Hello my para beauties. I hope everyone enjoyed their Christmas/ Holiday season. The new year will be here in 2 days, my gosh where did the time go? It's just mind boggling to think. Celebration of our Lord Jesus Christ tends to be out shadowed as it seems the main objection is what gift to buy for the people we love. Children handing over lists of toys or electronics they expect to receive and many folks are already very limited on funds and struggling in this awful economy will go broke and say"Well Christmas is about giving." Not completely. Nor is it about receiving gifts. It's about the Birth of Christ if you are of the believing faith. Of course this does not all apply to everyone.
I've had 12 requests to discuss what the Bible says regarding the title of this article/blog. They feel that many people have and are raising children to feel the world revolves around them and what they want when they want. And can they really create a poltergeist when in chaos or anger. From what I know it's possible. And even grow up to be criminals. Way too many people are having kids at such a young age and are unable to care for them properly. And many have no patience it requires nor willing to give up their life in order to raise the child. They realize everything revolves around this dear child and they often neglect and sometimes kill their own children. They didn't ask to be born in interrupt anyone's life.
It appears that we are seeing on the news many stories of minors killing each people, either, their siblings, their parents etc...more and more teens are having children and are not properly raising them. They are told no but never been made to accept it. It's doing a disservice to the innocent children by not setting reasonable boundaries and rules. And follow thru with punishments they are told is the consequence of not following rules. Even the bible tells us this.
What Does The Gospel Say About This? Here are a few examples...
Colossians 3:20
Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.
Deuteronomy 21:18-21
“If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey the voice of his father or the voice of his mother, and, though they discipline him, will not listen to them, then his father and his mother shall take hold of him and bring him out to the elders of his city at the gate of the place where he lives, and they shall say to the elders of his city, ‘This our son is stubborn and rebellious; he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton and a drunkard.’ Then all the men of the city shall stone him to death with stones. So you shall purge the evil from your midst, and all Israel shall hear, and fear.
Colossians 3:20-24 ESV Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. (21) Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged. (22) Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, (24) knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.
Leviticus 20:9
For anyone who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death; he has cursed his father or his mother; his blood is upon him.
Proverbs 30:17
The eye that mocks a father and scorns to obey a mother will be picked out by the ravens of the valley and eaten by the vultures.
Proverbs 13:24
Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.
In my humble opinion "Spare the rod, spoil the child," or, in more complete English, "If you spare the rod you will spoil the child." The general meaning is that parents who don't discipline their children are going to create spoiled children. Some feel they should take a more literal approach, and say that parents must physically discipline their children, because "the rod" here means "to beat your child with a stick." There is much debate about whether it is okay or good for parents to spank, slap, or otherwise discipline children through minor physical pain such as a pop on the rear end for disrespecting adults. That's just one example.
A friend of mine was talking about this very subject at bible study. "I was not spanked as a child. When I became a teenager I became very rebellious. I had no fear of consequence, no respect for my parents, or any authority. It is by the grace of God that I am not dead or jail. I am saddened that this is not the outcome for many who have never been taught as a child that life has consequences." More and more children receive no consequences for ill behavior much less ever have been made to accept the word "No".
Of course this subject could go on and on. I wanted to try my best at discussing this at both point of views. I think you have to do what you feel is best for your situation. There is a huge difference in dicipline and beating a child. But when there is never any consequences your taking a big chance and creating undue stress and a disservice to the child. They only know right from wrong from what the parents teach them.
Written By Jennifer L Auld
Saturday, December 28, 2013
Spare The Rod Spoil The Child And Risk Raising A Killer?
Saturday, April 6, 2013
God's Forgiveness
By Stephen Piersall,
Here are an amazing prophecy and promise from Jeremiah, a humble minister of God who had to watch the Babylonian captivity take place before his own eyes. God is speaking to sinful Israel (and speaking to you): "I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more" (Jeremiah 31:34). God Remembers Our Sins No More! Is God absentminded? Does he have heavenly Alzheimer's disease? If God is omniscient, how could he lose track of data like this? The answer is that God chooses not to remember our failures (a feat; we are not capable of). He can indeed forgive and forget.
