Cross Words

Questions about head coverings for women... 1 Corinthians 11:1-16

noreply@blogger.com (Kingdomsaint) — Mon, 12 May 2014 20:49:00 +0000

This short study concerns the passage about head coverings for the praying/prophesying woman. These verse address a specific issue: the main point being discussed in 1 Co 11:1-16 is right in this verse:

1 Corinthians 11:4-5 NIV (4) Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head. (5) But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head--it is the same as having her head shaved.

So if a woman is going to pray/prophesy, she needs to have a covering. That is the main thrust of this verse. So to answer your questions:

1. Are women supposed to cover their heads in the assembly? If not, is it because we are not the ones leading in prayer? You are correct in assuming you are not to wear coverings in the assembly since you will not be praying nor prophesying.
2. Does head covering only apply when praying? It applies when praying or prophesying only.
3. When I have my quiet time with God, should I cover my head to show honor to God? If I have to cover my head when I pray to God, does this mean I'll have to cover my head the whole day since I'm in constant prayer to God throughout the day? The passage refers to voicing out loud. Since we are to be continually in prayer, this passage does not cover that. In that case then the Spirit would not have to give a concession as this. We conclude then the spirit is talking about when you use your voice, not when you pray silently.
4. Do I have to cover my head when I'm having prayer meetings or mentorship meetings with the sisters? This passage is addressing wives/husbands by the use of the Greek words. I explain a bit more below. It seems the context here is for wives and husbands. In that case, if a woman is among other women, this is not necessary since no other person with more authority is there. Remember, the covering is a symbol that authority has been given to her to prophesy/pray – but this is when the woman is with her husband.
5. If I am to be submissive and not teach men, how do I properly evangelize to men? The Samaritan woman is a great example of a woman Jesus used to spread the Gospel. She seemed to gather the whole town and Jesus did not have a problem. Evangelizing men and women is different than planning a sit down where the man will subject himself to your teaching and instruction.

Below I go into more detail for your benefit. If you have any other questions feel free to email.

Head covering for the praying/prophesying woman

The place of headship is given to the man and woman is under his authority.

On a creation level, woman came from man (Gen. 2:18-22; 1Cor. 11:18; 1Tim. 2:12-13)

On a marriage level: the wife submits to her husband (cf. Gen. 3:16)

Note: ESV translates the Greek words “gune” and “aner” as “wife” and “husband.”

• Depending on the context, the Greek word “gune” means “woman” or “wife.”

• In the same manner, the Greek word “aner” means “man” or “husband.”

In the Godhead, Christ is subject to the Father.

a. John 12:49 – Christ spoke under the authority of the Father
b. John 20:17 – Christ refers to the Father as His God.

It is good to note that subjection does not mean inferiority!

1. Christ is subject to the Father but He is not inferior to Him.
2. Neither is woman inferior to man though she is subordinate to him.

Praying or prophesying implies speaking out loud. It is not referring to what you are thinking to yourself. In the similar fashion, this would apply to the woman. Hannah was praying to herself when she went to the temple and Eli thought she was drunk. However, when she said she was praying Eli did not rebuke her for speaking since she was only praying to herself. We ought to be praying at all times, so obviously this passage does not refer to that, otherwise it would not mention that a covering is needed for a specific occasion: when the woman would be praying or prophesying out loud. That's when it is necessitated.

Every man who PRAYS…

1Timothy 2:8 (ESV), “I desire then that in every place the men should pray…”. In this pastoral letter, Paul instructs the men to pray (in the assembly). Clearly this is refers to the leading (or vocalization) of prayer. Afterwards, he addresses the women (vv. 9ff).

“Every man who prays” is addressing the speaker.

Every man who PROPHESIES…

1Cor. 14:3 (ESV), “the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation.”

“Every man who prophesies” is addressing the speaker.

If a man prays or prophesies with his head covered, he is not acknowledging that Christ is his authority.

What is this covering? Is it an artificial covering? Is it hair?

We are dealing with head coverings here, not hair as a head covering. Paul’s discussion of hair is brought in toward the end of the discussion as a supporting argument, as one example of a kind of head covering – but it is not THE head covering under discussion. The literary evidence also supports the contention that we are dealing with head coverings rather than hair. Plutarch uses the same phrase that Paul does, kata kephales, to refer to something resting on the head, not hair and much less long, flowing hair. He wrote that Romans, as opposed to Greeks, “thus worshipped the gods, either humbling themselves by concealing the head, or rather by pulling the toga over the ears.” (Plutarch’s Moralia).

We know a good deal about head coverings in Roman settings, for example, what was worn when one was offering a sacrifice. A head covering was worn by both men and women. An incidental remark by Livy shows that the head was covered not only when offering a sacrifice but also during the prophetic reading of the entrails. Varro and Juvenal inform us that the head covering applied equally to women. Such covering of the head was not a general form of dress adopted by people attending a sacrifice but was done by only by those taking an active part. Dionysus of Halicarnassus observed that this use of the devotional head covering was an important Roman religious practice used when participating in prayer, prophecy, or sacrifice. Virgil, in the Aeneid, mentions that it was sacred law for the Romans to cover their heads when worshipping and sacrificing to their gods and goddesses. In addition to an enormous amount of literary data that depicts Roman devotional head-coverings, it is also attested by visual evidence on ancient Roman coins, statues, and altar reliefs.

Note that Paul is correcting both men and women in this passage. Men and women are being asked to do exactly the opposite in regard to the head covering while praying and prophesying. It is interesting that he is asking the men to do something that was culturally the opposite of what the Romans practiced.

It seems to say that women ought to pray with their head covered - as symbol of authority (verse 10). As long hair has been given to her she ought to have her head covered when she prays. If she doesn't then it is as if she were shaven.

Position 1: This passage has no application for us today.

Paul is addressing a tradition or custom he handed down to the church (cf. 1Cor. 11:2, 16). Since it is not a custom of the modern church, it does not apply to us today.

Position 2: The head covering is a woman’s hair (cf. 1Cor. 11:15). A Christian woman ought to wear her hair relatively long.

Position 3: The head covering is a real covering and the text applies for us today.

• Sub-position 1: Women should be veiled in the assembly.
• Sub-position 2: Women should be veiled in the assembly only when they are leading in prayer or prophesying.
• Sub-position 3: Women should be veiled only when they are praying or prophesying outside the context of the assembly.

Strong’s Greek Dictionary:

i. Akatakaluptos – unveiled; uncovered

ii. Kata – is the antithesis of akatakaluptos as per verse 5.

1. Apparently, the covering is something removable.
2. She can remove it when she is not praying or prophesying.

Does this mean that women can lead in prayer or prophesy in the assembly as long as she is covered?

1Cor. 14:33b-35 (ESV), “As in all the churches of the saints, 34 the women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the Law also says. 35 if there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands (aner – man, husband) at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church.”

When it comes to the assembly, women are not permitted to speak.

A practical example of 1Cor. 11:5

If a husband asks his wife to lead a prayer at home, she must be covered.

Laying aside her symbol of authority (vs. 10) would be as disgraceful as if her head were shaved.

Since it would be disgraceful for a wife to be shaven, it is just as disgraceful for her to pray with her head uncovered.

A shaven head on a female was associated with shame or mourning. Dio Chryostom associates shaving of the head with humiliation and citing a law given by Demonassa of Cyprus, says, “a woman guilty of adultery shall have her hair cut off and be a harlot.” Aristotle and Tacitus also write of the shame inherent in a shaven female head. Paul is saying that a woman who prays or prophesies with a bare head is a source of shame.

Man is the glory of God.

1. He was given headship over the earth.

2. God’s glory should be uncovered.

Woman is the glory of man

1. She was taken out of man and given to man (cf. Gen. 2:22).

2. She was created to be man’s helper (cf. Gen. 2:18).

3. Unlike God’s glory, the glory of man should be covered since he is not the Supreme Being--God is!

Now, we understand that IF a woman has a sign of authority over her head (veil) she can pray. Does this mean she can pray in the assembly of the saints? NO! We know from (1 Co 14:33-35) that a woman is to be quiet in the assembly and that it would be disgraceful for a woman to speak in the assembly, whether she has a sign on her head or not. However, just like a woman can speak to her own husband at home--she can pray with her husband at home as long as she has a sign of authority on her head. In a sense, the husband is giving her permission to pray by allowing her to wear a veil because of the angels--whatever that is we cannot lose sight of it.

Philip, the evangelist, had four unmarried daughters who prophesied (Acts 21:9). My conviction leads me to believe that they covered their heads whenever they prophesied in the presence of their father and/or other men.

Keep in mind that praying and prophesying are viewed as positions of authority: A woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head so as to not give the appearance that she is in authority.

Paul did not want his readers to think men are independent from women. Man and woman are mutually dependent upon each other. They need each other and the idea of subjection does not mean one is not dependent on the other. An organization would fall apart if those under subjection to the leaders of that organization were to all walk out. In the beginning, woman came from man, but now man comes from woman. Knowing this should make the man humble and the woman content!

The implication perhaps is that, in nature, femininity is expressed by the long hair while masculinity by the short.

It is interesting to note that the Greek word for “covering” used in this passage is not the same used in the previous verses, thus indicating two types of coverings:

In the physical realm, her natural covering (peribolaion), that is, the hair represents her glory, not her submission!

In the spiritual realm, the artificial covering (kata), that is, the symbol of authority on her head represents her submission, not her glory!

Judging from the verses to follow (vv. 17ff), most, if not all, of the Corinthians were not contentious about this practice. None of the churches of Paul’s day taught that it was all right for women to pray or prophesy with their heads uncovered! But as in all congregations, there are always few that will be contentious.

The Role of Wives with Children in the Church

noreply@blogger.com (Kingdomsaint) — Thu, 13 Mar 2014 17:57:00 +0000

Societal values change with the times. Cultures have their own values and generations have values they have accepted or rejected from their ancestors or current teachings in favor of what their heart desires or their convictions about their responsibilities in the sight of God. We need to devote ourselves to the word of God to live lives that reflect godly values and not our own, our ancestors nor society’s. Let’s see what God’s word says about the mother’s role in her home.

1Ti 5:14 NIV So I counsel younger widows to marry, to have children, to manage their homes and to give the enemy no opportunity for slander.

This passage addresses what a woman should do if she finds herself a young widow. Younger widows should look to get married in the church if they cannot control themselves (1 Co 7:9). It is not a sin to marry as long as the one she desires to marry is a Christian (1 Co 7:39). The charge given to the young widow also applies to the young mother. The young widow should marry:

1. To have children
2. To manage their households (guide the house; rule it) – Tit 2:5
3. Not to give the devil an opportunity for slander

From this passage we can extrapolate what the affairs of the homemaker should be. The faithful wife and mother should occupy herself with raising her children in a well-managed household that upholds the authority of God, i.e., not giving opportunity to the devil for slander. This charge is repeated for the older women to teach the younger ones in this next passage:

Tit 2:4-5 NIV Then they (the older women) can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, (5) to be self- controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.

Another translation for the phrase "to be busy at home" is "to be keepers at home."

In this passage it is clear that when children are in the picture the woman's responsibility lies in keeping the home. The older women are to teach these principles to the younger women to live lives that glorify God for the same reason we saw in the first passage, so that no one will malign God’s word, i.e., not to give the devil an opportunity for slander.

