Tim Euler

I was on a flight to the Answers in Genesis’ Creation Museum to speak at a worldview conference.  Since this was my first flight in March, I picked up the current issue of Sky Magazine to see if there was anything interesting in it.  As I glanced at the cover, my attention was drawn to a headline.  On the cover of this issue of of the magazine was a picture of Oprah Winfrey. Next to her picture in bold letters I read these words, Living Her Truth. Of course, I was intrigued and quickly turned to this lead article. When I arrived at the article, the title page captured my full attention.  The entire page was a strong shade of red.  There was a large O with the words of the article’s title inside the O.  The title read The Wisest Woman in the World.

Wow, I didn’t realize that ,of all the women in the world, Oprah was the wisest. I assumed that is why she is living her truth. I am not taking anything away from what she has accomplished in her life. Rising from the ashes of poverty, Oprah has built a multi-billion dollar enterprise and has started some very worthy endeavors.  However, why did the article’s author think Oprah was the wisest woman in the world and what was meant by the words Living Her Truth? Had Oprah discovered some truth that no one else knows? Has she the source of some new truth that everyone else needs to know?

The article is actually an interview that the writer conducted with Oprah. One of the questions asked Oprah was:

You often talk about listening to your inner voice and “finding your truth.” But how does someone actually do that?

Oprah’s answer provides us with great insight into her belief system or worldview. She explained:

Every human being is born with his or her own internal GPS system. If you get quiet enough and stop your head from spinning, ask yourself: What. Should. I. Do? Just take a deep breath, because everything is in the breath. It’s your life force. Or ask yourself the question, What do I really want? What do I need? Then just get really still and listen…These are the most powerful questions because most people have not yet answered them for themselves. They have their mother’s answer. They know what friends want but most people don’t have it figured out on their own. What will it take to make me truly happy? What gives me joy? What fills me up? When am I most myself? Most people have not asked those questions. (Emphasis mine)

I couldn’t help being amazed by this woman’s advice to other people.  It provides us with the core belief of all man-centered worldviews.  In a man-centered worldview, God does not exist or God is defined by the individual.  In Oprah’s case, the concept of God is in one’ breath — for one’s breath is one’s life force.  

This type of belief system sees man as being totally autonomous.  This means you must determine what is right for you and then do it, regardless of the consequences your actions may have on others.  After all, man was not created by a sovereign God.  Man is merely a mechanistic animal that has evolved to his current state of being.  Therefore, one must listen to his/her inner voice to find out what he/she wants or needs to do.  Of course, it is all about being what makes you happy.

When I read this, I immediately thought of today’s popular slogan Just Do You! This phrase is defined as, Be yourself and stop worrying about others. There is even a song titled Just Be You.  Here are the lyrics to this song by India Arie (it sounds a lot like what Oprah says we should all do).

If you create the game then you create the rules
And if you just be you
There’s no way you can lose

There’s a story waiting for you to write it
There’s a treasure waiting for you to find it
There’s a picture waiting for you to paint it
There’s a dollar waiting for you to make it

So what’chu waiting on
Who you waiting for
If you don’t take a chance you’ll never know whats in store

If you create the game then you create the rules
And if you just be you
There’s no way you can lose

There is a voice inside each of us.  The Bible refers to it as one’s heart.  Another way of saying just do you is follow your heart.  The problem
with this type of thinking is my heart, according to God’s Word, is desperately wicked.  It will definitely tell me what I want to hear and what I want in life — but if I get what my heart wants, it will only bring heartache to me and to others.

This series is taking the metaphor of a tree and relating it to raising the next generation to think and act from a biblical worldview.  We have identified several keys to growing healthy trees.  These include:

• Understanding that the soil in which we plant a tree (our children) is extremely important.
• Recognizing that the soil represents the prevailing worldview of the home, church, school and/or community.
• The two types of soil (worldviews) that we can choose from are:
  • a secular, man-centered worldview
  • a biblical, God-centered worldview
• A secular worldview soil is filled with lies or Satan’s truth claims while a biblical worldview contains absolute truth.
• A secular education is grounded in a secular worldview.
• When a child is planted in a secular education soil, he/she will absorb the lies that are contained in the soil.
• Since knowing truth sets people free, then knowing lies enslave people.

