Archive for April, 2022
I Have Kept the Faith and the Faith Has Kept Me: Part One
II Timothy 4: 6 – 8
JESUS CHRIST gives life a purpose, power, and propulsion. He wants your life to have meaning. He knows that no individual can live a full and meaningful life without a goal.
We are a goal-oriented society. Clinics, conferences, and seminars are held on goal setting. Yet, few people envision their life as having an overall goal.
Take you, for example. Have you ever written out your overall goal for life regardless of your age? Let’s be a bit more specific. In life who do you seek to please in every decision you make and every deed you do? Jesus Christ is our worthy standard.
Defined goals result in refined lives.
French philosopher, Jean-Paul Sartre said, “You will never find peace and happiness until you are ready to commit yourself to something worth dying for.”
The Apostle Paul wrote II Timothy 4: 6 – 8 in retrospect of His life.
He wrote of his life and death in beautiful symbolism that can help our understanding of death.
He spoke of life as being “poured out as a drink offering.” This graphic translates the Greek word “spendo.” In the temple priests often dedicated various liquids to God. The ceremony involved pouring the liquid on the altar. That was the purpose for which the liquid existed. Is your life being “poured out” for Jesus?
It was natural for Paul to speak of his forthcoming martyrdom as a sacrifice, for God’s word appeals to each of us to make our life a “living sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable sacrifice.” (Romans 12:1)
Another expression is used to describe destiny: “the time of my departure is at hand.” The New Testament Greek word so translated is “analusis.” It was used in several ways that help our comprehension of death.
* It was used to describe a yoke being taken off a beast of burden.
* It was used to depict ropes being removed from a person who had been tied up.
* It was used to picture a ship that had been loosened from its mooring. Set free to sail.
In every sense of the word it depicts being set free for fuller use. Are you confidently heading toward such a destiny?
Is there something restricting your service to the Lord from which you can be set free, and should be? If so, make this your moment of being poured out. Grant yourself that perpetual joyous victory.
Shootout at the Not-So-Ok Corral 4/25/99
Matthew 5:21, 22
Exodus 20:13
Jesus Christ said, “out of the heart proceedeth evil thoughts….” as He begins illustratively to list six, the first listed is “murders” and concludes “these are things that defile a man” (Matthew 15: 19, 20).
This week students at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado experienced trauma and tragedy when two students murdered classmates. “Why?” has been the question of the hour. Momentarily we will deal with some of the means leading to the action. However, Christ distilled the real reason for us when He said: “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire” (Matthew 5: 21, 22).
There are persons who try to paint Christ as a pacifist. Most such persons do so in emphasizing His humanity to the neglect of His deity. He complimented the Centurion whose sword brought peace. He scourged the money changers and drove them from the Temple. Christ did not argue against anger. He condemned anger for the wrong reasons and corrected persons for not being angry about the right things.
The Ten Commandments were given in a time when murdering was common. In most cultures it was not considered wrong to murder a person. The prohibitions were against killing persons of one’s own clan. It was OK to kill a stranger.
It was given originally in a day when clans and nations did not wage war. War was standard. They had to wage, that is aggressively seek, peace.
It is imperative to note that in the Hebrew the commandment states: “Thou shall not murder.” It does not say “kill.” This commandment is not a prohibition against using animals for food.
I. CAPITAL PUNISHMENT
At His trial Pilate said “Do you not know that I have power to crucify You, and power to release you?” (John 19: 10). In other words, I have the ability to exercise capital punishment.
Jesus said, “You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above” (John 19: 11).
When Paul was accused and brought before a court with the power of capital punishment he said, “If I am an offender, or have committed anything worthy of death, I do not object to dying” (Acts. 25: 11). He consented to capital punishment.
In the Garden of Gethsemane when Peter cut off the soldier’s ear Jesus said, “He who takes up the sword shall perish by the sword.” That is, one who murders shall be guilty and subject to capital punishment. Genesis 9:6 is the source for this insight: “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed.”
Romans 13 describes the role of government. It is to reward good and punish evil.
Incidentally, some argue that capital punishment is not a deterrent to crime. It never was intended to be. It was instituted to let the offender know he was about to meet the Lord and provide an allotted time in which to get right.
