Mayday

The following is a fictional allegory:

We were turned around. Visibility was non-existent. The thick black smoke was no longer content to remain at the ceiling and pushed persistently down upon our heads. Already hot from battling a blaze in sixty-five pounds of gear, the room was heating up. We needed to get out. Flash-over was imminent. And if we were going to make it home, we needed to navigate this home that we had never entered before and find the door. The problem was, we didn't know if we were in the A-B corner or the C-D corner.

That's when everything became automatic. I reached up to my radio mic clipped to my collar and keyed the radio: "Mayday, Mayday, Mayday. Units 312 and 317 located on the ground division; further location unknown. Air at 50%. Visibility is poor." I released the mic and listened for Incident Command to acknowledge mayday. As soon as I heard IC confirm my mayday and activate the RIT (Rapid Intervention Team) my partner and I activated the PASS (Personal  Alert Safety System) alarms on our air packs so that RIT would be able to locate us. The next thing we did was to feel up and down the hose line in our hands. When my hand hit a coupling, I repeated the saying in my head: "smooth, bump, bump, to the pump." With my gloved hand, I located the smaller diameter portion of the coupling and the two larger portions that would point me in the direction of the pump and thus the safety of the outside. 

Following this hose line, my partner and I snaked our way through the house for what seemed to be an eternity but in reality was barely even minutes. At times, as we moved along that hose line, my partner questioned if we were headed in the right direction. But then we would remember all the times we had practiced this procedure and decided to trust our training and have faith that the line in our hands was connected to safety. As we neared the door, we saw the RIT headed our way in their search for us. We canceled our mayday over the radio and crawled out the front door and into the yard. 

As I reflected about this incident and the manner in which my partner and I overcame the dire danger of the situation, I was struck by the spiritual application in my life. Just as I and my fellow firefighters regularly train for those times when we might be faced with such an emergency, so I daily train for the way in which I will respond to the spiritual crises in my life. As a firefighter, if during training I practice attempting to find my way out without requesting aid or without using a hose line to guide me out of danger, then, when I'm minutes away from flash-over and adrenaline kicks in and everything becomes automatic, I will be a needless line of duty death statistic. As a Christian, if I respond to the minor crises in my life on my own and refuse to utilize the council given in Scripture, then, when the real storm hits I will not survive. But, if I daily lean upon Christ and His word in every situation, my automatic response in the big trials will be the same. 

A Tale of Two World-Views

When it comes to the origin of the world, there are two world-views which dominate the mainstream scientific discussion. The first, Atheism, relies heavily on the macroevolutionary model. The other, Judeo-Christianity, leans on the idea that everything on this earth is the result of a literal six-day creation. However, one of these world-views has some fatal flaws.  

The foundation upon which Atheism sits, the macroevolutionary model, fails to reconcile itself with two important rules of science. The first states that in order for an idea to be scientifically valid, it must be both observable and repeatable. But when examined more closely, the macroevolutionary model is neither observable nor repeatable. When one asks a proponent of macroevolution for an observable example, he is given examples of microevolution instead and told that macroevolution requires units of time far too large to be observable. And, try as they might, no experiment has successfully recreated the processes of macroevolution. Despite it's wide and hearty acceptation, the macroevolutionary model fails to meet perhaps the most fundamental rule of science. 

The second rule of science that poses a problem for the foundation of Atheism is known as the rule of entropy. Webster's Dictionary defines entropy as "a measure of the degree of disorder in a substance or system: entropy always increases and available energy diminishes in a closed system". According to Classical Mechanics page 78, a closed system is a "physical system which doesn't exchange any matter with its surroundings, and isn't subject to any force whose source is external to the system." As macroevolutionists describe it, according to this definition, our world would be classified as a closed system. This would require our planet to move from an ordered state of existence to a disordered one. However, they claim the opposite to be true. They claim that our planet started out as infinitely disordered and over eons of (unobservable and unrepeatable) time, is becoming more ordered. Again, the foundation of Atheism requires the reversal of a fundamental rule of science. 

However, Christianity fits nicely within these rules of science. Christianity states that when God created our world, it was infinitely ordered. But, when man rejected God as the sustainer of that order, entropy began to increase; the perfect order with which God had created the planet, deteriorated. Even the lives of the people inhabiting the earth fell apart. But the gospel, or good news, is the fulfillment of the other rule of science which Atheism fails to satisfy: the creative power of God is both observable and repeatable. If man will yield and permit the creative power of God to work in his life, then that re-creation (creation repeated) will be observable as God restores man's life to one of order. 

And to top the cake: those who allow God to re-create their lives, will witness the physical re-creation of the physical world!

Holding God Hostage

We've all heard the story of Jacob as he wrestled with the Angel of the Lord. The story has been recounted to us since we were little children. But, I don't think we truly understand the significance of the events in the story. At least I didn't until I recently had a similar experience.

