Part 4: Typology Tokens – When Old Testament Symbols Unlock New Testament Truths

Overview:

In coding, a token represents a placeholder, a symbol that has deeper meaning once the program is compiled. The Bible is full of these typology tokens: people, objects, and events in the Old Testament that foreshadow Jesus and His mission.

These aren’t metaphors. They’re spiritual blueprints, set in motion thousands of years before Jesus was born, and fulfilled with divine precision.

What Is Typology?

Biblical typology is when something (a type) in the Old Testament points forward to a greater fulfillment (the antitype) in the New Testament.

Think of it like a preview feature in beta, not the full version, but pointing to what’s coming.

Key Old Testament Tokens:

The Ark of Noah

Genesis 6–9
Saved humanity from judgment by water, Jesus saves us from judgment by sin.

The Sacrificial Lamb

Exodus 12 (Passover)
Blood on the doorposts saved Israelite firstborns, Jesus’ blood saves all who believe.

The Manna from Heaven

Exodus 16
Bread that sustained Israel, Jesus is the Bread of Life (John 6:35).

The Bronze Serpent

Numbers 21:9
Those who looked upon it were healed, Jesus said in John 3:14 He must be lifted up just the same.

The Tabernacle

Every piece, from the altar to the veil, symbolizes Jesus.

Hebrews 9:11-12 – Jesus became the High Priest and entered the heavenly Holy of Holies with His own blood.

Algorithm Insight:

In programming, tokens don’t mean much by themselves, but when processed through the compiler (i.e., the New Testament), their true function is revealed.

The Bible is the only book where the second half completes and reveals the meaning of the first half.

Key Verses:

“…which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.” _{Colossians 2:17 (NKJV)}

“For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things…” _{Hebrews 10:1 (NKJV)}

Modern Analogy:

Typology is like early-stage prototyping. It’s rough, incomplete, and dependent on what’s to come. But when the final release (Jesus) arrives, you realize it was all leading to this.

Challenge:

God doesn’t do anything by accident. Every sacrifice, every object, every story from the Old Testament is like a breadcrumb trail leading to Christ.

Don’t skip the Old Testament, it’s the map that shows us where the Messiah was always headed.

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Part 5: The Error Free Engine – Why the Bible Doesn’t Contradict Itself

Overview:

In engineering, systems with multiple contributors often break without strict version control, central architecture, and integration testing. Now imagine 40 authors, over 1,500 years, in three languages, writing on topics ranging from law and poetry to prophecy and doctrine, yet producing zero doctrinal contradictions.

That’s not just rare. It’s miraculous.

The Bible is the only ancient system of truth that holds up under centuries of scrutiny and debate without being proven false or internally broken.

The Myth of Contradictions:

People often claim the Bible contradicts itself. But deeper study, especially with historical, cultural, and contextual understanding, proves otherwise.

Most “contradictions” fall into 3 categories:

1. Misunderstanding the context (e.g., audience, timeline, or purpose)
2. Differences in perspective, not truth (e.g., the four Gospels)
3. Symbolic vs. literal interpretation

Example: The Gospels and the Resurrection

Critics say the resurrection story has contradictions. But consider:

• One Gospel mentions one angel (Matthew 28:2)
• Another mentions two angels (John 20:12)

Contradiction? No. If two angels were present, saying “one angel” isn’t incorrect, it’s just focusing on a single speaker. This is selective emphasis, not error, like two camera angles on the same event.

Scripture That Confirms the Consistency:

“The entirety of Your word is truth, and every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever.” _{Psalm 119:160 (NKJV)}

“…no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation… but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” _{2 Peter 1:20-21 (NKJV)}

“For God is not the author of confusion but of peace…” _{1 Corinthians 14:33 (NKJV)}

Modern Analogy:

Think of the Bible like a mission-critical operating system:

• Contributors: 40 developers (authors)
• Languages: Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek
• Timeline: 1,500 years
• Functionality: Teaching, rebuking, guiding, and transforming lives

Yet every module, whether historical, poetic, prophetic, or epistolary, compiles clean. No build errors. No runtime failures.

