kingdomeducationministries

I have witnessed an attack on the family like I have never thought possible.  This attempt to destroy the family isn’t new but it has accelerated at an unprecedented rate over the past couple of years.  It seems like even the government wants to make the family powerless and nonexistent.

During the month of December I found myself studying the role of the home as it relates to the education of children.  As I studied this topic, I was convicted that the home does not have the position of priority that God desires it to have.  One of the resources I pulled out to study was Dr. Robert L. Dabney’s Discussions published in 1897.  Dr. Dabney was a professor of theology in the Union Theological Seminary in Virginia and a professor of moral philosophy in the University of Texas.  He was an outspoken critic of State sponsored “public” schools.

ln an 1876 letter to W.H. Ruffner, Superintendent of State Schools in Virginia, Dabney got right to the major objection that he had against public schools.

…the principle upon which the State intrudes into the parental obligations and function of educating children is dangerous and agrarian.  It is the teaching of the Bible and of sound political ethics that the education of children belongs to the sphere of the family and its the duty of parents.

He went on to state that,

The parents are the real architects of their children’s destiny, and the State cannot help it.

Dabney was even more forcible in demanding that parents control their children’s education in another letter to Ruffner that same year.  In this letter he wrote,

Since religious education is so essential a part [of education], it is obvious that a wise Providence must have allotted the right and duty of giving it to some other of the independent spheres between which He has distributed the social interests of man.  This duty rests with the parents.  Such is the Protestant doctrine–the Bible doctrine.  Neither State nor Church are to usurp it; but both are to enlighten, encourage and assist the parent in his inalienable task.

I have also been reading a transcript of a sermon my former pastor, Dr. Glenn Weekley, gave back in 2002. In this sermon, Weekley boldly explained,

There are too many people today who believe that the state is responsible for educating their children.  Folks, I don’t know where it came from.  I don’t know where it happened.  I don’t know where it started, but today there are people who say, “now you take my children and you educate my children, and you teach my children.”  We’re losing our children because of that!  Even Christian parents today are abdicating their God-given responsibility to others!

One of the verses Dr. Weekley referred to was Deuteronomy 6:7.  In explaining this verse, he noted,

You teach these diligently to your children.  You teach them.  In other words, it’s my responsibility in the family, our responsibility as parents, to provide our children with a truth apologetic…God said that this whole teaching system starts with you, and it requires you to teach your children.

It is critical that the family be given its rightful place in society in general and in educating future generations specifically.  God designed the family to be the primary place where children will be nurtured and trained.  Once again, consider the words of Dr. Dabney in his discussion on Secularized Education.  He gave three reasons why parents must be responsible and in control of their children’s education.

First, we read in holy writ that God ordained the family by the union of one woman to one man, in one flesh, for life, for the declared end of “seeking a godly seed.”  He also in the fifth Commandment connected the child proximately, not with either presbyter or magistrate, but with parents.

This argument appears again in the very order of  the historical genesis of the family and State, as well as of the visible Church.  The family was first.  Parents at the outset were the only social heads existing.  The right rearing of children by them was in order to the right creation of the other two institutes.

Second, the dispensation of Divine Providence in the course of nature shows where the power and duty of educating are deposited.  That ordering is that the parents decide in what status the child shall begin his adult career.

Third, God has provided for the parents social and moral influences so unique, so extensive, that no other earthly power, or all others together, can substitute them in fashioning the child’s character…Doubtless God has deposited the duty in the safest place.

Today, most people have added the school as an institution along with the home, church and state.  Of course, as Dabney pointed out, God only ordained three institutions–the family, the State and the Church. In many ways we have gotten some things backwards.  One common way of saying this is that we may have put the cart before the horse.

It appears that many people, including a vast majority of Christians, think that if we have the right government and excellent schools, we will develop strong families.  The truth is that strong, biblically based families are needed to produce a godly citizenship and build strong churches.  Dabney saw this back in his day when he wrote,

The competitions of the State and the Church for the educating power have been so engrossing that we have almost forgotten the parent, as the third and the rightful competitor.  And now many look at his [parent] claim almost contemptuously.  Because the civic and ecclesiastical spheres are so much wider and more populous than his [parent], they are prone to regard it as every way inferior.

As I begin another year of ministry, God has convicted me about the need to empower the home.  We must give greater attention to helping parents understand their God-given responsibility when it comes to educating their children.  Then, we must come alongside of them and give them the support needed to accomplish this all-important task.  I will be addressing more about empowering the home over the next couple of weeks.

