The Home As A Lighthouse - Part 7

 

The home is to be a place where we shine as lights in the world (Philippians 2:15).  This world needs to see God’s goodness in our families.  Friends, relatives and neighbors are watching and waiting to see what a home in Christ really is.  A great challenge we have before us is in Acts 2:46 where the early church believers gather together to share their lives, food and learn more of the Savior.  These homes were full of thankfulness and generosity.  One way we can teach thankfulness to our children is always around the meal table.  It may be like a meaningless routine to say grace before eating.  But it is up to us how we do it.  I make it very clear that we are fed by God’s gracious hand.  Food on our table is a gift from God and it is just plain rude to eat without saying thanks.  Just by this simple act of gratitude wherever we are, we are shining our light.   We also make it a joyful time by singing our thanksgiving to God before we eat.



Wherever we go, we try to stay together as a family.  You will be surprised what an impact this is to many, even Christians.  Many have come to us and told us that they were blessed just by watching our family and how we interact with one another.  Then I try to be more conscious and careful of my actions and attitude.

A farmer at farmer’s market, finally approached my and said, “you know, I am getting married in two weeks and I wanted to ask you for advise on how to raise my children because I have been observing every week your kids and they are very obedient.  How do you teach them?  I like children and I look forward in having my own someday?”  Wow!  First of all, I commended him for liking children.  This is very, very unusual.  Almost all the comments I get weekly as I am out with my children are that children are a burden.  Sure they are “cute” but only one or two of them and that was enough.  I also let the gentleman know that my children are just as any other children, sinful by nature, but we teach them what God requires of them.  They only way to godly parenting is through Christ and by His grace only.

One way we can be a lighthouse is by prayer walking our neighborhood.  Simply pray with your children for your neighbors.  You will be surprised how the Lord opens opportunities to share His goodness with others.

Here is a great tool if you want to connect with others praying in for your neighborhood: http://www.transformourworld.org/en/adopt

 

How do you cultivate a spirit of gratitude in your home so it can shine with joy?

The Home - Part 8

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The Home Is A Place Where His Presence Dwells - Part 3

Digging through the Scriptures about what does God has to say about a home or a house, I discovered that it is a subject very dear to His heart.  He has a house and He is very jealous about it too.  He also wishes to share His house with us.  Talk about hospitality!  God’s house has a rooms prepared for you and me. Jesus said, “I want those you have given me to be with me where I am” (John 17:24).  He is preparing a place for us.  Wow! We, striving to be homemakers in this world, will one day be with our Father, the perfect Homemaker.  We will never end learning from Him how to be a godly home keeper. Hospitality is definitely one of the components of our home.  But first I would like to spend a little time pondering on the phrase Jesus said, “It is written, my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations” (Mark 11:17).

1. The Home Is A Place Where His Presence Dwells.

We understand that we are only pilgrims in this world and that we have an eternal home in the world to come (1 Peter 2:11).  But while we are here God set up a house for Himself to dwell among His people.   The Tabernacle of Moses, or the house of the Lord, is a pattern for us to model our homes after for it is a heavenly pattern (Hebrews 8:4-6).   I don’t mean that our homes replace the house of the Lord as we gather on the Sabbath with other believers to worship God.  But that His House is an example of what our homes need to be.

A deeper study of the Tabernacle reveals the spiritual truths our homes need to be founded on. I will just briefly make mention of some spiritual pillars to be build in our homes. For example, at the entrance is The Gate, Jesus.  He said, “I am the Way” John 14:6).  Then we have the Altar of Sacrifice.  The Cross of Christ is to be at the center of our homes.   Then the Basin of Water represents how the Word of God washes us in our daily walk.   In the Holy Place, there is the table of bread, the menorah, and the table of incense.  This is also the Word, Light and Prayer.  The Holy of Holies is His Presence.   Our home needs to be a place where His Presence dwells.  I want my guests and my family to have a taste of heaven in my home.

How can I cultivate the Presence of the Lord in my home?  The answer is through prayer and worship.  The Tabernacle of Moses is foundational, but the Tabernacle of David is for now.  God said that in the last days He will restore the Tabernacle of David (Acts 15:16).  The Tabernacle of David was filled with prayer and worship continuously.   We know of heaven that worship to God is continuous also.   The angels and 24 elders worship Him around the throne.  We will be worshiping God for eternity.  It makes sense that our earthly homes should be training grounds for what we will be doing for eternity.  It is something glorious and enjoyable.

Practical ways I do this is by selecting worship music that focus on worship to God for who He is and what He has done.  This includes hymns, spiritual songs, songs of thanksgiving, lots of children’s praise and certain classical music will be included in my collection like Handel’s Messiah who wrote it after hearing the music of heaven.  I play this music softly in the background for a good part of the day.  Sometimes it will play all day and night for days.   But our favorite times is when Dad leads the worship in his guitar.  You will discover that as worship fills the environment of your home, prayer will be an overflow of that worship and it will be so enjoyable that you could pray for hours like this.   Therefore, you will be cultivating the Presence of the Lord in your home turning it into a sanctuary where His glory dwells.  Imagine the impact on those children!   We sing praises as we do chores.  This helps the children do their work heartedly unto the Lord instead of getting distracted or complaining.  We would be less likely to enter into contentions and impatience.

There are so many creative ways to make our homes also a house of prayer.  What are some ways you enjoy prayer in your home with your family?

The Home - Part 4

 

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The Call CA 2010

We had a great time in Sacramento at The Call.  It was intense the few moments I was able to be there and engage in the intercession going on.  We interceeded greatly for the human trafficking in CA.