As we identified these keys to growing trees, we learned that it was important to be able to identify the major lies that are embedded in a secular worldview.  Some of the lies that were identified are listed below.

• Man’s happiness is the most important goal in life.
• The government is to provide for all of its citizen’s needs.
• Gender is a personal choice.
• Tolerance is the ultimate value that humans are to exhibit.
• Man is a mere mechanistic creature of nature of equal value to all other forms of life.
• Making money is the primary goal of work and one works to be able to consume.
• Popularity is important in determining one’s identity.
• Creation Evolution is presented as a scientific fact. Young earth is presented as a child’s story.
• I cannot be fulfilled unless I have ____________________
• The government is responsible to provide all of one’s needs.

Readers were asked to choose one of these lies and answer a few key questions as to the where the lie originated and some of the history behind it. The analogy was made between the development of beliefs of a person to the development of a root system of a tree.  The roots of a tree will grow and expand in searching for more nutrients for the tree.  In the same way, the beliefs of a child will grow and seek for more of the nutrients (lies or truth) that are in the soil in which they are planted.

Today, I want us to consider what else takes place in growing a tree by looking at the trunk of the tree.  As the roots absorb nutrients from the soil, these nutrients are transported through the tree’s trunk in order that the rest of the tree receives food and water.  The trunk is merely a conduit and takes whatever the roots of the tree absorbs and delivers it to the branches and leaves of the tree.

Based on this concept in our metaphor of a tree representing a child’s life, we can say that the trunk represents the values that the child will develop.  These values provide the means through which the beliefs of the child are transported to the rest of the child’s life.  I want to once again turn our attention to how this works when a child is planted in secular education soil.

We learned in previous  posts that secular education soil is filled with falsehoods.  These falsehoods are absorbed by the child’s roots and form his/her beliefs.  Whatever beliefs are developed in the root system, they are then transported through the child’s values or the trunk of his/her life to all parts of the child’s life.  This leads us to consider several very important questions when it comes to how one’s beliefs end up impacting all of one’s life.  As you have identified a major lie that is enslaving today’s culture, you also identified some of the dangerous beliefs that are a result of feeding no that lie.  Based on the beliefs that you have identified, answer the following questions (this can be done in a group setting).

1. How is the lie communicated?
2. How is it passed on from one generation to another?
3. What avenues are used to communicate this lie such as media, education, use of words/language, the arts, entertainment, laws, and or stories/jokes?

It is important that Christians understand how lies become beliefs and, then, how beliefs are communicated so that they impact all of life.  If you have been going through this process, share what you are learning by leaving a comment below.  Even though this step is very important, next week I will show why we are witnessing certain behaviors in our homes, churches, schools and communities today.

We have been looking at what it takes to grow healthy trees.  Growing healthy trees is a metaphor for raising young people to be disciples of Jesus who can engage today’s postmodern culture by thinking and acting from a biblical worldview.  In last week’s blog I asked the readers to identify some of the lies that are foundational to a secular worldview.  These lies are what keeps people and societies in bondage.  If we don’t identify them, we will not be able to break the chains that they have on our individual lives, families, churches and communities.  Here is the list of lies that I posted last week.  I have added  some additional lies that various readers shared  with me last week.

• Man’s happiness is the most important goal in life.
• The government is to provide for all of its citizen’s needs.
• Gender is a personal choice.
• Tolerance is the ultimate value that humans are to exhibit.
• Man is a mere mechanistic creature of nature of equal value to all other forms of life.
• Making money is the primary goal of work and one works to be able to consume.
• Popularity is important in determining one’s identity.
• Creation Evolution is presented as a scientific fact. Young earth is presented as a child’s story.
• I cannot be fulfilled unless I have ____________________
• The government is responsible to provide all of one’s needs.

However, it is not enough just to simply identify a long list of lies that are enslaving us.  We must go beyond merely knowing what they are to understanding how they actually impact our lives.

