Hold the Line

In the beginning the lines were pretty clear. They were established with the children of Adam and Eve, when Cain laid the first lines down with the blood of his brother Abel. From then on, you were either a child of Cain, or a child of Seth, Abel's substitute. All throughout history, those lines battled long and hard. Always it was Cain the aggressor, Seth the defender. What was he defending? The line of redemption, of righteousness; the promised line that God established in the beginning.
Now we come to the present. Why has it become so hard to identify which line a person stands for? The lines have become blurred. Satan has done a masterful job of mingling the lines of right and wrong. What does this have to do with our final poll question? Everything. You see, we have become guilty of pushing our youth to pursue the same things as those of a lost and sin-filled world. Now we are perplexed why they have no interest in doing the work of God and standing for the Word of God. I have come to believe that every generation has a battle to fight. The battle may appear different every time, or the name of the enemy may vary, but ultimately the battle is the same. Someone must stand up and defend the right. Someone must, as did John the Baptist and the prophets of old, be the voice of one crying in the wilderness. We must be willing to hold the line. In our own way, this is what we have attempted to do. Others may continue as before, denying any problem, but our responsibility is not to any man or organization, but to one day stand before God and say, I did what you told me to do. As Abraham Lincoln once said,

I am not bound to win, but I am bound to be true. I am not bound to succeed, but I am to do the best with what light I have. I will stand with anyone who stands right, stand with him while he is right, and part with him if he goes wrong.

We must be willing to hold the line, at any cost. The future generations are depending on us.

Goals!

We have come near the end of our research. We have asked 30 questions to Independent Fundamental Baptist Teens. The 31st question was not really a question, but rather a listing. It read,

My top 5 goals in life after graduating are (list in order of importance)

Indeed, this was a very open ended question. I feared that their would be so many different answers that arriving at a sensible result would be difficult. This was not the case. While there were a few non-popular results, over 90% of the answers were the same. Listed below are the top 5 goals for our IFB teens for their life after graduating; these are listed in order of importance to our teens:

1. Marriage
2. College Degree
3. Serving God
4. Successful Career

So what does one make out of this? Is their anything wrong with having the desire to be married or to receive a college degree or be successful at a career? No, not at all. I am sure we all wish that "Serving God" was number one on everyone's heart, but it was not by about 20%. The top two answers were by far the most prevelant: getting married and obtaining a college degree.
Where do they get these priorities? I believe they have obtained them for the most part from us. Who is 'us?' Parents, pastors, teachers, youth pastors, mentors. We have made 'success' to equal a spouse, two kids, own a home, dog, and a good job to support it all. I see parents 'satisfied' with their kids as long as they have these things. They may not be in the 'church' that parents desire them to be in, but at least they have a home, spouse, job, kids, and a dog. I mean, they still believe in God, they pray over their meals, and are sending your grandchildren to a Christian school. Plus, they are making money, have good insurance, and are living 'safe.' I have learned so much this past year in studying and reading about this 'epidimic' we have. First Baptist Hammond, Ken Ham, and others have written books and conducted seminars on the same topic. Even 'churches' (not truly a church, but claim to be) such as Willowbrook have conducted research the last two years as to the epidimic. The Southern Baptist Convention recently began studying the problem. So what is the answer? I will do my best to share what I have learned and vision next week. But for now, may we look at our young people's dreams and goals and ponder...what do I want for my children? It is easy to say, "Serve God," but by our actions, words, monetary investments, and time-what are we showing our children we desire for them?
Genesis four and five are some of those 'geneaology' chapters. Chapter four is all about the line of Cain. There we read of entrepeneurs, builders, owners, rich, famous, musicians, iron workers, builders of cities, and more. They were so successful. In contrast in Genesis five we read the line of Seth. The most any accomplished was that they "lived so many years and begat sons and daughters and died." No entrepeneurs, no rich, no iron workers, no city builders, no famous musicians. But, which was more successful? It was the line of Seth that 'found grace in the eyes of the Lord,' that 'walked with God and was not for God took him,' and that 'lived nine hundred sixyt and nine years.' It was this line that made an ark, will preach durring the tribulation, and produced the Saviour. The other line, 'perished in the flood' along with their successes and inventions.
We are not called to train up our children to be a builder, musician, or ownder; but rather 'in the way he should go.' We are a success when our children rise up to serve the Lord. They may not be great owners, builders, bankers, or officials-but should they serve God-they are a success.
I hear so often, "My child turned out all right, they stay out of trouble. So does my desk, but it's not a success. May we desire to sow in our children seeds of Godliness that will produce goals of Godliness.