II. SUICIDE
There are 5,000 teens who commit suicide each year. Thousands more try, as do adults.
Suicide says, “Jesus isn’t capable of handling my problems.” Thus, it is a negative witness. It is a way of saying, “My problems are too big for Jesus.”
Suicide insults everything on earth.
God gives life and we as individuals do not have the right to take it; even our own.
This calls upon us to exercise habits which contribute to good health. To knowingly violate laws of good hygiene, diet, exercise, and rest is in effect the taking of our own life.
III. ACCIDENTAL KILLING
Remember the text does not say “kill” it says “murder.” Exodus 21: 12, 13 provides minute descriptions concerning this. Anyone who commits premeditated murder gets capital punishment. Those who unintentionally took another’s life got completely different treatment.
This text calls upon us not only to not take human life but to protect and preserve it.
IV. ABORTION
In 1973 the Supreme Court legalized abortion. Today we have three abortions a minute. 4,000 per day. Since the law went into effect we have had over 15 million abortions in America.
In Quo Vadis there is the moving story of Queen Lygia and her servant Ursus, both Christians, who were taken to the arena in Rome to die. Ursus is led to the center of the ring where he kneels to pray, resolved to die without resistance. A wild bull dashes in with Lygia as its object.
Seeing the danger to his queen the giant Ursus takes the bull by the horns. Brute strength is pitted against the strength of the heart of the giant. Slowly the feet of the two adversaries sink into the sands. Ever so slowly the head of the bull begins to go down. The hushed crowd then hears the cracking of the bones in the neck of the bull as Ursus breaks it. Gentle Ursus frees his queen and takes her to safety.
We all need to play the role of Ursus regarding preborn life.
V. TRAINED TO KILL
One of my dear admired young friends asked me recently how can a Christian justify war? In light of today’s circumstances that is a legitimate question. Participation in war can only be justified in light of it being engaged in as a preservative of life. That is, it must be a defensive war. A war to protect and preserve life.
Thomas Aquinas in the thirteenth century put it succinctly when he said a just war must meet three conditions:
-It must be declared by public authority.
-The cause must be just.
-The motive must be right.
During World War II William Temple spoke to this issue: “We Christians in wartime are called to the hardest of all tasks; to fight without hatred, to resist without bitterness, and in the end, if God grant it so, to triumph without vindictiveness.”
In a fallen world, to refuse to stop cruelty, tyranny, and inhumanity is to let evil rule. God established human government to protect innocent people from evil aggressors who pervert their role.
“For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil” (Rom 13: 3, 4).
Military personnel have to be trained to kill, not just how to kill, but to kill. The same techniques used to train personnel to kill are being used on our total society today, especially youth.
Pearl, Mississippi, Paducah, Kentucky, Jonesboro, Arkansas, and Springfield, Oregon are now joined by Littleton, Colorado. Why is there a virus of violence in our society? Statistics reveal the magnitude of the problem.
The per capita murder rate in this country doubled between 1957 and 1992. The rate at which we are attempting to kill one another is even greater. The aggressive assault rate has gone from 60 per 100,000 to 440 per 100,000. As bad as that is it would be worse were it not for two reasons.
Criminologist John J. DiIulio recorded “dozens of credible empirical analyses … leave no doubt that the increased use of prisons averted millions of serious crimes. Our extraordinary high imprisonment rate keeps down the murder and aggressive assault rates.”
The second factor is improved medical technology. Wounds that formerly would have killed now are treated successfully.
David Grossman, a military psychologist, compares the training military recruits receive to circumvent their natural inhibitions to kill, to what youth today are subjected. The training methods used by the military, he says, are:
a. Brutalization.
b. Classical conditioning
c. Operant conditioning
d. Role modeling.
All four are impacting our total society daily and especially our youth.
BRUTALIZATION is designed to break down existing mores and norms and to accept a new set of values that embrace destruction, violence, and death as a way of life. A person exposed to proper conditioning is gradually desensitized to violence and accepts it as a normal and essential survival skill in our brutal world.
Starting at age 18, that is months, not years, a child can first discern what is happening on TV and mimic that action.
It isn’t until age six or seven that the part of the brain kicks in that lets them understand where information comes from. Developmentally they are unable to distinguish clearly between fantasy and reality. From today to tomorrow you can say to a young child that’s not real it is pretend, but the young child can’t differentiate.