This leads us to another step that we must take if we are going to educate our children to think and act from a biblical worldview.  It is important to know how these lies that in a secular worldview soil get into our lives.  Let’s go back to the illustration of a tree planted in the ground.  I shared with you how I learned from the work of the Disciple the Nations that the soil represents the prevailing worldview of the culture.  The roots of the tree then represent the beliefs of the individual or group.

When a tree is planted in the soil, its roots immediately start trying to find nutrients in the soil.  Those nutrients are absorbed by the roots.  When we plant our children in soil that is based on a secular, man-centered worldview, our children will immediately begin absorbing the lies from that worldview soil into their roots.

As this takes place, the falsehoods from the prevailing worldview form the beliefs of the person absorbing them.  The roots or beliefs will continue to grow and seek out more of the lies that are found in the secular worldview that is feeding them.  In turn, they develop more and deeper held beliefs based on the worldview from which they are feeding.

When you look at the list of lies that a secular worldview feeds a person, family, church, or a community, what would you say is the most devastating lie in the list.  Again, you can do this on your own or get together with some other Christians and discuss it together.  Once you identify the lie you want to focus on, try to identify the beliefs that this lie produces.  Here are some questions you need to answer.

1. What are some of the beliefs that are formed by individuals or groups that come from this lie?
2. Where did this lie come from?
3. Can you trace the historical roots of this lie?

In doing this exercise, it is important to distinguish between beliefs and actions.  Actions always follow beliefs because we live what we really belief.  We need to recognize and understand that false beliefs are a result of feeding off of lies from a secular, man-centered worldview.  I look forward to seeing what lie you choose to study and what beliefs you see coming from this lie.  Next week we will study how the false beliefs of a root system formed by the lies of a secular worldview shapes the lives of individuals.

We have seen in previous posts that the soil in which we plant our children is very important if we are going to raise strong, healthy trees.  I explained how the soil is representative of the prevailing worldview of an individual, home, church, or school.  It was also pointed out that the prevailing worldview of a teacher, school or other institution will be either secular or biblical in nature.  A secular education is built on a secular or man-centered worldview.  On the other hand, a biblical education is built on a biblical or God-centered worldview.

It is important to remember that a secular worldview is predicated on lies while a biblical worldview is grounded in truth.  It is not enough to simply know that a secular worldview’s soil is filled with lies that will feed the children who are planted in it.  We must also be able to identify these lies.  These lies or Satan’s truth claims will shape the beliefs of the children who are planted in this type of soil.  As this happens it forms the culture of society that will be held in captivity by these lies.

When we enroll our children in a school, we are, in essence, “planting” them in some type of soil.  Since the majority of Christian parents enroll their children in secular schools, the majority of our children are being planted in a secular worldview soil.  As soon as that young child is planted his/her tender, fibrous roots start drinking in the nutrients that are in the soil.  Yes, they will take in some truth.  However, the main nutrients that they will absorb will be lies or Satan’s “truth claims”.  The question that I must raise is this.

Are Christian parents even aware of the lies that their children may be drinking in on a daily basis from their secular education?

If you were asked what are the fundamental lies in today’s secular culture that has enslaved its people, what would you say?  Many times we see the symptoms of our diseased culture and we know that it isn’t good.  However, we don’t get down to the root of the problems we face in everyday life.

I want to begin identifying some of the basic lies that are currently enslaving us, our families and our communities.  These lies, I believe, have even taken some captives in our churches.  It is important to try and discern the lies that affect the entire culture, not only in the United States but also around the globe.  Here a few that come to my mind.

• Man’s happiness is the most important goal in life.
• The government is to provide for all of its citizen’s needs.
• Gender is a personal choice.
• Tolerance is the ultimate value that humans are to exhibit.
• Man is a mere mechanistic creature of nature of equal value to all other forms of life.
• Making money is the primary goal of work and one works to be able to consume.
• Popularity is important in determining one’s identity.

I hope the readers can see that I am trying to identify some fundamental false ideas that impact everyone in our society and determine what we believe and how we act.  There are many more that can be added to this list.  Since it is so important for us to know what the lies of a secular worldview are, I am asking each of you to give me some more lies from today’s postmodern culture that are enslaving us.  You can do this on  your own or sit down with a group of people and discuss this together.  Then simply write down your ideas in the comment box below.  I will gather them together and make a final list that I will share in next week’s post.  Once we identify Satan’s truth claims that keep us in bondage, we need to see how this impacts all areas of one’s life.  I look forward to reading your comments.