If women forsake this holy charge to focus on worldly desires, like building a career or trying to keep up with worldly standards of living, they are allowing themselves to be victimized by the devil to partake in the destruction of their own homes and erode the credibility of the church. This is partly what maligning God’s word and giving the devil an opportunity to slander is all about. There are numerous ways this could play out, but that is not the scope of this brief article. Our homes are to be sanctuaries where children are raised in the love and ways of the Lord; husbands find help and respect from their wives; and wives find love, acceptance and consideration from their husbands. God instructs that the home should take up the full attention of the mother while children are there. Moreover, since the husband’s priority is to be a missionary of the Gospel at his job, a good and noble wife takes care of the home in such a way to provide an atmosphere of building him up to out without him needing to tend to the things a good homemaker tends to.

A woman whose heart is divided between taking care of her home and building a career needs to heed the wisdom Jesus declares in Matthew 6:24: she will end up hating one and loving the other. I believe she will eventually end up hating herself for not doing either to her satisfaction. This is Satan’s ploy since an unfulfilled and bitter wife will not make a good helper to the husband who is an ambassador of Jesus, destroying her home in the process:

Proverbs 14:1 NIV The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.
Not so the wife of noble character:

Proverbs 31:10-12 NIV A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. (11) Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. (12) She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.

Some bring up the “wife of noble character” in Proverbs 31 to justify their desire to work outside of the home while having children at home. Proverbs 31:10-31 describes a woman who does everything in her power to care for her family. She works hard to keep her house and her family in order. Verses 16, 18, 24, and 25 show that she is so industrious that she is able to provide additional income for her family without neglecting her role as “keeper of the home”. This woman's motivation is important in that her business activities are the means to an end, not an end in themselves. She is providing for her family, not furthering her career, or working to keep up a standard of living or any other foolish worldly goal. Her business is secondary to her true calling—the stewardship of her husband, children, and home.

The Bible doesn’t forbid a woman from working outside the home. However, the Bible does teach what a woman’s priorities are to be. If working outside the home causes a woman to neglect her children and husband, then it is ungodly for that woman to work outside the home. If a Christian woman can work outside the home and still provide a loving, caring environment for her children and husband, not neglecting her duties as primary keeper of the home, then it is perfectly acceptable for her to work outside the home. If her work outside the home is causing her to neglect her work in such a way that the devil finds opportunity to slander, like, an extramarital affair, neglected home (dirty, unkempt, etc.), children in the care of others instead of their parents, etc.; then a wife of noble character will recognize that and forsake anything that prevents her from honoring God by the role and duties she has as a wife and mother.

We have freedom in Christ (Galatians 5:1)! But if we honor Jesus in our homes we will use our freedom to serve humbly in love, as God’s slaves, not to cover up evil in our hearts nor to indulge in the flesh (Galatians 5:13; 1 Peter 2:16). Each household needs to agree to love holy lives reflecting the faith they have in Jesus, their Lord and savior. Each household should agree not to live conforming to the pattern of the world but to be transformed by the renewing of their minds so they may be able to test and approve what God’s good, perfect and pleasing will is for them (Romans 12:2).

Women are definitely encouraged in Titus 2 and 1 Timothy 5 to stay at home with their young children. Whatever a woman chooses, she must maintain her home as a priority and her primary sphere of influence. Anything that takes away from that is akin to the man whose job may keep him from being the spiritual provider, therefore neglecting his family. A man ought not to work himself away from the family but work to please the Lord, not men (Colossians 3:23), to provide physical and spiritual sustenance to his household, loving and giving himself up for his wife (Ephesians 5:25ff) and training his children in the Lord (Ephesians 6:4). The man whose work keeps him from being able to lead his children, or love and comfort his wife, is not providing spiritual leadership and therefore not being a man who provides for his household, not matter how much income he can bring in.

The Woman of Proverbs 31 puts the kingdom first by nurturing her children in the Lord under the guidance of her husband. As she builds her home she ensures peace and harmony as her husband's helper (Proverbs 14:1). The husband doesn't delegate the task of spiritual instruction only to his wife as he himself makes sure that when his children are of age, he instructs them and disciplines them in the Lord (Ephesians 6:4).

Though worldly standards, values and morality change and are in a constant state of flux, Jesus standards are forever. The household that is secure in practicing there standards is the household that is blessed and ensuring a spiritual legacy useful for the Lord.

Hebrews 13:8 NIV Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

How Can I Teach my Kids About our Invisible God?

noreply@blogger.com (Kingdomsaint) — Thu, 06 Mar 2014 19:46:00 +0000

Recently a mom asked me if I had have any studies regarding God and the bible she could do with her children since one of them said she doesn't think she believes in God because she can't see Him.

I had to chuckle because my boys asked me the same thing when they were little. I had some fear about that at first but was glad they could speak about it honestly. After some talk about how the wind cannot be seen and yet we can feel it and we know it's there, using Jesus' conversation with Nicodemus in John 3, they began to accept God. Also, I constantly have repeated to them that the real things, the invisible things, are eternal for the reason we cannot see them - since all that we see is subject to decay and eventually crumbles and falls.

Another example I also used was that of TV and radio waves. We cannot perceive those with our 5 senses but we can know they exist because of the effect they have on other things. Even microwave radiation - we know it is there because that's how we can make phone calls and use our mobile devices without a cable. When we listen to music over the radio we know that radio waves are present.

I often talk about these things with my kids reinforcing the reality that is all around us. I think you can have a talk with them about these things and then use verses that speak of the eternal and the unseen to reinforce the nature of God.

I don't have a particular study but here are some verses you can use when you speak to them about the wind and electromagnetic radiation:

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. - 2 Co 4:16-18 NIV

The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit. - John 3:8 NIV

For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. - Rom 1:20 NIV

For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. - Col 1:16 NIV

By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible. - Heb 11:27 NIV

I hope these help.

Which parts of the Body of Christ are more/less honorable?

noreply@blogger.com (Kingdomsaint) — Thu, 02 Jan 2014 15:26:00 +0000

Question: I wanted to ask you a question on 1 Corinthians 12, where it talks about the body of Christ in relation to body parts. I didn't really absolutely get v.23-24 because I was finding it hard to find specific body parts to fit the adjectives. In v. 23 it talked about body parts that are less honorable and less presentable. And in v.24, Paul said God had given more abundant honor to the parts which lacked.

Bible Answer:

When it comes to 1 Corinthians 12:23-24, Paul is comparing the church to a body. There are presentable parts of the body, like the face and hands; and there are less presentable parts like the legs and other parts we usually cover up. In the body of Christ some brethren are more presentable and we use their presentable skills, such as public speaking or praying, while others are less presentable. Those who are less presentable are given greater honor by God so that there may be no division in the body and no one claim they are better than another.

But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. - 1 Corinthians 12:24b - 26 NIV

Is it a bad thing to like some preachers more than others?

noreply@blogger.com (Kingdomsaint) — Thu, 02 Jan 2014 15:10:00 +0000

Question: "When I watch/listen to sermons, I tend to prefer particular preachers to others. I wanted to ask if this is a bad thing and what to do in this context."

Bible Answer:

When listening to preachers preach, you first need to ascertain they are true preachers, in other words, that they have observed and obeyed the Gospel teachings that you hear us preach every Sunday. If someone'e got the basic Gospel message wrong, there's no telling what other errors they are going to teach from their own opinions. This is why it is very important you understand the sequence and aspects of the Gospel as taught in Scriptures. If you cannot agree to the basic and foremost message, as postulated in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 and Romans 6:3-7, there's no telling how your own opinions have already deceived you in terms of the deeper message of truth and grace.

I also want to add that we ought not to be amazed or taken by style, charisma or personalities, but by the truth dispensed by Gospel preachers. Those who are of the flesh are taken by fleshly things. Those who are of the spirit are taken by spiritual things - God's message and truth.

1 Corinthians 1:11-13 NIV My brothers and sisters, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. 12 What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”; another, “I follow Cephas”; still another, “I follow Christ.” 13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul?

1 Corinthians 1: 20-25 NIV Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. 22 Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.

1 Corinthians 2:12-14 NIV What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. 13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words.[c] 14 The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.

What was exactly promised to those mentioned in Hebrews 11:39? Also, why are they bundled with us in order to be "made perfect?"

noreply@blogger.com (Kingdomsaint) — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 22:09:00 +0000

Bible Question: What was exactly promised to those mentioned in Hebrews 11:39? Also, why are they bundled with us in order to be "made perfect?"

Bible Answer:

Hebrews 11:39-40 NIV These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, 40 since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.

Indeed the Hebrew writer is speaking of the “ancients” mentioned in the second verse of the chapter. These ancients are all those that preceded Christ. They did not know the promises that come in Christ and the hope we now know in Christ (Ephesians 1:3; Col 1:27). Not knowing these wonderful things, and only hoping for the city without foundations Abraham himself was hoping for as verse ten says:

Hebrews 11:10 NIV For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

They nevertheless persevered in their faith and were commended by God for it, as the examples in this chapter show. How much more should we, knowing even better promises? Notice what this passage says about them:

Hebrews 11:13-16 NIV All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. 14 People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. 15 If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

Even though some had received the Promised Land and saw many of God’s promises fulfilled, the greatest and biggest restoration, which we know of in Christ, was not yet known; but they, in their hearts, knew that a heavenly country was to come. This fulfillment though, they will receive along with us in due time. This is what God has planned, that all of us together, when Christ comes back, will be made perfect and be completely restored to glory. So when the author is talking about being made perfect, he is talking about a future time, being that only together with them (at the resurrection, when Jesus returns) this will happen. This is when everything will be made new and the old order of things will pass away (Rev 21:4-5).

Question about ashes vs. eternal fire

noreply@blogger.com (Kingdomsaint) — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 16:58:00 +0000

Question: I am doing my research on this topic of annihilation. The evidence in the word makes it quite clear that hell is a place of eternal torment. However one of the points that I have a question about is Jude 7 which says that S & G are undergoing punishment of eternal fire. Obviously they are not on fire. 2 Peter says that S & G were reduced to ashes. There is a difference here and I'm trying to understand. Is it possible the that the eternal punishment was regarding the people and the ashes meant the literal city?

Bible Answer:

Jude 1:7 NIV In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.

2 Peter 2:6 NIV ...if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly...

In Jude 7 and 2 Pe 2:6, when Sodom & Gomorrah are mentioned as an example of what will happen to the ungodly, it is meant as both a physical and spiritual warning. We know the city was reduced to ashes, never to be built on again - which illustrates the lack of life they will have even though they continue to exist as places you can go to and see they are barren. The souls who inhabited these cities are currently in Tartarus, along with the rich man in the account Jesus used (Luke 16:19-31) to tell us about what happened to the rich man and Lazarus. That's where all souls who didn't believe or obey the Gospel are right now, awaiting judgment. Remember how the rich man said "I am in agony in these flames"? So there is a torment they are undergoing. The current punishment of the physical city is its barrenness, as an example of what happens to the ungodly, and its inhabitants are in Tartarus, suffering for renouncing God and His love.

God does not desire for anyone to perish, which is why He sent His Son Jesus, that we may escape a similar condemnation. You need to repent of your sins and turn to the saving grace of God. It is better to be judged and have a chance to repent here on earth than to face eternal condemnation away from God and His love forever.

