Fatherhood Matters
March 19, 2024
00:01:00
The Hamilton Minute is a power packed 60 seconds where we tackle the issues of the day through the lens of God’s Word. You don’t want to miss a moment of it.
The Hamilton Minute is a power packed 60 seconds where we tackle the issues of the day through the lens of God’s Word. You don’t want to miss a moment of it.
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"Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord."
My name is Abraham Hamilton III and this is the Hamilton Minute.
Statistics show that children who grow up without a father are 5 times more likely to live in poverty and commit crime. They’re 9 times more likely to drop out of school and 20 times more likely to end up in prison. Yet the percentage of children born to fatherless homes has skyrocketed in America. As of 2015, 25 percent of white, 53 percent of Hispanic and 73 percent of black babies are born into fatherless homes.
While Scripture teaches that the weight of raising children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord falls upon fathers, seems like we need a movement that says fatherhood matters.
"Then David said to Saul, 'I cannot go with these, for I have not tested them.' So David put them off." 1 Samuel 17:39.
My name is Abraham Hamilton, III and this is The Hamilton Corner.
As David prepared to face Goliath, Saul tried to outfit David with Saul’s personal armor. But David didn’t have Saul’s armor when he faced the lion or the bear, and David realized he did not need the armor to slay Goliath.
Today, many Christians yield to the temptation to be hipper, cooler, and even a little fuzzy on the clear teachings of Scripture in order to face the Goliaths of our day. But Jesus said, “If I be lifted up, I will draw all men" John 12:32.
We don’t need a cool light show to be an ambassador for Christ. All we need is to offer what we have freely received.
We know the transforming power of Christ because He has transformed us.
My name is Abraham Hamilton, III and this is The Hamilton Minute.
What are gates? They are defensive tools used to keep stuff out, to keep an advancing force at bay.
Too often the enemy is successful in putting Christians on defense, when the facts are the Lord established His church as an aggressive, offensive, territory-taking body.
The Lord never meant for us to sit on the sidelines of life or to cower in the corner as a result of the wickedness in our culture.
A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. The light of the world cannot be contained.
The Lord is building His church and the mamby-pamby gates of Hell shall not prevail against us.
Blessed is the man who doesn’t walk in the counsel of the wicked nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scoffers.
My name is Abraham Hamilton III, and this is the Hamilton Minute.
One word has proven to be debilitating in our society: the D-word. Discrimination.
What we fail to realize is discrimination is not automatically a dirty concept. We discriminate against thieves and murderers when we send them to prison. We discriminated against sexual predators by keeping them away from children. And yes, we rightly discriminated against men when we keep them out of women’s restrooms.
According to Psalm 1, we have to discriminate against the counsel of the wicked in order to be blessed. Good thing God isn’t debilitated by the D-word.
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God – what is good and acceptable and perfect” Romans 12:2 (ESV).
My name is Abraham Hamilton, III and this is The Hamilton Minute.
Paul’s epistle to the Romans was written to believers. This verse highlights the fact that it’s possible for Christians to be conformed to the world’s ways.
The word “conformed” there means to be squeezed into the mold of another. Rather than to be squeezed into the world’s mold, the Lord requires us to be transformed by having our minds renewed by God’s Word.
Everything about us must be held up to the light of Scripture. And whenever there’s any discrepancy, we must be transformed.
My name is Abraham Hamilton III, and this is the Hamilton Minute.
This Scripture underscores the harrowing reality that permeates the life of many who profess to be Christians. The blessing of being a Christ follower comes not only from hearing God’s Word, but obeying it.
James continues, “for if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law of liberty and perseveres, being not a hearer who forgets, but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing."
“The borrower is the slave of the lender” Proverbs 22:7 (ESV).
My name is Abraham Hamilton, III and this is The Hamilton Minute.
Newly published information from Lifeway Research shows 77% of self-identified Christians in dozens of states think it’s a sin to lend money to someone who can’t afford to pay it back. Still, few say payday loans are immoral and one in six Christians have admitted to taking out a high-interest payday loan.
