The Sins of the Father in Neglecting Corporate Worship Makes a 73% Difference in Whether Children Continue in the Faith

Justin Taylor cites the findings of Robbie Low from Touchstone magazine about the father’s role in nurturing the faith of his children. I have read these findings before and want to note a finding that confirms how important the role of the father is in passing down the faith. If the father is absent from worship, then only 2% of the children will go on to become part of the church into adulthood. If the father is faithful, that number climbs to as high as 75%. That’s a 73% gap!  

Dads, if you name the name of Christ, the whole while devoting your Sundays to Nascar, football, and personal recreation, you are in serious sin. I admonish you to lead your family to Christ and His church lest you eternally regret leading your kids to the fleeting pleasures of this world.

Quoting from Low:

In short, if a father does not go to church, no matter how faithful his wife’s devotions, only one child in 50 will become a regular worshipper. If a father does go regularly, regardless of the practice of the mother, between two-thirds and three-quarters of their children will become churchgoers (regular and irregular). If a father goes but irregularly to church, regardless of his wife’s devotion, between a half and two-thirds of their offspring will find themselves coming to church regularly or occasionally.

A non-practicing mother with a regular father will see a minimum of two-thirds of her children ending up at church. In contrast, a non-practicing father with a regular mother will see two-thirds of his children never darken the church door. If his wife is similarly negligent that figure rises to 80 percent!

Book Review of Bill Farley’s “Gospel-Powered Parenting”

A Book Review of William P. Farley’s, “Gospel-Powered Parenting: How the Gospel Shapes and Transforms Parenting”

William P. Farley is pastor of Grace Christian Fellowship in Spokane, WA, which belongs to the Sovereign Grace Ministries network of churches.

Farley strikes the balance beautifully between the absolute freedom of God in His sovereignty to regenerate the heart of the elect along with God’s sovereignly prescribed means for parents in raising their kids. This balance protects parents from being negligent and passive in the name of God’s sovereignty (“My kids salvation rests completely in God and has little or nothing to do with me”) or presumption that the prescribed means operate as an assembly line where we simply create Christians by pushing the right buttons (“If I parent exactly how God wants me to, then my kids will absolutely be Christians”).

We, therefore, don’t parent as if it completely depends on God, nor as if it completely depends on us. These complexities of means and God’s overarching Sovereign purposes have long confounded God’s people. Godly parents may see their children rebel, whereas Godless parents may see their children radically regenerated by God’s Spirit. Having said that, Farley acknowledges that God generally works through means and that negligent parents will generally see the consequences in their children, whereas Godly parents will generally see greater evidences of grace operating in their children.

If anything, Farley advocates parenting that is completely dependent upon God’s grace in the discharge of the prescribed means He calls us to.

The most striking and insightful aspects of the book for me personally can be summarized in the following points:

-          We must parent with one eye on eternity. Farley states, “…the Christian does not parent for this life only”.  We have 18 short years to not only influence their short time in this life, but also for all eternity.

-          Our aim is not to create “moral” kids. We ought not solely seek behavioral modification in our children. This alone will create nice little hypocrites who are further away from the Gospel of grace. While we must discipline and certainly condemn certain behaviors, we must always be pointing our kids to the cross and the Gospel.

-          Theology is enormously practical in how we parent because we should seek to emulate the “communicable” attributes of God towards our children. If we don’t know God, then we will paint a distorted picture of His nature to our children.

-          Regardless of schooling convictions (Christian school, public school, home school), the one factor that most influences our children’s Spiritual wellbeing is the faithful and consistent attention of parents. Farley concedes that public school might be too harmful for some and that all parents must use discretion. Having said that, a particular “method”  won’t work apart from parents who honor God above all.

-          Marriages preach the Gospel.

-          Dads matter more than any other factor in the perseverance of children’s interest in Spiritual things and church attendance into adulthood.