Internal Cross-Checks as Unit Tests:

Each truth is validated by multiple witnesses:

• Law = affirmed by Prophets
• Prophets = confirmed by Jesus
• Jesus = affirmed by Epistles
• Revelation = ties it all together

Challenge:

The Bible is not a flawed book. It is an error, free spiritual engine that has run flawlessly for thousands of years, transforming hearts and minds.

Before assuming contradiction, run the context compiler. The problem isn’t the code, it’s often how we’re reading it.

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Part 3: The Messianic Mesh – Jesus in Every Book of the Bible

Overview:

If you’ve ever looked at source code and realized that one foundational function appears in every module, you know it’s central to the program.

In the Bible, that central “function” is Jesus Christ.

He is not just in the Gospels, He’s in every book of the Bible. Not always by name, but always by design. Like an invisible thread in a tapestry, He ties the entire narrative together.

Jesus, The Hidden Constant

• Genesis – The Seed of the Woman (Genesis 3:15)
• Exodus – The Passover Lamb (Exodus 12)
• Leviticus – The High Priest and Sacrifice (Leviticus 16)
• Numbers – The Bronze Serpent (Numbers 21:9)
• Deuteronomy – The Prophet Like Moses (Deut. 18:15)

That’s just the Torah.

• In Psalms, He is the Shepherd (Psalm 23).
• In Isaiah, He is the Suffering Servant (Isaiah 53).
• In Daniel, the Son of Man riding on clouds (Daniel 7:13-14).
• In Micah, He is born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2).
• In Zechariah, He is the Pierced One (Zech. 12:10).
• In Malachi, He is the Sun of Righteousness (Malachi 4:2).

Then comes the Gospels, and He walks among us.

In the New Testament:

• Matthew – King of the Jews
• Mark – Suffering Servant
• Luke – Son of Man
• John – Son of God
• Acts – Ascended Lord
• Epistles – Head of the Church
• Revelation – Returning King

Algorithm Insight:

If a system as complex as the Bible, written over 1,500 years, has one subject running through every module, what does that tell us?

This isn’t just divine inspiration. This is intentional, centralized authorship by the Holy Spirit.

Jesus isn’t just in the Bible. The Bible is about Jesus.

Key Verse:

“And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.” _{Luke 24:27 (NKJV)}

Jesus literally walked disciples through the Old Testament and showed how it was all about Him.

Modern Analogy:

Think of Jesus as the main method in a codebase. The Old Testament points forward to His call. The New Testament executes His return value. Without Jesus, the program fails to compile.

Challenge:

think about it if you remove Jesus from the Bible, it collapses. Every book either predicts, prepares for, reveals, or reflects Jesus.

Look for Him as you read. The deeper you go, the clearer He becomes.

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Part 2: The Prophetic Protocol – Code Written Before Execution

Overview:

Imagine writing code for a feature today that won’t be deployed for another 700 years, and it still works perfectly when it runs.

That’s biblical prophecy.

From Isaiah to Micah to Zechariah, the Old Testament contains hundreds of prophetic “code lines” written centuries before Jesus was born. And every single one executed exactly as intended.

That’s not luck.
That’s divine foreknowledge.

Example: Isaiah 53 – The Suffering Servant

• Written: ~700 B.C.
• Fulfilled: ~33 A.D.

“But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.” _{Isaiah 53:5 (NKJV)}

Now compare:

“He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses.” _{Matthew 8:17 (NKJV)}

“He was led as a sheep to the slaughter” _{Acts 8:32 (NKJV)}

The match is so perfect that even secular historians admit Isaiah 53 reads like it was written after the crucifixion. But it wasn’t. It was prewritten divine code, executed perfectly.

Algorithm Insight:

This is predictive programming in its truest form: not AI-generated but God-authored. The prophetic system in the Bible spans multiple authors, yet never conflicts.

This is not chance. This is intentional compilation from a divine source.

More Supporting Verses:

• Micah 5:2 (Birthplace of Christ)

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah… out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel.”
Fulfilled in Matthew 2:1

• Zechariah 9:9 (Triumphal Entry)

“Behold, your King is coming to you… lowly and riding on a donkey.”
Fulfilled in Matthew 21:5

Modern Analogy:

Prophecy is like scheduled code sitting in a queue waiting for the exact moment to run. Unlike humans who schedule updates and often fail, God’s updates always execute at exactly the right moment in time.

God doesn’t guess. He programs history.

