what he thinks. Jesus is filled with wisdom. He tells us how to conduct our lives. He talks to us about our relationships with others. He gives us insight into what bad choices will do for our lives. He talks to us about our future, reminding us that our past doesn’t have to define us. He gets to the heart of the matter in a conversation, and tells us what we need to hear, and not what we want to hear. Just like a father! Why? Because His name is Everlasting Father!

  He is a great provider, that husband of mine. He wanted our girls to go to college without loans, or worry of how it would be financed. Each of them left undergrad debt free. We made the sacrifices for them so that they would have a healthier financial start in life. They had their own car in college so that they could come home whenever they wanted to. They even had their own room, when they asked for it, so that they would not have to worry about anything but school. They all had a part time job, and they respected and appreciated the sacrifices, but as their dad, he really wanted to do this for them.

  Jesus is the same way. Even better. He is a great provider. He said that we are not to worry about what we would eat, or drink, or even wear; because our Father knows that we have need of all of these things. He just encouraged us to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness; and He promised that these things shall be added to us. In other words, material things were a simple addition to life, when our focus was on being with Him and working in His kingdom. Every great father, welcomes His children into the family business!

  Fathers can be great role models. Our children are a reflection of both of us. However, they are daddy’s girls to the max. I would even say that a lot of the love and attention that I get from him, they expect. Their daddy, to them is the measuring rod of any man looking for their attention. Jesus is an amazing example of all that is good and wholesome, and holy, and loving. We know what a Christian looks like, because we see what Jesus’ life was like. We live daily to let our lives be a reflection of Him. His example is so powerful in nature, that even people who don’t know Him try to imitate Him!

  Originally, when I started this blog, I was thinking on a different plane. But recently, I had a conversation with someone who remarked on how spoiled I am; and she asked me if my husband had spoiled our daughters like he has spoiled me? As I thought of their relationship, I knew the way this blog should be written!

  Did I forget to mention love! Any great dad has an uncanny ability to make each of his children feel loved and special. My husband certainly fills that role in our daughters lives. Did I mention that I am jealous? Only slightly, because the rest of me is thrilled beyond measure to see him love on our daughters. Oh how He loves you and me, this Everlasting Father of ours! His love sent Him to the cross! His love for us got Him up! His loves for us, sent us a Comforter! His love for us know no bounds! It is an unending love, that says nothing can change His love for us! What a wonderful Father He is!

  Let me just say this for those who need to hear it. My husband isn’t perfect, our girls aren’t perfect, our life isn’t perfect! But we have trusted Jesus, the Everlasting Father, to lead and guide our family. He is the Head of our household and we acknowledge that with no problem. Everything I have mentioned, Jesus is that and more! His Fatherhood is forever, and we can always count on it; for us, for our children, for our children’s children. I rejoice today in my loving, Everlasting Father, Jesus the Christ! What about you? Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in fathers, His Name, Jesus | 2 Comments | Tagged children, Dating, Everlasting Father, Heavenly Father, Jesus, love, Parenting, provision, relationships, Salvation, wisdom

• Happy Are the People!

  Posted at 9:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on July 2, 2020

  Psalm 144:15 – “Happy are the people who are in such a state; Happy are the people whose God is the Lord!” NKJV

  

  happy-are-the-people_.mp3

  Happy people are blessed people, and blessed people are happy people! I woke up with this passage of scripture on my heart and just thought I would share it!

  We are happy when our children are doing well! David wrote the following about children:

  • That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth! In today’s vernacular this means, that our sons are doing well. They are physically healthy, they are growing into fine young men. They are morally upright and are demonstrating a sense of responsibility.
  • That our daughters may be as pillars, sculptured in palace style. No figure heads for our daughters. But still applicable in the sense that we want daughters of grace and inner beauty. Young women who are confident, vibrant, and of course, morally upright and responsible.

  We are happy when we have money in the bank, the bills are paid, and we can enjoy life and giving:

  • That our barns may be full, supplying all kinds of produce.
  • That our sheep may bring forth thousands in our fields. Increase in our labors. Much fruit in our jobs!
  • That our oxen may be well laden;
  • That there be no breaking in our going out- I left all of these together because they speak of prosperity. Yes, prosperity. Our finances, our business, our homes, our possessions, growing, flourishing, and overflowing to the point of being a blessing to others. That they are protected from the thief and from waste.

