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Brooksyne Weber
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Thursday, June 16,
2022
I enjoy these vertical planting surfaces we saw at Fisher's Greenhouse here in Lancaster County. These plants' roots are woven through cocoa matting. On the other side of the cocoa matting is soil about 3 inches deep enclosed in a steel frame. The result is the frame can be hung on a wall and the plants grow vertically!
"A
Pleading
Father"
Message
summary: Dads, moms, and
grandparents, let us follow the example of Jairus.
Critical problems demand a serious response. Let's boldly
stand up, persevere, and fight the good fight of faith for
our children and grandchildren as they battle the evil one
in this present evil age. We can make a difference as we
regularly pray, lead by example, and faithfully instruct
our young in the ways of the Lord!
"Then one
of the synagogue leaders, named Jairus, came, and when
he saw Jesus, he fell at His feet. He pleaded earnestly
with Him, “My little daughter is dying. Please come and
put your hands on her so that she will be healed and
live" (Mark 5:22.23).
What
a blessing it is to know a father's love. This coming
Sunday is "Father's Day", a day set aside here in America
(along with Mother's Day in May) to honor our parents.
Both days recognize the value of the 5th Commandment, "Thou
shalt honor thy father and thy mother." My father
(Stephen's) died in 1998 and Brooksyne's in 2000 but
recollections of their love abound in our bank of
memories.Many reading
this have a knowledge and experience of their earthly
father's love but certainly not all do. Tragically, as a
result of rampant sinfulness and sexual anarchy, a large
and growing number of children have a poor image of their
father and some do not even have the concept of what a
father is. This most certainly is having dire consequences
and these consequences will grow exponentially as we
depart further and further from God's design for marriage
and the family.
Whatever our experience is with earthly fathers, through the redemptive work of Christ we can all have a deep assurance of our Heavenly Father's love!
Jairus is one of my favorite dads mentioned in the Bible. Only Mark and Luke mention this story. Although he had a leadership position in the synagogue his role as a father took prominence in the brief story written about him in Scripture.
Whatever our experience is with earthly fathers, through the redemptive work of Christ we can all have a deep assurance of our Heavenly Father's love!
Jairus is one of my favorite dads mentioned in the Bible. Only Mark and Luke mention this story. Although he had a leadership position in the synagogue his role as a father took prominence in the brief story written about him in Scripture.
Jairus
demonstrates four qualities needed today by all godly
fathers:
1) Love. We aren't told if Jairus had any sons, but Luke's account indicates that he only had one daughter. She was twelve years old, and tragically, she was dying. During the long course of our ministry we've seen the anguish of loving parents whose child is critically ill or whose debilitating disease is beyond the skill of the medical profession to help. My very first funeral was for a baby. We had our own share of agonizing distress when Ester, as an infant and child, experienced complications during her heart surgeries or endured long, grueling recoveries as a child and as an adult (of course, like any loving parents, she'll always be our little girl no matter her age).
2)
Pleading. Help was desperately needed and Jairus,
likely overcoming pride, panic and
prejudice, (especially as a synagogue
ruler) very publicly approached Jesus for help. He went to
the right Person. He came to the Master and "when he saw Jesus, he fell
at His feet. He pleaded earnestly with Him. My little daughter is
dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that
she will be healed and live".
The same desperation observed in Jairus earnestly pleading with Jesus, on behalf of his daughter, needs to be demonstrated by caring fathers today. His daughter was dying physically and Jairus needed Christ to intervene. Today our children face a spiritual onslaught from the enemy of our soul whom Jesus warns, "comes only to steal and kill and destroy" (John 10:10). We desperately need Christ to intercede for the hearts of our children. Our world is sick and dying. Sin and wickedness seems to know no bounds. Our children are at the edge of a slippery precipice. They're flooded with appeals to "Jump!" The loving father (and mother) must stand at the edge and shout "Don't throw it all away, there is hope in Jesus Christ".
