Program 99: Raising children for Christ

Learn biblical techniques for raising children to love and honor Yahuwah.

Welcome to WLC Radio, a subsidiary of World’s Last Chance Ministries, an online ministry dedicated to learning how to live in constant readiness for the Savior's return.

For two thousand years, believers of every generation have longed to be the last generation. Contrary to popular belief, though, Christ did not give believers “signs of the times” to watch for. Instead, he repeatedly warned that his coming would take even the faithful by surprise. Yahushua urgently warned believers to be ready because, he said, “The Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” [Matthew 24:44]

WLC Radio: Teaching minds and preparing hearts for Christ's sudden return.

Part 1: (Miles & Dave)

Miles Robey: Hello and a very warm welcome to our listeners. We’re so glad you could join us for another program on World’s Last Chance Radio. I’m Miles Robey, your host, and joining me is my good friend, Dave Wright.

Dave Wright: Hello! Thanks for making us a part of your day. We always look forward to this hour every day when we can spend time in Yah’s word, learning and sharing truths important to know in these last days.

Miles: If you’ve joined us before, you know we like to start with a quick word of explanation for our first-time listeners. On WLC, we feel privileged to know the personal name of the Creator, which is Yahuwah, or Yah.

It’s been lost in our modern translations where it appears under the generic title: “lord.” We don’t like to use “lord” when referring to the Creator because there are so many! In 1 Corinthians 8, Paul says: “For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,) but to us there is but one God [or “theos” in the Greek], the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Yahushua the anointed, by whom are all things, and we by him.”

Dave: El, eloah, and elohim are Hebrew titles used throughout the Old Testament. They refer to Yahuwah and are often used with the divine name. In the New Testament, “Jesus” name is actually Yahushua. Some people say Yahshua, Yeshua. That’s fine. Different languages find different sounds easier to pronounce, but the full name is Yahushua.

Miles: One reason we always take the time to offer this explanation is because Scripture repeatedly urges believers to “call upon the name of Yahuwah.” In the modern translations it says, “Call upon the name of the Lord,” but the original says to “Call upon the name of Yahuwah.”

This is important. What gets lost when titles are used is the true meaning of the divine name.

The Father’s name comes from a Hebrew verb of being, hayah. What’s so beautiful is this, the root word for the Father’s name, was used throughout the Creation of our world!

Dave: “Light BE! Light was.”

Miles: The same power that spoke the universe into existence is contained in the word of Yah. So, when you say the Father’s name in combination with your need, it becomes a powerful promise you can claim by faith! That’s what it truly means to “call upon the name of Yahuwah.”

Dave: It’s important to know these things because at some point, we’re all going to be brought into an impossible situation where only Yah’s power can deliver. And if we haven’t made it a habit to call upon Him now, if we haven’t learned to trust in Him when things are going well, we’re much more likely to cave into pressure then.

It’s important to know so we can start making it a habit to call on the name of Yahuwah.

Miles: Today, we’re going to be talking about what, potentially, is the most important topic you’ll ever hear us discuss, at least important in terms of its impact on other lives, and that is: parenting. How do we raise our children for Christ?

If you don’t have children of your own, this still applies to you. There are children and young people all around. We have a responsibility for nurturing these younger members of Yah’s family.

So, today, I’ve asked Dave to share with us some practical pointers on how to raise spiritually minded children. Dave?

Dave: I like how you said that, Miles, referring to the children and youth as the younger members of Yah’s family because that’s precisely what they are.

A parent’s job is the most important work in the world! We are, quite literally, raising the next generation of citizens of the kingdom of Heaven. And how we influence them, how we train them, has very far-reaching effects.

Miles: I don’t think we realize that enough; or, at least, act on that truth enough. Abraham Lincoln was president of the United States back during a horribly turbulent period in the 1860s. He was widely known, even among his political enemies, for his high moral character and, most especially, his honesty.

Dave: Didn’t they give him the nickname Honest Abe?

Miles: Yes, actually. Anyway, he didn’t have the most stable upbringing, but he did have a dedicated mother. Lincoln said something once that really demonstrates the power of effective parenting. He said, quote: “All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother.”

Another time, he wrote, quote: “I remember my mother’s prayers and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life.”

Dave: That’s beautiful. Both mothers and fathers have very long-lasting influence on their kids, both for good and for bad. The good news for us, though, is that for every little effort we make to raise our kids right, Yah will bless and magnify our efforts!

