We all have a grid and a matrix in our brain from which we operate. The Scripture teaches that we are to renew our minds so that our lives can be transformed so that we won’t follow the patterns of this world. That transformation can only take place through the Word of God. It’s that simple.
The Word of God transforms the human mind. It will change the way we think and how we make decisions. The older I get and the longer I seek to walk with the Lord by devouring His word, the more I recognize just how bad my thinking has been, say 15-20 years ago. I was so driven by the American Dream 20 years ago. I’m ashamed to admit it. I never took a mission trip until I became a pastor. Can you believe that? I believed I was too busy to go. Can you see what I’m talking about. That’s bad thinking.
I believed the Word of God, but in so many areas of my life, I just didn’t apply it. The truth is, I’m sure that’s still very true in my life. I’m certain I’m blind to my own ignorance. I continue to ask the Lord to help me see these areas in my life as I hold up the Word of God to my life. I sincerely want to allow the Bible to be the “lamp to my feet and the light to my path.” If I’ll allow the Word of God to penetrate my thinking, then my life will be what God intends it to be. Otherwise, I’ll struggle mightily.
I’m pretty opinionated. I know that. I believe passionately. I’m not half-hearted in anything I do. I was raised to give it all I’ve got. That’s true whether I’m preaching, gardening or I’m pulling hard for the TarHeels on the basketball court. 🙂 Passion can be good and bad. It depends on how one uses it.
In my past, (and I’m sure it’s still true), I’ve lopped my belief and view toward certain areas of life into what I call dogmatism. There was zero “give” on my part. If you didn’t do it the way I was doing it, or my family did it, then I thought you were dead wrong and “not with the program.” I see now that I’ve been off-base in many ways with this line of thinking. I’ll show you why in a moment. But, for now, please understand there is “no give” on doctrine, but on style there should be mercy.
Paul said it this way:
Romans 14:2-6
2 One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. 3 Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. 4 Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
5 One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God.
Now, with all that said, I’ll give you an example. My family and I choose not to eat out on Sunday after service. Why? We don’t want anyone at the restaurant to say, “Because of you, I wasn’t able to go to church because I had to prepare your lunch.” I used to be very dogmatic about this and tried to push this belief to others. That’s wrong. It’s my personal belief and I’m convinced (in my own mind) that it’s the right thing to do, so as not to be a stumbling block. But, the Scripture above makes it clear that this is “style” not “doctrine.” Do you see the difference?
Can you think of any areas in your life that you might place in the “style” versus “doctrine” category? I bet you can. It might be clothing. It might be hair style. It might be method of education. It might be a myriad of things.
So, I’m going to share with you some things I believe in very, very much and I’m convinced in my mind that these are things that I support and will continue to be a proponent of going forward in my life. These are hills that I’ll die on…but, I won’t kill you on this hill. You might not believe this way, and you know what… I’m not going to look down my nose at you because you do or don’t. I’m not going to condemn you because you “eat meat offered to idols” and I don’t. You might like to eat Sunday lunch at a restaurant and that’s totally up to you and that doesn’t make you better or worse than me, nor does it make me better than you because I don’t. Again:
5 One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God.
Here’s a few things I believe in greatly!
First, I believe homeschooling is a fantastic form of education and I believe it is the best way to educate my children. But, I’m not going to preach this from the pulpit, nor am I going to not allow my kids to play with yours because you choose not to homeschool. Yet, I will tell you that I firmly believe this method of education (homeschooling using the Bible) is the most reliable way to transfer the gospel to the next generation. Did you read what I just wrote. Here it is again:
I firmly believe this method of education (homeschooling using the Bible) is the most reliable way to transfer the gospel to the next generation.
I didn’t say it was the best way to train a physicist or engineer or even a ditch digger. I said, I believe it’s the best and most reliable method of education to transfer the GOSPEL to the next generation. Now, if you aren’t concerned that much with that…then, so be it. If you want a “brainiac” who will go to an Ivy League school or your desire is for you kid to be “All-State” in an athletic endeavor, then this method is probably not for you. Yet, eternal things are what I’m speaking of here.
Let me give you some statistics to digest and think about regarding various methods of education. These stats come from here: https://generationswithvision.com/article/the-gen2-survey/ This survey was conducted after interviewing 10,000 millennials who have graduated from homeschools, Christian schools, and public schools.
Here’s a breakdown of “type of education” and how they feel about supporting gay marriage:
How about having sex before marriage in a co-habitation relationship:
It shouldn’t surprise anyone that only 9% of Homeschoolers have engaged in sex outside of marriage (co-habitation) versus the highest category (public school) at 34%.