Jacob has been away from his father's home for decades. His father and mother have both died, his father-in-law has abused Jacob's hard work, and the influences in the home of his wives' father are not conducive to raising sons in the fear and admonition of the Lord. And so, Jacob packs up his family and begins the journey back to his childhood home and the land of promise. But Jacob's brother, whom Jacob had cheated more than once remained a threat not only to Jacob, but also to Jacob's family.

As concerned as Jacob was for the safety of his wives and children, another matter weighed upon his heart. He looked back on his life and the mistakes that he had made in his life and they were overwhelming. I imagine he looked at the lives of his father and grandfather and compared his own disaster of a life to theirs, not to mention what he knew God had expected of him, and felt the weight of shame and helplessness. He looked at his present situation and peril and couldn't help but think that his previous choices and actions had placed not only himself, but also those he cared for and loved in this grave danger.

And so, Jacob does the only thing he knows to do: he goes off to seek his God's miraculous intervention in prayer. But as the night wears on, Jacob feels no assurance of God's protection. Instead, he feels that his sins are too great and that God has passed him by. Jacob is desperate. And to make matters worse, he is seemingly attacked as he pours out his heart to his God. Jacob attempts to fight back and struggles through the night with this stranger. As he struggles, he realizes that his attacker is holding back and yet Jacob can still not overcome him. This realization is followed by the conclusion that he must be wrestling with God himself.

Jacob determines that he knows that the God he was raised to worship and serve is one of love and mercy and is incapable of abandoning His repentant servant. And, so, Jacob transitions from fighting for his life to attempting to hold onto his last thread of Hope. As the morning light begins to crack across the sky the Angel of the Lord says "let Me go for the day breaks." It is now that Jacob expresses his faith in the love and mercy of God. Jacob responds, "I will not let You go, except You bless me."

Have you ever felt, like Jacob did that your mistakes and rebellion have gotten yourself and those you love in trouble than God is willing to get you out of? These thoughts are of the enemy, and are allowed by God to test our faith. When faced by these doubts, cling, as Jacob did, to your Savior and proclaim "I will not let You go, except You bless me!"

Wired to Self-Destruct

This post requires a bit of a disclaimer. It strays some from the style and topics previously included on this blog. However, I would like to point out that it is not entirely removed from the original goal of Creator's Image. God wants the very best for us and our children and He is a God of reason and order and wishes us to approach things in a similar manner. 

This is a research paper I wrote a few years ago as an education major looking for scientific evidence for the effectiveness of technology in education. What I found was quite shocking, and I feel it needs to see the light of day (or the internet).



The use of technology in the education of America’s preschool and early elementary-aged children has increased steadily, yet dramatically in the past few decades.  I remember my early childhood quite well.  My parents were very strict about what I could and couldn’t watch on television.  I was only allowed to watch those shows they thought were educational.  When I was in preschool, I don’t think there was a more faithful viewer of the show  Sesame Street.  As I grew older, they cut back the amount of time that I spent in front of the television and began to get me educational games to play on our dinosaur of a personal computer, but I continued to watch an occasional episode of  Bill Nye the Science Guy, or  Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood.   But, in observing the children that I come into contact with, the amount of time that they spend in front of a screen of one type or another is completely astounding.  I’ve asked the parents out of pure curiosity how they feel about how their children are spending their time, and the parents seem to have no problem with it based on the fact that they believe their children are learning necessary skills for life.  As an Education major (at the time I was writing this),this response brought me to my next question: how effective is the use of technology in early education, and at what price to the child’s well being are these academic accomplishments gained?  This is what I found.

In working with kids in a variety of grade levels, I get to see the things that today’s elementary aged children are learning and not learning.  Few of these children have the math competency required of me when I was in their respective grade levels.  For example, when I was in third grade, I was memorizing my multiplication tables, but in working with the third graders under my supervision, I have found that they are still struggling with the concept of borrowing when subtracting.  In addition to this, the majority of the students that I work with are enrolled in remedial reading classes, because their reading abilities are not up to the level at which the State says they should be.  These claims are further substantiated by the fact that an examination of the average verbal SAT scores from 1972 to 2005 have dropped by twenty-eight points (Pearson Education, publishing as Infoplease).  While this study also indicates that math scores have risen, I have to ask myself if this is due to a true greater understanding of the mathematic principles or due to advancement in the capabilities of modern calculators.  My experience and the test scores indicate that children in high-tech education environments are not learning more, but actually appear to be learning less.
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Academic success should not be the only factor examined when looking at the effects of technology in the education of our young.  There is considerable evidence that links certain learning disorders to the early use of technology.  In fact, it has been suggested that among other things, over stimulation of the young mind by flashing lights, electronic sounds, and flickering screens could lead to or exacerbate Autism.  Technology proficient toddlers may face unique developmental peril if specific mediums trigger too much stimulation of the creative portion of the brain while at the same time neglecting to stimulate the relational portion.  A research project documented by N. Fox and others indicates that children around the age of four who experienced overstimulation of the right side of the brain combined with a lack of stimulation of the left exhibited relational isolation (Olfman 86).  These are classic, textbook style symptoms of the ever prevalent disorder, Autism.  In fact, estimates indicate that twenty to thirty years ago, only .05% of children had Autism or Autism related disorders (Chang M.D.).  The number of cases has risen similarly to the rise in technology usage by toddlers.  By 2008, the Center for Disease Control approximated that 67% of children around the age of eight had an autism related disorder (Chang M.D.).  While it is certainly not the only factor, research seems to indicate that the use of technology in early brain development contributes to learning disorders.

