It's All In A Name

Jacob's Sons

When we choose a name for our children, a lot of thought goes into the process.  We get baby name books and look up the choices that we have made to see what the name means.  In the old days children were usually named after a relative but in the Bible, Jacob had 12 sons and their names have given us a lot of detail about the workings of God.  I don't like "spiritualizing" the bible but this was amazing when I seen it. Have a look....or rather a read.....


Ruben's name means Surely The Lord has surely looked on my affliction. Genesis 29:32
In the future we see in Exodus 2:25 God looked upon the the Children of Israel.

Simeon's name means Because The Lord has heard that I am unloved. Genesis 29:33
Exodus 3:7 I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt and have heard their cry.
This describes the first stage of Israel's history. Israel was hated and afflicted by Egypt.  And in some instances even today the Jews are still hated for who they are.

Levi's name means This time my husband will become attached to me. Genesis 29:34
When was God joined to his people? They were joined to God on the first Passover the night before the Exodus. Now believers are joined to God through the death of Christ. John 31:31-32.

Judah's name means Now I will praise The Lord Genesis 29:35. Israel at the crossing of the Red Sea sang, "Who is like unto Thee, O Lord among the gods? Who is like Thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? Exodus 15:11 See also Psalm 106:11-12.  It is interesting to note here that this is Leah's third son and after having Judah she took her eyes off of Jacob and placed them on the Lord. Leah stopped looking to Jacob to fulfill her needs and look to the Lord.  What a lesson we could learn from Leah.  Also, Jesus came from the tribe of Judah.

Dan's name means God has judged me. Genesis 30:6 This points toward God judging Israel when they murmured against him.  In Deuteronomy 1:27 we read "and you murmured in your tents and said,"Because the Lord hated us he has brought us out of the land of Egypt, to give us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us."  The children of Israel murmured against the Lord when they were in the desert and God would not let them inter the promise land because of their complaining.

Naphtali's name means With great wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister and I have prevailed. Genesis 30:8 Israel wrestled with Amalek. Exodus 17:11 And it came to pass when Moses held up his hand that Israel prevailed and when he let down his hand Amelek prevailed.

Gad's name means A troop comes! Genesis 30:11 When Israel entered the Promise Land, the seven nations of the Canaanites seeked to oppose them.

Asher's name means Happy am I Genesis 30:13  This tells of Israel's joy following the defeat of their enemies. We also see this in the life of Christ "who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right had of he throne of God." Hebrews 12:2.  When we finally see the Lord, he will tell us to "enter into the joy of the Lord."  What a day that will be!

Issachar's name means God has given me my wages. Genesis 30:18  I heard a preacher say once  "Only one life, 'twill soon be past, Only what's done for Christ will last"  Christians will be rewarded richly for their service to their King.

Zebulun's name means God has endowed me with a good endowment. Genesis 30:20
These speak of Israel's occupation and inheritance.  Despite their grumblings, they did enter the Promise Land but that promise land only foreshadowed the heavenly promise land to come.  In Revelation 21:2-3 we have this great promise, "And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.  And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man.  He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God."

Joseph's name means The Lord shall add to me another son. Genesis 30:24 This reflects God choosing believers in Christ has his children.  In John 1:12 we read,  "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name."  What grace God has extended to sinners like you and me.  He has adopted us as his own family.

Benjamin"s name means Son of my right hand. Genesis 35:18  This is a reference to the Exaulted Son of God, Jesus Christ.  Mar 1:1  The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Hebrews 10:12 " But this man, (Jesus Christ) after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God"

May you see the beauty of the Word of God and trust in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.

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The Place of the Skull

The Place of the Skull

In the story of David and Goliath, David kills Goliath with a simple sling and a stone from a river bed.  But the story of David and Goliath does not end there.  David then takes Goliath’s own sword and chops his head off.  He raises it in the air and shows it to the Philistines and tells them that this is what happens to those who defy the Living God!

There is a legend that David kept the head of Goliath as a trophy.  Eventually the flesh rotted off of Goliath’s head and all he had left was the skull.  David kept the skull of Goliath and brought it to Jerusalem when he and his men conquered the city.  David then took the skull of Goliath outside of the city and buried it in the ground and he named the place, The Place of the Skull, or Golgotha which comes from the name of the man whose skull is buried there,   Goliath of Gath.  