Last week I shared how the soil in which a tree is planted is a major factor in the future growth and health of the tree.  I also equated the soil with the prevailing worldview held by our families, churches, schools and communities.  Finally, I pointed out that there are two worldview options that can make up the soil in which our children can be planted — a biblical worldview or a secular worldview.  The first is God-centered and grounded in truth.  The second is man-centered based on human opinion and falsehood.

There is a profound truth in Scripture that must be applied to this analogy of growing healthy trees (future generations).  In John 8 we find Jesus making this powerful statement.

 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. ³² And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:31-32 (NKJV)

Most Christians are very familiar with the last statement of Jesus that truth shall make (set) you free.  It doesn’t mean Christians are free to do whatever they want.  Instead it tells us that knowing truth frees us from the captivity of sin and false ideas.  We must keep in mind that truth is the person (see John 14:6), Jesus Christ.  We also know that Jesus Christ is the Word (see John 1:1-5, 14).  This is why Jesus is saying that if you want to know truth, you must continue in His Word.  Here is the key thought.  Truth frees us — it brings freedom.

Since this statement being true, the opposite is also true.  Lies enslave us — they take us captive.  With this in mind, let’s go back to our analogy of trees being planted in different kinds of soils or worldviews.  A secular worldview is man-centered and based on lies and falsehoods.  Therefore, this type of soil would look something like this picture.

The soil formed by a secular worldview would lack the necessary nutrient of truth that is needed to produce a fruitful and healthy tree.  It is important to point out that even the most secular or atheistic worldview will contain some elements of truth.  For example 2+2=4 is true in any worldview.  So we will be able to find some truth in the soil of a secular worldview.

In contrast to this type of soil, stands soil that is based on a biblical worldview.  A biblical worldview is grounded in truth.  So this type of soil can be characterized like this picture.  If you study this picture, you will find that the soil contains some falsehoods.  We must always remember that we live in a fallen world.  This means that no matter how strong of a biblical worldview that an individual or organization develops, it will also contain some error.  We can never achieve a completely renewed mind that is based totally on truth.

As we consider this analogy, we must ask the question what is the prevailing worldview of most Christians?  This is important because the worldviews held by Christians will determine the worldview that is prevalent in our homes and churches.  Just growing up in a Christian home and church does not guarantee that all parents and church leaders have developed a biblical worldview.  In fact, most studies have shown that just the opposite is true.  In one Barna study I read found that only 9-10% of pastors have a strong biblical worldview.  This would lead me to surmise that a lower percentage of Christian parents have a biblical worldview.

When it comes to schooling, we find an even more troubling dilemma facing Christians who want to grow their children in soil that will cause them to grow into strong, healthy and fruitful trees.  The majority of Christian children are in schools that are based on a secular philosophy of education.  Thus the dominant worldview in this type of school is a secular one.

A biblically-based school is built on a biblical philosophy of education (I call this a kingdom education philosophy).  Therefore, the dominant worldview in this type of school should be a biblical worldview.  To illustrate the difference in these two schooling options, consider the following picture.  Here we find the two philosophies of education that a school will operate on and the corresponding worldview soil for each type of school.

As you can see in the visual, parents will “plant” their children in some educational soil.  Their children will be nurtured and admonished in accord with the philosophy of education and worldview of the schooling choice.  This raises two questions that must be answered by all parents and Christian educators.  The first question is for Christian educators.

What are you doing to make sure that a biblical worldview is the soil from which your students will receive the nutrients necessary for their healthy growth?

The second question is for Christian parents.

What type of soil are you going to “plant” your child in?

The answers to these questions will determine if the next generation will develop into strong, healthy trees that can impact the culture for Christ.

Ever since the age of 12 I have loved landscaping.  My first job was with a company that was the largest producer of annual flowers in Western New York.  From time to time I was privileged to work at various nurseries and for a couple of landscape architects.  I even took a correspondence course in landscape design many years ago.  I have designed planting for several houses in several different states.