Data linking violence in the media with violence in society is greater than the evidence linking smoking and tobacco.
CLASSICAL CONDITIONING. College students in Psychology 101 know of Pavlov’s dogs. The dogs learned to associate the ringing of a bell with food. Soon they started to salivate when the bell was rung.
Our youth sit and watch violence, suffering, and murder while enjoying the comfort of home, their favorite beverage, candy bar, popcorn, and companions. In theaters when the hero wastes someone or violently destroys something people laugh and often cheer while they keep right on eating popcorn.
The ancient Romans cheered and snacked while Christians were slaughtered in the Colosseum. We are rearing a generation among which there is a large segment of youth who have learned to associate violence with pleasure.
OPERANT CONDITIONING. Classical conditioning is a powerful mechanism that teaches one to like killing.
Operant conditioning teaches you to kill.
Pilots go through hours of training in flight simulators. When a certain warning light goes off they are conditioned to a specific response. When a different alarm goes off they automatically perform a certain operation. Then in actual flight when one of these alarms goes off they automatically respond. It is a stimulus-response, stimulus-response, stimulus-response process.
When people are made to feel inferior, frightened, or made angry they respond reflexively.
In public buildings fire drills are conducted. When the alarm goes off and there is a practice people do as instructed. One day there is a real fire and people respond reflexively doing as trained to do.
Every time a child plays an interactive point- and-shoot video game he or she is learning conditioned reflex and motor skills.
There is always a stimulus that sets off violent reactions. Anger, bitterness, or resentment is aroused which excites, the heart rate goes up, and the vasoconstriction closes off the forebrain and the trigger is pulled reflexively.
We are developing among our youth some who are conditioned pseudo sociopaths who kill and show no remorse.
Our children are learning to kill and learning to like it.
ROLE MODELS. The military uses role models to train recruits. Our society is doing the same. A frame of mind is produced that results in a complex: “I’ll show those who have been mean to me. I know how to get my picture on TV.”
If you feel discriminated against, left out, treated unfairly, angry, hostile, or bitter decompress. Christ told us of the steps leading to violence in Matthew 5: 21, 22. He said, “You have heard it said, ‘You shall not murder,’ and whoever murders shall be in danger of the judgement”
There is progression in Jesus’ teaching: “But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without cause shall be in danger of judgement.”
He is not through chasing the problem to its root: “But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire” (Matthew 5:22).
Jesus traces the trail of the act back to the attitude.
Martin Luther King, Jr., in his book Stride Toward Freedom encouraged people “to avoid not only violence of deed but violence of spirit.”
Jesus taught us to have the highest respect for human beings and to believe in the sanctity of life. He said to be angry with a person makes you susceptible to judgement.
To call one “Raca,” meaning stupid or empty-head may bring you before the Supreme Court. Raca is a summary term for all titles of reproach and contempt. It refers to conduct as being worthless and good for nothing.
To call one a “fool,” that is an outcast or worthless fool places you in danger of “hell fire.” MOROS is the Greek word translated “fool.” It scorns character and is a reference to any expression critical of the mind that classifies the person as morally worthless.
Jesus is warning us against put-downs. Put-down people eventually rise us and strike back.
This teaching strikes at the very basis of our power-dominated social order which sacrifices lives to achieve personal goals.
Jesus taught that anything that leads to sin is sin. If you have inner bitterness, anger, or hate deal with it. Talk with someone who can help deal with the bitter root before the deadly fruit is tasted.
Jesus went further and urged His followers to be ministers of reconciliation.
VI. WHY A COMMANDMENT AGAINST MURDER
The reason for not shedding innocent human blood is noted as, “for in the image of God has God made man” (Genesis 9:6).
Someone might say man is merely an animal. It is true man is classified as an animal but not just an animal. Mark Twain mused, “Man is the only animal that blushes, and the only one that has reason to.”
Human beings are created in God’s image. We are the only animal with the capacity of communicating with God and to whom God has communicated.
Human beings are the only animal form in which God has been incarnated.
Human beings have been described as “God in effigy.” We resent seeing straw people dressed up like Uncle Sam and destroyed. In like manner, God resents seeing human beings destroyed who are created in His image.