1 Corinthians 11:32 NIV Nevertheless, when we are judged in this way by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be finally condemned with the world.

What should a church call itself? Does it make a difference?

noreply@blogger.com (Kingdomsaint) — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 19:15:00 +0000

Bible Question: I have a question. Lately, as I have been reading the scriptures I have been noticing the use of the "church of God" frequently. Other than Romans 16:16, there is no place where I can find scriptural basis of "church of Christ." I am wondering if there is a difference and whether the church's name should be "church of God." Is there any importance? I look forward to hearing your response.

Bible Answer

That’s a great question. In a day and age where branding seems to be what matters to some, and with good reason since we associate things by name, we still have to see that the Scriptures don’t emphasize branding inasmuch as it does our behavior and our love for one another. This is why you find many names given to the church in the Scriptures, like church of God, church of Christ, body of Christ, believers, The Way, the sect, etc. You will probably find as many names or brands given to the church as there are names for Jesus. One thing we know for sure and we can all agree on, who follow Christ, is that it is His church, which is why we use “church of Christ”. We want to emphasize His name above all else and also keep it simple. The name “church of God” has been attributed to denominations that teach a different Gospel, as does “assemblies of God”. We don’t want to be confused with those. Other common names found in Scripture for the church have also been used for churches that don’t teach the Gospel of Jesus.

Concerning Romans 16:16, where the phrase churches of Christ is used; collectively, all the known churches that had been established by that time were known generically as the churches of Christ, primarily because Jesus bought these people with his own blood (Acts 20:28). It is His church, not a person’s church, so there shouldn’t be any monikers attached to someone’s name like “Joel Olsteen’s Ministries” or “Lutheran Church” or the like. We want the focus to be Jesus, not an organization or a person. There was no official name or moniker for the church in the first century, other than the name given to the disciples in Antioch – Christians, and that possibly being with a negative undertone; and the cross of Christ or the fish (Ichthys).

Does this answer your question?

Was Cornelius saved before he was baptized? (Acts 10:43-48)

noreply@blogger.com (Kingdomsaint) — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 17:50:00 +0000

This passage about Cornelius can be very confusing to those who read it for the first time and have not considered several things I will mention. Once you put all the pieces of the puzzle together it is not hard to see although it may take some time to sink in. I know it did for me.

While Peter was preaching to Cornelius and his family and friends, The Holy Spirt fell (epipiptō: to fall upon one, i.e. to seize, take possession of him, to empower) on all who heard the word. It is important to distinguish this action of the Spirit from when the Spirit is received (lambano: to obtain, as in indwelling), as in Acts 2:38 and other verses where the Holy Spirit is described as being received when one is immersed (baptized) in water in the name of Christ.

In Acts 11:15, when Peter retells the incident to the other apostles, he says that the Spirit had fallen on the men from Cornelius in the same way it had done on them (the apostles) at the beginning, meaning when they were first empowered by the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:2-4). In this case the wording "...they were filled with the Holy Spirit." is used.

We know from Scripture how to receive the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38). Only when we obey the Gospel by immersion in water do we receive Him (Acts 5:32). This is why Peter commanded them to be baptized in verse 48, since they didn't have the indwelling Spirit. The Spirit had only come upon them; empowering them, which was demonstrated by them speaking in tongues.

Understanding what happened in Acts 8:12-17 sheds more light on the subject:

Philip had preached the Good News and the people had been baptized, receiving the Spirit
The apostles sent Peter and John. Why? The people had the indwelling Spirit but not the empowering of Him, i.e., the miraculous gifts of the Spirit
Verse 16 here makes the distinction that the Spirit had not fallen upon them, they were only baptized, meaning they only had the indwelling of the Spirit
Only the Apostles were able to give the empowering of the Spirit by the laying on of hands.
The only two times this did not happen by the apostles hands were in the beginning, when the Apostles were filled with the Spirit because God had poured out the Spirit at Jesus' request (John 14:16; John 16:7-8); and when Cornelius and his men were full of the spirit in Acts 10:44.

Peter sees that the Holy Spirit baptism they had received was of the same kind he had received in the beginning (Acts 2:1-4). It was an empowerment of the Spirit (Acts 10:44; Acts 11:15), not an indwelling - for if it had been an indwelling then water baptism would not have been needed since water baptism is for the ultimate purpose of having the Spirit dwell within (Acts 2:38) by the forgiveness of sins received.

The Holy Spirit sees it fit to mention that baptism is by water in verse 47, for all those who in later times would have been confused by false doctrine.

So you see, even though baptism is not mentioned in verse 43, it is implied by the fact that Peter had them baptized. The word believe used here is used as a synecdoche (when you use one word or part of a concept to mean the entire concept or set of teachings, like saying: "nice set of wheels" to mean a nice car.) to imply the whole counsel of God concerning salvation by belief, confession, repentance and baptism. If one believes in Jesus, he will believe in this whole counsel of God proclaimed in the Scriptures, by the prophets and apostles. When we read Acts 8 we see another synecdoche used when Philip preaches to the Ethiopian Eunuch. Verse 35 of that chapter will say: "Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus." We know the Good News about Jesus means Philip told the eunuch everything he needed to know to be saved and we known that because when they came upon some water the eunuch himself said: "Here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?"

Some extra thoughts:

Moreover, the fact that baptism for Gentiles was necessary to their salvation, no less than it was declared to be on Pentecost, appears in the facts (1) that an angel of God told Cornelius that Peter would tell him words whereby he would be saved (Acts 11:14), and (2) that in all of the words spoken by Peter there was but one commandment, that requiring them to be baptized. - James Burton Coffman

This outpouring of the Holy Spirit was done in this unique way just this one time to show God's approval of the Gentiles to receive the message of salvation. That is why Peter referred to this outpouring of the Holy Spirit when he asked if anyone could forbid Cornelius and his household being baptized in water. He knew this outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the Gentiles was God's sign to all men that the Gentiles were eligible to receive His message of salvation, just as the Jews were. And he knew that those in the audience with a Jewish background that day would make that connection, or draw that conclusion, when he asked that question (Acts 11:17-18). Putting all these passages together we conclude that Peter was sent to Cornelius to tell him what he must do, i.e., what God commanded him to do to be saved from his sins. But what did Peter command Cornelius and his household to do? He commanded them to be baptized in water! Therefore, it was necessary for Cornelius and his household to be baptized in water for the purpose of being saved from their sins! Obviously then, they were not saved before they were baptized in water. This being true even though the Holy Spirit fell on them before they were baptized in water, they were still not saved. - World Video Bible School Commentary on Acts

If Jesus spoke Hebrew, why is the NT written in Greek?

noreply@blogger.com (Kingdomsaint) — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 15:56:00 +0000

Question: Since Jesus spoke Aramaic, and the New Testament manuscripts are in Greek, I always wondered why the manuscripts were not written in Aramaic, the language Jesus spoke? By comparison, in Islam the original language was Arabic and the Qur'an was written in Arabic. So Muslims argue for preservation of language and argue that there can be "loss in translation" of Jesus' spoke Aramaic words being written in Greek.

Answer: It is true Jesus spoke Hebrew and Aramaic, and something also to consider is that Koine Greek was the common language throughout the Roman Empire at the time. Since Judea was part of the Empire, Jesus himself spoke Greek as did many others. We also know the citations he quotes from the Old Testament are from the Septuagint Bible, which was the Greek translation of the Old Testament which was done before He was born. It is interesting Jesus did not have a problem using a translation of the Old Testament.

The writers of the New Testament perhaps chose to write in Greek since nearly everyone knew that language, more so than Aramaic and Hebrew, at the time. It shows you the Spirit's intent was to reach as many as possible since the Gospel, or Good News of Jesus is for everyone.

You can read more about how the New Testament came to be here: http://www.licoc.org/TBS/The%20Transmission%20of%20the%20Greek%20New%20Testament.htm

You see, God's words are the same in any language. The meaning and purpose are never lost in translation since they are not the words of man. That is why many have come to know Jesus no matter what language they speak or culture they know since God's words know no boundaries in the human language or culture. I myself have read every major English and Spanish Bible, and when compared to the original Greek the differences never affect the message of salvation in Jesus Christ. There are minor differences and those difference have not changed the general meaning in two thousand years of translations. Even the more serious translation blunders don't affect the principal message of salvation in Jesus.

Do I need to speak in "tongues" to see (enter) God's kingdom?

noreply@blogger.com (Kingdomsaint) — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 16:49:00 +0000

Question = If you don't speak in tongues but are born again does it mean you wont see the kingdom of God?

Bible Answer

There is much confusion as to what the baptism of the Holy Spirit was and concerning speaking in tongues. In short, the baptism of the Holy Spirit was a promise made by God revealed though the prophet Joel in Joel Chapter 2:28-32 and it's fulfillment in AD33 was recorded by Luke in Acts chapter 2. Since this promise was fulfilled it is not an event that repeats. Luke carefully details how one receives the Holy Spirit in Acts 2:38; by repentance and through water baptism. As Peter preached in his first Gospel sermon and said in verse 39 of Acts 2, "This promise is for you and your children, for all who are far off; for all whom the Lord our God will call." So this is the promise of the New Covenant still standing today.

The manifestation of tongues (languages) when the Spirit fell on people, as in the apostles in Acts 2 or Cornelius in Acts 10, depicts the miraculous powers of the presence of the Holy Spirit in a person, not necessarily the indwelling of the Spirit one obtains through baptism for forgiveness of sins and salvation. I have a few links here that go into this topic and others a bit deeper:

Baptism of the Holy Spirit:

http://www.licoc.org/TBS/Baptism%20of%20the%20Holy%20Spirit%20-%20Robert%20Carr.pdf

Here is a link concerning speaking in "tongues":

http://crosswordspage.blogspot.com/2008/03/speaking-in-tongues.html

What is water baptism?

http://crosswordspage.blogspot.com/2008/03/what-does-baptism-mean.html

Concerning what the Holy Spirit does in us today:

http://crosswordspage.blogspot.com/2008/04/what-does-holy-spirit-do.html

These links deal with those topics in more detail. So, in short, the answer to your question is that you need to be born again to see the kingdom of God, born of water and Spirit, as Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3:3-7. This new birth is achieved by obeying the message Jesus gave to Peter which he spoke in Acts 2, culminating in verses 38, 39:

"Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself."

When you are baptized (immersed in water) after deciding to change the way you think and act (repent) in the name of Jesus your sins are forgiven and the Spirit is given you to dwell inside you and aid you in your walk until Jesus comes again.

Speaking in tongues has nothing to do with receiving this salvation, as we read in Acts 8, concerning the disciples in Samaria, who had believed and were baptized, thus saved, but the manifestation of the miracles of the Spirit they had not received until Peter and John went and laid their hands on the new disciples that they may also be empowered (Acts 8:14-20).

Simon the magician himself understood this power to be passed on only by the laying of the hands of the apostles which is why this gift has ceased. There are no more apostles around to pass it along and it is not needed anyway since the Scriptures themselves told us these temporary things would fade and the great three would remain: faith, hope and love:

1Co 13:8-13 ESV Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. (9) For we know in part and we prophesy in part, (10) but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. (11) When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. (12) For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. (13) So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

The tongues that some say are still around today are a mockery of what the true gift was, which was the ability to speak in actual human languages that others could understand.

