Responsible Fathers

Fathers Are You Fulfilling Your Duty?

“Hear, my children, the instruction of a father, and give attention to know understanding; for I give you good doctrine: do not forsake my law.  When I was
my father’s son, tender and the only one in the sight of my mother, he also taught me, and said to me: ‘Let your heart retain my words; keep my commands, and live.  Get wisdom!  Get understanding!’…” (Prov. 4:1-5).

One parent said, “We will not influence our children in making choices and decisions in matters of religion!”  Another parent replied, “But why not?  The ads will!  The press will!  The movies will!  The neighbors will!  The forces of sin will!  The politicians will!  We use our influence over flowers, vegetables, cattle, etc.  Shall we ignore our own children?  May
God forgive us if we do!”

All parents have a God-given duty toward their children; and this responsibility begins with “dad.” Paul said, “And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord” (Eph. 6:4).  Truly, friends, our nation needs more dads like that.

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Abortion: Teaching Your Children

Having looked into the tearful eyes of parents whose children have abandoned the faith, I have learned that there are a million miles between our children “going through the motions” in reference to their spiritual life versus our children possessing a heart that dictates their actions. In this column I hope to share with you what I hope to instill in the hearts of my own children and those whom I love.

Most of us know someone—even if we really do not know about “it” firsthand. It may be a high school classmate who “got into trouble” at the tender age of sixteen. Or it may be a coworker who was climbing the corporate ladder. Or it may even be the person sitting in the same pew with you on Sunday morning. Rare is the congregation in which at least one member has not had an abortion. Sometimes the secret is shared with close friends, ;  other times, it is literally taken to the grave. Having talked to several women (and even a couple of men) who made this “choice” I realize that it is often a decision made under great stress—and a decision that can leave scars for life.

Here’s what I intend on teaching my children about abortion.

With the exception of Claire, I had the pleasure of watching each one of you enter this world and take your first breaths—and I only missed Claire by two hours. (And yes, I am strongly considering making her wait on me two hours before walking her down the aisle, since she just couldn’t wait!) Each time we discovered we were expecting, your mother and I would quietly wonder, “Can we do this?” As our family grew, we wondered “Can we love another one as much?” The answer to both questions was a resounding “Yes!” Our love just continued to grow as our family grew. Now we cannot envision a world without each one of you. It is my prayer that you too will one day know the joy of being a father or mother. Our family is one of the deepest sources of happiness we know, topped only by the knowledge of our salvation through Jesus Christ.

While your mom and I have big plans for your future—including your impact and influence on His church—we are not so naïve as to think that those plans will unfold without a few hiccups and hurdles along the way. If the plans get brushed aside, please don’t throw away the entire blueprint! Paul, in writing about the “plan” for younger widows, observed: “I desire that the younger widows marry, bear children, manage the house,…” I hope you will always keep that divinely laid down order in mind. We are to marry first, and then have children. However, if that plan is lost due to a moment of passion please come to us. Please, please don’t have an abortion or consent to one.

Never try to correct a mistake by making another one, and please do not counsel anyone else to do likewise. Far too many people find themselves in a situation  situations in which they are unexpectedly pregnant and they feel the only answer is to abort the child. Without question, abortion stops a beating heart—just 18 days after conception, the baby’s heart begins to beat. You do not want to spend the rest of your life with emotional scars, always thinking “What if…”  I promise you that, with Christ, we can get through it, together (Philippians 4:13).  Never ever forget that we love you and you can always come to us!

Would your mom and I be humbled? Absolutely. Would it hurt? Definitely. But would we forgive you and help you turn a wrong into a right? Without question! Remember you can repent of your sins and ask for forgiveness, and God will forgive you (1 John 1:7-10). In fact, if this were to happen, I would hope that you would then one day have the courage to use your own experience to teach others.

Since your birth,  we have tried to remind you that humans are different from the animals. We were made in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26-27). Every living human has been instilled with a soul (see James 2:26; Ecclesiastes 12:7). Please do not ever consider ending a life prematurely—rather allow us to help you train up that child so that one day it can grow up to become a child of God. Think about that tiny soul lodged in that little unborn child. Abortion is an abomination to God, and I hope you never forget that.