Challenge:

Ask yourself, what human could accurately predict 300+ events over hundreds of years with 100% accuracy?

Only God.

Start tracking these prophetic connections. Let the evidence increase your faith. The algorithm of prophecy wasn’t just to amaze, it was to verify that Jesus is the Messiah.

The post The Divine Algorithm Part 2 appeared first on FaithfulBytes.

over 63,000 Connections and 1 Story

Overview:

In the world of computing, an algorithm is a set of instructions that performs a specific task. It’s logic, it’s order, it’s precision. Now imagine a spiritual algorithm, not built by a machine, but by the Holy Spirit, working through human authors across time, geography, and culture, creating the Bible: a single, coherent message spanning 1,500 years, written by 40 different people on 3 continents, in 3 languages… and yet containing 63,000+ cross-references that all connect and agree.

What is a Biblical Cross-Reference?

A cross-reference is when one part of the Bible points to another, either directly quoting, fulfilling prophecy, or aligning in theme, metaphor, or law. It’s how Genesis and Revelation echo one another, how Isaiah foreshadows Jesus, how Psalms mirrors New Testament worship.

Human Impossibility

• 40 authors
• 1,500 years
• 3 continents (Asia, Africa, Europe)
• 3 languages (Hebrew, Greek, Aramaic)
• One consistent storyline: God’s plan to redeem mankind

That kind of coherence is impossible without divine inspiration.

Bible Verses That Support the Divine Design:

• “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” _{2 Timothy 3:16 (NKJV)}

• “For prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” _{2 Timothy 3:16 (NKJV)}

• “So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void…” _{* Isaiah 55:11 (NKJV)}

• “For the word of God is living and powerful…” _{Hebrews 4:12 (NKJV)}

Modern Analogy:

If this were software, the Bible would be the most robust system ever developed:

• No conflicting modules (despite being written over centuries)
• Perfect interoperability
• Flawless version control
• Timeless design pattern

It’s the only system that updates the user instead of needing an update itself.

Personal Reflection:

If you doubt the authority or divine origin of the Bible, look at the architecture. No human alone could engineer this. No committee could maintain this coherence over generations.

The Bible is not a book, it’s a divine operating system, written with an algorithm that leads not to artificial intelligence, but eternal wisdom.

Challenge: Next time you read your Bible, use a cross-reference tool. See how the verses speak to one another. Watch the spiritual code reveal its genius.

The post The Divine Algorithm Part 1 appeared first on FaithfulBytes.

Why Parenting Without Correction Is Failing Our Kids

There’s a quiet crisis unfolding in today’s families, one not spoken from news anchors or trending hashtags, but witnessed in grocery store aisles, classrooms, and even churches. The absence of discipline in parenting is not just a modern issue, it’s a generational breakdown with spiritual consequences.

Ask any Gen X adult what happened when they talked back to their parents. You’ll likely hear phrases like:

• “I was picking myself up off the floor.”
• “They knocked the brakes off me.”
• “My mouth wrote a check that my behind cashed.”

And while some of these are said half-jokingly, the sentiment was real: disobedience had immediate consequences. Discipline, while sometimes imperfectly delivered, was present. Respect was non-negotiable.

Fast forward to today:

• Children openly challenge authority.
• Sarcasm toward parents is normalized.
• Entitlement is rampant.
• And many homes are devoid of both respect and boundaries.

Parents aren’t failing because they don’t care. In fact, many are over-caring, providing luxuries they never had, trying to prevent their child from ever feeling pain, fear, or restriction. But love without correction isn’t love at all. It’s enabling.

What the Bible Says About Discipline

The Bible is incredibly clear that discipline is not abuse. It is love in action, and correction is not just healthy, it’s godly.

Key Verses:

• Proverbs 13:24 (NKJV):
  “He who spares his rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him promptly.”

• Proverbs 22:6 (NKJV):
  “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.”

• Hebrews 12:6-7 (NKJV):
  “For whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives. If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons…”

• Ephesians 6:1-4 (NKJV):
  “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right… Fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.”

Discipline is not just a parental duty, it’s a mirror of how God parents us. He corrects us not to destroy us, but to build us into who we’re called to be.