Go forward a few thousand years, this Easter we celebrate the death and resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.  When the foot of the Cross went into the ground at Calvary (Calvary meaning skull), Satan’s head was crushed by the bleeding heel of Jesus Christ.  Gen 3:15 says that “He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”  Bruise means to break or cover.  Jesus’ death of the Cross has covered our sin and rebellion.  Satan’s head is crushed and he has no power over us.  Hallelujah!!

What a wonderful Saviour we serve!!!

Happy Easter!!

Beatitudes According to King Jesus

Blessed are the poor in spirit,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

 Blessed are those who mourn,
    for they will be comforted.

 Blessed are the meek,
    for they will inherit the earth.

 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
    for they will be filled.

 Blessed are the merciful,
    for they will be shown mercy.
⁸

Blessed are the pure in heart,
    for they will see God.

 Blessed are the peacemakers,
    for they will be called children of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Beatitudes of Satan

And Satan, seeing the horde before him,
went down into the parched valley.  And he
opened his mouth and taught them, saying...

Blessed are the kick-butt, independent,
self-sufficient, "I'm strong enough on my own," people,
for theirs is the kingdom of hell

Blessed are those who feel no sorrow over their sin,
and who only express shallow, worldly repentance
because of the consequences of their sin,
because their hearts shall be hardened.

Blessed are those who have swagger,
who make others stagger,
who have an entourage,
who assert their own rights,
who fight for their own agenda,
for they shall inherit hell.

Blessed are those who are indifferent to the ungodliness
in their own lives and the ungodliness around them,
because they will certainly have their fill of sin in this life.

Blessed are those who show no mercy,
who demand that every wrong be righted,
who easily take offense,
and who fight back against their opponents with slander,
gossip, and outright brutality,
for they shall receive the same in return.

Blessed are those who allow many impurities to infiltrate their heart
through seemingly innocent means, such at television, the Internet, relationships,
and their smartphones,
for they shall not see the face of God.

Blessed are those who cause strife, create division,
relish controversy, and pit one man against another,
for they shall be called Sons of Satan.

Blessed are those who manage to avoid persecution by quietly,
"harmlessly", avoiding public godliness,
for they will have large dwellings in hell.

Blessed are you when others think you are fantastic, funny,
cool, in, and the life of the party, because of my sake.
Rejoice and be glad, for your pain in hell is great,
for so they have treated the wicked throughout all of history.

Beatitudes Of The World

Congratulations to the entitles
for they get their way.

Congratulations to the carefree
for they are comfortable.

Congratulations to the pushy
for they win.

Congratulations to the self-righteous
for they are smug.

Congratulations to the vengeful
for they are feared.

Congratulations to those who don't get caught
for they look good.

Congratulations to the argumentative
for they get in the last word

Congratulations to the winner
for they get their way.

Psalm 23 For The Drug Addicted

Psalm 23

Kind Heroin is my Sheppard.

I shall always want.

He makes me lie down in the 

gutters and lead me beside 

the troubled waters.

He destroys my soul.

He leads me in the paths of 

wickedness.

Yeah, I shall walk through the 

valley of poverty, will fear no 

evil for thou art heroin

are with me.  

My needle and capsule,

they comfort me. 

Thou strippeth the table 

of groceries in the presence

of my family.

It robbist my head of reason.

My cup of sorrow runneth over.

Surely, heroin addiction shall 

stalk me all the days of my life.

I will dwell in the house of 

the damned forever.  

ps. I did not write this but it is very revealing. Heroin can be substituted for any addiction.

You Silly Little Dove!

We have all been called names at one point or another and it hurts. Whether in childhood or adulthood being called names hurts a lot and we have all been there.  Receiving harsh words and saying harsh words.

In Hosea 7:11, God calls Ephraim a Silly Little Dove.  If someone called you a "silly little dove" it probably wouldn't hurt your feelings.  Why did God call Ephraim a silly little dove?

