01.10.10

Great Meeting today

Posted in Uncategorized at 10:22 pm by Administrator

Pictures_of_Pottery_Demonstration[1].pdf - Adobe Reader

We had a great meeting today with Evangelist David Engesath. Everyone really enjoyed seeing the pottery as it illustrated many salient Bible doctrines. The Holy Spirit used Bro. David to drive home a host of Bible truths that He’s been dealing with us about as a church. There was a great spirit in the church and I’m thankful for the way the Lord used this meeting to help us, challenge us, and encourage our hearts. If you missed the services we’ll try to get out some cds in the coming days of the messages, but it probably won’t be quite the same without seeing the pottery. You can check out a brief youtube video of his presentation at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDsul5Lyys4.

01.09.10

“I’d just be concerned about their socialization”

Posted in Uncategorized at 3:36 pm by Administrator

This is a not-so-uncommon interjection any time I happen on a short discussion of the merits or draw-backs of homeschooling. I don’t doubt that there is a good bit of self-righteousness associated with some families that homeschool, but I’m sure there is as much or more ignorance among those that oppose it. Our family has never set forth home-education as a measure of spirituality; in fact the whole concept is new enough to me that I’ve never really attempted to proselytize anyone to join up with the “home-education movement”, though I’m more than willing to speak candidly about my thoughts when asked. I’m personally not in favor of socialized medicine. As an American, I’m opposed to socialism as a form of government. I doubt that Biblically-minded individuals that make the “socialization” argument have actually given a lot of thought to the concept. A lot of times it’s just code for, “your kids are kind of weird.” Based on the typical standards of the people that usually make this argument, I hope my children stay that way. (Having had this discussion on a few occasions, I mean that even if it does sound self-righteous.) To socialize someone is to make them act in a way that is acceptable to society. By that definition I’m reminded that scripture teaches us that Christians are to be a peculiar people, living a life of separation from the world (1 Pet 2:5-9, 1 John 2:15-17, 2 Cor 6:14-18). In a society where homosexuality is an “alternative-lifestyle”, divorce is commonplace, fornication and common-law marriage (once known as “shacking up”) is acceptable, and murdering unborn babies is legal, every parent is bound by the word of God to do everything in their power to spare their children from being “socialized”.

Since the area of Biblical truth and morality is not part of the thought-processes of the “what-about-their-socialization” crowd, I suppose we could appeal to the research. A Canadian study recently published found that, when measured along side the average publicly-educated Canadian, homeschooled adults were more socially involved-including being twice as likely to have voted in a federal election-not to mention having a higher average income.1 This is consistent with the research conducted in the USA released earlier in 2009 by the National Home Education Research Institute. In an article entitled “Homeschooling Grows Up” the Home School Legal Defense Association concluded that the results of this study serve to“defuse long-held false criticisms of homeschooling and seem to indicate that homeschooling produces successful adults who are actively involved in their communities and who continue to value education for themselves and their children.”2

I am far from being on a crusade to persuade others to homes-educate their children. I would certainly suggest that the educational decisions made by Christian parents should be arrived at prayerfully. But with that said if you don’t approve of our family’s decision to pursue this educational route, spare me the “socialization” argument if it ever comes up.

 

1 http://www.hslda.ca/cche_research/2009Study.pdf

2 http://www.hslda.org/research/ray2003/HomeschoolingGrowsUp.pdf

01.07.10

Not Exceptions, Just Extremes

Posted in Bible at 7:47 am by Administrator

Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. James 1:15 

 When people perceive life and sin through the world’s glossy and glorified lenses, uncompromising, pointed Bible preaching and teaching begins to sound harsh and unrealistic. Every Christian knows that the scripture teaches that the wages of sin is death, and yet when we view the ungodliness of those around us with the world’s distorted perspective many are tempted to question the truth of the Bible and assume the wicked are prospering. On the other hand when we hide the word of God in our hearts and, by faith, uphold the word of God as our standard the Lord will often grant us glimpses of just how true the scripture really is.

When I worked as a floor-covering salesman I worked with an installer that, in spite of his old age, had a seemingly insatiable appetite for younger women. He’d find attention-starved, destitute young ladies who would essentially sell themselves for food and drink and he’d boast of his exploits as if he were a hero. After a more serious relationship with a lady closer to his own age went wrong her teenage daughter brought some rather disturbing accusations against this same man. We’ll never know if they were true. This textbook example of masculine pride, prowess, strength, and independence shot him self in the head before the authorities got very far with the investigation.

As a fifth-grader I got to go with a group of my peers to a kindergarten class where we read to all-new students. I struck up an acquaintance that lasted all through school with the little boy that I read to on that day. I never saw him that I didn’t speak to him by name, and he always returned the kindness. After being out of school for some time I was saddened to read that this promising, handsome young man had shot his girlfriend and then turned the gun on himself. I never feel like preaching on broken-homes, rap music, and pre-marital sex is “heavy handed”.

These couple of occurrences served as tragic reminders for me of the absolute truth of the scripture. Doubtless, most will look upon these sad events and deem them to be the exceptions; we all know that most perverts don’t wind up killing themselves, and most overly involved high school love affairs don’t wind up in a homicide/suicide. I’d suggest that’s the wrong way to look at it. These are not exceptions, they are simply extremes. Sin always brings death, sometimes you just can’t perceive what’s dying.