That is also why we decided last month to expand the KEM Prime Member benefits to include the enrolled families in all  member schools.  Any school that is a KEM Prime Member can now share the school’s generic Username and Password with their families.  This will give parents full access to these valuable training resources.

It was exciting to see so many new schools become members in December.  If your school is not a member, this is a great time to join.  Simply click HERE to begin the process.  Be sure to include the special discount coupon, KESDISC21, and receive a $50 discount off of the already low annual rate.  We need to train as many parents as possible in 2021.

Don’t forget to register for the Kingdom Education Summit this summer.  This event will focus on how we can restore individuals, empower the home, engage the church and transform the school through kingdom education.  To find out more information about being a part of this exciting event click HERE.

Christmas is almost here!  Are you ready for it?  Have you taken time to think about what really happened 2000 years ago?

It is at this time of year that we hear the word “Immanuel” and when it is spoken, it is usually followed by “God is with us.”  Why is this so important?

I was recently going through some old notes and came across a few references to the book, Sharing God’s Passion, by Paul H. Jones.  Jones makes a profound observation about God’s passion or ultimate desire when he wrote,

What does God want more than anything?  What motivates Him to speak, to act, to make Himself known to us?  As the Bible tells it, from the ‘beginning’ (Genesis 1:1) to the final ‘Amen’ (Revelation 22:21), God desires to live in His creation among us, His creatures…whether we speak of God establishing His kingdom on earth, or renewing His creation, or the covenant vows between God and humanity, God’s underlying passion is the same: to live among the people He created.

Have you ever given this any thought?  We find this passion of God in Genesis 3:8 when Adam and Eve heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day.  It wasn’t unusual for God to “walk in the garden” and be with the two that He had created in His image.

However, on that day, Adam and Eve hid themselves from God because of the guilt and shame that filled their hearts due to sin.  It is interesting that God’s first words to Adam were, Where are you?  

Even though sin had entered the world and man was separated from God, it didn’t change God’s desire to live among the people He had created.  Consider the following passages of Scripture.

I will walk among you and be your God, and you shall be My people.  Leviticus 26:12  (NKJV)

And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake My people Israel.  1 Kings 6:13 (NKJV)

“Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion! For behold, I am coming and I will dwell in your midst,” says the Lord. “Many nations shall be joined to the Lord in that day, and they shall become My people. And I will dwell in your midst.  Zechariah 2:10-11 (NKJV)

God chose Israel to be His people and, throughout the Old Testament, His passion was to dwell and walk in their midst.  However, this could only take place temporarily until something amazing happened.  John captured the essence of Christmas when he wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit,

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God…And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.  John 1:1-2,14 (NKJV)

God sent His Son to earth, born of a virgin to dwell among us — Immanuel!  God’s passion to live and walk among His people became a reality for all of eternity!  When a person is born again, he/she is indwelt by the Holy Spirit and his/her body becomes God’s temple.

Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?  1 Corinthians 3:16 (NKJV)

Why does God’s Spirit indwell a believer?  It is to fulfill God’s desire to live with His people.

For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell in them and walk among them.  I will be their God, and they shall be My people.”  2 Corinthians 6:16 (NKJV)

Of course, God’s passion to live with His people will become an eternal reality when this old earth passes away and a new heaven and earth will be brought into existence.

Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.”  Revelation 21:1-3  (NKJV)

As you and I prepare for Christmas, may we celebrate the amazing coming of Immanuel and because of that first Christmas morning, God is with us!  May God find our hearts clean and pure for Him to dwell and walk among us.

I will be taking time to be with family so I won’t be posting a weekly blog.  I look forward to sharing with you in 2021.  Have a blessed Christmas and joyous New Year!

Psalm 78 has been a very important passage of Scripture to me over the years.  In the first seven verses of this Psalm, God challenges fathers to be leaders in the education of their children.  [Even though the focus in Psalm 78 is on fathers, these same truths can be applied to mothers and, even, teachers.]  The efforts of fathers in training their children is supposed to be so constant and intentional that it will impact the lives of future generations all the way down to their great grandchildren.

I have written about these verses on several different occasions.  However, in this post, I want to focus on what God says in verse 8.  After challenging fathers to biblically educate their children, God gives a very stern warning.

And may not be like their fathers… Psalm 78:8 (NKJV)

God tells a generation of fathers not to be like their own fathers.  God wanted this generation of parents (fathers in particular) to be different.  Why did God give such a harsh warning?  It was because the influence of fathers carries over to several generations of young people who will follow them.