​Another effect that I have observed in working with young children is a lack of understanding of the basic physical laws that govern the world around us.  If you have ever watched a young child drop a toy repeatedly and watch it fall, you know that it is quite natural for a child to test the laws of physics.  However, if that child spends a considerable amount of time in front of a computer, television, or gaming device, he does not get this experience in the workings of the physical world.  “Young children naturally tend to disbelieve their own power as compared with a computer, which is “opaque” – that is, on can’t really understand or see what makes it work.  Even though youngsters become adept at running programs, they can’t ultimately control the computer’s behavior….On the contrary, good play materials (e.g. paints, empty boxes, nonanimated dolls, toy tools, tinkertoy building blocks, and playing cards) are fully under the child’s control and operate in accordance with natural scientific laws, such as gravity.” (Olfman 87)  If a child can see that the car does not move unless he pushes it, he will learn that Newton was correct when he said that an object in motion or at rest will remain in that state until acted upon by an outside force.
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While educational technology may reduce the amount of time young children spend in front of the television, these children are still not getting the necessary amount of physical activity needed for proper development.  Pediatricians have found that physical activity is crucial for proper bone development, and should be encouraged (Janz 1387).  In addition, it is believed that a child’s physical activity routine is determined for life in his early preschool years (Grøntved 1).  The lack of physical activity on the part of our youth becomes apparent when we look at the number of campaigns to get our kids active.  America’s youth sit in a classroom all day with but brief moments of recess, they come home, sit at the table and do homework, and then instead of going outside and getting the fresh air and the exercise that they so desperately need, they sit in front of the television, or they play video games.  This pattern of physical inactivity was perceived to be a problem as early as 1903 by a revolutionary in the field of education.  She said, “The physical inaction which seems almost inevitable in the schoolroom – together with other unhealthful conditions – makes it a trying place for children, especially for those of feeble constitution.” (White 207)  Educational technology just eats up more time that these kids could be utilizing to build up their physical health.
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Finally, these educational technologies are not going to the students that would need them the most.  Minorities and those of low income have historically had to work harder to gain a quality education than those of higher income, indicating that they could benefit the most from these technologies.  However, it is not financially realistic for these people to obtain these tools.  The majority of the games designed for the cheaper and more popular gaming systems (Nintendo, Playstation, etc.) are the less educational action games; whereas, more of the educational games are designed for the more expensive personal computer based systems.  The case that an unbalanced portion of the noneducational, and often brutal games are played by poorer kids has been observed by R.M. Scantlin, and raises alarm (Clavert, Jordan and Cocking 51).  While there are programs designed to take these technologies to the low-income and minorities, it is hardly enough.  It must be remembered that these programs are designed and run by corporations geared toward making money, and will typically only go far enough in providing these technologies to boost their public image.  Those technologies being used by minorities and those of low income are typically not those designed to be educational, but rather the more action oriented and gore filled games marketed toward entertainment rather than education.

I found the results of my research to be both unexpected and educational.  As an Education major, I want to know the most effective methods available, so as to efficiently achieve the desired ends without interfering with the mental and physical development of the children under my care.  I fully expected educational technology to be at least slightly more effective and less detrimental considering the incredible support given to the cause by parents, legislators, and educators.  However, my research gave an entirely different picture.  The effectiveness of the technology is inconclusive, while the mental and physical jeopardy to which it places the student is well documented.  I am unsure of whether technology would be more useful in the education of older, more mature students, but I am now convinced that its use should be avoided in the education of our preschool and early elementary-aged children, for the good of both their physical and mental development.

Be A Man!

When I saw this video, I was reminded of many of the boys that I worked with while teaching at Advent Home Learning Center.  Our society is infiltrated with males who are wearing perpetual masks.  These masks are the result of years, and even generations, of pain.  Pain inflicted by the "men" in their lives: fathers, coaches, etc. For a long time society has had this idea that being a man means not letting one's emotions show.  Boys are told "men don't cry", or "buck up, and be a man".  To an extent, this perspective is still prevalent; However, in an attempt to counteract this mentality, secular psychologists and counselors have gone to the other extreme and produced a new type of male: one that is an emotional basket case.

In the book Education, one of my favorite authors has a very different perspective on what it means to be a man. She writes, "The greatest want of the world is the want of men—men who will not be bought or sold, men who in their inmost souls are true and honest, men who do not fear to call sin by its right name, men whose conscience is as true to duty as the needle to the pole, men who will stand for the right though the heavens fall." (pg. 57) This perspective has less to do with whether man shows his emotions and more to do with having confidence in what is right and what is wrong, fulfilling duty, and  standing firm for what is right. Michah 6:8 has a very similar definition of manhood: "He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?"

