Time Flies

We've all heard the expression, "Time flies when you are having fun!"

The older I get, the more I realize that time just flies . . . period.

A few weeks back I celebrated my 35th birthday. I know that a woman is never supposed to reveal her age (and I secretly hope that those who know me have fallen off their chairs in shock at this revelation), but hitting this milestone has had me thinking about time and how fleeting it really is. As a mother of 4, watching my children grow is just another reminder of how quickly life flies by. It feels like my youngest daughter Beaux was just born yesterday, and yet, here she is at almost 7 months old and she is starting to crawl and sit up. How does this happen?

It happens because time is a complex thing.

Time is free,

but it's priceless,

You can't own it,
but you can use it.

You can't keep it,

but you can spend it.

Once you've spent it
you can never get it back.

Life is so short and I don't want to miss a moment! This is true not just in the lives of my kids, but in my life as a believer and follower of Jesus.

The Bible is full of verses about time and how we are expected to use it.

Ephesians 5:15-17 says, "Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is."

Ultimately, we don't know what the future holds or how many days we have to walk on this earth. James 4:14 reminds us, "Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes."

But one day is as a thousand years with the Lord! II Peter 3:10-12d says, "The day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God."

We are expected to wait for the coming day of the Lord with great anticipation, and yet, we are to live the days He allows us pursuing holiness and godliness. What does that look like in your life? How can you pursue holiness and godliness in your home? In your job? With your friends?

Time is precious and we know it flies (no matter how old you are), so let us grab hold of each moment and make the best use of the time we are given.

Humble Pie

by Jennie Smith
Secondary Principal

Humble pie is not something most people want to eat.  It usually means we've done someone wrong and face humiliation as we seek restoration.  Humility is a character quality that we like to avoid - it has a negative connotation.  However, humility is a godly characteristic; "Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind" (I Peter 3:8).

Humility is a hard quality to come-by as it is very counter-cultural.  Our culture says to teach our kids to be proud of their accomplishments, to have a high self-esteem. Teaching them to be humble seems to be in direct opposition to building them up.  

However, I've recently learned that humility is a key element in handling times of deep suffering.  A recent article I read states:  "Humility is the way to wisdom..  Humility is the way to contentment in the midst of confusing suffering"  (Welch, 2012).  I Peter 5:6-7 says:  "Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.  Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."  Even Jesus approached the time of his death with true humility when he says "yet not my will, but yours be done" (Luke 22:42).  Although we never want to think of our kids encountering a time of significant grief and trial, the facts demonstrate that those times are inevitable.  Our time to teach our kids is so short and we should not overlook the importance of working on this character trait with them.  

Teach Them Who God Is
Micah 6:8  teaches us "to walk humbly with your God."  A reminder that God is God and we are not instills the godly humility that will carry one through many, many trials.  When we think of Job and the tremendous suffering he endured, we call to mind the last few chapters when God finally speaks.  What does he tell Job?  "Through gentle, yet relentless, fatherly questions, he was taught that God is God and our aim in suffering is not to get answers but to submit to his lordship" (Welch, 2012).  If we can have our children grasp who God really is, and give them a proper respect for his sovereignty, hopefully they will bring these things to mind when faced with trials.

Recognize the Power Source
This is one of my favorite definitions of humility:  "Humility is not denying the power you have but admitting

that the power comes through you and not from you" (Smith, 1984).  Our kids have been gifted in unique and special ways.  They may be great athletes, be really astute in math, or be musically talented.  True humility is not a denial of the gifts they've been given, but a recognition that these things are from the Lord.  A little girl I once knew had the most beautiful curls.  Even at the young age of 4 and 5, if you said to her, "I love your hair"  she would respond "God gave it to me."  I always loved her sweet heart - never realizing that her parents were instilling a humble spirit in her.  We are never successful in our own power - it comes directly from the Lord, and He should be the one to receive the praise.

