WWJD Bracelets Are Stupid

I really wish that we would grow up as Christians. I wish we would see that Madonna has actually correctly put forth Christianity:

Christianity is becoming more of a currency than a belief

This is actually on point and pretty disturbing. When Michael Jackson died, not sure if you heard that he, in fact, died, vendors were outside his funeral to take advantage of the death by selling t-shirts with R.I.P. on the front. I started to scoff and laugh, and then realized that this isn't far from what Christians have done with our hero that died. Before Jesus died, the cross was seen as an obscene object and not for affection or to be worn proudly around the neck with 14 caret gold and diamonds laced within it. But, leave it to Christians to start to market the cross like MJ fans did the programs from his funeral on ebay the day after. Whatever we need to do to make a buck.

I am not sure if I am more disturbed by the companies that hock this crap or for the stupid consumer for buying and chalking it up as using it as a witness for the cross of Christ. I still don't get how having a blanket in your house with a lighthouse on it stating, "Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life" is a witnessing tool. It might warm your guests feet, but I doubt it will make them realize their need for Christ. Plus, the lighthouse is just distracting.

This is contemporary Christendom though. We tell ourselves that if we buy this crap and wear it or put it around our home that people are going to read our mugs and see our t-shirts and want to sell everything that they have to follow Christ, for a small donation. What is even crazier is that people who aren't Christians see right through this, and aren't attracted to Christ because of it. We are cheapening Christ by buying all this crap and really telling people that Jesus is no different than the local show hocking crap at their concerts. Really, what is the difference between us wearing some odd verse on our t-shirt with Christ dying on the cross and someone wearing a Cold Play t-shirt with a lyric and tour dates on back? Jesus has become nothing more than a pop icon instead of the Jesus that died a brutal death on the cross and rose from the dead to save souls. I think that all this marketing has dumbed Christianity down so much that it a large part of why people have issues with his bloody death and why people don't like to read parts of the Bible that calls them whores with their legs spread open waiting for anyone who passes by. (Ezekiel 16). Instead, we would like Jesus' name to look like a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup wrapper on a t-shirt.

Every time I see someone wearing a WWJD bracelet, I want to simply tell them, "He wouldn't be wearing your bright pink bracelet, that's for sure."

At some point we have to realize that no matter what we do, just wearing the crap around our neck doesn't make us a Christ follower. That would be like the local transvestite wearing chick clothes and saying he is a lady. Wear the clothes all you want man, but you are still a dude. At the end of the day, you still have to shave your face and put on a cup when you play softball.

Christianity has to be a heart change, not a change of clothes. The way we put it forth today though is that if you want to be a Christian, then you have to listen to lame music, wear lame t-shirts (like "Lord's Gym: Bench Press This!") and put the little Jesus fish on your car for all to see that not only you have changed for Christ, but your car has been redeemed as well.

At some point, we have to see how dumb we look as we try and sell people our crappy trinkets for Jesus. Instead, what we need to do is lived a changed life, not a changed wardrobe. We need to live for Jesus, we need to speak Jesus. I get like this every time I walk into a Christian bookstore and see all the crap they try and sell poor shmucks for a little righteousness for their wall. Today, instead of buying anything, I walked next door (to the wine and beer shop) and bought a beer glass and then went home and drank a beer for the glory of God and thanked him for his many true blessings in life as I sat and saw his creation in the form of a great ocean staring at me from my balcony.

I really hope that at some point we see that the war is not happening in what we wear or hang on our wall, but is in the heart of man. We need to speak and live Jesus with others so that they see the greatness of him and realize that he is not some pop culture icon that hopes that someone will buy a ticket to the show.

He's not a show. He's the Creator and Sustainer of all life.

And

He thinks your bracelet is dumb and so do I.

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John Calvin Is Dead, But He Would Be 500 Today If He Lived Before the Flood

I have learned a ton from the writings of John Calvin. I call myself a Calvinist, not because I am a follower of Calvin, but because I believe that the soteriology that is placed in his writings are clearly biblical. Are there some hard parts of Scripture based on my belief in this soteriology, yes. Do I believe that the correct theological underpinnings of Calvin are overwhelmed by them? Not at all. This is why I call myself a Calvinist. Today marks Calvin's 500th birthday and so I decided to share a couple of snips from his Institutes of the Christian Religion that have had the greatest impact on me outside of Scripture. I have always struggled with sin. I have struggled to understand how my sin and Christ's righteousness fit together and how I could continually sin and still say I love Jesus and believe that I am elect. This is a real struggle and one that I still fight with. I have found John Calvin's words on this to be most helpful. I have always been told to evaluate myself to see if I am in the faith. The problem is that in all stages of my life, I always come up short. When I honestly evaluate myself the way the Bible puts forth, I never measure up. Calvin puts forth words that show that Jesus is the mirror of our election and that if you look to Christ salvation is certain; if you return to yourself damnation is certain. I am not downplaying keeping the commandments of Christ out of a love for him, but the way I was told to evaluate myself I have found was close, if not completely, heretical.

Thank you John Calvin for exposing this to me. I pray that you find these words encouraging and know that John Calvin is dead, but Jesus Christ is alive and always has been.

Here, however, we give no countenance to that most pestilential philosophy which some semi-papists are at present beginning to broach in corners. Unable to defend the gross doubt inculcated by the Schoolmen, they have recourse to another fiction, that they may compound a mixture of faith and unbelief. They admit, that whenever we look to Christ we are furnished with full ground for hope; but as we are ever unworthy of all the blessings which are offered us in Christ, they will have us to fluctuate and hesitate in the view of our unworthiness. In short, they give conscience a position between hope and fear, making it alternate, by successive turns, to the one and the other. Hope and fear, again, they place in complete contrast,—the one falling as the other rises, and rising as the other falls. Thus Satan, finding the devices by which he was wont to destroy the certainty of faith too manifest to be now of any avail, is endeavoring, by indirect methods, to undermine it. But what kind of confidence is that which is ever and anon supplanted by despair? They tell you, if you look to Christ salvation is certain; if you return to yourself damnation is certain. Therefore, your mind must be alternately ruled by diffidence and hope; as if we were to imagine Christ standing at a distance, and not rather dwelling in us. We expect salvation from him—not because he stands aloof from us, but because ingrafting us into his body he not only makes us partakers of all his benefits, but also of himself. Therefore, I thus retort the argument, If you look to yourself damnation is certain: but since Christ has been communicated to you with all his benefits, so that all which is his is made yours, you become a member of him, and hence one with him. His righteousness covers your sins—his salvation extinguishes your condemnation; he interposes with his worthiness, and so prevents your unworthiness from coming into the view of God. Thus it truly is. It will never do to separate Christ from us, nor us from him; but we must, with both hands, keep firm hold of that alliance by which he has riveted us to himself. This the Apostle teaches us: “The body is dead because of sin; but the spirit is life because of righteousness,” (Rom. 8:10). According to the frivolous trifling of these objectors, he ought to have said, Christ indeed has life in himself, but you, as you are sinners, remain liable to death and condemnation. Very different is his language. He tells us that the condemnation which we of ourselves deserve is annihilated by the salvation of Christ; and to confirm this he employs the argument to which I have referred—viz. that Christ is not external to us, but dwells in us; and not only unites us to himself by an undivided bond of fellowship, but by a wondrous communion brings us daily into closer connection, until he becomes altogether one with us. And yet I deny not, as I lately said, that faith occasionally suffers certain interruptions when, by violent assault, its weakness is made to bend in this direction or in that; and its light is buried in the thick darkness of temptation. Still happen what may, faith ceases not to long after God.

Institutes of the Christian Religion, 3.2.24

First, if we seek for the paternal mercy and favor of God, we must turn our eyes to Christ, in whom alone the Father is well pleased (Mt. 3:17). When we seek for salvation, life, and a blessed immortality, to him also must we retake ourselves, since he alone is the fountain of life and the anchor of salvation, and the heir of the kingdom of heaven. Then what is the end of election, but just that, being adopted as sons by the heavenly Father, we may by his favor obtain salvation and immortality? How much soever you may speculate and discuss you will perceive that in its ultimate object it goes no farther. Hence, those whom God has adopted as sons, he is said to have elected, not in themselves, but in Christ Jesus (Eph. 1:4); because he could love them only in him, and only as being previously made partakers with him, honor them with the inheritance of his kingdom. But if we are elected in him, we cannot find the certainty of our election in ourselves; and not even in God the Father, if we look at him apart from the Son. Christ, then, is the mirror in which we ought, and in which, without deception, we may contemplate our election. For since it is into his body that the Father has decreed to ingraft those whom from eternity he wished to be his, that he may regard as sons all whom he acknowledges to be his members, if we are in communion with Christ, we have proof sufficiently clear and strong that we are written in the Book of Life. Moreover, he admitted us to sure communion with himself, when, by the preaching of the gospel, he declared that he was given us by the Father, to be ours with all his blessings (Rom. 8:32). We are said to be clothed with him, to be one with him, that we may live, because he himself lives. The doctrine is often repeated, “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life,” (John 3:16). He who believes in him is said to have passed from death unto life (John 5:24). In this sense he calls himself the bread of life, of which if a man eat, he shall never die (John 6:35). He, I say, was our witness, that all by whom he is received in faith will be regarded by our heavenly Father as sons. If we long for more than to be regarded as sons of God and heirs, we must ascend above Christ. But if this is our final goal, how infatuated is it to seek out of him what we have already obtained in him, and can only find in him? Besides, as he is the Eternal Wisdom, the Immutable Truth, the Determinate Counsel of the Father, there is no room for fear that any thing which he tells us will vary in the minutes degree from that will of the Father after which we inquire. Nay, rather he faithfully discloses it to us as it was from the beginning, and always will be. The practical influence of this doctrine ought also to be exhibited in our prayers. For though a belief of our election animates us to involve God, yet when we frame our prayers, it were preposterous to obtrude it upon God, or to stipulate in this way, “O Lord, if I am elected, hear me.” He would have us to rest satisfied with his promises, and not to inquire elsewhere whether or not he is disposed to hear us. We shall thus be disentangled from many snares, if we know how to make a right use of what is rightly written; but let us not inconsiderately wrest it to purposes different from that to which it ought to be confined.

Institutes of the Christian Religion, 3.24.5

A big thank you goes out to Steve Costley for revealing these to me about 2 years ago: Controversial Calvinism

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Why People Hate Calvinists

I'll be upfront, I am a Calvinist. I know that it is sometimes used like a cuss word or could be used like a "yo momma" joke...Yo momma is such a Calvinist, you said you got her tulips and she started quoting Romans 9. Anyways. From what I have found being a Calvinist is that it is sometimes a curse calling myself one because of the baggage that comes along with it. These are also things that I have been guilty of, but figured I would throw these out there to hopefully remind myself and others why people hate us so. And this is a reality that we need to make changes in. These aren't straw man attacks against us, these are real gripes with real ground to stand on. What is funny is that as a Calvinist desiring to discuss theology with other Calvinists I have seen these characterizations happen over and over again personally.

That's Not Exegesis, That's Eisegesis!

What I have found with us Calvinists is that we like to think that we have the corner on exegesis. Almost like we invented biblical interpretation. We can argue with the best of them on Greek syntax and verb forms but if you for some reason don't get it after all that explanation, we will simply go to our "go to guy"...the good ole Mr. Eisegesis. If after everything we have explained to you and you still don't get it and you try and explain your case, if we don't like it, out comes the claim that you are not exegeting Scripture, you are eisegeting Scripture. We are the ones who always allow Scripture to speak for itself, not you. You simply are allowing reason and your tradition overwhelm your thoughts on Scripture instead of allowing it to speak for itself.

I have heard this claim no matter the argument and no matter the competing views. So reason number one for people hating Calvinists is the simple claim of us having the corner of exegesis. You don't agree with our exegesis...you should stop with your stupid eisegesis.

"I Don't Know" Isn't In Our Vocabulary

Whether we like it or not Arminians have some very good thoughts on Scripture and bring up some great arguments. What happens when they bring up these arguments and won't leave us alone after we tell them that they are the kings of eisegesis? We would never simply tell them, "I don't know," but we pull out the balance beam and parallel bars and start our gymnastic routines with the Bible.

We make the most absurd observations on Scripture, whether it is trying to show why "all" doesn't mean "all" or why "world" doesn't mean "world." It becomes something like out of the Bible code handbook. You first have to put on Calvin's goggles then you can see the clarity of the golden plates. There are some hard parts of Scripture that just aren't clear on how they fit into the theological beliefs of Calvinism.

We have to realize that it isn't wrong to simply say, "I don't know", when something doesn't seemingly fit into our theological system. Although I don't agree with Spurgeon on his thoughts of the atonement, he at least said that he didn't understand how the common call and desire of God for the reprobate to be saved worked if Jesus only died for the elect. He admitted that it was a tough issue that he could not reconcile. He simply said, "I don't know". It would seem that Deuteronomy 29:29 gives us this precedence to do so:

The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law.

Some things we just don't know, some things we need to say, "I don't know" to. We are human, this is okay. We should stick to those theological understandings that God has given us understanding with and be willing to be transparent with the others. God's glory isn't taken away when we don't know how things all fit, God's glory is shown off though when we decide to admit our finite humanness to our brothers in Christ.

Calvinism Should Drive Us to Humility, Too Bad We Instead Drive Over People With It

The theological conviction of Calvinism should put us in a very humble position. If we understand that we utterly sinful, totally depraved, not good, with no capacity to turn to Jesus unless the Spirit opens our eyes and draw us, then we should see that Christ is most exclaimed and glorified and we are left with no boasting on our part. Instead of humility, what I have seen most clearly is that our pride is built because we have the theological corner of the market. We enter debates with our heads held high and scoff at those who disagree with us. I understand that people might make ad hominem and straw men arguments against us, but I wonder what would happen if we actually responded with humility instead of attacking them like they just landed on the beaches at Normandy.

I think we would get a lot further in discussions on theology with our brothers in Christ if we came at them with humility and actually listened to what they had to say. Some that I have seen scoff and are very rude to those who have differing opinions and outlooks on Scripture. We like to say that we are merely the messenger, but sometimes we act as though we are the message and giver of wisdom. We like to tell others that they can't do anything apart from Christ, that they do no good, that they do nothing that would make God choose them...then we seemingly forget that these same things apply to us.

Forgetting humility should disqualify us from Calvinism. We should have to turn our Calvinist card into CJ Mahaney and have to attend a Free Will Baptist church for a year. If we believe in Soli Deo Gloria, then we need to start living it instead of living like we believe in Soli Me Gloria.

These are three quick reminders to myself and hopefully some other Calvinists to get back to a theological system that should honestly drive us into believing God's sovereignty, His greatness and our humility. May we love those brothers and sisters in Christ who don't believe exactly as we do and realize that, although we think we know everything, we truly don't.

When you have to do gymnastics for Scripture, continually tell others that they are eisegeting texts while you are showing perfection and show off your humility with pride, you are practically showing that you don't believe that God is to be praised or that God is in control. But, you are practically showing that you are to be praised and that your arguments are what is going to win people to Jesus or to a theological system. Sad really.

May we live like God would desire for us to live and may we speak to others of the faith as God would desire us to.

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It Worked, Why Ever Change?

Something that has concerned for quite some time is the thought among Christians on what ministries, programs and the like to use for mission work within the community. Anytime you try to speak to people about possibly changing these programs or dismissing them altogether, what usually happens is that someone will have a great story of redemption that happened because of the ministry or show how it has worked for decades. But, is this enough to keep a ministry going or start it in your church?

I am very leery of "boxed ministries" because what these state is that they have come up with some sort of program that works for all cultures for all times. But, what does it mean to have a ministry that works? Do we see anything like this in the Bible? Honestly, what is our calling as a gathered church in our communities around the globe?

Here is the truth, God calls you specifically, your church corporately, and the universal church together to spread his fame for his glory. God has done this in many different ways, but even looking biblically, we can't see one way that was the most appropriate for everyone. Let's be honest, just because God spoke through Balaam's ass doesn't mean that we should raise a bunch of asses and let them loose on the city hoping they speak. Even though it seems that this happens in other ways today. Did it work for the purpose God had as told in Numbers? Yes. Does that mean that because it worked then, we should try it now? If you think, yes, then you might want to look for a Red Sea to part and a burning bush to talk to you.

This doesn't mean that God won't use the same way twice, but in reality, God calls us within the culture that we are in now. I am sure that people have been saved through many different ways, but is that our calling? Isn't there something that works in all cultures for all time?

The answer is actually, yes. We are always called to live for the glory of God. We are called to live out the gospel, and preach the gospel to those around us in the best way possible. This is how Jesus did it. He didn't come to Jerusalem wearing khaki pants and Tevas. He came to the culture and spoke and lived the way that the culture lived so that he could reach them (there is so much that could be written and has been written based on this one sentence). In all this, he never sinned, but loved the people so much he became one of them. This is what we are called to do. We are called to live in the culture, love the culture all for God's glory. Whether we like it or not, our job is not to convert people, but to live for Christ. Through our living and through our preaching the Holy Spirit will take souls for the glory of God, but we cannot and will never win one soul for Christ. We are merely the instrument. It's like giving glory to the shovel for digging the hole instead of the one doing the digging.

Is the axe to boast itself over the one who chops with it?
Is the saw to exalt itself over the one who wields it?
That would be like a club wielding those who lift it,
Or like a rod lifting him who is not wood.
Isaiah 10:15

We need to know our place and simply ask God how he wants us to live out his glory to those around us. We need to be willing to serve those around us without some secretive plan to convert them to Jesus. Now, would we love for those around us to convert to Christ? Of course, but we should be willing to love the community around us and serve them for the glory of God and let God do the work and let God allow the right timing in speaking to them about Jesus. It should be natural, not some odd tract or bullhorn yelling at them as they try to buy milk at Safeway. We should be willing to serve and love a community even if no one that we know of is never converted. If we bend ourself to only converting, we will stop loving and serving the community if we find no converts. Ask Jeremiah, sometimes that is God's plan. It won't be easy, but we must continually love a community even if that community hates Jesus and never show any converts.

The worst part about trying to get people to see this is that everyone has a story where this one guy was saved because of this certain ministry. That's great, praise God, but that isn't the question at hand. The question isn't what happened that one time, but the question is, "What is the best way for us to live out Christ to those around us right now?"

We must get around this idea. It actually is way more pervasive than we think. I have had people that go into almost a depression type feeling because they had a great vacation with family that don't love Jesus and they never preached to them the gospel. Or that they passed someone on the street and didn't ask them if they knew Christ. It becomes evangelism out of guilt instead of love for others and ultimately love for God alone.

The question isn't "what has worked in the past?" but the question is "How do I currently live out God's mission for his glory right now?" The church must start personally, then it will spread corporately. Humility is key to this, because this might mean putting an end to programs and ministries that have been in the church for ages. This is way harder to do than to say and think about. But, we must be a people that is searching for God's will and glory now, not God's will and glory for a different generation and a different culture. Some things that "worked", and I use that word loosely, in the past, might not be what we are called to do today.

In Reformed circles we use the term, "Semper Reformanda" which means "Always Reforming." The question is, "Are we doing this in the community and culture we are in now?" If not, I am afraid that we are just being lazy, not wanting to change and just pointing to conversions and love that happened 25 years ago instead of pointing on how we impacted our community for Christ last weekend.

I know that this post has been quite the rant and quite the mish mash of ideas, but I pray that you read this and simply ask, "What is the best way for me to live out the glory of God to those around me?" Don't hang your hat on an ass and a burning bush, hang your hat on knowing you worship an eternal God who will not give his glory to another.

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Advance 09 Panel with Piper, Driscoll and Stetzer

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Why My Family is Going to Public School

So, here is the culmination of this series. For some reason some thought I was asking advice on where my children should go to school. That is not what the purpose of this series is about. The purpose is for us all, including my family, to revisit why and how we make decisions while on this earth. This last post will put forth why our decision has been made, for now, to put our children into public schools. I want all to remember that this is not a polemic against homeschool or private school, this is merely an affirmation of our decision, not an attack on yours. So, when I say, "We fear the Lord" I am not saying that the homeschooler or private schooler does not fear God. Please catch this so you don't read this and think I am hammering you, but maybe the Spirit is hammering you...you never know.

Here are a few of our reasons why we believe God has put our family on mission in the public school system.

Seeking God's Glory Above My Family's

This is the first question that we should all be living by. Am I saying that I honestly live this out perfectly? No, because if I did I would never sin. The fact of the matter is I honestly probably live this out in some areas and are very blinded in other areas. I will say that the verse that puts our whole lives and our decisions in perspective comes from the famous 1 Corinthians 10:31,33 passage:

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God…just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved.
1 Corinthians 10: 31,33

This verse dwindles all our decisions to even the mundane. Even the every day drink and food that we enjoy should be done for the glory of God. We do this for the sake of God's glory because we are not seeking our own advantage but for other's, so they might be saved.

So, when making a decision on schooling my child, my first question is not what advantage it will be for my family or for my child. I don't first ask, "what has the best education, what will be the safest, what will have the least temptations, what will be the easiest for our family, what will make my kid the smartest, where will the fight be less" My first question is "what glorifies God the most? Where can I seek the advantage of other's most so they might be saved?" For our family, whether we were in the slums or suburbia we would choose the public school system because we believe this is where we can show off the glory of God the most.

People think that I would change my mind if I were in the ghetto, but what they forget is that the situation or school system is not the first question or insight. My first thought, my first question is simply, "God, how can I glorify you the most through my family so that many will be saved?" All my decisions flow from this, it is a top down approach, not a bottom up approach.

I Want My Family to God's Voice to the Pagan World

Is there many ways that this can be accomplished? Yes, of course. Will the schooling of our children be the only way that my family tries to accomplish this? Of course not. But, my children and my wife and I are going to do what we can to show off the glory of God to those who oppose him. We are going to do our best to emulate the meekness of our Saviour. We are going to do our best to take stands where stands need to be made. We are going to do our best to do as Christ did, befriend those who most Christians wouldn't dare to be friends with. I hope my child becomes friends with those of other faiths, I hope my child becomes friends with the self righteous, I hope my child becomes friends with the self debasing, I hope my child becomes friends with the homosexual, I hope my child becomes friends with the popular and most hated kids in the school. I hope that he does all this to show off Christ, and yet not sin.

Will my children do this on their own? No. We will be there alongside them to show them Jesus and his grace, forgiveness and love. We will be there to show him what Christ desires from those friendships and what he doesn't. We want our child to be in the world but not of it. We want them there to show those friends what it looks like to live for Christ, but not hate the sinner. I want my child to be able to stand for the morals and holiness that God calls his people to even when those around him are living for the sake of self instead of the sake of Christ.

Not only is this going to be the calling of our children, but this is going to be the calling of my wife and I. Because of this, we will get a chance to be a light to the teachers, staff and parents of all those involved. We will be able to show what it looks like to disagree with a worldview but not hate those who oppose us. We will be able to show them the light of the gospel that does not hate them, but desires them to turn to the One who created them for His sake and not their own. We will be able to be there for those who oppose Christianity to be able to talk to us and understand the Christian worldview from the voice of a Christian instead of reading it in a book by an atheist.

This is a whole family calling. This is actually even more tame than what God called Daniel to. Daniel was completely taken from his home and given over to the king in his early teens. Was Daniel taught and trained in the ways of the Lord before hand? Yes, very much so, and this is why he saw everything through the eyes of God and for God's glory. He wasn't transformed to be like the king, but brought truth to the king and showed the king and his servants the true God. He was instrumental in turning the king's heart to God. God used the foolishness of a kid, to bring the wisdom of the king, literally, to its' knees.

We are actually doing something quite less. We are not turning him over to the public schools and asking our children to live with the principle. We are continually training our children every day for the sake of Christ and then asking them to go to school and live out the teachings of Christ every day. This is not only a challenge for our children, but for us. We must continually train in the offensive truths of the gospel and then be defensive with those things that our child learns that are contrary to the Gospel. We must not lose sight of this and we must take this head on daily. We must plummet the gospel deep into our child's heart so that all things flow from the wisdom and love of Christ and not man.

Hi, My Name is Seth, and I am a Calvinist

I love God, I love his truth and I love that he alone is sovereign and my life is in his hands. I don't trust in my actions or in what I see, but I put my life, and my family's life in the hands of God. I believe that God has put this mission on the hearts of my wife and I. The question is "do I believe that God is in control or do I believe that what I see and my decisions are what controls fate?" Am I responsible for the decisions that I make? Yes, of course I am. But I will not make decisions because I am fearful of what might happen if I do. I make decisions based on God's glory and the fear of the One who can destroy both body and soul in hell, not based on those who can merely destroy the body. So what if my child is not as smart as he could have been, so what if my child is teased, so what if my child has no friends, so what if my child has to constantly stand against the norm? I say "so what" even though this would be very hard to take, very hard. But what if my child went through all that and someone goes to heaven because of the witness of true Christianity? What if God's purpose was to use my child for His glory? What if God really meant: In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven (Matthew 5:16)? We don't expect our missionaries to live in fear, we don't see David, Daniel, Jeremiah, Elijah, Elisha, Shadrach, Meshach, Abed-nego, Paul, Peter or Jesus to live in fear...why should we? Why did all these do what they did? They all did it for the glory of God so that others could see their good works and worship God.

I trust in the sovereignty of God's will and understand that his will and his purpose and his glory is far more important than whether or not my child gets a better education or is seemingly safer. I have heard this many times before, but someone who is called to the front lines of war by God is far safer than if he were to deny God's call and be sitting comfortably in his house. Missionaries who go to these dangerous areas of the world understand this.

This is what I am saying to everyone who reads this. You are the safest wherever God calls you, not where stats put forth. Does God put the desires in our heart? Yes of course. He does this so that we live for him, not for ourselves. He does this because he is control, not because we are in control. He does this for the sake of his glory, not for our family's.

I trust that this decision is going to be a very difficult one. I also trust in my God who tells me that he is in control and that my hope is not found here, but in Christ. My hope isn't found in educating my child, but my hope is found intraining my children to be like Christ. My hope isn't found in my family being safe. My hope is found being safe in the arms of Christ.

My hope is not found in man, my hope is found in Christ.

I pray that this series has been helpful in getting back to the root of all our decisions. Don't start with the decision first, that is bottom up. Start with the glory of God. Start with where God has put you on mission and then make your decisions flow from these premises and you will be in safest, most God honoring, place that you can be. This will lead some to homeschool, some to private school and even some to public school.

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Suffering with Joy in Christ

My dad is going in for surgery once again today to take out the hip they just put in last week. This surgery will be close to his 20th major surgery in the past 40 years. Meaning, he has a major surgery every other year. We have been quite used this as a family, but as he gets older it is becoming evident that his immune system is seriously breaking down. We don't know what is in store for Him. We do know that from the reading of Scriptures that it seems like those who suffer most in this world, suffer, so that they can see the glory of God more clearly in heaven. I told my mom yesterday that she might never know why her husband of almost 35 years is having to go through such harsh pain every day of his life. But, I told her that the great hope is that his tears will pass, his pain will pass and when in heaven, his voice will be calling to his Saviour who died and rose again on his behalf to take away his earthly pain to give him the eternal glories and rest in God. That is something to praise God about. We are merely pilgrims in this world, awaiting the eternal hope we have in Christ Jesus. Here is a small note that he emailed me yesterday, I hope that it can somehow bless you:

I’m sitting up this afternoon, (Monday), going through emails. I don’t know if your mom told you yet, but I’m not going to be able to keep my new hip. The surgeon came in this morning and said the new hip is infected with MRSA, and due to past experiences with extensive use of antibiotics, and the complication and strength of the MRSA strain of Staph, they don’t want to take a chance that I develop C-Dif again. They’re taking me back in for surgery tomorrow, (they don’t know what time yet). They will take out the new hip and put in another Antibiotic Space. They will give me antibiotics for the next 6 weeks to clean it out, and try again to put in a new permanent hip after that if they can confirm I am clean of infection.

If this is a teeny bit like Job, maybe God will give the business extra grace after this trial is over. God is in control. I am his servant, and this is my assignment for now. I do praise Him that he does care for us and does hurt with us through our hurts, but has a wonderful plan for our lives and the rest of eternity. My response of joy to Him during the tough times is my gift back to Him.

- David

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