He knows we’re trying to raise them for Him, so He’ll send angels to work with us and bless our efforts.

Miles: Is there a particular philosophy of parenting that you find especially good or helpful?

Dave: As a matter of fact, there is. It’s more of an analogy than anything, but let me share it with you. I think you’ll see the value in this illustration.

Miles: All right. What’s that?

Dave: It’s the analogy of a garden.

Miles: Oh, yeah. I’ve heard that: “Children are flowers in the garden of life.”

Dave: Actually, no. I mean, that’s true, but the analogy is comparing a child’s mind and character to a garden.

Now, if you want a beautiful garden, what’s the first thing you do?

Miles: Uh, well, you have to get the ground ready. You get rid of all the weeds.

Dave: You pull the weeds, right. Now, this is where a lot of parents stop. They see a weed in their child’s character-garden and they’re very good and very diligent about pulling it. They keep a close watch to make sure no little weeds rear their ugly heads.

But, tell me: if all you ever do is pull weeds, are you going to have a bountiful, flourishing, beautiful garden?

Miles laughs: No. At best you’ll have a mud patch.

Dave: Right! It takes more than weeding to grow a beautiful, productive garden. It also takes planting. You have to actively nurture what you do want.

This is where I see a lot of parents fail. Sure! Weeding is an on-going part of being a parent. But if you want your child to have the beautiful flowers of kindness, courtesy, patience, you’re going to have to train that into them.

Miles: That’s a good point. Babies aren’t born automatically knowing how to be polite!

Dave: Nor are they born automatically having a good work ethic. If you want your children to grow up to be polite, kind, honest, hardworking, contributing members of society, you’re going to have to actively train them to be that kind of person.

Miles: I remember when our first child was born, my mother-in-law said that it was important we raise him to be the kind of person we wanted him to be as an 18-year old.

Dave: That’s another good way to put it. And these principles hold doubly true if we want to raise our children to be spiritually minded. How many conservative Christian parents do you know, whose kids end up turning their backs on their parents’ beliefs once they’re grown?

Miles: Too many.

Dave: I want to spend the rest of our time today focusing on specifics. How do we raise children to be spiritual, committed-to-Yah adults? What are the seedlings we plant in childhood that will bear a bountiful harvest in adulthood?

The first I’d say is prayer. Pray for and with your child. You can even pray for them while they’re still in the womb.

Miles: Years ago, we had a friend who said that she had dedicated her middle child to Yah before it was even conceived and that she’d always noticed a distinctive difference in that child’s spirit and attitude as compared to her other kids.

Dave: That’s beautiful. Prayer is powerful! It changes things. If you want to raise your child to be spiritually minded, you need to teach him or her how to pray. And not just by example, although that’s important, too. Teach your children to pray so that they can always have that one-on-one connection with Yah for themselves from an early age.

Miles: One thing I’d like to share here is that I think it’s important we teach our kids to pray to the Father. We pray in the name of Yahushua, but we pray to the Father.

How many kids are taught to pray, “Dear Jesus …”

Dear Jesus this. Dear Jesus that. They grow up hearing about how much the Saviour loves them—and he does. They grow up singing, “Jesus loves me this I know!” And that’s all great. It’s all true.

The problem is, they grow up feeling an attachment to Yahushua, while Yahuwah becomes this scary, shadowy authority figure for whom they feel no real emotional attachment other than fear. At best, all they’ll have is an intellectual knowledge that Yah loves them. At least, they’ve been told that He does. But they have no real heart-connection to Him when the whole focus is on Yahushua.

Dave: That’s a good point. Very insightful. And you’re right. It’s important to remember that the son came to show us the Father. He was never intended to usurp the Father’s place in our hearts.

Miles: This is especially important in broken homes, or situations where there is an abusive, authoritarian father-figure. We men have got to realize that we stand in the place of Yah to our kids.

Dave: Both parents do, really.

Miles: Yes, but especially fathers by virtue of the fact that we’re, well, “fathers.” If we’re always strict, and stern, never loving and understanding with our children, that is going to shape their view of their heavenly Father.

How can it not? If we tell them their heavenly Father forgives their sins, but then if we, their earthly fathers, turn around and yell at them for making honest mistakes, or having accidents, or even making poor choices based on their youthful lack of experience, what does that say about their heavenly Father?