It is important to note what characteristics this earlier generation of fathers exhibited that would produce such a grim admonition.  We find that these fathers had some major flaws in their lives.  God said they were:

A stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation that did not set its heart aright, and whose spirit was not faithful to God.  Psalm 78:8 (NKJV)

God condemns a generation of fathers because they were stubborn  and rebellious.  When reading this, we might think that these dads didn’t believe in God.  However, that was probably not the case.  These Israelite fathers may have been very religious but God still considered them to be stubborn and rebellious.

Why did God judge them to be so?  The rest of verse 8 gives us the answer to this all-important question. They were not steadfast toward God in their hearts and they ended up not being faithful to Him.  They may have had the appearance of being very spiritual but they had set their hearts on things other than God.

As one reads through the rest of this Psalm, he/she will see several characteristics that marked this stubborn and rebellious generation of fathers.  In verse 10, it says that they refused to walk in His law.  It doesn’t say that they didn’t know God’s law.  They probably quoted the law and taught it to their children.  However, they refused to live their everyday lives according to the law.  It is one thing to know what the Bible says.  It is something else to believe it and obey it!

A second thing that caused this generation of fathers to be rebellious was that they forgot His works and wonders (verse 11).  Even though they had seen all the marvelous works that God had performed on behalf of the people, these fathers had wiped them out of their memories.

When one forgets God’s works and miracles, the result will always be disastrous.  Verse 17 says that these fathers (parents) continually sinned against God.  One of the most common ways that one sins against God that results from forgetting all of His wondrous works is testing God in their hearts (verse 18).

Testing God in one’s heart is usually done when he/she is never satisfied with what God has done or provided.  The Israelites were constantly complaining and, no matter what God did, it was never enough.  One  example is found when He provided manna for them to eat; but they wanted meat.  Whatever He did, these fathers demanded more.

This resulted in God bringing judgement on His people.  God had to bring judgement on them because their testing of Him was actually evidence that they did not believe in God, and did not trust in His salvation (verse 22).  Even when God brought judgement on them, they still sinned and did not believe in His wondrous works (verse 32).

The Psalmist records how this generation of fathers returned and sought earnestly for God when God’s judgement and discipline became too harsh.  However, this apparent change of heart was merely in word only.

Nevertheless they flattered Him with their mouth, and they lied to Him with their tongue; for their heart was not steadfast with Him, nor were they faithful in His covenant.  Psalm 78:36-37 (NKJV)

As one reads this Psalm, there is one thing that is clearly seen.  When fathers (parents) are not faithful to God in raising their children biblically, society quickly crumbles.  This is what happed with Israel.  In fact, God eventually caused them to be taken into captivity by their pagan enemies (verses 61-64).

This is exactly what we are witnessing in our country today.  Parents (I include myself in this group), in a very real sense, have become stubborn and rebellious.  They have not been steadfast in heart toward God.  They have forgotten all the wondrous things God did for them by bringing them out of the bondage of sin and into the abundant life in Christ.  This has led them to constantly test God by never being satisfied and always wanting something more.

There have been some efforts to repent but they have proven to be all talk but there is no evidence of true repentance.  We are now experiencing what it is like to be taken into captivity by a pagan culture that is out to destroy Christianity.  What can be done to alter the current path of destruction that we are on?

The answer to this question is found in verses 1-7.  Parents, in general, and fathers, specifically, need to step up to the plate and diligently educate their children biblically.  What character qualities must this new generation of parents/fathers exhibit in order to be successful?

Let’s look at the closing verses of this Psalm to find out what type of person God will choose to accomplish this all-important task.

He also chose David His servant, and took him from the sheepfolds; from following the ewes that had young He brought him, to shepherd Jacob His people, and Israel His inheritance.  Psalm 78:70-71 (NKJV)

God chose a man who was faithful and obedient in the little things He had given him to do.  David willingly kept his earthly father’s sheep.  So, God picked David to do the same thing with God’s people that he had faithfully done with his father’s sheep.

We need parents, fathers in particular, to shepherd their children like David shepherded Israel.  This means that every child needs to be educated in such a way that they will know God and all His wondrous works.  In order to do this, there must be two character qualities in their lives that were in David’s life as he fulfilled his assigned task.

 

So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart, and guided them by the skillfulness of his hands.  Psalm 78:72 (NKJV)

God is looking for parents (fathers), church leaders and teachers who have integrity of heart and skilled hands to shepherd the next generation of young people.  May we be that kind of people and not like those who were stubborn and rebellious.

Many times things are not what they appear to be.  When this happens, we can very easily succumb to an illusion.  The picture to the right is an example of an optical illusion that makes an impossibility seem real.

Here in the United States, we have experienced what it is like to live in a land of freedom.   There is no doubt about it; we have a history that has been marked by unprecedented abundance and blessings.