We are the only animal with cognitive reasoning ability.
We are the only creative animal.
We are the only animal that knows he is going to die.
The Jews of Christ’s day hated the Greeks and Romans. These foreigners had invaded their country and built their cities there. The Jews prayed for a Messiah who would come as a militant political revolutionary and deliver them. As the white hot passion of their hate grew, violence increased.
Just then a young man came over the mountains from the tiny hamlet of Nazareth preaching “…love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you” (Matthew 5:44).
Jesus said, “If you love Me keep my commandments.”
In Columbine High School one of the gunmen ask if anyone in a group believed in Jesus Christ. Knowing the intent of the gunmen Cassie Bernall stood. In the next moment she was gunned down for her faith. She was really different and it cost her life.
When young people and adults alike begin to stand for Jesus in opposition to moral corruption then virtue not violence will be the norm of the day.
Moving From Information to Transformation
“… do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12: 2) How? By taking these steps.
CONCEPT. Everyone has many concepts to evaluate. Transformation requires processing the concepts influencing their life, positive and negative. What you think of these concepts is critical. Think about your old standards and their weaknesses. Evaluate all concepts you know in making your choice.
CONSIDER. From among these a preference has to be determined.
What is worth truly contemplating? If Christ and the resulting lifestyle is one consider the pros and cons. What is the decision being considered?
CONCLUDE. If He and His ideology is your preference affirm such. Your beliefs are what you conclude to be true and fundamental.
COMMIT. Repent quickly and affirm your conclusion. Resolve to follow Christ from start to finish moving toward tomorrow in deeper devotion.
CONDUCT. Having made your decision to follow Jesus, check your conduct often evaluating what you are considering, and conclude how you are doing, recommit. Don’t be distracted or discouraged by any failure. Instead, let it motivate you to conclude what to do in the future and commit to doing it. It will be a technique used many times throughout life.
CONTROL. It is essential to minimize potential failure by controlling your input. Everyone has a plethora of inputs, positive and negative. Avoid those that spoil your spiritual appetite and feast on those that feed your spiritual values. Develop an appetite for things that nourish your will positively.
You know temptations that serve as a prelude to improper conduct. If you aren’t going in the house, stay off the porch. Stop the elusion to evil. There is an old song that addresses this, “You have to accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative. Don’t mess with Mr. In-between.”
You have the ability to “…destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ’ (II Corinthians 10:5 [ESV])
Throughout life you will need to employ these techniques often. Evaluate your concepts, consider them carefully, consider what to commit to, observe your conduct, and determine to control your thoughts and actions.
Do this to enjoy being “transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
Be sure you have information that leads to transformation by the grace of God.
This will enable you to have the power to take control of your behavior. Don’t try the frustrating task of doing it in the energy of the flesh. Involve the Lord as the final filter of your actions. The “good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
The means of this transformation is found in the verse preceding Romans 12: 2. It states: I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God. that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.”
This is a life vector corrector, giving it a new trajectory.
The Best Day of Your Life
What is the best day of your life other than today? Some, perhaps most, would say yesterday. As influential as that day is in helping shape your today it isn’t the best day because there is nothing you can do to change it.
A lot of people feel they are destined to be today what they are today because of things that happened to them and decisions they made yesterday. Some are excusing themselves of certain habits or behaviors in their past. If you are doing it, quit living in the past, start today with a changed mind to make decisions that can change you and your future.
Out there in your future there is an inevitable, hopefully a long time off, date with destiny. Your decisions can determine that destiny. Waiting at the end of your destiny is a date with the One who can help you best live the days ensuing between now and then.
You can change, you can be a better you to live your tomorrows.
“… do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12: 2)
This is a call to transformation. The Greek word for “be transformed” is metamorphoo. In it you can hear our word metamorphous. It means “to change into another form or image.” Really, it means to be transformed from one state, one type of thing, into another. It pictures a caterpillar being changed into a butterfly or a tadpole into a frog.
The word is transformed not emulation. To emulate is to look like. not to actually become like. We are not to look like Jesus, we are to have a new nature and be like Him. This transformation means to be like and act like Jesus. This is possible only by the “power of God.” To get it requires a renewed mind. The word for “renewal” is the word anakainosis. This word isn’t found outside of Christian literature, but it literally means a renovation or to breathe new life into something. This is done by whole heartily submitting to the Lordship of Christ as a result of your renewed mind. Because of a changed mind, ask Him to enable you to have a transformed life. Then tomorrow will be your best day as you await the eventual truly best day.