Love Dad

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Farming from the Bible

Living in Ohio is a wonderful opportunity to see large and small farms and to observe the way that the farmers till the earth as well as sow and reap the harvest. Perhaps nothing in the world illustrates the nature of sowing and reaping as well as the act of farming in America.  Some of the most productive farming in the world takes place in the mid-west region of America [i.e. including Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas and other states]. In God’s Book [i.e. the Bible], there are many illustrations that refer to farming and agriculture in general, a few of them follow in our study today:  

1.   JESUS TEACHES A LESSON ABOUT THE SUCCESS OF A SOWER OF GOOD SEED AND THE EVENTS THAT BEFALL THE SEED IN A VARIETY OF PLACES, THE SOWER WENT FORTH TO SOW: Matt. 13:3-8, 3 And he spoke to them many things in parables, saying, Behold, the sower went forth to sow; 4 and as he sowed, some (seeds) fell by the way side, and the  birds came and devoured them: 5 and others fell upon the rocky places, where they had not much earth: and straightway they sprang up, because they had no deepness of earth: 6 and when the sun was risen, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. 7 And others fell upon the thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked them: 8 and others fell upon the good ground, and yielded fruit, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. ASV 

RESULTS: JESUS ALSO GIVES THE ANSWER TO THE INQUIRERERS QUESTION: Matt. 13:18-23, 18 Hear then ye the parable of the sower. 19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, (then) cometh the evil (one), and snatcheth away that which hath been sown in his heart. This is he that was sown by the way side. 20 And he that was sown upon the rocky places, this is he that heareth the word, and straightway with joy receiveth it; 21 yet hath he not root in himself, but endureth for awhile; and when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, straightway he stumbleth. 22 And he that was sown among the thorns, this is he that heareth the word; and the care of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. 23 And he that was sown upon the good ground, this is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; who verily beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. ASV 

2.   THE APOSTLE PAUL USES THE CONCEPT OF SOWING AND REAPING IN 2 CORINTHIANS TO TEACH A LESSON ON THE SUBJECT OF BENEVOLENCE: 2 Cor. 9:8-11, 8 And God is able to make all grace abound unto you; that ye, having always all sufficiency in everything, may abound unto every good work: 9 as it is written, He hath scattered abroad, he hath given to the poor; His righteousness abideth for ever. 10 And he that supplieth seed to the sower and bread for food, shall supply and multiply your seed for sowing, and increase the fruits of your righteousness: 11 ye being enriched in everything unto all liberality, which worketh  through us thanksgiving to God.

3.    PAUL USES THE FIGURE OF AN OX WORKING FOR THE FARMER TO SHOW THAT THE ELDERS AND OTHERS WHO LABOR IN THE WORK OF GOD OUGHT TO BE CARED FOR BY THEIR OWNERS [i.e. those for whom they labor].  1 Tim. 5:17-18, 17 let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and in teaching. 18 for the scripture saith, Thou shall not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn. And, the laborer is worthy of his hire. ASV

4.   IN THE PARABLE OF THE WORKERS IN GOD’S VINEYARD, JESUS IS SHOWING THAT WHOSOEVER COMES TO GOD AND LABORS THEIR LIFE IN FAITHFUL SERVICE WILL RECEIVE HEAVEN’S REWARD FOR THEIR SERVICE. THIS INCLUDES THOSE WHO COME TO CHRIST EARLY OR LATER  [i.e. in time OR in life]: Matt. 20:1-8, 1 for the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that was a householder, who went out early in the morning to hire laborers into his vineyard. 2 And when he had agreed with the laborers for a shilling a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing in the marketplace idle; 4 and to them he said, Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way. 5 Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise. 6 And about the eleventh (hour) he went out, and found others standing; and he saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle? 7 They say unto him, because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard. 8 And when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the laborers, and pay them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first. ASV 

THE PARABLE HERE IS SOLVED IN Matt 20:9-16: 9 and when they came that (were hired) about the eleventh hour, they received every man a shilling. 10 And when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received every man a shilling. 11 And when they received it, they murmured against the householder, 12 saying, These last have spent (but) one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat. 13 but he answered and said to one of them, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a shilling? 14 Take up that which is thine, and go thy way; it is my will to give unto this last, even as unto thee. 15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? or is thine eye evil, because I am good? 16 So the last shall be first, and the first last.  ASV 