It has become very easy to become complacent and live in the illusion that we will continue to live in a country where we will always enjoy such basic freedoms as freedom of worship, speech, the right to bear arms, to own private property, etc.  However, there have been some dark clouds forming on the horizon over the past couple of years that should be shaking us to the core.  It is time for a reality check!

I have reviewed several studies that have recently been conducted.  These studies were done by such groups as:

• The Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University
• The Pinetops Foundation
• The Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation

I don’t have time to share all the results from these various projects.  However, here are some alarming findings that are fast becoming realities in our culture today — especially when it comes to the younger generations.

• Even though 6 out of 10 Millennials consider themselves to be Christians, only 2% possess a biblical worldview.
• Between 40 and 50% of Millennials no longer believe in the sanctity of human life.
• 49% of Gen Z view socialism as favorable and 30% have warmed up to Marxism.
• It is estimated that between 35 and 42 million young people will leave the church by 2050.
• Over 55% of evangelical/pentacostal Millennials reject the idea that there is absolute moral truth.
• 51% of Gen Z-ers believe the United States is a racist nation with a long history of discrimination.
• 75% of evangelical Millennials believe that all people are basically good.

There is no question about it.  The younger generations are rejecting the fundamental truths, that are grounded in Scripture, on which this country was founded.  As Harry Blamires wrote in the 1960s, there is no longer a Christian mind.  How did we get ourselves into this terrible condition?

The answer to this million dollar question is really quite simple.  We have embraced a secular philosophy of education in our homes, churches and schools.  In reality, we have educated our children and youth to think this way.

We should not be surprised by what we see taking place throughout society.  I have been fascinated by the predictions that Dr. Robert Lewis Dabney made in his book, Disscussions (1897).  In Volume IV: Secular, Dabney made this observation.

If the State assumes responsibility for education, there is therefore a great risk that the education of youth will be perverted to serve an ideological faction.  This will occur by the hateful means of filling their minds with error and passion in place of truth and right.  If the State in America becomes the educator, education must be secularized totally.

He went on to explain what he believed would eventually happen in the country (remember he said this in the late 1800s).

We are attempting therefore an absolute novelty…State education among Americans tends to be entirely secularized.  What is the result?  In this country, there is a general revolt from the Christian faith, even though the country is full of churches, preachers, and a redundant Christian literature.

When you consider the results from the studies noted above, you would have to agree that we are seeing a general revolt from the Christian faith taking place right before our very eyes.  Dabney made one more prediction that has become a reality in this country’s educational system.

But nearly all public men and preachers declare that the public schools are the glory of America.  They are a finality, and in no event to be surrendered.  We have seen that their complete secularization is logically inevitable.  Christians must prepare themselves then, for the following results:  All prayers, catechisms, and Bibles will ultimately be driven out of the schools.

When God’s Word is removed from education, that system can only produce a secular, anti-Christian worldview in the hearts and minds of its students.  It is time for a reality check!  Some things have to change!

This is why Kingdom Education Ministries will be conducting its first ever Kingdom Education Summit this coming summer.  At this Summit, we will be addressing the issue of education from a completely biblical perspective.  As we do so, we want to develop strategies for individuals, homes, churches and schools that will help us raise up a new generation of young people who think and act from a biblical worldview.

 

For more details on this summer’s Kingdom Education Summit click here.  We are offering a special discount on the registration fee to all KEM Prime Members.  If your school or organization is not a KEM Prime Member, now is the time to take advantage of this very affordable membership that will help your staff develop a biblical worldview and philosophy of education.  When joining, enter this discount code, KESDISC21, for an even lower membership fee.  For more information on how you can become a KEM Prime Member click here.

It is time that all Christians conduct a reality check.  Once we do this, we must get back to the Scriptures and address the issue of education from a biblical perspective.  I look forward to seeing many of you in July at the Kingdom Education Summit!

 

It is Thanksgiving week here in the United States.  Throughout my life, it has been a time when family gathered together for fellowship and good food.  We always took time to express our gratitude for all that God had done for us.  I have many fond memories of those times that I got to share with family and friends.

For many people, Thanksgiving is going to be very different this year.  Of course, one could say that everything has been different in 2020; so why should Thanksgiving be the same.  Who would have ever thought that government officials would try to ban families from traveling and being together on Thanksgiving Day.

Even though the world we live in has been turned upside down and life as we have known it seems a distant memory, there is much to be thankful for.  We are going to be gathering together as a family.  It will be the first time in almost 5 years that we will have all six of our grandchildren with us to share in some mighty fine eating.