What Assurance Do We Have of Salvation?

noreply@blogger.com (Kingdomsaint) — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 16:11:00 +0000

How does reasoning on Romans 8:32 assure us that all of God's promises will be fulfilled?

Rom 8:32 ESV He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?

We can trust, as Peter says, in the fact that God has already fulfilled His promises of a Savior to know He we are safe under the name of Jesus.

Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, (11) inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. (12) It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look. - 1 Peter 1:10-12 ESV

Peter says most of these things were unknown to those who lived before Christ, yet they trusted and hoped and received by faith what was promised to them. How much more we, who live in an age where all these mysteries have been revealed through the Gospel? How much surer can our faith be and likewise, be without excuse?

This is why Paul reasoned in chapter 8 of Romans that if God did not spare His only Son, how much more will He give us all things which are promised?

God did not spare His own Son for our sake. The Father could have objected to Jesus' desire to give Himself up for us all. What would you say to a son who would want to give himself up for a bunch of evil people? If God did not spare any expense, showing this by giving up His Son for our sake, how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things?

Key words here: with Him. With Jesus we get it all. Without Jesus there is nothing.

This is the epitome of Paul's a fortiori (for a still stronger reason; all the more) argument that has been being built from the beginning of this epistle. The progression reaches a culmination in this chapter, which is exactly the middle of the letter to the Romans.

Rom 5:8-9 NIV But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him!

John 3:16 NIV For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Giving up one's son is the ultimate parental self-sacrifice, as God Himself proved when He tested Abraham with the very thing (Genesis 22:9-18).

Of course, the difference between Abraham and the Lord is that our God did not spare Jesus, but let Him be sacrificed on our behalf.

Your Appendix is Useful After All

noreply@blogger.com (Kingdomsaint) — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 19:21:00 +0000

Your appendix is a slimy sac that hangs between your small and large intestines. It has long been thought of as a worthless evolutionary artifact, good for nothing except a potentially lethal case of inflammation. But now researchers suggest that your appendix is a lot more than a useless remnant.

Not only was it recently proposed to actually possess a critical function, but scientists now find it appears in nature a lot more often than they had thought. And it's possible some of this organ's ancient uses could be recruited by physicians to help the human body fight disease more effectively.

Your appendix may serve as a vital safehouse where good bacteria can lie in wait until they are needed to repopulate the gut after a case of diarrhea. Past studies have also found the appendix can help make, direct and train white blood cells.

The appendix appears in nature much more often than previously acknowledged. It appears in Australian marsupials such as the wombat and in rats, lemmings, meadow voles, and other rodents, as well as humans and certain primates.

Posted By Dr. Mercola | August 28 2009

First and Second Resurrections?

noreply@blogger.com (Kingdomsaint) — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 15:53:00 +0000

What is the first and second resurrections spoken of in Revelation 20:5?

Revelation 20:5 ESV The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection.

The preceding verses speak of the first resurrection. Christians will participate in this first resurrection. Others, non-Christians or backsliders, will not be resurrected until Christ returns and Judgment Day is effected. This first resurrection spoken of is the new life that we have in Christ; through believing in His gospel, repenting of our sin and our old life and being baptized into Him, which is why the next verse says that the second death has no power over those who participate in this first resurrection.

¿Primera y segunda resurrección?

noreply@blogger.com (Kingdomsaint) — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 15:41:00 +0000

Qué significa la primera y la segunda resurrección en Apocalipsis 20:5?

Apocalipsis 20:5 NVI Ésta es la primera resurrección; los demás muertos no volvieron a vivir hasta que se cumplieron los mil años.

Aquí se describe en los versículos anteriores la primera resurrección. Los cristianos son los que participan de esta primera resurrección. Los demás, no cristianos o los apartados, no resucitarán hasta que Cristo regrese y sea el día del juicio final. Esta resurrección de la que se habla es la nueva vida que vivimos en Cristo, por medio de haber creído en Su evangelio, habernos arrepentido de nuestra vida antigua y haber sido bautizados en El; por eso dice el próximo versículo que la segunda muerte no tiene poder sobre los que participan de esta primera resurrección.

Who was Jesus' Grandfather?

noreply@blogger.com (Kingdomsaint) — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 19:14:00 +0000

I have a question in the Bible. The question is about grandfather of Jesus Christ.
            In Mat 1:16 And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ. In this the grandfather of Jesus is Jacob.
            And as well as in Luk 3:23 “And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli,”. The grandfather of Jesus is Heli.
            My question is who is the actual Grandfather to Jesus Christ? Whether Heli or Joseph?

Bible Answer:

Both were his grandfather, one from his mother's side and one from his step-father's side. Matthew's genealogy is presented from the lineage of Joseph, a Jewish perspective, whereas Luke's genealogy is presented from the lineage of Mary: a Greek perspective.

While Matthew wrote to the Jews, Luke wrote to the Greeks. Matthew's genealogy emphasized Jesus' claim to the throne of David. Since Luke's readers were less concerned about the fulfillment of Jewish prophecy, his genealogy focused on Jesus' descent from God. It placed no emphasis on Jesus being the descendant of King David.

Matthew and Luke showed that Joseph was a legal parent, but not a genetic parent to Jesus. Jesus was miraculously conceived in Mary, through the Holy Spirit. By virtue of being Mary's husband, Joseph was considered the father of Jesus. Since Jesus was born into Joseph's family, he was a legal heir. Through Joseph, Jesus obtained a rightful claim to the throne of David.

Although Jesus was a legal descendant to Joseph, he was not a physical descendant. Luke's genealogy directly addressed this issue by stating Jesus was "supposedly the son of Joseph" (Luke 3:23). Clearly, people had assumed that Joseph was the biological father of Jesus, when in fact he was not (Matthew 13:55).

¿Como se Toma La Cena Indignamente?

noreply@blogger.com (Kingdomsaint) — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 13:36:00 +0000

¿A que se refiere la Biblia cuando dice que es indigna la forma en que alguien participa de la cena? (1 Co 11:27)

¿Que razones hay, si alguna, para yo decirle a una persona que no la tome o para yo misma no tomarla?

¿Una visita (no bautizado) puede participar de ese mandato?

RESPUESTA

¿Qué es una manera indigna?

Irreverente, irrespetuosa, trivial (sin importancia profunda), dado por hecho - lo cual indica una falta de atención a la razon por la cual nos reunimos como iglesia y de lo que somos miembros y por qué - el Cuerpo de Cristo.

Esta es la razón por la cual en el siguiente verso el espiritu nos anima a examinarnos antes de participar de este recuerdo sagrado - examínate a ti mismo, no sólo antes de que estes a punto de tomarla, sino examina tu caminar en Cristo y date cuenta de que le perteneces (2Co 13: 5) .

La razon por la cual no se deba tomar tiene que ser una decision personal. Nadie tiene la autoridad de prohibirle a otro el tomar la cena. No veo ejemplo de esto en las escrituras.

La razon por la cual algunas iglesias lo hacen es porque presumen que alguien no bautizado la toma indignamente porque esta en pecado.

Pero esto no lo explica la Biblia. Es una presuncion humana.

Has God's Kingdom Come?

noreply@blogger.com (Kingdomsaint) — Tue, 24 May 2011 12:39:00 +0000

In Matthew 16:27-28 it says "for the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angles, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done. I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom."

From what I've been taught, the first part has not happened but the second part has. Yet, they are in the same paragraph so they should be related. It makes it seem as though before the people in this story die, Jesus will come back with the angels and reward everyone. I am confused about this.

Chapter 16 is not really about "end times", judgment day, Jesus' return, etc. When you look at this verse within the context of what was going on in that chapter Jesus was speaking about signs and how to know when something is going to happen or not (verses 2-3). The disciples were dull, Jesus argued, because even after seeing how Jesus fed the 5 thousand and then the four thousand they failed to understand who really was with them. This is why He warned them of the false teaching (the leaven) of the Pharisees (verse 12). This is why He then asks them who do they think He is, with Peter pegging it right (verse 17-19). Jesus also says within these verses Peter was going to receive the keys of the kingdom of Heaven. Crucial verse, because that's precisely the kingdom He's talking about in verse 28. That's why it follows that they would not have tasted death when they saw Jesus coming in His kingdom. The fulfillment of this prediction is in Acts 2, when God's kingdom comes (during the Pentecost Celebration) and Peter effectively opens the doors by preaching the first Gospel Sermon and the first 3000 enter the kingdom (church) that day. Jesus is making it clear that His presence before them now is the advent of God's kingdom coming soon to the earth, a major theme in his preaching (Matthew 4:17).

Teaching on the end times themselves you will find in Matthew 24, where Jesus talks about Jerusalem's Destruction in 70 AD and Judgment Day.

A helpful study to differentiate the fulfillment of God's kingdom on earth from end times prophecies (judgment and the coming of Jesus) is available on our website here: http://www.licoc.org/ACTS/kingfill.htm

What Happens to Those Who Don't Believe in Jesus?

noreply@blogger.com (Kingdomsaint) — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 23:03:00 +0000

WHAT HAPPENS TO PEOPLE WHO NEVER HEARD OF JESUS AFTER THEY DIE?? ARE THEY CONDEMNED FOR LACK OF KNOWLEDGE???

PLEASE GIVE SCRIPTURE TO BACK UP YOUR ANSWER. THANK YOU THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR ME RIGHT NOW

Bible Answer:

The passage that immediately comes to mind is:

2 Thessalonians 1:7-10 ESV …when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels (8) in flaming fire, (he will be) inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. (9) They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, (10) when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed.

The scriptures are clear about the fate of those who do not know God and those who do not obey the Gospel of Jesus. People who never knew the truth of God or people who knew it but didn’t obey it will never be accepted into Heaven. That makes sense, since Heaven accepts souls by invitation only. If you didn’t accept God’s invitation then you cannot go. And God wants all men to come to knowledge of the truth and be saved, so you see, you must know something to be saved (1Tim 2:4).

Now it is possible that many people have been presented the opportunity to know the truth and perhaps have even been taught, but they have not accepted the message or have refused to believe it. These people don’t know God even though they have heard the message. Now some people may believe in the message and may even have the beginnings of faith in Jesus, but never have been baptized (obeying the Gospel of Jesus). Since they didn’t accept the only message that can save their souls, it is impossible for them to be saved. Of course, some people can be baptized but not persevere in their Christian life, which would also fall under “Not obeying the Gospel”.

The Scriptures are clear. Consider the following:

1 Corinthians 15:1-4 ESV Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, (2) and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you--unless you believed in vain. (3) For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, (4) that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures…

Being saved is a state and also a process. It is the state of receiving and taking a stand in the Gospel and the process of persevering – holding fast – to the message as long as you live – until death.

This passage speaks of how we get into the state of salvation:

Romans 6:3-9 ESV Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? (4) We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. (5) For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. (6) We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. (7) For one who has died has been set free from sin. (8) Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. (9) We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him.

Dying with Jesus in baptism is how we hand our old sin-riddled lives to God to receive life in Jesus. Pater also put it this way:

Acts 2:38-39 ESV And Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (39) For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself."