-          Lastly, Farley said, “Love God more than your children”. He cites many examples from pastoral ministry where families placed their kids above God and have gone on to pay a dear price with the apostasy of their children. If the parents weren’t valuing God more than the weekend soccer games, etc., why should we expect our kids to honor God more than __________ (fill in the blank).

Bottom Line:

I commend this book for parents. There is no shortage of books on parenting, but I think Farley brings out many good points and pastoral life illustrations that will be helpful and hopeful for most parents.

Free Ebook from Al Mohler – “From Boy to Man: The Marks of Manhood”

Here it is:
http://www.sbts.edu/resources/files/2010/09/boy-to-man.pdf

The Bible Story Handbook by John and Kim Walton

The Bible Story Handbook by John and Kim Walton
Crossway Books, 2010

The Bible Story Handbook is a new resource for parents and Sunday School teachers wanting to clearly and correctly communicate the truth of the Bible to children. Unlike many such resources, this is not a curriculum or lesson plan, but is a rather unique tool that will assist and enrich all those who seek to communicate God’s timeless truth to young hearts and minds.

Beginning the collection off is an essay on the need for this book and the dangers of “dumbing down” Biblical stories. It is the danger of hermeneutics trumping exegesis, to use the language of Stuart and Fee’s “How to Read the Bible For All Its Worth.” Though the gray area theological points of the authors shines through a little too strongly at times (in particular their views on creation and the continuation of charismata), the introduction should be essential reading for all who minister to children and have the sacred duty of teaching them about God from the Scriptures. This includes ALL parents! To sum up the concept of the book, here’s a quote:

“Though we might be able to learn innumerable things from a passage, the passage is not teaching everything that anybody sees in it.” (p.22)

The books aims to help teachers understand both what the main point of a Bible story is, and what it specifically is not. This is a really useful thing to have, especially for people less well versed in the Scriptures who may not so quickly recall other areas of the Bible that help identify the meaning of the text being studied. John and Kim Walton have provided a quick reference guide to check context, and so it is a book that can be used whether following a curriculum, or creating your own lessons from scratch.
After the introduction, the book is broken into Old Testament and New Testament, covering a lot of the narrative of the Old Testament, and then providing lesson coverage for the Gospels, Acts and Revelation. The epistles are not covered since they do not meet the requirements of narrative story. Each lesson contains the following sections:

- Lesson Focus
- Lesson Application
- Biblical Context
- Interpretational Issues in the Story
- Background Information
- Mistakes to Avoid

The lessons take up around a couple of pages each, so the material is not particularly lengthy, but is written for adults to consult and consider prior to teaching. I daresay that there will be disagreements along the way. For instance, comparing the Walton’s take on the story of Jonah with Tullian Tchividjian’s brilliant Surprised By Grace, it is clear that they hold strong opinions about the use and abuse of the text that may differ with other writers and theologians. I do appreciate their strength of conviction, but it will have to be weighed against other sources too – no carte blanche for anyone but God, I’m afraid!

I do not foresee this being a book that is allowed to gather dust – with two young sons of my own, and regular ministry to children in our home church, I will be routinely consulting this volume for a quick checkup to see if the lesson is on point, and will likely employ it in personal study and sermon preparation too! This is a unique resource to add to your collection.

A review copy was provided to me at no charge by the publisher. No attempt was made to gain a favorable review, and all opinions and recommendations expressed are the author’s own.

Pastor Rick Hogaboam’s address at Gospel-Powered Parenting Conference – “Precept-Driven, Proverb-Driven, Spirit-Filled Parenting in Truth, Goodness, and Beauty”

The following are my notes from my address at the Gospel-Powered Parenting Conference. You can also find the audio here (link).

