These two brief video clips were enough to stir my heart recently and I’ve been thinking through its various implications in regard to ‘who’ is teaching my children.

If I… if you… want to know what our kids are learning at school or church or their friend’s homes or in your own home… just look and listen.  They may not answer your question ‘what did you learn today’ beyond a grunt or a “nothin” or a brief comment about a science lesson (though we need to raise the bar on their responsiveness or our level of interest, if this is the case), but be assured they are sponges and they are learning all the time.

I am too often too casual about the incoming influences that are ‘teaching’ my children.  Just the sheer amount of time that they are under the influence of the world as opposed to the amount of time they are in the home and under our influence is heavily weighted against us.

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.  You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.   And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.  You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.  You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.  You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. (Deut. 6:4-9)

As dad… I carry the primary responsibility for the teaching of my children.  As dad, carrying that primary responsibility, I am instructed in God’s word  to be diligent(2 Peter 1:10), disciplined(1 Timothy 4:7) and devoted(Acts 2:42) to Jesus Christ…FIRST!  I am useless, even deadly to my children if I teach them by example that God… Jesus Christ… the Word of God don’t really matter much at all.  If I don’t love God and if I don’t obey His word and if I don’t treasure Him above all else…why should/would they?

Who are the teachers in your life?  Who are the teachers in your children’s lives?

1 Peter 5:8, Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

John 10:10, The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

There is an enemy of God who not only has no hesitation in harming our children, but seeks to destroy them… and us!  So be watchful over who is teaching you… and who is teaching your children.

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,  that the man of God  may be competent, equipped for every good work.  2 Timothy 3:16-17

How can a young man keep his way pure?  By guarding it according to your word.  With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments!  I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.  Psalm 119:9-11

Blessings,

As the eve of vacation cools down (it’s been a rather hot day) and as the family prepares for a two week vacation, we’ve had a little bit of memory making events today.

At work, a retired employee stopped by (she was married to my boss of many years, Alan Saunders.  Alan died several months ago and Linda is now a widow for the second time in her life).  It was great to see her.  She has gotten back involved in a church…I pray that the Lord opens her eyes to Truth.

Beloved friends were spending some time at our home when I arrived from work.  At some point their young son made his way up the ladder and jumped into the pool…alone.  Thank God for loud splashes.  I am still thinking through that event.  It was impressive to see ‘mom and dad’ explode into action!  Track records hold nothing on a motivated parent pursuing the safety of their young.  It reminds me of how great the Father’s love is for His children.  Phinehas will live another day…and by God’s grace will deliver the sword again in a timely manner.

Next…the call from above…Tim! (my desk is in the basement…hey, that’s where Tozer got his start.)  “There’s a HUGE bear eating the Davis’s garbage”…I’m always up for a bear visit.  And I wasn’t disappointed…it was a good size bear.  I must say I haven’t seen much of these hulks lately, especially at 6pm…but the garbage cans were out…and full…maybe the garbage collectors didn’t feel like collecting on such a hot day.  As this bear proceeded to make a mess, a few of us less politically correct folks (for NJ anyway) pulled out our pellet guns to  ‘gently’ shoo him away.  He got the point.

Tomorrow.  Vacation begins…I think.  Two weeks.  I’m 47 and all I can remember is a two week honeymoon…which was truly awesome. (did I say awesome?  I meant to say WOW…grin…I did marry the most incredible gift to man btw)  I don’t think I’ve ever gotten away for more than a week here or there.  Everyone has commented recently, how two weeks really makes the difference in a vacation…time to wind down…relax…rest…  And all I keep thinking is ‘what am I gonna do?’  LOL.

I  will treasure the next two weeks…day by day, intentionally.  The missions team is heading out from church even as I head out somewhat earlier in the day…powered by a 1200cc engine and lots of air!!…Freedom! Yeah!…I’m taking my bike and heading North to the Adirondacks.  My family will follow in the truck.  We’ll meet again in God’s  country…there’s a reason for mountaintops!!!  My heart has been captured, in a sense, by the Adirondacks in NY state.  I’ve been to the Rockies… and they are much more Grand…but since childhood, I have camped in the black soil of the Adirondack mountains (Go Northern Frontier! – a camp for boys becoming men) …rump-bumped down the rapids of the upper Hudson River…enjoyed the cold fresh water…fought off the HUGE mosquito birds that land on your arm and suck you dry!!!  Its all part of the charm .  I’ve never wintered there…which means I’ve never been there between October and June – GRIN! 

