Teach Them Diligently

     Children catch many things as they are growing up:  the flu, a cold, butterflies, balls and yes, even a worldview.  What little ones see in their home forms the basis for many of their perceptions as they are growing up.  This is why it is so important for parents to teach their children the truths of the Bible at an early age.  Praying together at meals and studying God's Word  as a family is just as important for children as doing homework.
     One of the reasons my husband and I felt called to homeschool our four children for 21 years was our desire to instill in them not only a love for learning but also how God is an integral part of every subject.  It took time and sacrifice to stay at home and devote ourselves to this endeavor but we knew it was our parental responsibility to train up our children to be well educated members of society and more importantly, believers in the Lord Jesus Christ.  Thankfully, all of our children committed themselves to Christ and have gone on to serve the Lord in various vocations.
     Not everyone is called to home educate their children as far as academic pursuits are concerned.  For those who have their children in private, charter or public schools, the influence and participation as a parent is key to their success.  In addition, instruction at home concerning the Christian faith is crucial because our children and grandchildren are facing an increasingly antagonistic society who have lost their moral foundation.  Going to church once or twice a week is not enough to provide them with all they need.  Certainly it reinforces their faith, but nothing replaces the instruction of parents.

Glenn and I with some of our grandchildren 

     In the Old Testament, God spoke clearly to His people in Deuteronomy 6:4-9 concerning the duty of all men and the responsibility given to parents:  "Hear, O Israel:  the Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.  And these words I command you today shall be on your heart.  You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.  You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and  they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.  You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates."  Is there any doubt about the importance of passing on our faith to our children as well as demonstrating it to them in our own lives?    We are not talking about something casual here or every once in a while.  This is an immersion style of teaching which brings our faith into every aspect of life, and it is meant to be daily.
     R.C. Sproul in Tabletalk Magazine for September writes:  "I don't think there's a mandate to be found in sacred Scripture that is more solemn than this one.  That we are to teach our children the truth of God's Word is a sacred, holy responsibility that God gives to his people" (Pg. 5).  One tool which we can use with our children at an early age is the Westminster Shorter Catechism which is a simple question and answer format.  While some may say that this leans on boring tradition, we need to point out that according to Dr. Sproul Scripture teaches that the word "tradition" refers to the passing on of a gift.  We have a gift to share with our children and grandchildren.  We have the gift of salvation and the Good News of Jesus Christ.  How could we not want to pass this along to those we love?
     Indeed, whether we choose to home educate or send our children to public school, the need to teach them the truth of God's Word is imperative to their well-being and eternal destination.  Let us not miss any opportunity to pass along the faith that has been delivered to us .  This is a call incumbent on all parents.  May we be found faithful!  Selah!

The Rumor of the Church's Demise is Premature

     Mark Twain, storyteller and author, was reportedly thought to be in poor health.  A newspaper reporter inquired about him and a rumor began to spread that he had died.  Nothing was ever published about this but when Mark Twain heard the rumor, he quipped, "The report of my death was an exaggeration."  In fact, it was his cousin who was very ill.  This happened one other time after this to Mark Twain who must have wondered if people really wanted him dead and buried.  However, he was able to make light of this mistaken information.
     In a similar fashion, I read an article in the Tampa Bay Times (Sunday, August 28, 2016) concerning the dying of white Christian America.  A book written by Robert P. Jones entitled, "The End of White Christian America" was the subject of this article which was an interview with this author.  With numbers declining in many mainline protestant churches (Episcopal, Methodist and Presbyterian USA), the author points to the dwindling number of white Christians in churches.  Part of this is due to the demographic changes in our country and the increasing number of immigrants who now make up our population.  Other influences include liberalism which has taken these denominations far from their conservative roots.  Likewise, there are many young millennials who do not identify with any faith today and frequently drift in and out of church.
     Culture is another factor according to the author.  The rise of militant LBGT influence on marriage as well as other issues have also served to create division within church bodies.  The author concludes his interview by saying this of his book:  "I begin the book with an obituary for White Christian America and I conclude the book with a eulogy."  Now, if everything ended here, we might want to join in the mourning along with this author.  However, we have a much different picture painted for us in Scripture.
     According to Matthew, the Lord was questioning his disciples and asking them what people were saying about Him.  They answered Him, and then, Peter spoke up clearly declaring that Jesus was the Christ...the Son of the Living God.  Our Lord answered and said:  "And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." (Matthew 16:18). Jesus made it clear that upon this truthful confession He would build His church.  He went even further when He said that the gates of Hell would not prevail against the church.  Despite the view of this author or even society at large, the rumors of the church's demise are premature.
     Yes, I understand that the author was pointing to statistics as well as the aging "Boomer" population that has attended church with regularity.  However, Jesus said that heaven and earth may pass away but His Words will never pass away (Matthew 24:35).  When He says that the gates of Hell will not prevail against the church, we can rest assured of its permanence.  We also have to keep in mind that church may take