Ephesians 5:15–6:4 (ESV) — 15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, 20 giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. 22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. 25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. 28 In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, 30 because we are members of his body. 31 “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. 33 However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. 1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), 3 “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” 4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

5:15-17 “Precept and Proverb Driven Life” (Truth and Goodness)

15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

-          “carefully”, “how you walk” = we must be sober in how we live our life. The Christian life is often described as a walk. In the context of parenting, the way we walk affects where our kids go. They are following us, trusting us to lead them.

• We hike once in awhile and we are mindful of the kids staying on the path. we must be careful not to stray to the side or you might fall off, or walk into poison ivy. You must stay alert; not a good time to be looking backwards while you are walking.

-          Psalm 119:1–3 (ESV) — 1 Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord! 2 Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart, 3 who also do no wrong, but walk in his ways!

-          Psalm 119:9–10 (ESV) — 9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. 10 With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments!

-          Psalm 119:19–20 (ESV) — 19 I am a sojourner on the earth; hide not your commandments from me! 20 My soul is consumed with longing for your rules at all times.

-          Psalm 119:32 (ESV) — 32 I will run in the way of your commandments when you enlarge my heart!

-          Psalm 119:35 (ESV) — 35 Lead me in the path of your commandments, for I delight in it.

-          Psalm 119:44–45 (ESV) — 44 I will keep your law continually, forever and ever, 45 and I shall walk in a wide place, for I have sought your precepts.

-          Psalm 119:54 (ESV) — 54 Your statutes have been my songs in the house of my sojourning.

-          Psalm 119:59 (ESV) — 59 When I think on my ways, I turn my feet to your testimonies;

-          Psalm 119:67 (ESV) — 67 Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep your word.

-          Psalm 119:85 (ESV) — 85 The insolent have dug pitfalls for me; they do not live according to your law.

-          Psalm 119:95 (ESV) — 95 The wicked lie in wait to destroy me, but I consider your testimonies.

-          Psalm 119:101–102 (ESV) — 101 I hold back my feet from every evil way, in order to keep your word. 102 I do not turn aside from your rules, for you have taught me.

-          Psalm 119:105 (ESV) — 105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

-          Psalm 119:110 (ESV) — 110 The wicked have laid a snare for me, but I do not stray from your precepts.

-          Psalm 119:117–118 (ESV) — 117 Hold me up, that I may be safe and have regard for your statutes continually! 118 You spurn all who go astray from your statutes, for their cunning is in vain.

-          Psalm 119:133 (ESV) — 133 Keep steady my steps according to your promise, and let no iniquity get dominion over me.

-          Psalm 119:176 (ESV) — 176 I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek your servant, for I do not forget your commandments.

• Last verse of Psalm is not triumphant, but confessional and a plea. We need grace and mercy on this journey of walking in the Lord, but walk we must. The stakes are high. Pastor Farley points out in his book how important modeling is. Do as I say not as I do doesn’t jive with kids for a reason. They will grow up jaded and bitter. They will honestly resent you when they grow older. They will have little to no respect for a hypocritical parent. They can care less how good you look on Sunday, when they see right through you at home. Your kids are watching you. You might be convinced that they aren’t watching you, but they are. Parents are still the most significant role models for kids.

 -          not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

-          We walk according to the Lord’s precepts not just because it is true, though that alone is enough motivation, but because is “good”.

-          We see the goodness of God in this text as Paul employs “wisdom” literature in brief. The contrast between wise and unwise, foolish and understanding, beckon us to God’s wisdom as being good. We need a Proverbs driven life, seeking obedience to God’s precepts, but also an abiding affirmation of the hearty goodness in God’s ways.

-          We are also told to make “the best use of the time, because the days are evil”. There’s an urgency to acquire wisdom, to walk in the will of the Lord and reject our foolishness and the evil time. We must seek wisdom in Christ or perish. This is summed up quite well in the first chapter of Proverbs:

Do Not Hinder the Children

As a father and former child myself, I have found myself searching the Scriptures more and more lately in developing a Biblically grounded theology of children. The Church has been doing this for years and there is hardly any consensus on how exactly our children are initiated into the full membership of the Church community. Baptists, Presbyterians, Lutherans, Catholics, Anglicans, and so on all have varying convictions on these matters. I am not attempting to resolve this doctrinal matter in its entirety, but do want to commend the following quotes from C.H. Spurgeon (from “Spiritual Parenting”)  as something that I trust we can all get behind and seek in the life of our children and Church. Enjoy.