Dave: It says that He’s just like Dad. That when they sin, He’ll get angry with them.

You’re right. It’s a solemn responsibility.

Miles: We’re going to have to take a short break—

Dave: Okay, but when we return, I want to expand on this point a bit.

Miles: Be right back!

* * *

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* * *Part 2: (Miles & Dave)

Miles: Parenting is both the hardest and the most rewarding job in the world. But it becomes much more solemn when we realize our responsibility before Yah in raising our children to be members of His kingdom.

Dave?

Dave: I want to talk a little bit more about being our children’s role models. Now, we can say all we like, “Don’t look at me. I’m not perfect” but they are going to look to us. We’re the authority figures in their lives. How we treat our children is going to impact them and it will shape their mental image of Yah.

Miles: Saying, “Don’t look at me; I’m not perfect” is really an easy out. Listen to this. This is from 1 Corinthians 11, verse 1. Paul says: “Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.”

So, yeah. Our kids—and others—do look to us. We need to take responsibility for that and act like it.

Dave: We do. Any parent who’s ever hit his thumb with a hammer and blurted out a bad word, just to hear their little darling then repeat it over, and over, and over again, knows that children learn by example.

This is both a good thing and a bad thing. In my personal opinion, and based on my observation, this is the single biggest reason why children turn their back on their parents’ teachings.

Miles: Why do you say that? We just got through saying parents should teach by example.

Dave: Yes, but how many of them are consistent? How many of them live what they teach? This is utterly crucial to raising spiritually minded children.

Take, for example, movies. A parent can preach all they want about a wise use of time, keeping our focus on Yah, they can quote, “By beholding we become changed” but if, say, dad wants to watch the latest Hollywood blockbuster action movie, full of violence, crude humor, and nudity, what’s the kid going to remember?

Miles: The actions rather than the words.

Dave: I’m going to say something that I’ve kind of been hesitating whether I should say or not. I don’t want to be misunderstood and not everyone may agree with me on this, but …

Miles: Just say it. You can always take it back later.

Dave: All right. Here it is. In my personal opinion, and you’re free to disagree with me, but in my personal opinion, if a parent has a bad habit he doesn’t want to give up, if she has some pet sin she secretly wants to cling to, they would be better off not teaching the child the higher standard at all, rather than teaching a high standard, but living a double standard.

Based on my observance, this is the number 1 cause of why adult children turn their back on their parents’ teachings.

Miles: I can see that. At least, if nothing is taught at all, it leaves room for the spirit of Yah to convict the child’s heart. But if the parents’ actions contradict their teachings, what gets tossed out are the teachings, rather than the actions. The actions are copied.

Dave: Exactly my point.

Miles: Okay, but … we don’t want to take this too far. What about in cases of addiction, where Mummy can’t seem to give up smoking, or Daddy is a struggling alcoholic? What then?

Dave: I agree. This is a bit different. If a parent has an addiction problem, it should be explained to the children what addiction means, using words appropriate for their age level. This has even more force if the explanation comes from the parent who is struggling to overcome the addiction.

All sin is addictive, but certain addictions, such as drugs, alcohol, and nicotine, cause a physiological dependence in the body, or the brain chemistry, that is not the same thing as being convicted to give up worldly pursuits but just not being willing to do so.

Miles: Yeah, I get that.

Dave: When one or both parents have a life that is inconsistent with what they teach, the vast majority of kids will turn away when they’re grown. That’s why I say it’s better for parents to say nothing at all than to live a life that’s inconsistent with their teachings. At least that gives the spirit of Yah room to work and convict the child’s heart. Otherwise, the danger is that the grown child will throw it all out in disgust.

Miles: That kind of reminds me of something Yahushua told the disciples. Give me just a second to turn there. It’s in Luke 17, verses 1 and 2. He says: “Then he said to the disciples, “It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come! It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.”

Dave: That’s how important our example is; how much influence our lifestyle choices really have on others. Not just our own kids, but others, too.

While you’ve got your Bible open there, would you turn to Matthew 19 and read verse 14 for us?

Miles: “Yahushua said, ‘Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.’”

Dave: “Let the little children come to me.” Allow them. It’s like he’s saying: “They’ll come if you don’t turn them away.” And one of the biggest ways we keep them away is when our own lives are not consistent with what we say we believe to be the truth.

