Category Archives: World View

by | October 31, 2010 · 11:14 pm

Do Your Duty…Vote…or NOT!

This Tuesday will be the day we go to the polls to vote.  Unless you were one who voted early, Tuesday will be the day you should do your public duty as a citizen of the United States.  VOTE!

But WAIT!!!  Do you know what you are doing?

Do you know who you are going to vote for?  If not, why? If you go to the polls November 2nd just so you can push a few buttons, or check off a few marks, what good did you do?  If you only go to fulfill a responsibility, without knowing any details, what kind of steward of this blood-bought gift are you?  If you don’t know the difference between liberty and liberalism, democracy and democrats, or socialism and social networking – DON’T VOTE!  Just stay home and watch Oprah or Dr. Phil.  When others are heading to the polls that evening, just veg out while you enjoy another episode of some cake-baking, tatoo-designing, dance-off competition.

For over 200 years men and women have been shedding their blood for the freedom we enjoy.

More will die to preserve it in the future, that is, if we still have freedom to defend.   In the last two years, and a little before, our freedoms have been as expendable as toilet paper.  The future of our nation is looking grim.  The rights afforded in the Constitution,  especially those in the First Amendment, are being destroyed for the sake of power and control, while the ignorant are enjoying the cheap door prizes.  If the uneducated, illiterate, uninformed and apathetic continue to vote for more government, all so that they can receive more “freebies” and food stamps, not to mention tax-payer funded health care, then blood was shed in vain.

Stay at home, ye who do not know what is going on.  Stay at home, all ye who voted just because we need “change” in the White House.  Stay at home all ye who said “anything is better than what we had.”  Please, for the love of God and country, STAY HOME!  Let the people who have strong ideals go vote.  Let the mature, the concerned, the alert, the forward-looking, the reader, the listener, the active citizen (as opposed to the apathetic moocher) go vote.  We know the importance of what we are doing and take it seriously.  We can handle the responsibility…Yes, we can!

People all over the world would, have, and will die for the opportunity to have what we have.

Take it seriously.  Make yourself a student, at least a “C” student, of what and Who made this country a “shining city on a hill.”  Read the Constitution.  Read the Bible.  Take responsibility for your own actions.  Know what the candidates truly stand for, then make a decision.  But if you’re wondering if it’s worth taking the time to drive to the poll…if you have to watch CNN right before you walk out the door to help you decide who to vote for…please, we’ll send you a “I Voted” sticker, just stay home.  It’s your patriotic duty.

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by | October 29, 2010 · 9:29 am

Dinosaur Bones Found on Moon!

What would be the impact on our philosophical, religious, and even evolutionary theories if bones from large reptiles were found on the moon?

Who would be most shaken up?  Would you lose your faith in God? Would you have to rethink your science?  What would it do to you? The fact is that if it would change your core beliefs, then maybe you should re-examine them right now.  You don’t know what may happen just around the corner that could turn your world upside down.

Well, to be honest, this was originally just a test to see what kind of headline really catches people’s attention.  Did it yours?  If so, then why?

Even if dinosaur bones were found on the moon, or even if alien people landed on the White House lawn (really, could they even do that without getting pegged by surface-to-air missiles?), Christianity could stand the test.  As a friend of mine, Steve Castlen, put it:

No it wouldnt shake my faith because:
1. The creation itself still needs a “Creator”.
2. The fine-tuning of the physical laws still needs a “Tuner”.
3. Moral laws still need a “Law Giver”.
4. The historical evidence for Jesus’ resurrection still stands.
5. And all life, even alien life cant come from non-life.

So, what do you think?  There is coming a day when the Bible predicts that the lies from the Enemy would be so strong that “even the elect” would have a hard time not believing them:

For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if [it were] possible, they shall deceive the very elect. – Matthew 24:24

Give it some thought.

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by | October 28, 2010 · 11:22 am

When you hear the sound of the trumpet…

Last night I had the honor to participate in an event of community prayer.  I was invited to speak by Shelton Brown, a student at Soddy Daisy High School.  If you don’t know what happened, a whole bunch of people gathered together in the park to celebrate our right and freedom to pray, even though it was recently mandated that prayer be stopped before football games.  This meeting was organized by students who decided enough was enough.