Let's look at a dove, or pigeon, in our case.  Picture yourself at the park and the pigeons are scattered around in search of food.  You throw them some bread and what do they do?  At first they scatter.  Run away from the food that has been offered them.  Run away from the very thing that they have been searching for.  This is what Ephraim did.  Hosea 7:8 says that Ephraim has mixed himself with the nations.  Ephraim has turned away from the Lord and search for "food" elsewhere.  When they were in trouble they turned to Egypt for help (verse 11) and then they turned to Assyria for help.  They had forsaken the Lord who has promised to take care of them.

In verse 13-14 we read "Woe to them, for they have strayed from Me! I would redeem them, but they speak lies against Me.  And they do not cry to Me from their heart when they wail on their beds; for the sake of grain and new wine they assemble themselves, they turn away from Me."

As Christians, don't we do the same thing? God has promised to never leave us or forsake us and He has promised to watch over us and provide our every need.

Hebrews 13:5a For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."

1 Peter 5:7 Casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.

Just like Ephraim, who ran to Egypt  and Assyria for protection, we run to other things also.  We run to money to protect us and to fulfill  us, we run to material things, the latest gadget to fulfill our desires and wants, thinking they would make us happy only to find that the happiness of material things are fleeting.  We run to relationships and expect others to fulfill us and make us happy only to find that those people can and will disappoint us.

Jesus said in John 6:35 "I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst."  Jesus is the bread that is offered to us and He is the only Bread that will satisfy our deepest desires.  It is not money, prestige, relationships, material things that will give us ultimate happiness, it is Jesus and a relationship with Him.

Are you looking for love? Jesus has that to offer.  Are you looking for acceptance? Jesus has that to offer. Are you looking for deep friendship? Jesus has that to offer.  All you need if found in Him.

So, you silly little dove, when the world offers you crumbs, go to the Bread of Life and you shall never hunger again.

Re-Orienting Our Loves

Have you ever lost something/someone and you felt like you could not live anymore?  Whether it be a job/material thing/relationship?  If you have, then your order of  loves is not properly orientated.  What you are willing to die for is your god.  If lost, life is not worth living.  Could be a lost relationship, a lifestyle, what people think of you, money, prestige,  could be any of those things.  The order that you have placed these loves in your life is out of whack, so to speak.

The loves in your life must be put in the right order.  Jesus Christ and his person and work on the Cross must be the first love above all other loves and then all other loves will fall into place.  He and only he is God and he deserves his rightful place.

Jesus Christ and his person and work are the only things worth dying for.



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Excuses, excuses, excuses! Part 1

Have you ever took notice of the excuses people give for not believing the Bible and not becoming a Christian? Here are some excuses people give with biblical answers. These verses would be good to memorize for evangelism. There are a lot of excuses so I will have to put this in two parts.

Excuse: God is too good to damn anyone.
Psalm 1:5-6 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgement, 
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
For The Lord knows the way of the righteous,
But the way of the wicked will perish.

Excuse: I am an atheist.
Psalm 14:1 The fool has said in his heart, "There is no God."
They are corrupt, they have committed abdominal deeds;
There is no one who does good.

Excuse: too much to give up.
Psalm 16:11 you will make known to me the path of life;
In your presence is fullness of joy;
In your right hand there are pleasures forever.

Psalm 84:11 For The Lord God is a sun and shield;
The Lord gives grace and glory;
No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly.

Matthew 6:33 "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness,
And all these things will be added to you."

Excuse: I am my own boss.
Proverbs 14:12 There is a way which seems right to a man,
But it's end is the way of death.

Excuse: I will wait until later
Proverbs 27:1 Do not boast about tomorrow, 
For you do not know what a day may bring forth.

Excuse: Not now
Proverbs 29:1 a man who hardens his neck after much reproof
Will suddenly be broken beyond remedy. 

Isaiah 55:6 Seek The Lord while he may be found;
Call upon him while he is near.

Excuse: I fear others
Proverbs 29:25 The fear of man brings a snare,
But he who trusts in The Lord will be Exaulted.

Excuse: I want my fun now
Ecclesiastes 11:9 Rejoice, young man, during your childhood, and let your heart be pleasant during the days of young manhood. And follow the impulses of your heart and the desire of your eyes. Yet know that God will bring you to judgement for all these things.

Excuse: I am too great a sinner
Matthew 9:13 But go and learn what this means:
'I desire compassion, and not a sacrifice' for I did not come
to call the righteous, but sinners.