Generational Wisdom and Historical Patterns

Historically, successful generations had structure:

• Greatest Generation & Boomers: strict rules, high expectations, clear consequences.
• Gen X: disciplined by parents who lived through hard times.
• Millennials & Gen Z: often raised by parents who wanted to avoid repeating the strictness they experienced.

This overcorrection created a vacuum where respect and resilience used to live.

In fact, a 2022 American Psychological Association study revealed:

• 85% of teachers and youth mentors report a significant decline in respect and accountability in children over the past two decades.
• Children raised without consequences are more likely to struggle with authority, empathy, and delayed gratification, all critical traits for success in adulthood.

Where Are We Going Wrong?

Today’s society often shames discipline and promotes over-permissiveness. Parents fear being judged by others, losing their child’s affection, or being labeled as abusive. But Scripture reminds us that fear of the world should never outweigh fear of God.

We’ve substituted authority for friendship, obedience for opinion, and correction for compromise.

“Honor your father and your mother” isn’t a suggestion, it’s a commandment (Exodus 20:12). And if our children aren’t taught to honor parents, how will they ever honor God?

Discipline vs. Abuse – Let’s Be Clear

Discipline:

• Is rooted in love.
• Is done calmly, consistently, and fairly.
• Seeks correction, not punishment.

Abuse:

• Is rooted in anger or control.
• Is chaotic, fear-driven, or damaging.
• Breaks spirit instead of building character.

God never calls parents to harm, but He also never calls them to raise children without correction.

Psychology Meets Scripture

Psychologists agree with what the Bible already taught:

• Children need boundaries to feel secure.
• Consequences teach accountability and cause-effect logic.
• Proper discipline builds empathy, respect, and emotional maturity.

Dr. John Rosemond, a well-known family psychologist and Christian parenting author, says:

“A child who fears their parent in a healthy way learns to fear the Lord in a reverent way.”

Realigning the Modern Parent

To be a God-honoring parent today is to go against the grain. It means:

• Teaching respect when culture says “let them express themselves.”
• Holding children accountable when society says “let kids be kids.”
• Disciplining in love, even if others don’t understand.

We must remember:

“If you can’t be your child’s parent now, don’t expect to be their friend later.”

Final Thoughts & Challenge:

Parents, if you feel discouraged, you’re not alone. Society has made discipline hard. But don’t give up.

You are not raising children for popularity.
You are raising disciples of Christ.

Hold the line. Correct with love. Guide with grace.
Because one day, your children will thank you, not for giving them everything, but for teaching them the fear of the Lord and the path of wisdom.

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Faithful Bytes: Megabytes – Real Life. Real Struggles. Real Truth.

We’ve all heard it said: “We are made in God’s image.” But then comes the question: If we are flawed, doesn’t that mean God is flawed too?

Let’s talk about that. Not from a place of doubt, but from a place of understanding and clarity.

The Copy Machine Analogy

Imagine you have a perfect document, the original. Every letter is crisp. Every line is aligned. No smudges. No mistakes.

Now you put that original in a copy machine and make a copy. It’s still recognizable, but it’s not quite the same. The edges are a little fuzzier. Maybe a speck of dust was on the glass. Now make a copy of that copy… and then a copy of that copy… and you’ll notice something: over time, clarity fades, imperfections grow, and what was once crisp and perfect now feels distant and marred.

But did the original ever change?

No. It remained flawless.

Made in His Image, Not a Carbon Copy

Genesis 1:27 (NKJV) says:

“So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”

That truth is foundational. We were created in His image, not equal to Him, not exact duplicates, and certainly not God ourselves. We are reflections. Copies. Echoes of a perfect Creator.

But sin entered the world. And like that dust on the copier glass, sin left a mark. Then generations continued the copying process, each human born into a world already touched by sin.

Romans 5:12 (NKJV) reminds us:

“Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned…”

It wasn’t that God’s image was flawed. It’s that what was passed down became flawed.

Don’t Confuse the Mirror with the Source

When we look in a mirror, we see ourselves, but not fully. We don’t see our hearts, our thoughts, our flaws in detail. It’s a reflection.

Likewise, we are reflections of God’s image, but we are not God. He is the unchanging original. The one without sin. The one without flaw.

Numbers 23:19 (NKJV) says:

“God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do?”