"...but obey their father's commandment."

The above phrase is taken from Jeremiah 35:14, the account of the family of the Rechabites. In this account, which I have previously referenced, God tells Jeremiah to hold up this family as an example of faithfulness and obedience to the people of Judah. They also set a pretty good example for us today, when so many of our families are falling by the wayside. But what is truly amazing to me is that when studying a little further, I discovered Jonadab was not their father. This account in Jeremiah takes place in the time of king Jehoikim, one of the last kings of Judah. Jonadab lived in the time of Jehu, approximately 240 years earlier. In other words, for about ten to twelve generations, this family had passed on the teaching and instruction of this one man Jonadab. Stop and think about that for a moment( or in Bible terms - Selah ). That would be similar to the descendants of George Washington still living today following his teachings. So, how did he do it, you ask? I believe there are several principles that we can learn from this man's life.
#1. Jonadab took a stand for God.
We see this in the account of II Kings 10:15-28, when Jehu the king came to him looking for a man to stand with him against the wicked worshippers of Baal.
#2. Jonadab practiced what he preached.
I believe this is evident in the clear views that are presented by his descendants two and a half centuries later. There was no argument about what he said or what he meant.
#3. Jonadab was personally involved in the teaching of his children.
He didn't assume they were just going to get it at the temple, or in school. Three times in the account in Jeremiah, the phrases commanded and charged are used. he exemplified the instructions God gives in Deuteronomy 6:1-9. How can I know that for sure? We reap what we sow. It can't possibly be luck or coincidence that a man's descendants, two hundred plus years down the road, are still following his commands.
So, can we have the success of Jonadab? Yes, I believe we can. But I believe the reason we're not, judging by the poll, is not that our youth aren't listening or learning - it's that we aren't teaching them the things they need to know. Fathers - it's up to us. Mother's - if Dad is not there, it's up to you( see Timothy for case in point ). Point is, parents, we have a great responsibility, and from what I've seen in my few years is that responsibility has been ignored, because to many dads and too many moms quite frankly don't want to grow up. Men are living to pursue pleasure instead of promoting principle; woman are living to build a career instead of building character in their children; and the children are left on their own to "find themselves."
May God help us to restore a broken foundation, the family.

You Can't Tell Me What To Do!

I think I saw this kid at the store last week, but I know I heard a child say that phrase to his mother. A few years ago at a CVS store, I heard a child say that to his mother, who by this time was red faced, paying, and ready to leave and hide under a rock. The child stood half way across the room disregarding his mother. I walked over to his side of the store to 'look at a greeting card' and softly spoke to him: "She can tell you what to do, and you better listen, or you will have to deal with me." The kid said, "Whatever" but quickly ran to his mother and silently walked out of the store.
We live in a day of equal rights, anti-abuse, independence, and free expression-all of which I totally believe in-problem is these anti-abuse defenders have become the abusers. I will not get into politics in this case (but would love to at a later time) but merely stick to the matter at hand. I am TOTALLY against child abuse-and more importantly, so is God! Our Lord warned over and over about the severity of offending a little one. Sadly, we live in a day where the child has more authority than the parent in many cases.
I am going to drop a bomb shell of enlightenment on you:

God's Plan always works!

And did you know, that God works through authority? God has a plan for rearing children and seeing that those children grow up to serve Him. That plan is founded upon authority. According to 1 Cor. 11:3, "...the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God." Eph. 6:1 teaches that the head of the children are their parents. So, if I may, God's plan of authority is this:

God-Christ-Man-Woman-Children

That will work-every time! We ask our IFB young people who was their life's authority, and they responded:

A. Parents 81%
B. Youth Pastor 4%
C. Teacher 0%
D. Pastor 3%
E. Yourself 12%

As you can see, the problem is not so much the children not seeing their parents as their authority. 81% of our young people see their parents as the authority for their lives. The 12% that consider themselves is somewhat alarming, but the vast majority see correctly their parents as the authority. At first, I scratched my head....then where is the problem?
I believe the problem is not so much children not seeing their parents as the authority, but rather Parents not realizing, accepting, and acting upon the fact that they are their child's authority.
Our Lord exemplified this in Luke 2:51 when "he (Jesus) went down with them (Joseph and Mary), and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them:" The omnipotent, omniscient One was subject unto his parents. Why? Because God has given to the parent the position of authority and to the child the responsibility to honor and obey that authority.
Here is where I feel we are 'missing the boat.' The typical IFB family drops their child off at a Christian Academy for 35 hours a week to be under the authority of a teacher, allows them to be under the authority of a coach for 15 hours that week, under the authority of a Sunday School teacher an hour that week, and so on and so on. I am not against these positions, but sadly the Devil has convinced most parents that their authority is at home...the teacher will take the authority for education, coach the authority for athleticism, Sunday School teacher/youth pastor the authority for spirituality....the parental authority has been so thinned out by delegation-that there is no real authority in the child's life. Thus, they grow to see themselves as a digester of all the 'inputs' they have received and the final authority to decide what is right for them.
As a parent, it is my God-given authority to see that my child is educated, matures spiritually, is physically fit, and learns the Biblical principles that are necessary for a successful life. My job! Not theirs!
We have swallowed the Devil's philosophy that 'someone else is more qualified than me.' I am not against using Godly tools to help me in rearing my child, but should my child stray-I did wrong.
As a youth pastor, high school teacher, and Sunday School teacher, I was blamed many times when a child rebelled. For a long while, I accepted that as my responsibility; but it is not. I have that responsibility the three children God has given to Stacey and I.
Parents, you can tell them what to do-and should! God has given that authority to every parent. May we strive to teach them diligently to our sons and daughters.

Funny

Hey kids, Daddy's home!

I must confess when I first saw the results of the poll regarding where kids thought there fathers would like to be, I was disappointed. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad the fathers would be there, it just would have made it so much easier to conclude that the problem was absent fathers. But that makes it all the more puzzling. If the fathers wanted to be home, then where was the problem? I believe the answer is in the second poll question, where would the young people rather be. Almost the same percentage who thought their father would like to be home, apparently didn't want to be there with him. Why not? Why is there this stereotype among parents and their youth that they don't want to spend time together? Why are young people so anxious to get away from their parents? (Before I proceed any further, let me also say I have known some young people who wanted nothing more than to spend time with their parents and vice versa. Unfortunately that is the exception and not the norm.) Usually when this subject is discussed, the focus is put on the young person. We ask questions such as "What is wrong with that child?" or "Why are they so rebellious?" This shows, as seems to have occurred often in this study, that we have the cart before the horse. The first question ought to be, "What is wrong with me?" I fear we have bought into the world's mentality of blame-shifting. No one wants to take responsibility anymore. Parents, when it comes to our children, the buck stops with us. And that is a huge responsibility. One that, to be honest, if I thought I could I might try to pass it off on someone else. But I see from the Word of God there is no one else. Just recently I read an autobiography of a famous former baseball player who became wrapped up in drugs, alcohol, and immorality. It wasn't until he stopped blaming everyone else and took responsibility for his own sin that God was able to free him and get his life right. There is example after example in God's Word of the effects of men's sin on their children. One of the saddest examples of this would have to be David. So many wonderful things written by this man of God, but the saddest would have to be II Samuel 23:4-5, where he begins by recording how God blesses those who rule well, but closes by making the following statement - "Although my house be not so with God..."
Fathers, do our young people desire our company and counsel? Do they seek to be with us every chance they get? If so, praise God for it; if not, let's examine our lives to see what it is that is driving a wedge between us and our children.

Proverbs 17:6, "Children's children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children are their fathers."