One good thing every parent can teach by example is the fact that truth always advances. We’re not supposed to settle back, twiddle our thumbs, and announce that we’ve got all the light necessary for salvation. As we study Scripture, our understanding will grow, and as our understanding grows, we need to share these new beliefs with our children.

Miles: That’s important. I know at first, I was a bit worried presenting new ideas to my kids. My wife and I had studied them out, sure. We were convinced. But we were a bit afraid that if we told our kids that something we’d taught them was truth was, actually, error, we were afraid they’d … I don’t know. Have some mini-crisis of faith and throw it all out?

But that didn’t happen. It wasn’t as upsetting to them as it was to us to learn that we’d been believing error all these years.

Dave: No, and it’s not going to be. Kids are used to learning new ideas. It’s part of childhood and youth. It’s only when we get out of school that we think we’ve arrived and don’t need to learn anymore.

But if one of the basic principles you teach your kids is that they have a responsibility before Yah to keep studying, and keep learning truth, because truth always advances, then when you need to adjust, they won’t have any problem with that.

Miles: That’s good. So they just grow up with the understanding that you keep learning more truth all life long.

Dave: Right.

Miles: Well, how can you get your kids into the word? I mean, there are a lot of adults that don’t like to read their Bibles. How can we get our kids into it?

Dave: The younger they are, the easier it is. You’re right: a lot of adults don’t like to read their Bibles, either. It’s boring. You feed yourself a steady diet of novels, and worldly distractions, you’re not going to be hungry for the word of Yah.

Miles: I’ve noticed, though, that the more you read, the more you want to read. It’s like dehydration. A person who’s chronically dehydrated doesn’t even feel thirsty anymore. But if he starts drinking and giving his body adequate water, he’ll start to feel thirsty.

Dave: I’ve noticed that in my own life, too.

Okay, for getting our kids into the word. Again. The sooner, the better. We lead here by example. They should know that we have personal, morning devotions. We should also have morning and evening family worship.

It doesn’t have to be long. Most people’s mornings are rushed and by evening we’re all tired. But setting aside time together as a family is important.

Pray together. Sing if you can sing. Read a bit from Scripture or an age-appropriate worship book. Don’t make it some glum, solemn affair. The closeness the kids feel during these times they will associate with Yah.

Miles: I think it’s really great if fathers will lead out in morning and evening family worships, but often they don’t feel comfortable doing so. Ladies, if you’re raising your kids on your own, or if you have a husband that doesn’t want to lead out in family worship, don’t feel as though your taking the lead on this somehow makes it less effective.

It doesn’t. Anything we do as parents is only effective as Yah blesses our efforts. You being the one to lead out in family worship is just as valuable and important, it’s just as influential as if your husband did it.

Dave: Well, look at Timothy! Let’s read Acts 16, verses 1 and 2. Timothy was a devout young man, even though he grew up in a divided home. You have it? Go ahead.

Miles: “Then came he to Derbe and Lystra: and, behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timotheus, the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewess, and believed; but his father was a Greek: which was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium.”

Dave: Obviously, there were plenty of Greeks who were believers. But from the way this was phrased, we know that Timothy’s father was not one of them.

Years later, near the end of Paul’s life, he wrote a letter to Timothy in which he said, quote: “When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.”

So these women, two women alone in a real sense when it came to Timothy’s spiritual upbringing, were extremely influential. Because of their godly influence, Timothy was able to join with Paul and became a powerful leader in his own right in the early church.

Miles: I never want a mother to feel that her efforts to lead out in family worship don’t count because she’s a woman. Ideally, both parents should be involved and equally committed to raising godly children.

But we don’t live in an ideal world. You can be like Lois and Eunice; you can be like Hannah, who raised Samuel so well that when he was only 12 years old, Yah spoke to him. You’re not the first woman to have to carry that burden alone.

Dave: And ultimately, it’s Yah who blesses our efforts anyway. Our part is to cooperate with Him.

I recently read a study I found very revealing. LifeWay Research released information about this study that was called “Best Predictors of Spiritual Health Among Young Adults.”

You want to guess what the number one factor was in raising a child to be a spiritually minded adult?

Miles: Uh … praying? Teaching them to pray at a young age?

Dave: Nope! Although that was fairly high.

Miles: Bringing Biblical lessons into daily life?