Praise the Lord, 2 hours after this intercession, News reported that Craigslist had been uncovered to be the main website used for this and they had just agreed to take down this link/service.

Lizbeth, Sarah and Yehoshua all stood for LIFE.  We will continue to mourn and cry out and speak out for the unborn.



My heart melted during this time of travail.  About 20,000 people gathered to cry out to God for CA, to humble ourselves and see a turn around in this prescious state.

We love babies.



and....of course there is Betsy who goes everywhere with us as an "addition" to the family.  She loves Yeshua too and stands for LIFE

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There was a time when Government called the Nation to a Day for Fasting and Prayer

God has given these instructions. It's a God thing, not a man's good idea. The word of the Lord came to Joel...consecrate a fast, proclaim a solemn assembly; gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land to the house of the Lord your God, and cry out to the Lord. (Joel 1:1, 14).  And in 2 Chronicles 7:14

There was a time when our Presidents acknowledged God was above our nation and only He could save it.

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  "I HAVE therefore thought it fit to recommend, that Wednesday, the 9th day of May next be observed throughout the United States, as a day of Solemn Humiliation, Fasting and Prayer" President John Adams' March 23, 1798


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  "to recommend that a day be set apart for Humiliation, Fasting and Prayer throughout the Union."  President James Buchannan Dec. 14, 1860


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  "I HAVE therefore thought fit to appoint, and with the advice and consent of the Council, I do hereby appoint Thursday, the Second Day of April next, to be observed as a Day of Public Fasting, Humiliation and Prayer throughout this Commonwealth:-Calling upon the Ministers of the Gospel, of every Denomination, with their respective Congregations, to assemble on that Day, and devoutly implore the Divine forgiveness of our Sins," Massachusetts Gov. Samuel Adams, February 28, 1795


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  "I do hereby appoint Friday the Twenty-Seventh Day of March next, to be observed as a Day of Fasting, Humiliation and Prayer throughout this State.  And I do hereby call upon the People of all denominations of Religion, devoutly and solemnly to keep said Day and appropriate it as a Day of special religious service, devoted to God in solemn Duties of penitential acknowledgment of their Sins, private and social, against the Divine Will and government." Connecticut Gov. Jonathan Trumbull's February 20, 1807


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  " I do therefore recommend the third Thursday in August next, as a convenient day to be set apart for the devout purposes of rendering to the Sovereign of the Universe and the Benefactor of mankind, the public homage due to his holy attributes; of acknowledging the transgressions which might justly provoke the manifestations of His divine displeasures; of seeking His merciful forgiveness." President James Madison, August 1812


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  "to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next as a Day of Thanksgiving and Prayer to our beneficent Father, who dwelleth in the heavens. And I recommend to them that, while offering up the ascriptions justly due to him that, for such singular deliverances and blessings; they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it, as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes, to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility, and union." President Abraham Lincoln October 3, 1863


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   "I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation...and also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations, and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions" President George Washington, October 17, 1789

Although our President Obama declared before the world that Americans “do not consider ourselves a Christian nation", it's simply no true.  America was once a praised nation by the world because it's Governmental leaders would humble themselves before His Mighty Hand.  Now, young and old citizens of America have called the nation to a solemn assembly.  There is hope, here is former Governor Mike Huckabee calling the nation to a day of fasting and prayer:

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Hope for California 09/04/10

"If my people who are called by My Name would humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land" 2 Chronicles 7:14.

I strongly believe this powerful Scripture to be true to our day.  It has been true throughout history.  I've seen communities, cities and now nations being transformed from  the principles in this passage.  This is a Scripture calling us, the Church, "If My people", to humble ourselves, to repent, to cry out for His mercy, acknowledging that our State and Country is in the condition it is because of us.  We've abandoned the walls, of prayer, of government and of family.  We've been asleep and in slumber following the patterns of this world.  Although this writing is about Hope for California, I admit that I have been so disollusioned, disappointed and deeply saddened to see the Church in such complaciency, slumberness and careless about our State and families.  Each election day reflects how much we care about righteousness, life, and family.

But, with tears in my eyes, I plead to all who call upon the Name of the Lord, to rise up and take up your post in the Wall.  Fathers, take your post in guarding your family and State/country (Ezequiel 22:30); Mothers, take your post in praying and loving your husbands and children (Titus 2:4); Children, take your posts in obedience and purity (Col. 3:20).  And we should all stand as a solemn assembly before our merciful righteous God.  This is not a time to hide in the caves of our churches, it is a time to voice out.  We are forerunners, I've made a commitment, not to be quiet anymore but like a John the Baptise, I will prepare the way for the soon Coming of Our King.  I will call sin, "sin".  "An open rebuke is better than love concealed. Proverbs 27:5.

Join us this Saturday Sept. 3-4 in our State Capitol Sacramento for a solemn assembly.  We need revival, we need transformation and we need a reformation.

 We all carry the presence of God and we have seen many miracles happening through our lives. Even with all this we know that God is bigger than all the work we can do on our own. This is much bigger! We need to influence our culture, we need to see God touch our government, education, finance and every other sphere that influences our communities.

If we do nothing but hide we can't complain abou the condition of our world. As the light is pulled away darkness will show up and overtake. Let your light shine that all might see the Lord. Let's all do our part and let's see God do His.

Let's believe for Revival, Renewal, Transformation, Reformation, Social Chage, Church Planting Movements, Healings, Preaching of the Word, Missions, New Song, Prophetic Insight, Kingdom Businesses, Kingdom Advancement....All of it.

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