Today is my son's birthday. He would have been 29 years old today. I have a word for fathers. This will be brief. This will be important.
My son, Nathan, killed himself on September 22, 2016. He was 25.
When he was young, I worked every hour I could work. I wanted my wife to stay home with my son and, eventually, my daughter. So, I worked every hour of overtime I could work plus delivered pizza in the evening on the side. Fathers, money is not everything. As a matter of fact, it's nothing.
What little time I spent with my son was strained. I was an athlete. I played baseball from the time I was old enough to hold a bat and put on a glove. There was not a sport that I could not play. There was not a sport in which I wasn't decent if I played. I wanted an athlete...someone to follow in my steps...someone with the same interests that I had. That was not Nathan. I tried to force him into that mold but that was not who he was. He was creative. He was fantastic at drawing and painting...not a ball player. The first painting he ever did won the Grand Champion ribbon at the 4-H Fair in 2003. He was 12.
This is going to sound absolutely horrible but it is nothing but the truth. I was kind of ashamed of my son.
I was as lost as a ball in tall grass at this time. I was selfish. I wanted everybody to look at my son and think how great of a teacher I was...that he could play ball so well because of me and my ability to teach him how to play ball so well.
Wicked and vile. That's what I was.
If I have learned anything from the death of my son it is this...
I would spend less time at work...
I would teach him responsibility and consequences for actions...
I'd be interested in the things he was interested in....
And I'd teach him the gospel...the real thing
Dads, I understand that you have to pay the bills. I also understand that if the bills take every bit of your time and effort to pay then they are too much for you and you've bit off more than you can chew.
Dads, I understand that you want your kids to like you and to be your friend and to think you're a "cool dad". That's great. I wanted that, too. But, that ain't your job. Your job is to do what is the best for your children, which is to teach responsibility. Not to wink at stuff and play it off as if it was not a big deal. Trust me...over the course of time, it will become a big deal and then it may be too late. Discipline your kids. Teach your kids responsibility and consequences. You are a derelict parent if you do not do the hard work of discipline. They may not like it. They may get mad. They may say mean and hurtful and terrible things. Oh well......they'll get over it. They need the discipline. They need what's best for them in the long run, not what's the easiest thing to do to get them to be ok right now.
Dads, I understand that you want your sons and daughters to have the same likes and hobbies that you do. That may not happen. If it doesn't, do not force it. If you love baseball but your son likes painting, then I suggest that you develop an interest in art. If he likes to draw Pokemon cards, draw Pokemon cards with him even if you can't draw water out of a well...know what I am saying? If your girl wants to have a dress up tea party with every Barbie doll and stuffed animal on your block, ask what color lipstick does she want to use. Have I made my point?
Dads, your kids need the gospel. The real gospel. The gospel of grace, not the gospel of do nice things and try harder to be a good person. If the church you attend doesn't preach the gospel...the real gospel....then you need to split and find a church that teaches the gospel of Jesus Christ. If you don't know what that is, you can refer to my post "Hindsight" for an overview. Or, you can refer to any of the posts on this website with the word "gospel" in the title. They'll help you. If that isn't enough for you, then I'd refer you to a couple of you tube videos called "The Acropolis of the Christian Faith" or "The Shocking Youth Message", both by Paul Washer. Both are stellar examples of the preaching of the gospel.
I can't go back and have a REDO with my son or my daughter, for that matter. But, maybe, I can share some things that I learned the hard way with the rest of you.
Parenting is not easy. It is not for the faint of heart. It is not for the weak. But, I will have you know this.....
Your children were not a surprise to God. He is sovereign and in total control. He gave them to you. He gave Nate and Holly to Debbie and I. Why He saw fit to give my precious son to a 21 year old, immature boy, I will never know. I was a horrible dad. I mean absolutely terrible. I do not understand the purposes of God. I cannot understand an infinite God with a finite mind but I trust that His purposes were fulfilled for Nathan through Deb and I.
Your children are YOURS by the sovereign hand of God Almighty because He saw fit to give them to you. Please, do not fail the assignment He has given you only to find out, too late, that you have failed the assignment He has given you.