How about belief in God…
This should make sense. The longer you have been educated in a public school environment, the less likely you will believe in God, while those educated at home are much more likely to believe in God.
Here’s the conclusion of the study:
ConclusionÂ
Ultimately, we must concede that truth is not determined by these “scientific studies.” Truth is obtained by the study of Scripture. Cause and effect relationships explained in Scripture may be believed with certainty (e.g. 1 John 1:9). God has assigned means to bring about certain effects. The means by which our children come to salvation include family discipleship (Deut. 6:7, Prov. 1:7, Eph. 6:4), and the preaching of the Word (Rom. 10:14). Apostasy comes about by submitting our children to false teachers (Luke 21:8, 2 John 7-8). These deceivers usually teach in the academic and cultural institutions of the day. They present false worldviews. This is the means by which the great apostasies occur.
For my second belief that I feel very strongly…
I believe Barack and Michelle Obama do not understand what it means to be a Christian. Another case in point is the fact that Michelle Obama hosted a celebration event for the Iranian New Year. All of this was happening while President Obama refused to meet with Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu when he came to speak to Congress. Amazing!!!
Mrs. Obama celebrated what is called “The Nowruz Celebration,” which marks the Persian New Year — traditionally celebrated in Iran and Afghanistan. Here’s a picture from the event…
That’s the Silk Road Dance Company performing in the East Room of the White House in celebration of the 3,000-year-old holiday. Really Mrs. Obama? The Persian New Year? She actually said, “…it is an important American tradition that helped shape us as a nation.” Are you serious?? I’m sure you are like me and you’ve probably never heard of this holiday before today. If you ask me, hosting that event at the White House was a shameless political move and showed the Obamas’ growing bias FOR Islamic culture, while ditching Israel. What’s next? I wonder if they’ll have an ISIS Day “egg” hunt in the Rose Garden??
You see Obama goes with the United Nation’s on almost everything and the UN despises Israel. Virginia Foxx spoke on the House floor about the United Nations (U.N.) last week. This was in her letter to constituents last week:
She said, “Last week the U.N.’s Commission on the Status of Women adopted a resolution that singles out and condemns Israel, a country that has guaranteed women equality in work, education, health and social welfare for more than 60 years, for violating the rights of women.
It is mind-boggling that the commission believes that Israel is the only one of the 193 U.N. member states worthy of condemnation for its record on women’s rights. What about Sudan where the legal age of marriage for girls is 10 years old? Or Iran where a woman’s testimony is only worth half of a man’s in court? Or India where statistics show a rape occurs every 22 minutes? You might be surprised to learn they all sit on the Commission on the Status of Women.
Some of the world’s worst violators of women’s rights sit on a commission that calls itself “the principal global intergovernmental body exclusively dedicated to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women.” It’s clear from the facts that this single-minded attack is just the latest salvo in the U.N.’s never ending anti-Israel agenda, and I am proud to stand up for our friend and ally.”
Third, I believe Climate Change is one of the most overblown, most ridiculous hoaxes that has been perpetrated on the world since Darwin and Evolution. John Coleman, an award-winning meteorologist and weatherman with sixty years of experience and founder of the Weather Channel, produced a video explaining the history of the man-made global warming hoax (see video link below).
Coleman is a former broadcast meteorologist of the year of the American Meteorological Society (AMS). He eventually quit the AMS. He said, “…politics has gotten in the way of the science.” Coleman says that there is no man-made global warming. He said: “I love our wonderful planet Earth. If I thought it was threatened by global warming, I would devote my life to stopping the warming!”
Coleman says that $4.7 billion in taxpayer money is funding “bogus reports” and “bogus research.” He says that any warming or “climate change” is extremely negligible from a long-term perspective and certainly nothing unusual or alarming. The video below is fairly lengthy, but if you’ll go to the 11:30 mark, he begins a detailed explanation about  how the global warming hoax was started and how Al Gore got involved in the movement.  Watch here:
For another article on why Climate Change is “Not Your Fault,” see here:Â https://answersingenesis.org/environmental-science/climate-change/globe-is-warming-but-its-not-your-fault/?utm_source=articlesmedia&utm_medium=email&utm_content=featurebutton&utm_campaign=20150307&mc_cid=ffd49ec350&mc_eid=4e7fcdcd8b
Well, there you have it. Three things that I firmly believe…
#1 Homeschool
#2 Obama is not a friend to Christians or Israel
#3 Climate Change (Global Warming) is Totally Overblown
Now you might disagree with me on all three of these issues and that’s totally okay. We can still have lunch together…just as long as it’s not on Sunday. Ha! 🙂