Every September brings the sound of school buses on the roads and children back at bus stops or walking along the streets in groups as they make their way to school. For some they are happy to be back in school while for others the summer vacation was too short and went too fast. It used to be a time moms looked forward to because now the house was theirs again!

I’m not sure that is true anymore. I think in a lot of households it’s a time for stress. The pressure on our children for new clothes, new supplies, new friends can be frightening. New experiences for those who are going to school for the first time, or for those having to change schools can weigh heavy on children and parents. Add to this the fact that schools are not the same as they used to be and you can come up with a high stress time for everyone concerned.

Recently I read an article on the changes that have taken place in our country over the last 50 years. It talked about the fact that there is no prayer in school and who would have believed that was a possibility 50 years ago. It also mentioned the openness of homosexual lifestyles that is taught in our schools and made to seem a normal part of life that would never have been allowed 50 years ago. Some people, I know, see it as progress, but I do not. God does not see it as progress either, although that doesn’t seem to bother many people.

Our children are bombarded each and every day with ungodliness in many forms at their schools. You might say, what’s the use, there’s nothing we can do, and give in to the ways of the world. But this is not a Christian attitude to have. The Word still says we are on this earth but we are not of this earth. That goes for every child and every parent who claim to be a Christian. We can’t all put our children in private schools to keep them from rubbing shoulders with the world. Besides, take it from me, many private schools are no better than the public schools. Eventually our children will have to face the world they live in and learn how to exist in it without losing their identities as a Christian.

Our children started off in private schools even though Pastor Bob was a teacher in a public school. However, when they were still in elementary school we were told by the Lord they were to be in public schools. You may say, “Told by the Lord? Isn’t that a little over the top?” But that’s how it was. They were in a new private school in Tulsa when everything seemed to go wrong and we both heard very distinctly that they were in a school He didn’t want them in, hence, all the trouble. We pulled them out and put them where they belonged, in public school, and everything turned around.

The Lord showed me that prayer would be needed for them as they were going into a battlefield, and this was in Tulsa where they would never have dreamed of celebrating Halloween in the schools and they had born again teachers. How times have changed! Every day before and after school they were prayed with and for. When they got older and we had moved back to Maryland, I would bind the demons when they got home everyday. Once again, you may think I’m extreme but what better place for satan to get to our children then at schools where God is not allowed through the door. There were many specific battles fought in the spirit realm through prayer for our children during those years.

As a church we should be lifting up all of our children before the Lord everyday. As brothers and sisters in Christ we should not leave this effort to the parents or grandparents of our children. As parents you must speak the Word over your children so they can hear and know where your heart is for their lives. As the body of Christ throughout this country, we’ve already lost a significant battle when we allowed prayer to be taken out of our schools. And, yes, I do mean we allowed it to happen through our lack of understanding of the plans of the enemy and our lack of seeking the Lord about it. Now it will take much more to get prayer back into schools then it would have taken to keep prayer in from the beginning. We’ve seen violence escalate and hatred increase in our schools on a continual basis since prayer was banned. It’s no coincidence.

We are called the triumphant and glorious church in the Bible and we should have the victory in every battle with the enemy. Jesus made a way and we as a body must walk in that way by faith. This includes taking our schools back for the Lord so our children can have a safe and peaceful atmosphere in which to learn. We have rights as citizens of this country where our schools are concerned and we have more say in what goes on than we realize. I’ve seen policy change because a few parents stood up and would not allow their children to participate in a certain curriculum. When it was over, the school did away with the curriculum rather than have to provide additional curriculum for these children.

In publications throughout the body of Christ right now people are calling for more prayer from the church and more seeking and obeying the Lord. I too believe this is needed for our country (and our schools) in order to be triumphant in everyday life. As the school year progresses, let’s not faint in our prayer life for our children and the schools they attend. Let the change start right here in Gaithersburg and Germantown and then spread throughout the country.

Fathering is a skill that is much needed in families today. Because of poor or absent role models, many Dads just do not know what to do. Leaving fathering skills to what comes naturally can prove to be a disaster. Fathering is a learned activity and the Bible has much to say about the characteristics of a Godly father. There is an anointing that comes with the title of Father. If we rely on that anointing through knowledge of the Word, then that anointing will direct us and equip us for supernatural fathering. With God’s anointing our children will be brought up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. We need God’s anointing to break the cycle of destruction that has occurred in many families.

Lets start with a scripture from Genesis 18:17-19, “And the LORD said,”Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing, 18 since Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? 19 For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the LORD, to do righteousness and justice, that the LORD may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him” God’s blessings and His ways are taught to the children by their parents. In this case the role of Father is mentioned.