My oldest son and his son will join me for our annual golf outing that we have done every Thanksgiving Day morning.  Our scores are never very impressive but the laughter and times looking for a wayward shot are worth being together even when the weather has been windy and cold.

As I have been getting ready for Thanksgiving 2020, I have been reminded about how good God has been, is and will be forever.  Yes, I can find a lot of things to be frustrated with.  I find myself easily complaining about Covid restrictions, political bickering, disruptions to my schedule and cancelations of several engagements.

There is one topic in Scripture that has captured much of my thinking over the past few weeks.  It is the topic of contentment.  I will probably share more on this in future blogs, but, for now, I want to share a couple of truths that have put everything that is going on in this crazy, fallen world into its proper perspective.

In Hebrews, we find these words.

Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we may boldly say: “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear.  What can man do to me?”  Hebrews 13:5-6 (NKJV)

At a time when we are supposed to be thankful, it is so easy to be covetous instead.  It is natural to wish we could get back to normal and not have to wear a mask whenever we enter a building.  (As a side note, I find it fascinating that the Covid virus hovers at restaurant doors so a mask is required.  However, the virus disappears once you get to a table so you can take it off.)

The writer of Hebrews says that we should live without covetousness.  I know most of the time we equate this with money or possessions.  However, we can live a life of covetousness when we wish our candidate for some office would’ve won, we want to go to church again and give fellow believers a good handshake or hug, or want the freedom to go back to school or work.  Covetousness is simply wanting something that we don’t have more than being thankful for what we have been graciously given.

The key to being free of covetousness is learning to be content.  Again, look at these verses in Hebrew.  You and I are told to be content with what we have!  You might be thinking but I have lost so much and I have so little how can I be content?

No matter what you and I are facing today, we have something that we can never lose and, therefore, we can be content.  What do we possess that we can never lose and, therefore, be content?  It is God, Himself!

God promises us that He will never leave you or me and will never forsake us!  God has promised us His eternal presence no matter what comes our way.

Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.  Deuteronomy 31:6 (NKJV)

No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you.  Joshua 1:5 (NKJV)

When we realize that God will never leave nor forsake us, it always results in us not being afraid but being courageous and strong.  And we all know that we need some courage in order to live in today’s world.  When I know that God is with me, I am not afraid of what man might do to me.  Why?  Because God is there to be my helper and, with Him helping me, what can man do to me?

I don’t know what you are facing this Thanksgiving.  I understand that we have gone through a lot in 2020. Many of our plans have been completely blown up.  It may seem hopeless and we don’t see any light at the end of the tunnel.

However, I want to encourage you to take some time and reflect back over this year.  When you do, look to see how God was with you and helped you get through everything you faced (it could’ve been worse).  Even if I had lost everything I once had in this world, I am content with what I haven’t lost and never will — God’s presence and help!  For this I am eternally thankful.

I know that the Psalmist was right when he wrote,

Do not fret because of evildoers, nor be envious of the workers of iniquity. Psalm 37:1 (NKJV)

However, I have to admit that I struggle with this at times.  And one of those times is now.  It is hard not to become frustrated when you see the evil that is taking place all around you and it seems like those committing it not only get away with it but almost flaunt it.

Some of the things that can be frustrating are:

• Being told that churches can’t meet but casinos, liquor stores and abortion clinics keep right on operating as usual.
• Seeing people physically assault others, burn down private businesses and destroy public property and no one ever seems to be held accountable.
• Seeing “famous” individuals commit crimes, be given sentences as short as 2 months and then being let out early so they don’t have to be away from home for Christmas while the ordinary person is given much longer sentences with no early release.

It can appear that when you try to live a godly life, you get attacked.  But those who don’t even attempt to hide their wrongdoing seem to get let “off the hook” without any consequences.  How can we live out Psalm 37:1 in today’s crazy world?

When trying to make sense of what is going on around me, I find it helpful to realize my feelings of frustration aren’t something that Christians are just now facing.  God’s people have had these frustrations throughout human history.  It is encouraging to read the Bible and see others struggle with the same things that I struggle with.

One of my Bible heroes is a man named Asaph.  Asaph was a Levite who headed the service of music under the reigns of David and Solomon.  He wrote several Psalms.  In one Psalm, Asaph expressed how he struggled with some of the same things that I wrestle with.

…as for me, my feet had almost stumbled; my steps had nearly slipped.  For I was envious of the boastful, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.  Psalm 73:2-3 (NKJV)

What did Asaph mean by the “boastful” person and the “prosperity of the wicked?”  He explains exactly what he meant by these phrases when he wrote that these people were ones who,

• were strong and not in trouble like other men (vs 4-5)
• were not plagued or held accountable (vs 5)
• were proud (vs 6)
• wore violence like one would but on a garment (vs 6)
• were blessed with abundance to the point that they had more than their hearts could desire (vs 7)
• talked in boastful ways that even mocked God (vs 8,9,11)
• were always at ease and growing in material possessions (vs 12)

This is what I find myself struggling with more and more as the days wax evil.  In fact, Asaph was so discouraged that he even thought that he was wasting his time trying to live a godly life.  It seemed useless to do so.

Surely I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocence.  For all day long I have been plagued, and chastened every morning.  Psalm 73:13-14 (NKJV)

Let’s be honest with each other and God.  Do you sometimes feel this way?   Is Asaph possibly speaking for you?  I am thankful that everyone wrestles with the same things that I face on a daily basis while I am living in this fallen world.

But, let’s get back to my original question.  Even though I see the prosperity of the wicked all around me and it seems like they are prospering more and more each day, how do I stop fretting about them?   It is one thing to say I am battling what Asaph did in his life.  But it is another thing to not let it overtake you with worry (fretting) and envy.

I am thankful that Asaph didn’t stop at verse 14.  Even though he was having a hard time trying to understand all of this, he knew that living a godly life was not in vain.  The key to seeing the prosperity of the wicked  but not giving up was found in Asaph’s daily habit that is explained starting in verse 16 of this Psalm.

When I thought how to understand this, it was too painful for me—until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I understood their end.  Psalm 73:16-17 (NKJV)

When Asaph spent time alone with God, he saw the big eternal picture and not just the temporal happenings that were causing him so much heartache.  It is the same thing that David understood when he wrote Psalm 37.

I finished by plan to read the Bible through this year earlier than expected.  So, I began reading back through the Psalms.  Last week I was reading Psalm 34 and saw something that I had not seen before.  Verses 8-11 seemed to jump off the page.

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him!  Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints!  There is no want to those who fear Him.  The young lions lack and suffer hunger; but those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing.  Psalm 34:8-10 (NKJV)

There is so much truth in these three verses but what caught my attention was what the Psalmist wrote in verse 9.  The Psalmist urged the saints (Christians) to fear the Lord.  Then the writer declared that those who do fear God lack nothing.  This is quite a promise.

I stopped what I was doing and did a word search on my Bible software about the benefits of fearing the Lord.  Three times in the Psalms, I found that God will bless one who fears Him.  As I continued searching the Scriptures, I learned  how God blesses those who fear Him.  Here are some of the jewels that I found.

• God’s eye is on those who fear Him (Psalm 33:18)
• When we fear God, we are given mercy (Luke 1:50; Psalm 103:11,17)
• God takes pleasure with us when we fear Him (Psalm 147:7)
• God has pity on people who fear Him (Psalm 103:13)
• God’s angels protect and deliver us when we fear Him (Psalm 34:7)
• He honors those who fear Him (Psalm 15:4)
• God shares His secrets with those who fear Him (Psalm 25:14)
• God is our help and shield when we fear Him (Psalm 115:11)

There were more blessings than I have time to share what God does for those who fear Him.  As I pondered all of this, I asked myself this question.  What does it really mean to fear God?  One explanation of the fear of the Lord helps bring meaning to this phrase.

The fear of the Lord is the continual awareness that I am in the presence of a holy, just and almighty God and that every motive, thought, word, and action is open before Him and will be judged by Him.

Another person put it this way.  The fear of the Lord involves:

• a hatred of sin
• an understanding of who God is
• developing a reverential fear of Him
• being led to develop true wisdom

When one fears the Lord, he/she lives with the awareness of both God’s presence and His coming judgement.  As a child of God, we do not have to fear His judgement as our sins have been forgiven.  However, an unsaved person has every right to fear God’s coming judgement.

Since fearing God promises to fully satisfy, this should lead us to have the same desire that the Psalmist had.  Consider what the Psalmist wanted to do once he understood the importance of fearing God.

Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. Psalm 34:11 (NKJV)

This must be our desire when we taste the goodness of God, are blessed by trusting Him and are satisfied when we fear Him.  We must do everything we can to have the next generation listen to us.  And what do we want them to know?  We want to teach them the fear of the Lord.  This must be the highest priority for parents, church leaders and educators as they educate the next generation.

 

The more we experience (taste) the goodness of God and fear Him, the more we should beg the next generation to come and listen to us.  When they come, we can’t try to impress them with high sounding words or inundate them with endless bits of knowledge.  We must teach them the fear of the Lord.  Why?  Because God promises that if they fear Him, He will completely satisfy them.  Are you and I teaching the next generation about the fear of the Lord?  If not, we need to start to do so without delay!

I am often asked what I believe is the ONE thing that is needed to solve the terrible condition we find ourselves in today.  My answer to this question identifies both the problem and the solution for everything we are currently facing in society.  In fact, my answer is not just for our country but for the entire world.

D. Martin Lloyd-Jones summed up my answer in one sentence.

The problem with the world is we don’t know God!

That’s it in a nutshell.  We don’t know God!  This isn’t only true for society in general but, unfortunately, it is also true for today’s church.  Of course, this isn’t anything new.  God identified this problem when He described the condition of Israel.

Hear the word of the Lord, you children of Israel, for the Lord brings a charge against the inhabitants of the land: there is no truth or mercy or knowledge of God in the land.  Hosea 4:1 (NKJV)

When God says that there is no knowledge of God in the land, the land refers to the nation of Israel — His people.  I am convinced that this is the problem in today’s church as well.  God’s people do not know Him!

God’s Word tells us the consequences that His people will face when they don’t know God.  In verse 6 of this same chapter of Hosea, we see that His people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.  The lack of knowledge that God is referring to is knowledge of God.

The prophet Isaiah records another consequence that will result from God’s people not knowing Him.

Therefore, My people have gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge.  Isaiah 5:13 (NKJV)

Here, again, we find that the lack of knowledge is related to knowing God.  What type of captivity results from not knowing God?  Paul warns us about this in his letter to the church in Colossae.

Beware lest anyone cheats (takes captive) you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.  Colossians 2:8 (NKJV)

The captivity that God’s people find themselves in because they do not know God is one of false beliefs and ideas. By being taken captive by false worldviews, people think and act in ways that go against God’s Word.  This is where the church finds itself today.  Christians have been taken captive by a secular, man-centered worldview and, therefore, have lost their influence in the world.

If not knowing God is the problem, what is the solution?  It is simple — we must know God!  I am not talking about simply knowing about God.  This takes place by merely accumulating head knowledge about Him.  What is needed is for God’s people to know Him.  The difference is like night and day.

One of  the best pictures of this has to do with dating and being married.  While I dated my wife, I learned a lot about her.  When we became husband and wife, I knew her — we became one flesh.  I wouldn’t trade years of only knowing about her for one day of knowing her.

Here are four reasons why I am convicted more and more about the importance of knowing God as the true measure of living the Christian life.

Knowing God was His motive behind creation

God didn’t need any aspect of creation to become more God.  However, He created the world as an expression of who He is and did it for His glory.  God wanted to be known (see Psalm 19:1-4; Romans 1:20)!

Man was created in God’s image in order to know Him

Once the created world was in place, God created man in His image.  Man is the only created being that has the capacity to know, love and worship God.  Jonathan Edwards once wrote, God’s last end in creating the world is the creature’s [man’s] knowledge of Him.  For this is the end of all other knowledge.

God redeemed fallen man so that man can, once again, know Him

We know that Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection paid our sin debt and gave us the gift of eternal life.  However, eternal life is regaining the capacity to know God and, thereby, give Him glory (see John 17:3).

God desires our knowing Him more than religious sacrifices

This theme of knowing God is found in all of Paul’s prayers for the churches he started.  He continually prayed for Christians to increase in their knowledge of God (see Ephesians 1:15-17; Colossians 1:9-10).  God’s highest priority for His children is that they know Him (see Hosea 6:6).

J. I. Packer understood the importance of knowing God to every individual when he stated,

Once you become aware that the main business you are here for is to know God, most of life’s problems fall in place of their own accord.

Jonathan Edwards emphasized the need to know God by writing,

Of all the knowledge the two can ever obtain, the knowledge of God, and the knowledge of ourselves, are the most important…He who does not know Him [God], knows nothing else as it truly is. 

If the root to all of the problems that this world finds itself in is not knowing God, then knowing God is the only solution to these problems.  This also means that the most important knowledge that we must give our children through their education is the knowledge of God.  If our children and youth learn great amounts of other knowledge but do not know God, their education is in vain.

Finally, let me share with you some results that would take place in our lives if we were to know God more each day.  J. I. Packer notes these results in his book, Knowing God.

1. Those who know God have great energy for God.  (see Daniel 11:32)
2. Those who know God have great thoughts of God. (see Daniel 4:6; 9:4,7,9,14)
3. Those who know God show great boldness for God. (see Acts 5:29; 20:24)
4. Those who know God have great contentment in God. (see Romans 5:1; 8; Daniel 3:16-18)

As you start a new week, how will you answer these questions?

