by P.J. Stratton
Deuteronomy 5:16 Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, so that your days may be long and that it may go well with you in the land the LORD your God is giving you.
We salute and pray for all men that are blessed with children, stepchildren or grandchildren. Most of us take for granted the lifetime sacrificial responsibilities God has instructed men, to do; protecting, providing, guiding, and loving their wives, children and families.
In a perfect world, there are Godly, Christian spirit-filled men who have jobs, services or vocations working outside in the harsh weather year around or doing white collar corporate jobs each dealing with different kinds of stressful situations. Each day, both types of men look forward to coming home (or so we believe) from their jobs to relax, have dinner, and spend quality time with their families. These are the men which serve God and lead their families by their Godly examples by starting each day studying the Word of God, praying and encouraging their loved ones to do the same as they show love and lead them in family prayer time.
You may know some of these types of men in your community. We can see many great men in leadership positions in business, church, schools and in your neighborhoods. These wonderful individuals are role models for our children from the womb to the tomb. We honor them for their love, compassion, consideration and respect with which they treated other men, women and children all their lives.
However, in the real world, there are men who control, despise and abuse their families verbally, physically, emotionally and/or financially. Some of their victims never recover from the post traumatic treatment they received. Sadly, often the abusive father’s own children also go on to abuse their own families. The only way this abusive sin cycle can be changed is if someone turns a new leaf and gives their life to Christ Jesus. Unless one’s mind is renewed to the word of God and reconciled to Christ, an abuser’s path is futile, with misery here on earth and certainly headed for eternal damnation. One can only pray the person repents and makes a U-turn on their way there.
Gender equality issues do influence our young people’s views of men and women and can dramatically affect the quality of their lives. The abusive Father or Mother who controls and hurts their children ends up damaging the self-confidence of a young person in terrible, debilitating ways.
Please try to find it in your heart to try to see others (male and female of all ages) as Christ sees them and to forgive them. The only real power we have on this earth is on our knees in prayer before God Almighty. Let’s be sure to personally forgive, pray, and intercede for all men, women and children to forgive others for their trespasses. He loves us all and gave His only Son that we may all have eternal life in Heaven for all eternity.
In His Love,
P.J. Stratton
SCRIPTURES HONORING OUR PARENTS:
Matthew 15:4
For God said: ‘Honor your father and mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’
Matthew 19:19
honor your father and mother, and love your neighbor as yourself.'”
Mark 7:10
For Moses said, ‘Honor your Father and your mother,’ and, ‘Whoever curses his father or mother must be put to death.’
Mark 10:19
You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness, do not defraud, and honor your father and mother.'”
Luke 18:20
You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not bear false witness, honor your father and mother.'”
Ephesians 6:2
“Honor your father and mother” (which is the first commandment with a promise),
Leviticus 19:3
Each of you must respect his mother and father, and you must observe My Sabbaths. I am the LORD your God.
Deuteronomy 5:16
Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, so that your days may be long and that it may go well with you in the land the LORD your God is giving you.
Deuteronomy 5:33
You must walk in all the ways that the LORD your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land you will possess.
Deuteronomy 6:2
so that you and your children and grandchildren may fear the LORD your God all the days of your lives by keeping all His statutes and commandments that I give you, and so that your days may be prolonged.
Deuteronomy 11:8
You shall therefore keep every commandment I am giving you today, so that you may have the strength to go in and possess the land you are to inherit,
Deuteronomy 11:9
and so that you may live long in the land the LORD swore to your fathers to give them and their descendants, a land flowing with milk and honey.
Deuteronomy 21:18
If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who does not obey his father and mother, or listen to them when disciplined,
Deuteronomy 25:15
You must maintain accurate and honest weights and measures, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.
Deuteronomy 27:16
Cursed is he who dishonors his father or mother.’ And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’
Proverbs 17:6
Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of a son is his father.
Jeremiah 35:7
Nor are you ever to build a house or sow seed or plant a vineyard. Those things are not for you. Instead, you must live in tents all your lives, so that you may live a long time in the land where you sojourn.’
Jeremiah 35:18
Then Jeremiah said to the house of the Rechabites: “This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘Because you have obeyed the command of your forefather Jonadab and have kept all his commandments and have done all that he charged you to do,
Ezekiel 22:7
Father and mother are treated with contempt. Within your walls the foreign resident is exploited, the fatherless and the widow are oppressed.
Malachi 1:6
“A son honors his father, and a servant his master. But if I am a father, where is My honor? And if I am a master, where is your fear of Me?” says the LORD of Hosts to you priests who despise My name. Yet you ask, “How have we despised Your name?”