Saturday, February 4, 2012

'Reclaiming Our Own: Unity at Last'

'Reclaiming Our Own: Unity at Last'

THE FEAR ENGENDERED BY THE ENEMY’S THREATS

by Rev. M.D. Rogers

A. There Was A Verbal Threat.
1. Hezekiah was told not to count on the strength of his allies.


Isa.36: 4 “And Rabshakeh said unto them, Say ye now to Hezekiah, Thus saith the great king, the king of Assyria, What confidence is this wherein thou trustest?

5 I say, sayest thou, (but they are but vain words) I have counsel and strength for war: now on whom dost thou trust, that thou rebellest against me?

6 Lo, thou trustest in the staff of this broken reed, on Egypt; whereon if a man lean, it will go into his hand, and pierce it: so is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all that trust in him.”



NOTE: [1] The word “Rabshakeh” is actually a title, not the messenger’s name. It is the “…title of a high court official (originally a royal cupbearer, since the name means ‘chief wine-pourer’)” (Charles F. Pfeiffer and Everett F. Harrison, The Wycliffe Bible Commentary: published by Moody Press, Chicago, Illinois; pg. 634).

[2] It is interesting to note that twenty-three years earlier, Hezekiah’s father, Ahaz, had to make a decision at this same aqueduct mentioned in verse two. Unfortunately, King Ahaz decided to trust the armies of Assyria to fight his battles, rather than God. Now, the ally of Ahaz had become the attacker of Hezekiah. Be careful what you rely on in times of trial. Trusting anything other than God will likely be your undoing. As the old song says, “On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand/All other ground is sinking sand” (“The Solid Rock,” by Edward Mote).

[3] The obvious intent of this Assyrian military official was to knock all the props out from under Hezekiah and his people. In reality, Judah could not trust Egypt for deliverance because Assyria had already captured and controlled the road to Egypt.



2. Hezekiah was told that his army lacked sufficient military ability.



Isa.36: 8 “Now therefore give pledges, I pray thee, to my master the king of Assyria, and I will give thee two thousand horses, if thou be able on thy part to set riders upon them.

9 How then wilt thou turn away the face of one captain of the least of my master’s servants, and put thy trust in Egypt for chariots and for horsemen?”



NOTE: [1] In verse eight, the Assyrian messenger basically makes fun of the obvious military weakness of Judah. In essence, he said, “Look, I’ll make you a deal (“give pledges”). If you can find riders for them, my master will give you two thousand horses to help your war effort.”

[2] Our enemy, Satan, loves to get us focused on our weaknesses. For one thing, when he speaks about our weaknesses, he speaks the truth. However, when he speaks about God and His strength, and our position in Christ, he always lies. The Bible says, “…greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world” (I John 4: 4b). It also says, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Phil.4: 13). Don’t argue with the devil about your weaknesses; agree with him. After all, he’s right. But the fact is, if you face trials and temptations relying on the Lord and His strength, your weaknesses have nothing to do with the outcome.

[3] Satan’s purpose in your trials is to get you to focus on you. God’s purpose in your trials is to get you to focus on Him.



3. Hezekiah was told that Judah’s destruction was by God’s authority.



Isa.36: 10 “And am I now come up without the Lord against this land to destroy it? the Lord said unto me, Go up against this land, and destroy it.”



NOTE: [1] The statement made here was essentially true. God was in fact using Sennacherib to judge Judah as a whole for their idolatry. But the situation at Jerusalem was a little different. Hezekiah, a godly king, had made reforms, ridding the city of idolatry. Because God had determined judgment upon Judah as a whole, did not mean that He had determined to destroy Hezekiah and Jerusalem as well.

[2] When God’s children are going through trials and troubles, Satan loves to lie to them and tell them that God is against them. “After all,” he will say, “look at how many times you’ve messed up in the past. God is angry with you. That’s why you’re having all these problems.” Unless you are rebellious against God, and have known sin in your life, don’t fall for that lie. Sure you’ve sinned and messed up in the past. All of us have. But the Word of God says, “…the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin” (I John 1: 7b).

[3] Jesse Pen-Lewis, a great saint of the past, once said, “The devil and his wicked spirits will speak, or use, ninety-nine parts of truth to float one lie…” (Jesse Pen-Lewis, War On The Saints: published by Thomas E. Lowe, Ltd., New York, New York; pg. 236).