Dave: Actually, that was quite far down on the list, which, when you factor in how many of us say one thing but then by our example demonstrate another, is not all that surprising.

No, the number one factor in raising a child to adulthood who was spiritually devout was: the child regularly read the Bible while growing up.

Miles: For himself.

Dave: For himself. That made it twice as likely the child would remain in the faith as an adult as any other contributing factor.

Now, the way we do this, is, again, start young. When our kids were little, my wife and I would get up early so we could have our own, personal devotions. By the time the kids were 3 and 4, though, they were starting to wake up earlier.

After coming for good morning hugs, we would send the children back to their rooms. This was their quiet time with Yahuwah. By this age, they already knew how to pray, so they’d say their own little prayers. Then, we had some things available that they could use in their own quiet time. They weren’t old enough to read, but we had some Bible picture books and other things they could use.

Miles: Like what?

Dave: Well, we had some cassette tapes they’d listen to—shows how long ago this was! The tapes had Bible stories. These were some we bought, but you can always make recordings of your own for your kids to listen to.

Now, obviously, for a young child, this is going to be very short. No more than 5 to 10 minutes if you’re lucky. But it gets them in the habit, at a very young age, of beginning their day spending time with Yah.

For older kids, there are other things available. If they can be given their own Bible, that’s best. By the time our kids were reading, they each got their own Bible.

There are also resources available on our website. For kids who speak English, or who are learning English in school, they can listen to the John Bunyan classic, Pilgrim’s Progress, on our website. It’s got actors and sound effects. It’s a really nice production.

Miles: And the spiritual lessons are really deep. I enjoy listening to it as an adult!

Dave: One final thing: at evening worship, spend a few minutes recounting the blessings of the day. This will help your kids get to know Yah. Blessings recognized and acknowledged awaken love in the heart. Love increases trust.

Raising kids for Yah does not happen by accident. It takes deliberate thought and effort to produce a bountiful garden in their characters. Teach them how to pray and claim Yah’s promises. Teach them memory verses. Most importantly, though, make sure that your own life is fully surrendered and consistent with what you’re teaching. Yah will bless your efforts.

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WLC Radio: Teaching minds and preparing hearts for Christ's sudden return.

* * *Daily Mailbag (Miles & Dave)

Miles: Valeria Gomez from Choloma, Honduras has a question for our daily mailbag today.

Dave: Did you know the name “Honduras” literally means “great depths”?

Miles: Uhhh … No. So why’d they name their country “great depths”?

Dave: Well, that’s where Christopher Columbus first set foot in the New World. Apparently, once he got to shore, his first words were: “Thank God we got out these great depths!”

Miles: Yeah, I’d probably feel that way, too after sailing off into the unknown.

Okay. Valeria’s question is one I think we can all benefit from. She writes: “How do you witness to skeptics? So often they ask questions that I don’t know how to answer. I know we’re supposed to be able to give an answer to every one who asks, but how? Sometimes it seems like they don’t want to be convinced. They just want to argue.”

Dave: Well, I think you’re right, Valeria. Often they truly are not interested in learning the truth; they just want to argue. So, know your audience. Don’t get drawn into an argument just for the sake of arguing. No souls are ever won to Christ that way.

That said, a lot of times people who are skeptical are open to being convinced. They may even want to believe, but their doubts or questions are stumbling blocks standing in their way.

Miles: I think now, more than ever, as tensions in the world increase, people are looking for answers. They’re hurting. If we can offer them answers, honest answers, they may very well be open to learning more.

Dave: The first thing you need to do, of course, is pray. Always pray and ask for divine guidance. You can dart a prayer heavenward, asking for wisdom. You can also make it a part of your morning devotions.

Miles: That’s what I like to do. In the morning, when I pray, I ask Yah to send me opportunities to witness for Him as I go about my day.

Now, those opportunities might still be there, but if I pray and ask, He impresses my mind to know when to speak and what to say. I’d probably miss out on a lot of them otherwise because I wouldn’t recognize these openings for what they are.

Dave: And, when you make it a part of your daily morning prayers, you can also pray ahead of time, asking Yah to prepare the listener’s heart to be open to what you have to share.

Miles: Questions from skeptics all tend to sound the same after awhile. For example, one I hear a lot is: “If God is all-powerful, why is there suffering in the world?”

Dave: Yes, that’s a common one.