Importance of training children in the faith: “Parents sin in the same way when they omit religion from the education of their children. Perhaps the thought is that their children cannot be converted while they are children…Let us expect our children to know the Lord. Let us from the beginning mingle the name of Jesus with their ABC’s. Let them read their first lessons from the Bible…But let us never be guilty, as parents, of forgetting the religious training of our children. If we do, we may be guilty of the blood of their souls.”

The sin of low expectations: “Another result is that the conversion of children is not expected in many of our churches and congregations. I mean, that they do not expect the children to be converted as children. The theory is that if we can impress youthful minds with principles which may, in after years, prove useful to them, we have done a great deal. But to convert children as children, and to regard them as being as much believers as their seniors, is regarded as absurd.”

The sin of cynicism: “Another bad result is that the conversion of children is not believed. Certain suspicious people always file their teeth a bit when they hear of a newly-converted child: they will have a bite at him if they can. They very rightly insist that these children should be carefully examined before they are baptized and admitted into the church. However, they are wrong in insisting that only in exceptional instances are they to be received. We quite agree with them as to the care to be exercised, but it should be the same in all cases, and neither more nor less in the cases of children.”

I highly commend these words from Spurgeon. I want to reaffirm over and over again how important it is for us to train the little ones in the Way, the Truth, and the Life. God has ordained instruction as the primary means whereby our children are brought into a faithful relationship with the Father (Deut. 6:4-9). Studies show that our children’s capacity for learning is amazingly high between infancy and 5 years.  Our children’s most tender years are also the most pliable. Their sense of identity and worldview are pretty much solidified by 18-20 years of age. Why is then that many parents have abandoned instructing their kids, instead saying, “I don’t want them to believe just because I believe and taught them. I want them to grow up and then find out for themselves what they believe.” This type of thinking is deadly. We wouldn’t dare keep our children from math, literature, etc because we would rather them grow up and decide whether they want to learn or not. We wouldn’t dare refrain from teaching our children the danger of running into the street and touching a hot stove. How much more then should we be guiding our children into eternal truth for their eternal good?

“That’s Tight.” And I don’t mean ‘cool’.

If you aren’t sure if a pair of pants or shorts is tight, or possibly even too tight, here are a few tests to as measure:

1. If you are constantly pulling them out of your crotch

2. If you can see your underwear/panty

3. If you can see parts of your gluteus maximus (butt)

The same would go for skirts/dresses.

My how we have lost the purity and sanctity of our sexuality.  As the days grow older, the trend of “more” is better seems to grow- more skin and bodily parts, that is.  From the dawn of time, women have this need to feel, well, needed.  It’s quite natural, and unfortunately a curse of human kind.  Women tend to look for gratification, satisfaction in their worth through use of their bodies.  I’m not totally against having a sense of ‘style’.  After all, even the early pilgrims and prairie girls think their style is good (which I am increasingly likening).

Finding modesty in the world is one thing, but it’s sad that it’s sometimes hard press to find modest feminism in the church.  By modest feminism, I mean feminine (appealing women’s apparel) that is attractive yet modest in expression of such.  The world has abused and misused (as is what it does) the word feminine/feminism.  It has turned what is meant to be good and perverted it.  No surprise.

As for a woman of godly character, to these guidelines should she aspire:

1Tim2:9 likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, 10 but with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works.