So when you struggle with your own imperfections, remember: God didn’t create you broken. We were broken by sin, but God still sees value in the image He created. So much so that He sent Jesus, the perfect, sinless Son of God, to restore what was lost.

Restoration, Not Replacement

The good news? God didn’t abandon us to our flaws. He sent Jesus to restore us.

Colossians 3:10 (NKJV) says:

“…and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him.”

We are being restored, not to become gods, but to return to walking in God’s truth, purpose, and love.

Faithful Byte:

You are not a flaw in God’s plan. You are a reflection in need of restoration. The Original remains perfect. Let Him rewrite your story,clearer, bolder, and more beautiful than before.

The post In God’s Image?? appeared first on FaithfulBytes.

Faithful Bytes: Megabytes – Real Life. Real Struggles. Real Truth.

The question echoes across generations:
“How do I find the one?”
Or maybe more painfully:
“Why hasn’t God brought them yet?”

In a world obsessed with highlight reels, filtered selfies, and dating apps, it’s no wonder that love has become more about appearances and algorithms than prayer and patience. Many spend their days swiping for perfection and miss the point of purpose.

Looking in the Wrong Places

Let me be real, I spent a lot of my younger years chasing after the wrong kinds of relationships. The “fun” ones. The “easy” ones. The “I’ll fix them” ones. None of them worked. They weren’t meant to. Because I wasn’t looking through God’s lens. I was looking through mine.

And it wasn’t until I stopped, laid in bed one night, broken and tired, and said, “God, I surrender this. I’ve messed it up. Bring the right person into my life.”
And then, God moved.

A person I hadn’t seen in over 20 years suddenly reappeared. A person I dated back when we were too young, too unready, too immature. A person who God had quietly been shaping just as He had been shaping me. And now, we’re married planted firmly in God’s will.

What We Often Get Wrong

Society sells the idea of “arm candy.” The perfect 10. The dream guy. The fantasy girl. But Scripture reminds us:

1 Samuel 16:7 (NKJV):

“For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

You don’t need the world’s “perfect person.”
You need God’s person.

Mr./Mrs. Right Now vs. Mr./Mrs. Right-for-God

So many chase instant gratification and end up in heartbreak. But God’s timeline is different. It’s not built on Tinder or timing, it’s built on trust.

Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV):

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”

Biblical Love Stories, God’s Matchmaking

Let’s take a look at a few couples God brought together through faith and trial:

1. Isaac and Rebekah
Genesis 24 tells how Abraham’s servant prayed specifically for guidance, and God brought Rebekah. Not through chasing, but through surrender and discernment.

2. Ruth and Boaz
Ruth didn’t go out hunting for a husband. She followed where God led. Boaz noticed her faithfulness more than her figure, and God blessed them both.

3. Joseph and Mary
Even amidst scandal and uncertainty, Joseph stayed by Mary’s side, obeying God rather than public opinion (Matthew 1:18-25). Their love was built on trust in the Lord.

The Heart of the Matter

Your perfect person may not be perfect. But if they’re aligned with God, you’ll have something better than perfection, you’ll have peace.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 (NKJV):

“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor… a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”

That third cord? It’s God.

When you both are bound in Him, the marriage becomes a mission, not a mistake.

Faithful Byte:

Stop chasing Mr. or Mrs. Right Now. Start praying for Mr. or Mrs. Right in God’s eyes. When your heart is aligned with His, your relationships will be too. The waiting may hurt, but the blessing is worth it. God doesn’t delay, He prepares.

The post Looking for Mr. or Mrs. Right? appeared first on FaithfulBytes.

Faithful Bytes: Megabytes – Real Life. Real Struggles. Real Truth.

We’ve all seen it, someone raising their hands in church, dancing, clapping, even crying out loud during worship, and someone else scoffs or mutters under their breath, “That’s not necessary.” But let’s hit pause and really ask:

Who gets to decide what “acceptable” worship looks like?
Spoiler alert: It’s not us.

Let’s Define It First

Praise (Dictionary):

“To express warm approval or admiration of someone or something.”

Worship (Dictionary):

“The feeling or expression of reverence and adoration for a deity.”

Now let’s go deeper:

Praise (Biblical usage Hebrew “halal,” “yadah,” “zamar”):

Loud rejoicing, joyful celebration, hands lifted, music played, words shouted.