Diamonds in a Sewer 5/2/99
Proverbs 22:6
Jesus Christ was teaching on an occasion when a group of little children interrupted the scene. Stern adults tried to usher them away. “Then little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven’” (Matthew 19:13, 14).
This warm response by Jesus reveals His love for youth. After all eleven of the twelve He chose to follow Him were at the time of being chosen teenagers, that same kind of love for children and the family needs to be evidenced by the church.
John Steinbeck, the noted American author, wrote a delightful book called “Travels With Charlie.” Steinbeck felt he had gotten so out of touch with America that he put his dog Charlie in his pick-up truck and they took off across America traveling from Maine to California.
He relates how he started his pilgrimage by attending a little white clapboard church in Maine. The people who comprised the congregation were not particularly outstanding and the pastor lacked pulpit skills. The pastor spoke of every sin he knew of in the congregation. Forcefully he decried their shortcomings.
Steinbeck said, “I listened to that haranguing and that pastor had more fire in his soul than you could imagine. He preached loud and long and the sermon was not well devised, but there was one note I heard in that church that I didn’t hear anywhere else.”
“I heard a man who loved his people enough to warn them and to call them to accountability. I didn’t hear that from the rest of my journey.”
He continues, “As I went across America I was told how to feel good. I was told not to worry. I was told how to look at obscure points of theology and understand them. But nobody made me feel like he loved me like that preacher in that little white church in Maine.”
Today as I speak of the deterioration of our society I hope you will sense the love and compassion with which it is done. Hear me knowing that to be my heart.
A Princeton research group recently posed the following question to a broad based random sampling of persons. “What do you think is the biggest threat facing American society?” The collective response revealed: “Youth of today pose a greater threat than any foreign power.”
The second question: “Do you think youth of today will make the world of tomorrow a better place?” Two-thirds of the Americans interviewed said, “NO.”
Third question: “What three adjectives describe the youth of today?”
They were: IRRESPONSIBILITY, IMPOLITE, SELF- CENTERED.
To youth listening, don’t quit listening now. Many of you who don’t fit that profile would, however, agree it does fit many youth. Unfortunately it is the perception of many.
Incidents in the youth society of today raise serious questions. Appropriately question number one is “WHY?” What is causing trends among today’s youth that has resulted in some social scientists predicting that the dawning of the new millennium will be greeted by youth gangs controlling the streets of America?
Current conditions are appalling among students.
In the last six months 24% of 13 year olds, and 60% of 17 year olds have attended a party where marijuana was available.
34% of 13 year olds and 75% of 17 year olds have friends who are a regular drinkers.
19% of 13 year olds and 51% of 17 year olds have seen drug sales on school grounds.
8% of 13 year olds and 27% of 17 year olds have class mates who died because of drugs or alcohol overdose.
In the last two years across America there have been 6,000 reported incidents of youth carrying weapons to school. One year only five cases were prosecuted. The next year only eight were prosecuted. There is no need having a law if it isn’t going to be enforced.
These facts help construct a profile descriptive of many youth. However, there is a vast mass of youth that don’t fit. There are many with integrity, commendable character, virtue, high morals, and admirable attitudes.
For example, April 20, 1999, two youth in Columbine High School with a student enrollment of approximately 1,800 captured the nations attention. Two students. That day approximately 1,798 students went to that high school to cause no problems.
Yet, youth violence, the youth crime rate, juvenile delinquency, and disrespect for human life and property is at an all time high. Legitimately, the question is asked: “WHY?”
Hillary Clinton authored a book entitled, “It Takes A Village.” The title comes from the expression, “It takes a village to rear a child.” Though the village of her reference is basically the government there is a sense in which one’s total environment impacts life.
If it takes a village to rear a child there is an open sewer running through the village today. In that sewer there are some beautiful diamonds, some outstanding youth.
WHY?
Let me share three factors contributing to the cause that can be a part of the correction.
Three elements are involved as determinants in a person’s conduct. When there is a horror such as Columbine High School answers are found in these three elements.
