Post by Tom Green on Feb 21, 2007 11:56:10 GMT -5
There Is Hope for your Children
Posted 08/30/2006
Ah, those faith-building stories! All-night prayer meeting;, revivals that turned into a spiritual marathon, extending from one week to 11 weeks in length; hundreds being saved and filled with the Spirit—these are the fantastic events that brought notoriety to the global ministry of Perry Stone and the Voice of Evangelism.
What about those other stories that I seldom talk about? If you have been having a few problems with your children and are worried about them, perhaps the following true incidents will build faith in your spirit that everything will eventually work out, and your children will do the will of God.
Profanity on the Church Walls
I was about eight years old, and Dad was pastoring in Big Stone Gap, a rural community in southwestern Virginia. Dad decided to paint the Sunday school rooms and the church basement, and I wanted to help. In “wisdom,” he made me an offer: “Here, son, take this old paint and paint whatever you want to on the walls before we cover it with the new paint.”
This sounded great to me. But what should I paint? What should I say on the walls? Then I recalled a few “choice” words I had overheard some of my unsaved friends saying one day. I began painting those words, using the best spelling I was capable of, all over the church walls. When Dad walked in, he began yelling at me!
It turned out that I had painted profanity on the church basement walls! It was time for the “stars and stripes”—Dad laid on the stripes and I saw the stars! Needless to say, my career as a painter ended that day.
Guess what! There is hope for YOUR children!
What’s Up, Doc?
When we were growing up, our family would have been classified as lower middle class so all we had was considered a blessing. Everything was quite precious. This included the ties Dad wore with his suits.
One day I had a bright idea. I took my G.I. Joe (a small army doll) for a ride in my red wagon. I needed a longer handle for the wagon, but couldn’t find a rope. So I went to the closet and took several of Dad’s finest ties, tying them together and to the wagon handle.
I went outside and began dragging the wagon with old G.I. Joe in it, through the huge mud puddle in the edge of the yard. When Dad drove up the driveway, he went into orbit. He grabbed his ties, then grabbed me and ran into the house.
You’re going to get a whipping within an inch of your life, He threatened!
Suddenly, I made a strange face—my best impression of a buck-toothed rabbit—changed my voice and said, “What’s up, doc?”
This caught my Dad off-guard, and he began laughing. He laughed and laughed; and the more he laughed, the more I would act like Bugs Bunny. I kept repeating, “What’s up, doc?” That day my old Bugs Bunny imitations saved me from an old-fashioned thrashing.
Oh yes, I do believe your children will turn out alright!
Go Ahead and Kill Me
We were in the back yard on a summer day. I was about nine, and I was arguing with my little brother. One thing we never did was to mouth off at Mom or Dad, especially Dad. I mouthed off and Dad grabbed my arm and said, “Let’s go inside!”
I knew what was coming. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a neighbor burning leaves next door. This was my only chance of escape! Sliding to my knees, I began yelling, “Go ahead and kill me. I know you want me dead. Go ahead and do it now!”
Dad’s face began turning beet red from embarrassment.
As if this wasn’t enough, I fell down and began moaning with a fake cry in my voice. Dad just walked away.
Later that evening, however, the stars and stripes were again ringing in the house!
Does this sound like something YOUR kids would do?
I’m Glad They Didn’t Kick Me Out
Age 11 was a time of unplanned and unexpected transition in my life. Mom says I was never a bad kid, just a curious one and always into something. I used to get a toy for Christmas and before the day was over, I would take it apart to see what was on the inside.
At age 11, I attended a week of church youth camp in Roanoke, Virginia. During this time, I disliked camp so much that I left the campground, walked across the interstate, called my mother and asked her to come and get me. She refused — we lived six hours away!
I began throwing rocks in the tabernacle that night, and got in trouble with the dorm leader. Then the state youth director, thingy Davis, sat me down and threatened to send me home if I didn’t act right. Although I wanted to go home, I knew better than to go home like this! thingy told me this was my last chance.
That night, I went to the altar and received the Holy Spirit baptism! This was the beginning of a spiritual change and a new direction in my young life.
Later, at a General Assembly, I saw Brother Davis and thanked him for not sending me home. Age 11 is when I felt the Lord laid His hand on my life.
Don’t give up on your children and grandchildren!
Season of Rebellion
I despised going to public schools because I didn’t fit in with the crowd. As a teenager, I believe the Enemy made a major effort to stop my call into the ministry. Age 16 was the most difficult season in my entire teenage life. It was a time of brief rebellion—not against the Lord, but I had an attitude of, “I am going to do my own thing.”
On one occasion I vividly remember, I jumped out of the car at a traffic light and ran away late at night. I spent several hours hiding in a drainage shaft near a convention center. Later, someone from Dad’s church found me and asked me to come home.
Shortly after this, several other young men and I had an all-night prayer meeting. During this night, the Lord’s presence visited us and I received a call into the ministry!
I always remind parents that just because their teenage child has accepted Christ, been filled with the Holy Spirit, and attends church, he or she is still a teenager. You cannot expect them to be at the same level of spiritual maturity that you are. Their interest in spiritual things may not seem as alert as you would desire.
You should do these three things:
1. Never give up on your children, under any condition or situation.
2. Do not lose hope just because things seem to get worse before they get better.
3. Know that God has a plan for your child’s destiny and prayer will help to bring it to pass.
Scripture Promises for You and Your Family
Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it (Proverbs 22:6).
So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household” (Acts 16:31).
For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, and floods on the dry ground; I will pour My Spirit on your descendants and My blessing on your offspring (Isaiah 44:3).
And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions. And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days (Joel 2:28, 29
Posted 08/30/2006
Ah, those faith-building stories! All-night prayer meeting;, revivals that turned into a spiritual marathon, extending from one week to 11 weeks in length; hundreds being saved and filled with the Spirit—these are the fantastic events that brought notoriety to the global ministry of Perry Stone and the Voice of Evangelism.
What about those other stories that I seldom talk about? If you have been having a few problems with your children and are worried about them, perhaps the following true incidents will build faith in your spirit that everything will eventually work out, and your children will do the will of God.
Profanity on the Church Walls
I was about eight years old, and Dad was pastoring in Big Stone Gap, a rural community in southwestern Virginia. Dad decided to paint the Sunday school rooms and the church basement, and I wanted to help. In “wisdom,” he made me an offer: “Here, son, take this old paint and paint whatever you want to on the walls before we cover it with the new paint.”
This sounded great to me. But what should I paint? What should I say on the walls? Then I recalled a few “choice” words I had overheard some of my unsaved friends saying one day. I began painting those words, using the best spelling I was capable of, all over the church walls. When Dad walked in, he began yelling at me!
It turned out that I had painted profanity on the church basement walls! It was time for the “stars and stripes”—Dad laid on the stripes and I saw the stars! Needless to say, my career as a painter ended that day.
Guess what! There is hope for YOUR children!
What’s Up, Doc?
When we were growing up, our family would have been classified as lower middle class so all we had was considered a blessing. Everything was quite precious. This included the ties Dad wore with his suits.
One day I had a bright idea. I took my G.I. Joe (a small army doll) for a ride in my red wagon. I needed a longer handle for the wagon, but couldn’t find a rope. So I went to the closet and took several of Dad’s finest ties, tying them together and to the wagon handle.
I went outside and began dragging the wagon with old G.I. Joe in it, through the huge mud puddle in the edge of the yard. When Dad drove up the driveway, he went into orbit. He grabbed his ties, then grabbed me and ran into the house.
You’re going to get a whipping within an inch of your life, He threatened!
Suddenly, I made a strange face—my best impression of a buck-toothed rabbit—changed my voice and said, “What’s up, doc?”
This caught my Dad off-guard, and he began laughing. He laughed and laughed; and the more he laughed, the more I would act like Bugs Bunny. I kept repeating, “What’s up, doc?” That day my old Bugs Bunny imitations saved me from an old-fashioned thrashing.
Oh yes, I do believe your children will turn out alright!
Go Ahead and Kill Me
We were in the back yard on a summer day. I was about nine, and I was arguing with my little brother. One thing we never did was to mouth off at Mom or Dad, especially Dad. I mouthed off and Dad grabbed my arm and said, “Let’s go inside!”
I knew what was coming. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a neighbor burning leaves next door. This was my only chance of escape! Sliding to my knees, I began yelling, “Go ahead and kill me. I know you want me dead. Go ahead and do it now!”
Dad’s face began turning beet red from embarrassment.
As if this wasn’t enough, I fell down and began moaning with a fake cry in my voice. Dad just walked away.
Later that evening, however, the stars and stripes were again ringing in the house!
Does this sound like something YOUR kids would do?
I’m Glad They Didn’t Kick Me Out
Age 11 was a time of unplanned and unexpected transition in my life. Mom says I was never a bad kid, just a curious one and always into something. I used to get a toy for Christmas and before the day was over, I would take it apart to see what was on the inside.
At age 11, I attended a week of church youth camp in Roanoke, Virginia. During this time, I disliked camp so much that I left the campground, walked across the interstate, called my mother and asked her to come and get me. She refused — we lived six hours away!
I began throwing rocks in the tabernacle that night, and got in trouble with the dorm leader. Then the state youth director, thingy Davis, sat me down and threatened to send me home if I didn’t act right. Although I wanted to go home, I knew better than to go home like this! thingy told me this was my last chance.
That night, I went to the altar and received the Holy Spirit baptism! This was the beginning of a spiritual change and a new direction in my young life.
Later, at a General Assembly, I saw Brother Davis and thanked him for not sending me home. Age 11 is when I felt the Lord laid His hand on my life.
Don’t give up on your children and grandchildren!
Season of Rebellion
I despised going to public schools because I didn’t fit in with the crowd. As a teenager, I believe the Enemy made a major effort to stop my call into the ministry. Age 16 was the most difficult season in my entire teenage life. It was a time of brief rebellion—not against the Lord, but I had an attitude of, “I am going to do my own thing.”
On one occasion I vividly remember, I jumped out of the car at a traffic light and ran away late at night. I spent several hours hiding in a drainage shaft near a convention center. Later, someone from Dad’s church found me and asked me to come home.
Shortly after this, several other young men and I had an all-night prayer meeting. During this night, the Lord’s presence visited us and I received a call into the ministry!
I always remind parents that just because their teenage child has accepted Christ, been filled with the Holy Spirit, and attends church, he or she is still a teenager. You cannot expect them to be at the same level of spiritual maturity that you are. Their interest in spiritual things may not seem as alert as you would desire.
You should do these three things:
1. Never give up on your children, under any condition or situation.
2. Do not lose hope just because things seem to get worse before they get better.
3. Know that God has a plan for your child’s destiny and prayer will help to bring it to pass.
Scripture Promises for You and Your Family
Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it (Proverbs 22:6).
So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household” (Acts 16:31).
For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, and floods on the dry ground; I will pour My Spirit on your descendants and My blessing on your offspring (Isaiah 44:3).
And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions. And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days (Joel 2:28, 29