01.05.10

Sound Speech That Cannot Be Condemned

Posted in Bible, Books at 6:46 am by Administrator

Paul exhorted Titus to show himself a pattern of good works including his speech that none might condemn the words of his mouth (Titus 2:7-8). Truly, if any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man (James 3:2). We all battle at times with controlling the tongue, and often our failure is not calculated or malicious, or even conscious for that matter. One area of speech where that is especially evident is in the embellishment of simple stories shared in day-to-day discourse. (I think preachers are particularly bad about this.) I read a very interesting assessment of this often unconscious struggle in the context of a testimony regarding one man’s decisive victory over the simple temptation of propogating little untruths. A. T. Pierson, speaking of George Mueller’s commitment to accuracy in all that he spoke, observed the following:

“Many a falsehood is not an intentional lie, but an undersigned inaccuracy. Three of our human faculties powerfully affect our veracity; one is memory, another is imagination, and another is conscience. Memory takes note of facts, imagination colors facts with fancies, and conscience brings the moral sense to bear in sifting the real from the unreal. Where conscience is not sensitive and dominant, memory and imagination will become so confused that facts and fancies will fail to be separated. The imagination will be so allowed to invest events and experiences with either a halo of glory or a cloud of prejudice that the narrator will constantly tell not what he clearly sees written in the book of his remembrance, but what he beholds painted upon the canvas of his own imagination. Accuracy will be, half-unconsciously, perhaps, sacrificed to his own imaginings; he will exaggerate or depreciate—as his own impulses lead him; and a man who would not deliberately lie may thus be habitually untrustworthy; you cannot tell, often he cannot tell, what the exact truth would be when all the unreality with which it has thus been invested is dissipated like the purple and golden clouds about a mountain, leaving the bare crag of naked rock to be seen, just as it is in itself.” (p. 378-379, “George Muller of Bristol”)

01.02.10

A Militant “Happy New Year” Greeting

Posted in Uncategorized at 12:26 pm by Administrator

A major in the Zambian army recently issued this New Year greeting:
“May the blessings of God harass you and happiness attack you where ever you may go. May misery be hijacked from you and may thugs pick pocket all your worries. Have a godly and spiritually blessed 2010.”

01.01.10

Happy New Year

Posted in Uncategorized at 1:51 pm by Administrator

Doug Phillips is founder and president of Vision Forum Ministries. This ministry is unapologetically Calvinistic in their theology, however, regarding issues concerning the home and family, they have some tremendous resources. You can learn about this organization at www.visionforumministries.org. Mr. Phillips has written a very good article entitled, “Three of the Most Important Things You Can Do at this Time of Year”. I would send this out in its entirety except for the fear that many would discard it simply because of its length. So I thought I’d duplicate the first  ”important thing you can do”, and encourage you to check out the article in its entirety on your own. Our family has already taken Mr. Phillips advice on the first point and we found it to be blessing. Here’s the first word of advice:

I. Outline and Chronicle the
Many Providences of God

Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. (Hab. 2:2)

First, using simple bullet points, outline the key events for every week of every month of the year. Take the time to do the research which will help jog your memory and allow you to make an accurate record. I find that reviewing bills, blogs, journals, newspaper headlines, letters, and even organizing my photographs chronologically are enormously helpful tools. Those individuals who were faithful to journal or keep a diary will have little problem reconstructing key events. Give yourself a good week to reconstruct your own outline of the year. Also, by making this a family project, you will not only build your list with greater speed and precision, but (in the hands of a loving patriarch) the very act of chronicling the providences of God in your life is a blessed tool for family discipleship.

Every family will have a different set of priorities directing what they should record. In addition to recording the key events and providences of the year chronologically, I try to take the time with my family to record some of the following information on separate bullet lists:

  1. Where did I/we travel?
  2. What were the most important sermons I heard this year?
  3. What books/articles did I write?
  4. What significant household projects did we accomplish in 2009?
  5. What were the most important meetings of the year?
  6. What special friendships were made this year?
  7. Which children lost teeth, and how many?
  8. Who grew in physical stature, and how much did they grow?
  9. Who learned to read this year?
  10. What diet and physical exercise regimen did I maintain to honor “my temple”?
  11. What books did I read? Did we read as a family? Did my children read?
  12. What Scriptures did my family memorize?
  13. What loved ones died this year?
  14. What were the great personal/ministry/national tragedies and losses of the year?
  15. What were the great personal/ministry/national blessings of the year?
  16. What were my most significant failures/sins for the year 2009?
  17. What commitments have I made to overcome sin in 2010?
  18. What significant spiritual and practical victories did I experience?
  19. In what tangible ways did I communicate gratitude to those who have blessed me and invested in my life?
  20. What are the top ten themes of 2009 for my family?

You may obtain the entirety of this article at the following link:

http://www.visionforum.com/onlineemail/vision-forum/2009/12/30_howtoendtheyear/

Have a happy New Year, praising the goodness of God that has brought you thus far and looking forward to His mercies that are new each day (and year)!

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