  We are happy when we feel safe and secure where we live:

  • That there be no outcry in our streets. We are living in such a way, that there are no protests in the streets over injustice, lack, or unfair treatment. We can go back and forth in the city without fear of being hurt, harmed, or in danger!

  How can this be? David was praying that this would be the state of the people whose God is the Lord! When we are in the kingdom of God, we should expect that every area of our lives will be touched by His goodness, filled with His blessings! Our family, our livelihood, our cities! Nothing missing, nothing lacking! That’s actually what blessings are all about! And when we are blessed by God like this, aren’t we happy?

  Somebody is saying, just one area Lord, and I’ll be happy! That may be true, but trust Him to move in all areas; expand your heart to receive more from God! He’s not having an economic crisis, and He’s not rationing out blessings!

  I just thought I’d share what I woke up to! I pray blessings over your family, your home, your livelihood, your city, your country! As David did! So the next time someone say to you, “Be blessed,” think of all these ways in which David, and I prayed for you to be blessed! Because happy is the people whose God is the Lord! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in blessings, God’s Blessings | 1 Comment | Tagged Attitude, blessings, children, David, goodness, material blessings, provision, psalm

• Boaz’s Mom!

  Posted at 9:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on May 10, 2020

  Matthew 1:5- “Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse” NKJV

  

  Rahab is an interesting woman to me. She is often referred to, in scripture, and therefore by us, as Rahab the harlot. Today, I would like to take a look at Rahab, the ex-harlot, the mother of Boaz.

  In the second chapter of the book of Joshua, two spies are sent out to “look over” the land. In doing so, they end up at Rahab’s establishment. In my Logos commentary it is mentioned that Rahab’s place could have been more like a hostel or tavern, than a brothel, where visitors could have respite from their travels. I can’t prove that, but I am going to go with that! We know they did not stop for sinful reasons, but to check out what was going on in Jericho.

  Of course Rahab would be interested in these strangers in her place. They could have had a conversation, God could have given her a dream, or she could have just saw an opportunity and grabbed it. We don’t know for sure! But we do know that she hid the men in her home, lied to the king’s men about their whereabouts, and made plans with them to spare her life and the lives of her family members, as she had spared theirs.

  Rahab and her family were rescued and became a part of the Israelites, not as slaves, but as honored members of the Israelites, at least Rahab did. We know this because she later married Salmon, a leader of the Israelites and gave birth to Boaz. This is her summary that we all know, but now I want to talk about her as a mother.

  Salmon saw qualities in Rahab that surpassed his knowledge of her past. Although she may have been a harlot, by the time she was rescued, this was not the life she would continue with. Let’s look at some of her qualities:

  1. She was a woman of faith-Every action of hers involving the spies shows that she had already transferred her allegiance from what she was taught to what she believed! She heard about what the Lord had done for the Israelites and in essence laid her trust in Him when she assisted them. Great moms truly believe that they are to diligently teach their children about the Lord, and I believe that both Rahab and Salmon had many opportunities to share with Boaz the wonderful experiences they had in God.

  2. She was influential-She had a place of business, the king’s men trusted her word, and she was able to convince the spies that she could be trusted. She also convinced her family that leaving Jericho and placing their trust in the Lord and His people was a good thing. She continued exercising her influence over her son. This was evident by the fact that he later married Ruth, a Moabite woman, not a Jewish woman, whose commitment to God and family caught his eye.

  3. She was a caring woman-She could’ve just made plans for herself, but she didn’t. She saved her father’s household. This was instilled in her son, because it was Ruth’s care for Naomi that got Boaz’s attention.

  4. She was courageous-Lying to the spies and being caught was a possibility, and yet, she did what she had to do to save herself and her family. Again, it is obvious that Boaz had a great deal of respect for his mother’s courage because Ruth’s courage captured his attention.

  She was also a hard working woman, a no-nonsense kind of woman, and she appealed to Salmon. When he saw her, he didn’t see a harlot, but a woman of faith, of courage, of genuine concern for others, adaptable, and one who had the favor of God on her life. He saw the mother of his children. And today, I salute this mother, Boaz’s mother, as someone we can model our lives after.

  Just like Rahab, mothers today have a huge influence on their children. Our children will gravitate to our faith if it is a deep, abiding faith in the Lord. They will embrace our God and look for a mate who also embraces Him. When they see our love, our care for others, they too will become adults who care for others, demonstrating it to their family, friends, and even strangers. When they see our courage in the midst of the storms of life, they too learn to take courage and to not fear because it was modeled before them.

