Worldview Class – Part 4 – Mixing Politics With Religion

This is a continuation of highlighted topics discussed in a worldview class I am teaching on Sunday morning. The main text for the study is The Battle for Truth by David Noebel. A good deal of this class is also based on personal research.

In Part 3 of this series, we learned that separating the sacred from the secular is an incorrect approach to weighty topics such as psychology, law, and economics. These topics should be considered entirely sacred, where they touch on ethical issues. But, something has happened to me several times in developing the worldview class for my church – I become hesitant to share a topic because it doesn’t seem “biblical” enough.

In developing some quotes and examples, I find myself second-guessing whether or not I should be presenting these in a church environment. This is especially true in the area of politics, which I often find myself addressing. Something inside me still struggles to mix these two. Could it be that my own worldview has been affected by my upbringing – especially where I’ve been taught (incorrectly) about the concept of separation of church and state? I think this is partly to blame for my hesitance in addressing politics in a church setting. A piece of me still thinks of politics as belonging strictly in the “Secular” box.

The apostle Paul was an excellent example of someone who was not afraid to share the gospel in a place other than a typical “church” setting. His speech in Acts 17:16-31 was given in the Areopagus, a kind of Roman high council venue, and a true political situation. Paul preached Jesus crucified and resurrected in this place, without apology. He was well-spoken and convincing in his argument.

‘While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to dispute with him. Some of them asked, "What is this babbler trying to say?" Others remarked, "He seems to be advocating foreign gods." They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, "May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we want to know what they mean." (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)

Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: "Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you.

"The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.'

Therefore since we are God's offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by man's design and skill. In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead."’

Paul’s example demonstrates that politics and a religious worldview can be presented in the same context. To some degree, our culture has tried to pry these apart and make the claim that they cannot coexist. But it should be understood that God’s grand design flows down to a great number of subjects – even politics. Our founding fathers knew this, and if you still doubt it, go back and read some of their quotes on the subject (from Part 1).

To Worldview - Part 5 - Secular Humanist Theology

Or go back to the main index for all twelve Parts.

***
If you are interested in portions, or all of this twelve part series taught in an engaging, educational fashion, please contact Alan at Banyan Concepts.
***

Thanks to “The Greatest Generation”

One of the finest books that I have ever read is The Winds of War by Herman Wouk. It is a fictional account of a Navy family set in non-fictional World War II. Wouk has written many excellent books that I heartily recommend – The Caine Mutiny and War and Remembrance being his major works that I have enjoyed.

My wife and I both enjoy reading novels set in history, and we recently decided to relive some old times by renting The Winds of War mini-series (about ten hours to watch in total, and it only gets you to Pearl Harbor, as there is also a War and Remembrance mini-series that followed).

One cannot help but be drawn to the central figure in the story – Pug Henry – played exceptionally well by Robert Mitchum. Pug is a gritty, determined Navy captain, who is smart, resourceful and protective of his own family. He is a classic military man, willing to sacrifice his own life and dreams for the service of his country. His career goals are constantly frustrated, as he is continually passed over for sea captaincy in favor of dealing diplomatically with the central figures in the war story – Hitler, Roosevelt, Churchill and Mussolini. His toast at a banquet hosted by Josef Stalin is one of the best scenes in the movie.

Pug finally gets his battleship command of the U.S.S. California, only to arrive in Pearl Harbor a few days after its destruction. His son is serving there aboard an aircraft carrier, and Pug displays his typical, reserved demeanor in dealing with the overall situation.

At the end of the movie, Pug stands on a hill overlooking Pearl Harbor, as his son sails away on the carrier. He lifts his eyes to the heavens, and says these incredible words (they brought tears to my eyes):

"Oh, Lord, in a world so rich and lovely, why can your children find nothing better to do than to dig iron from the ground and work it into vast, grotesque engines for blowing each other up? Is it because Abel's next-door neighbor was Cain? Is it because if my enemies make deadly engines, then I must do it better or die? Maybe the vicious circle will end this time. Maybe not. Maybe it will take Christ's Second Coming to end it. Maybe it will never end. But it is 1941 and I know this. Until the life is beaten out of the monster Hitler, the world cannot move another inch toward a sane existence. There is nothing to do now but win the war."

I admire the men and women of that era, and the sacrifices that they made. Their firm resolve to do what was right, at all costs, is unparalleled. It is truly difficult to watch this scene without tears welling up in your eyes. Many times, I have longed to have been born during that era, if for no other reason than to have experienced the hearts and minds of “the greatest generation”. Their unselfish attitude, and their willingness to give up their dreams for a time in order to win a bitter but necessary war inspires me to be involved in great things. How I wish for the chance to be involved with people like them, working for a cause that is great and good.

If you know a WWII veteran, please forward this to them. For those World War II veterans and families who might read this, let me thank you for the sacrifice of time, pain, and even family members if you were called to make such a forfeit. You are truly heroes, who gave up so much in order for our nation (and other nations, as well) to continue in freedom and serve the Lord without fear of punishment. I long for a nation that would do it again.

Worldview Class – Part 3 – Sacred and Secular

This is a continuation of highlighted topics discussed in a worldview class I am teaching on Sunday morning. The main text for the study is The Battle for Truth by David Noebel. A good deal of this class is also based on personal research.

A number of the topics in this class are rather intimidating. When we mention that a worldview must contain opinions on all ten of the listed topics – theology, philosophy, ethics, biology, psychology, sociology, law, politics, economics, and history – it may tend to drive some people away. This feels too much like reliving some of my least favorite college classes.

After all, aren’t these subjects of a more worldly concern? Topics like economics, biology and psychology surely don’t belong in a Sunday morning Bible class, nor should they be a great concern to professing Christians. Shouldn’t we spend our life on more spiritual matters? Aren’t there really two compartments in our lives – one secular and one sacred?

Actually, the follower of Christ should be concerned and knowledgeable about these subjects and should profess a godly opinion for each. Each item should be rooted in biblical truths, straight from God’s word – not just a high-minded opinion of each. We should search the scriptures for God’s stamp on each of these issues.

The first nine chapters of Genesis alone deal with all ten of the topics listed above. For example, Genesis 2:9 tells of the “tree of knowledge of good and evil”, clearly dealing with the topic of ethics. Genesis 1:28 says “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it”, which gives us some direction on the topics of sociology and ecology. The Bible is filled with references which spell out God’s design on each of these topics.

An excellent verse to memorize and commit to heart is Romans 1:20-23 - “For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.” Pay particular attention to the part of the verse in bold, that is, that we can glean God’s design by looking at what has been made. From a Christian worldview, the ten topics mentioned above are reflected in aspects of God's nature and the creation and order that He established…which makes all of these topics sacred, and not secular.

That’s right – our viewpoint on a subject such as psychology should reflect what God has revealed to us about the science of human behavior. Similarly, we should treat economics with knowledge given to us by God on the best way to deal with finances. Does the Bible talk about these subjects? It absolutely does.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer says, “There are not two realities, but only one reality, and that is the reality of God, which has become manifest in Christ in the reality of the world.” And so, we conclude that there are not two distinct compartments in our life, but rather, there is just one. Everything created by God is sacred and set apart for His purposes. We do not live dual lives – a “religious” one on Sunday, and a worldly one the rest of the week. Instead we “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” This is no small task, but it is important for us to realize that every good thing is sacred in God’s eyes.

To Worldview - Part 4 - Mixing Politics With Religion

Or go back to the main index for all twelve Parts.

***
If you are interested in portions, or all of this twelve part series taught in an engaging, educational fashion, please contact Alan at Banyan Concepts.
***

What’s Eternity Got To Do With It?

Our church recently sponsored a Christian gentleman to travel to Colorado and speak with us. For years, he has been a tireless worker in the faith and has traveled around the world speaking about his experiences. Ben Alexander is the author of the book Out from Darkness, which details his experience in the world of Satanism and the occult. Thankfully, he was able to see the error of that path, and has been spreading the good news for over forty years.

During one of his lessons, he said something that struck me as important. His words were, “This life has almost nothing to do with this life. It has everything to with eternity.”

That phrase made me stop and reflect for a moment. It’s an unusual statement in that it’s counter-intuitive to almost everything I read in the newspaper and see in the media. And yet, there is more than a nugget of truth in what he said. If my daily strivings have nothing to do with this life, then why do I worry so much about finances, safety, and overall security? Those are the things that get so much attention every day – from paying the car insurance, to fretting about the stock market, to praying for my wife and children to have a safe trip on the highway when visiting friends in Denver. Before you start to protest, please understand that I’m not suggesting we should avoid insurance coverage or that we stop praying for our families.

So much of our lives are devoted to thinking about the future – but is often limited to the future in this life only. Matthew 6:25 comes to mind – “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?” I’ve often read these words and thought that Jesus is much more pragmatic about the future than I can ever be. This was especially true when my own children were born, and my whole perspective about what was important was forever changed. The safety and security of my wife, son and two daughters seems paramount to me. I can’t imagine life without them.

So here’s the hard part. Do I really trust that God holds the future in His hands? Deep down I know that He does, but I have to truly let go and believe that He reigns over my life and the life of those I love. For me, giving up control is a very hard thing to do (I come by this trait honestly). But it is this very freedom that God offers to me, if I will have enough faith.

Once again, like so many things, it comes down to having an eternal perspective. If I can just see this life as an infinitesimal blip in the entire quantity of time that God offers to me, then I will be closer to understanding His plan. A lifetime on earth often seems so long, but compared to an eternity, it is nothing. And if I realize that eternity holds the promise of being with my loved ones forever, then the wealth that I might enjoy on this earth or even the length of my own life becomes less meaningful. But that is hard to live out in practicality. The concept of eternity is often overlooked, and is difficult to grasp even when reflected upon.

Jesus speaks on this topic in Luke 21:34-36 – “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap. For it will come upon all those who live on the face of the whole earth. Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.” It’s clear that Jesus wants us to focus on the life that is to come, and to be prepared for the day He comes back.

Because this life has everything to do with eternity.

Worldview Class – Part 2 – Cat Murder – Ethics and Truth

This is a continuation of highlighted topics discussed in a worldview class I am teaching on Sunday morning. The main text for the study is The Battle for Truth by David Noebel. A good deal of this class is also based on personal research.

In the last installment, I mentioned how critical it is that we recognize this fact – there is only one truth. To further emphasize the point, let’s consider a premise given by the New Age community – that truth is different for everyone. In this case, the New Agers will contend that each individual has the ability to “define their own truth”. So for one person, truth might be that cats are inherently ugly. Another person will contend that cats are preferable to any other living being, including humans. The New Age worldview will say that both are right, and that there are two truths in play (I recognize that this may be a tough example for some, considering how opinionated people tend to be about cats).

Moving up the spectrum a bit, let’s leave the topic of feline physical beauty, and put into play whether it is ethical to murder a cat. This example gets a clearly different answer from people, as many in our society are invested in the rights of animals. Others have no qualms about drowning cats. Again, New Age says that both viewpoints can be correct, as truth is different for each individual.

So, it’s time to take the example to the extreme. Consider the topic of premeditated human murder and where people might classify it – as an acceptable practice, or an act that must be punished by law? With very few exceptions, people will say it is the latter. The New Age movement will, in general, say that premeditated murder is inherently wrong and against societal norms. And, thus, we can draw the following spectrum diagram:





There are two questions that beg to be asked here. Number one – where does an issue go from becoming one of personal preference (cat beauty) to one of ethics? And, number two – along the ethical point of the spectrum, where is the concept of multiple truths supplanted by one single truth for all? That is, can I definitively locate the gray arrows in an absolute place – for all people?

To do so requires the admission that somewhere there is an absolute truth. And the next question must be, “Where does that absolute truth come from?” The answer from the Christian worldview is obviously, “It comes from God”. But what is the answer offered by other worldviews?

This clearly causes a dilemma for other worldviews, who must struggle under the weight of a changing or arbitrary definition of right and wrong. It is much easier to believe that God set right and wrong in the hearts of men and that, for matters relating to ethics and not personal preference, there is a defined line of good and evil that pertains to all men. “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.” (Romans 1:18-20)

To Worldview - Part 3 - Sacred and Secular

Or go back to the main index for all twelve Parts.

***
If you are interested in portions, or all of this twelve part series taught in an engaging, educational fashion, please contact Alan at Banyan Concepts.
***

Grace In Three Flavors

Throughout the Old Testament, we are reminded that the Israelites are God’s chosen people. Even when they turn away for a time, God was always there to receive them again after they had repented. Though they were the chosen nation, they didn’t win every battle or overcome every obstacle, but only the ones which God deemed that they should win. God’s wisdom and providence was dispensed, and sometimes withdrawn when they had a need to draw closer to Him.

Like the Israelites, we Christians are God’s chosen people, bafflingly chosen by Him before we were born, but with full free will to accept or reject Him. But what does it mean to be “chosen by God”? We can’t earn a place in heaven through good works, so we desire that He chooses us. It is God’s grace that we seek – and even that can’t be earned. This is often a difficult and confusing concept for my tiny mind to grasp.

My life has consisted of three different approaches to God’s grace. I believe these different phases mirror three types of Christian approaches to the topic. First was the period where I did not comprehend the concept of grace, but assumed that the Christian life demanded perfection and sinlessness. Where I fell short, I had to pray for forgiveness and hope that God took me seriously. We still have a book in our house from my teenage years called Some Do’s and Don’ts for the Christian. I lived as if there was a list of rights and wrongs that was clear – all I had to do was live by the “right” list, and avoid the “wrong” list. In short, grace was available from God, but I did not understand that it was free for the taking. Some payment had to be demanded – that’s the way the world works. Fortunately, God’s system didn’t originate in this world.

The second phase was a revelation to me – God’s grace was available and didn’t require me to make an atonement for each individual sin I committed. In a way, this was a new type of freedom, because I had lived previously under a system where I had better know right from wrong, and I had to be aware of which side I was living on during every minute of the day. I found that God’s grace was truly bigger than my sin and this was a joyous realization. All that remained was to determine how I could earn God’s grace and be covered by its blessing. And so I sought out new ways to earn that grace, by once again applying myself to good works in the hope that God would choose to award the gift to me when my time came to leave this world.

But there is very little difference between these two approaches to grace, other than one focuses on individual atonements for every sin, and one is more inclusive in its application. Both approaches require me to do something in exchange to earn God’s grace. Like a weekly allowance that’s dependent on completing a list of chores, I was living by a catalog of “do’s” and “don’ts” that either added up to damnation or salvation.

But there is a third approach to grace, where I give up my salvation to God alone. Nothing I do can make that salvation more or less sure, provided I still call Him my God and humbly accept His offering. Grace is God’s gift to me – end of story. Why is that so hard for me to grasp sometimes? I confess that my actions and my thinking still lapse back into the first and second approaches at times. This grand plan of God’s is so foreign to my worldly way of thinking that it often requires me to disengage from the daily grind and simply ponder Jesus’ sacrifice as the incredible gift that it is. If I were designing a path to forgiveness and salvation, I would not have thought of a plan like this. My design would have included lists, training, and an elaborate scoring system (almost certainly involving an Excel spreadsheet). Thankfully, God reigns over all – not me.

Romans 5 details the sin of Adam as bringing condemnation on all men, but the sacrifice of Jesus brings salvation to all men as well. Verse 17 says “For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.” There is a beautiful parallel contained in this chapter, of one man and the effect he can have on many men. Here is the mystery that sometimes escapes me.

God, grant me the ability to see Your grace for what it is – a free gift. And with that gift, help me to serve You in all things for eternity.

Worldview Class – Part 1 - Introduction

Here is an index of this twelve-part series on worldview:

Worldview - Part 1 - Introduction (this post)

Worldview - Part 2 - Cat Murder - Ethics and Truth

Worldview - Part 3 - Sacred and Secular

Worldview - Part 4 - Mixing Politics With Religion

Worldview - Part 5 - Secular Humanist Theology

Worldview - Part 6 - Marxist Theology

Worldview - Part 7 - New Age (Cosmic Humanist) Theology

Worldview - Part 8 - Christian Theology

Worldview - Part 9 - Secular Humanist Ethics

Worldview - Part 10 - Marxist/Leninist Ethics

Worldview - Part 11 - New Age (Cosmic Humanist) Ethics

Worldview - Part 12 - Christian Ethics

***
If you are interested in portions, or all of this twelve part series taught in an engaging, educational fashion, please contact Alan at Banyan Concepts.
***

While teaching a Sunday morning class at church on the topic of various worldviews, I plan to share some of the more significant findings which our class is learning. The main text for the study is The Battle for Truth by David Noebel. A good deal of this class is also based on personal research.

A worldview is an acquired and developed “filter” which each person possesses (whether they want to or not). Each person’s worldview may be slightly different, but it is this filter which determines how we view most everything that we experience. When we read the newspaper, our worldview determines how we interpret data and articles, and is the driving force behind the formulation of our own opinions on almost every subject. In our class, we will touch on four different worldviews (though there are more than this which could be considered) – 1) the Christian worldview, 2) the Secular Humanist worldview, 3) the Marxist/Leninist worldview, and 4) the Cosmic Humanist (or New Age) worldview.

Consider this example – Saint Peter reads an article in the newspaper about new abortion rights being granted to mothers and is horrified at the prospect. This rails against his perspective that all life is sacred and should be preserved. Madonna (the singer, not the painting) reads the exact same article and is filled with satisfaction that the universe has reached a new level of progressive achievement. How can two people read the very same article and yet come away with such radically different conclusions? It all has to do with the worldview that they possess.

This subject is timely. The Christian worldview has largely been removed from the public square, and is even condemned at times by our own laws and practices. But our nation did not start out this way. Consider these words from some of our founding fathers:

“Whoever will introduce into public affairs the principles of Christianity will change the face of the world.” – Benjamin Franklin

“It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religion, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ.” – Patrick Henry

“We have staked the whole future of American civilization not on the power of government, far from it. We have staked the future of all of our political institutions upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God.” – James Madison, fourth President of the United States

“The highest glory of the American Revolution was this: that it tied together in one indissoluble bond, the principles of civil government with the principles of Christianity.” – John Quincy Adams, sixth President of the United States

“God has given to our people the choice of their rulers, and it is the duty, as well as the privilege and interest of our Christian nation, to select and prefer Christians for their rulers” – John Jay, first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court

Can we imagine a politician or Supreme Court justice uttering these words today? Clearly, the worldview lens at the political level has changed in the last two hundred years.

There is much to support a Christian worldview. The idea of a soul is engendered in many other worldviews, including that of New Age supporters, but it is often not thought of as a “real” item to possess, but as more of an ethereal concept. Consider these words from Alexander Solzhenitsyn:

“There is a disaster…which has already been under way for quite some time. I am referring to the calamity of a despiritualized and irreligious humanistic consciousness. If humanism were right in declaring that man is born to be happy, he would not be born to die. Since his body is doomed to die, his task on earth evidently must be of a more spiritual nature.”

Throughout this class, I will reveal several articles of faith to be declared emphatically as elements of a Christian worldview. The first is this:

THERE IS ONLY ONE TRUTH

Once we arrive at the understanding that truth is not different for each individual (a common misperception in the New Age arena), it drives us to seek and understand what this truth is. This element is not an easy one for many people to accept. Many professing Christians will falter on this issue as they unintentionally compromise their belief or their moral position in order to be more accepted by others, and so live to fight another day. But this concept is one that must be adhered to if one is to successfully defend the ideal of Christian Theism.

To Worldview - Part 2 - Cat Murder - Ethics and Truth

Offering Meditation - What’s In Your Garbage Bag?

What am I truly invested in? What measure do I use to determine what is really important to me? It could be the time I invest in things, or the effort that I expend toward achieving a task. Or it could be the fervor with which I discuss a subject with a friend. I get up early in the morning on Saturday to do things that I deem to be especially important.

I still find myself checking bank accounts, stock prices, and financial investments sometimes in order get an estimation of my worth in this world. Sometimes, that actually gives me a measure of comfort, though it is usually short-lived.

Recently, I asked my family to do something a little different. I hung a clear plastic garbage bag outside the door in the garage and asked them to put every receipt for every purchase we made in the bag, until I was ready to use the bag for something special. To tell the truth, I knew that I would have an offering meditation to do at church in the future, and I had an idea that saving these receipts would provide some interesting subject matter. For about three months, we saved our receipts faithfully until I pulled the bag off the wall one day.

There was a time when filling that bag with receipts would have made me a little proud. It was a measure of what I could afford, which was a proxy for some degree of financial status. But now, it made me a little sad to see that my efforts to earn a paycheck and provide for my family in a financial way could be represented by a garbage bag full of bits of paper.

When we opened the bag, I had the family just take some time to go through the receipts and recall some of the things that we thought were important at the time. Curiously, almost all of the items listed in the bag are consumable – those things are now gone. I also noticed that our family eats quite a lot of cheese.

Getting older has woken me to the fact that there is much more to the life than the present moment. I think having children was the start of that journey. Tucking them in at night and watching them sleep when they were little, and wondering what they would become and how I could contribute to that outcome has a sobering effect. It makes it easier to invest in things other than bank accounts or retirement funds. Things like education, choosing friends, or getting involved in people’s lives take on new meaning when an eternal perspective is involved.

Matthew 6:19-21 says “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Heaven is what lasts, and it’s where I want to spend eternity with my wife, my children, and everyone else whom the Lord deems to enter there. Bringing that eternal point-of-view in focus against the window-dressing of this world has a life-changing effect.

After all, when you get to the end of your days, do you really want to be the one to say, “Hey, I had the biggest garbage bag?”

The Drinking Age Debate

For parents placing their children in the hands of universities across our nation, be warned - 123 college presidents want to lower the drinking age. The leaders of these colleges have gone on record with the Amethyst Initiative to make the claim that young people cannot wait until they are twenty-one to take a drink of alcohol.

Why do they make this claim? Because they believe that the age limit of twenty-one encourages irresponsible behavior in those under that limit who wish to drink.

Okay, if the irony of that statement didn’t take you by surprise, please go back and read the last paragraph again. The argument is being made that legalizing alcohol consumption at a younger age will lead to more responsible drinking. Let’s step back for a minute and theorize the thinking on the situation.

Currently, the age limit to consume alcohol is set by each individual state, but is “threatened” by the federal government, who will subtract ten percent of a state’s federal highway money if they set the minimum age at anything below twenty-one (the infringement by the federal government on individual state’s rights is a separate topic). To my knowledge, no state has tested that threat. The university presidents see two problems – 1) under-age individuals show disrespect for the law by acquiring fake ID’s, and 2) these same teenagers participate in binge-drinking because they cannot consume alcohol legally.

So, following their thinking, let’s presume to lower the drinking age to nineteen. Anyone who previously acquired a fake ID and was between nineteen and twenty-one is now in the clear. But how does this touch the second item – binge drinking? Their argument is that underage students currently hide and drink in large doses because they don’t have the freedom to consume an occasional beer without the threat of being arrested. Okay – maybe that argument holds some weight, though I have my doubts. What I observed in college was that students participated in binge drinking simply because they wanted to, even those who were legal.

Isn’t the real issue here one of teaching responsible behavior and respect for the law to our teenagers? By lowering the legal drinking age, we are essentially telling our children, “There’s no way we can trust you to do the right thing, even though the law prohibits you from drinking before you are twenty-one. We just don’t think you can wait. It worries us that you will choose to consume alcohol in great quantities because your desire to experiment is greater than any sense of self-control that your parents instilled in you. So we are going to lower the legal age, and trust that you will now drink responsibly because there is no threat of legal or police intervention. Enjoy!”

And so, it is proposed that we modify the law to accommodate underage drinkers, believing that this will solve the problem. But what about the eighteen-year-old who is now only one year away from legal drinking and will suffer the same pressures and temptations as the twenty-year old used to? Do we modify the law yet again to accommodate these teens, who are of an even less likely age to demonstrate self-control? Is there a magical age where this practice stops? Do we look at other age-related rights such as smoking and driving, and consider lowering their legal entry point in the hopes that we will produce less wrongdoing?

The real solution to the problem is for parents to raise their children to be responsible. Parents must once again claim the responsibility for bringing up children to be mature adults. And this doesn’t mean it starts when the child turns eighteen and goes to college. Our current expectations that teens will go through a rebellious adolescent period are relatively new. There was a time when marriage during the teen years was commonplace – I believe because maturity was expected and acquired at a much younger age. Families were started, careers launched, and maturity set in at the same ages that we now send children off to four years of college. Is it possible that we have slipped into a routine where we not only assume adolescents will rebel, but we laugh it off, fund the nonsense for four years at a university, and lower the age of legality in the hopes that it will encourage the maturity that used to be expected?

I recognize that some people reading this may feel unfairly treated or may even be offended. Many families today are in no shape to survive financially, they are split beyond repair, or they have no hope of recapturing the loss of innocence in their children. I am saddened by that, and I pray that we can find a way to bring those families back to the Lord’s blessing and comfort. But for those families who are fairly young and still have the opportunity, I encourage you to give yourselves up to the training of your children. Establish in them a godly, moral sense of direction. Talk to them often about temptations that they will face and how to combat the evil one. And have high expectations that by the time they reach their early teen years, they will have the maturity and wisdom to go out and face the world with an unshakeable moral foundation that rocks this world. Finally, teach your children to instill this character in their own children. If we begin to see this effort as a purposeful, lifetime journey, we can change the world.

Undivided Leadership

The link between good leaders and successful ventures is undeniable. In corporate America, the best companies do not take leadership for granted, but spend a great deal of time and money promoting those with leadership skills and grooming the best leaders to take the reins at the right time.

In the same way, nations need leaders who are undivided in their ways. And nations that have undivided leadership themselves remain undivided. Even more, nations who rally under the banner of God enjoy His blessing – not randomly but in a focused and targeted way. God gives blessing to righteous nations who vow to follow Him.

For proof, look no further than the Israelite nation of the Old Testament. Though they started out relatively small and they had no place to call their own for a time, God gave them victory after victory to overcome enemies who should have defeated them easily. This was not a chance event – God gave them success because they were His chosen people. However, the Israelites eventually grew jealous of the leadership structure of other nations and asked their God-appointed leaders for a king. Though he clearly did not like the prospect, Samuel anointed Saul as the first king of Israel, and things began to worsen.

Saul did not turn out to be a good king, and faltered in his governing, losing sight of God to the point that he called on a witch to predict his future. That event led directly to his death (1 Samuel 28:19). Saul was followed by David, a much better king overall, and the nation of Israel enjoyed God’s blessing for a time. At the end of David’s reign, Israel enjoyed a peace and prosperity that they had never known before.

David’s son, Solomon, took over the throne, and though he started out strong, his final years signaled the beginning of the downfall of God’s chosen people. 1 Kings 11:4 says, “As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God.” When Solomon had finished building the temple, God promised that the nation of Israel would be cut off and rejected if he ever turned away from God. Isn’t it interesting that this promise hinged on the faithfulness of one man in the entire nation – the leader? The result of Solomon’s divided heart was a divided people. Israel would soon split into two nations and would never attain her previous glory. God is faithful to all of His promises.

Proverbs 14:34 tell us that “righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.” Indeed, it seems the leaders of our own beloved United States have plunged us into the same state as Israel after Solomon’s rule. In nearly every area, our nation’s leaders equivocate on truths that should never have been placed in doubt. The role of government vs. the family, education, the loss of individual freedoms, abortion, and even the current high state of taxation all rail against the principles set out by God in his word. We are witnessing a presidential election in which both political parties have thrown out many of God’s basic tenets as outdated or inapplicable.

What would happen if just one voice in politics stood up and proclaimed to follow God’s laws, strictly and fully, while in office? That candidate would be the object of ridicule, cast aside as out-of-touch and possessing a skewed mindset. But that attitude is exactly what God demands of our leaders – an attitude that is undivided, unwavering and humbled to God’s laws. And if we were to elect such a candidate, the blessings of God would return and righteousness would exalt our nation, just as it did over two centuries ago.

And that can happen. It requires the faithfulness and efforts of God’s people to bring about that change, just as it has throughout history. If there is one thing that the Bible teaches us, it is that God is willing to forgive and start anew with His people. Pray for our country, that we might return to living (and leading) under God’s laws and that His blessing will return to us.

One Step Back, and Two Steps Forward

Just a few days ago, a significant event occurred in the home school community. The California legal system expressly declared home schools as a legal method of education in that state. Before this ruling, that issue was very much in doubt.

The case was brought about due to a lawsuit against a family who homeschooled, but who had clear indications and history of abuse. The state stepped in to protect the children, and a case was made that tied the children’s protection to the legality of homeschooling. So, two issues were at stake – 1) the protection and disposition of the children in the case, and 2) the legality of homeschooling. I will not deal with the children’s protection issue in this article, but will instead focus on the second issue.

The court’s ultimate findings were released just two weeks ago. They make an interesting read (if you don’t like legalese, skip ahead in the document and just read pages 5-8). You can view it at http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/opinions/documents/B192878A.PDF. Initially, the court concluded that home schooling was not legal in the state. This ruling was challenged by many, leading the court to agree to hear an appeal and reconsider their ruling. From the written finding, here is a summary of California home school law history, including the milestones of the current case.

1. 1903 – Homeschooling was permitted under California law
2. 1929 – The homeschooling clause was amended out of the law – children had to be educated by a public or private school or an accredited tutor
3. Cases in 1953 and 1961 agreed and concluded that a home school could not be considered a private school
4. The California court submitted their initial finding for this current case on Feb 28, 2008 stating explicitly that home schooling is not permitted under California law
5. The case was appealed, and several groups, along with Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, vowed to protest the ruling
6. The court agreed to reconsider, and allowed amicus briefs to be filed by various groups who were not part of the original legal proceedings.
7. The court found instances in law where it was clear that the state government knew that home school was occurring but had issued no protest. There were instances where California law exempted homeschoolers from certain restrictions typically applied to private schools – thus, giving credibility to the existence and legality of home schools. The court believes (rightly so) that the California legislature should have used these opportunities to amend the law once again to name home schools as private schools. However, they cite the law back in 1929 (excluding home schools) as the main reason for their initial finding.
8. On August 8, 2008, the Second District Court of Appeal in Los Angeles reversed its earlier decision and stated that “California statutes permit home schooling as a species of private school education”.

This is significant. In just a few months, California has gone from casually allowing home schools to exist, to declaring them as illegal, to naming the home school as an outright accepted version of a private school. It’s a victory of great proportions, especially considering that it took place in a liberal state such as California.

These proceedings also terrify me. How close were we to preventing the 166,000 children who are currently home schooled in that state from being educated by their own parents? I know, in our mostly public-school society today, this prospect may not seem so fearful. But for those of us who treasure the gift of teaching and discipling our children in our own home, the possibility of losing this right seems all-too-possible. Today, Americans have the choice to send their children to public school, to private school, or to home school. What would our nation be like if we took away that third option?

Consider Karl Marx, who did just that through his political system in nineteenth century Russia. Here is an excerpt from the Communist Manifesto:

“Abolition of the family! Even the most radical flare up at this infamous proposal of the Communists. On what foundation is the present family, the bourgeois family, based? On capital, on private gain… The bourgeois family will vanish as a matter of course when its complement vanishes, and both will vanish with the vanishing of capital. Do you charge us with wanting to stop the exploitation of children by their parents? To this crime we plead guilty. But, you say, we destroy the most hallowed of relations, when we replace home education by social.”

Marx’s desire was to replace the family with state institutions. Home education would not be allowed; indeed, the family as we know it would not be tolerated or allowed to exist. The state was to be trusted with providing everything that the children need.

Our nation edges closer to this political system every year. Other countries such as Holland and Germany already outlaw the practice of home education. The victory in California is critically important. But there is certainly another state somewhere waiting to take away this fundamental right…and may one day succeed. If you feel compelled to assist, I encourage you to donate to the Home School Legal Defense Association at http://hslda.org/. Educating our children is a fundamental right of parents and should be preserved. The founding fathers (who were home educated) would agree.

Parting Words

One of my college heroes passed away recently. He was an amazing musician, a man of many talents and he wrote beautiful and moving lyrics. My own guitar style has been heavily influenced by his technique, and I have almost a dozen vinyl record albums of his that are worn down past the grooves. One of my best college memories is a concert of his that I attended in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He played alone, but his talented display made it seem as if five musicians were playing simultaneously on stage.

Dan Fogelberg was an idol of sorts for me. He inspired me to improve on my musical aptitude, and to learn multiple musical instruments. His song, “The Leader of The Band”, was written to honor his own father and paid tribute to the inspiration he had provided to Dan as he grew up. The fact that Dan spent a good deal of his time at his ranch in Colorado, not far from where I live, encouraged me to keep an eye out for him whenever I was in the Estes Park area.

On December 16, 2007, Dan succumbed to prostate cancer, after battling the disease courageously for several years. I confess that I had lost track of him over time, so I spent some minutes on his website after learning of his passing. I was ready to read more inspirational thoughts from him, especially knowing that he had time to ponder his last words.

I have to say, I was a little disappointed.

Dan’s website summarized with this final thought to his readers – men should get screened early for prostate cancer. He passed on his belief that his life might have been saved or lengthened had he been tested earlier. Now, don’t get me wrong here. I do not mean to dishonor those whose lives have been touched by cancer. My own brother was taken by it when he was twenty-one years old. And it is indeed important to take care of our health where we can. But is this level of depth sufficient to sum up a life?

Dan’s lyrics, while often moving, imply a humanist view of thinking. He did significant work with the environmentalist movement, and sometimes wrote songs of protest. There were rarely any references to God or Jesus in his lyrics (though “Wandering Shepherd” comes to mind). But, I can’t help but wonder, did Dan miss the biggest point of all in life? Did he miss out on God?

What would each of us write as our parting words if we knew that we were going to die soon? What words would we pass on to others when trying to impart our life’s lessons? If you had a hundred words to leave a message to your children, what would you say? Would your words encourage your children to enjoy life more, spend less time working and more time playing with the kids, or to be more involved in your community?

For me, the ultimate goal is to join with my family in heaven for eternity, honoring God and worshiping Him and enjoying everlasting fellowship with God’s chosen people. Here’s an idea. I vow to write out just such a parting statement and keep it handy. And I commit to updating it every six months. It will serve as a torch to pass on to the next generation of my family, and it will also be a reminder for me about how I should live. After all, I don’t know when God has planned to call me home. I don’t want to miss out on the opportunity to tell what I have learned.

And I sincerely hope that Dan will be waiting there in heaven with two guitars. We’ll have a long time to write music together.

No Longer Chasing the American Dream

When I was young, the children in our family received an allowance each week - ten cents for each year of age we had attained. I planned and saved and looked forward to the weekly handout, and I did remarkably well, saving to pay for half of my first ten-speed bike and still being able to buy a few gifts at Christmas. This allowance kept coming until I started working a few hours a week at a grocery store in our small town, where I made $3.15 an hour. At the time, I felt like I was on the road to financial independence.

My attitude then (and sometimes now) was to hoard and save. If I saw a penny on the ground, I would pick it up and add it to my fortune. Throwing it in a nearby fountain seemed like a waste, and I would never have been seen contributing any money in this way. Through my junior high years, I kept all of my money - paper and coin - in an empty one-gallon plastic milk jug buried behind things in the darkest corner of my closet. I kept a running tally of how much the jug contained on a sheet of paper tacked to the wall inside my closet. Sometimes, if I had a few free minutes, I would dump out the contents of the jug on my bed and re-count it all, just to make sure I had it counted correctly (and in the hope that I might discover two five-dollar bills stuck together).

In short, I was greedy and obsessed with money.

While I’m still considered “frugal” by those who know me best, I think I have finally come to put money in its proper place in the broader scheme of things. But I have a concern for my children. How will they view money (and the love of it) as they grow up? Will they follow in the footsteps of their father, or will they learn generosity and the real value of money when they are young? I’m proud to say that they appear to be far ahead of me in understanding God’s financial principles.

Recently, my son earned twenty dollars for helping out with nursery duties for an entire summer of weekly Bible classes. For him, that’s quite a lot of money. If I had earned that amount when I was ten, it would have been added to the milk jug and counted a dozen times in the first week alone. The timing of this payment coincided with our church’s annual Vacation Bible School. One of the VBS goals was to take up daily donations to apply toward missions and special needs. On one of these days, when they were trying to meet the set goal for donations, my wife observed my son putting in fifteen dollars to help the cause. After a few minutes, she walked over to him, and asked if he really wanted to contribute the majority of his recent earnings. His answer? “Mom, it’s just paper. And besides, the missionaries need it more than I do.”

To tell the truth, I’m in awe of that moment. My son understands a fundamental concept in his youth which I never did while growing up, and which still escapes me at times today. Two things strike me about what he did – he gave freely and generously, and he thought he was doing it anonymously. He didn’t seek glory or praise for his act. He did it because he truly thought it was the right thing to do, and there was no greed in his heart. Moments like this make me want to break down and weep at the wonder of little hearts and their innocence.

Over the last few years, my goals for my children have been turned upside-down. I don’t necessarily envision a future for them where they are richer than I, and where they are guaranteed to be more financially successful than previous generations of our family. I don’t aspire to have them only choose careers that pay at the upper end of the pay scale, or demand that they choose a career which assures them of upper-middle-class status. My goal for them is to love God, serve Him, and find a career or purpose which furthers His kingdom. I want them to have a pure understanding that, while we may live in a material world, we are called to rise above it and recognize that the spiritual aspect is the most important. Wealth, possessions, and earthly treasures are all going to burn up some day. What will be left?

1 Chronicles 29:11-12 tells us “Yours, O Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all.” Wealth comes from God, and enables us to do things in this world. But it is no longer the pursuit of my life’s efforts. I am at the point where I am prepared to sacrifice a great deal of wealth and security, if it allows me to serve God better and to bring my family along with me. I think my children are already at that point.

One more piece of the story remains to be told. Four hours after starting this entry, God sent me a test. While walking through the airport coming home from a business trip, my path took me directly over a dime resting starkly on the dark blue carpet in an uncrowded section of the terminal. I am pretty certain that God put it there. I just walked on by.

Return to banyanconcepts.com

Communion Meditation - 8/10/2008

I was 18 when we adopted twin newborns into our family. We had kept them as foster children since birth. They had been born prematurely, one was thought to have possible cerebral palsy, and no one had offered to adopt them for over a year. Rather than let the state split them up to increase their adoption chances, our family made the easy decision to keep them.

Jason and Justin grew up to be big and strong in a very short time. After just a couple of years, it was determined that they had zero health issues.

I had never had a brother. Now I had two.

Justin was the quieter of the two. He got along with almost everyone, and had a great number of friends and people who took an interest in his life. He had lots of interests like basketball and cars, and had a wealth of friends.

When he was 21, Justin was diagnosed with inoperable brain cancer. He immediately began treatments, which required a great deal of patience and fortitude on his part. My parents were amazed that he never complained and never showed any bitterness about his situation. His disease was not brought about by anything he did, nor was it punishment for anything he had done in the past.

Six months after being diagnosed and after a great deal of love and care, my brother Justin passed away. Our family was hurting, but his spirit through the whole thing reminded us of what he was looking forward to, and what was really important in the end.

Stories like this cause us to pause and reflect on what is important in life. They make us recall memories and sometimes ponder our reason for existence.

2000 years ago, a baby was born in Bethlehem. His family loved him and knew that he was something special, even before he had been born. They loved him and raised him to love the Lord.

He grew in wisdom and stature. No doubt, many people took an interest in his life and his teachings, and he counted many as friends.

When he was 33 years old, he was led to a cross and crucified. It was a painful, excruciating death, and his family was there while it happened. He had done absolutely nothing to deserve such a death - indeed, he had done nothing wrong for his entire life.

Nevertheless, he died and was miraculously raised again in three days.

Stories like this cause us to pause and reflect on what is important in life. They make us recall memories and sometimes ponder our reason for existence. We have the opportunity to reflect on this man's death each week. What does it make you think of? What is the reason for your existence? How has Jesus touched your life?

We “Moo” At Bad Words!

Since having children, my wife and I have marveled at our increased sensitivity to bad language from outside sources. Several times, we have rented “old” movies that we watched while growing up, with the intent to show them to our children. I think we hoped to see the same excitement and wonder on our children’s faces that we experienced in our youth while watching the original Star Wars trilogy.

Imagine our surprise during some of these viewings when foul language erupted from the television, followed by questioning looks from our children and winces from the parents. Does this sound familiar? In my youth, I honestly don’t remember the amount of foul language that was spoken in such seemingly-innocent shows as Back To The Future or the TV-series Full House. My genuine recollection is that these were wholesome, rated-G shows that our family could enjoy together. Call me radical, but they are neither wholesome nor appropriate for young viewers. At this rate, I’m pretty sure that I’m going to be Amish in another five years.

In addition to “bad-language sources” that can be turned off with a remote control, we are constantly exposed to it from places that are harder to get away from – the person in line behind us at the grocery store, the rowdy fan next to us at the ball game, or even the occasional family relative who doesn’t have a godly background but who is captive in our house for the holidays. No, Mike, I’m not talking about you.

I struggled with how to handle this for a number of years – from physically removing our children from the situation, to turning off the television, to exchanging glances with the kids in order to communicate our disapproval. Then, one day, an idea struck me that has had a tremendous impact on our family life.

We “Moo” at bad words.

I honestly don’t know how we thought of this approach, but I remember it was while watching a movie where one of the characters uttered a bad word. There was an uncomfortable silence in the room as our family digested the moment, and then my oldest daughter said it. “Moo!” As in what cows say when they are...well, it’s the only thing they say. The family looked around with raised eyebrows, and I took a moment to pause the movie and begin one of my fatherly speeches. “It is so hard for me and Mommy to control everything that our family hears, so I have an idea. Wouldn’t it be neat for all of us to “Moo” whenever we hear a bad word? It would be our way of recognizing an inappropriate comment, and cover it with something a little funny, instead of the family just trying to ignore the word.”

The rest is history. This practice has changed our lives because it gives our whole family a sense of rightness and unity whenever those around us behave inappropriately. At times, it’s a race to see who can say “Moo” first. My oldest daughter Molly has let an audible “Moo” slip out a time or two when among teenage friends, only to receive some very strange looks. She’s not apologetic about it. Our family has also expanded the practice into other areas. We “Moo” (quietly) at the store when we see others dressed inappropriately. I “Moo” while on conference calls at work (with the phone on mute). We’ve even passed the “Moo” tradition on to our beloved cousin Hana when she came to visit us for two weeks this summer. I expect portions of Indiana are hearing the “Moo” from her regularly. At this pace, it could become a national trend.

I would prefer to keep my children away from bad influences entirely. I don’t see how that is practical or even possible, as the events are sometimes beyond our control. What I can do is to instill a sense of what is right and wrong in my children. When they leave our immediate care, they are not readily influenced by the world, but have been equipped with the tools to counter what they hear and perhaps even cast a little salt and light into the world. Saying “Moo” to bad words may sound silly and ineffective. But…..

…..I dare you to try it for a week and see if it changes your family like it has mine.