I rushed this along to get you while you were thinking on the New Year.
We live in a frustrating, difficult and confusing time. We need to calibrate in the direction that God has called us to. This blog is about recalibrating while you start the new year.
Next month I will talk about a Christian World View, CWV and how we can live and prosper with God in our time.
Happy New Year to all of you and blessings on you and yours.
Gayle
As I start the New Year, I have been thinking a lot on where we are going as a people and what lies ahead. With a family of 18, I concern myself with things like this. I am not a pessimist by nature but I am clearly concerned for what lies ahead. Some of my key concerns are because of:
- Socially and academically and ecclesiastically as a people we are embracing a low opinion of the Bible.
- Both inside & outside the institutional church, biblical standards are frequently violated and these violations are accepted. We are confusing our condoning of anti-scriptural behavior with tolerance.
- Our loss of recognition that Israel is at the epicenter of history past and future and our waning support of Israel.
- As a people we are more concerned with career, wealth, social position than how God has equipped us for the work of Christ.
- We confuse our disapproval of abortion as a total Christian World View. That disapproval is only a sliver of what is in a Christian world view.
After much reflection, I decided the greatest gift I can give my family for their future is our commitment and knowledge of the Bible and a relationship to Christ. Not money, not my opinions, not pictures but the Bible and Christ. Also we need to model serving Christ in the world. This should be Con and my legacy.
The application of the Word is my progeny’s only hope. It is the only inheritance that will not betray them in the coming time. It is the only truth document on our relationship to God and others that has lasted 2000+67y5 years.
Historically when people gather in community for any reason and for a period of time, corruption and debauchery set in. As a people we have gathered into our larger cities and can’t stay away from corruption and a culture that is debauched. Just review Babel and the history of Jerusalem. Our gathering has always taken us down wrong paths and away from the Word’s teaching.
My observation historically is that once a social line of standards is drawn we immediately begin to drift downward morally and religiously. All people, professing Christians included, tend to conform to the cultural standards they inhabit, i.e. Romans 1:18-32. We must always reset and recalibrate our position in life with the Word continually.
Over time all cultures have had correction events or something that has happened forced them to restart. These events came in the form of wars, depressions, famines, disease, etc. These seem to reset the systems and help to momentarily correct problems in society brought on by sin. My observation is we are better in building and rebuilding than living in cruise control.
I concluded I am wise to promote to others and the kids a high/authoritative view of the Scripture (teach them to defend the validity of the Bible) and my knowledge and reverence for Christ. Also, an awareness of their God given giftedness and a vision to serve God. Within my small sphere of influence, I must be a clarion voice for the authority and value and “how to revere and study/apply” the Bible.
My conclusion on the Bible:
“With the Word, you can plot the journey of your life with God and trust Him for the result”.
In the near future I will face God at the judgement seat and He is going to ask me what I did for the kingdom with my “talents”.
Remember moral convictions today become traditions tomorrow which are relics to be studied, ridiculed, made fun of and abused in the future. Only the Word survives. We must Always be in the state of recalibrating to the Word and Christ.
Questions to ask yourself (and the family) as you start the new year.
- Am I more knowledgeable about God’s Word now than a year ago? Response
- Does my family know my commitment to the Word as we see and hear the news on TV? Response
- Do I know my giftedness from God, “talents”? Response
- Do I understand and am I applying myself to the work of God? Response
- Am I at peace living in the world, having a career, making money but serving the kingdom 1st?
- When I face God in the near future and He ask what I did with my life, how will I answer?
Mission statement of this blog
These blogs are to stimulate your biblical thinking to become Issachar’s of our time.
1 Chr 12:32 and from the sons of Issachar, men who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do…
These blogs are an attempt to articulate key biblical issues of our day so that we can
- Learn and understand the propositions of the Bible concerning our life
- We can apply the truth in our life in the sanctification process
- Contend/defend against heresy or apostasy.
- We can draw closer to God
We now have a Web site for the blog. Thanks to Mr. Matt MacMillan we are now modern era. Here are some facts on the site
- The address is JacksonsJournal.com
- No password is required
- You may print any document.
- If you want to correct one, you must first pass it past me.
I hope these bless you….Gayle