Family Time

First of all, I again want to thank each and everyone for their prayers, letters, emails, texts, phone calls, and about any other way you can communicate to us your love and prayers for my father and our family.
I just got off the phone with my mother, and she said that dad was having a very good day and that he continues to progress well. I know I have said it before, but this is nothing short of a miracle. God has shown Himself mighty once more!
When I returned from Kansas, I studied and rested Saturday, preached all day Sunday, then went to teen camp for the week. I have been playing "catch up" here in my office these last few days, and finally feel somewhat 'back in the saddle.'
I figured it was time to get back on track writing our blog as well. I told Bro. Carr the sabbatical was over and he would have to write this weekend. So, here we go....
We only have four weeks left of writing on this topic. We will cover three questions from our questionnaire this week. That will leave only two more questions. We then will take the fourth week to summarize our findings. I have begun to read "Already Gone" by Ken Ham (can not endorse the book as of yet, but realize it is on the same topic we are attempting to study-thus far I have found it a good read)(can you believe he stole my idea? What a mean guy!)
Just joking AIG fans!
This week we look at the area of Family Time. Some of the most precious memories I have is of family time while growing up (which by the way, you can read stories of at the following blog: http://spaceadventuresofking.blogspot.com/) Sadly, for many, some of the worst memories they have are of 'family time.' Some daily try to escape those memories, but this does not/should not have to be for the Christian's home. Here are the three questions we shall examine:

I believe if my dad had his choice, he would spend a free evening:
A. At home with his family 68%
B. Out with His friends 9%
C. At work for overtime for more money 23%

If you had only one activity all month at church, would you prefer it to be:
A. Family activity 19%
B. Youth activity 60%
C. Boys only/girls only activity 8%
D. Don't matter, I would skip it 13%

I would describe 'family time' as:
A. Recreation 38%
B. Boring 9%
C. At Church 6%
D. Vacation 27%
E. Non existent in our home 20%

Let us begin with the first question. The majority of our teens feel that if their fathers could, they would be at home with the family on a free night. Wonderful! I believe this is the way it should be. Granted, 23% at the time felt their dad would volunteer for overtime to make more money, but overall this was a pleasant response. (not sure how the current national economic condition would affect this). Recently I was speaking to a man who had asked about my father's health condition. He then told me how that it was a difficult time when his father died, but not near as bad as when his mother died. Thankfully I have never experienced either, but the man went on to say that "Dad always worked every hour he could get. He was never home. Even when he wasn't working, he did everything he could to stay away from the house...yard work, hobby, painting, friends...we never saw him. I had a much closer relationship with my mother." Praise the Lord for Godly mothers! Had this been a lady I was speaking to, it would not have struck me as it did. Children need their fathers! Believe me, I know the men must work and should be the main 'money makers' of the home (sorry ladies, your 'careers' aren't found in Scripture). I know men should handle the 'manly' chores at home. It is the spirit of neglect that too many fathers show toward their children...the lack of a desire to spend time with them.
It is fathers that can 'provoke their children to wrath.' Fathers who are supposed to teach their children the statues and ways of the Lord. Deut. 6 teaches that it is the fathers that do these things. Spend time with your children.
I took Alex with me to Kansas those few weeks. Why? Not so he would see my father in the shape he was in, but I saw it as an opportunity to spend time with my son. I took Grace out Saturday 'garage saleing'. We had a wonderful time. Why? Not because we needed more junk, but I saw it as an opportunity to spend time with my daughter. Fathers, may we take our God given role seriously and desire to spend time with our children.
The second question's results taught us that our teens would desire, if given the choice, a monthly youth activity at church greatly more than a family activity. We've already spoken on this before, but I believe churches are much to blame for the constant divisions of families. Church should be a unifier of the home, not a divider. We split up for Sunday School, have youth, children's, young couples, college age, and senior citizen activities every month; we have an academy, sports, and competitions to practice for. The family is never together. We have strove the past year to involve the parents more. I wish more parents would get involved. I encourage youth pastors to include the parents in their activities to help build the home.
Our third question dealt with 'family time.' Again, how I cherish family time memories while growing up, and so enjoy making them with my wife and children. We need family time. Family time should be recreational, educational, vacations, at church, at home, in the car, around a pond, on a trail, in a creek, soul winning, bus routes, visitation-LIFE. Sadly, 20% of our teens felt it was non existent in their homes, and nearly 10% felt they had it but that it was boring.
Family time, in my opinion, is not an event or a Tuesday night. Family time should be life. When family time is reduced to an evening or a trip, we are saying that our life and business is the priority. Our family should be our priority. Whether I am going soul winning, yard work, taking a vacation, eating dinner, enjoying a hobby, going to church, or enjoying a free evening...it's family time!
May God give us strong families and the desire to make our time, family time.