You know all about the reluctant way we "forgive" one another and "Well; I'll forgive, but I can't forget!" Since we cannot forget, ugly memories keep coming back and draw out our inclination to forgive. This is one of many sins that we do so often and do not realize we are inviting evil into our lives. It is called a Legal Right. Clergy, Exorcists, Demonologists, and those in the Deliverance Ministry cannot no matter how many times they command it removed in the name of "Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior!" ONLY YOU can remove this. You allowed it in your life through an invitation, and you are the one that can give the command to cast it to the abyss.
I can tell you the number-one reason for removing a huge burden in my life. It was when I forgave someone who has wronged me or perceived to have wronged me. I can give you a list a mile long; ex-wife, children, clergy, parents, friends, family, and the biggest one of all…ME! It is difficult at times to forgive, but know God commands it. It hurts when you forgive someone, say through an email, text message and the person does not even reply. If that is the case, then that person has now sinned against God. Jesus has taught us in the Gospels, of how we should treat each other. That is why I cannot read the Gospels enough times throughout the year. Even old dogs like me can learn new tricks; I always learn something every time I read them.
Do not pray about this with expectations God will bless you. Pray about this and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you what you need to come clean about in your life. Just to have that burden lifted from you will help you have a healthier lifestyle. Pray about it right now.
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Dialogue Between His Holiness the Dalai Lama & Fr Laurence Freeman About the Teacher & Disciple in Sarnath, Varanasi
Sarnath, Uttar Pradesh, India - January 14, 2013 at WebWire.com
The conversation began during a private meeting between His Holiness and Fr Laurence and some of his friends and benefactors. One of them asked about truth and His Holiness replied, “Once you are familiar with the truth, it has an effect on your mind. In his own teachings the Buddha described reality in different ways because of different dispositions and temperaments among his followers. When Christians and Buddhists come together we can say we have two versions of the truth, if a Muslim joins us there are three.”
Asked whether religion is necessary he said,
“Religion is a kind of instrument for transforming our minds into something positive. Everyone wants to be happy and here in the twenty-first century material facilities are highly developed. Indeed since there are still so many poor people we need to have material development. However, a great deal depends on our becoming aware of the limits of material values and our beginning to look inward. So far material development by itself has failed to produce a happy society. “
Before an audience of about 250 in the larger hall, Fr Laurence opened the conversation by recalling an earlier occasion when he invited His Holiness to comment on passages from the gospels,
“We were deeply touched by your handling of our sacred words and your insight into the truth of the gospels. It took a lot of courage.”
His Holiness replied,
“I found there were ideas in common with Buddhist teaching and it made for a very good meeting. After that you came with friends to Bodhgaya, and for the first time Buddhists and Christians prayed together under the Bodhi tree.”
Fr Laurence explained that he would speak about Jesus and how he relates to him as a teacher and then His Holiness would speak about how he views the Buddha. He invited His Holiness to interrupt him if he liked, which drew the following response:
“We are all human beings. When I meet someone I think, ‘Here’s another human being who like me wants to be happy.’ Formality just creates unnecessary barriers between us. As members of one human family we don’t need formality between us, so if I have something to say I’ll do so.”
Fr Laurence began to share his thoughts:
“I think of Jesus as a human being, a historical person later understood as the Son of God. I relate to him as a natural Jesus, an extraordinary human being, one of the few who have become universal teachers. We know little about his early life, but we know that he had an awakening when he was baptised by John the Baptist and that the spirit of it led him into the desert for forty days. Jesus taught by example, so his life is consistent with his teaching. I asked you years ago how you remain so calm and peaceful and you replied ‘I try to be the same on my own as when I’m with close friends or in public.’
