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You are here: Home / Archives for children

Working Together For The Good…

April 17, 2012 by admin 4 Comments

In 1 Kings 12 of the Holy Bible we learn a valuable lesson between two different generations because they did not know how to deal with it in love. This lack of understanding caused a division in the body that eventually separated the people. When King Rehoboam asked for advice from the older generation that once  advised his father he rejected their wisdom because it was not what he wanted to hear and he wanted to prove himself. So, he called in some youth that he had grown up with to seek their advice and as expected their youth gave no mercy to the people because they wanted to show their own strength.

Why did the youth lash out towards the people? Why did they not want to give mercy instead of making matters worse ? Why were they carrying so much anger instead of learning from the past to help correct something in the future? Doesn’t the Lord show us here how the youth must have been carrying some anger towards those that were once in control? Do you think possibly that the youth might have felt suppressed as they matured because the elders were so stuck in their ways?  Can you see the importance of adding value to someone else’s life by involving our youth as we all continue to mature?

When a child receives freedom it is very important for them to understand the Word of God and to know how to mature in love rather than allowing their emotions to misguide their actions. Children that live under rules without love are more subject to break them because they do not understand them and when the older generation neglects how to develop the younger generation then we are only setting ourselves up for a possible division in the family of God.

The Word of God teaches us to listen and to always be alert for the wisdom that God provides because there is something to be gained in every age of life.  It is easy to become blinded when we get so wrapped up in building our own mission that we often forget how to add value to someone else’s.  When this takes place usually the very ones that miss out are the ones that are right at our feet because we become so busy with the world that we forget how to take care of our homes. God gives us children to carry on what He has given and God raises up men and women to carry on the direction that we are to serve.

When we don’t include those that God has placed around us whether in our homes, in our careers, in our churches or even in our nation then we are only setting ourselves up for a future division to come. This lesson is a very important message on how to develop the youth without causing rebellion and it teaches us the importance adding value to someone else’s life  so they will in turn do the same in the future. We go from one extreme to the other in this message between the youth and the older generation because the youth failed to understand the principles in the foundation while the elders failed to properly disciple their future generations. May God give us the wisdom to listen and learn from one another in order to lift the burdens that are on the people and to display that all things are possible through Christ as we come together in one mind and one spirit…amen… Please take a moment to listen to this song titled The Stand by Hillsong and ask the Lord in prayer what you can do today to help someone else. How we serve shows in whom we serve…

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans8:28

James A. Harrison

http://balancedlifeministry.org

http://specialdeliverybook.com

Filed Under: Balanced Life Ministry, Church Assistance, Leadership Forum, Spiritual Growth, The Church Voice Tagged With: children, God, James Harrison, jesus, life, love, rebellion, youth

New Year New Birth

December 31, 2011 by admin 1 Comment

Throughout our journey in life with God He often sends other individuals across our path in order to warn, encourage, assist, and give or to simply serve. Sometimes there are periods of life that can be compared to a desert where the Lord is waiting upon His children to return for a drink. As we learn to follow the direction of God it is not our place to challenge or take over something given by the Lord but to assist as a midwife in the birth and then to wait upon the Lord in His peace and understanding while trusting in Him for our future.

If God gives a direct order then we are to follow and to deliver but if not then we are to recognize the needs within the mission and learn to serve those needs to the best of our God given abilities. You will find that when something is being led by the Lord it will be moving forward at a gradual rate based upon the maturity of the people. It is the individual’s responsibility with the vision to insure the first steps taken and to not allow the excitement or the emotions to push something before its time. Not only is it the leaders position to insure the first steps with the Lord but it is his or her place to delegate specific responsibilities to the individuals based upon their God given talents and understanding. This confirmation between individuals comes in the spirit as Jonathan confirmed with David. Jonathan had no doubts of the love of God that was in David and he knew whatever took place that it was in the Lord’s hands. Another important part to recognize is what happens when we challenge the positions that have been given by the Lord due to our own lack of understanding. Through Gods Word we gain liberty, achieve honor and maintain order as we learn the importance of obedience to our Creator through His mercy and unfailing grace.

We learn these leadership characteristics through the life of many individuals throughout history but most of all from Jesus Christ who taught us the art of being a living sacrifice. The life of Moses and Joshua teach us many lessons within leadership, the passing of the mantle and the proper function of the body. In the first attempt to reach their destination Moses could have attempted to rally the troops after they returned with doubts but he knew then it would have been short lived due to acting on emotions instead of being led within the confidence of God that we develop as our relationship builds as we spend time with Him. We also learn what happens when authority is challenged as the family and followers of Korah were consumed by the world when they came against the authorities established by God. One other valuable lesson is how the murmuring and disobedience of the body prolonged the blessings of the Lord simply due to the lack of trust and disobedience to His instruction.

