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Thursday, December 23, 2010
Today: Parenting the greatest child ever
Passage: Matthew 1
8 Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, 9 for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. (2 Tim 2:8, NIV)
Jesus was born in Bethlehem, the very place were David was born and anointed as King; it was also the place where Rachel, Jacob’s wife was buried
It was nothing but the grace and uniqueness of God that David got this unique privilege. He is a man who committed a big crime while he was a King
David repented, and his repentance was genuine
He never committed that sin again
God is about grace; if we confess our sins, God forgives
But for those who say or think that they don’t sin, God will be as far as possible from them
Sin is real and so is salvation; the penalty of sin is death, which is separation from God
God could have selected somebody with a clean record like Joseph in the book of genesis, instead of David to be attached with Jesus
After all, Jesus was not the physical son of Joseph
The gospel is not a make-up; it is for those who receive it plainly by faith. For those who question and doubt, it may look foolish
The most powerful message or news that has ever been out there is the gospel. It can be shared to other people with more confidence than sharing about the most trusted product on earth
The other day, I was listening to a conversation where people were talking about money; they were talking about their need for more money
But then, someone was telling, “thank God for a job, when many are without a job”
Many a time we are thankless about what we have and complaining about what we don’t have
God hand-picked Joseph to be in place of a father for Jesus because Joseph was willing to take that assignment, even as Jesus was born of God and was called the son of David. Joseph did not worry about any credit!
There are many young people who accept Jesus as their savior and are kicked out of their homes; then there are Christian couples who have accepted such people and have become parents to such people
There is so much you and I can do in the places where we live
Many children live with their own biological parents, but the parents are too “busy” and the children literally miss their parents
I know fathers who have no time for their kids, as well as mothers who are too busy for their kids
I have seen mothers and fathers confessing “I disciplined my child too much and was unnecessary”, after the children have grown up
We need the grace of God to be like Joseph and Mary, who became the greatest parents on earth to take care of God’s greatest gift to humanity
God bless you parent, as you are struggling to bring your children up, in the favor of God and people; and you son/daughter as you want to grow in the grace of God and others
BG
Prayer: Father God, thank you for being the greatest father ever, I need your help to be the kind of parent/child that I must be. So help me God. In Jesus’ name I pray; Amen.