Legacy Dad

New Year Resolutions

 HAPPY NEW YEAR!  TO GOD BE THE GLORY FOREVER AND EVER - AMEN 

New Year's Eve is just around the corner and we are all another year older.  Some of us may have made resolutions last year and others have said that they don't believe in resolutions.  Some of us said that we were going to lose weight and others said that they were going to live healthier.  Whatever your lot in life, the New Year does have a tendency to have us reflect on what was and what will be.  Unfortunately, the last few months have brought a tremendous amount of financial crisis into the world markets.  Economists and scientists are predicting global recessions, others are predicting deflation for the US and still others are looking for end of the world type of philosophies.  Let's take this discussion to a more positve light.  As we open our Bible's to Philippians 4:12, "I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do everything through him who gives me strength." 

As Lance has pointed out in the beginning of this website is that "the ultimate goal of Legacy Dad is to create this in our children: Security in their Hearts, Significance in their lives, Strength for the future, The "Real" Essential Life Skills, Spiritual Morals as A Compass." 

We can do this through Philippians 4:12-13.  We can start by leaving a legacy for our children to follow.  This starts with fathers being responsible with the gifts that God has given each and everyone of us.  We have to learn to be faithful in our walks and with our stewarship toward serving. This includes financial, emotional, physical and mental security for our children to see in us in order for them to achieve these same attributes.  What Paul is saying here is the doctrine of contentment.  It shouldn't matter what anyone else has or what we want, it should matter with us being content with what God has given us.  Being thankful and content when we are either hungry and suffering or full and blessed.

We have had the experts tell us that spending trillions of dollars to bailout Wall Street and Banks is the answer for our greed and uncontrollable debt.  We, unfortunately, have become a Nation of debt and greed.  The faster the technology, the more our desire is for more.  It is not our fault, or is it.  Can we control that desire for more in each one of us. The answer, of course, is not more debt and not leaving a legacy of unpayable debt to our children's children.  We need to be responsible for what God has given us to be steward over.

This brings me to the end of 2008 and looking forward to 2009.  After several discussions with a really good pastor friend of mine, we have decided that this could not be a better time for the church to reach out to those in need.  Pure religion in the eyes of our Father God is that which takes care of widows and orphans and avoids the ways of this World.  Now is the time for us to plan ahead on how we can help our church communities and our local communities.  What better time to follow Jesus's example of the two greatest commands.  

As we prepare to be better stewards, let's think about what we are going to teach our kids in 2009.  We can choose to show them to worry about the unknown (read Mathew 6 on "worry") or we can choose to live more responsibly and to be content with our gifts and our lots in life.  We can choose to serve our neighbor and open up our homes for those in need.  Remember, a friend in need is a friend indeed.

When I think about my 401K and my mortgage and my life savings and my dreams and aspirations, I can truly say that this is a year when I have real peace about the unknown.  First and foremost I plan on showing my wife and kids what it means to acknowledge God in all my ways and to put Him first.  Next, I plan on showing them how their daddy will pray and read his Bible and finally, I plan on being a better neighbor and friend to those in need.

What about you?  What do you plan on doing in 2009?  What "Kingdom" difference are you going to make in leaving a legacy for your wife and kids? For their wives (husbands) and kids? 

Merry Christmas

 

Luke 2

The Birth of Jesus

 1In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2(This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3And everyone went to his own town to register.

 4So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

The Shepherds and the Angels

 8And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ^[a] the Lord. 12This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

 13Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
 14"Glory to God in the highest,
      and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

 15When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."

 16So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Jesus Presented in the Temple

 21On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise him, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he had been conceived.

 22When the time of their purification according to the Law of Moses had been completed, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23(as it is written in the Law of the Lord, "Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord"^[b]), 24and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: "a pair of doves or two young pigeons."^[c]

 25Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ. 27Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, 28Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:
 29"Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
      you now dismiss^[d] your servant in peace.
 30For my eyes have seen your salvation,
    31which you have prepared in the sight of all people,
 32a light for revelation to the Gentiles
      and for glory to your people Israel."

 33The child's father and mother marveled at what was said about him. 34Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: "This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too."

 36There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37and then was a widow until she was eighty-four.^[e] She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. 38Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.

 39When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. 40And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him.

The Boy Jesus at the Temple

 41Every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover. 42When he was twelve years old, they went up to the Feast, according to the custom. 43After the Feast was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. 44Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. 45When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. 46After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, "Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you."

 49"Why were you searching for me?" he asked. "Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?" 50But they did not understand what he was saying to them.