I. INDIVIDUAL ACCOUNTABILITY
In a day when people are professionals at playing the blame game we have become adept at not assuming our own responsibility. There is a book on the subject entitled “I’m Not My Fault.”
The blame game isn’t new. It was first played in the Garden of Eden right after the first sin. Adam said to God, “Don’t blame me, the woman you gave me she…” Basically, God my eating of the fruit of the forbidden tree isn’t my fault it is the fault of you and Eve.”
Eve responded, “Don’t blame me, the serpent he…”
The serpent, “Don’t blame me. Look, God you are the one who put the tree there…”
In the final analysis individuals who perform deeds are accountable for those deeds. Other influences are brought to bare but ultimately there is individual accountability.
Parents when children are little you make decisions for them. Prayerfully work at making good ones because you are patterning for them what is right and what is wrong. There comes a time, however, when the parent can no longer decide for the child. The parent can influence the decisions but can no longer make them for the child. That is a difficult time. Especially when the child is seen to be making wrong decisions. This transition from making all decisions to not being able to make them for a child isn’t an instantaneous act it occurs gradually. In a moment I will talk about this time of transition.
Ultimately for the child individual accountability is a factor in conduct.
Members of the Trench Coat Mafia said they were picked on and made fun of. Who hasn’t been. Try being a 6’4″, 135 pound red head in the ninth grade and see if you get picked on.
Bill Gates, do you have a mental physical profile on him as a youth. Do you suppose he was picked on?
The things that happen to you are going to make you bitter or better. You personally are accountable for which.
II. SOCIAL CULPABILITY
Part of the blame falls on our morally and spiritually decadent society. In our demands for freedom we have licensed excesses.
One historian said of the ancient Greek culture, “When the freedom they sought most was the freedom from responsibility then they ceased to be free.”
Freedom must have limitations. The only true form of total freedom is anarchy. Every society has to draw lines. Some of ours must be redrawn.
For example, the youth involved in the Columbine massacre were heavy into Nazi philosophy, music, and paraphernalia. In Germany, the home of the Nazi movement, today it is illegal to display a Swastika or other Nazi emblems. Nazi music is forbidden. Virtually all Nazi materials obtained in Germany today have to come from America.
If America is the village involved in rearing our children there is an open sewer running through the village. That sewer is certain interactive video games, particular TV programs, various internet sites, and different music. Once attracted to any of these a child becomes resentful if anyone makes critical reference to them. However, there is much empirical evidence showing they tend to desensitize persons to morality and virtue.
As a result a segment of our youth culture that has been over exposed to these negative influences has lost regard for property and human life.
Over three decades ago when the taking of a pre-born babies life was legalized it was said the day will come when some will feel since it is OK to kill a child before birth why not after birth.
That great theologian Dolly Parton in an interview with Barbara Walters hinted at our problem. Barbara asked her “How would you describe your dress style?” With a twinkle in her eye she said, “When I was growing up, they called people who dressed like this ‘trash.’”
A recent article described the American culture as a “trash culture.” Many have made their minds moral landfills in which trash is dumped. When the Jerry Springer Show enjoys its currently popularity and is joined by Sally Jessy Rafael, and Montel Williams, that’s trash. Bevis & Butthead, the Simpsons, and O.J Simpson get high ratings, that’s trash. Certain rappers and Hammerstein, that’s trash. Jimmy Swaggert and Jim Bakker, that’s trash.
An appeal was made to the Christian in the morally decadent Roman society: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12: 1, 2).
It is an appeal to avoid the group mentality. A modern translation of this passage reads: “Don’t let the world push you into its own mold.”
To avoid being molded after the world’s style resolve:
III. PARENTAL RESPONSIBILITY
Parents are counseled to “Train up a child in the way he should go ….”
Once a person becomes a parent the number one responsibility assigned by God is to parent that child well.
For generations parents attempting to rear their children well have partnered with three entities: THE HOME, THE SCHOOL, AND THE CHURCH.
THE HOME: Here a child is to be nurtured and groomed. Here values are established. The absentee parent or the detached parent results in children not being trained in the home. The process of training is time consuming and demanding. Parents spend time with your children one-on-one. Build trust and rapport. You will find it enjoyable and gratifying.