In my closing remarks (I spoke for 7 1/2 minutes) I brought up the story of Nehemiah, specifically a part in chapter 4, verse 20.  Nehemiah, in response to threats from enemies intent on stopping them from rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem, set people on the wall as lookouts.   Being that the wall was big and spread out, and being that there were few people, Nehemiah came up with a plan.  He said :

The work is great and extensive, and we are separated far from one another on the wall.  Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there.  Our God will fight for us.”

To me, and I am just little ol’ me, there should have been a lot more people present last night.   Why?  A trumpet was sounded for the body of Christ to come to the aid of not only Soddy Daisy, but for all of Hamilton County.  An attack on our freedoms, as both Christians and Americans, has come to our soil.  Why is it that our schedules and programs and our own sections of the wall are more important than stopping the enemy somewhere else?

Last night was your typical “Wednesday night prayer meeting” night.  Besides the fact that prayer is rarely the object of attention at most of these meetings, what would have been wrong with jumping in the church bus and heading to where the trumpet was sounding?  Where there may have been 500+ at this event last night, there should have been 1-2000.  Why were they not there?  Because it was more important for local congregations to remain safe and snug in their own little sections of  “the wall.”  Here was a prime example of LEGALISM in action, for many did not want to participate in an event that featured speakers that weren’t of a particular denomination.  Here was a prime example of LAZINESS, for it may have been difficult to get people together to go somewhere on a weeknight, especially if it wasn’t to Ryan’s or the bowling alley.  Here was a prime example of DENIAL, PRIDE, and APATHY, for there were others that did not attend because they either didn’t think there’s a problem; it wasn’t their idea; or they just really didn’t care.  Folks, what has been “typical” needs to be trashed.

This past Sunday I told my congregation that I would be in Soddy Daisy on Wednesday night because a trumpet had been sounded.  I went to stand in the gap with my brothers and sisters that cared enough to make a public stand against the tyranny of a few over the wishes of the people.  In the future, when other trumpets are sounded,  I pray that the churches of our county and our country will rally together in defence of the few walls we have left in this nation that, for now, claims to be “under God.”

May our God truly fight for us, for we don’t seem to want to fight for oursleves.

…Remember the Lord, great and awesome, and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses. – Nehemiah 4:14

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by | October 11, 2010 · 1:29 pm

Atheists on Christianity

You know, I was just watching some videos of atheists firing all their best shots at Christians and the belief that there is a God. One such video that you could watch on YouTube is of a debate put on by ABC. The Christians were Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron, but I can’t (or don’t care to) remember the names of the others. If there was anything more evident than anything else, it was the snarky, condescending, teenager-ish, even (may I dare say) “b***hy” attitudes of the atheists.  Typical of people that hate being told what to do (just like juveniles that argues about everything, even when they know they’re wrong).  It really just made me sad.

Then I looked down at my shirt…

At this moment I am wearing a T-shirt that shows all of the more common, recognizable religious symbols of the world. In the middle is a cross, the symbol of Christianity. What a stark contrast to all the others is the cross. A symbol of death for crimes not committed. A symbol that used to stand for shame, but now for the One who bore our shame. He didn’t have to, you know. What other symbol represents that?  What other symbol offers forgiveness from the very One that suffered unjustly?  What other symbol cries out, “Agape!“

Atheism and all of its relatives are on the march, emboldened and encouraged by a world that wants to have it their own way. They are vicious and brash.  They have a chip on their shoulder because of all that “sinner” stuff, you see.  “Even if there is a God, who are you Christians to say you have the only way,” they ask.  But you know what, this isn’t Burger King, “this is my Father’s world.” His rules apply. He will have the final say. And, just like my shirt says, “every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of the Father.”

Just say’n.  What say ye?

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by | October 2, 2010 · 10:48 pm

The Other Side of a Coined Phrase

You can talk all you want about what we’re NOT supposed to do, but we DO it all the time.  Who hasn’t seen the video of the panel of judges that were totally awestruck, not to mentioned very embarrassed, when Susan Boyle began to sing?  Judging by her looks, this was not supposed to be a superstar singer.  The whole crowd was guilty of  thinking the same thing…”What is this ugly woman doing on stage?”  Subconsciously they were thinking, “Only beautiful people can sing beautifully.”  Oh, how wrong they were!

