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A NAME GONE WRONG

1 Chronicles 1:10 “Cush became the father of Nimrod; he began to be a mighty one in the earth.”

YOU’RE SUCH A NIMROD

 Back in the 80’s calling someone a “nimrod” was not a compliment.  It meant you were a geek or socially awkward.  But in 1 Chronicles 1 this is the first person to which an explanation was given.  According to the Bible and a lot of other historical writers, Nimrod was the king of Babel and was the one who led the people to build the tower, supposedly out of rebellion against God.

Nimrod was a large man, bigger than most.  In fact, some believe he was a giant, similar to Goliath.  What a pity that he chose to use his might against God rather than use his “God-given” strength and might to lead his people toward God.  His name could have been known as a great one.  But let me ask you, “Do you ever hear of anyone naming their child Nimrod?” Of course not.

TEACHING MOMENT

 We should teach our children that their name means something.  They carry your name, Dads.  It should be a name they are proud of.  And we should teach them to be careful to never do anything to dishonor it or bring shame to it.  Once a name is marred by bad choices, it takes a long time to reclaim your reputation.

We also teach our children that, as believers, we carry the name of Jesus.  We should be careful how we portray the name of Christ.  People are watching so we need to be mindful of the image we are showing the world. Children need to be reminded of that as they go to school.  They need to be reminded of that when they go off to college.  We bear the name of Christ.  Don’t forget that.

How about your name?  Do people hear your name and say, “Oh yeah, I know them.  What a great guy.  He really loves the Lord.”?  Do people even know you are a believer?  Let your name instantly remind people of your walk with Christ.  Remember that your life, as a believer, is a reflection of Christ.

Father, help me today to carry Your name proudly. I know that as I live for You, others will be drawn to You.  Remind me each day to guard Your name and make it my own.

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NOT YET

Malachi 4:5 “‘Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord.’”

BUT SOON

 Before Jesus returns to judge the earth, Elijah and Enoch will return to earth to proclaim His return.  Won’t that be incredible?  Whether you are pre-millenial, post-millenial or a-millenial, this is going to occur. Malachi gives us the warning right here.

But for believers, there is nothing to fear in that “great and terrible day of the Lord.”  We are secure in Christ.  He has already covered our judgment through His blood which we have accepted.  By surrendering to Him, we have secured our place by His side on that day.  We will observe the judgment knowing we are spending eternity with our heavenly Father.

TEACHING MOMENT

I don’t expect you to teach end time prophecy to your young child.  They can’t possibly understand all the implications of that event.  Most adults can’t.  But we can teach them to get their hearts ready.  We can lead them into a saving knowledge of Christ.  We can disciple them to walk with Him daily.  And by doing all those things, they will come to understand.

The Spirit of God can teach our children things we can never teach them.  He speaks to their hearts.  He speaks in a way they can understand.  He knows them deeper than we ever will.  Our job as parents is to prepare them to hear Him. Let Him do the rest.

Are you listening to the Spirit?  Are you ready for that day?  Personally, I hope I am alive to see Christ’s return.  I pray you are ready to go to the right side of eternity.  I pray you are secure in your faith in Jesus.  If you have any doubts, make it right today.

O Lord, I am so thankful I get to spend eternity worshipping You.  I look forward to that day when I see You face to face.  But Lord, in the meantime, help me spread the Good News to as many as I can so they can join me there.

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SEEK AND HIDDEN

Zephaniah 2:3 “Seek the Lord, all you humble of the earth who have carried out His ordinances; seek righteousness, seek humility. Perhaps you will be hidden in the day of the Lord’s anger.”

SOUNDS BACKWARDS, RIGHT?

 What a beautiful message from the Lord through Zephaniah!  Look at the verse.  He says, “seek the Lord…seek righteousness, seek humility…you will be hidden.”  He says seek and be hidden, not hide and seek. I’ve never done that, have you?

But notice that you are not the one hiding.  The Lord will hide you in the day of His anger.  How is that possible?  Because we are told we are hidden in Christ.  His blood covers us.  When we are washed in His blood, all those sins that make us stand out in God’s anger are hidden from His view.  He chooses to NOT LOOK at them.  Wow!