Miles: Another is: “What do you do about all the contradictions in the Bible?” Like I said: they start to sound alike after awhile! So, do you have any responses you can suggest for the most common questions skeptics ask? For example, what do you say that can appeal to the mind of a skeptic when he or she asks: “If Yah is so powerful, why does He allow suffering?”

Dave: That’s a question believers and non-believers alike frequently question. And it’s a fair question.

The truth is, the Father suffers even more than we do. Would you turn to Hebrews 4 and read verses 15 and 16, please?

Miles: All right. It says: “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”

Dave: The Father and the son feel everything we feel. The Father, because of His infinite nature, suffers even more. He suffers with me; He suffers with you. He suffers with a child on the opposite side of the world we don’t even know about!

If He were selfish, He’d call a halt right now because it would end His suffering. We can’t blame Yah for the suffering in the world that is here because of sin.

Miles: Life in a sinful world is going to be full of suffering.

Dave: That’s exactly why He never wanted us to experience sin! But He will never force the human will. He guarantees everyone freedom of choice. Yes, that means that sometimes good people suffer because of the actions of others.

But even in this, we can trust the Father. Romans 12, verse 19 counsels: “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith Yahuwah.”

Miles: We can find that concept in Deuteronomy, as well. Let me find it here really quickly.

Deuteronomy 32 verse 35 says: “To me belongeth vengeance and recompence; their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste.”

Dave: So, even though there is suffering in the world, we can trust the love of our Creator. The only reason He allows it is because He will never force His will on others. However, even in suffering, He can bring good out of it. Would you read Romans 8:28?

Miles: Sure … Oh, I love this one. It says: “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love Yah, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

Dave: Another question that confronts believers is: “Well, what about all the contradictions in the Bible?”

Miles: Yeah, I’ve heard that one before.

Dave: One thing you can do is ask for specific examples. A lot of the time people don’t know of any. They just make that accusation because it’s something they’ve heard and it agrees with what they want to believe.

There are, however, a couple of principles you can share with them. The primary place people accuse the Biblical account of being contradictory is in the stories of the life of Christ.

Miles: Yeah. Four gospels. Four accounts of the same time period. Differences do crop up.

Dave: The thing to remember, though, is that omission of a certain detail is not the same thing as contradiction.

Miles: For example?

Dave: Well, take the gospels’ account of the resurrection. Luke 24 refers to two angels at the tomb after the Crucifixion. Matthew 28 only refers to “an angel.” Now, if he’d specifically said there was only “one” angel it would contradict. As it is, a casual reference to “an” angel can be reconciled with Luke’s account.

Another point is that just because the accounts differ does not automatically make one false. In the story of Yahushua’s birth, Luke has Mary and Joseph starting at Nazareth and traveling to Bethlehem in time for the birth, before returning to Nazareth.

Matthew starts later in the narrative. He starts with Yahushua’s birth in Bethlehem, then he fills in some details not found in Luke. He talks about the flight into Egypt to get away from Herod, before the family returned to Nazareth.

Miles: True. Kind of like biographers today. They choose to focus on different aspects of a person’s life.

Dave: Yes. The gospel writers included different details, but the over all account is harmonious. One gospel writer has the Saviour cleansing the temple at the beginning of his ministry; another at the end. The simple fact is: He cleansed the temple twice.

Miles: Another thing people ask—and they can get quite aggressive in asking it—is: How can Christianity be the only true way to Yah?

Dave: It’s not. As we’ve said before, each religion has some germ of truth.

Yahuwah has insured that every belief system has some portion of truth so that those who are exposed to it can, by responding to it, be drawn into still greater truth.

Now, the reality is, the more truth you know, the closer you draw to Yah. As you draw closer, the more your beliefs will have in common with those who are also drawing close to Yah. He’s the source of all truth! That’s when you discover truths like John 14:6 where Yahushua says: “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

Miles: That’s a good point to remember. We all start off at different points, but we all are in need of a Saviour.

Dave: Too many people envision the path to Heaven as one long road with the Father at the other end. A better way to picture it would be to see the Father as the hub at the center of all and we, like the spokes of a wheel, are scattered all around Him. Some closer; some further away.

Now, if I’m on one side of that central hub, with Yah in the middle, and your background, the beliefs with which you were raised, place you on the other side, I need to allow Yah the room to work with you, just as He is with me, and trust that, as we both respond to His drawing, we will eventually become united as one, when we become one with Him.