The federal government’s Consumer Financial Protection Bureau says the typical two-week payday loan charges the equivalent of a 400% interest rate.
These “sharks” prey on the poor, elderly, and most vulnerable in society.
Sound the alarm and make sure your family, church, and neighborhood steer clear of this vermin.
“And who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this” Esther 4:14.
My name is Abraham Hamilton, III and this is The Hamilton Minute
Esther, a young girl became Queen of the Persian Empire when Israel was subject to Persian rule. A wicked man named Haman tried to get the King to exterminate all Jews. Esther, a Jew herself, was Queen when this genocidal conspiracy was brought to bear. But her uncle Mordecai put her royal position in perspective.
“Perhaps God made you Queen for this very moment, to intervene on behalf of the Jewish people.”
Like Esther, perhaps God gave you the platform, position and influence you have for this very moment, to stand against darkness. Perhaps you were born for such a time as this.
David, the son of Jesse, was just an ordinary giant slayer.
My name is Abraham Hamilton, III and this is The Hamilton Minute.
David’s battle with Goliath is an epic drama where the little boy stands in God’s power to conquer the Philistine giant.
David didn’t awaken that morning expecting to slay a giant. He didn’t stroll in with an entourage after a rugged mountain range training camp like Rocky in Rocky IV. He was just a regular kid bringing his brothers’ lunch. But fully confident in God’s immeasurable power, though he saw Goliath, David never acknowledged him as a giant, saying, “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine who dares defy the Lord of hosts?”
When regular people are fully persuaded, fully confident in God’s power, giant’s fall.
“Always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for the reason for the hope that is in you.”
Many who oppose Christianity target their hostility on our foundation, the Bible. They say it is unreliable because Genesis one and Genesis two are contradictory accounts of the creation story.
In actuality, the two chapters are complimentary and not contradictory.
When Jesus was asked about marriage, He quoted from both chapters one and two, saying that He made them both to be male and female in the beginning. "And for this cause shall a man leave his mother and father and cleave unto his wife."
Genesis one is an overview of the creation story and Genesis two is an up close examination of day six. If Jesus relies on them both, so can we.
The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.
My name is Abraham Hamilton III, and this is the Hamilton Minute.
What is the proper role of government?
Romans chapter 13 outlines government's function, and it is basically this: to restrain or punish wickedness and to reward righteousness.
Government was never intended to be our savior. Government is our servant.
As we focus on our civil occupations and our civic engagement responsibilities, let us never forget that government is not our God. We don't put our trust in it. We put our trust in our Christ.
As a result, what we want is a government that stays out of our way and leaves room for our church to do our business of fulfilling the great commission.
What is the source of America's greatness? Alexis de Tocqueville, a 19th century French political thinker and philosopher, had this exact same question.
This is Abraham Hamilton, III and this is The Hamilton Minute.
On the heels of the French Revolution, he came to America in 1831 to investigate America's ascendency. In doing so, he found that America's greatness did not lie in her economic system. It did not lie in her banking system. Nor did it lie in her educational system.
He found that America's pulpits, aflamed with righteousness, was the source of America's greatness. He opined that America is great because she is good, but when America ceases to be good, she will cease to be great.
Let us pray for restoration of the flame of righteousness in our pulpits.
What would it take for you to compromise your principles?
My name is Abraham Hamilton III and this is the Hamilton Minute.
Recently I heard a statement that went like this, “I don’t think principles matter if you can’t get elected.”
Principles form the core of who you are. Principles form the foundation of a civil society.
George Washington in his farewell address identified religion and morality as indispensable supports.
“In vain would that man claim the tribute of patriotism who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness,” George Washington said.
It makes me think of a scripture. “What would it profit a man to gain the whole world yet lose his soul?”
What would it profit a man to gain an election yet lose his principles?
“The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.” 2 Timothy 2:2-3 (NASB95).
My name is Abraham Hamilton, III and this is The Hamilton Minute.