Only a person who is convinced they need to die to their sin – turn around their life (repent), change their minds and their way of life completely – is ready for that immersion in water which is a participation in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus as we read in Romans 6. This person who has entrusted their soul to God by giving up their body of sin will receive the Holy Spirit – power from above to continue in the narrow path of the Gospel way.

So the gateway to the state of salvation is Jesus (John 10:9) – He is the door – through the Gospel message he summarized before He ascended to Heaven:

Mark 16:15-16 ESV And he said to them, "Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. (16) Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.”

Simple. No if, and or buts. Now how we live after accepting such a message and taking our stand in it is called the process of salvation:

Philippians 2:12-16 ESV Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, (13) for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. (14) Do all things without grumbling or questioning, (15) that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, (16) holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.

This verse is talking about the process of being saved. “Once salved always saved” is a false teaching. Clearly we need to press on and “hold fast to the word” (1 Co 15:2) and “work out our salvation”. The consequences of not doing that is NOT SAVED. Plain and simple. Jesus never minces words when it comes to that and we should not be deceived in thinking any more or any less than what the Scriptures reveal to us about it.

So, some may say, what if someone never had the chance to hear the Gospel? Good question, but a very human question indeed. We cannot apply human reasoning to God’s work. Certainly we betray our ignorance and naivety when we ask questions like that, thinking that God is as limited as us in what He can accomplish. We need to understand Acts 17:24-31.

As you can see from these verses, God is deeply involved in the lives of every single person on Earth, determining their times and places, all so that they may seek Him out and find Him. He is never far from anyone. Contrary to the belief of some, God is not far away, but deeply involved in each of our lives, wanting us to know the truth that will save us (John 8:31-32). Christians work right alongside God, delivering the message of truth to those whom God has placed near them. That is how people find out about the truth and are saved.

So, because of this biblical evidence, I have to believe that God gives all people a fair shake at the Gospel because God is not a respecter of person. He is just and righteous and loves everyone and wants all to know the truth.

Will all know it? Nope. Will all accept it? Nope. This is what Jesus means in Mat 7:13-14:

Matthew 7:13-14 ESV "Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. (14) For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

Where does your soul go when you die during the Millennium?

noreply@blogger.com (Kingdomsaint) — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 20:49:00 +0000

Where does your soul go when you die during the Millennium?

This is a loaded question. Answers will vary according to how you interpret the 1000 year reign of Jesus depicted in the book of Revelation.

I see this book as a historic book, having dealt with many things that were going to happen to the Christians during their generation, as Jesus himself tells John: "The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place." - Rev 1:1 In verse 4 it specifies who was going to be affected by most of the vision in the book: the seven churches of Asia Minor.

Of course, the parts of the revelation that have not happened are more towards the end of the book, concerning the return of Christ to rule forever on the new heavens and the new earth - Rev 21:1. Most of the rest consist of events that have already happened during that generation, and some that may still be unfolding.

There are also many symbols spoken of in this book that may not necessarily translate physically. Much numerology is revealed - significance of numbers. For example, the 1000 year reign of Jesus stands for the fact that Jesus reigns now, something the Bible tells us as a fact:

Rev 1:5 NIV ...and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood...

1Co 15:22-26 NIV For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. (23) But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. (24) Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. (25) For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. (26) The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

Eph 1:20-23 NIV ...which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, (21) far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. (22) And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, (23) which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

These verses clearly indicate Jesus is King now, not only over the church, which is His kingdom, but He is King of Kings and ruler of everything. The 1000 year reign in Revelation refers to the reign of Jesus now until Judgment Day. After that the passage says He will hand over all authority back to the Father.

So, Christ Reigns now and the question you still have is where does our soul go after we die.

"And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment ..." Hebrews 9:27.

"The Days of our lives are seventy years; and if by reason of strength they are eighty years, yet their boast is only labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away" Psalm 90:10.

"Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints" Psalm 116:15.

The universal certainty of death, coupled with the sheer number of people on earth, insures that it is a frequent occurrence. Sometimes it seems that it comes especially frequently and to greater numbers of those we know and love.

We are quick to talk about the "tragedy" of death, especially if it comes by violence, natural disaster or accident, or if it comes to the young. Certainly there is sadness associated with the departure of one whom we love and with the loss of "potential" of life yet un-experienced. But to those who believe in the resurrection and eternal life, there is no tragedy involved in the death of one faithful to God.

Few verses of Scripture are more comforting than Psalm 116:15. God "sees" the deaths of his saints. They are precious to him! I cannot help but compare the concept of this verse with the picture of an aged parent looking forward to the home- coming of a child who has been absent for a long time. Several years ago my father spent almost all of three years abroad, returning for only a few brief visits. When he returned permanently, he immediately went to see his mother, then 91 years old. They spent a long, enjoyable day together, and then retired for the evening. During the night she died. Her last day was one of the most enjoyable and pleasant she had spent for many years, because of the long anticipated visit with her oldest son, whom she had not seen for a long time.

Death is a home-coming for Christians. We anticipate going to heaven, and rightly so. But do we often stop to realize that our Father is also looking forward to our coming? God wants to see us, to have us in his immediate fellowship through all eternity. We are on our way home, and our family is waiting for us. Where is the "tragedy" in that?

Let’s first see what happened to Jesus when He died before He was resurrected:

Paradise: Where Jesus went before He ascended to Heaven

Jesus went there immediately...

(Luke 23:43 NIV) Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."

Jesus was not abandoned in Hades...

This shows that Jesus was in Hades before He was to end up in Heaven with the Father.

(Acts 2:26-27 NIV) Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will live in hope, {27} because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay.

He didn't go to the Father yet...

This shows that He hadn’t been in Heaven (where the Father is) while He was dead.

(John 20:17 NIV) Jesus said, "Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, 'I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'"

Luke 16:19-31 establishes a clearer picture of Hades.
The account of the rich man and Lazarus.

Two parts separated by a gulf: a good part, Paradise; and a bad part, Tartarus (Greek)

If you’re here your judgment If you end up here your judgment will be

will be favorable. against you.

Where is Paradise in perspective to Heaven?

(Rev 6:9-11 NIV) When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. {10} They called out in a loud voice, "How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?" {11} Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be killed as they had been was completed.

Where is Tartarus?

"Tartarus"

(Jude 1:6 NIV) And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home--these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day.

(2 Pet 2:4-9 NIV) For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell[1], putting them into gloomy dungeons[2] to be held for judgment; {5} if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others; {6} if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; {7} and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men {8} (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)-- {9} if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment[3].

1 "hell": Greek <Tartarus>

2 "dungeons": Some manuscripts <into chains of darkness>

3 "punishment": Or <unrighteous for punishment until the day of judgment>

Some of those souls who disobeyed Noah are obviously in prison, as mentioned in the passage above and in this next one.

(1 Pet 3:18-20 NIV) For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, {19} through whom[1] also he went and preached to the spirits in prison {20} who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water,

1 "whom": Or <alive in the spirit, [19] through which>

What happens at the end?

(Rev 20:12-15 NIV) And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. {13} The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. {14} Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. {15} If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

Place of torment in the Old Testament

(Prov 15:11 NASB) Sheol and Abaddon lie open before the LORD, How much more the hearts of men!

Sheol = abode of departed souls

Abaddon = 6. 'abad, aw-bad'; a prim. root; prop. to wander away, i.e. lose oneself; by impl. to perish (caus. destroy):--break, destroy (-uction), + not escape, fail, lose, (cause to, make) perish, spend, X and surely, take, be undone, X utterly, be void of, have no way to flee.

(Job 26:6 NASB) "Naked is Sheol before Him and Abaddon has no covering.

(Job 31:12 NASB) "For it would be fire that consumes to Abaddon, and would uproot all my increase.

(Psa 88:11-12 NASB) Will Thy lovingkindness be declared in the grave, Thy faithfulness in Abaddon? {12} Will Thy wonders be made known in the darkness? And Thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?

(Rev 9:11 NASB) They have as king over them, the angel of the abyss; his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in the Greek he has the name Apollyon.

Rev 9:11: The "king" or angel who rules over these dissident spirits is also assigned a name which is characteristic of his work. The Hebrew word Abaddon and the Greek term apollyon both signify "destruction." However, this should not be understood as annihilation. The word Apollyon arises from luo (Gk.), meaning "to loose," and apo, a preposition indicating movement away. The idea is that the destruction caused by Satan and sin is, in effect, the loss of all meaningful existence and is due to being loosed forever from God.

What Happens at the Resurrection??

(John 5:28-29 NASB) "Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs shall hear His voice, {29} and shall come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.

John 5:28: (vv. 28-29) John's presentation of the resurrection in general terms is also affirmed in the O.T. (cf. Dan. 12:2). His more general statement is given greater specificity elsewhere in Scripture, as applied to the following occasions: (1) when Christ comes for His church (cf. 1 Thess. 4:13-18); (2) the resurrection of tribulation saints at the return of Christ (Rev. 20:4, 5); and (3) the final resurrection of the wicked at the close of the Millennium, at the Great White Throne (Rev. 20:11-15).

(Acts 24:15 NIV) and I have the same hope in God as these men, that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked.

(1 Cor 15:35-44 NIV) But someone may ask, "How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?" {36} How foolish! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. {37} When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else. {38} But God gives it a body as he has determined, and to each kind of seed he gives its own body. {39} All flesh is not the same: Men have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another and fish another. {40} There are also heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies; but the splendor of the heavenly bodies is one kind, and the splendor of the earthly bodies is another. {41} The sun has one kind of splendor, the moon another and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor. {42} So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; {43} it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; {44} it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.

(1 Cor 15:49-56 NIV) And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven. {50} I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. {51} Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed-- {52} in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. {53} For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. {54} When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory." {55} "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" {56} The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.

(1 John 3:2 NIV) Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.

(1 Th 4:16-18 NIV) For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. {17} After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. {18} Therefore encourage each other with these words.

(2 Cor 5:2-10 NIV) Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, {3} because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. {4} For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. {5} Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. {6} Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. {7} We live by faith, not by sight. {8} We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. {9} So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. {10} For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

Since Hades is not eternal "forever", Paul doesn't mention it here. He just talks about the present and then what we wait for after judgment. We are therefore confident of the way this judgment will turn out when we are "in the Lord", His Holy Spirit being that deposit guaranteeing what is to come.

ETERNAL TORMENT

(Mat 25:41 NASB) "Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels;

Hell was not prepared for men. Hell is a place prepared for the devil and his angels. However, men may choose to spend eternity there by failing to respond to the Creator's saving plan, thus leaving God no alternative except to confine those unbelievers to the place of punishment.

WHO IS IN HEAVEN NOW?

(Acts 2:31-35 NIV) Seeing what was ahead, he spoke of the resurrection of the Christ[1], that he was not abandoned to the grave, nor did his body see decay. {32} God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact. {33} Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. {34} For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said, "'The Lord said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand {35} until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet[2]."'

(John 3:13 NIV) No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven--the Son of Man.

(Eph 4:8-10 NIV) This is why it[1] says: "When he ascended on high, he led captives in his train and gave gifts to men[2]." {9} (What does "he ascended" mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions[3] ? {10} He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.)

To see an illustration click here: http://www.licoc.org/Gospel/StateOfManLICOC.htm

Why Was Jesus Baptized?

noreply@blogger.com (Kingdomsaint) — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 19:34:00 +0000

Question: Why did Jesus have to be baptized since he was without sin?