BUT… AND…  what will all this matter?  why do I or should I take a two week ‘vacation’?  Am I AWOL?   Am I on leave?

I think of my nephew serving in the Middle East…no vacation…no reprieve.  I think of my brother’s friend, Eric Daniel Terhune, taken by the enemy’s fire…  Jimmy, my prayers are with you…and your little one back home.

I don’t take vacation lightly.  I have to train.  There are so many things that the ’saints’ from past centuries have passed on, that I must hear.  I am so hungry to hear from my brother Tozer…I have such an affinity for his teaching….and then there is my dear older brother John Piper who has searched out the wonderful sanctification of Jonathan Edwards….I look forward to some really wonderful times of rejoicing in Truth that he has mined for.  Did I mention (for the whetting of your own appetite..J I Packer. – I can’t help it… I have the impression of a stodgey old guy…embellishing on the old language – BUT!!! I know better…I have ready and waiting, a precious book entitled “KNOWING GOD”!!!!!!!  That is really ALL I want!!!! (and for those who are interested in what ‘Knowing God’ is about…ask Mike Ruel..he has gotten there already.)

For you who have read this far….I am a simple fleshly man.  BUT, and it is a life-changing BUT!…I now…NOW…never before salvation, but NOW…  HUNGER passionately…voraciously for His Word…His truth…HIM! 

When I write…I suppose I like to appear well thought out…intelligent…worth listening to.  But, today…on the eve of vacation, I simply hope for me and you…that we would faithfully, daily, with steadfast endurance…pursure knowing our God.  Our eternity depends…describes…and is delivered in it.

Do you love God….like you ‘love’ your life?  Don’t hide.  Where are your affections, currently?  Do they need to be changed? 

If your answer is Yes, then DANCE!  TREMBLE!  The God of Creation is perfectly in control.  AND, He will bring to completion a perfect work that HE has started.  Simply…pay attention..don’t drift…don’t be careless…You are (or are NOT) a Soldier in the Lord’s Army.

A while back, my eldest son Luke, started listening to music that was outside of my narrowly varied tastes.  I was immediately suspicious and concerned.  What was he getting exposed to?  Was it going to deceive and feed his flesh or would it open his eyes to see Jesus Christ, high and lifted up?  I was surprised and encouraged to find a solid message of gospel behind a hiphop/rap style that wasn’t my typical venue.

After the Music Stops brings a strong message and challenge to the listener.  Lecrae Moore is a christian rap artist out of TN with a heart to bring Jesus Christ to the culture and a desire to do it like ‘the men of Issachar (1 Chr 12:32) who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do’.

He isn’t new, nor is his music; but his comments on this GodTube video caught my attention as I consider the hype and misappropriation regarding ‘relevance’ in the culture and especially in the church. 

In a visible role such as a music artist, how should you direct people to see Jesus Christ and not yourself?  As a preacher, teacher, youth pastor, youth ministry leader, worship leader – how should you direct those with their eyes and ears on you to ‘taste and see’ Jesus Christ above all?

Paul and Barnabas didn’t escape the temptation for glory…”Hermes!!!  Zeus!!!”  The crowds wanted to deify them as gods, ‘the gods have come down to us in the likeness of men’ (Acts 14:11).  Their response?  ‘they tore their garments and rushed out into the crowd, crying out, “Men, why are you doing these things?  We also are men of like nature with you, and we bring you good news that you should turn from these vain things to a living God,…”

Delivery men…that’s who we are (sort of…think messengers, ambassadors, earthen vessels).  What’s the name of your mail carrier-person?  Right!… you likely don’t know nor would you necessarily.  It isn’t the messenger but rather the ‘message’ he brings that matters primarily.  We do matter (sort of…again, think biblically, hear Paul’s concerns in 1 Cor 1).  We are to be the reflection of the gospel message…that is how we deliver it…reflected and spoken.  Yet it is not us and our commentary that has power, but rather the Word of God…the gospel spoken and lived out through us; we should resemble the Gospel.  We preach Christ crucified…  Christ – the wisdom and power of God.

In this, I would consider ‘relevance’ a good thing; not because it’s pragmatic, but because it is Truth – objective…propositional truth.