Provide Opportunities for Them to Serve
The very nature of a servant is humility.  As Jesus taught his disciples, he told them over and over again to be servants, and also demonstrated the same in his actions.  "...But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:43-45).  Are there places where your children can serve and reach out to others in need?  

Teaching our children to be thankful and helping them learn to ask forgiveness are more ways that they may learn humility.  Let's take the bad taste from humble pie and give our children (and ourselves) the opportunity to enjoy the benefits of walking humbly with our God.


Smith, F. (January 1, 1984).  "Christian Humility."  Leadership Journal, Winter 1984.

Welch, E. (July 18, 2012).  "Suffering, Step One."

We Are Part of Something Bigger

by Dick Buckingham
Administrator

The theme verse we are looking at for the school this year comes from I Peter 2:9:

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”  ESV

One of the things we are noting from this verse is that all of the phrases are referring to us not as individuals, but as a collective group.  The words race, priesthood, nation, people indicate something larger than just who we are in Christ as individuals.  It has caused me to ponder about the way God seems to deal with groups of people as a whole.

Adam was an individual, but God established a covenant with him such that what he did, reflected not just upon Adam as an individual, but upon all the people represented by the covenant.  Thus we are all sinners because Adam disobeyed God in the garden.  God dealt with the group we call humans globally in this case.

Abraham also had a relationship with God, but it wasn't just about him as an individual.  God’s arrangement with Abraham included all of his descendants.  They would all be recipients of God’s blessing of a pleasant land.  Much of scripture is the dealings of God with these people as a whole, not as individuals.

David was a man after God’s own heart, but God was looking at his descendants as the ones who would be royalty and would sit upon the throne of Israel and later Judah (and ultimately all mankind) forever.  In this line there were good kings and not so good kings, yet God dealt with them as a group.

Sometimes God deals harshly with a group of people because of the actions of one individual.  In the case of Ahab, wicked king of Israel (not a descendant of David), God sent Elijah to inform him that it would not rain until he said it would.  It did not rain for three years and the drought affected both the wicked in Israel and the 7000 who had not bowed the knee to Baal (I Kings 17, 19).

In the New Testament, we see God’s concern for and dealings with such groups as the elect, the church, the people of God.

Clearly the interest of God is more than in just the individual person.  Don’t get me wrong; God does deal with individuals.  He does love individuals such as you and I and He is concerned about our personal obedience.  But I think too often we tend to focus only on how God looks upon us as individuals and not as a group.  There is something to be said for broadening our vision.

First of all, it causes us to be more humble.  We tend to be a bit myopic at times and view the whole of scriptures as being put there for us.  It is about my personal walk and personal salvation and how I will spend all eternity with God in heaven.  We tend to think of ourselves as the reason why God created everything,  that He chose to send His Son into the world, in order to save us personally.  The truth is, it is not all about us as individuals.  It is ultimately about God and how He has chosen to relate to His creation.

Second, it reminds us that we are not separate; we are part of a group.  That group is important in God’s sight and we need it.  We too often view our participation in that group, the Church, the people of God as secondary or unimportant when compared to our own individual relationship to God.  It is something that is necessary and vital to be actively participating in a local church and God’s way of addressing groups in verses such as the one above reminds us of that.

Third, it makes it clear we are not alone.  Sometimes we get the feeling that we alone are dealing with the struggles of life and there is no one who understands and cares like we do.  Not so.  Elijah fell into that temptation when he implored God to take him home after his encounter with the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel.  He was certain everyone else had forsaken God.  He was told that there were 7000 that God had reserved for Himself.  (I Kings 19).  Likewise, we are not alone.

Finally, it makes it clearly apparent to us that we are part of something bigger.  We are part of nothing less than a “people for his own possession.”  We are a member of the Church of Jesus Christ, a participant in His body.  Everyone likes to be part of a powerful movement.  There is nothing more powerful than the mighty work and people of God.  There is a confidence and encouragement that this gives as we live out our daily lives for Him.

I encourage you in this New Year to observe other places in the scriptures where God is addressing us not so much as individuals but as a whole.   May this grow in you a clearer view of who you are in the sight of God.

