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Chapel Service

 

Shasta Speedway

 

May 30, 2015

 

“Mother’s Day & Father’s Day

 …and a Challenging Question for You”

 

www.BeyondCheckeredFlags.com

Bob Butcher

King David says in Psalms 139:12 – 16 that “even the darkness is not too dark for you to see, and the night is as bright as day; darkness and light are the same to you.  There is nothing hidden from You.  You created my mind and my heart and wove me together in my mother’s womb.  I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. My bones and being were not hidden from you, even when I was made in secret and sewed together in the depths of the earth.  16 Your eyes saw me when I was inside the womb.  All the days ordained for me were recorded in your scroll before one of them came into existence.  I fully realize that Your works are wonderful.”

 

Nothing was a surprise to God as He speaks to us through His prophet Jeremiah in chapter 29:11 when He says:  “For I know what I have planned for you,’ says the Lord. ‘I have plans to prosper you, not to harm you. I have plans to give you a future filled with hope.  I know what I am doing.”

 

Mother’s Day has come and gone.  Obviously it is a special day to honor our mother.  Hopefully you did not forgot to do something special for your Mom. Now comes Father’s Day and what will you do to respond to it’s significance?

 

Before I go further maybe you had a horrible mother…and maybe even a father too.  That certainly doesn’t inspire one to celebrate them does it? 

 

However, maybe it actually does.  Yes it’s true that they brought you into the world.  But even at their worst there is something more that you might honor when you stop to think about it.  But, before I say what that is let me say what God says in Isaiah 49:15-16: “even though a mother may forget to have compassion on her child, the Lord never forgets His children (v.15). Look, My people: “I have engraved you on the palms of My hands” (v.16).

After you ponder that then consider this:

Might I simply suggest that your mom and dad also had a huge hand in making you who you are today?  If you suffered because of their character and inability to love you like God intended parents to do, most likely you are a better parent to your own children.  “I will NEVER be like or act like my mom and/or dad, may well have been your promise to yourself all your life.

 

Well, let me add this: God clearly tells us NOT to Imitate bad parents in Ezekiel 20:18: “Do not follow the practices of your parents; do not observe their ways, don’t make yourselves filthy with the same things they idolized before what is right. Follow My ways.”

 

Truly that’s a backwards way of looking at things, but hopefully that is true and you didn’t follow in their footsteps.  Therefore, there is space to be thankful for what you learned through them.

 

If that was the case, then I hope that it is time to think about extending forgiveness to your mom and/or dad or both if needed.  You see, God is very clear and rock solid on His principals of forgiveness.  That principal is revealed very clearly in what everyone calls “The Lord’s Prayer” when Jesus taught us to speak out the following in Matthew 6:9-13:

Verse 12 says: “forgive us our debts, as we ourselves have forgiven our debtors.”   Then verse 14 and 15 follows even deeper when it instructs us as follows: “For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.”

 

It’s clear that If we refuse to do our part, we cut ourselves off from God’s promise to forgive us.  I know that’s easier said than done but I can only encourage you to verbally speak out aloud forgiveness to your mom and/or dad or both if guilty.  And every time the enemy brings that back up to your mind and heart and tells you that you are an idiot to forgive; say it again to God.

 

The results will bring a new peace into your life, and once it becomes concrete your life will be really changed and healthier also.  Did you know that it is both Biblically and scientifically true that bitterness rots your bones and causes rheumatism and other such problems?

 

A couple of other scriptures that we need to consider are God’s direct promise to bless those who honor their parents:

Ephesians 6:2-3: “Honor your Father and Mother. That is the first commandment with a promise. Then it will go well with you and you may live and enjoy a long and prosperous life.”

An interesting note here is that this command was first given to Moses to tell the people in Exodus 20:12 and throughout scripture it is referred to twelve more times!  So, you think God might be serious about this?  And just for the record God tells us that we must practice our faith and live it out by caring  for our families and repaying our parents and grandparents or our faith is worse than an unbeliever in 1 Timothy 5:4-8.

 

Now, let’s return to honoring Mother’s & Father’s Day.  I was listening on K-Love radio station how different people honored their moms and how those whose mother was not alive today, also honored her in a special and touching way . The same can be done for your Dad on June 21.

 

I was moved by the lady who said that she wore a special pair of her mom’s socks on Mother’s Day.  Another always baked her mom’s favorite dinner and desert on Mother’s Day for her family.  Another always kept the special chair and special dishes and place setting at the table with her picture to remember her and help the kids remember, and repeats the tradition on Father’s Day.  Another family tell their favorite stories about Mom and Dad at the table.

 

Personally, I have my Dad’s slippers that I only wear sparingly.  I cherish a number of his hand tools today and smile when I get to use them. I love to use my Mom’s recipes often. Our girls have some of them already also. We both have our grandmother’s favorite baking bowls we use only when baking special deserts. At our home Kathy and I have a guest room that is filled with our parents and grandparents pictures on the walls.

 

That is just a few of the ways and there were lots more ways to do so, but the question is:

How do we honor and celebrate our Mom and Dad today? 

Or, if either or both were a bad relationship; have you taken the first steps toward forgiveness and begin freeing yourself from that hold which bitterness inflicts.

 

If you would like some relevant scriptures to ponder the tough issue of forgiveness here are some below:

 

 

Kathy & I pray for you had an absolutely wonderful

Mother’s Day and now a Father’s Day on the 21st!

 

(All scripture in text above is from Bob’s GBB Bible Edition)

 

 

 

Here is a list of scriptural helps on Forgivness:

  1. Christ set an example of (Luke 23:34)
  2. Commanded (Mark 11:25; Romans 12:19)
  3. To be unlimited (Matthew 18:22; Luke 17:4)
  4. A characteristic of saints (Psalms 7:4)
  5. A glory to saints (Proverbs 19:11)
  6. Promises to (Matthew 6:14; Luke 6:37)
  7. No forgiveness without (Matthew 6:15; James 2:13)
  8. Illustrated (Matthew 18:23-35)
  9. Exemplified » Joseph (Genesis 50:20,21)
  10. Exemplified » David (1 Samuel 24:7; 2 Samuel 18:5;19:23)
  11. Exemplified » Solomon (2 Kings 1:53)
  12. Exemplified » Stephen (Acts 7:60)
  13. Exemplified » Paul (2 Timothy 4:16)
  14. MOTIVES TO » The mercy of God (Luke 6:36)
  15. MOTIVES TO » Our need of forgiveness (Mark 11:25)
  16. MOTIVES TO » God’s forgiveness of us (Ephesians 4:32)
  17. MOTIVES TO » Christ’s forgiveness of us (Colossians 3:13)
  18. SHOULD BE ACCOMPANIED BY » Forbearance (Colossians 3:13)
  19. SHOULD BE ACCOMPANIED BY » Kindness (Genesis 45:5-11; Romans 12:20)
  20. SHOULD BE ACCOMPANIED BY » Blessing and prayer (Matthew 5:44)