Miles: That’s a good way to look at it.

A couple of thoughts I had that I just want to toss out there …

First, don’t be afraid to say you don’t know. Sometimes, we get cocky and think we have to have an answer for everything. If you don’t know, say so. Don’t try to bluff your way through.

Dave: That’s good. An intellectually honest person will respect an honest answer more than he’ll respect a bluff.

Miles: If you don’t know, admit you don’t know. Promise to study it out and get back to them with an answer.

Secondly, we need to remember that it is not our job to convict. That is the job of the spirit of Yah. We’re Yah’s spokesman. We say the words, but it’s the divine spirit that does the convicting.

Dave: That was a lesson that took me awhile to learn. I used to think if I could just come up with the right words, I’d convince someone by sheer force of argument. It doesn’t work that way.

Miles: And I’m so glad! If we’re willing to say the words, we can leave the rest to Yah.

We’re out of time but keep sending us your questions at WorldsLastChance.com. Click on Contact Us. We look forward to hearing from you.

* * *Daily Promise

This is Elise O’Brien with your daily promise from Yah’s Word.

Greg and Shawn Strannigan are a healthy, active couple. Or, as Greg jokes, his wife likes to be shown love by going on hikes.

So, one morning when Greg woke up with every muscle aching, it was cause for concern. There was no obvious reason for him to be in so much pain. The next day was even worse, so Greg made an appointment with his doctor.

Neuro-muscular disorders are always serious health issues, but doctors were unable to pinpoint the origin of Greg’s symptoms. Possibilities ranged between multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lyme’s disease.

With the worry and uncertainty of Greg’s failing health, Shawn began claiming Psalm 41, verses 1 to 3 on his behalf.

It says:

Blessed is he who considers the poor;
Yahuwah will deliver him in time of trouble.
Yahuwah will preserve him and keep him alive,
And he will be blessed on the earth;
You will not deliver him to the will of his enemies.
Yahuwah will strengthen him on his bed of illness;
You will sustain him on his sickbed.

Not long after Shawn began claiming these promises on behalf of her husband, Greg met with a neurosurgeon who diagnosed him with cervical stenosis, a condition in which the spinal canal starts to narrow. The surgeon was confident that he wouldn’t have any trouble fixing the problem.

The surgeon was leaving on vacation in two days and did not want to postpone the surgery until his return because Greg was in danger of being paralyzed if he should fall or jar his neck in any way. The surgery was scheduled immediately.

The next day, after a neurosurgery that lasted 5 hours, Greg felt so much better, he was released to go home that same day! The surgeon told him that due to the angle of the surgery, a neck brace wouldn’t do him any good anyway, so just be careful to take it easy and refrain from any heavy lifting.

To celebrate, Shawn took Greg on an out-of-town getaway. After a pleasant hike to some water falls, the couple checked into their hotel where Greg carried their luggage up three flights of stairs.

After dinner, Greg’s neck started to tighten. The intense muscle spasms would not let up. He told his wife it felt like he’d ripped a stitch. Shawn looked, but all of the stitches were intact.

What they didn’t know, was that Greg had ripped a stitch: an interior stitch. When he tried moving his right hand, he couldn’t. Soon, he couldn’t move either hand or either leg and it became difficult to breathe.

Shawn quickly called emergency responders. Greg had been an ambulance driver and realized his situation was grave. He thought: “If I’m going to die, it’s going to be with praises on my lips.” He began softly singing praise and worship songs.

At the hospital, Greg sensed that he was in a large room, but couldn’t turn his head to see. A soft voice came to his mind: “Why haven’t you prayed for yourself?”

“Huh! Good question!” Greg thought. His prayer was short, but desperate, “Help me, Lord!”

Suddenly, he could feel sensation in his left hand. He could move it! Then, his left leg! The ability moved next to his right side and he let everyone in the emergency room know he could move!

As Greg was taken to emergency surgery, friends gathered in the waiting room to support and pray with Shawn. One woman said, “I believe Greg is going to be all right. Yah gave me this Scripture.” And she shared Psalm 41, verses 1 to 3; the very same passage Shawn had claimed on Greg’s behalf when he was first diagnosed!

