Back-to-School Supplies

The beginning of the new school year in the middle of the summer still catches me off guard. However, a recent trip to Wal-Mart made it quite evident that something is happening. Mothers were pushing their shopping carts, attended by their school-age children, buying all the necessary (?) back-to-school supplies. This is a much bigger issue than it was in 1947-48 when I was in the first grade. Backpacks, computers, MP3s and such, were no where in sight. A new shirt, some pencils, and a Roy Rogers lunch box were just about all that was needed. But there have been other far more significant changes since 1947 than supplies and technology.

Let’s start with those attending public school. Teachers, administrators, students, and parents have changed over the past fifty years. This is not meant to be a launch against public schools, but some warnings are necessary. It seems that more teachers and administrators are either antagonistic or merely passive toward the Christian worldview. How does this show up? Anything that might smack of the promotion of religion, especially Christianity, is nixed (“Get that pilgrim out of the play”). Self-esteem development drives much of educational philosophy. Positive reinforcement and an absence of criticism and punishment decorate the classroom. And then there is Charles Darwin. The preferred creation myth is evolution. It is deemed a fact and any voices to the contrary will be patronized at best. Fathers and mothers must not look the other way while all this indoctrination is taking place. Children must be steeped in the Christian worldview, participate in worshiping the God of creation, and taught how to think biblically. That is a tall order, especially in the younger grades. But Christian parents must be proactive and thoroughly engaged in the education of their children.

School children are bringing loads to school, which far outweigh their backpacks. The baggage of divorced parents, drugs, alcohol, sexual abuse, and a movie-and-television-saturated thought life, can make the classroom a very tense experience. Are you praying for our Christian teachers and administrators? They are in a mission field which desperately needs Christ’s presence. Students from Christian homes need encouragement, wisdom, love, and strength as they navigate through the public school.

Those who are committed to home schooling have opportunities and challenges as well. The advantage of a parent-controlled learning environment can yield many developmental dividends. A Christian worldview can permeate every academic subject. Time can be used to the maximum. The student is able to take on extra projects under parental supervision. The demands of curriculum selection, knowledge of the subjects being taught, and a lack of interaction with other students are not insurmountable. But as all home school parents know, it takes dedication, husband and wife teamwork, and self-discipline to learn in a home environment. But God can supply the graces of the Spirit necessary.

How does God supply what is needed in the education of our children and teenagers? Know God. The work of self-education requires vast amounts of energy. For the Christian, energy for God is needed if a bold witness for Him is to be sustained. Reading, mathematics, science projects, and social studies require alertness to the encroachments of a naturalistic worldview. Harry Blamires in his book, The Christian Mind, discusses six characteristics of a Christian mind at work in contrast to the secular mind. They are: supernatural orientation, awareness of evil, conception of truth, acceptance of authority, concern for the person and sacramental cast. The most important back-to-school supplies are minds occupied with what God thinks about history, health, race, sex, politics, law, or any other subject. It is a mind that measures all of reality by the purposes of God in creation, the drama of redemption, and the coming kingdom. It is a mind that resists preoccupation with the self (how one feels and how one feels about how one feels) and cares for all peoples everywhere. Every Christian involved in the preparation of the next generation for the future would do well to read David W. Gill’s The Opening of the Christian Mind. The hurriedness of life must not be allowed to leave the most important things undone, part of which is the knowledge of how to take every thought captive to Christ. No student is adequately supplied for school who does not know how Christians are to think.

Dr. Howard E. Dial
Berachah Bible Church

A Time to Gather Stones

The Preacher of Ecclesiastes tells us that there is a time to gather stones. He meant God’s control of human affairs does not rule out man’s responsibility. If fields are to be readied for planting of crops or building houses, then stones must be taken off the land. That means work is necessary if progress is to be made. This is not an earth shattering idea, but a necessary reminder of the God-ordained value of work. God works through the believer’s work. Certainly, God’s grace makes our interests, desires, plans, and energy possible. Because of this, productive activity takes place. This is a good time to review the gathering of stones in our church life since so many in our congregation have been scattered during the brief summer break.

