Building Strong Families: The Foundation of Ministry

Devotional

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I want to emphasize what we have often referred to in the church that our ministry in the church is dependent on our life at home now it was not like that in the Old Covenant in the Old Covenant husband-wife relationship was totally unimportant there's no there was emphasis on bringing up your children in good ways teaching them the Word of God. [00:00:17]

When it comes to the New Covenant we're told that a man cannot be an elder if he doesn't have a good testimony at home a good testimony in the neighborhood he's brought up his children well all those things are mentioned in the New Testament it's a very high standard when you look at it. [00:02:22]

The ground floor the first storey of a church is our personal walk with God with a good conscience on top of that the second storey is our family life in the third storey is our church ministry so the church ministry can only be built on a personal walk with God and our family life. [00:04:56]

Our children know us better than anybody in the church, the people who know you best are your children and the servants who work in your house and the testimony of your servants and your children let me tell you this far more important than what anybody in the church thinks of you. [00:08:44]

I made many mistakes in bringing up my children I've often punished them in anger and I would always almost immediately after punishing them rush off to the bathroom lock the door and really repent and weep before God over a period of time my children discovered what I was doing. [00:09:57]

I want to tell you that none of us come to perfection like that we press on to perfection see one of the accusations people make against CFC is you guys think you're perfect and the rest of Christendom is not I said just come to our church building and see what's written on our pulpit. [00:11:32]

Christianity is meant to be a life of self-denial and sacrifice and what is it that such wives don't like the self-denial the sacrifice that's what they don't like and that's why they never become godly they can live comfortable lives without any they can run their own life. [00:25:50]

God has to allow for our sanctification God has to allow some type of self-denial in our life somewhere otherwise we'll never grow spiritually those of you who have a very comfortable life and nothing to disturb it you have no typical in-laws plenty of money nice house. [00:28:06]

I want to say to you my dear brothers and sisters what you need more than anything else is the baptism in the Holy Spirit and fire and don't just sit back and imagine that you have it I hope you have the real thing and if you are baptized in the Holy Spirit and fire do what I do. [00:38:06]

Live before God's face and I believe all of you can have wonderful families that's my prayer all your problems are solved praise the Lord if not the Holy Spirit will help you let's pray Heavenly Father as we bow before you help us to honor you in our family lives. [00:59:33]

Your children are far more influenced by what they see in you more than what you preach to them one of the questions is how can we get children to be interested in reading the Scriptures well what I did was I got I know that children all children are interested in comics. [00:41:54]

I remember one of my sons telling me he said dad it was not just preaching but you know when I got up in in the morning from bed as a little boy and came through the sitting room I always saw you there every single morning with your Bible and he says that formed an impression upon my mind. [00:41:54]

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