So what if the world thinks you’re weird?  You’re to be set apart- different.  For where is your treasure?  In the world’s acceptance?   So shall a woman not think herself ugly or unacceptable if she fails to show cleavage or wear lowriders so that her belly may show and “appeal” to coolness.  Do you contemplate how to “strut your stuff”?  It shows our vanity, our insecurity, our great selfish need of attention. “Look at me, look at me” says the self-centeredness of me.  This is not the mind of the godly.  Those parts, though beautiful, are reserved- if single, for your marriage; if married, for your husband.  Now I know that some would say “that’s the old way of thinking”, “that’s so traditional”.  So is 1Tim2:9 irrelevant for today?  I think not.  Only if you desire to satisfy your own ways, tread with care.  Will you cause another to stumble for the sake of your liberty?  May it not be.  For you are to put others before self.  We were created as sexual beings but also to use self-control.  Our sexuality is sacred and is not to be used in a debased way.  As a believer, we are to use them to the glory of God.  (1Cor6) Your body is a temple for God’s use.  Just because we were created as sexual creatures does not mean that we have liberty to do what we will, that is, IF we are seeking the will and honor of our Christ.  I pray that we women would be aware how we should take care in how we present ourselves in public, for our lives are not just about us, but first about God, then others.  For it is said, “Love God first, then love your neighbor”.  (Matt22:37)  It is not said, “put yourself first, then think of your neighbor”.  It’s a tough balance of understanding and loving.  I know, this is radical.  Somehow, God’s word is, well, radical.  Are we loving our brothers and honoring our sisters by how we dress and adorn ourselves?   By loving our brothers, I mean, causing unnecessary offense or stumbling.  Your breasts are precious and sacred for a greater purpose than to expose them for sake of “style”.  Private parts are named that for a reason. There’s a reason the bible speaks to lust and sexual immorality and fleeing from it!  It’s still relevant for today!  Our bodies have special purposes.  And in ‘honoring our sisters’, I mean are we considering their husbands consciences, protecting their minds & their eyes.  Are we considering their brothers, their fathers, their sons?  As I begin to deal with a teenage son and the world of lust and desires of a man’s heart, I am more and more sensitive to these issues.  I pray the church, at the least, would humble themselves in this issue, and consider the brother and sister, and love them in how they use their bodies.  May we women use our bodies to the glory of Christ, in good works, in modesty, not flashing body parts unnecessarily and inappropriately.

Interview with Pastor/Author Bill Farley on “Gospel-Powered Parenting”

I had the most pleasant time interviewing Bill Farley about his conversion, family life, and his book, “Gospel-Powered Parenting”. I conducted the interview as part of the show “Faith and Reason” on 10/12/2010 while filling in for Christian apologist Matt Slick of Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry (www.carm.org).  

Here is a link to the 1 hour interview: Bill Farley on “Gospel-Powered Parenting”

I also want to mention to all that Sovereign Grace Fellowship of Nampa will be hosting a “Gospel-Powered Family” conference featuring Bill Farley. The information is below. Hope to see you there as we ponder how we can better parent for the glory of God!!!

Gospel-Powered Parenting Conference

William P. Farley is pastor of Grace Christian Fellowship  (www.gcfonline.org) in Spokane, WA. He has published articles in Discipleship Journal, Enrichment Journal, & Focus on the Family magazine. He has been married to Judy since 1971, has five children & fourteen grandchildren. He is the author of “Gospel-Powered Parenting” & “Outrageous Mercy” (P&R).

October 22-24, 2010 @ Sovereign Grace Fellowship (1311 6^th Street South, Nampa, ID 83651)

www.sovereigngracefellowship.org  208-466-0937

Schedule:

Friday, October 22

7pm – “How the Gospel Relates to Parenting” by Bill Farley 

Sat, October 23

9am – “Fatherhood Lessons from Noah” by Bill Farley

10am – “Spirit-Filled Parenting” by Rick Hogaboam

11am – “Parenting and the Ten Commandments” by Bill Farley

12pm – Lunch Break (Bring a bagged lunch and eat with others)

1pm – “New Testament Instructions on Parenting” by Bill Farley

2pm – “Questions & Answers” (Panel will include Bill & Judy Farley)

Lord’s Day, October 24

10:45am – Bill Farley will be preaching, “The Gospel: A Narrow Angled View”

COST:  FREE, however books will be available for purchase at conference. No need to register.