Happy New Year!

We look forward to watching God work in 2014.

Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas!

The family at Faith Christian School wishes you and your family a wonderful Christmas!

Love is a Battlefield

by Jennie Smith
Secondary Principal

I am more convinced than ever that our enemy seeks to destroy marriages and is unfortunately succeeding in many lives.  It seems that every time I look around, I hear of another marriage under attack.  I have even recently walked through a dark valley in my own marriage and am coming out the other side victorious in Jesus.  In our culture, there are so many things that tempt us to walk away, to give up, to go running.  We get distracted with our busy-ness, our children, our sin, and even our church activities.

Dr. James Dobson gives the image of marriage as two people in a row boat.  When the wind and waves come, they are thrown apart - riding the waves in the opposite directions.  To keep those boats together requires intense rowing - a lot of hard work, especially considering the rough waters.  Some lose strength - because of discouragement, because of disappointment, because of sin - and allow the waves to take them farther apart.  Others are able to struggle in their own strength, but eventually become weary and if the marriage survives they are weather-beaten and weak.  The smart ones give their row over the best Pilot and allow Him to calm the storm and lead them to safety.

This weekend I attended my cousin's wedding reception and they provided cards to give marriage advice and greetings.  I thought a long time about what to say....I've only been married for 15 years - and have had a bumpy few months - what could I possibly share that would have any value or worth?!  All of a sudden, a verse came into my head and I paraphrased the passage for them - applying it to marriage.  Here it is for all of you in a more expanded form:

If you love Jesus and if you find any benefit in your relationship with Him, if you feel any tenderness and compassion, then in your marriage, be of one spirit and mind.  Keep your eyes always on Jesus.  Do nothing out of selfish motives, but in humility, consider your spouse more significant than yourself.  Let each of you look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of your spouse.  Your attitude should be the same as Jesus, who although  He was God, did not use that to his own advantage, but He humbled himself, and served others, even to the point of sacrificing His life for the ones He loved.  You do likewise with your spouse (Philippians 2:1-7).

Isn't that really the key after all?  If both spouses take Jesus's attitude with each other, forgive as Christ has forgiven us, extend grace and mercy with each new day...if we see them as God sees them - wearing the righteousness of Christ and use that as our motivation to pour into their lives and seek to meet their need, I firmly believe that there won't be much room for our enemy to take a foothold.  With the perfect Pilot, we can navigate those rough waters that most certainly will come our way.

What is the best marriage advice you've ever received or given?  Share in the comments below or on our Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/faithchristianschool

Walking on Water

by Dick Buckingham
Administrator

I have been thinking lately about Peter’s trek upon the waters of the Sea of Galilee (Matt. 14:22-33) thanks to a currently meaningful song by Hillsong United, “Oceans.”*  The opening stanza of the song personalizes this experience of one of His disciples.

                He calls me out upon the waters, the great unknown, where feet may fail.

Most of us are familiar with this story.  Jesus had just finished up what was one of the most incredible miracles He performed while on the earth, feeding over 5000 people with five loaves of bread and two fish.  It was a desolate place where the people had come to see Him, hear Him and experience His miraculous wonders.  It was getting late and He urged the disciples to go on ahead of Him across the Sea.  He stayed on shore to dismiss the people and to spend some time in prayer.

Meanwhile the disciples had encountered some problems getting to the other side.  The wind was against them and they were rowing with all their might to try to fight it to their destination.  Along with the wind, they battled the waves.  It must have been a significant hindrance as they had been rowing practically all night and were still a good distance from land.

It was then that Jesus came to them in a manner they were not expecting, walking on the water as though it were pavement, and making much better progress than they were.  We are not told, but apparently the disciples assumed Jesus would catch a ride with another boat that was crossing, for they certainly didn’t expect Jesus to come across the water on foot.  When they saw Him, their immediate reaction was fear.

