Focus on the Family…and Ministry

Often I visit the CBN News website to read about current events from a Christian perspective. Back in 2010, one of their headlines was “Evangelist Benny Hinn Opens Heart to Viewers.” The Israeli-born televangelist talked about his wife divorcing him (they have since reconciled and remarried). Benny admitted he was so busy with the ministry that he neglected his family and urged viewers not to do likewise.

Billy Graham also regretted not spending enough time with his family. In his autobiography “Just As I Am”, the evangelist wrote that “...over the years, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and the Team became my second family without my realizing it. Ruth [Billy’s wife] says those of us who were off traveling missed the best part of our lives—enjoying the children as they grew. She is probably right. I was too busy preaching all over the world.” Billy confessed, “Every day I was absent from my family is gone forever. Although much of that travel was necessary, some of it was not.”

Nonetheless, a minister should not let family issues prevent him from doing the work of the Lord. When one disciple asked the Lord to “let me first go and bury my father”, Jesus' response was, “Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead.” (Matthew 8:21-22) In 2 Samuel 6, King David returned to Jerusalem with the Ark of the Covenant and danced before it. In response, his wife Michal voiced harsh criticism. David wouldn’t let her negativity discourage him and said in verse 22, “I will be even more undignified than this.” As a result of her resentment, Michal remained childless.

I was once married to a woman who joined me in about 20% of my evangelism outings. Many other times, she tried stopping me from going out on the streets. One reason given was that I should spend more time at home. We were together there most of the day without any children to look after. When doing street ministry, I’m usually out for about two or three hours at a time (as opposed to eight to ten hours if I was working a secular job).

People can open doors to the devil by not obeying the call of God on their lives. In the 1800s, Maria Woodworth-Etter was called to preach the gospel at a young age. She resisted at first because she didn’t think people would receive ministry from a woman. So Maria got married and tried living the “normal” life of a housewife and mother. During that time, five of her six children died from disease. When Maria finally answered the call to preach, it broke the curse upon her family.

Until both my parents died over a year ago, the Lord led me to spend part of the summer in the Fargo, North Dakota area and minister there. One night as I was riding in the car with my dad, I was surprised to hear him ask questions about my street ministry. Although we had spiritual differences, Dad said he was proud of me. Every son needs to hear that from his father.

Strong family relationships are important to God but so are fulfilling His plans and purposes to get the gospel out to a lost and dying world. 1 Timothy 4:14 says, “Do not neglect the gift that is in you.” So if you have family obligations but also called to the five-fold ministry, ask the Lord to show you how to balance your time. We must be good stewards of both these important responsibilities.

 “for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?” - 1 Timothy 3:5

Children’s Day

Probably a question most kids ask is, “How come we have a Mother’s Day and a Father’s Day but no Children’s Day?” Many adults answer, “Every day is Children’s Day.” One time I noticed a Children’s Day on a calendar given to me for Christmas. I eagerly showed it to my parents wanting another day to receive presents. Our family observed Children’s Day only once. My dad simply gave me money to go bowling that day.

According to Wikipedia, Children’s Day is observed on different days in different countries. Children’s Day in the United States actually predates both Mother’s and Father’s Day. Many churches started it in the 1860s. Today there are Americans campaigning for Children’s Day to be a national holiday. They believe there are physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual reasons for children to have a special day of their own.

Psalm 127:3 (NLT) says, “Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him.” Those involved with raising and teaching kids should be careful not to abuse that responsibility. One Canadian province just passed the “Supporting Children, Youth and Families Act of 2017.” Don’t be fooled by the name of this law. The Ontario government now has the right to take away children from families that don’t accept their kid’s “chosen gender identity or expression.” 

A friend of mine in Ontario who has two little ones himself informed me a child sex offender was in charge of crafting his province’s sex-ed curriculum. Earlier this year, foster parents in Hamilton had two girls taken from them because they refused to tell the girls the Easter Bunny is real. Is it any wonder why our public education system has become so messed up? 

There are serious consequences for those who mislead our children from the ways of God. Jesus warned in Mark 9:42, “But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea.” I pray that more parents, teachers, and social workers come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

“Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children.” - Matthew 19:14

Your Family Can Be Saved

As a minister of the gospel I often receive prayer requests. Many of them are for lost loved ones. This article is to encourage those of you standing for a family member’s salvation.

It was my sister and her husband who led me to Christ. A personal crisis made me recognize my need for Him. On March 19, 1991 I drove to Fargo, North Dakota (the city where I was born) to talk with Greg and Tanya. After three hours of clearing up many misunderstandings I had about Christianity, my brother-in-law invited me to pray with him. I asked Jesus to come into my heart and felt the power of God flow throughout my body. Later I learned Greg and Tanya prayed for years I would recognize my need for Jesus and wanted to play a part of my salvation.

By July 1994 I had become a committed soul-winner and went back to the Fargo area specifically to witness to family members. Quite a few of them already knew the Lord. One morning I stopped to see my Aunt Gaye. She didn’t have a phone and so my arrival totally surprised her. I found out my Aunt Gail (Gaye’s twin sister) was also coming over. Shortly after Gail arrived, I discovered she wasn’t sure of her eternal destiny. Gaye had tears of joy after hearing her sister pray with me to receive salvation.