WHO: Everyone is invited. Married, single, whoever.

WHERE: Sovereign Grace Fellowship of Nampa (address listed above)

CHILDCARE: There will be no childcare or nursery staff; however the nursery will be available for moms to use. Children are welcome.

                          

Book Review, “The Boy Who Changed the World” by Andy Andrews

This review is for Thomas Nelson’s BookSneeze program.

The Boy Who Changed the World by Andy Andrews (illustrated by Philip Hurst) is a partner release to The Butterly Effect, both of which released in August 2010 by Thomas Nelson publishing. Whilst the latter is aimed at adults primarily, The Boy Who Changed the World is for children. It’s a large-format, 40 page book filled with wonderful illustrations by Philip Hurst, and will certainly catch the eye of a young audience.

The basic premise is the interconnected lives of four men, each of whom impacted the next with a decision they made. Andrews begins with the most recent and then traces backwards, revealing the key moment that lead to the decision that impacted the preceding person. Overall, the stories are well crafted with enough detail to keep your attention whilst maintaining brevity for those short attention spans of the primary audience. But good stories are not enough, and unfortunately my suspicions about the nature of the book were confirmed in the last couple of pages.

Andrews asserts that “every thing you do matters to everyone for all time.” I just don’t believe that. I think everything God does matters, and He works through people, but man is not the source or sustainer of the universe and man is not able to undo God’s plans by one decision. My concern is that this work gives our children the impression that they are more important in the grand scheme of things than they really are. It gives grounds for pride in self, and there is no clear mention of God and our desperate need for Him.

I have two young sons, so I love finding good resources to share stories with them, and to teach them about God and what He wants for us and from us. If this book gets taken down from the shelf again – because David really did enjoy the stories and loved pointing out the butterflies – then I would read it without the last two pages. In all things, the glory and honor should point back to the Creator and Sustainor of life, not to man who receives such blessings.

Cody Turns 17!

My son has come to his 17th year of life.  As a down syndrome person can have so many health complications, I praise the Lord for keeping him relatively healthy & well for these swift 17 years.

Cody is a loving young man (though I remind him he’s still my child .  He loves to share his love with others.  He loves to share Jesus with others.  He gives & will receive many hugs.  He values friends.  He anticipates church.  He craves worship.  He greatly enjoys music.  He is growing in knowledge and instruction.  He is a fighter.  He is gifted with a love for people.

I pray that he will continue steadfast in his pursuit of Christ, as he seeks God’s leading and will for his life.  Please pray for me, if you should feel so inclined, as we embark on his last ‘official’ year as a minor.  We must make some serious decisions for his future in this year as we prepare for life after 18.  I pray for wisdom, grace, & knowledge in how to guard  & lead him to becoming a godly man of honor.  You may pray for these things of me as well.  I have seen great fruit in his life.  And may God’s grace pour out richly on his heart that he may find satisfaction in any endeavor the Lord shall lead him to.  Thank you.

About a Song that’s Stuck in a Little Head

You know when you get a song stuck in your head and it’s all you can sing for days, maybe even weeks on end?  My 4 yr. old Lexi has had “I want to Know You, In the Secret” by Sonicflood stuck in her head for weeks now, it has become her default song.  I guess if there was any song to get stuck in her head, it’s a good one to dwell on.

The Lyrics:

In the secret, in the quiet place

In the stillness you are there

In the secret, in the quiet hour I wait

Only for you

Cause I want to know you more!