  We do much, as mothers, for our families, for our children. Some times we may feel it’s no big deal, and other times we may feel overwhelmed and not appreciated; but what we do is so important! It really is! Rahab didn’t start out with the best background for being a mother, but with the help of God she turned out to not only being a great mom, but being in the lineage of King David and King Jesus! She didn’t allow her past to dictate her future or her kids future. She trusted God and did the best she could and she was loved and honored for it.

  I hope this encourage you today. I hope you see how valuable you are to your children, to your family. And more importantly, in light of today, I hope they see it! Have a wonderful day with Jesus and your family and continue to be the best mom you can be for His glory! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Mother’s Day | 4 Comments | Tagged Boaz, children, Family, Mother’s Day, Rahab, Ruth, Salmon

• Raising Godly Children Is Possible!

  Posted at 9:33 pm by wonderfuljesus8, on May 11, 2019

  Proverbs 22:6 – “Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.”

  When I woke up this morning, it was with great joy in my heart! Our youngest daughter graduates from college today! And not only that, but tomorrow is Mother’s Day and all of our girls are home to celebrate it with me. My cup overflows!!

  As I laid in bed thinking about the goodness of God, I knew that I was supposed to blog this morning on raising godly children. I’ve actually thought about writing a book about it, but for the moment, I’ll just share a snapshot of praise!

  There is great truth in raising children in the way that they should go! Early in our courtship we made some very real commitments to our children and they hadn’t even been conceived yet. We agreed with each other before God that we would both be involved in their spiritual journey in life and their academic life. We agreed that they would never see us fight or hear us belittle one another. We agreed to spend time with them and to enjoy each stage of life. And we agreed to discipline them in love.

  Of course, I can’t write about all of that today, but I want to share about the two most important aspects of raising our children. The first challenge was to raise godly children in an ungodly society. I can truly say, we were successful because we didn’t trust our knowledge or experiences, but we relied heavily on the Word of God and the leading of the Holy Spirit.

  We have always attended church as a family. We attended Sunday worship services and Wednesday night bible studies all of their lives. We introduced Jesus to them at an early age and then walked our faith out before them. They each accepted His Lordship as their own and throughout their college days were faithful in their walk with Him. Amazingly, we didn’t have to call and encourage them to go to church, but I believe it was because they had been taught the value of worship. When problems came in our lives, they saw us pray about it and trust God; and so when they had issues growing up, we encouraged them to pray and trust God. I used to tell them when they misbehaved that the devil was using them, but they would get the spanking. It curbed a lot of nonsense!

  The other area we were consistent in was academics. Raising godly children in an ungodly education system is a challenge for every godly parent. But we did it! We agreed to support our children academically. My husband was strong in math and science and would help with those areas and I was strong in literacy and help with that. Throughout their time in school we kept with that commitment. If my kids would ask me to help them with math, even if I understood it, I would refer them to their dad. And he always helped them! When they graduated from high school they were strong in both areas. Of course they had leanings toward one or the other, but they were prepared for college.

  When they had homework growing up, they were never allowed to stay home from church to complete it. Never! And they were never allowed to bring it to church! They had to learn to prioritize life just as we did. And more importantly, they had to learn that service time was God’s time and it would not be compromised. They weren’t always happy with that, but they learned to do homework early on Wednesday, and don’t leave anything until Sunday because they would have a price to pay. Not me! A perfect place to add, we didn’t do their work, we only assisted. And they had more projects than you can imagine! But they made it!! Glory!!!

  What am I saying? We were purposeful in raising our children. We knew that we wanted them to have a strong relationship with God and to be well-educated individuals. We didn’t believe that we had to sacrifice one to get the other. So that is how we raised them.

  Looking back on them and our lives, we are pleased with who they are in Christ and professionally. We weren’t perfect parents. Just ask them! But we obeyed the Word in training them in the way they should go. We taught them to love God and have a love for His Word. We taught them the value of church attendance and service to the Lord. And we taught them the importance of education and choosing wisely a career. The stories I could tell!!

  I will share, just this one. Our middle daughter plays the piano and sings. As a matter of fact they all can sing, and the oldest two really learned to play. But when it came time to go to college, she decided that she should delay college and pursue a musical career. Well, we were not in agreement with that, although we supported them in a lot of things. Since she was graduating a year early from high school we told her she could stay in high school and continue to sing and play at church or she was going to college; but there would be no time off. She went to college!