The summer months have been busy with a missions’ trip to Bosnia, Vacation Bible School, and Youth camps. With the new technology of digital cameras and power-point projectors we are able to see immediate, colorful, and engaging reports on where our church family has been and what happened. This is good. Reports, mostly presented on Sunday evenings, inform us and enable us to feel a part of all that is going on. The Bosnia Missions Team gave us a sense of “you-are-there” in their pictures of the people of Gorazde. The students in the seminary in Novosibirsk, Siberia were again brought closer to us in Frank Pass’s presentation. Steve and Kim Reitz, with CrossWorld in Gorazde, have expressed their gratitude for our partnership with them in the midst of a Muslim population. The Bennetts will soon take us on a picture-trip to their ministry time in Costa Rica.

Bryan Ryan has shouldered an extra load by coming back from his teen camps and organizing our Vacation Bible School. We weren’t sure if we were going to be able to have it this summer given the limited pool of workers. But faithful servants in our church family rose to the occasion. Scores of boys and girls heard the Bible truths bound up in John Bunyan’s “Pilgrim’s Progress.” And to top off a week of evangelistic outreach, a 3 x 3 basketball tournament was conducted on our much used basketball court. Over twenty of our neighborhood young men joined in on the competition. If we are going to be a church without walls, it is going to take this kind of thing to build relational bridges into our community. The eleven baptisms in several months are a cause for rejoicing in God’s salvation and challenge us to increase our commitment to the work of evangelism.

The Ladies Bible Class will resume in September after its summer sabbatical. But the study “Helpers By Design” has been meeting twice each month in various homes. Summer Care Groups have met on Wednesday evenings in the Fellowship Hall to study Thomas Brook’s Precious Remedies Against Satan’s Devices. There is much to be gained by looking at our adversary’s playbook. If the Devil’s temptations are to be successfully resisted, we need to know what they look like.

More “stone-gathering” is in our near future. Awana will begin in September. The second year of our Bible Institute will offer a course in Hermeneutics. Look for the flyer that will explain all the details. The Faith-Builders Sunday School class will begin a study in Church History starting in September. Keep your eye on the book nook for the course textbook, Christianity Through The Centuries, by Earle E. Cairns. This overview of the history of the Church will explain “the development of doctrines, movements, and institutions” in the church. Attention will also be given to “the impact of Christianity on its times and to the mark of the times on Christianity.” An exposition of 2 Peter will begin soon on Sunday mornings providing a helpful biblical backdrop for the church history study. A series on the principles and nature of revival will be offered by Justin Culbertson on Sunday evenings. This close look at revivals in the Bible is being linked to a special Saturday morning conference at Faith Bible Church in September on Revivals in Church History. Several local pastors will be speaking. Further information will be provided.

Pray that the necessary zoning changes on our property will be permitted without any complications. This relatively insignificant change from agricultural to residential zoning will make it possible to proceed with the construction of our new building. And, speaking of prayer, all the stone-gathering mentioned above calls for Christian intercessors to “draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need.”

Dr. Howard E. Dial
Berachah Bible Church

Dumber Than Swine

My wife shared a news story with me this week that just tickled me. In Turkey, some shepherds had taken a break to eat breakfast and had left their flock unattended, though they were not far away. One of the sheep ran and jumped off a nearby cliff to his death. Then another one followed . . . and another . . . and so on. The stunned Turkish shepherds watched as nearly 1,500 others followed, each leaping off the cliff in the same spot. In the end, 450 dead animals lay on top of one another in a massive pile of white wool. The 1,000 plus sheep that jumped later were saved as the pile grew higher and the fall more cushioned.

The humor I found in this story turned to sadness as I thought of the effect that such a loss would have on this destitute community. These sheep were their livelihood. The economic impact of this tragedy for these families would be equivalent to the loss of a year’s wages in America.

The account in the gospels of the demoniac whose unclean spirits Jesus released into a large herd of pigs also came to mind. After the demons entered the swine, the herd rushed toward the sea, tumbled down a cliff, and drowned. About 2,000 pigs died that day. This was also a major economic catastrophe to that Gerasene community, as evidenced by their response to Jesus: “They began to implore Jesus to leave their region” (Mk. 5:17). But my thought was this: Pigs have to be possessed by demons to foolishly run off a cliff to their death; sheep just need to be left alone and they will meet the same fate. My conclusion: Sheep are dumber than swine.