During a surgery that lasted for more than 4 hours, doctors removed a blood clot more than seven centimeters in diameter that had been pressing on Greg’s spinal cord.

Afterward, the doctor told him, “You should either be dead or paralyzed. People just don’t come back from something like that.” Then, referring to Yah, he added: “The Big Guy must not be done with you yet.”

It you need divine help, remember the promise in Psalm 41: “Yahuwah will deliver him in time of trouble. Yahuwah will preserve him and keep him alive.”

We’ve been given great and precious promises. Go, and start claiming!

* * *Part 3: (Miles & Dave)

Miles: As a parent, I’m in the position of being both a son and a father. And the older I get, the more I appreciate how my own parents raised me. Which, you know, itself is a gift. A lot of parents have had to deliberately choose not to raise their kids the way they were raised.

Dave: It takes a lot of wisdom to be able to be a better parent than what you experienced on the receiving end growing up.

Miles: It really does.

Dave: What, in particular, do you appreciate about the way your parents raised you?

Miles: This might sound odd, but in light of today’s discussion, I think it’s very important and I’m very grateful for this. My parents—my mother in particular—made a concerted effort to raise us to be non-conformist.

Dave: How do you mean? See, a lot of people would view that as a bad thing.

Miles chuckles: Well, I have to admit, there were a few times I think my father thought she was taking it a bit too far, but the overall gist of her parenting, their parenting, was to raise kids who didn’t let other people’s opinions influence them.

Now, of course, this can be carried too far. We don’t want to be sociopaths. But they didn’t want us controlled by what other people thought of us.

Dave: How did they do that? What did this look like in your home, growing up?

Miles: Well, my sister wanted to study karate instead of ballet. My parents decided it was a good thing for any girl to be able to defend herself, so they let her study karate, even though all her friends were studying ballet.

They encouraged our interests, even if they were a bit unusual. For example, I was always athletic, but I was more into cycling than football. So, they supported my interests in that.

Miles: Now, if we raise kids that are all concerned with what other people think of them, how do we expect them to stand faithful when the entire world’s against them?

Dave: That’s a good question, and I’m applying it to myself, too. I think we all, to some degree, care what others think—

Miles: Oh, sure.

Dave: But you’re right. It can be taken too far. If we allow others’ opinions to control or otherwise influence our behavior now, it will be what we’re used to doing in the days ahead.

Miles: And you better believe Satan is going to bring pressure to bear, to try and compel the conscience.

Dave: There’s another aspect of this we need to be aware of and that is the shame and embarrassment of having someone make fun of us.

In some ways, it’s easier to stand firm for Yah when people are angry at you, but when you’re faced with a sneer? A snicker? When someone is mocking you? That can be harder to take.

Miles: It is! As an adult I don’t like to be made fun of. I really think that, as parents we need to consciously raise kids who are not afraid to be different. If we want them to put Yah’s glory first in their lives, that’s what it’s going to take.

Dave: I want to close by sharing a quote that has really made an impact on my philosophy of parenting. It’s really profound and I think it will be a blessing to everyone else, too.

It says:

The greatest want of the world is the want of men—men who will not be bought or sold, men who in their inmost souls are true and honest, men who do not fear to call sin by its right name, men whose conscience is as true to duty as the needle to the pole, men who will stand for the right though the heavens fall.
But such a character is not the result of accident; it is not due to special favors or endowments of Providence. A noble character is the result of self-discipline, of the subjection of the lower to the higher nature—the surrender of self for the service of love to [Yah] and man.

Miles: May Yah grant us wisdom and grace to be that in our own lives, and be the godly influence on today’s youth so that they, too, will want to be such people for Him.

Join us again tomorrow, and until then, remember: Yahuwah loves you . . . and He is safe to trust!

* * *

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This program and past episodes of WLC Radio are available for downloading on our website. They're great for sharing with friends and for use in Bible studies! They're also an excellent resource for those worshipping Yahuwah alone at home. To listen to previously aired programs, visit our website at WorldsLastChance.com. Click on the WLC Radio icon displayed on our homepage.

In his teachings and parables, the Savior gave no “signs of the times” to watch for. Instead, the thrust of his message was constant … vigilance. Join us again tomorrow for another truth-filled message as we explore various topics focused on the Savior's return and how to live in constant readiness to welcome him when he comes.

WLC Radio: Teaching minds and preparing hearts for Christ's sudden return.