  I have so much I can say about raising children. I’m a parent and an educator. I have a lot of opinions!! Lol! But the best advice I can give to those who are still parenting, is to trust your children to God and teach your children to trust Him as well. Then as you train them up in the way they should go, they will not depart!

  Wishing all graduates of 2019 much success in their future endeavors! And a very happy Mother’s Day to those who get up every day meeting the challenges of motherhood with grace and love! God bless you! Wonderful Jesus!!

  Posted in children, Family, Mother’s Day, Victorious Living | 4 Comments | Tagged children, Family, Mother’s Day

• IT’S INSTINCTIVE!

  Posted at 3:55 am by wonderfuljesus8, on August 24, 2018

  Matthew 13:3 – “Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying:…”

  One evening as I was praying for my great niece, age 3, who was being rushed to the hospital, I heard in my spirit, “Teach the young mothers how to fight for their children.” I knew that God was giving me an assignment but I didn’t know when I would get to fulfill it or how.

  When we had the all night prayer, mentioned in my previous post, that was the assignment that I was given, by my assistant pastor, who also leads our women’s ministry. So needless to say, I was excited to share what I believed was a word from God. 

  On the morning of the all night prayer, as I was meditating about the message,  I heard the Holy Spirit remind me that Jesus spoke in parables. I agreed! Then He told me to consider the mama bear and how she protects her cubs. 

  I YouTubed a mama bear protecting her young. In the video the mama bear and her cubs were at the river drinking water and foraging for food. On the video another bear ( a hungry male bear fresh out of hibernation) came on the scene, noticed one of the cubs alone, and headed for it. Out of nowhere the mama bear rushed the other bear. After a few minutes of the mama bear’s attack, the male bear left and the mama bear and cubs continued what they were doing. A few minutes later, the thin male bear returned, but this time his focus was the mama bear. Instead of waiting for the attack, the mama bear raced across the water and attacked again, but was more aggressive in the attack. The other bear finally gave up, left, and according to the commentator, it didn’t return.

  When I finished watching that video, I knew what the Lord was telling me to share. 

  It’s a mother’s instinct to protect her young. Whether that mother is an animal or a human, by the nature of motherhood, mother’s protect first!!

  God talked to me about how this works instinctively in everything but the spiritual realm. As mothers, we should instinctively know that when the enemy (the devil) attacks our children it’s time to fight. Whether they are attacked spiritually, physically, or emotionally, our position is to instinctively be in a position of attack on the enemy.

  I shared an example about how the devil attack our youngest child with breathing issues around the age of six. We were coming home from church when she said she couldn’t breathe. I told her, yes you can! She replied she couldn’t and her breathing seemed labored. When we got to the house, I laid her on the couch in our living room and my husband and I prayed. She continued to labor with her breathing. We continued to pray.

  Finally he left, and I continued to pray. I told the devil he wasn’t  going to give my child asthma. I was not going to the hospital. And she was not dying so take his hands off.  And so forth and so on!  I prayed until her breathing evened out and she fell asleep. Glory to God!!!!

  I’ve had several times as a mother to fight for our daughters. When the devil attacks our daughters, my attitude is, “This means war!”

  When he tried to bring that labored breathing back on her, I get at him again. No, devil! I don’t think so! I told you to take your hands off of my baby!!… and anything else that came to mind!

  One day she had an issue that needed medical attention and the doctors noted that she had had tests to check for asthma, but for some reason it was never diagnosed. I guess not!! God is a good God!!

  I know that I was given that assignment because I fight first and ask questions later. We have seen God heal our children or intervene on their behalf more times than we can count. Why? Because we will fight for them. 

  As I said to the women that night: This is not a braggadocios statement, this is how we live life in our home. We don’t take what the devil sends our way because he decided that was what he was going do. We take God at His word and we fight for what God has promised us. 

  Do we win every battle? Not yet!! But we win many more than we lose because when God is for you, who can be against you? I cannot go into everything that I shared that night, but I will say this: I challenged the women of God to let the fight for their children become instinctive as they confront the enemy  and tell him to take his hands off of their children. And I encourage you to do the same! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in children, Faith, Sickness, Spiritual warfare, testimony, Victorious Living | 0 Comments | Tagged children, Parenting, Spiritual warfare

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