Often you will find in the birth of something new many who will come and many that will go. The reason for this is often due to someone’s lack of understanding in the Word of God within the mission or in any new organization. Sometimes missions are on individual basis and sometimes they are on corporate levels. On corporate levels of success the one with the original vision must wait upon the Lord to bring the people together in order to move forward toward the Promises of God. How we confirm these individuals is by the parts of the overall vision that God gives them, their willingness to assist with understanding and through the confirmation of the spirit. There is an established order by God within any organization just as it is within our homes and if we neglect this order then this will eventually bring confusion and division within the body structure.

It is very wise for every individual to understand our service or submission is unto the Lord and not unto man. On corporate levels, as individuals it is very wise to stay in tune with the Lord to insure the inner drive is to serve the people and not upon the returns. Our returns are not earthly returns but are of the eternal Kingdom of God.

One of the hardest things to overcome in our human nature is looking beyond what we see to recall the instruction of the Lord and acting within His Word when we face confrontation or obstacles in this temporary life. We learn in 2 Chronicles 34 of a new king Josiah that was only 8 years old at the time he received kingship. With the elders that submitted under his authority this displays the Lords instruction and obedience within their own lives. They could have been bitter because of his age or rebellious due to coveting someone else’s position but instead they chose to serve as Gods Word instructs. On the other hand we learn another lesson in 1 Kings 12 with another youth that refused to listen for the Godly council of the elders and this brought oppression upon the people. Another lesson was the political marriage of Ahab and Jezebel. Ahab allowed the persuasion of the world to rob him and those that he served due to only thinking of the monetary returns. Without the discipline of God man cannot handle power and the only way is through the humble example of Jesus Christ.

Spiritually Satan uses many tactics to hinder or prevent something of God and sometimes when he misses one generation he strikes through the next. This lesson was taught through the lesson of the beheading of John the Baptist. The Kings wife carried a grudge and it was this generational grudge that was carried out through her daughter. Unlike Jonathan who recognized something wrong of God within his father Saul, the daughter carried out the sin instead of breaking the chain of evil. We learn of many things throughout the Word of God that teach us how to maintain our homes, our careers and our nation but if we can’t learn to keep God’s Word in front of all things and teach the Word to our children then it is only a matter of time before we stumble and fall. I praise God today for this drink in the desert and it is my prayer for God’s children to stand again united in One to drink from the well of God and help serve the people from the bread of life in Jesus Christ…amen

“But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves”…Luke 22

 

James A. Harrison

http://balancedlifeministry.org

http://specialdeliverybook.com

Filed Under: Balanced Life Ministry, Church Assistance, Leadership Forum, Spiritual Growth, The Church Voice Tagged With: balance, balanced, birthing pains, children, creator, God, james harriosn, jesus, life, lord, love, new year

Maturing Within The Garden…

November 3, 2011 by admin Leave a Comment

The gift of being a parent parallels the responsibilities of a gardener. As a child is young they are very tender and need nurtured care. Then as the plant or child begins to mature we are to water them in the Word to strengthen their roots within our eternal foundation. The understanding of the pruning process in youth is a valuable lesson to learn. For if we give the miracle grow to an undeveloped child this often causes them to mature before their time.

There are always consequences to follow unnatural growth and the consequences often go unseen for many years due to our human nature of wanting things before we are ready to receive. Since the beginning of time in the Garden of Eden we can witness this message with Adam and Eve. This same parallel of a child can be compared to The United States of America and how we are now seeing the consequences of our overall disobedience due to chasing a dream without first understanding how to maintain what has been given.

There are principles within any garden in order to experience any type of harvest. It is when we neglect these principles of God that our garden’s and our children will struggle to produce future fruit. The object is to care for the garden that we have been given without neglecting our own. For when we don’t spend time in our garden is when the weeds can begin to grow and the serpents can begin to slip in.

If you were to look at your immediate surroundings today or lets say the temporary garden in which you have been given what would see? The garden first starts with our own temple which is our own body and then it reaches out to our homes, our careers and even in the church. I believe when we all begin to look at life as a garden that we will find that there is work that can be done. May I encourage you this morning to not sit on the porch to watch the weeds take over….For greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world….