Monday, April 27, 2020
Saturday, April 25, 2020
The Prophetic Word Made More Sure
2 Peter 1:16-21...we would do well to remember and understand this admonition. Below is a smattering of articles concerning or videos from modern-day "prophets" who have heard from god ( little "g" is purposeful ) about COVID-19. This is pathetic. The reason I show this is because these people are not on the fringe. They are working their way into mainstream if they are not there already. They are false teachers; they are ravenous wolves; they are to be marked and avoided at all costs because these people do not speak for the living God. They do not know Him. They are lost and need our prayer.
Pay attention to dates on the videos and articles. These things are key. Some of the videos may have a bit of length. Some are very short. I will let you decide to watch or not. It is, however, important to know what is happening in the name of God. This is serious business. The dates the videos were posted are obviously a later date than the time that the "prophecy" was spoken in them. Keep that in mind. Kenneth Copeland is in here more than once. That's because he has blasphemed God on several occasions here in the last few weeks. That is not something that has just started with him, for sure, but this stuff is his most recent.
I am also hoping that these series of videos and articles will spur you all to dig for yourself. I want to say this again and I can't overstate this...This lunacy is not on the fringe any longer. It is coming right through the front door of the "evangelical" church and is being embraced far and wide. Study...research...put the pieces of the puzzle together because this all intertwines into a big convoluted mess.
I'm merely posting what's going on with the COVID-19 because it is recent and up-to-the-moment. There are so many false prophecies from these "prophets", and others just like them, that have nothing to do with COVID-19 whatsoever. It is bizarre stuff....and blasphemous...and heretical...and damaging.
God does speak...through His Word. As I have heard Justin Peters say, "If you want to hear God speak, read your Bible. If you want to hear God speak audibly, read it out loud."
Right on and Amen......
And now, for your perusing pleasure...watch, read and, more than anything else, learn and have your discernment sharpened by comparing these charlatans to the Scripture.
Tracy Cooke's dream Video posted on March 24
Word of the LORD came to Ken Copeland Video posted March 19
Kenneth Copeland pronouncing judgement on COVID -19 Video posted March 30
Ken Copeland blows on COVID-19 Video posted April 7
COVID-19 declared dead March 27 Article about Global Day of Prayer with "Pastor" Benny Hinn and "Pastor" Chris Oyakhilome. About this article, I will say this: 'Pastor" Chris is an African pastor. Africa is absolutely overrun with the WoF and NAR movements. That is the dominant version of "christianity" on the continent. Their blasphemous teaching does not only reach Africa. Because of the internet, it can make its way here, too. Very recently, there was a video of this "pastor" sent to Debbie and I, from someone we care very deeply for, and we were told that he was "right on". My friends, he is not "right on". He is a charlatan, a hack, a heretic and is to be marked, avoided and exposed.
Chris Rosebrough on Shawn Bolz .......This video was posted on March 18. I tried to link to the story / article that Pastor Chris Rosebrough refers to in this video but I could not. For whatever reason, it wouldn't allow me to do so. Probably something to do with it being property of Fox News. In this video, Pastor Chris is referencing a Fox News story about Shawn Bolz, published on March 3, and his "prophecy" regarding the coronavirus. Shawn Bolz is known as the "Google Prophet" because whenever he is doing his prophecy thingy and calling out people from a crowd, he is ALWAYS carrying a smartphone or a tablet. Think about that for a bit and consider the implications. Pastor Chris touches on that some in this video. This video is important to watch because it does 2 things. Pastor Chris puts the timeline together as to what Shawn Bolz "prophesied" and when he "prophesied" it and what is actually happening. It also goes into why Shawn Bolz is called the "Google Prophet". It proves he is a charlatan and liar. Please take the time to educate yourself.
Shawn Bolz Article published March 23
Bethel Healing Rooms Article published April 7. Read the first paragraph of this article and you should be able to see the irony and, sadly, the falsehood of their teaching about healing. Read it carefully and pay attention. These people are frauds and should be called out as such. They cannot do what they say they can do. They are liars.