different forms from what we have known in the past.  For example, in China and other nations where the Christian faith is not acceptable, many house churches have sprung up.  Reports say that the church is growing more rapidly under persecution in these countries than in nations that have "freedom of religion."
     What we must remember in these days where it seems that culture is moving farther away from the values of the Christian faith is that God is still at work to do His good will and pleasure.  He will accomplish all that His Word has said He will do.  He has sent a Savior to redeem those whom He has called to be His own, and He is MORE than able to keep all who are committed to Him.  Therefore, let Satan shake his fist while authors write of the church's demise.  But remember, the Enemy never expected Jesus to rise from the dead breaking the curse of sin and death.  When we read the end of the Bible, we know who wins...even our Lord and His bride the church.  Soli Deo Gloria!

The Only Thing We Can Count on is Change

    There is nothing more certain in this life than change.  For some of us (myself included), it can be very unsettling. 

     In the first few years of our marriage, it seemed that all we did was move.  We lived in Columbus, Ohio while my husband was in the College of Optometry.  Following the completion of my husband's degree, we moved back to his hometown to set up his practice.  What a change for us!  We left all of the friends we had grown so close to in Columbus and had to start over again in finding a church home as well as a home for us to live in.
     Then, five years later, my husband felt a desire to move to Florida so he would be able to pursue his hobby of scuba diving as well as escape the icy northern weather.  At this point, I told him that this would be our last move as I was not enjoying the constant packing and unpacking of moving.  In addition, I disliked the personal upheaval of leaving family and friends.
     We moved to Florida in 1979 and have remained in the same community here since that time.  However, we have moved twice since living here from one home to another.  At least we remained in the same town.
     Now I have given you all this as a background to today's scripture.  Look at Psalm 90 and read it in its entirety. This Psalm is attributed to Moses and really points out God's eternal being as versus man's mortality.
     Life, for us, is in a constant state of flux.  We face changes on an almost daily basis.  Most of us want security, but there is only one source for that security...our Lord and our God.  He is constant when we are changeable.  He is faithful while we are often unfaithful.  He is steady while we are unsteady.  The list goes on and on.
     Look at verse 1-2:  "Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.  Before the mountains were brought forth, Or ever You had formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God."
     These words of truth and faith on the part of Moses who saw more change in his lifetime than we will ever see.  From day to day, Moses had to cope with the fickle Children of Israel and their wanderings in the desert.  So what did he do?  He looked to the only constant in life - God.
     I don't know about you, but that speaks volumes to me.  When life is topsy turvy and constantly in a state of change, the one thing we can depend on is our Lord.  Hebrews 13:8 says:  "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever."  Likewise, in Malachi 3:6-7, we get a glimpse of who remains the same and who changes:  "For I am the Lord, I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.  Yet from the days of your fathers you have gone away from My ordinances and have not kept them.  'Return to Me, and I will return to you', says the Lord of hosts.  But you said, 'In what way shall we return?'"
     We all know the saying, "If you feel far away from God, who moved?"  Well, Malachi has a good answer.  We are the ones who often change but the Lord remains the same.  He is our hiding place, our stability in times of uncertainty and our place of shelter.
     If we depend on others, they can let us down.  If we put our trust in the stock market, houses, wealth, family or friends, we are open to disappointment at some time.  However, if we put our trust in Him, we have found a refuge that will not change, disappoint, or leave.
     No one, including me, can predict what tomorrow may bring but we who know Jesus Christ know who holds tomorrow in His hands.  Therefore, we can be confident that whether we move to a new town or have new health issues or suffer disappointment, we have an unchangeable God who loves us and will never leave nor forsake us.  Selah!