To a child “love” is spelled T – I – M – E! Spending time with a child gives a sense of importance. Listen to your children, talk with them, observe their world, and be involved in their lives. Tell them you love them and then show them you love them. Start the day they come home with you. There is normal stress as children grow into adolescents but if a foundation is built in infancy problems are resolved.
THE SCHOOL in America is where many misdeeds are enacted and thus the school is blamed. However, when you consider the condition of many youth as they arrive on campus you have to concede teachers have a challenge not of their making. Tragically our schools are deprived of prayer and the Bible, however, there are no laws prohibiting them in the home. Mom and dad, get in the Book with your children. Don’t rear Biblically illiterate children.
An old proverb says, “As the twig is bent so grows the tree.” The application is obvious. If a small tree is bent in a certain way, that is the way the tree grows. Likewise, when a young child is taught certain concepts and conduct, that is the character developed.
I want to make it clear I am not stereotyping either students or teachers. There are some super youth who have deep faith in Christ, evidence obedience to His Word, and seek to live their faith. Thank God for them.
There are many Christian educators who are doing all they can within the guidelines superimposed on them by bureaucrats to live their faith and help their students.
I would be remiss if I didn’t pay tribute to these and acknowledge my admiration and love. However, there are trends that are cause for concern.
Perhaps you saw her as Barbara Walters, not your typical conservative, standing before a large American flag and peering sternly into the camera and saying, “The alarm has sounded. The clock is ticking. But most of us are still asleep.”
Of what imminent danger was she warning? Acid rain? AIDS? An inflationary crisis? No. She was referring to the deterioration of the American educational system. She shared statistics evidencing test scores are plummeting. Most students surveyed thought the Holocaust was a “Jewish holiday.” Many could not locate the United States on a world map. Others had never heard of the Federalist papers.
Our schools are experiencing a one in four drop out rate.
There is a high degree of functionally illiterate. Some estimate there are 60 million illiterate adults. One study indicates that 61% of all 17 year olds can’t read their high school textbooks.
A commission of educational, political, and business leaders issued the “Code Blue” report on the problems of American children. One conclusion: “Never before has one generation of American teenagers been less healthy, less cared for, or less prepared for life than their parents were at the same age.”
Metal detectors, gun control laws and other external laws won’t curb what is happening in America. If you build a ten foot fence someone will build an eleven foot ladder. If you then build a twelve foot fence someone will build a thirteen foot ladder.
The change must be internal not external. It is the polluted mind that must be dealt with.
THE CHURCH: A significant segment of America including the media has gone cold turkey off the faith community. For many the church is not a player in rearing their children. Thus one major player in character development is omitted.
Emerging out of the story of Columbine High is the story of the Burnall family whose daughter Cassie was one of those killed there. Their story was chronicled on “20 – 20” recently. Earlier I made reference to there coming a time in the parent\child relationship when the parent can no longer make decisions for a child but can only influence the decisions.
Cassie started running around with the wrong crowd and became rebellious. She started dabbling in Satanism, using alcohol and other drugs. She was in the vortex of self-destruction. Her parents intervened and drew new well defined lines. They forbid her to associate with her old friends, the wrong friends. Placed restrictions on her and allowed her only social outlet to be going to church. Sounds like a horror story, boot camp, doesn’t it? New friends invited her to go to youth camp. There she encountered Christ and embraced Him as Savior. She returned home and told her mom, “Mom, I have changed, I have really changed.” A new refreshing Cassie emerged. The parent\child relationship became a joyous one. Cassie’s friends tell of her warmth, charm, and genuine love for all. Her faith grew stronger.
April 20, 1999, a member of the Trench Coat Mafia held a gun on her and asked, “Do you believe in God?” Her deliberate response knowing what the result would be was an emphatic “Yes!” The gun sounded, Cassie lay dead, a martyr for her faith, and was escorted by angels into the presence of the Lord. A diamond had been removed from the sewer.
Cassie refused to let the world press her into its mold. Instead she was a transformed person.
Several primary factors led to her transformation: one, her home, two, her new friends, and three the church.
That brings us back to square one, individual accountability. Cassie assumed the accountability for her own eternal destiny. In doing so she prepared for eternity by embracing Christ as Savior.