If you wish to see some more in depth teaching and exposure of these frauds, then I would recommend these videos to you......
Justin Peters
Chris Rosebrough
These two gentleman are incredibly gifted teachers...very solid teaching. So good at helping to discern. I have learned a ton from Chris Rosebrough and Justin Peters both.
Pay attention to dates on the videos and articles. These things are key. Some of the videos may have a bit of length. Some are very short. I will let you decide to watch or not. It is, however, important to know what is happening in the name of God. This is serious business. The dates the videos were posted are obviously a later date than the time that the "prophecy" was spoken in them. Keep that in mind. Kenneth Copeland is in here more than once. That's because he has blasphemed God on several occasions here in the last few weeks. That is not something that has just started with him, for sure, but this stuff is his most recent.
I am also hoping that these series of videos and articles will spur you all to dig for yourself. I want to say this again and I can't overstate this...This lunacy is not on the fringe any longer. It is coming right through the front door of the "evangelical" church and is being embraced far and wide. Study...research...put the pieces of the puzzle together because this all intertwines into a big convoluted mess.
I'm merely posting what's going on with the COVID-19 because it is recent and up-to-the-moment. There are so many false prophecies from these "prophets", and others just like them, that have nothing to do with COVID-19 whatsoever. It is bizarre stuff....and blasphemous...and heretical...and damaging.
God does speak...through His Word. As I have heard Justin Peters say, "If you want to hear God speak, read your Bible. If you want to hear God speak audibly, read it out loud."
Right on and Amen......
And now, for your perusing pleasure...watch, read and, more than anything else, learn and have your discernment sharpened by comparing these charlatans to the Scripture.
Tracy Cooke's dream Video posted on March 24
Word of the LORD came to Ken Copeland Video posted March 19
Kenneth Copeland pronouncing judgement on COVID -19 Video posted March 30
Ken Copeland blows on COVID-19 Video posted April 7
COVID-19 declared dead March 27 Article about Global Day of Prayer with "Pastor" Benny Hinn and "Pastor" Chris Oyakhilome. About this article, I will say this: 'Pastor" Chris is an African pastor. Africa is absolutely overrun with the WoF and NAR movements. That is the dominant version of "christianity" on the continent. Their blasphemous teaching does not only reach Africa. Because of the internet, it can make its way here, too. Very recently, there was a video of this "pastor" sent to Debbie and I, from someone we care very deeply for, and we were told that he was "right on". My friends, he is not "right on". He is a charlatan, a hack, a heretic and is to be marked, avoided and exposed.
Chris Rosebrough on Shawn Bolz .......This video was posted on March 18. I tried to link to the story / article that Pastor Chris Rosebrough refers to in this video but I could not. For whatever reason, it wouldn't allow me to do so. Probably something to do with it being property of Fox News. In this video, Pastor Chris is referencing a Fox News story about Shawn Bolz, published on March 3, and his "prophecy" regarding the coronavirus. Shawn Bolz is known as the "Google Prophet" because whenever he is doing his prophecy thingy and calling out people from a crowd, he is ALWAYS carrying a smartphone or a tablet. Think about that for a bit and consider the implications. Pastor Chris touches on that some in this video. This video is important to watch because it does 2 things. Pastor Chris puts the timeline together as to what Shawn Bolz "prophesied" and when he "prophesied" it and what is actually happening. It also goes into why Shawn Bolz is called the "Google Prophet". It proves he is a charlatan and liar. Please take the time to educate yourself.
Shawn Bolz Article published March 23
Bethel Healing Rooms Article published April 7. Read the first paragraph of this article and you should be able to see the irony and, sadly, the falsehood of their teaching about healing. Read it carefully and pay attention. These people are frauds and should be called out as such. They cannot do what they say they can do. They are liars.
If you wish to see some more in depth teaching and exposure of these frauds, then I would recommend these videos to you......
Justin Peters
Chris Rosebrough
These two gentleman are incredibly gifted teachers...very solid teaching. So good at helping to discern. I have learned a ton from Chris Rosebrough and Justin Peters both.
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