I have heard it said all my life, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.”  Since I have done some research, that would mean I would have to be younger than 70, because that phrase wasn’t even coined until the mid 1940’s.  Anyway, I have been taught, as most people have, that we are not supposed to make assumptions about people simply on the basis of appearances.  As a matter of fact, long before “don’t judge a book by its cover” was coined, Benjamin Franklin said, “Don’t judge men’s wealth or godliness by their Sunday appearance.”  We all know that we shouldn’t judge a man’s character by his appearance (or even by the color of his skin, as Martin L. King, Jr. would have said).  But with all that said,

I can’t help but think that there is another side to this coin (coined phrase, that is).

While it may be true that we shouldn’t come to a conclusion about someone based solely on appearance,  how many books would you pick up and open if on the outside there was nothing describing the inside?  How much money is spent these days on cover design, I wonder.  Go to any bookseller and browse any isle and tell me what you find.  Are any of the books simply bound with only the title and the author printed on front?  Probably not.  Every kind of trick imaginable is employed to catch your eye and cause you to open the cover to see what is inside.  Now, not every cover will appeal to every reader, but the author will know ahead of time what type of audience he is trying to reach, therefore he will have a cover designed to appeal to the reader that will most likely buy the book.  How foolish would the writer be if he spent thousands of dollars for a design that appealed to the wrong crowd?  Even more, what would be the purpose of writing a book that had a cover which said nothing hinting of the content?

The other side to this “book-judging” coin is that even though we should not pre-judge a book by what is on the cover, the cover should give us some clues to what is on the inside.

For example, take a look at the title of the book to the right.  If you were to pick this book up at a book store, you would assume that on the inside there should be at least a hundred recipes, correct?  Really, the title of the book should give you confidence that inside resides the answer to all those questions you’ve had recently about how long you should roast a kangaroo tenderloin.  Shouldn’t it?  It says “How to Cook Everything.”   Well, by dang, I would assume, based on the cover, there should be, by my judgement, a kangaroo recipe in there somewhere.  I don’t know if there is or not, but do you see my point?  If you say you’re something, or if you want to give a certain impression, then be what you say you are, or kangaroo eaters are going to be disappointed.

Now, Jesus did say in Matthew 7:1,  “Judge not, that ye be not judged.”  He also said,  “Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment” (John 7:24).  The problem is that when we say that we should not judge a book by its cover, we imply that we can NEVER make ANY judgment based on what we see.  Seriously, how practical is that?  Jesus never said that we could never make righteous judgments.  As a matter of fact, consider these words of Jesus as found in Matthew 7, verses 15-20:

“Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.”

We are not supposed to come to any rash, prejudiced conclusions about people.  That is a fact.  We have no way of knowing whether a nice, fluffy sheep is a wolf, or not.  By outward appearances alone, all we can determine is that if it looks like a sheep and sounds like a sheep, it must be a sheep….until it starts to act like a sheep-eating wolf.  Then, when a sheep starts baring fangs at us, it is safe to judge, and there is no sin to be added to our account.

Righteous judgment, as Jesus mentioned in John 7:24, CAN be made if it is in reference to the fruit being inspected.  The fruit of a wolf is different than a sheep.  But here’s the point:

If a sheep claims to be a sheep, it should act like a sheep, not a wolf!

What is on the cover of a book SHOULD tell what is on the inside.  What we look like on the cover SHOULD make others want to read what is inside.  What we look like on the outside SHOULD mirror the message of the Author’s Word.  As believers in Christ, we claim to be something special.  We have the imprint of our Saviour written on our binding.  Jesus has a reputation as an Author, and what is inside our covers should not bring shame to His writing ability.  It may be wrong to judge a book by its cover, but it is equally wrong to claim to be a book that you’re not.

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by | September 14, 2010 · 10:34 pm

You Don’t Have to be Perfect to be Used

So, a Pharisee and a Publican walk into…let’s just say…a  search comittee meeting…

You know the story of the Pharisee and the Publican, don’t you? Jesus told the story, as recorded in Luke 18:10-11

“Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.”