Today God is speaking to you.  He commands to you to "be a man"!  God needs a generation of men who will not be bought or sold, who will listen to their consciences and not cave under pressure, who will be just and defend those who are treated unjustly.  He is looking for a generation of men who will walk humbly with their God.  So, take off your mask, and be a man!

Stoplight Christianity

Imagine with me for a moment. You are driving across town. As you approach an intersection, you notice a man wearing worn camouflage pants, a torn t-shirt, and a beard that, if it were to be washed, would most likely resemble that of Santa Claus. He's holding a cardboard sign which reads "Disabled and homeless, please help." As you get closer to the intersection, you start pleading with the light to stay green so that you can just zip by this man. But, the light turns yellow; you think about stomping the gas, but it's too dangerous. You're stuck there as the traffic light cycles. You keep your eyes zeroed in on that traffic light, trying not to make eye contact with the man who is literally holding his plight on a sign for the world to see. You tap your fingers on the steering wheel anxiously as you think "He'll probably just spend any money I give him on drugs or alcohol." What you don't know, is he is avoiding eye contact too. Out of shame this man is staring new holes into his already patched shoes. Finally, the light turns green, and you immediately step on the gas and flee the awkward situation.

We've all been faced with this situation. I have sat at a traffic light and gotten irritated because a slow light forced me to acknowledge the raw suffering of humanity. It's something that we would much rather not be faced with. We would much rather live our important busy lives with out having to be bothered by the "charity cases". I speak as one who is also guilty.

Peter and John were in a similar predicament when they were following Jesus. Matthew 19:13 says "Then some children were brought to Him so that He might lay His hands on them and pray; and the disciples rebuked them." (NASB) Jesus rebukes them and shows them how a Christian is supposed to respond to the "charity cases", and it's a lesson we know they took to heart.

Let's fast forward to Acts chapter 3. Peter and John are going to worship in the temple, and there is a lame beggar sitting there. As this beggar sees Peter and John approaching the gate of the temple, he begins to plead for coins. Rather than trying to speed up or pretend that they don't see him, we're told in verse 4 "But Peter, along with John, fixed his gaze on him and said, 'Look at us!'" (NASB) Peter and John lock eyes on this beggar and tell him to look at them. Verse 5 says that he looked up at them. This simple act of locking eyes with this beggar communicated to this unfortunate child of God the deepness of the love of the Creator for him.

In the three years that Peter and John had spent with Jesus, they had learned to not avoid certain people only because it might make them feel uncomfortable or look bad. They had learned what it meant to be in the Creator's image.

A Gospel for the Nations

Not only are we made in the image of our Creator, but He has put a knowledge of Himself in each one of us regardless of culture, education, or geographical location. I have long understood this as a result of my belief that the God I serve is a just and loving God. I mean, how could a God who claims to be just and loving make His salvation dependent on acceptance of a gospel that is spread by humans limited by the current means of transportation; what about all the natives who have never heard the name of Jesus?  But, it wasn't until this morning during my morning Bible study that I found the Scriptural evidence for that which I had for so long believed in my heart.

It's found in the book of Romans chapter one.  Verses sixteen through twenty read: "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, 'but the righteous man shall live by faith.' For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse."

This revelation of God through His created work has been referred to in Spirit of Prophecy as God's second book, and is the method through which God reveals Himself, His divinity, and His power to those who have never been exposed to the Judeo-Christian gospel. It's only the natural action of a God who is by nature just and loving.

It's Not the Hammer That Builds the House

What happened to Moses between Exodus chapter 2 and the very next chapter? What happened to the self-confident prince of Egypt who beat the task master to death for striking a Hebrew? Why do we have in chapter 3 a man claiming to be incapable of delivering God's people from bondage when, according to all human reason, he is the clear choice for the job?

Moses was miraculously spared from Pharoah's decree to kill every male baby. I'm sure that as a good Hebrew mother, Jochebed continually reminded him of this fact and told him that God had spared his life for a reason. I can even imagine her using words similar to those used by Mordecai when talking to Esther centuries later: "And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?" Having grown as a Hebrew for the first twelve years and then suddenly finding himself in the Egyptian court had to cause him to go looking for answers as to what his purpose might be. I think that it is for this reason that Moses killed the Egyptian. I think that even at this early stage in his life, he recognized that God drew him out of the Nile to lead God's people from captivity.

The only problem is that failed to understand that he was not the entire plan. He approaches the issue from the perspective of "I'm going to do this great thing for God" rather than the perspective of " I'm going to humbly allow myself to be the instrument through which God accomplishes HIS plan."

We all know the story. After having to flee Egypt as a result this incident, Moses ended up in Midian.  While in Midian, he took up the most lowly job an Egyptian could ever take up: watching sheep. This served two purposes. First, it served to humble  him. Second, it served to put Moses in a still and quiet environment in which God could speak to him. And Moses listened. This is evident by the fact that when God spoke to him from the burning bush, Moses recognized the voice for what it was.

When God informed Moses that he was to lead the people out of Egypt, Moses responded not out of self-importance, but with recognition that he was incapable of the task. He essentially responded "God, You remember what happened when I tried this forty years ago." God says "you're not going to deliver my people. That's my job. You're just the instrument through which I'm going to work." It was only when Moses understood this that he agreed to go.

I am a lot like Moses. I have often had grand plans of what I was going to do for God. In my pride I thought that He couldn't accomplish these things without me, when instead, the only reason that He chooses to use me as His instrument is so that I can grow closer to Him in the process.  

More Than a Foundation

(These are my thoughts over the past couple days.  While they are not worded in the best way, I felt that I needed to share them.)

Ask any builder, and he will tell you that the most important part of a building is its foundation.  However, there are so many different building styles and materials when it comes to the foundation.  When one travels to the plains states, he would see a very unique style.  In that part of the country, every building has a cellar.  The builder digs out the cellar, builds formations inside the hole and pours concrete between the dirt and the formations, creating concrete walls around the perimeter of the cellar.

When the twisters come in the spring and summer, that foundation provides the family with protection from the violent attacks of the storm.  Even if the home is blown away, the foundation remains.

We are called to build foundations for our families.  I'm not just referring to the physical foundations upon which our homes are built, but also the spiritual foundations upon which we need to build our homes.  Many people see the foundation as something that you build one time and forget about, but one must continually inspect and repair his home's spiritual foundation.  He must also keep in mind that the foundation is not just what he builds the rest of his home on, but also the source of protection for his family in the time of storm.  He must make that foundation the only One who can calm the storm.

How Amazing!

As a young child, I took part in a Christmas musical about the nativity from the angel’s perspective.  One of the songs that we sang went, “How amazing; how confusing! How can God the Son become a man?”  At that time, I just took the statements of my parents and Sabbath school leaders regarding the plan of salvation in blind childhood faith.  I never really tried to wrap my head around what it all meant; so, it took me a while to really understand just how amazing it is that Christ died for me.

Romans 5:7,8 reads, “For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die.  But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”  Everything that we as a human race do comes after what is known in the economic world as a cost/benefit analysis.  We examine how much we are going to sacrifice and we compare it to how much we are going to gain.  And it is here in Romans that we see God’s cost/benefit analysis, and it boggles our minds.  God says that he is willing to sacrifice everything for a chance to save someone who has made no indication that he is going to accept the gift that he is being offered.  Paul compares this analysis to those that we perform.  He reminds us that we as humans are reluctant to even lay down our life for our heroes, and yet God was willing to die for the yet unrepentant scum.  And, all of this, not because He was going to gain anything, but because He loves us.

In examining this seemingly twisted line of heavenly logic, God has been called by many “crazy,” or “underhanded;” crazy because He seems to have sacrificed everything for nothing, and underhanded because no one would really give up all that for nothing; he must have some other motive, right?  But God is neither crazy nor underhanded.  I have experienced first hand the results of this “illogical” plan and the immense freedom that it brings when we accept it.  While I regret the choices that I have made and the pain that I have caused my Savior, I am more thankful than I could ever express to have been the subject of God’s immense love, a love that even the angels have not experienced, a love that makes everything alright.

So now, eleven years later, I am beginning to better understand just how amazing, just how confusing the plan of salvation really is to us in our limited understanding.  So as we ask ourselves the question: how amazing, how confusing; why would God the Son become a man, we realize that perhaps the only answer we will find for now is: love. 

Closing the Back Door

Our church is currently facing a crisis.  It is as if someone has yelled “fire,” and now our young people are jumping ship.  It has been estimated that eighty percent of young people age sixteen or older will leave the church, and only thirty percent of those will one day return.  What is happening, and why aren’t our efforts in youth ministry more effective?

I believe that the cause of this crisis is itself rooted in our youth ministries methods.  During the industrial revolution, children were working in the factories every day of the week except for Sundays.  Robert Raikes felt that these children deserved an education and so he began what became known as the Sunday school movement.  These “Sunday schools” taught the little factory workers to read, write, and do simple arithmetic and also gave them basic religious instruction.  It was not long before religious leaders began to see a fundamental danger in these institutions.  The Reverend Thomas Burns wrote, “Be that as it will, I repeat it again, my great objection to Sunday schools is that I am afraid they will in the end destroy all family religion…”  His fear was that the parents would leave the religious training of their children to the Sunday schools rather than training them and mentoring them at home.

Since then, the education field has been transformed by the work of men like John Dewey (an American psychologist and the “Father of Modern Education) who were influenced by evolutionary theory.  They theorized that just as man had "evolved over time," students evolved through their education, and that the “less-evolved” lower grades should not jeopardize the evolution of the more advanced students.  And so began the reign of the age-segregated classroom.  These methods of education began to creep into the church to the point that children are no longer worshiping with their parents in the worship service but are again separated from their parents and stuck with a group of youth their own age and maturity level, thus continuing a pattern that has perpetuated itself all week and the week before that.

Yet, when we look for youth groups and age-segregated ministries in Scripture, we find a very different pattern.  Instead, we find parents taking responsibility for the training and shepherding of their children; we see the children under the constant mentorship of their parents.  Deuteronomy 6:6,7 reads, “These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be upon your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.” (Italics added)  Furthermore, Scripture puts the burden of religious training even more specifically on the shoulders of fathers when it says, “Fathers do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” (Eph. 6:4)  We are even told in Spirit of Prophecy that it was only because the parents in Israel were neglecting their duty to God and to their children that God commanded Samuel to institute the schools of the prophets (Education 45,46).  Had parents discipled their children as God had commanded them, there would have been no need for such schools.  

Could it be that the ministries that were designed to keep our young people in the church are the very reason that they are leaving?  Could it be that because our church has all these fancy programs, parents no longer feel the need to take personal responsibility for the spiritual development for their children?  Why is it that rather than follow the plan that God himself gave for the spiritual training of our young people, we have taken up the methods of men who gave no consideration to the ways of God?  When Israel asked for a king it was because they wanted to be like all the nations around them instead of being God’s “peculiar people,” and as a result, they faced the same hardships that the nations around them were facing.  Let us as a church not make the same mistake.  Let us follow the pattern that He has given us and not follow after the world’s methods. 

A Father's Good Gifts

As I think over this past year, and all that Christ has done with it, I am overwhelmed.  Who am I that He should bless me so abundantly in spite of all the detours that I have taken from His plan?  Yet like any good father, He enjoys giving His children good gifts.

Christ has used A.D. two thousand eleven to heal relationships and to continue to show me the man that He wants me to be.  One of the most profound methods of these revelations is also one of the most fabulous blessings that He has showered upon me.  In June of this year, through a series of miraculous happenings, I took the position of math teacher/assistant chaplain at Advent Home Learning Center.  Advent Home, located in the beautiful Hiwassee River Valley, is a boarding school/group home for troubled boys, many of whom have learning challenges.  Through this experience, I have, in many instances, been the student and not the teacher.  Many of the character defects that irk me the most are those that I myself have overcome or am still overcoming.  I have also been blessed enough to witness the Holy Spirit lead a couple students to repentance through discussions that I have had with them.  I daily thank God for giving me the opportunity to help prepare these precious boys for not only their earthly lives, but, more importantly, their eternal lives.  Two thousand, eleven has truly been an "Anno Domini": Year of Our Lord!

When I look back over the way that God has blessed me through this year, I naturally ask the question: "What does He want in return?"  The answer is really quite simple.  He wants me.  He has blessed me not because He wants something in return, but because He is love, and He loves me as His son.  But, as any father, He would like me to love Him as well, and so out of deep gratitude for His self-sacrificial love for a sinful wretch like myself, I commit myself, my passions, and my desires to Him.  I ask that He replace them with His passions and desires, and as a result, I have been given a passion for the lost.  And this brings me to my final thought: as much as I am looking forward to this New Year, I pray that it will be our last, and that God will continue to use me to to hasten His Son's coming.  I hope that He has blessed you as richly as He has me, that you will have a blessed New Year, and that we will celebrate the next one on the sea of glass.

Hail to the Chief

As I walked down the hall to the rotunda, excitement filled the air.  I listened as numerous languages met my ears.  Almost as soon as we moved from the hallway to the pillared rotunda that housed perhaps the most important legal document in the history of the world, the talking ceased and everyone stood in silent reverence.  That day, as I left the National Archives, I began to think. 

How is it that we instinctively become reverent in the presence of a piece of parchment, and yet, when we enter the throne room of the Creator of the universe through worship, we fail to recognize His ompnipotence and awesome holiness?  I have been guilty of the same sin.  As I kneel in prayer, I allow my thoughts to wonder to the events of the day, or what is on my to do list, or even the hunger in my stomach.  As I enter the sanctuary, I socialize and visit with friends.  And yet, I treat the such menial things as the US Constitution and the flag of the United States with an almost undue reverence. 

I imagine that this tendency may have something to do with the fact that worship is not a tanglible object like the Constitution or our flag.  However, the Israelistes had a very similar struggle even though they had a very physical representation of the incredible power and holiness of God.  When it came time to move the Ark of the Covenant, rather than following the guidelines given by God regarding its transportation, they threw it on the back of a cart pulled by oxen.  Then, to make matters worse, Uz put his hand out and touched the Ark.  Uz was so proud of his possition as a Levite, that he failed to ensure that he was treating the earthly throne of God with the care and reverence that God required.  Could it be, that we have grown too comfortable with God's presence?  Is it possible that a re-examination of our condition, a realization of our dependency upon the transformative power of God, and humble confession is what we need to regain our focus and our reverence for the presence of the Ruler of the universe?  I pray that God will give me a proper respect for His holiness. 

Above and Beyond...

Wow!  The Lord is good!  The past few weeks have been absolutely incredible.  I have seen Him work in so many miraculous ways.  If you remember, in my last post on this blog, I was unsure of where God was leading me and I surrendered my future to Him to do with as He thought best. 

It was just a matter of days after I wrote that post that my mom encouraged me to look into what positions Advent Home Learning Center (a biblical rehabilitation center for troubled boys) had available.  I was doubtful of my chances at securing a job there considering the fact that I have yet to finish my college degree.  But as Peter, I cast my net on the other side. 

I went to Advent Home’s website and found an opening for Resident Care Staff and submitted a cover letter and my resume.  That very evening, I received a phone call from Dr. Blondel Senior, the executive director at Advent Home.  We talked for about half an hour on the phone, and in the course of the conversation, Dr. Senior mentioned that he had noticed on my resume that I am a physics education major and that they were looking for someone to teach math and science.  At first, I thought that he had misunderstood, so I clarified.  I said, “yes, I am a physics education major, but I have not graduated yet, and am not certified to teach.”  But his response was that that would not be a problem so long as I taught under the supervision of one of their other certified teachers.

The following week, I met with Dr. Senior and some of the other staff at Advent Home for a more formal interview.  At the end of the interview, I was offered a job teaching math and science.  I am technically teaching under the supervision of a certified teacher, but in all reality, it is my classroom.  I am doing what I have long felt called to do: shepherding young men, helping to restore in them their Creator’s image.  I have also been asked to serve as a sort of assistant chaplain.  I will be giving morning devotional talks in the mornings and one-on-one Bible studies with the young men who wish to prepare for baptism.

The Lord has not only given me a clear direction as to where and how He wants me to serve Him, but has also provided a way for me to continue my education.  I thank Him for His awesome care for me and for giving me an opportunity to work with these young men who He loves so much.  It is very humbling.  Please pray for me as I begin this incredible journey.

I Won't Worry; I'm As Strong As a Mouse!

In his second epistle to the Corinthians, Paul said that he was "well content in weaknesses...for Christ's sake; when I am weak, then I am strong."  This is a text that I have long struggled with.  I mean, I understood that he was saying that when he didn't have control of the situation, he was FORCED to rely on Christ who is always far stronger than we are.  But come on, How many of us can honestly say that we are perfectly happy when all control is ripped out of our hands?  Paul was.

But I am beginning to have a small understanding of where Paul was coming from.  For the past year, I have been laboring to build myself a future, one that I was and still am convicted He has planned for me.  But on God's "to-do list," perfecting my character so that I more fully reflect my Creator's image has a much higher priority than building my earthly future.  And so, here I am, jobless, in debt, with no way to continue my education.  As in the case of Judah and Jehoshaphat in 2 Chron. 20:17 He's telling me, "You need not fight in this battle; station [yourself], stand and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf..."  He wants me to learn to allow Him to become my strength both in and out of weakness.

I have fully committed today to let God take control of my future and to be content to leave Him in control.  I will join Abraham, Moses, and Paul in allowing God to be both Architect and General Contractor of my future.  He's promised in Jeremiah 31:17 that my future is bright, but as the "three worthies" before Nebuchadnezzar,  I am prepared to leave Him in control even if He doesn't work it out according to my desires, because I will more fully reflect the Creator's image.

A Poodle's Salvation

"For all of us have become like one who is unclean and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment..." Isaiah 64:6

My mom's dog has this awful habit of rolling in and eating the excrement of neighbor cats from the backyard when left alone.  Why this prim and proper toy poodle has taken such a fancy to this one disgusting activity is beyond me, but she has.

Last night she was mistakenly left outside, and by the time we realized she was out there, it was too late.  It was caked in the fur on her ears; she had it around her mouth.  The smell was nauseating.  As I tried not to vomit as I bathed her, I began to grumble about what a revolting animal she was.

The very moment these words left my mouth, the Holy Spirit spoke to me.  He said, "That's how I see your sin.  You may find it pleasurable at the moment, but your pride, selfishness, lust, covetousness, and rebellion are just excrement.  You're rolling in feces.  But I want to bathe you so that you can come back inside."  Lord, wash me; cleanse me of my filth and cover me with the perfume of Your righteousness.

Higher Than the Highest

“Higher than the highest human thought can reach is God’s ideal for His children.” (White, Education 18)  This is the avoidance of mediocrity; however it’s also more. Identifying one’s best, and making it better is the pursuit of excellence, and it’s what we as educators have been called to develop in ourselves as well as in our students.  This is the type of teacher that I want to be; I want to be a teacher that doesn’t just “toe the line,” but who, in everything he does, looks to give his students the very best education available.  This is all fine and good, but how am I going to do it?

To answer this question, I have to state my philosophy on education.  “To many, education means a knowledge of books, but ‘the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;’ the true object of education is to restore the image of God in the soul. “ (White, Testimonies to the Church 8)  If I succeed in teaching my students all the works of great minds like Newton and Einstein, yet am unsuccessful at teaching them a love for God, and a passion for the Gospel, then I have failed.  Sure, I’m here to teach science, but the science is not of eternal value.  If I teach the science, but fail to teach the “fear of the Lord,” then I have given them something that is useful in the temporal life but have failed to equip them for their eternal life.  However, if I can help develop in them a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, then they will have all eternity to learn science directly from the Creator.  Deuteronomy 5:6, 7 tells us how this is to be done; it says, “These words which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart.  You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.”  There are two key points in the text.  One, it’s to be a relationship.  It says, “[they] shall be on your heart.”  Two, they are to be taught in the course of everyday life.  The science is an opportunity to get into my students lives and show them the love of Christ.

