Between Children And Parents

TEXT: EPHESIANS 6:1-4

KEY VERSE: “And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4).

As the world celebrates the children’s day today, it is a fact that children are the joy and delight of their parents. It is sad however to observe that the relationship between parents and children in some homes have turned sour as a result of the failure of both parties in their duties, as spelt out in the text, one to another.

Children are commanded to obey their parents in all things as long as those things do not run contrary to the will of God. Parents in turn have it as a duty to show good understanding of their children and not provoke them to wrath. Where there is this balance in the parents/children relationship, there are bound to be harmony, trust, mutual confidence, peace and progress in the family.

Obedience from children to parents should be a loving submission. Children will obey their parents without questioning when they know and feel they are truly loved by their parents. Their obedience is the way they respond to this love. When parents truly love their children, they will deal with them with proper understanding and tolerance. They will not have an overbearing and repelling attitude towards them. Their expectation of them will not be too high.

However, this does not mean that parents should indulge their children in anyway. While they remain kind, gentle and loving, they are at the same time expected to be firm and principled. They have it as their duty to bring up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Christian parents have it as their primary responsibility to lead their children to the Lord and through their own personal practical lives and examples as well as deliberate and consistent instructions from the word of God, bring them up in the fear of the Lord. If we all do these, our homes will be strong and peaceful and our societies in turn, will have less aggressions, protests and violence coming from disgruntled children whose homes have failed them.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: There is no conflict in love.

The 7 Marriage Secrets You Should Never Share with Friends

We know that you love to talk to your friends about your marriage. It is interesting and helpful too. But, don’t make a habit out of it. There are certain details of your marriage that should remain a secret between you and your spouse. So, here are some marriage secrets on which you must zip your lips, at least partly. 

1. Finances and spending
Conversation about your budget and finances will do no good to anyone else’s ears. You are just exposing a confidential part of your household to your pals. Remember, sorting and discussing your expenses and money matters is none of their business. So, better keep these accounts enveloped.

2. Who pays the bill?
Your buddies might be very close to you, but
‘who pays for what’ is something they should not be involved in. Whether you split your bills or not, do not unveil it in front of your friends. Money matters should stay between couples; it is not something you should discuss with your friends.

3. Chemistry with in-laws
You may think it is ok to lash out about how you deal with your in-laws. But, your equation with your in-laws is not a piece of gossip. Be it a positive or a negative experience; kindly bury it deep in your heart. Your in-laws are not your kitty party topic, so allow this discussion to stay between your family walls only.

4. Your spouse’s character traits
It is not worth divulging the personal traits of your spouse to your comrades. Whether your spouse love to dig their nose or snores in the night or eats Chinese food with hands, doesn’t mean you will lay bare those details for all. You should not be so casual while talking about your significant other.

5. Baby making
Bringing a baby into the world is a life-changing decision and there is no need for you to let any third person know about the idea. Consider it your personal matter and hide it from your pals. A friend’s advice is not required over here.

6. Lock up your bedroom secrets
It might appear romantic, but it is not usual if he is always on a self-sacrificing spree. The statement may seem unfair, but there is no harm in being cautious. Real love is open, candid and from the heart. So in a healthy relationship, it is unreal to compromise all the time.
You are courting danger if he is always foregoing and forgiving.

 
All he might want to do is gain an upper hand. If it is true love, you should know for what reasons he is being cooperative all the time.
So ladies, keep your mind open even when you feel your heart taking over your senses. Just watch out for these signs to find your true prince charming and get rid of the fake on

7.Never reveal the dynamics of your relationship to your friends. Every family has a crowned head, be it husband or wife. But, this doesn’t mean that either of you is submissive. So don’t let your friends know who ‘wears the pants’ in your house.
No matter how close you are to your pals, your marriage and its details should stay only between you and your spouse. There are certain marriage secrets that you should never trade.
Source: Bollywoodshaadis.com

GO TO SLEEP!