The first characteristic of a Godly father is that he demonstrates a vital, close relationship with the Lord. God said that Abraham’s knowledge of God and his willingness to command his children is the foundation for the blessing of God in Abraham’s family. This is true for present day fathers. There are some practical ways that we as fathers can demonstrate a close walk with the Lord. We can initiate spiritual activity within our families. For example, allow your family to hear you praying, establish a devotion time with your family. Fathers, you be the ones who instigate regular church attendance.

Fathers should demonstrate their love for God through serving. Service should be encouraged and modeled. Church is a great place to start learning to serve others and a wonderful opportunity to serve as a family. Service to our families also takes another road. A father should learn to serve his family by instructing and guiding his children. The goal is to prepare them for life and to equip them to hear from God concerning His plans.

In Hebrew instruction means to bring to completion. The best instruction a father can impart to his children is when he portrays a picture of our heavenly Father. As he models Father God, the children learn how to respond to God in their lives. God holds parents responsible for instructing their children. A father must see the importance of his role in the lives of his children. He is not to be a friend to them but rather a parent. Children require the involvement of their parents in their lives. Training means involvement. It is more than just telling children what to do; it is becoming involved with them while they are learning.

A father should demonstrate love for the mother of his children. 1 Peter 3:7 says a father needs to understand his wife. He becomes the role model of a loving, nurturing person living in a loving relationship with his wife. This relationship is essential to his spiritual life and answered prayer. A father’s understanding of how to live in a relationship is summed up by this statement: He needs to make sure that what occurs between he and his wife follows the law of love. Therefore, he is very concerned about what he says, his attitude toward his wife and children and that he gives himself for the family. This of course requires a stable character. The aim here is to become consistent (regular and predictable). This will instill security into his children. He should govern his mood, be present in the family, keep his promises, display good ethics, keep a regular schedule and know the interests of his family. This cannot be done in ones strength alone. It requires the hand of God. But 1 Peter 3:7-9 promises that if a father will seek and live rightly in his home, then he will become heirs with his family of the grace of life. Thank God for grace that empowers us to know God’s blessings.

Spring is a beautiful time of the year. I think of cherry blossoms, daffodils, tulips, and leaves on trees. A couple of weeks ago I was outside our home with Jonathan, my grandson, and we were having a very deep discussion concerning the seasons of the year. He wanted to know when the leaves would be coming back to the trees and I was trying to explain that in Spring the new vegetation comes. In Summer, school is out and everything is in bloom. Then in Autumn those leaves that came in Spring fall off of the trees and in Winter everything looks dead but it really isn’t because then Spring comes and it starts all over again. Jonathan was having a little trouble looking at the trees in their “dead” state and understanding that shortly from those oh-so-bare limbs would come forth the green leaves that make the trees so beautiful (and that provide him shade while playing outside).

Our conversation started me thinking. While some people look at January as the start of a new year, I would rather look at Spring as the beginning of a new year. Everything in nature that looked so dead comes back to life. Even in the deadness of Winter, there always remains life within the vegetation. We can’t see it but by faith we believe it’s there and that we will see this life appear once again as the seasons change.

I think it is very appropriate that Jesus’ death, resurrection and ascension occurred during the Spring. This is what brought to us a new beginning, a new birth, life out of deadness and light out of darkness. Just as Spring brings beauty to nature just as God made it to do, our new spiritual birth brought a beauty to each of us that we could never have attained by ourselves or from any other avenue save the Lamb of God. Jesus said in John 10:10-11 “. . .I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance—to the full, till it overflows. I am the Good Shepherd. The good Shepherd risks and lays down his own life for the sheep.” I try to remember to thank God for His plan of salvation every single day and I thank Jesus that He was willing to lay down His life for me. I don’t ever want to take what Jesus did for granted because He truly gave me “beauty for ashes”.

In Hebrews 2:1-3 the Amplified Bible says, “Since all this is true, we ought to pay much closer attention than ever to the truths that we have heard, lest in any way we drift past [them] and slip away. For if the message given through angels [that is, the Law spoken by them to Moses] was authentic and proved sure, and every violation and disobedience received an appropriate (just and adequate) penalty, how shall we escape [appropriate retribution] if we neglect and refuse to pay attention to such a great salvation [as is now offered to us, letting it drift past us forever]? For it was declared at first by the Lord [Himself], and it was confirmed to us and proved to be real and genuine by those who personally heard [Him speak].” I love the phrase “such a great salvation”. It truly is so great that it is hard for us to comprehend and live out all that our salvation encompasses.