(chorus)  I want to know You, I want to hear Your face.  I want to know you more.  I want to touch You. I want to see Your face.  I want to know you more.  (Then she says: “one more!” and repeats. How sweet the sound of a little worshiping voice.)

Kira’s been singing “I am not skilled to understand, what God has willed what God has planned. I only know at His right hand, stands one who is my Savior. … My Savior loves, my Savior lives, my Savior’s always there for me.  My God He was, my God He is, my God He’s always gonna be…”   (My Savior, My God by Aaron Shust)

And Cody (16) soaks himself in Christian rap namely “holy hip hop”, thanks to my husband’s keen eye for music.  Cody loves to just recreate in his room, listening to his music.

These are the normal songs sung in our home.  Quality, godly lyrics are a great reminder of why we sing, why we breathe- namely to bring God glory.  As Christians, we should not cease to “want to know” Him more.  I pray for all my children that their light would never grow dim, that their burning to “know” and “love” God never ceases, just as relentless as the songs that get stuck in our heads haunt us (sometimes for the good).  Oh that we would cling on for dear life, as that is exactly what’s at stake.   His mercy endures forever.

Sweet Moments

Sometimes I wish I could snap my finger and have life recorded on video automatically to capture all the precious moments in life, one of which I just missed.

My 2 girls are playing with play dough.  Kira (6) loves to pretend she’s the host of a food show when she plays with dough.  Here was her recent blurb:

“My name is Kira. Welcome to the food channel. I love to help my mother and father. I am a Christian so I like to do Christian things.   Well, we’ll be right back after the commercial break.”

I don’t feed her these things verbatim, though I have to admit to having taught her these truths and values.  Some may think I’m indoctrinating her (& all my children) into falsehood.  Woe is them who doubt the truth of the gospel of Christ and the reality of an Almighty God.

As I sit here, I listen to their precious exchange of words as they play together in (fairly) sweet harmony (albeit in brief spurts).  How it touches my heart when I see God bless the fruit of our labors.  Be diligent in teaching, labor hard & cheerfully, as unto the Lord.

The Beautifying Effects of the Gospel…or Brush Your Teeth and Chew With Your Mouth Closed

“One of the consequences of our culture’s slide away from the true faith has been a marked rise in Christians making their peace with various forms of uncleanliness — in food prep, in personal hygiene, with tattoos, in dumping litter, in sexual practices, or how they keep their living rooms and yards. “

One my good buddies Nick Smith (Pastor of Nampa United Reformed Church) gets a hat tip for pointing me to Wilson’s post,  “Jesus. Reason. Soap.” The quote above comes from Wilson’s post.

Ouch, but he’s right. Part of the creation mandate was to cultivate, and I would say beautify or maintain the beauty of creation. Because of sin, creation has been affected, but it still retains much majesty and glory. Part of the Mosaic law spoke to matters of hygiene, what to do with one’s body, etc, for the intention of separating Israel from the nations in their lifestyle. While I am not advocating that we keep the ceremonial law, it is important for us to note that Christ fulfilled the law…He was a lamb without spot or blemish. He was pure. He was clean.

Christ seeks to restore beauty in our lives, both inward and outward as part of His redemptive work in our lives. While the ceremonial law no longer applies, the substance of it still speaks to us…that we should cultivate a clean and beautiful life. It was to mark Israel as distinctly clean and beautiful. We also are to be marked off in such a way that our lives proclaim to the nations that our Lord is beautiful, that His ways are good. The way we dress, the way we eat, the way we host guests, all of these things matter. The Proverbs 31 woman beautifies her surroundings because she has a beautiful heart. Her husband and children are blessed because of her. Paul also said that outward training has some value and that we do need to tend inwardly first, but Paul didn’t say that tending outwardly was on no value, just puts it in its proper perspective.