From this experience I have come to understand what it takes to grow healthy plants, specifically trees.  The key to growing healthy plants and trees is determined by the type of soil in which they are planted.  If the soil is poor and lacks necessary nutrients, the soil must be amended and enriched in order to produce a healthy plant.  If this doesn’t happen, the tree will eventually die.

I have a particular fondness for growing trees.  Over the years I have planted ornamental, fruit and shade trees.  Each tree was planted for a particular purpose.  Planting southern magnolias, Kwansan and Yoshino cherries, dogwoods, Japanese maples and Bradford pear trees brought joy because of their beautiful blossoms and ornamental beauty they showed at various times of the year.  It was also exciting to plant apple, peach and plum trees for the fruit they produced.  One time I planted a kumquat tree and was amazed at the amount of fruit it produced each year.  Of course, planting maple and oak trees provided enjoyment as I watched them grow from small seedlings to mighty trees that provided cooling shade during hot summer months.

One also finds many significant references to trees throughout the Bible.  Of course, the first tree we think about in the Bible is the tree of knowledge of good and evil.  When Adam ate the fruit of this tree, sin entered the world and we all know the fatal consequences that followed from that one act.  Another tree mentioned specifically in the Bible is the fig tree.  It was the leaves from this tree that Adam used to try and hide his sin from God.  We are also aware of another tree in the Garden.  This is the tree of life.  Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden so that they would not eat of this tree and live for ever in the state of sin.  The Bible also talks about the cursed tree on which Jesus, God’s Son, shed His blood for man’s sin.

There is no question that trees play an important role in God’s plan for mankind.  One of the most interesting

analogies related to trees in the Scriptures is its use as a metaphor for a  person’s life.  One of the most familiar examples of this metaphor is found in Psalms 1.  God says that a man who avoids ungodly counsel and meditates in the law of the Lord day and night is like a tree planted by the rivers of water.  Such a tree is always fruitful and prospers at all times.

But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
    And in His law he meditates day and night.
He shall be like a tree
    Planted by the rivers of water,
    That brings forth its fruit in its season,
    Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper. Psalm 1:2-3 (NKJV)

When our lives are planted in the right soil, we are fruitful and prosperous.  This is important because the Scripture also emphasizes the importance of a person bearing good fruit.  In fact, we are known by the fruit we produce.

You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?  Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.  A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.   Therefore by their fruits you will know them. Matthew 7:16-20 (NKJV)

So how do we grow healthy, fruitful trees?  When I use the analogy of growing a tree, I am referring to growing fruitful children, families, churches and communities.  The key is to make sure we plant them in fertile, rich soil.  The soil must have the necessary nutrients to produce healthy trees.  Recently I was studying this topic and came across a description of soil related to producing individuals and societies.  The Disciple Nations Alliance (DNA) explains that the soil we plant our children, families, churches and communities in can be described as the prevailing worldview.

The prevailing worldview held by individuals, organizations and the culture, in general, determines the richness of the soil in which these things grow and mature.  Let me explain.  Every child will be planted in a home and some form of school.  For children raised in Christian homes, they will, most likely, also be planted in a church.  The education (nutrients) that a child receives in these institutions will be determined by the worldview these institutions hold.

There are many types of worldviews that have been identified by different individuals and organizations.  However, when you boil all of the various worldview options down, you end up with only two main types.  One can have either a man-centered worldview or a God-centered worldview.  A man-centered worldview is basically secular in nature while a God-centered worldview can be described as a biblical worldview.  These two worldviews are in total opposition to one another.

The question that must be answered is what worldview is forming the soil of our homes, churches, schools and communities?  The answer may not be what we think it is.  Stay tuned for more on this very important topic.

I usually post blogs on Monday mornings.   However, there were two things that happened last night and this morning that caused me to post this morning.  Romans 1:20 is one of my favorite verses in the Bible.  Right behind it is Psalms 19:1.  Most likely these verses are special to me because of my love for the sciences and mathematics.