Bible Answer: Mat 3:13-15

This is probably the same question John the Baptizer asked Jesus:

Mat 3:13-15 NIV Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. (14) But John tried to deter him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" (15) Jesus replied, "Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness." Then John consented.

So Jesus gives us the reason why He was baptized: To fulfill all righteousness, which essentially means to do the right or proper thing. Although Jesus did not need baptism for repentance, for He was without sin, His explanation to John was that He needed to do it to make things right - as an example to us - showing the way we need to walk to follow Him.

Since Jesus calls Himself the door/gate (John 10:9), He needed to show us the way to walk through the door of the Gospel (Romans 6:3-4) in order to end up being raised as He was raised form the dead. So Jesus initiated the Gospel message form by His baptism and we partake of the Gospel message by the same way.

In the order of Melchizedek...

noreply@blogger.com (Kingdomsaint) — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 17:31:00 +0000

Question: What does verse 20 in Chapter 6 of Hebrews exactly mean? I.e: In the order of Melchizedek. I know he only appears one time in the OT with Abraham yet I am intrigued to know more about his character and the role he plays in the Bible.

Bible Answer: Yes, Hebrews is an awesome book - glorifying the ministry of Jesus. Chapter 7 indeed goes into detail about why Melchizedek plays an important role and how it reflects Jesus' role. Let's note some things:

His name means king of righteousness and king of peace
He is without genealogy, meaning without beginning or end
He received a tenth from Abraham
Melchizedek is superior than the priesthood that came from Abraham - the Levites

These four points the author of Hebrews uses to establish Jesus as the true higher priest, in the order of Melchizedek, not the Levitical priesthood which was temporary.

Jesus is the Righteous One, the Prince of Peace
Jesus is eternal, without beginning or end
We give him all our spoils in this life - our entire body!
He is superior - by His perfect blood we are redeemed and he intercedes for us in the true holy of holies in Heaven before God, His father!

So using Abraham's account the author convinces the Hebrews how Jesus' priesthood is superior to the Levitical priesthood and how He has brought a new covenant, which is the fulfillment of Abraham's covenant, since the Law was temporary.

“Queen of Heaven”?

noreply@blogger.com (Kingdomsaint) — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 18:34:00 +0000

Jeremiah 7:18-19 ESV The children gather wood, the fathers kindle fire, and the women knead dough, to make cakes for the queen of heaven. And they pour out drink offerings to other gods, to provoke me to anger. (19) Is it I whom they provoke? declares the LORD. Is it not themselves, to their own shame?

Who is the "Queen of Heaven"? Obviously the Lord is referring to a false goddess that receives the adoration (worship) of her followers but turns out merely to be an illusion of man, a dumb idol - as the Lord points out through many instances in Isaiah and Jeremiah. I think this applies to anyone who bends their knee and turns their heart to anything or anyone other than God, Jesus and His words in the bible. He alone is worthy of worship! – Rev 15:4

In particular I think this hints at those who pray to or incline their hearts to any goddess of the female persuasion, or any such "person" they claim can hear their prayers or intercede for them other than Jesus, the only mediator between God and man (1 Tim 2:5).

Those who use "beads" to pray to a "Queen of Heaven" need to realize that such attempts to seek resolution of guilt that does not call upon the name of the only God in Heaven will provoke the Lord to anger at best - resulting in faithless shame.

Please leave Mary out of such shameful attempts. Mary is in Paradise enjoying rest until we all are called to judgment. She herself was in need of a Savior's sacrifice, like you and me, for forgiveness of her sins. Jesus was the only one without sin (Heb 4:15). She can neither hear you nor wishes for her memory to be shamed by people who profess she is a "Queen" or a mediator. She wishes for you to just worship and adore God and Jesus. They can save you, not her nor any other person.

¿Puede un Cristiano ser policía?

noreply@blogger.com (Kingdomsaint) — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 19:12:00 +0000

Tú estás de acuerdo de que un Cristiano puede ser policía; ¿o si ya es policía debe salirse de su profesión y continuar una vida de cristiano?

He conocido varios policías Cristianos, dos de ellos siguen como miembros de la iglesia aquí en NY. También conozco oficiales de otros cuerpos policiacos como el FBI y el Servicio Secreto (SS). Tenemos también hermanos en Cristo en las fuerzas armadas.

Si, existe un problema con el ser un siervo de Cristo y con la cultura policiaca. Nota que no digo que el problema es con el trabajo que se requiere del policía, ya que la misma biblia nos dice que los oficiales que mantienen paz son siervos de Dios (Romanos 13:4). El problema es con la cultura mundana del policía y las expectativas que sus camaradas tienen con el agente. Existe el mismo problema con el discípulo de Jesus que atiende la escuela pública o la universidad. Siempre hay tentaciones que se presentan delante de cualquier persona que desea seguir a Cristo y que también tiene que involucrarse en el mundo. Esto es parte del sufrir que nos acerca a Jesus porque El también sufrió.

Otro problema que tiene el policía es el de las horas de trabajo. Cuando un agente es novato, el horario es horrible y el cristiano tendrá problemas asistiendo a los cultos y también haciendo su trabajo. A menos que conozcas a alguien que te ayude a navegar a través de este problema será uno que te alejara de la convivencia que tanto necesitaras más todavía que estarás en un ambiente súper mundano entre otros agentes no cristianos.

Uno de los hermanos que intento ser policía después de haberse bautizado, sufrió mucho por esas dos razones. Entre sus camaradas y las ausencias a los cultos su fe se debilito tanto que se alejó por un tiempo. Luego se fue a las fuerzas armadas y sirvió en Iraq. Ahora es agente del servicio secreto después de también estar con el FBI un tiempo. El me confeso que es más fácil ser agente de organizaciones federales, ya que la cultura es un poco más refinada que la de los policías. Pero todavía es una batalla ya que su servicio es primero a la patria y después a los demás.

Yo animo a los policías que conozco q seguir dedicados a Jesus mas todavía que El los llama sus agentes de paz y de venganza - autorizados por El mismo y no necesariamente por el gobierno, ya que el gobierno y sus oficiales son autorizados por Dios. Pero también doy una advertencia a los que están contemplando ser policías: es muy difícil y si tu fe es débil, seguramente serás presa fácil para el diablo y sus secuaces en ese empleo.

How To Train Up a Child in the Way He Should Go

noreply@blogger.com (Kingdomsaint) — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 19:56:00 +0000

Download as Word or PDF. See the Power Point Presentation.

Our main job as parents is to train our children:

Hebrews 12:7-11 ESV It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? (8) If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. (9) Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? (10)
For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. (11) For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

We can gather a few things from this important verse:

A father must discipline his child.
1. As the head of the household, the father is responsible for the discipline given to his children.
2. He is to be active in his discipline, not passive
3. He ought not just to pass on instructions, but be the life coach; first for his wife, then for his children (Ephesians 5:25-28).
4. Understanding your role as a father or mother will focus your training. Lack of understanding of your role will hinder the training.
Only illegitimate children are without discipline.
The goal of discipline is to be subject to our Heavenly Father.
His discipline brings about holiness in our life.
Discipline is painful.
Discipline involves training (Hebrew: chanak).
Righteousness comes by being trained (disciplined) in God's Word (2 Tim 3:16) to distinguish good from evil (Hebrews 5:14).

Pro 22:6 ESV
Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.

The simple goal we're aiming at is to prepare them for God's discipline:

Train up… is the Hebrew chanak, meaning "to narrow"; figuratively to initiate or discipline: - dedicate, train up.

…in the way he should go… - not the way he would go or the way you would want him to go. It's not about giving him a career of your choice or of their choice, but giving him the skills and the discipline he will need to find (discover) his own way; suitable to his character, talents and capabilities – the way God has set for him. It is up to the parent, having the most experience, to be able to instruct (train up, initiate) his child in this way.

Transliterated: "Initiate the child at the opening (the mouth) of his path." When he comes to the opening of the way of life, being able to walk alone, and to choose; stop at this entrance, and begin a series of instructions, how he is to conduct himself in every step he takes.

This passage thus implies:

We need to know our children at the deepest level
Communication is key
1. Know their fears
2. Their desires
3. Their strengths of character
4. Their weaknesses
5. Encourage them to communicate freely with you
  1. At dinner time engage them by asking them
    1. What they did during the day
    2. What they liked about the day
    3. What they didn't like about the day
  2. Frequently ask for their opinion on something, whether they liked or didn't like something and why
  3. Teach them about important convictions they need to have
  4. Always look for teachable moments – young kids are always open for teachable moments
6. Don't discourage communication by
  1. Body/facial language
    1. I don't have time for you
    2. I can't look at you now
    3. Ohhh!! Again???!!! (rolling up the eyes)
  2. Being too occupied (busy) that your only time for them is to correct them and rebuke them.
  3. Making them feel as if they cannot say certain things
    1. Don't embarrass them
    2. Don't make them feel silly or inadequate
    3. Don't treat a topic like it's taboo
Parental Support (Motivation) is imperative
1. They need emotional support
  1. They need your hugs, kisses and embrace
  2. They need sweet and beautiful words said about them
  3. They need to see mom and dad hugging, kissing and speaking beautifully to each other
2. They need intellectual support
  1. They need you to explain to them over and over and over
  2. They need you to help them be smart about their world
  3. They need to learn how to learn something – how to make it their own as opposed to depending on other's convictions and knowledge
  4. They need to learn how to make up their mind about something
3. They need spiritual support
  1. Children need to learn morals and manners
  2. They will learn them from you
  3. They will copy yours and base their own convictions on the model you provide for them
  4. They need to learn about all the Bible accounts and teachings
So Child Training involves:
1. Communication – We spoke about that
2. Motivation – That's the Parental Support we spoke about
3. Discipline – We will be speaking about that more

It is not just living "with them" (side by side) – it is not just giving commands or discipline (one way) – communication implies two ways always. When you are training your kids the right way, in the instruction and discipline of the Lord, you will reap many benefits, it's not just giving and giving, but it is a give and take:

Psalm 37:23-27 ESV The steps of a man are established by the LORD, when he delights in his way; 24 though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the LORD upholds his hand. 25 I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread. 26 He is ever lending generously, and his children become a blessing. 27 Turn away from evil and do good; so shall you dwell forever.

Parents give: love, advice, instruction, correction and rebuke (2 Tim 3:16-17)

Parents take: love, encouragement, blessing, humility, devotion to God

Kids give: love, attention, obedience, faithfulness and devotion

Kids take: love, instruction, discipline and training

Let's talk about discipline now.

Discipline vs. Punishment

Discipline does not necessarily mean punishment and vice-versa. They can be two entirely different things. Those who are trained (disciplined) have no need for punishment as much as those who are only punished without being trained. That's how you know a child is not really being trained – when the parents spend most of their energy only punishing (rebuking) or being indifferent – leaving the child to his own ways:

Pro 29:15 NIV The rod of correction imparts wisdom, but a child left to himself disgraces his mother.

One extreme of parenting is illustrated in this verse: the permissive style, which basically leaves a kid to become his own authority – he is left to himself. Notice how the mother is the one mostly affected by this extreme of parenting. Why is that? That's because she has the most influence on a young child, on an emotional (relational) level:

The mother is the thermostat of the home – she controls the disposition (temperament) of the household since she spends the most time there (Titus 2:3-5; 1Tim 5:14). [What are we to say about moms who are not at home? Who then is really raising up the children? Whoever spends the most time with the children is raising up the children.]