 51Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. 52And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

Footnotes:

Pray often

So tonight we lost our power for almost two hours.  It was my wife and three kids (Trey-4, Audrey-3 and Isabella-20 months) and we had my niece coming from Arkansas with her brand new baby boy.  So the power goes out and we are trying to figure out what to do.  The temperature outside was negative 4 degrees farenheit, not to mention what the wind chill factor was.  Decisions had to be be made and where we were going to spend the night.  I finally asked Trey to come sit on my lap and we prayed to our God.  We asked him to protect us and this house and to be with us.  I am not kidding when I say that it took a few moments for power to turn back on.  He said to my wife, Kate, “What happened?”   Kate replied, “they fixed our lights”, and he said, “Who? , The Lord?” And then Kate, said, “Why yes, the Lord!”  The best part of that was Trey running around the house, upstairs and downstairs, turning on all the lights as he sang, “Our God is so good, so strong and so mighty, there is nothing our God cannot do…”.    What I learned is that we need to be more like kids when we worship and praise the Lord God Almighty!

 

God is good all the time, all the time, God is good!

James 5:16 -Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

Santa Doesn't Visit Their House.

I'm on the road and will continue the Christianity 2009 series in a few days, stay tuned.

In 2005, my kids learned the truth about Santa Clause, but it has been the best discovery of their lives. 

In 2005, my wife and I decided to sponsor a young 4 year old girl and her mother on welfare for Christmas.  It entailed buying presents for them and then our whole church group going to these neighborhoods and delivering the presents the  weekend before Christmas. 

When we explained this to our children and the fact that each of us would have to give up a present or two this year, we forgot about old Santa Clause.

Our kids quickly asked "But won't Santa bring them presents?" 

Now we had a dilemma.  

We decided that giving to this family and the true spirit of Christmas was more important than a fictional tradition. So we explained the truth to our children.  

At first, our kids were surprised but then they were motivated to help. 

In the next few days, we went shopping and the kids picked out toys and clothes for this young girl and my wife picking out items for the mother.  We wrapped them all up and that weekend we got to deliver the presents.  

The neighborhood was in a rough part of town in the typical low income housing apartments.    

The kids took the presents to the door and what happened next has forever changed them. 

The mother cried out ofthankfulness and hugged us all, the little girl was so excited by all the presents, she started dancing and singing.

Then we all said a prayer together and told the mother and daughter that God loved them.

We delivered presents to two more similar houses that day and the kids truly learned that the best part of Christmas is giving and helping. 

Now, each year we sponsor someone or send presents overseas. It has become a family tradition and a way to serve.  Since that Christmas, our children are more in tune with those in need.  They give money to the homeless guys on the corner and look for ways to help those in need.

Now, we laugh about Santa and each year our children can't wait to buy presents from someone in need because they get to "be Santa." 

A Different Christmas Poem

A Different Christmas Poem...

---

The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,
I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.
My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,
My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.
Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,
Transforming the yard to a winter delight.

The sparkling lights in the tree I believe,
Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.
My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,
Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep.
In perfect contentment, or so it would seem,
So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.

The sound wasn't loud, and it wasn't too near,
But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear.
Perhaps just a cough, I didn't quite know, Then the
sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.
My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,
And I crept to the door just to see who was near.

Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,
A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.
A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old,
Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.
Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,
Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.  

"What are you doing?" I asked without fear,
"Come in this moment, it's freezing out here!
Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,
You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!"
For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,
Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts..  

To the window that danced with a warm fire's light
Then he sighed and he said "Its really all right,
I'm out here by choice. I'm here every night."
"It's my duty to stand at the front of the line,
That separates you from the darkest of times.  

No one had to ask or beg or implore me,
I'm proud to stand here like my fathers before me.
My Gramps died at ' Pearl on a day in December,"
Then he sighed, "That's a Christmas 'Gram always remembers."
My dad stood his watch in the jungles of ' Nam ',
And now it is my turn and so, here I am.

I've not seen my own son in more than a while,
But my wife sends me pictures, he's sure got her smile.
Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,
The red, white, and blue... an American flag.
I can live through the cold and the being alone,
Away from my family, my house and my home.

I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,
I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat.
I can carry the weight of killing another,
Or lay down my life with my sister and brother..
Who stand at the front against any and all,
To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall."

" So go back inside," he said, "harbor no fright,
Your family is waiting and I'll be all right."
"But isn't there something I can do, at the least,
"Give you money," I asked, "or prepare you a feast?
It seems all too little for all that you've done,
For being away from your wife and your son."

Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,
"Just tell us you love us, and never forget.
To fight for our rights back at home while we're gone,
To stand your own watch, no matter how long.
For when we come home, either standing or dead,
To know you remember we fought and we bled.
Is payment enough, and with that we will trust,
That we mattered to you as you mattered to us."

Why do you celebrate Christmas?

Luke 2

The Birth of Jesus

 1In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2(This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3And everyone went to his own town to register.

 4So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

The Shepherds and the Angels

 8And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ^[a] the Lord. 12This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

 13Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
 14"Glory to God in the highest,
      and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

 15When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."

 16So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Jesus Presented in the Temple

 21On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise him, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he had been conceived.

 22When the time of their purification according to the Law of Moses had been completed, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23(as it is written in the Law of the Lord, "Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord"^[b]), 24and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: "a pair of doves or two young pigeons."^[c]

 25Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ. 27Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, 28Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:
 29"Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
      you now dismiss^[d] your servant in peace.
 30For my eyes have seen your salvation,
    31which you have prepared in the sight of all people,
 32a light for revelation to the Gentiles
      and for glory to your people Israel."

 33The child's father and mother marveled at what was said about him. 34Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: "This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too."

 36There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37and then was a widow until she was eighty-four.^[e] She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. 38Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.

 39When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. 40And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him.

How can we avoid spoiling our kids at Christmas

James 1:27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.   

 

I am in a time in my life were I have three kids ages five and under and have been feeling like I am looking at life through a glass window and without even realizing it, I am missing it.  I want to qualify to you all that I am fully engaged with my family and my wife.  I am serving at Church and am happy that I have a job that, aside from the politics at hand, I love doing.  However, as of late, I have been wrestless and wandering with my thoughts.  I have been, what feels like, under some spiritual attack, and I am constantly tired to boot.  As I read the paper, turn on the news stations and talk with work and family, I cannot help but wonder what God would want us to do during this holiday season.

Jesus loves me, this I know.  For the Bible tells me so.  Little ones to him belong, they are weak and He is strong.  God loved us enough (that's all of you, Lance and myself included) that he sent his only Son to earth to save us.  He would be called Emmanuel (God with us) and he would grow into a man that would fulfill every prophet's prophecy about Him.  He performed many miracles, which included healing the sick, the blind, the dumb and even raising the dead.  He would walk along side twelve trusted men who he called his disciples.  And he would teach them what it meant to God to be a servant leader.  At the end of His ministry, he came not to replace the law, but to fulfill it.  He suffered a gruesome death, and some would argue the most painful death that the Romans perfected in the crucifixion, but Death could not hold him in the ground.  He rose again on the third day and his death and blood allows all of us to be saved.  We know that our Redeemer lives and is calling all of us dads to do something more, to be something better.  To be servant leaders.

All this being said, brings me to the tough economic times that we are in.  Retailers are scrambling to find ways to sell their product to us, the consumers.  "Buy, buy, buy, spend spend spend" is their call.  And don't worry about debt, we have plenty of credit for you..."

Instead of going crazy with gifts, why not take a look at those who are grieving.  Those who are poor.  Those who are suffering and those who may have nothing.  Let's teach our children the true meaning of "pure religion" and to show them how to be a servant leader.  Children's Hunger Fund is one charity that reaches out to help those children who are in need.  Let's take the time over the next few weeks and find a charity, or a soup kitchen, or a local church who is helping the widows and orphans this Christmas. 

visit CHF: Children's Hunger Fund  

The Secret Millionaire

I very rarely watch television. Believe it or not, I have never watched an episode of American Idol or Lost. 

Last night, my kids were watching "Cars" and afterward I was flipping through the channels and stopped at a new show on Fox called The Secret Millionaire.

The show takes millionaires out of their everyday life, leaving behind their clothes, cars and money and living in some of the poorest and most needy neighborhoods in the US. 

They live for one week in poverty conditions with one set of clothes and $107.00 (a weekly welfare check) and must buy groceries and connect with the people. 

The millionaires live under the cover that they too are unemployed or struggling financially.  At the end of the week, the millionaires reveal their identities and also give over $100,000 to the people and charities that they met.

The episodes are very emotional and you visibly see a transformation in the way that these people view charitable giving and the living conditions of those they meet.

In the first episode, Cole Ruzicka, a millionaires son makes the statement that he would never come to these neighborhoods in the past and thought that these people were ignorant for being in their circumstances. 