I have been studying Acts chapter 12 for a while now and God has taught me great lessons, part of which I would love to share with my sisters today.
“And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night, Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers, and the guards before the door were keeping the prison. Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by Him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying “Arise quickly!” And his chains fell off his hands” – Acts 12:6-7

The above scriptures gives an insight into the situation of Apostle Peter who was on death row, he had just few hours more to live and there was no way of escape. 
Hummm……..A man on death row, chained between two well-armed soldiers and yet he could sleep? Imagine the pains from previous beatings, how was he able to sleep in such a miserable and helpless situation? 
Sometimes the situations of our lives keeps us in captivity, chained and limited, you can’t show up where your friends are, you are kept away from your in-laws, relations and even from social gatherings because you have unpleasant story that you cannot share. Your situation shuts your mouth and you cannot sing the Lord’s song because you consider yourself to be in a strange land (Psa. 137:1-4).
Peter could sleep in the midst of his challenges because he knew the one in charge of his life was not sleeping. The God that watches over you does not sleep nor slumber and that is why He said “be still and know that I am God” (Psa. 46:10).
Sleeping in the midst of storm is not a sign of weakness or hopelessness, it is a demonstration of trust in God. Peter had peace because his heart was fixed on God. Is your heart fixed on God?
Isaiah 26:3……”You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You” (NKJV)

As you relax and allow God to step into your situation, you will come out triumphantly before you know it. Peter suddenly came to himself (Acts 12:11), meaning he was not really aware God had brought him out until he got to the city. God did not only deliver him from the soldiers, he was also freed from the prison; that is victory without a fight! God’s time to help is usually when the situation is extreme so that His name will be honored.

Are you having sleepless nights over that issue? ……..Go to sleep!
Are you losing your appetite already? …………………Go get some food!
Are you feeling intimidated? …………………………..Get out of that!
Is God doing anything at all? .......................................... Yes He is!

God is bringing you out today as you rest in Him. Angels will attend to you as you “Go to sleep”! 
Sisters, God does not sleep nor slumber, remember, when you are down to nothing, God is up to something. By sis Ibidun.

Prayer for new week

For someone reading this, I decree that every evil plan of the enemies against your life and that of your family members shall return back to the sender in Jesus name! It will backfire and boomerang. Again, anyone who dares to plan your downfall and death shall be exposed and disgraced in Jesus name.

The Almighty God will fill every emptiness in your life with overflowing blessings. You shall no longer live in fear of the unknown. God is preparing you to replace some people who are at the helms of affairs in this nation. From a servant, you will become a master. God will restore hope to you. What appears hopeless shall soon get tremendous solutions. Instead of being harmed, you will enjoy divine protection and open heavens in Jesus mighty name.J

Happy New Week from us ASB-World.

DELAY IS NEVER DENIAL!

Have you been hoping for a change of story?

Has a particular issue consistently made it to your yearly prayer requests?

Have you been believing God for a promotion or progress in your career and it seems like it will never happen?

Have you been praying for a life partner and all relationships keep coming to an abrupt end?

Have you been waiting for the fruit of the womb and it seems barrenness has found a footing in your home?

I have good news for you. A delay in your testimony does not deny that there will ever be a testimony.

One thing I have discovered about this our great God is when it seems as if He is delaying, be rest assured He is coming in a big way.

Let us look at some scenarios that He came in a big way in the Bible:

In the case of Abraham and Sarah - we were not told how long they had been married but childbearing was very delayed, it was so delayed that they had both given up hope of ever having a child of their own. Sarah had reached menopause but when God came, it was in a big way. They didn't just have a son but a son of promise. Today, we refer to God as the God of ISAAC (Genesis 18:10-15; 21:1-6)

Joseph had several dreams and instead of situations to work towards the fulfillment of the dreams, it was as if it will never be but after the delay, he ended up a prime minister in a foreign land (Genesis 37:5-10; 39,40; 41:1-44)

The woman with the issue of the blood, she had hoped and sought for her healing. We were even told she had spent all her money. The healing that was delayed for 12 years located her and we read about her story today in the Bible (Luke 8:43-48)

The story of Lazarus, the brother of Martha and Mary, they told Jesus as soon as Lazarus took ill but we were told that Jesus stayed back. They thought that Jesus' delay has denied them of ever seeing their brother again but on the contrary they received their brother back alive after 4 whole days in the grave (John 11:1-45)

The man at the pool of Bethesda hoped for his healing but each day seems as though he would never be healed because he had no one to help him to the pool on time but after 38 years of delay, the healing that seemed denied came. As a matter of importance, He was the only one healed out of the many that were sick there ( John 5:2-9)

By now, I expect your faith to come alive, don't close that case yet, it may seem as if God has forgotten you and you may have even written that issue off, I am led to tell you today that our dependable and reliable God is coming in a big way for you.

If you are sick or challenged in your health, you will not only be healed but you will be made whole.

You are believing God for a husband, you will not just be married but be joyfully married.

You are believing God for a child, my God will give you double for your trouble and shame.

Tell yourself, though it tarries, I will wait for it because my God will come through for me in a big way in Jesus' Name, Amen! 

by sis onome

A Boy tied to bus stop highlights struggle for disabled Read!