A cold and frigid mom; dry and expressionless will cause the children to crave attention from anywhere they can get it. They will be raised distant, careless and un-emotive – unresponsive to others; or emotionally challenged – unable to deal with people and relationships. A hot mother – aggressive, angry and frantic; will also repel the children and raise them to be hot-tempered, rude, insecure and unable to deal with the pressures and challenges of life and relationships. Think about how children in these two extremes will respond to God's calling when adults, or deal with others in the church if they accept God's calling as adults.

The mother is the one who will mostly affect the emotional stability and temperament (disposition, character, personality, temper, spirit, behavior) of her children and even her household, including her husband. The wife of noble character (Prov 31:10-31), who receives blessings from her children and praise from her husband (verse 28) does so because she's an excellent thermostat! A thermostat regulates (controls) temperature (temperaments)! How so?

She sets a moral example (verses 12, 15, 20, 23)
She is full of wisdom and instruction (verses 26, 27) Instruction will not catch on unless there are examples to back them up
She manages the temperament of her household well (verses 27, 28)
Mom can be a mood setter when her focus is on the Lord and when her husband provides for her as Jesus does for the church.
Mom's incredible patience and grace can absorb frustrations, deflect anger and settle indifferences amongst the children with the right attitude and training strategy

For more on the wife of noble character see my outline here.

The opposite of a permissive style of parenting is an authoritarian style, which is inflexible, abusive and just as dangerous as the permissive one. This excessive disciplinarian style is identified with the fathers, just as the permissive style was identified with the mothers. Any idea why you think that is?

Eph 6:4 NIV Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

Exasperate: (provoke – ESV, ASV, KJV, NAS, RV, embitter – GW) To exasperate means to anger, enrage, provoke to wrath, embitter. Exasperation comes from being controlling, focused on yourself and focused on your worldly affairs – not by being humble, tender and inspiring. This is why the instruction is given specifically to the father, since the mother is instinctively more tender, mindful and mild with the children.
Bring them up: (nurture – ASV, RV) rear
up to maturity, that is, to cherish or train: nourish. This is similar to the Hebrew chanak in Prov 22:6, which means to train up, to narrow. The Father's training is compared to nourishment – inspiration; this implies constructiveness, not destructive behavior like anger, wrath, bitterness or callousness will cause. The father needs to watch his temperament – walking closely with the Spirit to be bale to bear constructive fruit for himself and his household.
Training: (nurture – KJV, discipline – ESV, NAS, GW, chastisement – ASV, RV) tutorage, that is, education or training; by implication disciplinary correction: - chastening (to correct by punishment or reproof; to restrain, subdue; to rid of excess or purify), chastisement (to punish by beating; rebuke), instruction, nurture. Training implies forming good habits and discouraging bad habits. Training involves example, instruction and rebuke (this is where the rod plays a role). Without tender and consistent training, you will exasperate your children.
Instruction: (admonition – KJV, ASV) calling attention to, that is, (by implication) mild rebuke or warning: - admonition. Without setting a good example in yourself, your instruction will be hollow and exasperating. Without setting a good example your training and instruction will be met with bitterness and opposition.

It becomes necessary for us parents to live balanced lives in Christ – that our relations with our children become satisfying both to them and us so that our instruction and training bear eternal fruit:

Psalm 92:12-15 NIV The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; 13 planted in the house of the LORD, they will flourish in the courts of our God. 14 They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, 15 proclaiming, "The LORD is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him."

Not having this balance will drive us to choose an extremist style of parenting which will provoke our children to anger and bitterness.

Reprimand (punishment) without discipline (training) does not bear good fruit and causes rebellion. It is a mark of lazy and misleading parenting.

The reason this verse in Eph 6:4 is directed to fathers is because they generally are less involved in the day to day rearing of their children, especially when they are young, which are the formative years of the child's conscience and temperament. Because they are at work and spend less time at home, fathers need to establish a deep koinonia (loving relationship, companionship, communion) with their children:

Spend as much time with them as possible! Don't turn them away when you are home but engage them as oppose to having them engage you most of the time.
Spend your time communing with them, playing with them and relating to them at their level – conversing about their experiences, feelings and opinions. Don't let your time with them be spent mostly on correcting and rebuking them.
Care must be taken to spend instructional and relation time with your children equally. They will value your instruction and training if you've related to them and established trusting and loving bonds.

It is important to note that the father is also responsible for managing his entire household as implied by 1Tim 3:12. This involves loving his wife as Christ loved the church and bringing up his children in the training and instruction of the Lord (Eph 6:4). As easy way to remember our responsibilities and the scope of our influence is this:

The wife's temperament (disposition) is a good indicator of how well the marriage is going (reflecting upon the husband's duties) and the children's temperament is a good indicator of how well the household is managed (reflective upon the parent's duties). So even though the children's temperament is a direct reflection upon mom, it ultimately reflects upon dad doubly – by both the mom's and the children's temperament.

Styles of Parenting

Permissive - These parents are quick to give in to a child's demands and allow him more freedom than he may be ready for. They believe in a democratic way (majority rules) of handling household decisions and affairs. Although this style may be in vogue and may seem to be right, it is dangerous and nothing short of abuse of freedom. These parents may even allow a small child to make important decisions that should be the adult's responsibility – such as which nursery school he will attend or who his friends should be or what kind of punishment should be inflicted on him. Some permissive parents simply don't care enough to make the appropriate demands on their child. Others don't really know any better or have been spooked by well-meaning but ignorant psychologists, doctors or teachers. Permissive parents have delegated their responsibility of training not to their children, as they might think, but to the baby sitter, the school board, drug pushers, criminal elements, Police Department and the juvenile authorities (courts). These lack the God-given commission and influence to bring up your child in the training and instruction of the Lord.

Authoritarian - At the other extreme are authoritarian parents who make inflexible rules that leave no room for negotiation. The child is expected to conform to the parent's image in everything from behavior and appearance to after-school activities and eventually, career choice. If the child falls short, he's punished – either physically, emotionally or psychologically through the threat of losing something of value or the parent's love or both. Such are the demands exacted on children of authoritarian parenting that they are pushed out of them home and into a careless and godless society. Authoritarian parents are dictators, leaving no room for godly instruction in love and inspiration, but squashing any form of nurturing and gentleness in their instruction. Although authoritarian parents may think they are being godly, scoffing at any "mamby-pamby", "milk toast" form of child rearing that might not be similar to theirs; they have actually invited Satan and his demons to take over their household, where fear and domination are the rule of the day.

Authoritative (Autocratic) - These parents have the most well-adjusted children and the most satisfying relationship with them. These parents are both flexible and structured. They are highly involved with and observant of their children. They understand their parental responsibility and don't delegate it to other bodies or authorities. Because of this, they have a strong understanding of what their children are capable of, what makes them unique and which expectations are realistic. These parents communicate effectively and respectfully but don't spoil their children – resulting in respect and admiration from their children as well. These parents are sensitive to their children. They listen carefully and hear and acknowledge the child's point of view. They show warmth and affection. They are quick to hug, express delight and tell their children how much they enjoy their company. Their instruction is gentle, inspiring and backed up by airtight examples and habits. They acknowledge their children's accomplishments in specific and encouraging ways. Their children call them blessed and praise them.

Often you may see a mix of these. One parent may be authoritative and the other permissive, always replying: "Go ask your mother/father about it". That's OK as long as the child and the mother understand that the father is ultimately held accountable by God. If the father is always delegating his authority then the couple needs to work more closely together to present a united front so their authority is not breached. Usually the parent with the permissive tendency will be the one to allow the breach to happen. When a breach happens children will exploit it! If one parent is authoritarian then that household will be suffering, just like an entire country can suffer under dictatorial rule. Being the head of the house does not mean you are the dictator! It is extremely important to present a united front of autocracy (ô [awe] -tkr-s) to the children. This means that the parental unit is to have the final word always.

Which one do you think is God's style of parenting? The Scriptures teach us that to be an autocratic parent we must bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. Scriptures must permeate all we teach our children:

2Ti 3:14-15 NIV But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15 and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

Our instruction must be based on the Sacred Scriptures. These make our children wise for salvation at the proper time, when accompanied by suitable instruction and discipline. Our rod and our staff (training and instruction) will be comforting to them and we will prepare them for the comfort of the rod and the staff of the Lord (Psalm 23:4).

What is the goal of our instruction and training (discipline)?

Eph 6:1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.

Col 3:20
Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.

Heb 12:9-10 NIV Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! 10 Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness.

When children learn to obey your instructions, they will learn to obey the Father of their souls and live.
Your children will manage to be successful in the way God has assigned them. (Prov 22:6)
They will share in God's holiness.

HOW TO TRAIN (DISCIPLINE)

Training begins as soon as they understand "Yes" and "No" the most basic communication tools of training and instruction (around 6 months of age). Let me repeat, if you train your child consistently with a rod from this early age you will need to use it less and less as the child matures. Failure to use the rod will result in more and more frustration as the years go by. I am speaking generally of course. There may be some children that sparingly need a rod, but by and large the rod plays a major role in the training of infants and young children. The parents who use it as the Scriptures teach love their children and will be blessed.

As we saw in Prov 29:15, the use of a disciplinary tool, the rod of correction, is necessary:

Pro 13:24 He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him.

Rod: Hebrew "shebet"; a stick or switch (for punishing, writing, fighting, ruling, walking, etc.); dart, rod, scepter, staff. In the context of it being used for discipline it is referring to the shoot or long twig or switch of any woody plant; a branch, or the stem of a shrub; as a rod of hazle, of birch, of oak or hickory.

We must not spare the rod. To spare the rod is

To refrain from using it
To refuse using it
To hold back from using it
To withhold its use

If you love your son you will use it carefully in training him. Notice how the rod and training are closely associated. Using the rod without training is tantamount to abuse. The rod is a tool for training (discipline). Like any other tool, it can be misused without understanding its purpose and its use. Just because you don't know how to use it, or it was misused with you as a child doesn't mean you spare it for your own children. If you do the Word of God says you hate your child.

Why use a rod?

Pro 22:15
Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline will drive it far from him.

Folly (godlessness-NT (Mat 5:22), silliness) that is bound up in the heart:

Disobedience
Laziness
Carelessness
Disrespect
Anger

Only the rod will be able to drive these out:

Not nice words
Not a dissertation
Not a reward
Not a time-out

For all you faint of heart (permissive parents) take note of this next verse and be bold:

Pro 23:13-14
Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you punish him with the rod, he will not die. Punish him with the rod and save his soul from death.

As if it were not enough, the Lord through Solomon's wisdom emphasizes the importance the rod has in training. Notice how discipline and the rod are used interchangeably here implying its use in training. Withholding it from your training is tantamount to hating your child, since the rod can save his souls from death! We will talk about how to use this rod effectively, without fear of killing or hurting your child. Solomon's play on words here show that withholding the rod is what can cause your child to die as opposed to using it, which may cause some to think you're going to kill him!

Pro 19:18 NIV Discipline your son, for in that there is hope; do not be a willing party to his death.