After meeting Kathy, a women who runs a homeless shelter by using her social security, Cole breaks down and realizes that he was the one who was ignorant and these people with little or no money were out helping the homeless while the rich in his neighborhood did little to help.

The show is great to watch with the whole family and definately gets you in the mood to give and help during the Holiday season. 

Wordless Wednesday: A Promise Kept

Christianity 2009.2: Who's To Blame?

Preface to Christianity 2009

We are going to look at the 6 biggest themes that draw the most skepticism and
objections from outsiders.

1. Hypocritical
2. Too Focused on Getting Converts
3. Anti-Homosexual
4. Sheltered
5. Too Political
6. Too Judgmental

We are going to look at how these outsiders arrive at these conclusions as well as how these perceptions affect their acceptance of Christ.

We will also look at how we can change these perceptions and how to build bridges to reach these generations while not compromising our own faith and values.

I will also look at a concept I call the "Followers of the Way" or simply Followers. This is a reference to the early followers of Jesus and we will look at biblical examples of early church followers as opposed to modern day Christians and how we can return to an early form of Christianity.

This is not an effort to be more popular or to accommodate for outsiders but as a way to engage these generations and improve the image of Christianity.

Please understand that you may not agree with the research on the views of outsiders or my recommendations but you should also not ignore it.  We have to deal with outsiders as they are, if we do not, it simply reinforces their criticisms and makes these perceptions more powerful because they go unanswered.

One of the common mistakes of these findings is blaming them on spiritual denial by outsiders.  This is inaccurate however because most perceptions come from experiences with Christians or Churches.  Remember, a majority of these people grew up Christian, went to church camps and participated spiritually weekly if not daily.

I personally work with a Christian home-schooled, evangelical girl now turned atheist lesbian and the son of a Baptist pastor who is now also an atheist. Both can quote scripture inside and out and both know their church history and will use it against Christians when confronted.

Remember, theology is not the problem.  Outsiders claim the 2 main reasons for skepticism comes from personal experiences in a church and relationships with Christians.

What these findings tell me is that our words, actions and lifestyles play a key role in shaping the perceptions of outsiders.  Which is a double edged sword because how we openly live our faith in front of others is often the deciding factor in shaping outsiders perceptions.

50 Million respondents to a Barna Survey claimed to have had a negative sometimes emotionally painful experience with a so-called Christian.

1 in 2 atheists in Generations X and Y claim this as a major reason for their rejection of Christianity.

Clearly, we are the problem.

Let me be very clear here in stating that re-shaping or softening the Bible is not in any way part of my strategy. But, re-shaping the way Christians interact with outsiders is very much part of my strategy.

Outsiders like to talk, debate and argue and Christians must accept this. Outsiders also state that Christians try to use these debates as openings to throw as many arguments at the outsider as possible to persuade them to follow Christianity.  Outsiders stated they felt as if Christians were simply arguing to be right and not really listening to an outsiders genuine concerns.  They also stated that Christians come off as arrogant or thinking they are morally superior than outsiders.

What also may shock you is the fact that many ACTIVE young Christians who participate in a church also raise the same criticisms as outsiders.

Generation X and Y Active Christians say that the modern church is:

Anti-Homosexual
Judgmental
Too Involved in Politics
Hypocritical
Out of Touch with Reality
Insensitive to outsiders

But there is hope.  These same young Christians are the very people working hard to repair these perceptions and change the church to bring it back to a favorable place with their peers.  This, of course, is met with resistance by many "tradition" Christians, many young leaders and authors for change are often labeled as not biblically accurate or using biblical themes in incorrect context.

Jesus spent his entire ministry working with and preaching to sinners, not believers. I believe, That young Christians today need to try to emulate this example.   

A few weeks ago, a young lesbian couple sat in front of me at Church.  They were dressed very nicely, held hands and were obviously very tense about being in a church especially after all the recent emotions surrounding the political measures on gay marriage. During the time of greeting, I walked up to them, shook their hands and welcomed them saying that it was great to have them there. 

Do I agree with their lifestyle?  No.

But I am not the judge, I am trying to be the bridge builder.

We must accept outsiders as they are.  After all, we are all fallen sinners. Our goal as Christians is to build bridges with the outsiders of the world and show them that there is an answer.  The answer is a personal relationship with Jesus.  However, each person must make this decision of their own free will.  We cannot persuade, scare or pressure people into accepting Christ, they must make this decision on their own.  We must set the example and show the outsiders why our relationship with Christ is life-changing and worthy to pursue.

We must openly live the faith we profess.

Part 3