“Jesus is a model for how to live my life. I consider him a universal teacher, a person of integrity with natural authority who embodies the truth. He’s someone in whom I can take refuge with trust and confidence. My relationship with Jesus straightens me out.”
He remarked that there seems to be a correspondence between the Christian idea that everyone is created in the image of God and Buddha nature. When he experiences Christ within, he sees him reflected in other people he meets.
“Jesus is a medicine, a physician, not a judge; someone who brings healing to the world. He’s a teacher, a leader and a way. Because of that I feel I can live my life with meaning.”
“Wonderful, wonderful, that’s really my own understanding of Jesus,” His Holiness responded. “Through your own intelligent analysis you have reached an understanding that affects your life.”
“All Buddhists accept that the Buddha was the son of a local king. When he realized that even for a prince life is full of problems and difficulties he sought a deeper meaning of life and an understanding of reality. He left the palace and spent six years meditating, fasting and living in hardship. In his own life he observed morality, concentration and wisdom. He attained enlightenment and came here to Sarnath to begin his teaching. He had no regard for social status, considering kings and beggars as equal; the important thing was practice.
“After leaving the palace, he cut his hair and removed his royal attire, donning the saffron robes of a monk. Apart from the principal precepts, the vows of the monks came about whenever the Buddha corrected mistakes the monks had made, he didn’t declare a pre-existing set of rules. He explained that there is no independent self, but that the self is a mere designation on the basis of the body and mind. The very purpose of the teaching of the lack of an independent self is to reduce self-centredness, which single-pointed faith in God can do too. All our religions have the same message of love, compassion, tolerance and forgiveness, although their philosophical views are different.”
Everyone took lunch together under a shamiana in the University grounds and discussions continued as people ate. On his way back to the meeting hall, His Holiness greeted several friends who had come to meet him, including visually challenged girls from the nearby Jeevan Jyoti Institute for the Disabled and their teachers, in whose welfare he takes a close interest. In the afternoon session, the focus was on what it means to be a disciple. Fr Laurence began again, noting that Jesus gathered his disciples together calling on them “Follow me.” He said this image of a disciple is essential to Christian meaning and identity, but it also has a universal quality. A disciple has to be open, trusting and to tell the truth. The teacher is faithful to the disciple. This fidelity marks the teacher-disciple relationship. He affirmed that an authentic relationship with your teacher is the guiding light of your life.
His Holiness said that a teacher must have experience, especially inner spiritual experience. The important thing is that in following a teacher you become a calmer person. Both parties to the relationship have a responsibility, the teacher’s is to take care of the student, and the student’s is to act with respect.
He remarked that we too often pay attention to appearances, like young women enhancing their external beauty with cosmetics, when what is important in our relationships is inner beauty. What follows from this is the inner peace that gives rise to happiness as individuals, as families and as communities. If we have that, when we face problems we can easily work them out between us. Inner peace brings strength.
A questioner asked if it is possible to be a follower of both Jesus and the Buddha. Fr Laurence commented that the Bible says we should take advice from every wise person, suggesting we accept truth wherever we find it. He quoted His Holiness as saying that it may be possible to be a Buddhist and a Christian for a while, but eventually you find yourself gravitating to one or the other. His Holiness concurred.
Someone else asked about Christians practising Buddhist meditation. His Holiness replied that there are many different methods for training the mind and it’s possible to adopt such practices. You need to see what is most effective for you.
To a question about what happens to human beings after death, His Holiness said,
“The simple thing is that while we are still alive, we should lead a meaningful life from day to day. That means helping others wherever we can, but at least avoiding doing them harm. Then when death comes we will have no regret and can feel confident of going to heaven or to a good rebirth. This is what I do myself. Even in my dreams I remember that I am a Buddhist monk, never the Dalai Lama. If death comes tonight, I’ll have no regrets and I hope this confidence will continue to prevail.”
Photographs were taken together, words of thanks were said and all the participants looked forward to when they will meet again.
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