For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse. Romans 1:20 (KJV)

The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. Psalm 19:1 (KJV)

From these two verses we find that creation is an expression of the very nature of God.  By studying His creation, we can know and understand His invisible attributes.  One of the occurrences that takes place every once in awhile is an eclipse.  This morning we were able to witness a lunar eclipse in some parts of the United States.  My daughter sent the family a video of today’s event from her home in Texas.

Not only was it a lunar eclipse but is was also preceded by a blood moon.  As a beautiful full moon moved into the shadow of the earth, it appeared to change color.  Right before it disappeared it became a brilliant reddish orange ball in the night sky.

As I followed coverage of this phenomenon, I was reminded of some lessons I learned many years ago from watching various eclipses take place.  A lunar eclipse is one where the earth comes in-between the sun and the moon.  When this occurs, the earth blocks the rays of the sun from reflecting off of the moon.  This creation moment always causes me to reflect on something that God’s Word says about our relationship to Him and this world.

In John 5 we read that God is Light.  God is like the sun.  He is the source of all true light.  Man is fallen and is in darkness but through regeneration he enters into a personal relationship with God.  When a Christian is rightly related to God, God’s light shines on man and is reflected onto a lost world.  When a lost world sees God’s light reflected off of a Christian, God receives the glory.  This is exactly what Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount.

Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Matthew 5:14-16 (KJV)

They say a picture is worth a thousand words so let me try and illustrate my thoughts with a visual.

This picture illustrates how Christians should be related to God (Who is Light) as we live and work in this dark world. This is how we should be living our lives by abiding in Christ and allowing God’s light to shine through us to a lost world.

In the beginning of this post, I said that there were two things that led me to write it.  The second one also relates to what we just observed in today’s lunar eclipse.  Last night the President of the United States gave his first State of the Union Address since taking office.  I am not going to give political commentary on the speech but I do want to point out a theme that ran through the address.

This President, whether one likes him or not, has accomplished a lot of things.  One thing I am very grateful to him for doing is how he has boldly stood for the sanctity of all human life — including the life of the unborn.  He has not only spoken out publicly on this issue but he has also appointed strong, conservative, constitutionalist judges who will defend all human life.

The theme that I want to draw our attention to, however, is that of economic prosperity.  There is no question about it, many of his actions have caused the economy to rebound and grow.  I am not against keeping a little more of the money I earn so I can use it for kingdom business.  I also want to see others be blessed financially.  However, I am fearful that we can very easily start loving the things of this world more than the things of God.  As some has aptly said, we can focus on the blessing and forget the blesser!

Let me explain using the example of today’s lunar eclipse.  We find a very solemn warning in 1 John 2.

Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 1 John 2:15 (KJV)

This verse used to always concern me.  When I would read it, I thought it was telling me that if I loved this world, God stopped loving me.  However, that is not what it means.  It says if I love the world, the love of the father is no longer IN me.  It took a lunar eclipse many years ago to help me understand what that means.  Consider a second image.

When I love the things of this world more than God, I allow the world to come between me and God.  This is exactly what happens in a lunar eclipse — the earth (world) comes between the sun and the moon.  When the world comes between me and God, God’s light cannot get to me — His love is not IN me.  This means I have nothing to reflect through my efforts to a lost, dark world.

As Christians, we cannot let economic prosperity or any other worldly desires come between us and God, Who is light.  When this happens, we end up walking in the darkness of an eclipse.  Economic prosperity and/or the American Dream is not what we should seek after.  Jesus said that we are not to be like the lost and seek after material gain. Instead we should seek first the kingdom of God.  We are to seek His Lordship over our entire lives.  When we do, we will abide in His light and everything we do, will bring glory to Him.  I am always blessed when I know God better through lessons from Creation.  Have a blessed day!

It is hard to comprehend the cultural slide that has taken place in our country over the past decade.  (Even though I will be focusing on what we are facing in the USA, I find similar battles taking place around the globe.)  What may have started as a small snowball now seems like an avalanche racing toward us out of control.  Most of the issues that are being played out each and every day are dividing people like never before.  We even find many Christians on “opposing” sides of certain hot button matters.