And it is sheep that the Bible repeatedly compares God’s people to. Let that give you a “self-esteem” boost. Actually, God doesn’t compare us to sheep because of our low IQ’s as though humans were actually no smarter than pigs. We have been uniquely created in the image of God and are highly intelligent beings so far as creatures go. But God does use sheep as a metaphor for us because of the neediness sheep have for their shepherd. Left alone they are helpless and lost. Sheep need shepherds. They need protection from wolves. They need to be led to green pastures and fresh water. They need to be protected from sickness, parasites, and injuries. They are dependent creatures, completely in need of their shepherd’s guidance and care.

Who is our shepherd, but the Lord Himself (Ps. 23; John 10)? Being one of God’s sheep does not mean that we turn our brains off, “letting go and letting God.” No, as human “sheep” we must faithfully follow our Chief Shepherd, Jesus Christ. We must be quick to respond to the nudging of His rod and the guidance of His staff. We must drink from the deep springs of truth He leads us to which are in His Word. We must keep ourselves in the sphere of His protection—“Keep yourselves in the love of God” (Jude 21). We must stay close to the flock, the church, and not wander away in selfish independence or curious investigation.

“We are His people and the sheep of His pasture” (Ps. 100:3b). This special relationship we have with the Lord carries a great responsibility and a great promise. “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand” (John 10:27-28). May each of us joyfully submit to the guidance of and find comfort in the care of our Great Shepherd, Jesus Christ, and of His under-shepherds in this local flock.

Justin Culbertson
Berachah Bible Church

Alcohol: To Drink or Not to Drink?

Should a Christian drink alcoholic beverages? Should a Christian engage in the so-called recreational use of drugs (marijuana, cocaine, etc.)? There was a time, only a few decades ago, when these questions were answered with a resounding “no.” It has become quite fashionable for professing Christians to drink alcoholic beverages. Some church young people find it no big deal to play with illegal and legal drugs in search of an emotional joy ride. It must be acknowledged that a strong strain of legalism encouraged the measurement of one’s spiritual status by such things as abstinence from alcohol, movies, and other behavior restrictions. But the old legalism has given way to a culture of license that is incompatible with the grace of discipline.

With regard to the consumption of alcoholic beverages, several summary responses present themselves. There are those who say that total abstinence is commanded by the Scriptures. Those passages in the Bible that refer to believers drinking wine (1 Tim. 5:23) are interpreted to mean grape juice. Another school of thought is that drinking alcoholic beverages in moderation is permissible whereas drunkenness is condemned. These two ways of thinking yield to a third understanding of the Bible. It is believed that it is permissible to drink “a little wine.” The Christian conscience cannot be bound in the matter of alcohol. Instead individual Christians must come to their own convictions based on the best way to use their liberty in Christ. What is the biblical path that must be followed with regard to beer, wine, liquor, and other such beverages?

The Scriptures condemn the immoderate use of strong drink. Christians are not to get drunk (Eph. 5:18). To be controlled by alcohol rather than the Holy Spirit is alien to a zeal for God. The Christian is not to associate with those who call themselves “brothers” but are drunkards (1 Cor. 5:10). There are certain people who become dominated by their sinful desires. They are dangerous company, especially if they profess to be Christians. Christ’s people are not to be drawn into close companionship with them. Drunkenness arises from one’s sinful nature (Gal. 5:21; Rom. 13:12-13; 1 Cor. 6:10). Intoxication is the result of decisions we make, not genetic determinism. Drunkenness is self-destructive (Prov 23:29-35). It breeds a host of ills such as foolish decisions, violence, poverty, family breakdown, and death. The vice-like grip of love for alcohol can bring a nation to ruin (Isa. 5:11).

Christian liberty permits one to either abstain from or partake of alcoholic beverages in moderation. Total abstinence is not God’s requirement for all His people. Self-control and moderation bound up in love for God should guide the believer’s behavior (Gal. 5:23; 2 Pet. 1:6; Tit. 2:2). Alertness to the possibilities of a personal fall serves as a caution light when contemplating any non-moral issue (Rom. 13:14; 1 Cor. 10:12). The body of the Christian is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19-20). Since the body of the Christian belongs to God, the question is of paramount importance, “How would alcohol, or any food or drink affect my body?” We are to glorify God in everything we do (1Cor. 10:31). Our culture’s fixation on personal rights, if made a litmus test for our decisions, is a move away from living under the Lordship of Christ and the authority of God’s Word.