Mumbai (AFP) - The nine-year-old boy dressed in blue lay listlessly on the pavement in the scorching Mumbai summer afternoon, his ankle tethered with rope to a bus stop, unheeded by pedestrians strolling past.

Lakhan Kale cannot hear or speak and suffers from cerebral palsy and epilepsy, so his grandmother and carer tied him up to keep him safe while she went to work, selling toys and flower garlands on the city's roadsides.

"What else can I do? He can't talk, so how will he tell anyone if he gets lost?" said homeless Sakhubai Kale, 66, who raised Lakhan on the street by the bus stop shaded by the hanging roots of a banyan tree.

Lakhan's father died several years ago and his mother walked out on the family, his grandmother told AFP.

A photograph of him tied up appeared in a local newspaper this week, sparking concerns among charities and the police, and he has since been taken into care at a government-run institution.

But activists say his plight on the streets comes as little surprise in India, where those with disabilities face daily stigma and discrimination and a lack of facilities to assist them.

Kale said Lakhan "tends to wander off" and that there was no one else to stop him walking into traffic while she and her 12-year-old granddaughter, Rekha, were out making a living.

At night she would tie him to her own leg as they slept on the pavement so she would know if he tried to walk away.

"I am a single old woman. Nobody paid attention to me until the newspaper report," she said.

"He was in a special school, but they sent him back."

Social worker Meena Mutha has since managed to place Lakhan in a state-run south Mumbai home, which takes in a range of needy children from the disabled to the destitute.

"Residental homes are very, very few. There's a major need for the government to do something, a social responsibility to provide residential centres for children like Lakhan," said Mutha, a trustee at the Manav Foundation helping people with mental illness.

She said government-run centres that put together children with different needs did not always have the range of facilities required.

"They don't have the infrastructure, the staff," said Mutha. Conversely, non-government organisations "have expertise, but not the space," she said, highlighting the squeeze on land in the densely-packed city.

Across India, the 40 to 60 million people with disabilities often face similar struggles to get the help they need, activists say.

"There's no collective responsibility. You have a disabled child, you look after it," said Varsha Hooja, chief executive at ADAPT, another charity working with disabled young adults and children.

- No state support -

Hooja said she had seen other cases of parents locking up children with disabilities while they go to work.

"The state gives no support," she said.

A long-awaited bill was introduced into the Indian parliament in February aiming to give disabled people equal rights -- including access to education, employment and legal redress against discrimination -- but it has yet to be passed.

Lawyer Rajive Raturi was on the committee that began drafting the bill five years ago, and said the Congress party-led government which has just lost power had pushed through a "complete dilution" of the original, especially on sections regarding women and children with disabilities.

Raturi, who handles disability cases at the Human Rights Law Network, said he hoped the new parliament elected this month, dominated by incoming prime minister Narendra Modi's right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party, would "listen to the stakeholders and then make a decision".

"We can't change attitudes with an act but if the bill has the right provisions, people will think twice," he said.

Back by the Mumbai bus stop, Kale squatted on the pavement drinking chai and eating bread on the morning after bidding a tearful goodbye to her grandson.

She was hopeful she would get to see him regularly once she acquired an official identity card that would allow her to visit the centre.

"I am very happy," she said. "What else would I want other than for him to be looked after?"

source:news.yahoo.com

EVERYONE WHO ASKS RECEIVES

You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. James 4:2

It is clear from scripture that some Christians today don't have God's provision, healing, or blessing in their lives because they have not asked for it.

That is not to say that God will give us everything we ask for. Yes, sometimes what we ask for at a particular time may not be what the Lord wants us to have.

However, the Bible says, "You do not have because you do not ask". As the old hymn says, "Satan trembles when he sees the weakest saints upon their knees."

The devil doesn't want you to pray. He will do everything he can to keep you from it, because he is afraid of the power that can be exercised through prayer.

He whispers, "Don't pray. Try this. Try that. You are not worthy to pray. God won't hear your prayers." He will do anything to keep you from approaching the throne of God.

Some Christians pray only as a last resort, when everything else fails, after they've called all their friends and all their relatives.

When no one can help them, they say, "What else can I do? All I can do now is pray."

Prayer should not be a last resort. It should be the first thing we do. Prayer is a privilege that is given to the child of God. God wants to hear from you today.

He wants to intervene in your life and turn around that negative situation. So pray with fervour. Pray with energy. Pray continually.
He hears and He will come to your aid.

Prayer: Father, I will call upon You always because You hear me always and do great and mighty things for me.

Scriptural Reading: James 4:1-6