Everyone can easily see the animosity that has grown over the past decade in the political arena.  There is also the issue of human sexuality and the gay rights movement.  Of course, there are the constant arguments and attacks that are over racial issues.  Just this past week I read an article about how the issue of “white privilege” is tearing apart a Christian higher education institution.  Then there is the constant bombardment from all sides on the issue immigration and dreamers that is always being talked about through all the various news outlets.

Everyone appears to be forced into to taking one side or the other on these and other social issues.  In fact, Christian artist, Mandisa, has a hit song, We All Bleed The Same.  Some of the lyrics to this song are:

Are you left? Are you right? Pointing fingers taking sides…

The artist asks the question that if we all do bleed the same, so tell me why, tell me why we’re divided.  It is not my intent in this article to try and convince the readers what is the “right” side each of these divisive issues.  Rather I want to suggest a strategy that Christians need to follow when trying to discern what God’s will is for them when trying to be salt and light in today’s dark world.

Christians need to understand a couple of things when it comes to living the Christian life in what some people have said is a “Babylonian culture”.  The first thing we must always understand is that we are at war.  I know that whenever I make that statement, some people will say that I am part of the problem.  However, when I say we are at war, I am not saying we are war with other people and, therefore, need to attack and defeat the “other side”.

What I mean is that we are in a culture war.  In Focus on the Families’ Truth Project, teacher Del Tackett, explains that we are engaged in a “cosmic battle of worldviews”.  He goes on to explain that this war requires Christians to chose between believing God’s truth claims or Satan’s truth claims on any and every issue we face in life.  Of course, Satan’s truth claims are actually lies.

This is exactly the battle that our first parents faced that dreadful day in the Garden.  Satan set forth his truth claim (lie) that they wouldn’t die if they ate the forbidden fruit but would actually become like God.  Satan’s lie was in direct opposition to God’s truth claim that eating the forbidden fruit would bring death to the couple.  We all know that Adam and Eve chose poorly.

But just knowing we are in a cosmic battle over God’s truth claims and Satan’s lies isn’t enough to help us navigate today’s troubled seas.  The most important thing we must do is to accurately identify the opposing truth claims.  No matter what the issue is that we are addressing, we must be able to articulate God’s truth claim and Satan’s lie regarding it.

This isn’t something that most of us can do in a couple of minutes while we rush through life.  It will take a concentrated and determined effort to know the truth.  I am one who needs to see something that shows the big picture in order to understand it.  Some have said that I am a “model” person.  I need a model to look at that helps me address various challenges and opportunities I face in everyday life.

I would like to suggest that Christians need to make a list of various issues that are dividing us today.  Then on the left side of the each item write out God’s truth claim related to the issue.  Of course, to do this we must know what God’s Word actually says about the issue.  After doing this, we need to write down on the right side of the issue Satan’s lie that he wants us to believe about the matter.

As one goes through this exercise, he/she must understand that Scripture makes it clear that truth sets people free.  This, in turn, means that lies enslave us.  Once we have identified the two opposing truth claims, we must decide which one we are going to accept — knowing that our choice will either free or enslave us.  Here is an example of a worksheet showing some of the issues that are dividing people today.

It is important that we clearly identify God’s truth and Satan’s lie about every issue of life.  This must also be a major aspect of the education we give our children and youth.  If we don’t teach them what God says about every aspect of life, they will only choose a side that makes them feel good and accepted by the culture.  Knowing what God’s Word says and what the enemy wants us to believe is the key to whether we walk in freedom or become enslaved to ways of this world.  I don’t know about you but I choose freedom!

Having a kingdom mindset is absolutely necessary if we want to live a life that is pleasing to God.  The topic of the kingdom is a key theme in the New Testament.  Most of the references to the kingdom use the phrase the “kingdom of God”.  However, the phrase the “kingdom of heaven” is also used when referring to the kingdom.

In order to understand how important it is for Christians to develop a kingdom mindset we need to consider the following.

• The kingdom of God is found 66 times in the New Testament.
• The kingdom of heaven is found another 32 times, all of them in the gospel of Matthew.
• The term kingdom  is found 154 times in the New Testament; 119 times in the four gospels.
• Jesus used the term kingdom 93 times alone.