Isaiah 1:18 "Come now, let us reason together." , says The Lord. 
"Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson, they will be like wool."

Excuse: I am trying to be a Christian (trust not try)
Isaiah 12:2 "Behold, God is my salvation, 
I will trust and not be afraid;
For The Lord God is my strength and song,
He has become my salvation." 

Isaiah 64:6 For all of us have become like one who is unclean,
And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment;
And all of us wither like a leaf,
And our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.

Excuse: I am so weak
Isaiah 26: 3-4 "The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, 
Because he trusts in You.
Trust in The Lord forever,
For in God The Lord, we have an everlasting Rock."

Isaiah 41:10 "Do not fear, for I am with you;
Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, 
Surely I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." 

Isaiah 41:13-14 "For I am The Lord your God, who upholds your right hand,
Who says to you, 'Do not fear, I will help you.'
Do not fear, you worm Jacob, you men of Isreal;
I will help you," declares The Lord, "and your redeemer is the Holy One of Israel."

Excuse: There is no God.
Isaiah 43:10-11 "You are my witnesses," declares the Lord,
"And my servant whom I have chosen,
So that you may know and believe me
And understand that I am he.
Before me was no God formed,
And there will be none after me."
"I, even I, am the Lord,
And there is no savior besides me."

Excuse: my sins are so small so why worry
Isaiah 48:22 "There is no peace for the wicked." Says The Lord.

Isaiah 59:2 But your iniquities have made a separation between you
and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you
so that he does not hear.

Excuse: It doesn't sound reasonable
Isaiah 55:8-9 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways my ways," declares The Lord.
"For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are my ways higher than your ways
And my thoughts than your thoughts."

Excuse: Don't talk to me about it
Jeremiah 1:17 "Now, gird up your loins and arise,
And speak to them all which I command you.
Do not be dismayed before them, or I will
dismay you before them.

Excuse: I am religious
 Matthew 7:22-23 Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not
prophesy in your name, and in your name cast out demons, and in your name
perform many miracles?' "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you.
depart from me, you who practice lawlessness!'

Excuse: People would laugh at me
Matthew 10:32 Therefore everyone who confesses me before men,
I will also confess him before my Father who is in heaven.
But whoever denies me before men, I will also deny him
before my Father who is in heaven.

Excuse: I want to be neutral
Matthew 12:30 He who is not with me is against me;
and he who does not gather with me, scatters.

Excuse: My friends mean so much to me
Matthew 19:29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or
sisters or father or mother or children or farms for my Name's sake,
will receive many times as much, and will inherit eternal life.

Excuse: I will take my chances
Matthew 22:12 And he said to him, 'Friend, how did you come in here
without wedding clothes?' And the man was speechless. Then the King
said to the servants, 'Bind him hand and foot, and throw him
into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and
gnashing of teeth.'

What is sin?

What is sin? Sin is:
* The glory of God not honored.
* The holiness of God not reverenced.
* The greatness of God not admired.
* The power of God not praised.
* The truth of God not sought.
* The wisdom of God not esteemed.
* The beauty of God not treasured.
* The goodness of God not savored.
* The faithfulness of God not trusted.
* The promises of God not believed.
* The commandments of God not obeyed.
* The justice of God not respected.
* The wrath of God not feared.
* The grace of God not cherished.
* The presence of God not prized.
* The person of God not loved.

That is the condition of your heart and mine.

Religion and the Gospel

I stole this from my favourite author. Dr. Timothy Keller

Religion: I obey-therefore I'm accepted.
The Gospel: I'm accepted-therefore I obey.  

Religion: Motivation is based on fear and insecurity.
The Gospel: Motivation is based on grateful joy.

Religion: I obey God in order to get things from God.
The Gospel: I obey God to get to God-to delight and resemble Him.

Religion: When circumstances in my life go wrong, I am angry at God or my self, since I believe, like Job's friends that anyone who is good deserves a comfortable life.
The Gospel: When circumstances in my life go wrong, I struggle but I know all my punishment fell on Jesus and that while he may allow this for my training, he will exercise his Fatherly love within my trial.

