Posted by
jgrantswankjr on Tuesday, March 31, 2009 6:12:49 PM
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J. Grant Swank, Jr.
". . .weep for your children." Luke 23:28
When
one carries the cross, others are looking on. Those closest to the
cross carrier are family members. Therefore, it is the privilege before
God to carry that cross nobly. Its reputation must be without blemish.
As
Jesus was being hauled up Calvary's hill, there were those who cried
out to Him, lamenting His plight. Jesus responded by stating:
"Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and
for your children."
So we still weep for our children. It is
the parents' privilege to intercede on behalf of the souls brought into
this spiritually fallen sphere.
As the church age climaxes
and the foe become more fierce against the believing remnant, all the
more the cross ambassadors must cry to heaven on behalf of their
offspring. There are too many traps being set by Satan against our
children. They are pulled every day in the direction of dark caves to
ruin and damn.
Even
when those children would mock the cross, the cross bearer continues
consistently loyal to Jesus. There can be no room for compromising in
order to "serve the family" ahead of God. Not husband nor wife nor
children nor any other clan member can come first in our allegiances.
God is God and therefore we seek "first the kingdom of God and His
righteousness." All else must come after that priority.
So
it is that our children will take note of where we place our
priorities. Always keep the cross at the forefront of your heart, your
day, your nighttime, your relationships.
To weep for our
children is to yearn for their salvation. It is to carry a rightful
concern that they come into the crosswalk as well. Eventually some of
them will; others will not. Their free wills determine their destinies;
however, the cross example set by parents will be paramount.
Carry
the cross, yoked with Jesus, so that those under your roof can witness
your steadiness in the climb. It is significant that they see that
Christianity is real, especially since there is so much which is
counterfeit on all sides.
Weep for your children, not
neurotically, but prophetically. That is, the weeping before heaven's
throne on behalf of others has a Spirit-inspired power behind it. There
is a might in intercession which is not present in other prayers. The
reason is because the one praying is not praying for self but for
someone else.
Consequently, frequently bring those
children's souls to God in intercession. Let the demons hear your
pleas. Permit the angels the honor of approving your petitions. Let the
indwelling Spirit lift from your heart your concern, placing it before
your heavenly Advocate for Him to present to the Father.
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