Discipline must be done in hope, not in anger or resentment – certainly not in hate. Those who have given up training have given up hope. Those who withhold the rod withhold hope and life from their children.

Pro 29:15 The rod of correction imparts wisdom, but a child left to himself (who gets his own way – NASB) disgraces his mother.

How and When to Use the Rod

As you see in these verses, the instruction and discipline must be accompanied by the rod. Even though I have replaced the rod at times with other instruments, the Scriptures mention the rod explicitly and I think I have discovered why. We began with the use of a wooden spoon and then used a wide leather strap. We stuck with the rod, although it is sometimes hard to get a good one and you have to replace them often because they get dried up and brittle. A nice green, thin and flexible rod causes sufficient stinging without leaving permanent marks on the body. Remember that the object is to cause pain, not to hurt them physically. Wooden spoons can break and a splinter can hurt and even cause an infection. Leather straps can cause lesions and discolorations. Being that you want to be careful of attracting the attention of ignorant physicians, school authorities or other caregivers, you should use the rod instead of anything else, including your hands.

Where to apply the rod?

God gave us two big lumps of fat and muscle on our behinds/buttocks for this purpose. Thighs and legs are also good targets because they are away from the face/head. If you are going to hit the arms the child may swerve and you will end up hitting their face/eyes. Their hands are also very delicate and if you hit them you could hurt or break some bones. Some of you may think it is inconvenient to spank (To slap on the buttocks with a flat object or with the open hand, as for punishment. I don't like this definition because it implies the use of the hands.) their buttocks, but the use of the rod should always be an elaborate and structured event, as opposed to a hasty and careless one. Remember, it is to be done carefully!

Careless and hasty use of the rod can result in physical abuse. This happens when punishment is never accompanied by proper discipline (training). If you consistently discipline your child, you seldom have to punish with the rod. Parents who have to punish and chastise their children often, do so with frustration since there may be little or no discipline (training) involved. This can cause the punishment (chastisement) to go to extremes resulting in physical and/or emotional abuse.

Hitting in anger/frustration will cause your children to be exasperated and resentful. It can also cause you to use excessive force or other instruments of chastisement, like your hands, that can physically hurt your child.

There are four steps in the structured (autocratic) use of the rod:
The Chastening Event

Announce
1. When disobedience, defiance or disrespect occurs, announce to your child that he will be reprimanded with the rod.
2. Tell them you will now have to use the rod to help him realize the offensive act will not be tolerated. Let him know folly has mastered him and it needs to be removed with God's rod.
3. If the offense occurred privately, then announce it to him only, in private. If the offense was public (meaning in the eyes of your other children as well), then announce it in public. That way the other children will take heed.
4. If you have been emotionally affected by the defiance or disobedience of your child you need some time to pull yourself together before you announce the chastening event. You need to be ruled by reason and your love for your child and your goal of training him to be obedient unto his Heavenly Father. If you feel disrespected, taken advantage of, bullied or belittled by your child join the club. But your administration of the rod cannot happen while you are emotionally charged. Otherwise it will not work. It is ok to be angry and frustrated, but this is the time for you to go to your Heavenly Father for wisdom, discernment and help.
Prepare
1. Go get the rod.
  1. If you are the guardian of the rod then go get it and bring it to the presence of the child.
  2. If your child is old enough you may want him to go get the rod, whether it is in your garden on a bush or wherever you keep it.
2. Go to a private place (the child's room, or another empty room), whether the offense was public or private.
3. Tell the child again that you will be administering discipline because of the offensive behavior. Make sure you are specific about why you are administering the discipline. You can ask him why the discipline is needed. They should be able to identify it. If they can't, repeat the reason you are going to administer the rod.
4. During the preparation and administration of the punishment there should be no negotiation or exchange. Any attempt to usurp your direction or to disrespect you should result in an increase of the disciplinary measure. This process should all be controlled by the parent who is administering the discipline and should not be interrupted or negotiated upon by the spouse or another adult present. It is a sacred event.
Administer
1. The force and repetition of the use of the rod should match the degree of the offense. Remember to administer the rod being emotionally detached. It should not be a personal thing or the discipline will not be effective. You need to be in control, not emotionally out of control while this event is occurring (the administration of the rod).
2. Choose to apply the rod to the bare buttocks or the thighs/leg.
  1. If I have to apply some heavy lickings, I always choose the bare buttocks. They bear the burden better. I will apply the rod three of four times swiftly and firmly.
  2. When the offense is not too high, I may choose to apply the rod to the legs once or twice, making sure it stings.
3. You will know if you applied the rod correctly because there will be crying and remorse on the part of the child.
  1. If the child did not cry, the folly was not broken down and you did not succeed. It is important to understand this. Repeat your licking firmly and swiftly.
  2. If the child screamed in opposition, but did not cry or sob in sign of remorse then you did not succeed. Repeat your licking firmly and swiftly.
  3. For the rod to drive the folly far from the heart of the child it has to break down the stubbornness and obtuseness of the folly. The spirit of disobedience must be broken down and it will happen with the pain felt. That's the point of the rod – to inflict pain they can remember. That is the training.
4. You will also know you have applied the rod correctly because you yourself feel the pain of having to do this. If you are enjoying yourself or if you are angrily doing this, you are not applying the rod successfully and could endanger your child and yourself. A parent who uses the rod despite feeling he doesn't want to do it, but does it because he loves his son and wants to save him from death will apply the rod correctly and successfully.
Encourage
1. After the administration of the rod is over let the child cry. Give them some time to think about it and feel the effects of their folly.
2. If the child comes to you and clings to you, penitent, you have succeeded in applying the rod with love.
3. Ask the child if he understood why you had to punish him.
4. Tell the child you really don't want to use the rod but you have to because you love him and because God loves him and wants mommy and daddy to follow His instructions.
5. Ask the child if he will obey mommy and daddy.
6. Tell the child what you expect from him now that you will bring him back out.
7. Bring the child back to where the offense occurred and see if the lesson was learned.
8. If the offense is repeated go back to the room and apply the rod again. Don't be surprised if this happens repetitiously when the child is very young (1 to 3 years old). You may sometimes need to do this more than twice! Be prepared and resolute!

Sometimes you may not have the time or convenience to go through this whole process of applying the rod. Sometimes you need to put your child in line quickly, at the store or in the car or at church services. What I am about to explain will only work if your use of the rod as previously described has been successful. If you have not successfully used the rod this quick wakeup call may not work. Here it is in order of severity:

A stern look
A word of warning. If the warning is not heeded you can promise a full chastening event when you get home. You will not then need to resort to any of these other things listed here. Just watch and if any other offenses occur keep them listed and disclose them at home along with the applying of the rod. This will not work with very young kids who will forget why they are getting reprimanded when they get home. With young kids you need to get their attention immediately by increasing the attention getter.
A firm tap on the head, upper arm or leg, or a light pinch on the upper arm or leg, or flicking the ear should get their attention in a jiffy.
If all these fail you may need to find a private place to have a chastening event.

Examples of how to implement routine discipline with an infant for the purpose of behavior shaping:

Using "no" and "yes" (around 6 months of age) to train them to listen and obey.
1. Place the infant on your lap and put two objects before them. Make one of them an object you don't want them to touch and the other one an object which is OK for them to touch, like a favorite toy.
2. They will most likely reach out for the object that seems very attractive and unfamiliar to them. They love to explore! But we must set boundaries.
  1. When they stretch out their little hands towards the object gently and firmly say "no"! If they hesitate, they have understood you. Most likely they won't if it is your first time and they will touch it or grab it. At that point you will say "no" again and accompany your instruction with a light swapping or tapping on their leg.
    1. The tapping should be firm enough to cause a slight sting but not too hard to make the baby cry. You are only trying to get his attention.
    2. If the baby was startled or looks like he's going to cry that's fine. Some babies are more sensitive than others.
  2. Take the object from them and give them the object they can use and say "yes".
3. You can use this method:
  1. To set boundaries for your child at home: Homeproofing your child as opposed to childproofing your home is what training your child is all about. The world is certainly not childproof! You have to make your child worldproof! It is still a good idea to be safe and place breakable things or small objects out if his reach, amongst other things.
  2. To teach him to obey you and trust you
  3. To teach him to respond to your command
Training him to sleep on his own at bed time
1. Also doable by the time they understand "yes" and "no" (around 6 months of age).
2. It is important to get the infant into a routine where he goes to bed at the same time every day.
3. Make the routine predictable:
  1. Start with a warm bath
  2. Give the infant his last bottle of milk
  3. Brush his teeth
  4. Sing a song/read a book (Bible stories)
  5. Pray
  6. Tuck him in bed
4. Leave the child to himself after turning off the light
5. If the child begins crying ignore it (unless you think it is an emergency) for about 5 minutes
6. If the child continues to cry (complain) you go in the room and let him know it is time for sleep and gently tuck him back into bed.
  1. If he resists force him down to a sleeping position.
  2. If he continues resisting proceed with a chastisement event right there in his bed.
  3. If he complies but continues to cry/complain leave the room again
  4. You may need to continue doing this, increasing the amount of time you go back to the room by 5 minutes each time if this is your first time trying this.
7. The first time shaping this sleeping behavior is very difficult for many parents since it requires much patience, but if you are consistent and firm you will be blessed with a compliant child soon.
Behavior Shaping - Conditioning
1. A structured environment is paramount for training a child to be obedient and successful in the way he should go.
2. Contingent explanations are the most beneficial
  1. "You can play (positive) after you finish your meal"
  2. Establish the statements positively – positive reinforcement
  3. Always give them the choice between two things
  4. Be specific about what you want from them
  5. "You can choose to play nicely with your friend or you can go to your room and play there by yourself."
  6. "We can go to the park if you behave yourself and obey mommy at the doctor's office"
  7. Give if - then statements
  8. "If you don't stop complaining then you will get a (whatever you call your chastening event) when we get home."
3. It is very important to speak clearly and gently, but firmly.
4. You are the parent, there should be no negotiations when you have decided to do something, especially if you are carrying out a promise (threat) you made.
5. This is why your promises (threats) should be simply and doable at the moment. Don't make empty threats or impossible promises you are not able to comply with at any given moment. It will reduce your authority and credibility.
6. Establish routines for what to do when he gets up in the morning
  1. Using the toilet
  2. Brushing the teeth
  3. Getting his bottle
  4. Reading a book/singing a sing
  5. Praying
  6. Learning/playing
  7. Chores
7. Establish and shape mealtime behaviors
  1. Everyone is expected at the table for a meal
  2. We pray first
  3. We speak about what we have done in the day
  4. We keep our words positive
  5. We engage each other and compliment the cook
Shaping attitude
1. Not only do you want to shape behavior but mood (attitude) as well
2. Remember their mood often is a reflection of yours. You cannot expect to shape their mood if you're in a rotten mood all day long.
3. Don't put up with pouting, complaining, rolling of the eyes or turning up of the nose.
4. Give ample warnings and carrying out your promise of chastisement if these are not obeyed.
5. Remember they will imitate your behavior and mood so watch yourself closely first!
6. Present a united front as parents always. Never let the children play you against each other!

These techniques will rapidly train your child to be in line with your commands and will result in children who are not only a joy to have around, but who will continue to pursue God as their Heavenly Father even when they are old.

Pro 22:6 NIV Train a child in the way he should go,

and when he is old he will not turn from it.