Often overlooked in the question of drinking alcoholic beverages is the responsibility the Christian has to others. The believer who desires to please God must be willing to give up his rights for the welfare of others (Rom. 14; 1 Cor. 8, 10). The restriction of one’s freedom in Christ will be necessary as a part of loving one’s neighbor as himself. Also to be considered is the enormity of the problem of alcoholism in our society. We live in a situation that is significantly different from Bible times. In the first century wine was mixed with water. Up to two hundred parts of water to one part wine was a preferred norm. The people of Bible days could not have imagined the high alcohol content of beverages today.

If you choose to drink alcoholic beverages in moderation, have you arrived at this decision on the basis of peer pressure or biblical convictions that your liberty in Christ gives you? Are you drinking alcoholic beverages without full freedom of conscience? Have you considered the possibility that a susceptible “weaker brother” (one who has not developed adequate biblical convictions) is being caused to stumble? Are you abusing your liberty? How necessary is alcohol to your joy, contentment, and adjustment to the pressures of life? Can you cope with the stresses of life without chemical dependence? Alcohol can easily become a god, but it will never offer what God alone can give us.

Dr. Howard E. Dial
Berachah Bible Church

The Christian Patriot

The movie, “The Patriot,” had its fans and its critics. Some, with a mind to the contrary, viewed the violence in the name of patriotism disgusting. True, the British “redcoats” were portrayed as tyrannical villains, but the patriot was merciless as he settled scores in the name of liberty. Where were the Christians in the war of independence from Great Britain? They were on both sides and equally convinced that they were in the right. Modern Americans sit under the tree of freedom from their British overlords because many Christians took up the fight for the establishment of a new nation.

The American Civil War brought Christians into conflict with one another over the right of states to secede from the union. Where one was born seems largely to have determined loyalties. In some cases brother fought against brother. Christians who were not necessarily for slavery rallied to the defense of their families and state. Wars such as the War Between the States and Revolutionary War in America forced the church to think about what constitutes good citizenship as revealed in the Scriptures. Even in our own day the war in Iraq has some Christians at odds with one another over its legitimacy.

On this July 4th the features of biblical patriotism need to be revisited. The Bible does not endorse any particular form of government. Whether it is a dictatorship, oligarchy, monarchy, or a democracy, God’s people are to obey the laws of their government. Civil government has a two-fold God-given purpose. The good of society by being a terror to evil-doers and praising those who exemplify good citizenship constitute the essence of good government. This is accomplished by the protection of life and property and the preservation of peace and order. Through fines, imprisonment, confiscation of property, and the execution of the death penalty human governments function to repress evil. This all reminds us of the value of law as a restraint to wrong doing. Those who say that morality can’t be legislated are right if they mean you can’t have laws to prevent anger. But laws and penalties against crimes of violence and murder are not morally neutral. God has ordained human government to protect its citizens in an evil world.

A fierce debate rages today over the relationship between church and state in a constitutional republic. What seems to have been lost in appeals to a strict separation of church and state is the will of our founding fathers, namely a free church in a free state. The Bible does not subordinate the church to the state nor the state to the church. The state is not to establish a state church, but nowhere in the founding documents of our nation is it declared that God is to be banished from the public square. Those who are working for a secular state are conspicuously promoting unconstitutional endeavors and schemes of rebellion against God Almighty.

Patriotism for the Christian honors the right to serve in the military. This is not a violation of responsibility to obey God’s laws. In relation to the spiritual kingdom God’s servants do not fight (Jn. 18:36). This, however, does not conflict with bearing arms and fighting for one’s country. When the war is a just war, soldiering is both a service to one’s nation and a ministry on behalf of God (Rom. 13:4). A biblically enlightened conscience led some to fight as Loyalists to the throne of England in the Revolutionary War and others to fight as American patriots. The Civil War created a similar divergence of action. God’s judgment is equitable and according to His infinite wisdom. Today we have young men and women serving in our armed forces all over the world. Many have given their lives in the service of their country. This is an honorable and noble cause. They need our support and prayers.

The nations of this world will not bow their knees to Jesus Christ until He returns in glory at His second coming. Human government does not hold the solution to moral and social ills. Nations are doomed to futile efforts as they seek to bring about a utopia. But, like Daniel and his three friends, the church of Jesus Christ is to serve God by holding its respective governments accountable to God. At the same time service is to be rendered to one’s nation as a true patriot as long as no demand is made to disobey God. Christian patriots know that one day the kingdom of the world will become “the kingdom of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever.”

Dr. Howard E. Dial
Berachah Bible Church