Later that year, I returned to Fargo to spend the holidays with my family. On Christmas Eve I went to my Grandma Tweiten’s house. One tradition we had there was Gaye singing “Happy Birthday” to Jesus before we opened presents. The Lord put it on my heart to talk to Gaye’s six-year-old son Zachary. First I asked Gaye if it was okay for me to witness to Zach. Then I ministered to my cousin who received the best Christmas gift of all...salvation through Jesus Christ! 

On Independence Day 1996, I went up to Fargo again. Grandma Post’s birthday was on the Fourth of July and so we had a family get together that day. Although my grandparents had been longtime members of a Methodist church, I wanted to make sure they were in right standing with the Lord. Just before I left town the next day, I stopped to see Grandpa again and asked if he was going to heaven. His response was “I hope so.” So I gave him a tract and led him in the prayer of salvation. Later I witnessed to Grandma Post and found out she was already born again.

In November 1996, I went to the Rochester, New York area to spend Thanksgiving with distant relatives, most of whom I never met or hadn’t seen in years. After we ate dinner, many of them gathered around me to hear a tape of Christian songs I produced about end time prophecy. Then I asked, “How many of you are not sure you would be in heaven if you died right now?” Eight people raised their hands. So I shared the Good News with them and all eight got born again! 

Remember the end of the world was supposed to occur on December 21, 2012? That day I stopped to see my mother who was in a nursing home recovering from a stroke. For over 20 years I interceded for Mom’s salvation. After talking with her for a while, Mom let me lay hands on her to receive healing. Then I asked if I could also lead her in a prayer to receive Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior. She agreed and now I know for sure she is heaven-bound! 

One of the devil’s greatest lies is “your relatives are the hardest to witness to.” Many of them might come into the kingdom if you simply open your mouth and share the Good News. Romans 10:14 says, “And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?”

If you already shared the gospel with relatives but they rejected it, don’t give up on them. Bind the enemy from blinding their minds (2 Corinthians 4:3-4) so they receive the message of God’s love with clarity. Then keep praying for laborers to cross their paths. God knows who they will listen to.

You have the promise of your family.

“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” - Acts 16:31

A Pain in the Butt

Last Sunday a friend and I went to the Minnesota Vikings home opener against the New England Patriots. One key player was missing in action. Running back Adrian Peterson was deactivated for the game due to child abuse charges resulting from him using a wooden stick to punish his four-year-old son. After a brief activation by the Vikings, Adrian has now been banned from all team activities until his legal situation is resolved.

Seeing released photos of the cuts and bruises on Adrian’s son was disturbing even though that kind of corporal punishment is common in Texas where Adrian is from. Nevertheless, I pray Adrian will be redeemed from this incident because he’s cooperating with authorities plus he’s my brother in Christ. Last year I met the pastor of a church Adrian attended at that time.

In these days of political correctness, parents face increasing challenges with raising children. Unless your kids are homeschooled or enrolled in a Christian learning institution, they are likely bombarded with ideas contrary to Scripture. I would think twice about sending children to public schools that nowadays hand out condoms and teach it’s okay to have two homosexual parents.

The law has gotten more invasive in how we should discipline our children. Nearly four years ago, another parent in Texas lost custody of all three of her kids for spanking one of them! As part of a plea deal, Rosalina Gonzales of Corpus Christi was sentenced to five years probation, ordered to take parenting classes, and make a $50 payment to the Children’s Advocacy Center. Gonzales was told she wouldn’t get her children back from their paternal grandmother (who reported the spanking incident) until the court deems her “capable.”

I could agree with this decision if child abuse happened but the prosecutor described it as a “pretty simple, straightforward spanking case.” Gonzales didn't use a belt nor leave any bruises. During the sentencing, Judge Jose Longoria stated, “You don’t spank children today. In the old days, maybe we got spanked, but there was a different quarrel. You don’t spank children.” 

This judge should take time to open that Bible people in his courtroom swear an oath on (if they still do that there) and read the following verses…

“He who spares his rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him promptly.” - Proverbs 13:24

“Chasten your son while there is hope, and do not set your heart on his destruction.” - Proverbs 19:18

“Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; the rod of correction will drive it far from him.” - Proverbs 22:15

“Do not withhold correction from a child, for if you beat him with a rod, he will not die.” - Proverbs 23:13

“The rod and rebuke give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother.” - Proverbs 29:15

I once heard a children’s pastor advise that we shouldn’t spank kids with our bare hands. He pointed out that hands are for holding and loving.  

When I was little and got mouthy with my mother, she threatened to take out a wooden spoon and occasionally used it on my behind. Certainly, I didn’t like the punishment but have to honestly say it worked. Frequent sittings in a “time out chair” would not have the same effect.

An American pediatrician once proclaimed we shouldn't spank our children. In his 1946 book “Baby and Child Care” Dr. Benjamin Spock wrote, “The American tradition of spanking may be one reason there is much more violence in our country than in any other comparable nation.” I totally disagree. We have since seen a dramatic increase in divorce, youth crime, and teen suicide.

In addition to disobedient children, I believe some of our politicians and judges who legislate from the bench could use a good spanking. Maybe that would stop them from passing laws and making ridiculous decisions that are ruining our society.

“Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” - Hebrews 12:11