TEACHING MOMENT

Now, try to explain seek and hide to your children.  They understand hide and seek, but not seek and hide.  You see, the key to this verse is what we are seeking. If your children will seek the Lord, righteousness and humility, they will be walking with Him daily.

I bet they know how to seek someone who is hiding when they are playing that game. The beautiful thing is God is NOT hiding.  He WANTS to be found.  He WANTS your children to seek Him, so He can show Himself to them.  Isn’t that awesome?

Are you seeking the Lord, righteousness and humility?  Are you hidden in Christ?  Not sure?  Make sure today.  Seek Him today.  Let Him show Himself to you.  Remove that fear of His anger of your sins by seeking Him passionately.

Thank You, Lord, for hiding me under the blood of Jesus.  Thank You for allowing me to “find” You.  I do want to seek righteousness and humility.

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FULFILLING PROPHECY

Zechariah 11:12-13 “12 I said to them, ‘If it is good in your sight, give me my wages; but if not, never mind!’ So they weighed out thirty shekels of silver as my wages. 13 Then the Lord said to me, ‘Throw it to the potter, that magnificent price at which I was valued by them.’ So I took the thirty shekels of silver and threw them to the potter in the house of the Lord.” 

GOD EVEN USED THE DEVIL

God will use whomever and whatever He needs to fulfill prophecy.  Just look at this prophecy in Zechariah.  Now tell me who fulfilled this in the New Testament? That’s right – Judas Iscariot. And who was controlling him?  That’s right – the devil.  He was doing the devil’s bidding when he betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver which he threw in the temple after Jesus had been arrested.

I am not going to tell you that the Lord is going to use you to fulfill prophecy, but He could.  We all play a part in the furtherance of His kingdom here on earth.  As believers we are to share with whomever we can the living giving message of the cross.  And at some point, when all have heard, Christ will return.  Who knows – you may be the one who does that last sharing which ushers in that glorious day.

TEACHING MOMENT

 Even your children can be used by the Lord in His kingdom’s work.  Look through Scripture and you will find people of all ages being used.  Perhaps your little Gertrude will be like the little boy who shared his lunch and fed 5000+ people.  Maybe your little Elrod grows up to be the next Paul who travels thousands of miles to preach the Gospel.

Whatever the Lord wants to do with your children, you can trust that it is good. But give your children the freedom to be used.  In fact, our job as parents is to prepare them to be used.  The hard part is letting them go.  Just remember that our children are simply on loan from God.  They really belong to Him.

But are you willing to be used yourself?  Are you available and willing to do whatever He asks of you?  He may just use you to usher in His return.  Wouldn’t that be incredible?

Father, I surrender myself anew to You today. Take me and use me wherever and however You choose. 

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IFO

Zechariah 5:1 “Then I lifted up my eyes again and looked, and behold, there was a flying scroll.”

IDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECT

 Zechariah says so nonchalantly, “and behold, there was a flying scroll.” What?  If I had seen a flying scroll, I think I would have done a double take.  How did Zechariah accept this sight so easily?  Because he trusted the One who was given him the vision.

What has the Lord shown you lately?  Are you even looking?  The Lord is constantly revealing Himself to us in amazing ways.  Sometimes it is in the normal things around us.  But other times He shows Himself in extraordinary ways. They are so extraordinary that we try to explain them away.  God doesn’t still use visions, does He?  Oh yes, but ONLY to bring glory to Himself and draw us to Him.

TEACHING MOMENT

 Take a minute today to point out to your little Susie a glimpse of God you have had today.  “What? How?  I haven’t seen God, Carl.”  Well, are you looking?  You have to be looking to see Him.  But, if you are His child, He wants to show you more and more about Him every day.

Your child may point out something to you today that you recognize as a “God sighting.”  It’s something that can only be explained as coming from God.  Make sure your child knows how you know this.  Take the time to explain it.  They won’t forget it.

If you aren’t seeing God around you, open your eyes.  He is there.  God is not in the habit of hiding from us.  He WANTS us to see Him.  He WANTS us to know Him.  Just look. He may just show you something extraordinary today.

You are truly amazing to see, Lord.  I never get used to seeing Your handiwork. Whether it is the colors of a rainbow or the birth of child, You are an amazing Creator.