The second purpose of my teaching is to pass on this pursuit of excellence to my students, to teach them to be motivated and to not only put forth their best, but to improve upon their best.  To do this I must teach them to seek learning for themselves.  As I was writing this, I received a text message from one of the students that I tutor at Collegedale Academy.  She told me, “I don’t need you tomorrow.”  At first, I joked with my roommate that the text message hurt my feelings, but he quickly corrected my view point.  He said, “But isn’t that what you’re trying to achieve?”  I realized that he was right.  I have achieved success as a teacher when my students no longer need me, when they can seek out the desired information on their own. 

            These two concepts of nurturing a relationship with the Savior and of encouraging a pursuit of excellence are the foundation of my career as a teacher.  “As [I] awaken a desire to reach God’s ideal, [I] present an education that is as high as heaven and as broad as the universe…an education that secures to the successful student his passport from the preparatory school of earth to the higher grade, the school above.” (White, Education 19)  And, in doing so, I will be a caring person, an informed facilitator of learning, a reflective decision-maker, and a committed professional.

God's Equation for the Restoration of His Image

Education – it has played an important role in each of our lives since birth.  Our formal education for most of us began when we were about four or five years old.  We rebelled against having to “go to school.”  But, for most of us we continued this drudgery on through high school and into college.  We all of some idea of what education is, but is that perception one that has been influenced by Scripture, or rather by secular society?  Are we really including in our students’ education what God has intended to be included in their education?

After God gave the Children of Israel the Ten Commandments, he instructed them on how to educate their children.  Deuteronomy 6:6-9 says,

“These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.  Impress them on your children.  Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.  Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.  Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.”

God desires that His Law become a part of our heart.  He wishes that it no longer be seen as a law, but rather that it become second nature out of an ever present desire to be like Him.  He desires that our actions reflect His.  He desires that we reflect our Creator’s image.  And our education and that of our students is to revolve around this purpose.   One of my favorite authors who was also a revolutionary in the field of education at her time wrote, “To many, education means a knowledge of books, but ‘the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;’ the true object of education is to restore the image of God in the soul.

If we were to approach our students’ education with the mentality that we are to aide our students in the formation of characters that reflect that of their Creator, then our students would not only have an education preparing them for heaven, but they would also incidentally gain those skills found beneficial in earthly life: care, honesty, and initiative.  The teaching of academics, or “book knowledge” while also necessary for life is merely an excuse to simultaneously train the student’s character. “As he [the teacher] awakens a desire to reach God’s ideal, he presents an education that is as high as heaven and as broad as the universe…an education that secures to the successful student his passport from the preparatory school of earth to the higher grade, the school above.”

The Beginning and the End (Which is really just the beginning)

"Let Us make man in Our image..." (Genesis 1:26)  This was our beginning.  God had spent the past five days speaking the world into existence.  Up until this week, our planet had been an undefined mass of matter.  But the Son, pre-incarnate, had very carefully called every air molecule, every beach and blade of grass, every fish and bird, every beast into being.  Finally, he has come to the most magnificent part of creation week.  They (the God-head) decide that they want a being like them to take charge of this planet.  They want a being that has the power to love, the  power to choose.  The same God whose mere voice has actuated life into every other living thing on the planet decides to kneel down in the freshly created dirt, and form this being He calls man with his very own hands.  When He's finished, he leans in even closer, touches his lips to the man's, and with a kiss, breathes into the man the breath of life.

Unfortunately, this man chooses to doubt his Creator, the very being in whose image he is created.  He eats of the fruit that His master has forbidden from his touch, let alone his consumption.  He is no longer the perfect image of his Creator.  Instead the image has been tarnished by doubt, pride, selfishness, and disobedience.  While he may feel wiser, he holds knowledge of something the God never intended should enter the mind of this magnificent being: the knowledge of evil.  His perfect body begins the degeneration that is the result of sin.  He recognizes his mistake and repents and calls out to his Creator, and God has a plan.

Humanity's Creator takes on the imperfect, degenerated body of man and walks the planet that He so lovingly built and sin has so maliciously corrupted.  He relieves the suffering of those plagued by the results of sin.  He demonstrates the Character of the God whose image humanity should be bearing.  He takes the very wages of sin, death and separation from God, upon Himself so that any who might believe and repent might be restored to the original masterpiece that is the image of God.  But humanity is ungrateful for the Creator's sacrifice and demands the most horrific death imaginable to his corrupt mind. 

On the third day, the Father calls the Creator's name and the earth shakes as it's Creator throws off the chains of death.  He has proven to the universe that it is not impossible for man to bear the perfect image of God.  He has vanquished death and sin and breathes into humanity hope of a better future.  He points man in the direction he is to strive, takes his hand, and says, "Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect."  He has restored to us the privilege of bearing the image of God!