John 13:34-35 NKJV

³⁴ A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. ³⁵ By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Encouragement for the Journey

In my prayer time this morning the Lord brought this to my attention: As believers in Christ, we have three responsibilities:

• Being the light to non-believers AND believers
• Walking with the Holy Spirit
• Teaching the children the way they should go

He showed me that each of these responsibilities enables us to fulfill the greatest commandment given to us- Love one another.

Responsible for being the light to non-believers AND believers  

Ephesians 5:8-13 NKJV

⁸ For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light ⁹ (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), ¹⁰ finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. ¹¹ And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. ¹² For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. ¹³ But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. 

~ Why is this our responsibility? ~ How are we to be the light?
Because the Bible says it is. V.8 says- Walk as children of light. We aren’t to join in on the abominable acts the world does. We are not to agree with or ignore anything the Lord declares unholy.We are to be the light. Light and dark do not mix- light always overtakes the dark. We are to live holy and righteous.

In Matthew 5:14-16, Jesus tells us to shine, not hide. We are not to shrink back, but to be bold, denying fleshly desires and doing what is pleasing in the sight of the Lord. As we do this, the love of Christ shines through us. As we do this, we take part in the Great Commission (Matthew 28:16–20). It is the gospel that saved us and brought us from darkness to light, and it is that same gospel that others need. He is the light in us; we must let that light shine!

Responsible for walking with the Holy Spirit 
Galatians 5:16-18 NKJV

¹⁶ I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. ¹⁷ For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. ¹⁸ But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

Everything we do should be spirit-led and our words should be spirit-infused. If we walk and talk with Holy Spirit, love abounds in us and through us. We cannot love our neighbors as we are called to in the Word if we are fulfilling the lust of the flesh. When others speak with us, they receive what they truly need if Holy Spirit is speaking through us, rather than our emotions or flesh. We must, then, be careful to walk in this way. Without Holy Spirit’s guidance, we can lead others astray, cause hurt, or help them stay in a fleshy/ emotional state. We, as believers of the Most High, should not hinder with our words or actions. We should bless and love. This is not worldly love, but Abba’s love. Just Christ loves us, so should we love by the Spirit.

If you continue reading Galatians 5, the Lord clearly describes both the works of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit. We are called to walk in the Spirit by denying and resisting the works of the flesh. These works should have no place in us, and they will not if we are filled with His Spirit. As we are filled with the fruit of His Spirit, we easily love. It is, after all, the first fruit listed.

Responsible for teaching the children the way they should go

Deuteronomy 6:6-9 NKJV

⁶ “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. ⁷ You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. ⁸ You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. ⁹ You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

This is a topic I could stay on all day and even teach a six-week class about. As the Body of Christ, we must take a stronger, more intentional stance in raising God-fearing children. For those of us who are parents and guardians, this is our first ministry and calling. I wish this had been told to me when I was a young (or should I say younger) mom.

Listen… cuteness, talent, and intelligence will not protect our children from the enemy’s hidden agenda—to pull them away from the Lord and turn them toward darkness. Many don’t realize that Satanists begin training children from birth. When a child is brought into the occult, the training starts immediately, with casting spells beginning as early as three years old. They are purposeful and focused at all times. If they are so intentional with their children, why are we so lax with ours? Why do we not take seriously the call to train up our children in the way they should go, just as the Word instructs us?

Suicide, perversion, depression, confusion of identity… all of these things are running rampant through this generation… the generation that my children are in. It’s everywhere- in and out of the church. We ought to take this seriously.

When it comes to our children, we must love them enough to give them what will save their souls from Hell. Children need discipleship, and parents and guardians must take the lead—serving as disciplers and giving them the Word of God. If we don’t, who will? It is not enough for our young ones to attend children’s church and youth group, or to go to church once a week, nor is it enough to enroll them in Christian schools or send them to Christian camps. Don’t get me wrong, those things help. But the same issues we see in the world are, unfortunately, also present in many churches. We need a divine blueprint from the Father for raising, protecting, and discipling our children. We must ask Him for the blueprint.

I’ll stop there on this topic…

There is so much happening in the times we are in. Just as Jesus spoke in Matthew 25, we are seeing wars and rumors of wars, trials and tribulations, nations rising against nations, and deception through false prophets—it is all unfolding before our eyes. In this hour, we must take our responsibilities seriously. We must love. We must choose light over darkness. We must be led by the Holy Spirit and deny all ungodliness. We must protect our children, teach them, and guide them in all truth. This is imperative. The darkness will grow darker, but through Christ Jesus we are victorious—and in Him, we win!

In upcoming blogs, I’ll explore each of these responsibilities in more detail. The Lord is turning our attention from worldly things to what He sees as important and holy.

I pray that love leads each of us to receive a divine understanding of each responsibility. I pray we adhere and respond to what the Spirit of the Lord is saying in this time. I pray we do not take this lightly, but we pray and seek the Lord as to how this applies to us. I pray that, as we abide and spend time in His presence, a release of blueprints for raising children be given to each of us who asks.

Promises for the Journey

Matthew 28:18-20 KNJV

¹⁸ And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. ¹⁹ Go therefore andmake disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

Matthew 5:14:16 NKJV

¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.¹⁶ Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

Proverbs 22:6 NKJV

⁶ Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.