4. The people of Jerusalem were told that Hezekiah was deceiving them with false assurance.



Isa.36: 14 “Thus saith the king, Let not Hezekiah deceive you: for he shall not be able to deliver you.

15 Neither let Hezekiah make you trust in the Lord, saying, The Lord will surely deliver us: this city shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria.

……………………………………………………

20 Who are they among all the gods of these lands, that have delivered their land out of my hand, that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?”



NOTE: [1] The king of Assyria had sent word by his messenger saying, “Don’t listen to Hezekiah’s nonsense about God delivering Jerusalem. He’s just avoiding the inevitable—he’s not living in reality.” That sounds just like what the devil tells a lot of folks every Sunday: “Don’t listen to that preacher. After all, he’s just preaching. He’s supposed to tell you to trust God. But you know the only one you can really trust in a tight is yourself.”

[2] In verse 20, the messenger basically said that none of the other gods of the land had delivered their people. Why should Jehovah be any different? He was trying to put Jehovah and idols on the same level. However, he would soon find out differently.



B. There Was A Visible Threat.



Isa.37: 9b “…And when he heard it, he sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying,

10 Thus shall ye speak to Hezekiah king of Judah, saying, Let not thy God, in whom thou trusteth, deceive thee, saying, Jerusalem shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.

11 Behold, thou hast heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands by destroying them utterly; and shalt thou be delivered?

12 Have the gods of the nations delivered them which my fathers have destroyed, as Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph, and the children of Eden which were in Telassar?

13 Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arphad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah?

14 And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it: and Hezekiah went up unto the house of the Lord, and spread it before the Lord.”



NOTE: [1] All the visible evidence indicated that Hezekiah and Jerusalem were done for. He had an official letter of intent from the king of Assyria; and the cities that the Assyrians had already destroyed were visible evidence that they were capable of doing what they threatened to do.

[2] Folks, the child of God is not supposed to live their life merely by what they see. Paul said, “For we walk by faith, not by sight” (II Cor.5: 7). Rather than throw his hands up and surrender to the enemy, Hezekiah took the letter “…and spread it before the Lord” (v. 14). When it comes to your trials and troubles, the enemy doesn’t have the last word, God does. Paul, through the Holy Spirit, gave us these reassuring words: “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us” (Rom.8: 37).





II. THE FAITH EXERCISED BY THE KING’S TACTICS



A. Hezekiah Humbles Himself Before God After The Verbal Threat.



1. He asked Isaiah to intercede before God.



Isa.37: 1 “And it came to pass, when king Hezekiah heard it, that he rent his clothes, and covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the Lord.

2 And he sent Eliakim, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests covered with sackcloth unto Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz.

3 And they said unto him, Thus saith Hezekiah, This day is a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and of blasphemy: for the children are come to the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth.

4 It may be the Lord thy God will hear the words of Rabshakeh, whom the king of Assyria his master hath sent to reproach the living God, and will reprove the words which the Lord thy God hath heard: wherefore lift up thy prayer for the remnant that is left.”



NOTE: Hezekiah’s first response to the threat of the enemy was to humble himself before God. That’s quite unlike many people of our day, who permit themselves to become hardened by their trials rather than humbled by them.



2. Hezekiah’s humbleness before God receives an immediate response from God.



Isa.37: 6 “And Isaiah said unto them, Thus shall ye say unto your master, Thus saith the Lord, Be not afraid of the words that thou hast heard, wherewith the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me.

7 Behold, I will send a blast upon him, and he shall hear a rumour, and return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land.”





5 Ways To Inspire Your Children’s Dreams

by Deanna Shoyoye
As we celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., one of the most influential and respected leaders in history, I often think about his parents. How strong, wise and loving they must have been to raise such a dynamic individual. People like MLK didn’t just turn out great by happenstance. Clearly there must have been family members, mentors, teachers and peers that saw his potential and nurtured it. I humbly offer my thoughts on how to encourage the special boys and girls in our lives to create a vision for themselves, achieve their dreams and make an impact on the world at large.


