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To My Children – A Mis Hijos

Posted on 07/10/2018 in Devotions, Soul Care, Spiritual Growth | Tags: Kids, Legacy, Priorities, Truth, Worldview

Jul '18

God gave my wife Marguerite, and I six wonderful sons. Now we also have 4 wonderful daughters-in-law. I’ve worked to be a good and godly father, so in that light I’ve endeavored to leave my sons a legacy of instruction in truth. I want to pass on a world view of truth- one that will help them live life as magnificent and abundant as the Creator intended.

Just as God has arranged for his children through His Word and Abraham passed on instruction to Israel in Deuteronomy, so should we pass on God’s instruction to our children- God’s truth- as opposed to the world’s view of how to live.

I like to use the K.I.S.S. method—Keep it Short and Simple. The following are two main instructions in truth that I feel are important for my boys to know, embrace and live out.

1. KNOW GOD
The first indispensable instruction I can give is to truly know God. The original languages of the Bible are mainly Hebrew and Greek. In both, the word translated “know” means far more than information and facts. The Word includes the ideas of intimacy and authentic experience. The Hebrew word “know”, or “yada” means far more than intellectual information. It involves intimate experience and relationship.

It was sometimes compared to the intimate relations experienced by a husband and wife. For example, Genesis 4 speaks of Adam and Eve, our first parents and says…

GENESIS 4:1 And Adam knew Eve his wife and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, “I have gotten a man from the Lord.” KJV

Another example of this definition is Mary’s response to the angel who tells she will be having a baby.

Luke 1:34 Then said Mary unto the angel, “How shall this be, seeing I KNOW not a man?” KJV

I say to you- and my sons- the most essential and important thing in life is that you know God. That means you have encountered him by way of intimate experience and continue to have an intimate relationship with Him.

2. LOVE GOD

The second indispensable instruction I can give is to truly love God. The simple and absolute truth is this: Scriptures teach that knowing God and loving God is really a matter of obeying Him.

John 8:31 So Jesus said to the Jews who believed in him, “If you continue to obey my teaching, you are truly my followers.” NCV

Col 1:23 But you must continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it. Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News. The Good News has been preached all over the world and I, Paul, have been appointed as God’s servant to proclaim it. NLT

Passionate pursuit. Encountering God. Intentional and intimately knowing and loving Him. All of this fleshes out by obedience to His will and way for you. Nothing is more important in this life. Pass these truths on to your children and your children’s children. Write it on your hearts and discuss it in your homes. Leave a Godly legacy.

Author:

Pastor Liandro Arellano

Why I Believe in Christian Education

Posted on 01/08/2018 in Perspectives | Tags: Christian Education, Christian School, Kids, Parenting, Worldview

Jan '18

I believe children come from God, as a blessing.. a reward… a profound responsibility.

Children too, are a gift from Adonai; the fruit of the womb is a reward. The children born when one is young are like arrows in the hand of a warrior. How blessed is the man who has filled his quiver with them; he will not have to be embarrassed.

Psalm 127

A dominant and repeated theme of the scriptures is this: responsibility and authority for the children is given by God to their parents.

Scripture also clearly shows parents that it is their responsibility to see their children trained in the knowledge, love, fear and admonition of God and His Word. Hebrew/Jewish tradition dictates that God gave his people two assignments that can be seen in Psalms 78 and Deuteronomy 6:

To know, love and obey God

To pass it on to the next generation

I also believe it takes a family and the local church, in this fallen world and culture we live in, to raise Godly children.

Everyone has a world view, but the difference is where it comes from.

Are we adopting the world’s philosophy and actions, or are we determining that God and His Word

must define our philosophy and actions in this life?

My viewpoints are not to point the finger and say everyone belongs in a Christian school or home school. This is a decision that needs to be made by parents and the Lord. No education is perfection! However, I would like to share my personal reasons for why I believe in and support Christian education.

Some of the goals and purposes of Christian education simply make them different, even spiritually healthier.

In I Corinthians 11, Paul says “Imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.”

They typically:

Partner with parents

Communicate and impart the Gospel of Christ

Teach and develop a Christian worldview

Convey, model, affirm and develop character based on Jesus character

Teach right from wrong; per Jesus example of a love for righteousness and a hatred for evil

Work to proclaim, present and live out the Gospel in every day life

Hire staff that love God and His Word, love children and feel called to teach

Honor the principle of revelation: God must be embraced as God… God first, foremost and throughout

Practice the principle of integration, educating from a Biblical and Christ-like worldview in all subjects

We live in a fallen world; unfriendly and even hostile to Jesus, Biblical Truth and the church.

Sometimes, we have earned that cynicism and dismissal through our imperfect actions. Still, our world fights against God and His Truth! We can see the evidence of this in all of our major institutions. Sadly, as a culture we are failing and falling apart. We need Jesus in every area of our lives!

Christian education cannot guarantee our children will become perfect, or even great Christians. They can only endeavor to present Jesus Christ and teach from a Christian perspective. My prayer is for each parent to earnestly seek God for what is best for their individual child and family.

Author:

Pastor Liandro Arellano

Loving husband, father and grandfather

Retired Pastor & Superintendent of Faith Christian School

Prayers for Our Children (With a Little Help From Paul)

Posted on 11/07/2017 in Devotions, Real Life | Tags: Kids, Parenting, Prayer, Real Life, Spiritual Growth

Nov '17

Parents tend to pray for their children,

no matter what religion they may or may not profess.

I’ve met parents of dozens of different nationalities,

religions and philosophical backgrounds.

One thing we all have in common is deep concern for our children.

It’s interesting that somewhere along the way, it seems to be innate that our concern for them often turns to prayer for them.

It often seems it’s the God of the Bible and Christianity that parents turn to even if they haven’t had a personal history believing in Him.

In Ephesians 1: 15-23, Paul is praying for the Ephesian believers.

The following points warm my heart when thinking in terms of praying for our children:

That God would give them a spirit of wisdom and revelation in their knowledge of Him.

(vs. 17)

That the eyes of their hearts would be opened so that they’d know the hope of His calling of them.

(vs. 18)

That they’d know the surpassing greatness of His power toward those who believe in Him.

(vs. 19)

That these things are done in their lives by the same power and strength that God used to raise Jesus from the dead. (vs. 19 – 20)

It would seem to be a parent’s job to lay awake at night with concern for our kids.

Let me encourage you to turn those moments into praying moments.

Borrowing Paul’s prayer when we pray for our children elevates what we’re praying for them;

from the circumstances of their lives, to the condition of their lives.

And, perhaps God’s involvement in their lives is not a matter of mere religion,

but an actual relationship as we pray they’d come to really know Him.

What’s more, you may be surprised how praying this prayer will change your life as well.

After all, God knows that change starts with us.

Pastor Jon is Lead Pastor at Faith Assembly