I think it is safe to say that the kingdom of God is a very important concept in Scripture.  The importance of the kingdom of God is what led me to title my book on education Kingdom Education.  I did this because I saw in Scripture that God’s highest priority for every believer is for him/her to know, understand and experience His kingdom every day of life.  My reasoning for such a bold statement is found in Jesus’ own words:

But seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness… Matthew 6:33

This verse makes it clear that Christians are to seek His kingdom more than anything else in life.  Pastor James McMenis recently made this point in relation to this verse.

Whatever or whoever you put first in your life, controls every other aspect of your life.

When you add this to what Jesus said when He taught His disciples to pray, you see how important the kingdom is to God.

Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Matthew 6:10

From this second verse, we could say that God’s kingdom exists wherever His will is done.  This means that I can experience the kingdom of God to the degree that I obey His will (His Word).  So, how does a Christian develop a kingdom mindset?  If we want to develop a kingdom mindset, we must fully understand the concept of the kingdom of God.

Recently I was doing some study on this subject and watching some teaching on the kingdom of God presented by Disciple Nations Alliance (DNA).  This organization’s emphasis is that Jesus is King, and His primary agenda is to advance the Kingdom of God by discipling all nations.  In the video I was watching, one of its founders shared what he referred to as the essentials of a kingdom.  There are four key essentials that must be a reality if a kingdom is to exist.  These essentials are:

1. There must be a king.
2. There must be subjects over whom the king rules.
3. There must be laws and ordinances by which the king rules over his subjects.
4. There must be a realm or territory over which the king rules.

As I thought about these four essentials of any kingdom , it clarified my thinking related to the kingdom of God.  The kingdom of God must be characterized by the following essentials.

1. God must be the king.
2. Christians must be God’s subjects over whom He rules.
3. God rules His kingdom through laws and ordinances.
4. My life (my heart, mind and will) must be the realm or territory over which God rules.

If I want to develop a kingdom mindset, I must:

• Accept God as king over everything – including my life.
• Realize that I am to be subject to the rule of the king, who is God.
• I must know His laws and ordinances and then obey them completely.
• Submit my heart, mind and will as the territory over which God has complete authority.

The third essential of God’s kingdom stated above makes it clear that God rules His kingdom through His laws and ordinances.  That means I must know His laws and ordinances.  I believe that there are two sources where I can find God’s laws and ordinances.  These two sources are the two books that God has written.

The first book that God has written is one that every person actually reads every day.  This is God’s book of creation.  In this book we find God’s physical laws or, what we could call, His creation ordinances.

It is interesting to realize that everybody obeys these ordinances of God. Even lost people know that if they ignore or disobey God’s creation ordinances, it can bring disastrous results in their lives.  The most obvious one of God’s creation ordinances that every person obeys is His law of gravity.  If man decides he doesn’t have to obey this ordinance and decides to walk off a 10 story building, the consequence is most likely death.  As a former chemistry teacher, I taught various laws that are found in creation that we better pay attention to.  My students accepted these laws and were willing to obey them without question.

The second book God wrote is the Bible.  In this book we find God’s moral laws and ordinances.  Since the same God wrote both books, we must understand that both His creation ordinances and His moral law are there for our benefit.  We should also accept the truth that if we ignore or break His moral laws and ordinances, we will experience disastrous consequences.

It is amazing how even lost people know that God’s creation ordinances, when obeyed, allow them to accomplish some amazing things.  Yet, they criticize and mock God’s moral law found in His Word.  What boggles my mind even more is that we, as Christians, don’t give the same amount of value to God’s moral law as we do to His creation ordinances.  In fact, many Christians today are willing to face the devastating consequences that comes by ignoring God’s moral law.  Or maybe they think they can avoid the consequences by merely asking forgiveness.

If Christians were to develop a kingdom mindset and accept the four essentials presented in this article, it would change every aspect of their lives.  It would impact our personal lives, our marriages, our families and our churches.  If God reigns in all of life, it would even change how we educate our children.  It all depends on our mindset.  Do you have a kingdom mindset?  If so, how has it changed how you live?