House of Prayer

  Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people. Isaiah 56:7

And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bough in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the money changers, and the seats of them that sold doves, And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves. Matthew 21:13-13. 

The house of God is supposed to be a place of prayer. However, a quick look at the current state of affairs makes it clear that most churches are anything but a house of prayer. There are so many churches that seem to put on a show. Other churches seem to emphasize programs. Programs are not bad or good. It depends on the program. However, anything that replaces prayer as the main event is a problem. 

The apostles prayed about everything. 

 

Acts 1:14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.

Acts 1:24 And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen,

Acts 2:42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

Acts 3:1 Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour.

Acts 4:31 And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.

Acts 6:4 But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.

Acts 6:6 Whom they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them.

Acts 8:15 Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost:

Philippians 1:4 Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy,

Philippians 1:9 And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;

Philippians 1:19 For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,

Philippians 4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

Notice that prayer was essential to the development of the early church. Prayer should be essential to our lives as well. 

Preacher Qualifications

 

This is a true saying, if a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil. 1 Timothy 3:1-7

These scriptures explain the qualifications of someone who wants to be a pastor. Unfortunately, not all preachers understand the implications of these scriptures.

• Blameless 
• husband of 1 wife
• vigilant
• sober
• good Behavior
• given to hospitality
• a teacher
• not a drunker
• not greedy
• patient
• not a fighter
• not covetous
• if he has children, they are well behaved 
• not a new Christian

Many years ago, my dad was beginning to attend church regularly. That is until one fatefully Sunday. This Sunday my parents arrived to see the pastor and another man having a fist fight in the parking lot. My dad saw, exclaimed how bad that was, and left. He stopped going to church. He did not regularly attend church after that for many years. Thankfully, he did come back before passing. 

Please, if you see a man, who claims to be a pastor, behaving badly don’t give up on God. God gave the rules on how to select a pastor. It is people who choose not to listen and obey. God gave these rules for a reason. The preacher, in my dad’s case, had chosen to settle a disagreement by brawling. He completely ignored the part about not being a brawler. In addition, his behavior on that day was bad, not good.

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Thinking Problems

 

Do you have troubling thoughts? Do you think about bad things? 

If you answer yes, then it is time to learn how to drive away bad thoughts. The devil likes to trouble you by sending thoughts to your mind. However, even he can be defeated by throwing scripture at him. 

Here is the best scripture I have found for defeating bad, depressing thoughts. 

Philippians 4:8

“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”

You may not be able to control the thought that passes by, but you can decided whether or not to dwell on it. A wise person once said, "You can't keep a bird from flying over your head, but you can keep it from building a nest in your head." That means you can choice not to entertain bad thoughts. What I like to do is quote the above scripture until I have defeated the bad thought.  

What is the reason?

  My grandpa used to tell a story about one of his most memorable sermons that he preached. This sermon was inspired by an event that happened the night before he preached the sermon. In his story, he said that he got up to preach and said, "I beat the fire out of my wife last night, and I did right." The congregation gasped according to him. He then asked the congregation how many believed that he did wrong. Everyone raised their hand. He went on to explain that he did right, and it is not what you do as much as it is why you do it. He then explained that it was cold last night when his wife took a shower. After she got out, she put on her gown and backed up to the space heater. Her gown then caught fire. In her fear, she ran. He had run after her, caught her, and put her on the ground to beat the fire out of her. If he would not have beat the fire out of her, she could have died. He then asked then again if he had done right. Everyone agreed that he had done right. 

In the Bible Jesus implied that you could do things outwardly correctly but still not be right with him. Let's look at a few scriptures.

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. Matthew 23:27-28

According to this they appear righteous unto men, but they are full of sin. They are so busy trying to follow all the rules that they forget the most important. 

Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. Matthew 15:7-9

It looks like it is a heart issue. Just doing things is not good enough. 

 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Matthew 7:22-23

From this we get that you must have a relationship with Jesus. Just keeping commandments and doing good will not get you to heaven. You cannot work your way to heaven. 

That is not to say that obeying the Bible is wrong. Jesus also said, "If ye love me, keep my commandments." John 14:15. 

Now let's look at the teaching of Paul. 

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up. I Corinthians 13:1-4

Charity is translated love in many Bible translations. Jesus pointed out that they were doing things, but their hearts were far from him. Paul teaches that we need love. 

Jesus likewise teaches love.

Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. Matthew 22:36-40

We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error. Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. I John 4:6-8

If what you are doing for God is not based on love of God, please examine your motives and heart. You don't want to hear at the end of time, depart from me, I never knew you. 

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God's timeline

 

God has a plan. “Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:” Acts 2:23. 

He has spoken the plan. “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;” Hebrews 1:1-2. 

Now he is completing the plan. “And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.” Revelation 21:3-7.  

He gave his overarching plan to the Israelites in the form of his 7 Appointed times (feasts). “Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts of the Lord, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts.” Leviticus 23:2. Those 7 times point to things that have happened and things that (at the time of the appointed times being given) were still to happen.

Please see the chart below. 

Real Learning

 

There is an old Chinese Proverb that says,

Tell Me and I Forget; Teach Me and I May Remember; Involve Me and I Learn

When trying to teach children, this is helpful to remember. Children need to be involved in what they are learning. Think about what you remember the best. If you are like me, you remember learning from your mistakes more than from your successes. You probably are more likely to remember things when you learned in some hands-on way. Now apply these memories to teaching your children. Involving the child in something hands-on that is fun creates a fun memory for the child. Because they are able to remember doing the activity, they have also learned the information. 

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Why Homeschool?

 

Homeschooling is the solution to a complicated problem. This problem should not be so complicated, but problems that has come from sin has made it complicated. 

Parents are commanded by God to teach their children. The Bible makes clear that education is to begin in the home (Gen. 18:19; Deut. 6:7; Prov. 22:6; Eph. 6:4; 2 Tim. 1:5; 3:15).

•  For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him. Gen 18:19
• And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. Deut. 6:7
• Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6
• And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Ephesians 6:4
•  When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also. 2 Timothy 1:5
• And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 2 Timothy 3:15

Another good reason for homeschooling is the world in which we are living in. The school are not the same as they were just 10 years ago. Just take a look at the average reading and math scores of the USA.  It is obvious that something has gone wrong with the instruction of reading, writing, and arithmetic. When you homeschool, you are directly involved in what your child is learning. You are able to catch learning problems earlier and start working on solutions to the problems. 

I hope that you will prayerfully consider the education of your children.