Honoring Your Mother And Father Is NOT A Debatable Issue

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***HONORING OUR MOTHER AND FATHER.... PART 5 OF 5

MOTHER'S DAY 2002

DAILY DEVOTIONAL SUNDAY MAY 12, 2002
(Proverbs 23:22)

Listen to your father, who gave you life,
and do not despise your mother when she is old.

Honoring your mother and father is NOT a debatable issue. I realize from the incredible amount of mail I received this week, that this series has been a great blessing to many, and very difficult for others. For those who have been blessed and encouraged, use it as a reinforcement of this word God has given to us in this important area of our lives. For those who have been challenged, even hurt by this series, let me say that I love you and would never intentionally hurt you. Many of the things I write are difficult, and God uses them in many ways to reach people at the exact point of need they may have. Don't ever think it is a coincidence when you read these Devotionals, and for those who have struggled this week, know God is speaking to you in a very clear and loud voice.

I know from years in the ministry, through thousands of hours of counseling people, and from an untold amount of prayer requests, many of you had very difficult childhoods. You did not have a Godly mother or father. There may have not been much if any love and nurturing. In some cases, there was even physical and sexual abuse. The very legitimate question is "how can I honor a mother and/or father like that?" The answer lies in taking the whole counsel of God. I have found that when God says something in His Word over and over, especially in the Old Testament, and again in the New Testament, He is trying to emphasize a point. Honoring your mother and father is not just an idea, or a suggestion, it is a COMMANDMENT. It is not only a commandment, but something God mentions all throughout His Word. He obviously wants us to understand His feeling about this issue.

In my spiritual growth, one of the biggest problems I had was the passages in the New Testament that told us to pray for, honor those in leadership. That meant a Christian living in Nazi Germany was supposed to pray for and honor Adolph Hitler. That made no sense to me at all. As one who loves the history of the early church, I am acutely aware of the government in place at the time these words were actually written. It was a Roman government that was killing Christians in the most brutal ways, and doing all in its' power to wipe Christianity from the face of the earth. Yet God said to pray for and honor those people. It made no sense. Then the Holy Spirit took me out back one day and had a little talk with me. First, we look at time in a much different way than God does. The Bible says a thousand years are but a day to God. God is not limited by space and time like we are. The entire course of human history is a blip on the radar screen compared to eternity. Everything that has happened, is happening, and will happen, is all part of God's plan.

Why God allows certain people and nations to rise up is something He only knows. How it works in His plan and purpose is something we will probably never understand fully. What that means to us is simple. We are to obey, exercise our faith in God, and trust Him. We pray for our leaders no matter how ungodly they may be because God told us to. It may not even be possible in our flesh, which is why we must call upon the strength God gave us. It is how we pray for our enemies as God tells us to do. It is how we forgive those who hurt us as God has told us to do. It is the same strength Jesus Christ used to not only pray for His enemies, but literally forgive those who nailed Him to the cross. For those who had ungodly parents, bad parents, unloving parents, abusive parents, whatever the case may be, honoring them IS NOT an option but a commandment.

As we close out this series, let me encourage you today. If your mother and/or father is still alive, and you have a good relationship with them, don't neglect them. Call them, see them when you can, do special things for them, most of all, spend some time with them. Our time with those we love is so short even in the best case. They will be gone before you know it, so don't take them for granted. If your mother and/or father is alive and you haven't had that good of a relationship with them, do what you can to mend the fences. Again, they are the only parents you will ever have, so understand how special they are.

I understand that they may not be receptive, but that that is between them and God. You do your part, pray, and leave it in His hands. If you have a mother and/or father that have caused much pain in your life, you may need some Christian counseling to help you over those hurdles. At the very least, you can pray for them. Remember, God will supernaturally empower us to do those things He has commanded us to do. He helps us obey Him. Tap into that power and do what He has asked each of us to do. Once again, honoring our mother and father is not just the right thing to do, it is something God has commanded us to do. It is not open to debate.

I love you, care about you, and will be praying for you. I know God will do incredible things in many lives through this 5 part series. The most important thing we can do in this life is to be faithful and obedient children. That is not always easy to do, but we have to try. God will bless us when we follow Him, do it His way. My prayer is that you will take a few minutes today to pray, and ask God how you can best honor your mother and father. He will guide you, show you the way, and supernaturally strengthen you to make it happen. Our purpose is to serve and glorify Him in our daily lives. Honoring our mother and father is one way that we can fulfill that purpose. Make it a high priority in your life today.

As part of this special series, I am happy to offer to you an incredible book, "Choosing A Nursing Home And Living With Your Choice". I know the author personally and it is a resource I am proud to be able to offer to you. Mary is an RN with an extensive background in the nursing home industry. It is THE BEST Christian book ever on dealing with this subject that is rarely addressed. It is practical, hard hitting, and walks you through the process step-by-step. Because it is not in print, the publisher charged us $5 per book. I have prayed about this and am led to charge you NOTHING, because I feel it is that important for you to have it. I would ask however that you pray and give a gift to Liveprayer if the Lord leads you to. For those who can't give, that is no problem, just ask for the book and I will send it to you, no charge, I will pay the postage. For those who can give, give what you are able to offset our costs of getting this book to those who can't give.

To get your book, simply email me at bkeller@liveprayer.com and request it. Please include your address so I can send it to you. To give a gift on your major credit card, you can go to our website, www.liveprayer.com and click on the "Donation" button. Or, you can mail your gift to:

Liveprayer
6660 46th Avenue North
St. Petersburg, Florida 33709

***HOWEVER YOU GIVE, YOU STILL NEED TO EMAIL ME AT bkeller@liveprayer.com with your name and address that I can send you the book.

I rarely endorse resources, but for this week, for this topic, it is the ONLY comprehensive book I have found from a Christian perspective that handles this delicate issue with real-life direction in a no-nonsense way.

***I realize that many have not had the type of relationship with your parents God intended. For many, this week will bring up many bad memories. It is not an accident. For some, God wants to help you get them behind you once and for all. For some, you may need to deal with these issues in an ongoing counseling situation. I personally know the folks at www.barnabus.com. They do a great job. In the past, I have led many to their Christian Counseling services and have received nothing but good reports about them. They may be an answer to prayer.

In His love and service,
Your friend and brother in Christ,
Bill Keller

If I can help you in any way you can contact me through my personal email at bkeller@liveprayer.com

***I am excited to let you know that the Liveprayer Daily Devotional is now available via audio each day. Simply go to http://www.liveprayer.com/DailyDevotionalAudio.html. Click on "Search by Category", then locate DAILY DEVOTIONAL. I want to thank Ed Morando for making this service available for FREE to Liveprayer.com.

This message is "Honoring Your Mother and Father Part Five.

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