5.   THE FOLLOWING PARABLE DISCUSSES THE FIG TREE PLANTED IN THE VINEYARD [i.e. the condition of the fig tree represents a disciple’s lack of fruit bearing]. THE LORD SAYS TO CARE FOR IT FOR A WHILE AND TAKE SPECIAL CARE TO SEE THAT IT GETS PROPER ATTENTION BUT IF IT DOES NOT PRODUCE IN THE FUTURE, CUT IT DOWN. Luke 13:6-9, 6 and he spoke this parable; a certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came seeking fruit thereon, and found none. 7 And he said unto the vinedresser, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why doth it also cumber the ground? 8 And he answering saith unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: 9 and if it bear fruit thenceforth, (well); but if not, thou shall cut it down.

6.      THE LORD USES A SIMILAR FIGURE WHEN DISCUSSING THE WICKED CONDITION OF THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES — Jesus warns them, then predicts their ultimate end if they do not correct their sinful condition: Matt. 3:7-8, 7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said unto them, ye offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bring forth therefore fruit worthy of repentance: ASV JESUS SAYS THEY; as a corrupt tree WOULD BE CUT DOWN and CAST INTO THE FIRE:  Matt. 3:9-10, 9 and think not to say within yourselves, we have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. 10 And even now the axe lieth at the root of the trees: every tree therefore that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. ASV

7.   THE LORD USES THE NATURE OF THE MUSTARD SEED TO SHOW THE   GROWTH OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD [i.e. the church of Christ]: Luke 13:18-19, 18 He said therefore, unto what the kingdom of God like? And whereunto shall I liken it? 19 It is like unto a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and cast into his own garden; and it grew, and became a tree; and the birds of the heaven lodged in the branches thereof. ASV CONCLUSION: While God could have used many things to illustrate these seven facets of truth I have referred to in this study; he chose to use figures that pertain to farming. We today can learn many good lessons about life and true service to God by looking at the figures that use farming and/or AGRICULTURE in the Bible.

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We Walk By Faith

In 2 Corinthians 5:7, the apostle Paul wrote,  “For we  walk by faith, not by sight.” Many have taken this  verse out of context to mean that we walk by faith not  by knowledge. Of course, this is not what the apostle Paul  was saying. Rather, he was saying, as written in Hebrews  11:1,  “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the  evidence of things not seen.” It is not necessary to see  in order to believe. To the contrary, believing is seeing  when one puts one’s faith and trust in God (Prov. 3:5-6).

Relying upon seeing to believe, however, eventually  kills faith altogether. Science says that physical sight is  nothing more than a collection of neurons and chemicals  in precisely the right balance so as to produce sensations  in the brain. Francis Crick, co-discoverer of the DNA  molecule said, “‘You,’ your joys and your sorrows,  your memories and your ambitions, your sense of  personal identity and free will, are in fact no more than  the behavior of a vast assembly of nerve cells and their  associated molecules. Who you are is nothing but a pack  of neurons.” How can chemicals and grouped atoms be  trusted to provide adequate information for knowledge?  Charles Darwin said, “With me, the horrid doubt always  arises whether the convictions of man’s mind, which has  been developed from the mind of the lower animals,  are of any value or at all trustworthy.” Without God,  knowledge is impossible.

The fact, however, that we can perceive this  paradox—to know the physical processes that are  involved in knowledge that allegedly makes knowledge  impossible—proves that we are more than just physical  beings. It shows that we can step outside of our  physical selves with our spiritual person and have real  understanding of truth. We are not like rats in a maze that  have no clue that they are, in fact, rats in a maze. Rather,  we are spiritual beings with a physical apparatus that  enables us to know the physical world. Even knowing  the physical world means walking by faith.