Religion: When I am criticized I am furious or devastated because it is critical that I think of myself as a "good person." Threats to that self-image must be destroyed at all costs.
The Gospel: When I am criticized I struggle, but it is not critical for me to think of myself as a "good person". My identity is not built on my record or my performance but on God's love for me in Christ. I can take criticism.

Religion: My prayer life consists largely of petition and it only heats up when I am in a time of need. My main purpose in prayer is control of the environment.
The Gospel: My prayer life consists of generous stretches of praise and adoration. My main purpose is fellowship with Him.

Religion: My self-view swings between two poles. If and when I am living up to my standards, I feel confident, but then I am prone to be proud and unsympathetic to failing people. If and when I am not living up to standards, I feel insecure and inadequate. I'm not confident. I feel like a failure.
The Gospel: My self-view is not based on a view of myself as a moral achiever. In Christ I am "simul lustus et peccator"-simultaneously sinful and yet accepted in Christ. I am so bad he had to die for me and I am so loeed he was glad to die for me. This leads me to deeper and deeper humility and confidence at the same time. Neither swaggering nor snivelling.

Religion: My identity and self-worth are based mainly on how hard I work. Or how moral I am, and so I must look down on those I perceive as lazy or immoral. I disdain and feel superior to "the other." The Gospel: My identity and self-worth are centred on the one who died for His enemies, who was excluded from the city for me. I am saved by sheer grace. So I can't look down on those who believe or practice something different from me. Only by grace I am what I am. I've no inner need to win arguments.

 Religion: Since I look to my own pedigree or performance for my spiritual acceptability, my heart manufactures idols. It may be my talents, my moral record, my personal discipline, my social status, etc. I absolutely have to have them so they serve as my main hope, meaning, happiness, security, and significance, whatever I may say I believe about God.
The Gospel: I have many good things in my life-family, work, spiritual disciplines, etc. But none of these good things are ultimate things to me. None of them are things I absolutely have to have, so there is a limit to how much anxiety, bitterness, and despondency they can inflict on me when they are threatened and lost.

Who is Jesus?

Who is Jesus?

The Seed of the woman Gen 3:15
The Passover Lamb Exodus 12:3
The Atoning Sacrafice Lev 17:11
The Smitten Rock Num 20:8,11
The Faithful Prophet Deut 18:18
The Captain of the Lord's Host Joshua 5:15
The Devine Deliver Judges 2:18
The Kinsman Redeemer Ruth 3:12
Anticipated as the Anointed One 1 Samuel 2:10
The Son of David 2 Samuel 7:14
The Builder of the Temple 1 Chronicles 28:20
The Restorer of the Temple Ezra 6:14-15
The Restorer of the Nations Neh 6:15
The Living Redeemer Job 19:25
The Praise of Israel Psalm 150:6
The Wisdom of God Proverbs 8:22-23
The Great Teacher Eccles 12:11
The Fairest of Ten Thousand  Song of Solomon 5:10
The Suffering Servant Isaiah 53:11
The Maker of the New Covenant Jeremiah 31:31
The Man of Sorrows Lam 3:29-30
The Glory of God Ezekiel 43:2
The Coming Messiah Daniel 9:25
The Lover of the Unfaithful Hosea 3:1
The Hope of Israel Joel 3:16
The Husbandman Amos 9:13
The Saviour Obadiah 21
The Resurrected One Jonah 2:10
The Ruler in Israel Mic 5:2
The Avenger Nah 2:1
The Holy God Hab 1:13
The King of Israel Zeph 3:15
The Desire of the Nations Hag 2:7
The Righteous Branch Zechariah 3:8
The Sun of Righteousness Mal 4:2
King of the Jews Matt 2:2
Servant of The Lord Mark 10:45
Son of Man Luke 19:10
Son of God John 1:1
Ascended Lord Acts 1:10
The Believer's Righteousness Romans 1:17
The Believer's Sanctification 1 Cor 1:30
The Believer'sSufficiency 2 Cor 12:9
The Believer's Liberty Gal 2:4
The Exaulted Head of the Church Zeph 1:22
The Christian's Joy Phil 1:26
The Fullness of Diety Colossians 2:9
The Believer's Comfort 1 Thess 4:16-17
The Believer's Glory 2 Thess 1:12
The Christian's Presever 1 Tim 4:10
The Rewarder 2 Tim 4:8
The Blessed Hope Titus 2:13
The Subsitute Philemon 17
The High Priest Hebrew 4:15
The Giver of Wisdom James 1:5
The Rock 1 Peter 2:6
The Precious Promise 2 Peter 1:4
The Life 1 John
The Truth 2 John
The Way 3 John
The Advocate Jude
The King of Kings and Lord of Lords Rev 19:16

THAT'S WHO JESUS IS!!