I am reminded how easy it is for me to experience fear in the midst of trial and hardship.  It is almost my first reaction to anything that I am not expecting.  And yet, as in the case of the disciples, it is often at the presence of God’s provision for the trial that I quake the most.   When the gracious hand of God is extended to me, I tend to cower in fear.

Once Jesus had identified Himself, very likely using the Personal Name of being that identified Him as God in the flesh, Peter asks Jesus to invite him outside of the boat to walk upon the wind-whipped waves that had been preventing them for getting to shore.  I have asked myself why Peter would do this.  Who would even think of such a thing at a time like this?  Did he think it was really cool and wanted to try it out?  Was he impetuous and just blurted out the first thing that came into his head without really thinking through the consequence?  Was his faith so large because he had been in the midst of all the miraculous activities earlier that day?  Why would he ask to do what, in all other cases, would be impossible?  Though we are left to speculate at the ultimate reason, it is obvious that Peter is ready to back up his request with the faith necessary to actually go over the side of the boat at Jesus’ bidding.

Most of us would not ask to be put in a situation of hardship and trial that would test our faith.  If you are like me, you have plenty of opportunities to test your trust in God without seeking more.  Yet the ride for Peter must have been incredible, albeit brief.  Can you imagine putting your full weight upon something that all your experience has shown will not hold your weight and have it now fully support it?  It must have been a tremendous faith-exploding experience!

Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders
Let me walk upon the waters
Wherever You would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger
In the presence of my Savior

Have you the courage to pray thus?   Would the experience of walking upon the water with Jesus be worth the wind and the waves?

Peter walked upon the water for a time, but the scripture tells us that instead of looking at Jesus and pressing

forward toward Him, Peter began to look about himself.  He was reminded again of all his experience with water in the past.  It had never held him up before.  And the wind and waves!  These had not ceased just because he was out of the boat.  These continued to rise and fall as they had been doing much of the night and now he felt vulnerable outside the safety of the boat.  He took his eyes off Jesus and focused upon his circumstances.  This is something you and I know well.  We know with all our hearts that God is good.  We know that He is more than able to do far more abundantly than we can think or imagine.  Yet our gaze is drawn with laser-focus to our circumstances and we begin to think these will overwhelm us.  We take our focus off the One who knows us and knows everything we are going through and knows the way through.  Just like Peter, we began to sink and the old fear comes back once again. 

While Peter’s faith waned, it was not completely gone as he knew to whom he needed to cry out.  He could have asked the other disciples to throw him a rope or reach out the oar.  He could have tried to reverse course and swim back to the boat.  But he did not.  He cried out to Jesus, “Save me.”  Even in the midst of failing faith, he turned to the one place he knew there would be help.

And I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise
My soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine

The reality is, Peter experienced a level of intimate relationship with Jesus that none of the other disciples shared.   He was the only one who walked on the water with Jesus.  He was the only one who experienced the strong hand of Jesus pulling him up to save him.  It is as though each trial we face in our lives is the opportunity to experience anew the grace of salvation.   Nothing assures us more that we belong to Him than when we see Him provide in the circumstances that are beyond our own ability.

A couple of observations to ponder:

1.  We will experience that call of Jesus to come upon the waters of tribulation many times in our walk with Him.  It is the expectation of His disciples.  Do not fear.  Have faith.

2.  He is on the water of tribulation Himself.  He is not sending you out alone or into something He has not already conquered Himself.  Look for Him in the midst of the wind and waves of the trial you are experiencing. 

3.  Keep your eyes above the waves and on Him.  It is easy and natural to focus on circumstances and try to fix whatever we are dealing with.   “Seek first the kingdom of God,… and all these things will be added as well.”  (Matt. 6:33)

4.  Call out to Him.  There is salvation in no other.  Though we may think that we can find another solution to our trial, it has most likely been given to us to cause us to trust more fully in Him.

Your grace abounds in deepest waters
Your sov'reign hand will be my guide
Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me
You've never failed and You won't start now

*Joel Houston | Matt Crocker | Salomon Ligthelm © 2012 Hillsong Music Publishing (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing)