Just Keep Digging

As someone who accepted Jesus Christ as a child, I could arguably claim that I have a firm grasp of Scripture. In my 34 church-going years, I have heard and rediscovered the stories contained in the pages of the Bible, studied the various themes throughout, and spent years listening to sermons, attending small groups, and working my way through all sorts of devotionals and Bible studies. Over the years, I have taught Bible lessons in various forums, memorized Scripture, participated in debates and discussions about Biblical topics, and read the Bible cover to cover.  And yet, the more I dig and study, the more I discover how much there is still left to learn about God’s holy and inspired Word. I still find myself saying, “I don’t remember that being in there” or “Have I read that before?”

There are very few books that I have ever read more than once in my life. Regardless of how much I love a certain book, I rarely return to it. For one, books are time-consuming. I would rather invest those hours of my life exploring a new world rather than return to one I already know. And yet, I always find the Bible is the greatest exception to this unspoken, self-imposed rule. No matter how many times I read a passage, God’s goodness and love and faithfulness and mercy and grace hold some greater measure of understanding and application than they did before.  That is what makes the Bible so unique and what allows God’s Word to be living and active in our lives. 

Just recently, a series called “The Bible” has been airing on the History Channel. This series has received world-wide acclaim. There are churches that are not only encouraging their congregations to watch it, but hosting “viewing parties” for their members. As one that can be a bit skeptical about Hollywood’s “take” on Biblical events, I was interested to watch and discern what aspects were true and which were fabricated for entertainment purposes. What a great challenge it has been to test what I really know and use my Bible as a tool to verify or dispute the movie’s portrayals. 

Some scholars have devoted their whole lives to reading and studying God’s Word. Let's face it. It is easy sometimes to get intimidated by others who know so much more than we do. We may be tempted to just leave the studying and the digging to them. Let us not be satisfied with just knowing the stories. Let us ask questions and dig deeper ourselves.  What an amazing journey we are missing out on if we do not make this effort, asking God to give us wisdom and understanding as we read.   

James 1:5 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”

I Corinthians 2:10, “These are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.”

Whether you have been a Christian for many years or whether the Word of God is a new world you are just beginning to explore, I hope you are struck anew, as I am, at how much there is still left to learn.  May it be the desire of your heart, as it is mine, to jump in and dig deeper, and see what God will show you.

The Heart of Anger: A Book Review

by Jennie Smith
Assistant Secondary Principal

It's Spring Break...and that means spring cleaning in the Smith household.  I decided I would start with the most neglected room of the house - it's what we call the "den," but should really be referred to as "the dumping ground."  I started with the bookcase and thought I would dust and sort through the books.  Then, in true bookworm fashion, I found a dusty book off the shelf, was intrigued by it, and stopped cleaning in favor of reading.

The book was The Heart of Anger by Lou Priolo.  I had originally bought it as a summer reading assignment for the teachers of the school many years ago, probably before I even had children.  But with a pre-teen and a pre-teen wannabe in my household, I was caught by the title and then, as I read, I was convicted as a parent.

Lou Priolo begins his book by first dealing with the plank in the parents' eye before touching the speck of dust in the child's eye (Matthew 7:3). He, first, challenges parents to have a God-centered home, rather than a child-centered home.  Here is the comparison he makes:

Child-centered Home Children: interrupt adults when they are talking, use manipulation to get their way, are entertained out of a bad mood, demand excessive time and attention from parents to the detriment of the other biblical responsibilities of the parents, speak to parents as though they were peers (pg. 24).

God-centered Home Children are taught:  to joyfully serve others, to cheerfully obey parents the first time, to understand they will not always get their own way, to suffer the natural consequences of sinful behavior, to esteem others as more important than themselves (pg. 27).  These ideas are now prominently displayed on our refrigerator door - as a guide for the parents and the children that reside here.

Secondly, he thoroughly addresses this powerful verse of Scripture:  "Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger; but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord."  Ephesians 6:4 (ESV).  He mentions 25 ways that parents provoke their children to anger, and I was surprised by how many I allow to go on in my own heart and home. Some of these 25 things are easy to remedy;  for example, asking forgiveness from our children when we sin against them is an easy way to bring peace in our homes.  Some take more of a deliberate effort on our part, like being consistent in discipline and knowing how much freedom your child should be allowed.  But in this section, I appreciate how Mr. Priolo gives biblical support for each way we can avoid provoking or exasperating our children.    

The second half of the verse from Ephesians "...but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord..." is addressed in the latter half of the book.  One of my favorite chapters is "How to Conquer Disrespect and Manipulation."  In this chapter, Mr. Priolo challenges parents in to be biblical in their response to disrespect and manipulation.  He encourages parents to examine their motives, examine their lives, maintain a spirit of gentleness, and choose the right words - the words that point the child back to the Lord and what He has for them. 

The Heart of Anger is now off my bookshelf and has taken residence beside my bed.  I have found so many nuggets of wisdom that I plan to implement in my parenting and know that I will be re-reading this book multiple times.  Are there parenting books that you've found particularly helpful?  Share them in the comments below.  Now, I best get back to the cleaning of "the dumping ground."  I wonder what nuggets of treasure I can find today!

You are Mine

Have you ever been introduced to Punchinello? 

If you haven’t, it’s about time you meet a little wooden Wemmick who never seems to get it quite right. You are Special, You are Mine, and Best of All are three little children’s books written by Max Lucado that have a powerful message for all ages. I bring these books up today because they are wonderful reminders of our Creator’s love and plan for us. Each book has its own unique message to share, but You are Mine speaks specifically to the issue of contentment. 

In this story, the silly little people of Wemmicksville become totally consumed with collecting boxes and balls to show how “important” they are. Punchinello, wanting to fit in, sells everything he has to accumulate boxes and balls. Not only does he have to purchase boxes and balls to be a “good Wemmick”, the boxes and balls had to be just the right kind—the newest, biggest, and brightest. Just when Punchinello thought that he had everything he needed, the Wemmicks started competing to see who could make their toys the tallest. Eventually, they try to race up a mountain to reach the highest point in the city, but fall off the path because they can’t see past all of their toys. [Surely you must be seeing the connection by now to real life and the human race.]

Punchinello wanders off the path and ends up at the home of his maker, Eli, the wood-carver. Although the boxes and balls had cost Punchinello all he had, ultimately, they cost him much more. Punchinello realized that he was trusting in toys to make him happy and not his creator. However, Eli’s response to Punchinello was this, "You're special - not for what you have but for who you are. You are mine. I love you. Don't forget that.”

What a powerful and convicting message from this simple children’s book! How many of us find ourselves trying to find importance and value in the things that we have?  Even as I write this I see the Sprint commercial playing with the motto, “More is better.” We are surrounded by this idea that happiness is directly related to the amount of things we collect. Yet, God’s word tells us otherwise. 

Luke 12:15 ESV 

And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

Hebrews 13:5 ESV

Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 

 

Are you spending your life trying to collect boxes and balls that in the end are robbing you of your happiness? What is the real cost of all of your efforts? The next time you find yourself stacking your toys so high you are wandering off the path, remember  "You're special - not for what you have but for who you are.” And hear your Creator say, “You are mine. I love you.”

Well Done

by Dick Buckingham

Administrator

Some of you may have just thought of your favorite cut of steak cooked to perfection.  The juicy thought makes your mouth water in anticipation.  However, that is not the kind of “well done” I had in mind.

Last week, Faith Christian School had the privilege of hosting an accreditation site visit team from Christian Schools International (CSI).  This was the culmination of a years-long process to provide outside certification of what we have been faithfully doing for our 25 years of existence.  Being accredited, while not required for private Christian schools, does provide a number of benefits for students who attend when it comes to applying to colleges and universities and transferring credits to other high schools around the country.  While it was not a critical step to take in the earlier years of our school existence, it has become increasingly more important over the past couple of years.  With the onset of many other educational choices for students such as charter schools and online schools, accreditation is the simplest way for a school receiving a student to have confidence that the previous educational institution was doing things well and up to acceptable standards.

We rejoice that the team from CSI voted unanimously to accredit Faith with no exceptions or provisions.

While that is really wonderful and something we praise God for, far greater were the words the team spoke to us in commendation about what they observed as they intensely looked at our school, examined our staff and students, and asked some deep, probing questions for two days.  Essentially, the team said to the Faith Christian School board, administration, staff, parents and students, “Well done.”

Well done.  How incredible those words are!  What life they give to our soul!  This year’s spiritual theme at FCS comes from I Corinthians 9:24, “Run the race in such as way as to win the prize.”  What we have related to our students is that the race we are running is our lives and the prize we are seeking is nothing less than to hear our Lord God say to us at the end when we finish, “Well done!”

Those two little words carry such great impact on us as they recognize what we have done and express the contentment and pleasure of the One who is speaking them to us.  I can say without hesitation that it is not the praise of men that I long for.  It is not to make a name for myself or to have some legacy that memorializes my life.  The one thing I want more than anything else is to hear the voice of my Savior say, “Well done!”

Yet, when I heard these words from the accreditation team, I realized how I much I benefit from hearing that from others.  These words not only justify what I have done and the sacrifices I may have made, but they propel me to strive for even greater heights.  They empower me to try things I may have only dreamed of doing before.

Well done.  Two little words, very easy to say.  Two words we all have in our vocabulary and available to use as often as we like.  Two words that will lift the spirits of the people in our lives and cause them to seek loftier goals.

When was the last time you said “Well done” to someone important in your life?  Your children?  I am in my mid 50s and my dad is over 80, yet I love when he tells me that he is proud of me.  Your spouse?  Nothing means more to me than to have my wife tell me she appreciates some small thing that I have done for her.  Your pastor?  Your teacher? Your boss?  Your co-worker or classmate?  You can add to the list.

You have an incredibly powerful tool available to you to bless and encourage others.  Who will you say, “Well done” to today?

Stamp of Approval

by Jennie Smith
Secondary Assistant Principal

When I first came on staff at Faith 17 years ago, we began working towards the process of accreditation.  Next week, all the work will be celebrated when five professionals in the field of education visit our school and decide whether to recommend us for accreditation.  Recently I was asked to explain accreditation and the only thought that came to mind at the time was "stamp of approval."  An organization comes in, looks at everything, and says, "Yes, this school is doing what it needs to do to educate young people."

In the few days the team will be on campus, they will interview teachers, parents, and students.  They will observe in our classrooms.  They will spend time reading through our documentation:  our handbooks, our manuals, pages and pages of paper.  They will get to know our school from every angle and at the end of the week they will tell us what we are doing well and where we need to improve.  Then they will make the recommendation for or against accreditation.

As this process of accreditation has been prominent in my thinking, I wondered:  is God in the business of accreditation?  When He looks at me, and sees all my documentation, do I measure up to His standard?  Alone...there is no way!  "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).  "All have turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one" (Psalm 14:3).  On my own, in my state of sinfulness, I am not accredited by the Lord; I cannot meet His standard.

But there is hope! "God demonstrates his own love for us in this:  while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8), and if we confess with our mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in our hearts that God raised him from the dead we are saved (Romans 10:8).  It is through this faith that we are accredited.  Genesis 15:6 says "Abraham believed the Lord, and it was credited to him as righteousness."  Paul brings that home by telling us in Romans 4:23-25  "The words 'it was credited to him' were written not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification." 

There is only one step in God's process of accreditation and that is faith in Him alone.  I only have to present one piece of documentation...the Lamb of God.  I am so glad that when God looks at me, I already have his stamp of approval...not because of anything I've done, but because when He looks at me, He sees someone who did everything right:  Christ himself.

A Glimpse of Heaven

by Dick Buckingham, Administrator

In my 11^th and 12^th grade Bible class, we read a chapter in the Word each day devotionally.  Currently, we are reading through the book of Revelation, at a student’s request.  Having studied and read and mediated and taught from God’s Word for many years, I often hesitate when students want to read through Revelation as a class.  At the end of the reading each morning, I typically say, “Are there any comments?”  I realize the book of Revelation will produce more questions than comments and the students will be looking to me to make sense of this glorious, but difficult, book of prophesy.  Though I have come to grips over the years with a reasonable understanding of the book and its imagery that suits my satisfaction, students often are not satisfied with the broad strokes that I believe the book paints with and want to know specific details of everything the chapters describe.

Yet I relish the opportunity to bring them to one of my favorite chapters in all of God’s Word, chapter 4.  Here in this early chapter of the text, the Apostle John is transported to a place we all long to know much more about, the presence of God that we call heaven.  Once there, he begins to describe to the best of his ability the incredibly awesome experience that he encounters.

2 At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne. 3 And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald. 4 Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, clothed in white garments, with golden crowns on their heads. 5 From the throne came flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder, and before the throne were burning seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God, 6 and before the throne there was as it were a sea of glass, like crystal.

And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind: 7 the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with the face of a man, and the fourth living creature like an eagle in flight. 8 And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say,

“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!”

9 And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

11 “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”  Revelation 4: 2-11 ESV

I love this chapter because it depicts the focus and primary activity in heaven.  The focus is God and activity is worship, real worship.  The first thing John saw when he entered into heaven was the throne and person of God.  He does his best to describe the experience in terms of things he and his readers have experienced, but no doubt even the language John uses isn’t adequate to fully grasp what he is seeing.  He then sees that there are others present, 24 elders and four unusual creatures.  Who and what these are is not my focus, but rather what they are doing.  John sees that the creatures are declaring God’s holiness over and over again.  And every time the creatures speak, the elders fall before him and worship God by casting their crowns before him and proclaiming His worthiness.

I am both awed and convicted by this vision of John’s.  I am awed because I get a glimpse of what it will be like when I shall at last see Him face to face.  I am convicted because I understand this is what I was created for and I fall so far short of this incredible offering of worship.  My worship (and perhaps yours) tends to be so self-centered.  It seems so much more about me and what I get out of it.  Does the music move me?  Is the message relevant to my life?  Worship as John’s sees in heaven is entirely God focused.  Those present are not concerned with anything, but are wholly given to the worship of the great and awesome God who is seated on the throne.  My worship is also so infrequent.  The creatures in Revelation “day and night…never cease to say…” and every time the creatures give glory to God, the rest join in to worship.  It is a continual, never ending, all-out expression of praise to God.  It is a strong reminder that our very lives are to be a living sacrifice, which is our spiritual act of worship.  Everything we do, everything we say, every thought we think, ought to be God focused and a declaration of His holiness and His worthiness.

I have got a ways to go in this.  Yet for a moment, I can pause with John in his awesome vision of heaven and I can imagine what it would be like to be doing all that He has created me for!

The Race

I find it providential that last summer the leadership team at FCS decided to make 1 Corinthians 9:24 the theme verse for the 2012-2013 school year. You are probably familiar with the verse:

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.  1 Corinthians 9:24

Little did I know at the time this theme was decided on that I would be training for and running in my first marathon 6 months later. Yes, me, who has hated running for as long as I can remember. No track and field, no basketball, no soccer for me growing up. I was a springboard and platform diver. You don’t find too many sports with less running than that! 

However, I set aside my loathing for running to take on a new challenge with my 2 sisters—running 13.1 miles in the P.F. Chang’s Half Marathon. The race took place just 9 short days ago and as I reflect on the adventure, I realize that I learned some valuable lessons along the way. 

13.1 miles is a long way

I know, I know. There are some crazy folks out there that like to run extreme marathons that are 100 miles long, uphill the whole time, in the snow, while barefoot.  Let’s just continue with an assumption that to most people, 13.1 miles on a relatively even plane, in the sunshine, while wearing running shoes is still a pretty challenging feat.  The conditions during the race where pretty perfect. It was not too hot and not too cold. The sun was shining. People were cheering and holding signs of encouragement along the way (I’ll address that later). Music was playing and adrenaline was flowing. I had TRAINED for this! But it was hard! Every mile seemed to get longer and longer. There were times when I was sure I had simply missed the mile marker sign indicating I was one mile closer to the finish. Alas, 5 minutes later, I would see the mile marker sign up ahead.  

As I think about the spiritual race that we are running, it can sometimes feel like it is never ending.  Even when the sun is shining and the conditions seem pretty perfect, the race itself can be exhausting. Just when we think we have “made it” we realize that our race is far from over.  

Sometimes you need a GU

You may be wondering what in the world a GU is. Don’t worry. I asked the same question 6 months ago. A GU is basically an energy boost that runners need to take during a race to replenish their energy stores. Your body literally eats up every ounce of fuel it has and needs something else to burn. Runners recognize that these little packets of strawberry banana, or coffee-delight-flavored goop are necessary when their energy is drained. 

So I ask you, what do you do when you need a GU in your spiritual race? Do you make time to meet with that special friend that can speak encouragement into your life? Do you make it a point to go on the church retreat to just get away for a little while? Do you finally say “no” to one more thing that just makes your plate overflow? We all need to recognize our tendency to burn out and understand the necessity of a spiritual energy boost from time to time. 

“Be the signs” along the way. 

Having never run a marathon before, there were a few things I didn’t know to expect. One of those things was the signs people held along the way. What an odd thing it was to see strangers cheering me on. Yes, some people were there to cheer on their family members and friends, but certain groups were staged along the way just to be a cheering section. People would look straight at me and say things like, “Keep going! You’re doing a great job! You are almost there!”

Some of the signs that gave me the biggest laughs were:

 “Run, Random Stranger, Run!” 

"Worst Parade Ever"

"Run like you stole something."

"Stop reading this and keep running!"

"Smile, you're still faster than all the people behind you"

All of them brought a smile to my face, but they made me realize how the smallest words of encouragement could make the next mile that much easier. Are you an encourager? Don’t forget to see the people running the spiritual race around you and tell them, “Keep going! You’re doing a great job!” You never know how far those words will go. 

The Finish Line

I have to admit that even in mile 1, my #1 goal was the finish line. All I cared about the whole 13.1 miles was getting to end and saying “I did it!” More than that, I knew my husband, my girls, and my family would be there to congratulate me. 

How much greater will the feeling of victory be when we complete our earthly race and see the Lord face to face! As excited as I was to hear congratulations from my family, I am far more excited to know the following: 

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” 2 Timothy 4:7

“Yes, I won the race.” 

The first thing that my 4 year old said to me when I met up with my family after the race was, “Did you win, Mommy?” My response without hesitating was “YES!” 

I may not have gotten first place, but I ran to receive the prize. I ran the very best race that I could and just finishing the race was the ultimate reward! It is my heart’s truest desire, and hopefully yours as well, that we would run our spiritual race to our very best ability as well. Take a GU along the way and be a sign of encouragement to those around you.  Let’s fight the good fight and finish the race. No matter how long the race feels, race to win the prize with your eyes ever watching and waiting for the beautiful finish line.