During the Summer of our lives we should be applying ourselves to learning what this salvation is all about to its deepest meanings and then obeying and doing what we have learned as James writes in 1:22, “But—obey the message; be doers of the Word, and not merely listeners to it, betraying yourselves [into deception by reasoning contrary to the Truth].” Studying the Bible should be a part of our daily routine. We should be able to say with the Psalmist, “Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day.” and “The entrance and unfolding of Your words gives light; it gives understanding—discernment and comprehension—to the simple.” We should enjoy
fellowship with the Father and with one another and allow it to change and sharpen us.

Autumn in our spiritual life is when we have reached some level of maturity and the world can see what God has done in us, just as the leaves display such beauty in that season and catch our attention. Natural age shouldn’t have much to do with this phase of our spiritual life. Children who have been raised by parents who take God seriously are many times more mature than adults who have played around with being a Christian for years. It depends on the knowledge of the Word and the degree that a person yields to walking in that knowledge. It depends on the passion that we have for the things of God. Paul told Timothy in his youth “Fight the good fight of the faith; lay hold of the eternal life to which you were summoned, and confessed the good confession [of faith] before many witnesses.” It is a fight to stay untainted by the world and to keep our passion for the Lord.

Winter in my mind is when we make the transition from earth to heaven—whenever and however that my come. Though our earthly bodies may look dead and useless, that inner life which has sustained us during our life here (the spirit man) moves on to something far better. In fact Paul says far, far better. Philippians 1:21-23 “For me, to live is Christ—His life in me; and to die is gain—[the gain of the glory of eternity]. If, however, it is to be life in the flesh and I am to live on here, that means fruitful service for me; so I can say nothing as to my personal preference—I cannot choose, but I am hard pressed between the two. My yearning desire is to depart—to be free of this world, to set forth—and be with Christ, for that is far, far better”.

At this point in our lives if we have truly followed the Lord, there will be someone left behind who starts the cycle again of the new birth, or Spring, because of our lives lived on this earth. This is the greatest tribute we can give to God—that someone came to accept Jesus and walk in that great salvation because of the life we lived before them. I truly love Spring!

There have been two defining occasions in my life as a believer. The first came in 1977 when, as a new Christian, I had difficulty understanding the Bible. I prayed and asked the Lord to help me by sending someone who could teach me how to think about scripture the right way. He answered my prayer and I obtained the bookTwenty-six Lessons in Faith by Kenneth E. Hagin. I consider Dad Hagin to be my father in the faith. The second defining occasion, some 25 years later, was my trip to the Holy Land from which I have just returned. The reality of the presence and peace of God in Israel was overwhelming. This trip brought clarity and perspective to the knowledge that I have gleaned from studying scripture. I believe the impact of this trip will be seen in every aspect of my ministry as Pastor of Montgomery Faith Fellowship.

When we left in the middle of November, Thanksgiving preparations were underway. When we returned to our gateway city, Newark, poinsettias and decorated trees greeted us. This signaled that Christmas is just around the corner. I realized the Christmas decorations and my trip to Israel had something in common, Jesus. Here we are preparing to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas, the birth of Jesus, and we just experienced time in the land where Jesus was born, where He lived and ministered and where He died and rose again. I have to tell you the experience of walking in the Promised Land far exceeds decorations, fables and traditions of Christmas.

Jesus was born a Jew in a land promised by God to His chosen people. After hearing the guides talk of the passion in the hearts of the Israeli people for their land, I just knew Jesus had that same passion. He had it from the moment of His birth. The story of Jesus birth is recorded most completely in Luke chapters one and two. However, the Jewish prophets, under God’s anointing, spoke of His coming thousands of years before His actual birth. He was the fulfillment of God’s plan of Redemption. Today, the nation of Israel is the key to final fulfillment of God’s plan in the earth. As important as Jesus was to our world, so Israel is to the end times.

Our trip began in the region known as Galilee. This area of Israel is simply beautiful with the Sea of Galilee as its focal point. No wonder Jesus spent almost three years of ministry in this region. Even in the winter the weather is sunny and inviting. Our first nights were spent in Tiberius, a town founded by the Romans and located on the western shores of the Sea of Galilee. Nazareth, the hometown of Jesus, is located west of Tiberius in the mountains of Galilee. The scriptures reveal that Joseph and Mary traveled from Nazareth to Bethlehem, some 65-70 miles to the south. I can tell you the mountains are high and rugged and we saw the same path used by Jesus to travel to Jerusalem. It did not look easy. Just imagine the faith and trust Mary and Joseph had in God. I heard that same faith and trust in God from my friends in Israel as they described their encounters with terrorism. Like Mary and Joseph they know that God’s plan will be manifested in their lives. It must have been a hard trip with Mary ready to deliver Jesus and then to ride such a long way on the back of a donkey. They had no choice since Israel was occupied by Rome. Jesus did not preach in Tiberius because He was sent to the children of Israel. It was probable that the centurion, a Roman soldier, whose servant was healed by Jesus, resided in Tiberius.