Worship (Biblical usage Hebrew “shachah,” Greek “proskuneo”):

To bow down, to submit, to surrender, to show deep reverence.

Psalm 100:1-2 (NKJV) says:

“Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands! Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before His presence with singing.”

It doesn’t say “make a polite whisper.” It says joyful shout. You were never told to fit someone else’s mold.

There’s More Than One Way

Just as there are infinite thoughts in your mind, there are infinite ways to worship. Worship is more than a song, it’s mowing a neighbor’s yard with love, painting a mural that points to Jesus, baking bread for a struggling family, or simply choosing to speak kindness when your flesh wants to lash out.

Colossians 3:17 (NKJV) confirms this:

“And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus…”

Don’t Judge the Dance

Let’s talk reality: Some of the loudest critics of worship are the quietest practitioners. They recite Scripture without understanding, repeat traditions without conviction, and reject expressions that make them uncomfortable.

Here’s the truth: You can’t judge someone’s heart by their volume.

David danced before the Lord with all his might (2 Samuel 6:14), and Michal, his wife, mocked him for it. God wasn’t pleased with her. Why? Because David’s heart was right. His method? Wild. His motive? Worship.

The Teaching vs. Indoctrination Divide

We must be cautious of trading true worship for hollow rituals. Indoctrination is about repetition. Teaching is about revelation.

John 4:24 (NKJV) reminds us:

“God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

Meet Them Where They Are

Some Christians believe that to be holy means to be polished, perfect, unshakable. No mess. No yelling. No wrestling. But look at the Bible, God met Moses in the desert, Jonah in a fish, Peter in a storm, and Paul in the dirt. He didn’t wait for them to clean up. He met them. Then He cleaned house.

Analogy Time: Worship Beyond the Norm

1. The Gray Jedi (Star Wars):
Gray Jedi walk the line between the dark and the light. They understand both sides but choose balance and wisdom. Sometimes, Christians try too hard to appear “light-only”, but God’s people are called to meet sinners in the shadows, to understand pain, to wrestle with real life. Worship happens in the fight, in the darkness, in the doubt.

2. The Broken Guitar:
You can praise with a cracked voice and a broken guitar. The instrument may be damaged, but the melody is real. You may not have a perfect life or perfect words, but your heart can still sing the truth.

3. The Coal and the Diamond:
A coal under pressure becomes a diamond. Sometimes worship is raw, dirty, heavy with pain, but that pressure is forming something beautiful. Don’t look down on the process. It’s still praise.

Faithful Byte:

Worship is not one-size-fits-all. God doesn’t want your performance, He wants your heart. Whether it’s a whisper or a roar, a quiet act of service or a spontaneous dance, it matters. Don’t mock what you don’t understand. And don’t be afraid to worship messy. The Lord meets us there.

The post How many Ways to Worship? appeared first on FaithfulBytes.

“⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres”
_{1 Corinthians 13:4-7}

This verse alone covers it all. When parents dismiss non parent they are boasting, acting proud, and dishonoring the “Non Parent”. That does not being to cover all the other things that could be preventing someone from not having children of their own. These parents are complete being self centered by assuming that someone can not love, or understand parent hood with out giving birth or having a biological child of there own. They dismiss the parents that adopt and people who love being with children and helping them in way that their parents can’t, wont or don’t understand how. See as quick as parents will toss out that hatefully phrase. I believe that we “non parents” can toss one back. “You don’t understand you’re a Parent!” This is where us that are not parents have an advantage over parent.

Parents are too close to their kids. They can not see the underlying problems. They have blinders on to how their kids act. Every parent I know has said something similar to “My kids are good”, “They would not do that”, “Just because they where around those kids does not mean my kids did it”. But let me be brutally honest. Yes, Your kids are capable of doing what ever it is that you think they would never do. Stop and think about your Childhood and the things you did. Did you parents always know what you was doing? Did you live a completely sinless and perfect childhood? If you say yes, Then you need to do some serious souls searching and start living in reality. The bible answer this for us.