Just before his execution, Apostle Paul exhorted Timothy by the Spirit of God to seek out faithful men, who would be able to teach others, and pour into them all he’d received from the incarcerated Apostle. He then exhorted Timothy to anticipate times of hardship and to press forward with Jesus commission to make disciples nonetheless.
Jesus warned that hard times would come. We must press forward in obedience even while suffering hardship.
“For this reason a man shall leave his Father and Mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” Matthew 19:5 (NASB95).
My name is Abraham Hamilton, III and this is The Hamilton Minute.
It’s often repeated that 50% of marriages end in divorce. However, that statistic is not based on hard data and it doesn’t apply at all to committed Christians who marry.
Over 70% of married, Bible-believing Christians, who are active in their local churches have never divorced.
Though the rate of divorce is still too high, it isn’t nearly as high as the world would have you believe.
Simply put, marriages comprised of a husband and wife who place their faith in Christ Jesus for salvation individually usually remain in tact and thrive.
ng hardship.
“When Jesus went ashore, He saw a large crowd, and He felt compassion for them because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and He began to teach them many things.” Mark 6:34 (NASB95).
My name is Abraham Hamilton, III and this is The Hamilton Minute.
The word we live in likes to emphasize emotions. Our government educational system is riddled with social-emotional learning. Our young people are being indoctrinated into the notion that feeling is synonymous with thinking. All of this undergirds an unbiblical understanding of compassion.
The world cultivates the notion of simply feeling our way through life. But biblical compassion is responsive and active. Jesus was moved with compassion. It compelled him to teach many things.
Biblical compassion moves us to action. Compassion teaches.
“Leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.” Matthew 5:24 (NASB95).
My name is Abraham Hamilton, III and this is The Hamilton Minute.
Jesus focused authentic Christ-following to heart evaluation in addition to conduct assessment in the Sermon on the Mount. He also highlighted the reality that worshiping God includes our relationships with Brothers and Sisters in Christ.
He described a worshiper en route to make an offering unto the Lord who remembered that he had a frayed relationship with a Brother. Christ commanded him to render a whole offering by first being reconciled to the Brother. Then, continue in worship by making an offering.
Love for God is displayed in our relationships in His Body.
"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” Proverbs 1:5 (NASB95).
My name is Abraham Hamilton, III and this is The Hamilton Minute.
The LORD has given us a prescription to fortify Believers against the sin of worry in Philippians 4. He then commands us to set our minds to think on whatever is true, honorable, just, excellent, lovely, or praiseworthy.
The connector between dispelling anxiety and directing our minds is thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving dispatches God’s heavenly garrison around our hearts and minds.
Thanksgiving is the key to having the mind of Christ uninterruptedly.
Thanksgiving causes us to refocus ourselves to view the whole life from the vantage point of God’s active role in it.
“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23 (NASB95).
My name is Abraham Hamilton, III and this is The Hamilton Minute.
According to newly released CDC data, there were 2.5 million cases of sexually transmitted diseases in 2022, including a rise in chlamydia and potentially deadly syphilis.
Syphilis attacks the heart and the brain and has increased 80% in the U.S. over the last five years. On the verge of eradication in 2000, syphilis cases have now exploded.
Many experts have opined that the increasing popularity of dating apps has facilitated the current “hook-up” culture where people meet for casual fornication.
We suffer when we reject God’s word.
“I will make mere lads their princes, and capricious children will rule over them.” Isaiah 3:4 (NASB95).
My name is Abraham Hamilton, III and this is The Hamilton Minute.
Special Counsel Robert Hur documented that Mr. Biden "willfully retained and disclosed classified materials after his vice-presidency when he was a private citizen.” In some instances, the illegally possessed classified documents date back to the 70s and 80s.
Nevertheless, Hur added,
no criminal charges are warranted in this matter… at trial, Mr. Biden would likely present… as a well-meaning elderly man with poor memory.
In other words, the Special said Mr. Biden is not mentally competent enough to stand trial for his clear violations of the law. Soooo, how is he mentally competent enough to occupy the oval office?