There is no other way around our state of affairs  than to have faith. So why do we need to renew our faith?  We are, unfortunately, creatures of doubt. Doubt can  serve us well when applied in the appropriate contexts.  In the chemistry lab, I had better doubt whether the  beaker in front of me is water or not lest I drink it and  die. In the desert, however, such doubt would kill me. It  is the misapplication of doubt that gets us into trouble,  and over which we may have our biggest controversies.

So, renewing faith is that personal and communal  activity that provides for us the same platform on which  to operate. I renew my faith when I put my trust in God  and His word, the Bible. I pledge before everyone that  this book is the standard upon which I operate my life.  When others make the same pledge, we operate upon  the same standard, and vow to uphold that standard  regardless what may come our way. When we live  faithfully based upon that standard, we find others who  will commune with us in a state of peace, harmony, and  love. No force can overcome such renewal.

However, problems will arise that challenge that  fellowship. How will we manage such problems? Will we  do so based upon the standard of God’s word? Or will we  turn to cultural and societal solutions? Often, we do the  latter instead of the former. The result is devastating for  a people who claim to follow God’s standard of right and  wrong. Confusion and doubt set in, and faith is destroyed.  Few have the integrity that is needed to withstand such  an onslaught and breech of communal standards. As a  result, some may turn to other religions or philosophies.  Some become agnostics and atheists because the stench  of hypocrisy is so strong.

We must renew our faith in God and His word by  going to His word and letting it rule in our lives.  “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom. 10:17). Walking by faith means walking by the  word of God, and that must be done in every situation.  If we truly believe the standard of God’s word, then by  following it, we can resolve all issues that stand between  us.

Neither science nor the philosophies of men hold  the basis to resolve human conflict. Darwinian naturalism  doesn’t fight destructive conflict at all. In fact, it claims  that destructive conflict is natural and “good.” It weeds  out the less fit so that the stronger may survive. The  philosophies of men talk a good game, but when it  comes to making critical decisions based upon them,  they always fail and never provide true direction for the  resolution of conflict. God’s word, however, will succeed  when it is applied. We may truly renew our faith both  in God and one another through His will. May we ever  learn to depend upon it and trust in its truths, for vain is  the help of man (Ps. 108:12).

 

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The Defeat of the Last Enemy

It was forty-four years ago that I walked away from the grave of my father, and two years later, I stood at that same gravesite when my mother’s body was laid to rest beside him. I doubt there has been a single day that has passed since then that I have not thought of them. I remember the emotions which flooded my soul as I walked away.

I had those same emotions almost three years ago when I walked away from the grave of the most amazing brother any person could ever imagine having. I am positive that not a single day has passed without me thinking of Jerry Jenkins. He was and is, and always will be, my hero and the one whose footprints I have followed. As I write this, my heart aches as I think of how much I miss him.

The emotions I have experienced at those three graves begin with emptiness in my soul and cavernous holes in my heart. I walked away wondering how I could ever repay the debt I owe them for the eternal impact they have on me. I walked away determined to take every godly trait I saw in them and to the very best of my ability mirror those traits in my life.

Yet there was, and is, an even greater emotion which I carried from those dark hours, and that is the absolute assurance that I will see them again someday. So many times over the years I left their presence and would say, “I will see you later.” It always happened. I would leave, and then later we would be together again. As I walked from those gravesites my thoughts were, “I will see you later!” Oh, the blessedness of such thoughts! Oh, the debt I owe to their righteous lives for leaving me the assurance that I will see them, later!

The grim reaper comes to all, but how blessed we are that his appearance is overshadowed by the One who, by His own resurrection, opens the graves of those who are no longer with us. He not only opened the graves, but by faith we know He has gone to prepare a place for the saints. When He returns He will bring with Him those very saints and eternally we shall all be together. This is not a fairy tale. It is not a fond wish. By faith it is an absolute truth! The reality is that the grim reaper is a blessing. He opens the door to that for which we have all lived. Godly people leave behind a world cursed by sin and enter into a paradise with the redeemed.

When that last trumpet sounds there will be the ultimate defeat of the last enemy. “The last enemy that will be destroyed is death.” So when the trumpet sounds we shall be raised. No longer mortal and corruptible, but incorruptible and immortal. At that time the words will be fulfilled, “Death is swallowed up in victory.” Lord, hasten that day!

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