Our Children, Continued

I'm prompted to complete the message from earlier, as a few of you shared that you were blessed and you learned to be a better father.

None of us are perfect, but we truly need to get it right (FATHERHOOD).

"THE DESTRUCTIVE CONSEQUENCES OF REBELLION"

"The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it " (Proverbs 30:17). The raven is a scavenger bird. It is usually the first to arrive at the scene of death. It has exceptionally keen eyesight and is able to detect dead or dying prey. The raven first determines if its prey is dead by picking at the eyes of the victim. If the victim does not defend its own eye, it is assumed to be dead. After the raven has begun to satisfy its appetite, the eagles arrive. They are larger and more powerful scavengers, and they finish the work which the ravens began.

These facts from the world of nature add astonishing depth to the warning of Proverbs 30:17. Listen up, when a son or daughter despises or rejects the authority of his or her parents, he or she begins to show signs of spiritual death. Those evil ones who, like the raven, feed upon destruction, can see the signs of spiritual death in rebellious children by looking into their eyes, "The light of the body is the eye..." Matt 6:22. Paul warned that the one who lives in pleasure is dead while he lives (1Tim 5:6). Rebellion to authority invites destructive temptation; and after smaller "Scavengers" have begun their work, larger ones will come and finish the job.

"GOD'S JUDGMENT WHEN MEN FAIL TO BE SPIRITUAL LEADERS..."

"...THE CHILD SHALL BEHAVE HIMSELF PROUDLY AGAINST THE ANCIENT, AND THE BASE AGAINST THE HONORABLE" (Isaiah 3:5).

"...Children are their oppressors, and women rule' over them..." (Isaiah 3:12).

"WHAT IF A FATHER HAS ALREADY FAILED?
A man who fails is not a failure! However, God promises "beauty for ashes." God allows us to fail when we try to succeed in our own strength. His most powerful illustrations have been in the lives of men who knew their own weaknesses, but who learned how to draw upon God's strength.

Failure leaves "scars", but these "scars" can be turned into God's glory for sons and daughters: Disobedience always results in loss and regret. When the nation of Israel disobeyed God, He scattered the families and destroyed the temple. Later, the people repented and rebuilt the temple, but it was less glorious than the orginal structure. However, God promised to make it more glorious than the former temple if they would be obedient to Him.

The dreams of the fathers are often fulfilled by the sons and daughters: Children tend to adopt their father's values. If his chief concern is for temporal things, theirs will often be also. However, children may take a different approach to temporal things. If, for example, a father is overly concerned about retirement, his son may be slothful on the basis that if retirement is so important, he will beat his father to it. When sons and daughters adopt their father's God-given goals, the father can provide much-needed encouragement, resources, and counsel for these goals. This was illustrated in the building of the temple. David had the vision for it, but his son built it.

THE SINS OF THE FATHERS ARE PASSED ON TO THE THIRD AND FOURTH GENERATION: A father must be a rebuilder, no matter what his past failures may have been. His sins tend to recur in the lives of his sons and duaghters. The manifestation may differ, but the basic failure will be there. When sons and daughters react to their father, they become just like him either in actions, or attitudes, and both. WHAT FATHERS ALLOW IN MODERATION, THEIR SONS AND DAUGHTERS TEND TO EXCUSE IN EXCESS.

Brothers I wish you all the very best, I know that you will be the very best father you can be. It's never to late to learn. What legacy are going to leave your children?

Have a great week in the Lord.