1) Love. We aren't told if Jairus had any sons, but Luke's account indicates that he only had one daughter. She was twelve years old, and tragically, she was dying. During the long course of our ministry we've seen the anguish of loving parents whose child is critically ill or whose debilitating disease is beyond the skill of the medical profession to help. My very first funeral was for a baby. We had our own share of agonizing distress when Ester, as an infant and child, experienced complications during her heart surgeries or endured long, grueling recoveries as a child and as an adult (of course, like any loving parents, she'll always be our little girl no matter her age).
2)
Pleading. Help was desperately needed and Jairus,
likely overcoming pride, panic and
prejudice, (especially as a synagogue
ruler) very publicly approached Jesus for help. He went to
the right Person. He came to the Master and "when he saw Jesus, he fell
at His feet. He pleaded earnestly with Him. My little daughter is
dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that
she will be healed and live".The same desperation observed in Jairus earnestly pleading with Jesus, on behalf of his daughter, needs to be demonstrated by caring fathers today. His daughter was dying physically and Jairus needed Christ to intervene. Today our children face a spiritual onslaught from the enemy of our soul whom Jesus warns, "comes only to steal and kill and destroy" (John 10:10). We desperately need Christ to intercede for the hearts of our children. Our world is sick and dying. Sin and wickedness seems to know no bounds. Our children are at the edge of a slippery precipice. They're flooded with appeals to "Jump!" The loving father (and mother) must stand at the edge and shout "Don't throw it all away, there is hope in Jesus Christ".
3)
Persistence: They were
delayed when the woman who had bled for twelve years
touched the hem of the Master's garment. Surely this delay
was very annoying to Jairus. He probably muttered, "Come
on, come on, can't you go any faster!" (in Aramaic of
course). It was at this point that
Jairus received word that his daughter had died and was
told, "Don't bother the teacher anymore" (Luke
9:49). This must have been crushing. But he was
persistent.
4) Faith. It took faith for Jairus to
approach Jesus and faith to hold on for the miracle. After
receiving the news that his daughter had died Jesus said,
"Don't be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed"
(Luke 9:50). Jairus believed this word and they indeed
went to his home, a great miracle was performed, and the
account ends with her parents being astonished. I've often
wondered whatever happened concerning Bible characters
like Jairus, his wife, daughter and perhaps sons. Were
they a part of the early church? If so what a living
testimony they had!Dads, Moms, and Grandparents, let us follow the example of Jairus. Critical problems demand a serious response. Let's boldly stand up, persevere, and fight the good fight of faith for our children and grandchildren as they battle the evil one in this present evil age. We can make a difference as we regularly pray, lead by example, and faithfully instruct our young in the ways of the Lord!
Be
encouraged today, (Hebrews 3:13)
Stephen
& Brooksyne Weber
Daily
prayer: Father, we are given a
tremendous trust when You permit us to
raise a child. What begins as a
privilege and blessing can also turn
into a challenge or desperate situation.
No circumstance is too difficult for
You. Your arm is not too weak to save,
nor Your ear too deaf to hear our
heart's cry. We pray for our children as
they seek to overcome life's
difficulties and battle the enemy's
schemes. Help us to properly provide for
their physical and spiritual needs as
they journey into adulthood. We pray
especially for fathers, that they will
take their rightful place as head of
their homes; tenderly leading their
children in the ways of the Lord by
example and instruction according to
Your holy book. In the name of Jesus we
pray. Amen.Today's
Suggested Music and Supplemental
Resources
"A
Man You Would Write About" Video
4HIM Our Texan friend, David
Penley, suggests this song in regard to
men who stand up for the Lord in our
time.
Highly
recommended: In our Sunday School
class we are studying an outstanding book
by Erwin Lutzer titled "We Will Not Be
Silenced: Responding Courageously to Our
Culture's Assault on Christianity". Here's a page with a
video introduction.
This view from our front lawn, as we watched the sunset, could have been taken in 1950!
(Click on photo for larger view)
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Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. and the King James Version.
Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."
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