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RETURN

Zechariah 1:3 “Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, “Return to Me,” declares the Lord of hosts, “that I may return to you,” says the Lord of hosts.’”

 COME HOME

 Don’t you just love to go home? There is just something that feels good about going home to your loved ones.  When I travel I look forward to arriving at my home and seeing my wife. When my kids were little they would welcome me with hugs and kisses.  It feels good to be welcomed home.

Here in Zechariah 1:3 the Lord is telling Zechariah to tell the people to come home.  Specifically, He says, “Return to Me.”  Can you picture that?  God is calling them home.  He is calling us home today.  When we stray from home, He says, “Return to Me.”

TEACHING MOMENT

 How many times have you opened the door and yelled to your kids, “Time to come home”?  The next time you have to do that, share this verse with them. Talk about how the Lord desired His children to come back home to Him just like you want your children to come home to you.

Of course, coming home to you is an actual physical act where returning to the Lord is more spiritual.  It can involve the physical too, but it is more about your children repenting and returning to the Lord in their heart. Make sure Johnny and Susie understand that.  They need to understand what it means to come back home to the Lord.

How about you?  Have you wandered away spiritually?  Are you far from home?  Do you hear the Lord say, “Return to Me”?  If you will stop and listen, you will hear Him.  He won’t force you, but He is waiting.  Go to Him.  He is waiting with open arms.

O God, I know You desire for me to dwell with You at all times.  Help me stay close.  When I begin to wander, call me home.

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IGBOK

Haggai 2:9 “‘The latter glory of this house will be greater than the former,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘and in this place I will give peace,’ declares the Lord of hosts.”

 ONLY ONE WAY THAT IS POSSIBLE

 In the days of Haggai, he was prophesying about the temple.  The people had neglected the House of God, so the Lord sent Haggai to remind them of a few things.  Their suffering and hard times were because they had failed to follow Him and worship Him. Haggai brought this message to the people and said, “Rebuild.”

However, many of them saw the rebuilt temple as inferior to the original.  This verse today may have been heard and interpreted as referring the physical temple, but it meant so much more.  Jesus would come, the very Son of God, and fulfill this prophecy.  He, indeed, was far more glorious than the temple. He was and is the very essence of God. He was the walking temple of God.

TEACHING MOMENT

 When your little Elrod is having a bad day, you may say to him, “It’s gonna be okay.”  That’s the meaning of the title of this blog (IGBOK).  You may have seen those bumper stickers around. Let me just say, however, that is not true.  Unless…you know Jesus.  Just as Jesus’ presence on earth brought salvation to mankind and “made things better,” when we know Him as our personal Lord and Savior, we have the hope of eternity.

Teaching our children real hope is so important.  I am not talking about hoping for something tangible. I am talking about hope in Christ, hope in eternity, hope in a life filled with the joy of Christ.  When those things are present through Christ, IGBOK!

When you see one of those stickers, pray for that person who is driving that car that they truly know how to be okay. Pray that they will come to Christ. Pray they will not let the circumstances of this world dictate their joy.  It never will produce that.

Thank You, Lord, that it is going to be okay.  Thank You for reassuring me through Jesus. Thank You for the promises in Your Word.

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THE DAY IS COMING

Zephaniah 1:2 “‘I will completely remove all things from the face of the earth,’ declares the Lord.”

JUDGMENT

 Zephaniah had a terrible message to deliver to the people.  Judgment was upon them.  God was going to bring judgment upon the nation due to their lack of faith and disobedience.  Verse 2 is pretty harsh.  You would think if we heard such a message we would repent.  But probably not.

You see, we are no different than the Israelites of generations ago.  We say we believe, yet we live as if the world revolves around us.  We disregard God’s deliberate instructions to live holy, sanctified lives for the sake of His name.  We who are believers in Christ know the truth, but there are many who are walking in darkness and think they are in light.

TEACHING MOMENT

 We don’t teach this to our children to scare them into obedience.  That is not the way to get them to follow the Lord. We teach them that God is holy and just. We teach them that God cannot look upon sin and ignore it.  We teach them the only way to appease a holy God is to surrender to Christ and allow His shed blood to pay the price.