Church members

Luke 14:23 And the master said to the servant, 'Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled.'
Invite people to your church.

Romans 15:5-7 Mat the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. 
Live in unity with brothers and sisters and glorify God together.

1 Corinthians 6:2 On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come. 
Give to your church.

Ephesians 4:11-12 and he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building yo the body of Christ Use your spiritual gifts to build one another up.

Ephesians 4:29 let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. 
Don't tear one another down but encourage one another.

1 Thessalonians 1:2 We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers.
Pray for one another.

Hebrews 10:25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. 
Attend church regularly.

Hebrews 13:17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.
Submit to the leadership of the church.

1 Peter 1:22 2 Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart
Love one another.

1 Peter 4:10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God 's varied grace.
Use your spiritual gifts to serve one another.

Biblical prayers to pray for children, spouse, friends, etc.

Biblical Prayers to pray for your  children, spouse, friends, etc.

1. For their moral purity (Proverbs 5.7-23; 1 Thessalonians 4.3-8)

2. To obey and respect the authority of you/their parents (Exodus 20.12)

3. That God would draw them to Himself at a young age (John 3.3)

4. That they would be protected from the schemes of Satan (Ephesians 6.10ff)

I am not sure where I found this list but it's good. 

1. For their moral purity (Proverbs 5.7-23; 1 Thessalonians 4.3-8)

2. To obey and respect the authority of you/their parents (Exodus 20.12)

3. That God would draw them to Himself at a young age (John 3.3)

4. That they would be protected from the schemes of Satan (Ephesians 6.10ff

5. That they would know and love God’s Word (Psalm 119.9-11)

6. That they would glorify God in whatever health or circumstance He gives them, rejoicing always (1 Thessalonians 5.18)

7. That they would be wise (wisdom of the Lord - Proverbs 1.7)

8. That they would have and be, good friends (David & Jonathan - 1 Samuel 20)

9. That they would endure hardship in fellowship with Christ (Colossians 1.24)

10.That their ‘yes’ would be ‘yes’ and their ‘no’ would mean ‘no’ (Matthew 5.37)

11.That they would “Keep their spiritual fervour, serving the Lord” (Romans 12.11)

12.That they would be humble and desire God’s glory (2 Timothy 4.18)

13.That their conversation would always be “full of grace and seasoned with salt” (Colossians 4.6)

14.That they would understand grace and so live a godly life (Titus 2.11-14)

15.That she (if she’s a girl) would have a quiet and gentle spirit (1 Peter 3.4) and that he (if he’s a boy) would be self-controlled (Titus 2.1-10)

16.That they would have a heart for the world and not just have a tribal god (Luke 11.2)

17.That they would devote themselves to persistent prayer (Luke 18.1-8)

18.That they would hate and avoid evil and get caught when they disobey (Proverbs 4.14)

19.That they would forgive as the Lord has forgiven them (Matthew 18.21-35)

20.That they would think biblically (Romans 12.1-2)

21.That they would encourage others in the Christian life (Hebrews 10.24-25)

22.That they would “clothe themselves with love” (Colossians 3.14)

23.That they would never be self-righteous (Luke 18.9-14)

24.That they would be secure and content in God’s plan for the world and where they fit into it (Ephesians 1)

25.That they would know they are deeply loved by God (Psalm 103)

26.That they would love the Lord their God with all their heart, mind, soul and strength (Matthew 22.37-39)

27.That they would be honest with the Lord, themselves and others (1 John 1.5-9)

28.That they would be faithful stewards of all the treasures and talents that God entrusts to them (1 Timothy 6.6-10)

29.That they would hunger and thirst for God’s righteousness (Matthew 5.6)

30.That they would keep their eyes fixed on heaven (Philippians 3.20)

31. That they would persevere to the end (Hebrews 10.35)

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