The distance between Nazareth and Bethlehem is 65-70 miles of mountains and valleys. All this land was promised to the children of Israel. Today, this stretch of land is mostly known as the West Bank, a land claimed by the Palestinians and in dispute. Jesus cried for Jerusalem just before His crucifixion. No wonder–I cry for Jerusalem too. I wonder if Jesus saw the pain that would take place in this city. While we were there, suicide bombers took the lives of 24 men, women and children. We could not go into Bethlehem where Jesus was born. At that time it was under Palestinian control. Now it is under Israeli control. I know that Mary and Joseph were determined to walk in the light of God’s will for them. This determination allowed the Lord to work supernaturally in their lives. We know that Joseph experienced several dreams that gave him direction and allowed them to escape the plans of Herod who wanted to annihilate any chance of Jesus becoming king. Divine intervention came in the form of visions, dreams and guidance from angels. Today, I see that same determination in the lives of Israeli citizens everywhere as they fulfill the prophecies spoken by the Prophets. I also know that God is with Israel today. Supernatural intervention has already occurred on their behalf. I learned of the miracles that occurred in the rebirth of Israel in 1948, the Six Days War in 1967 and in the Valley of Tears at the beginning of the Yom Kippur war. God’s hand is in that land and will continue to be. Jerusalem will once again be filled with the glory of God.

We are preparing to celebrate Jesus’ birth and like the Wisemen who came bearing gifts to honor Jesus, there is something we can do to honor Him. Jerusalem is in the heart of God and He told us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Israel needs our prayers right now. We encourage you to pray continually for Jerusalem and Israel. I also encourage you to e-mail your Senators and Congressmen to encourage them to support Israel. Our support of Israel is a fitting birthday gift to the King of Kings, Jesus, who will one day rule from Jerusalem.

Back in the 1950’s I remember being in a hurricane that passed over my house. At that time, we had wooden shutters on each of our windows and I can remember my father closing them before the storm hit. It made it as dark as midnight inside the house. After a time of wind and rain, it became very still outside. I can remember opening the doors and looking out at the sky and going outside to see if there was any damage. After a short time my father told us to go back inside because the storm would be starting up again. My sisters and I thought it was over but my father knew that it was the eye of the hurricane that was passing over and that shortly the worst of the storm would hit. It was a real adventure that I’ll never forget. Hurricane Isabel brought back those memories.

There is a place in God which is very much like the eye of a hurricane. It is a place of peace and comfort that we can access even while being in the midst of a problem in our life. I like to call it “the secret place of the Most High God” and I love being in it and having access to it whenever I need to be there. Psalm 91 is all about what you can expect if you abide there. God meets your every need in that place and no fear can enter there—it just isn’t allowed because you’re in the presence of the Most High God. It is a place of safety where you can ride out any storm that may be passing over your life. As long as you stay in the secret place you are safe. Too many times however, we leave that place to see what’s happening outside and it’s easy to be engulfed in the storm once again.

Many Christians don’t know about the secret place and try to face the storm on their own. They end up being buffeted by the wind and the waves and the rain. They end up hurting and wondering where God was in everything that happened. Then they decide that maybe it was God who put them there because He is teaching them something. Those who know that our God is Love and wants only to bless us and be there for us know that this is not so. We know that “though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death”, we have nothing to fear because He is there to deliver us. We know that the method He uses to teach us anything is the Bible and not circumstances. It’s not what we find ourselves in but how we handle the problem once we are there that determines its outcome.

In Proverbs 24:10 it reads, “If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small”. This means that when you find yourself in a storm, if you give up and just get buffeted and drown, you never had what it takes to conquer the situation. However, there is no reason for us to be in that position. We have all we need “that pertains to life and godliness”. It’s been given to us freely so that we don’t have to go into a storm without knowing what the outcome will be. We have a God who is more than enough and who is willing to give us that “more than enough” power which will always see us through. We’re told that we can “do all things through Christ who strengthens us” and we have not been given the spirit of fear, but “of power, of love and a sound mind”. It seems to me we can’t help but win!

The storms of life come and we don’t have total control over when they hit and how they will manifest themselves. We do, however, have control over whether we will be strong in the day of adversity or not. We do have control over whether we walk through them in strength, power and faith. That has always been under our control and will continue to be so until we go home to be with Jesus. We have the two greatest threats to the enemy at our disposal at all times: prayer and the Bible. If we’re praying in accordance with the Word, we know that we win every time. We truly serve a great God who is the ONLY God and the one that everyone will have to reckon with in the end. As long as we truly abide in “the secret place of the most high”, we will always be more than conquerors!