1. How well do you know God?
2. What priority have you placed in your life of knowing God better each day?
3. How does knowing God impact your life when it comes to marriage, parenting, work, government, voting, etc?
4. What priority does knowing God have in the education of your children/students at home, church and school?

We need the body of Christ to have the same attitude that Paul had.

But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ…  Philippians 3:7-8

I end with the words by Dr. S. M. Lockridge.

That’s My King! Do You KNOW HIM?

Is this quote really true?  Can we understand everything so we can explain it?  Last week I shared how there continues to be a battle for the Bible.  However, today’s battle is not simply over the inerrancy of Scripture but also the sufficiency of Scripture.  It seems like every time I see someone say that the Bible is sufficient, there will be someone who will ask this question.

If the Bible is sufficient for everything that pertains to life, then how do you explain __________?

It is true that there are some things in the Bible that I don’t understand and can’t explain.  I don’t understand how this complex universe could be spoken into existence out of nothing (ex nihilo).  Nor can I explain how God’s Spirit can come and indwell every person who is born again.  However, this does not mean that I must look outside of the Bible to be able to explain or understand certain realities of life.

If I could completely understand and explain everything that is in God’s Word, it would mean that I would be equal to God.  Only God is all wise and He needs no one to instruct Him.  Man, on the other hand, is not omniscient and has limited understanding because he has a finite mind.

No matter how many advancements are made in science, it can never be an absolute source of truth.  This is because science can only tell us what makes up God’s creation and the creation ordinances God put into place for it to operate.  The same is true for anything that man develops in an effort to explain any aspect of life.

Job asked God why he was going through such pain and suffering.  After all, Job knew that he tried to live a life of integrity.  If he loved God and served Him, why did God allow all this torment to come into his life?

It is interesting to read the account of Job and realize that God never directly answered Job’s questions.  Instead, God asked Job a series of questions.  I would encourage you to read the exchange between God and Job in Job 38-39.  After Job’s friends tried to explain why Job was going through all of his suffering and Job had given his answers to their attacks, God spoke.  He said to Job,

Who is this who darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer Me. Job 38:1-2 (NKJV)

God asked who is trying to “darken His counsel”.  What God said to Job was who is man that he would try to damage the integrity of His wisdom?  How was Job doing this?  Job was questioning the integrity of God’s wisdom with words that showed no knowledge.  The term “knowledge” means discernment or understanding.  In other words, God was letting Job know that mere mortal men can never fully understand God and His ways.  Whenever someone tries to do this, their words have no knowledge!

To prove His point, God asked Job some probing questions that no man, even a righteous man like Job, could answer.  God’s first question was enough to silence not only Job but also his friends.

Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements? Surely you know!  Job 38:4-5 (NKJV)

God continued to bombard Job with questions.

Have you commanded the morning since your days began, and caused the dawn to know its place?  Job 38:12 (NKJV)

Have you entered the springs of the sea? Or have you walked in search of the depths? Have the gates of death been revealed to you? Or have you seen the doors of the shadow of death? Have you comprehended the breadth of the earth? Tell Me, if you know all this. Job 38:16-18 (NKJV)

Do you know the time when the wild mountain goats bear young?…Have you given the horse strength?…Does the hawk fly by your wisdom, and spread its wings toward the south?…Does the eagle mount up at your command, and make its nest on high? Job 39:1,19,26-27 (NKJV)

You and I can study creation and we can see how it works.  However, we cannot answer the question, why does everything work the way it does?  That is because we are not God.  Only God can answer the questions that He asked Job.

After God questioned Job about his understanding of the created world, God gets to the heart of man’s inability to completely understand all of life.  Again, I encourage you to read Job 40-41.  God begins with this question,

Shall the one who contends with the Almighty correct Him? Job 40:1

God then confronts Job with this piercing question.

Would you indeed annul My judgment? Would you condemn Me that you may be justified? Have you an arm like God?  Job 40:8-9 (NKJV)

There are other passages of the Bible where one can find God letting man know that He is God and we can never fully comprehend His majesty, power and glory.  Isaiah 40-41 come to my mind.  As I read these chapters, I am overwhelmed by the wisdom and power of Almighty God.  Isaiah sums all of this up with these words from God.

For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.  Isaiah 55:8-9 (NKJV)

What am I trying to say in all of this?  It is simply this.  God’s Word is true, inerrant and sufficient for all matters of life!  The fact that we cannot fully understand and explain everything that is in the Bible does not negate its authority.  It simply means that He is God and we are not!