As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one;”
_{Romans 3:10}

When parents that make The comment they are telling people that they do not have empathy or compassion. You are telling us that we don’t understand what its like to suction a stuffy nose out and clean all the snot and boogers to make the child a little more comfortable. You are telling us that we can not understand the sleepless nights when your checking on a baby every few hours to ensure nothing is goes wrong. You are telling us that we understand that turning your back for one minute can results in a crayon colored wall, plate of food tossed across the room. You telling us they we can not understand the fear of a child filling its last dipper while in the middle of the mall, grocery store or driving home from the DR office. You are telling us we don’t or can’t understand what its like to love like Jesus. Better yet you are telling us we cant love like Jesus because the child is not our biological child.

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.”
_{John 13:34-35}

So for those parents that keep saying it I ask that you stop and ask yourself are you acting as God wants you to act. Are you being a good Christian and truly following the Christian belief’s? Or are you just acting like a Christian on Wednesday and Sundays.

Now my new response will be. NO! You don’t understand you’re a Parent!

Today parents are trying too hard to protect kids, For some reason parents want to be friends and not parents. So what is friendship? Friendship is a group of people who have similar notions and ideas about life. This is most defiantly not you and your child. If we are honest with each other kids and adults have different ideas on just about everything. They most defiantly should have different priorities, and because of that parent/child friendship is a ticking time bomb.

Because you are a parent you cant understand. You are most likely overcompensating for problem you had as a child. You mostly likely made the comment my kids will not have to deal with that. What ever that was. It could have been overly strict or too lenient parents, being wild and out-of-control or running with friends that were no so innocent. Regardless of what your childhood was you are most assuredly overcompensating in someway with your child. Most likely you don’t even realize it. There is nothing wrong with wanting to protect your child from making the same mistakes we did. The bible tells us to protect our children.

“Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.”
_{Proverbs 22:6}

“Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; The rod of correction will drive it far from him.”
_{Proverbs 22:15}

As parents you have to be the disciplinary. Not going to even try and get into the how to discipline a child. That is another thing altogether. But as parents you have to leave out the emotion of your past and focus on the emotions of your child. We have literally had a teenagers tell us that there parents do not tell them anything about the childhood mistake and the consequences that they had to deal with for making them. ( and the child followed 100% in the parents foot steps and taking the hard road) If parents would spend more time talking and explaining to the child the hardship and heartache that a decision they made caused them. The child most likely will not make that same mistake, But if all you do is forbid them or demand that they don’t. They most likely will. Why would they not. They know you did it. They see that you survived. They see that you become an good adult right? So without them knowing the full truth and the fully consequences they will assume that it was not that bad. So remember that you can’t fix your childhood through your child’s. But being honest with them and fully transparent you can make sure you protect them and guide them in a better direction.

One thing that parents need to understand is to allow kids to be kids. The goal of childhood should be what psychology calls individuation. Individuation is the process by which individuals in society become differentiated from one another. During this time your child may not want to share their life or experience with you. Especially if you are one of the parents that is a friend and over compensating.
So I tell you because you are a parent you can not or more honest will not understand your child. This is where I ask that instead of pushing us “non parents” away you should bring us closer. We have a unique opportunity to bridge the gap that you can not do alone. We can build trust with your kids that you can not. You kids will trust us with information that they will never trust you with. As long as we do not lose or break that trust we gain with the kids we can bridge gaps and help build parents relationships stronger.

But for this to work you are a parent have to stop trying to be a friend. You can be friendly but not by losing the stance of a disciplinary parent. Being a responsible parent means not letting kids make excuses for failure, be a disruptive person in the classroom, Skipping homework, being the rude loud/smart mouth know it all. Kids need a Parents not friends.
So as quick as you might be willing to tell us non parents we don’t understand. You might be right. But I can assure you defiantly don’t understand.
There is an old saying that it take village to raise a child. The biblical verse that supports that is.

⁹ Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. ¹⁰ For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! ¹¹ Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? ¹² And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
_{Ecclesiastes :9-12}

So if you have a “non parent” involved with you kids. Don’t be quick to judge them. Don’t be offended when they bring you the truth. Try not to deflect and fall into the trap “not my kid”, “that other kid was the problem”, or the dreaded. “Your not a parent you can not understand”.
Instead treat the adult bring you the information as an equal, give them the benefit of being able to see the picture from outside the frame. Give their information the same as you would the other parent or as if you seen it our heard it your self. Take advantage of these people and you will bring up child that will have more respect for you and others and most importantly our lord and savior

“Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me,”
_{Matthew 18:5}

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