James A. Harrison

http://balancedlifeministry.org

http://specialdeliverybook.com

 

Filed Under: Balanced Life Ministry, Church Assistance, Daily Growth, Health & Nutrition, Leadership Forum, Raising Children, Spiritual Growth Tagged With: america, children, fruit, garden, God, harvest, James Harrison, life, love, natural, special delivery

Jesus Can Heal The Wounds……

October 31, 2011 by admin Leave a Comment

Within the ministry of God it is unfortunate but true that many wounds are often inflicted on others. Some are direct darts from Satan and many others are simply due to the lack of maturity in the Word of God. When we look upon maturity in Christ it helps to compare this to the fruit on a tree. For not all fruit ripens at the same time for the harvest and it is very wise to recognize the stages of the fruit around us in order to insure their maturity. Another part of wisdom is to be honest in the maturing stage that we are in without acting like something that we are not. For whats wrong with saying,”This is where I am with God and here are my current growing pains?”

Like a child they often think they are ready for something before their time and it is when they receive it that they often discover it was more than they could handle. Within this lesson there are multiple lessons to those with the eyes to see and the ears to hear. Think about it! We learn this lesson through John Mark and Paul among many other parallels throughout the Word of God. For John Mark was commissioned by the Holy Spirit to assist Paul in His first mission but rather than sticking to the mission he left them to go on his own way due to his own lack of understanding and trust in God. In time they were brought back together as Paul instructed Timothy to bring John Mark in a future mission and it was this time apart that the love of Jesus helped to heal the wounds.

One of the vital parts of maturity and understanding is recognizing and acknowledging the lessons that are gained in our trials. These test that are often before us are there to help us mature but far too often we miss the true healing due to not sharing the lessons we learn and wanting to place blame on someone else. It is when we learn to stand on God’s Word and take our trials to the Lord that He will show us the proper Way to reach the other side. So with all this being said this morning may I encourage you to not allow your feelings or your own lack of understanding to move you from where you are. Seek God with a humbled heart and be willing to do as He instructs to witness the healing that can take place in the hand of God…

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds.” James 1:2

James A. Harrison

http://balancedlifeministry.org

http://specialdeliverybook.com

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Balanced Life Ministry, Church Assistance, Daily Growth, Divorce & Broken Homes, Leadership Forum, Marriage, Spiritual Growth Tagged With: balanced, children, God, hurt, james, James Harrison, jesus, life, love, wounds

Stay In Tune With God….

September 30, 2011 by admin Leave a Comment

The Lord plainly tells us how to recognize a false prophet or someone that claims to be a child of God by the fruit they bare. If there is no fruit then they are illegitimate children without the roots which keep them intact to feed the people. Many people talk the talk but there is a major difference in someone who walks the walk and those that raise themselves up into a position that is to be given by God.

God spoke to Moses and then instructed him to speak to Aaron in order to teach us how to recognize the Word of God that speaks through the leaders He raises up. Since the vale has been torn God now speaks in many ways that we often miss simply because we don’t know His Word. For how can we recognize the Word if we don’t know the Word and how can we see something if we don’t know what we are looking for? I urge you to to step out of the world in order to listen for the Truth. The longer we sleep the more we miss and the further we fall the harder the hit. If you recall the time frame of Eli and Samuel the lamp was dim without vision because the people had drifted away from God… May I urge you to hear the call and to recognize the signs for our children’s future….Enjoy this video by Lee Greenwood http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q65KZIqay4E and may it inspire you to STAND UP in the Truth of God…

James A. Harrison

http://balancedlifeministry.org

http://specialdeliverybook.com

Filed Under: Balanced Life Ministry, Church Assistance, Daily Growth, Leadership Forum, Raising Children Tagged With: america, balanced, children, eli, God, James Harrison, life, moses, samuel, special delivery, truth

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Letter to America

August 20, 2017 By admin Leave a Comment

Where are the men of God?! [Read More…]

pickwickoutpost

Moving Forward At The Outpost…

August 14, 2012 By admin Leave a Comment

The Lord recently led me from my daily writings at BLM, to living it out in faith, at a little place on the edge of the TN River called The Outpost located in Pickwick, TN.

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Don’t be like Eli in 1st Samuel and miss something that has been given by God. If you recall with Eli he did not listen because the Word of God was rare in those days and he did not recognize what was taking place until he saw the persistence of Samuel…

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