In the Beginning, God Gave Adam a Bride…Before Time, God Chose Christ a Bride…In the Fullness of Time, Christ Purchased the Bride…In the Recreation, Christ will be with His Bride

These are rough notes from the community group I lead:

In the Beginning…God officiated a wedding

In the Beginning, God gave a bride to Christ

In the Recreation of all things, there shall be a wedding

-          All of this is a “mystery”

-          Ephesians 5:32 (ESV) — 32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.

Genesis 1:26–28 (ESV) — 26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

Us – God is one, but 3, relational being

Image – man (male and female) reflect God’s image, different be design, reflects unity and complementary roles

God blessed them – beatitude and benediction upon the created order

Creation Mandate –

-          Fruitful, multiply, fill: children

-          Subdue, dominion: subdue does not mean to press down, but rather to exercise authority in a way that begets harmony in the created order. God rules providentially by means, though not confined to them.

• They were co-regents over the created order

 

Genesis 2:18–25 (ESV) — 18 Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” 19 Now out of the ground the Lord God had formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. 20 The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him. 21 So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. 22 And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. 23 Then the man said, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” 24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. 25 And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.

LORD GOD – Yahweh, God’s personal intimate, covenant reference, shows relational nature of God’s dealings. Generic Elohim was used in Chp. 1  

Not good – general concession for all, requires a special gift to remain single and to be relationally fulfilled. In the immediate context, it was impossible for God’s mandate to fill earth and beget a multitude of people who would be born into God’s creation.

Helper fit for him – subordinate in function, complementary,

A man shall leave his father and his mother mother…holf fast…one flesh – the ongoing normative pattern considering that God will no longer just create fully mature males and females and pair them.

Parents, Don’t Raise “Fake” or “Mutated” Christian Children (even CNN is telling us what’s wrong with Christianity…and they are, gulp, right!!!)

A recent piece from CNN, titled “More Teens becoming ‘fake’ Christians”, is yet another confirmation from “secular” media about what’s wrong with modern day American Evangelicalism.

If you’re the parent of a Christian teenager, Kenda Creasy Dean has this warning:Your child is following a “mutant” form of Christianity, and you may be responsible.

Dean says more American teenagers are embracing what she calls “moralistic therapeutic deism.” Translation: It’s a watered-down faith that portrays God as a “divine therapist” whose chief goal is to boost people’s self-esteem.

Wow!!! Moralistic Therapeutic Deism is now being thrown around as the common problem with Christianity. I wonder if Christan Smith copyrighted the term. Dean also calls it a “mutant” form of Christianity. Strong words!!!

Some adults don’t expect much from youth pastors. They simply want them to keep their children off drugs and away from premarital sex.

Others practice a “gospel of niceness,” where faith is simply doing good and not ruffling feathers. The Christian call to take risks, witness and sacrifice for others is muted, she says.

“If teenagers lack an articulate faith, it may be because the faith we show them is too spineless to merit much in the way of conversation,” wrote Dean, a professor of youth and church culture at Princeton Theological Seminary.

Dean calls out “spineless” faith that doesn’t merit devotion. We seriously need to ask ourselves as parents if we are emulating a fear-based rejectionist view of the world and our mission to it, or if we are passionately engaging all areas of life with Christ, not just the living room. It is not good enough to be “nice”. The world is happy with us being merely nice.

Anyhow, more sobering news to us Evangelicals. We need to get back to “normal” Biblical Christianity, which is very radical and turned the world upside down. Loving our Lord, the sacred Scripture, the family of God, and the mission of God will set us on a right path. Apparently we don’t love Jesus all that much, or prefer a distorted image of who He is, don’t know Scripture, have forsaken what it truly means to be the Church, and turned the mission of God into merely being nice to those around us, taking solace in the mutual niceness and esteem we get from those we are kind to.

Parents, awake!!! Your kids are emulating your phony dispassionate faith and they are adhering to a mutated form of the Gospel. The world is even telling us what’s wrong, which means that it is seriously time to wake up and repent and be the people of God!!!