5. Look & Listen
“It (destiny) is what you have always wanted to accomplish. Everyone, when they are young, knows what their destiny is. At that point in their lives, everything is clear and everything is possible. They are not afraid to dream, and to yearn for everything they would like to see happen to them in their lives.” ~Paulo Coelho, “The Alchemist
Practice close observation and active listening skills when interacting with your children. Talk to them. What are they into? What can’t they stop jabbering about? You can help them identify and explore their healthy interests. Dig a little and educate them about the possibilities. A kid obsessed with transforming robots today, could be tomorrow’s science and technology innovator.
4. Homemade History Lessons
“The history of the world is but the biography of great men.” ~Thomas Carlyl
All things tangible and real in our world were once someones dream. Teach your children to appreciate the men and women throughout history who turned nothing into something, and they will realize that they too can bring their visions into fruition. Retrace the steps taken one by one to turn dreams into reality
3. Encourage Literacy
“The more you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” ~Dr. Seuss, “I Can Read With My Eyes Shut!
Little readers are little dreamers. Books transport us to worlds unknown and plant ideas in a way that no other media can. Your budding bookworm will develop a better vocabulary, ability to focus and critical thinking skills by shelf surfing at the local library.
2. Expose Them To The Unfamiliar

“If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder, he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement and mystery of the world we live in.” ~Rachel Carson
Make sure children know that the world is a huge, varied place. There is more to life than their block, city, state, country and continent. While their minds are sponges help them understand that no dream is too big. Their imaginations may lead them to ponder the implausible, but teach them that nothing is impossible. Visit museums, parks, art galleries. Travel by train, plane and automobile. Answer their questions. When you don’t how to respond fess up and research the topic together. Encourage exploration that titillates their senses. See the sights; smell the scents – stinky and sweet; touch the soft and prickly; hear the noise and quiet; develop their taste for life!
1. Keep Living Your Own Dreams
“When our memories outweigh our dreams, we have grown old.” ~Bill Clinton
When we become parents, guardians or teachers we agree to put our needs second to what is best for our kids. Sometimes through great sacrifice we put what we want on hold to provide what they need, as it should be. But remember, the way we live provides a road map for how our children approach their lives. Talk to your children about your personal story, your failures and successes. Are you thriving or surviving? Even if you are excelling professionally, personally and spiritually think back to when you were a child. Rediscover some of that joy and curiosity. Set new goals, embark on new adventures, make new memories and you will inspire your children to do the same.

Remember Where You Came From And Who Was With You Through It All | Black and Married With Kids.com - A Positive Image of Marriage and Family

Remember Where You Came From And Who Was With You Through It All Black and Married With Kids.com - A Positive Image of Marriage and Family

Are Black Families Treated Differently In Hospitals? | Black and Married With Kids.com - A Positive Image of Marriage and Family

Are Black Families Treated Differently In Hospitals? Black and Married With Kids.com - A Positive Image of Marriage and Family

Friday, February 3, 2012

Who Says Raising Boys Is Easier?

L.Z. Granderson disputes the precept that boys are easier to raise than girls, citing disquieting statistics that show males' greater likelihood of dropping out of high school and being incarcerated.

Did you know boys are more likely to
drop out of high school than girls? Or that there are more female college students than male? And did you know the imprisonment rate for men is roughly 15 times higher than the rate for women?

If this is what boys being easier to raise than girls looks like, could you imagine how many men would be in jail if raising girls got any harder? We worry so much about girls getting hurt -- and justifiably so -- but interestingly enough, the stats show it's our boys who are more likely to get robbed, attacked or even murdered. We see girls as fragile orchids and boys as plastic plants. But let's face it: At the core of this line of thinking isn't safety -- it's sex.

When someone offers this piece of advice, it's with the thinking that girls have to be protected from boys who will say and do just about anything to get in their pants. What's typically missing from this discussion is the challenge to parents -- particularly fathers -- not to raise a liar and a cheat.

True, parents of boys do not have to worry about them coming home pregnant, but does that mean an unplanned pregnancy can be considered "the girl's problem"? After all, a boy's girlfriend did not get pregnant asexually. That's why I'm Tebowing day and night, hoping my 15-year-old has the will to stay away from sex -- even though the world all around him tells him there's something wrong with him if he does.

Easier? Ha. Try different.