Then, and only then, when little Johnny or little Susie have given their lives to Christ, can they rest in the knowledge of the coming judgment on mankind. This may sound like a hard message today, but it is needed.  Don’t water down the Gospel.  Don’t make God into some kind of loving grandpa figure.  He loves, yes, but He also demands holy living.

Are you living a holy life before your children or grandchildren?  Are they drawn to Christ because of you?  We must live as a reflection of Christ.  Our purpose as believers is to be used as a vessel of Jesus to our families and a lost world.  Will you reflect today?

Let me shine, Father, as a beacon of hope to those who need Jesus. Let them ONLY see Jesus in me.  I want to be used of You to draw them to true peace.

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DID YOU SEE THAT?

Habakkuk 1:5 “‘”Look among the nations! Observe! Be astonished! Wonder! Because I am doing something in your days – you would not believe if you were told.’”

 AMAZING!

 Have you ever seen anything so amazing that you did a double take?  I mean, you couldn’t believe your eyes.  There was no way what you saw actually happened. There have been a few things in my life that fall into that category.  To this day I can’t believe what I saw.

God is telling Habakkuk to look and see what He is doing around him.  Even though things look bad, He is at work.  But Habakkuk has to open his eyes and recognize God at work.  Isn’t that the case with us, too?  We complain and gripe about how bad things are and fail to recognize God’s fingerprints all over our situation.  He is constantly working in the lives of His children to make them more like Jesus.

TEACHING MOMENT

 Kids are easily tricked by what they see.  When they are young they can be made to believe just about anything. Pulling a quarter out of their ear blows them away.  Taking away their nose with your hand scares them.  Listen, while they are young teach them to look around for “God sightings.” Teach them to recognize those moments when the only explanation is God.

As our children have their eyes opened to the spiritual realm and learn to trust the Lord, their worldview becomes much clearer.  The world will try to make them think they are seeing the truth while leading them down the wrong path.  But as we teach them to verify all they see with the Word of God, they can be reassured if what they see is really the truth.

How about you?  Do you simply believe it because you see it?  The old saying is still true concerning the world – believe half of what you see and nothing you hear.  But when God shows or tells you something you can literally bet your life on it.  Turn to His Word today and let it direct your path.

Lord, on the days I think I see something that is true and right, help me to verify it through Your Word.  That means I have to be spending time in it.  Thank You for allowing me to have such a revealer of truth in my life.

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RESTORATION

Nahum 2:2 “For the Lord will restore the splendor of Jacob like the splendor of Israel, even though devastators have devastated them and destroyed their vine branches.”

LIKE NEW

 Have you ever restored a piece of furniture? My grandmother had a 1908 Thomas Edison Diamond Disc Victrola which she left to my mom.  It stands about 4 feet tall with cabinets for the records and the speaker horn.  It has the handle on the side to wind it so it can play.  My mother gave that to me because I had restored it for her.  It was covered in a thick dark varnish that wouldn’t allow the original cherry veneer to show.  When I finished, it looked like new.

In today’s passage Nahum is describing the restoration of Judah after it has been destroyed.  He says God will restore the “splendor of Israel.”  Can you imagine how encouraging those words were for the people? They had lived through the devastation of the city.  They had seen friends and family murdered.  And now they are promised restoration.

TEACHING MOMENT

 Troubles come.  Isn’t that encouraging?  But the Lord has promised those who love Him that He will restore us.  Now, this is a truth we must teach our children.  We must teach them to trust God’s eternal plan. When all seems lost, God is there. When all seems hopeless, God is there. He promises that.

“But Carl, you don’t know what we are going through.”  Nope, sure don’t.  But neither do you know what I have gone through.  We teach our children to trust God by not only living it out ourselves, but also helping those around us who are going through hard times.  As God uses us to minister to others, we are fulfilling His plan for them.  Let your children be a part of that.

Whatever you are facing right now, trust God to restore you.  It may be a quick fix or it may be a long process.  During the testing, allow Him to open your eyes to the lessons He wants you to learn.  There is always something to be learned.

God, You are always mindful of my situations.  I know that. When I doubt that remind me with a gentle nudge.  Show me Your presence.

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