Imagine that instead of the temple, they walked into a search committee meeting.   A meeting of people designated with the task of finding, let’s say, a new pastor for a church (at least that’s the way we do it in the Baptist denomination).   They walk in, introduce themselves, compare resumes, and one gets the job.  Which one?  The one that fits the picture of what every Christian fit for service should be – perfect.

Sunday night I shared with my congregation that God doesn’t just use perfect people, but people who have made mistakes, REAL people.  But sadly, within the church today, there are many men and women who have felt inferior and useless because of  sinful and broken pasts.  They are the people who sit on the pews, week after week, doing all they can to be faithful in life, but are forbidden to hold positions in the church.  They are much like the Publican, men and women who know they have failed before, but want to be forgiven and start new.  They are not the ones that look down on others for mistakes they’ve made.  They’re not Pharisees.

Have you ever considered how dysfunctional the characters of Genesis were?

I read through the book of Genesis last week in a couple of sittings.  Reading a book of the Bible that way, especially in a different translation, can help you see the story from a new perspective.  This time I was just astounded at how messed up these people really were!  There was so much “stuff” going on that if it were today, it would make an episode of Jerry Springer, or TrueTV look tame!  Consider, if nothing else, the sad story of Jacob, Leah, and Rachel.  This was a seriously messed up family with real marital problems.  At one point, Leah and Rachel get into a jealous argument over a son’s mandrakes.  Just imagine you were a marriage counselor and listened in to the following story…

Reuben went out during the wheat harvest and found some mandrakes in the field.  When he brought them to his mother, Leah, Rachel asked, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.”  But Leah replied to her, Isn’t it enough that you have taken my husband?  Now you also want my son’s mandrakes?”

“Well,” Rachel said, “you can sleep with him tonight in exchange for your son’s mandrakes.”  When Jacob came in from the field that evening, Leah went out to meet him and said, “You must come with me, for I have hired you with my son’s mandrakes.”  So Jacob slept with her that night. – Geneses 30:14:16 HCSB

Twice Abraham told other people that his wife, Sarah, was his sister so that he would not be harmed.  Joseph’s brothers hated him and sold him to traveling salesmen.  Jacob and Esau were seriously at odds.  Leah, poor thing, kept trying to have children so that her husband, Jacob would love her.  Jacob’s father-in-law, Laban, got him drunk on his wedding night and gave him the wrong wife – on purpose.  The son’s of Jacob (founders of ten of the tribes of Israel) lied to a bunch of men about making a covenant, then proceeded to slaughter all of them after they had convinced them to be circumsized.  It just goes on and on.  Messed up, I am telling you!

Nevertheless,

God told Abraham in Genesis 12:2-3  “And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.”  How is this even possible?  If God can use Abraham and his family with all their problems to bless the nations, then He can SURELY use ANYBODY!

Check in next time, and I will continue my thoughts on this subject.  I will be addressing the legalistic applications of 1 Timothy 3, the portion of Scripture most likely used to keep the Pharisees in the pulpit, and the Publicans in the pews.

Here’s a teaser: should divorce keep one from serving as deacon or pastor?

Tell me what YOU think.


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by | September 11, 2010 · 1:22 pm

Heaping Coals, Instead of Burning Korans

Being that it is in the news everywhere, I couldn’t help but weigh in on this story.

Has anyone ever stopped to ask, “Why are we so worried about what Pastor Terry Jones does?”  Sure, there have been many, from Franklin Graham to President Obama, who have stated their opinions.  People in the news all the world over have commented about it saying, “Nothing good can come of this…” and all that.  The main reason that is stated by Christians is that this Florida pastor, by burning Korans, will not only incite violence, but turn people away from Christ.  The “Christians” say that this pastor is not acting according to Scripture.  Maybe.

I would like to submit that the real reason that most people are against this pastor burning Korans in public, which he has a right to do, is because they are AFRAID!  Did you read what I just said? People are AFRAID of what Muslims, the “peaceful” people, will do.  Now, would someone tell me, prior to 9/11, would this have been an issue?

It seems to me that terrorism is winning, and winning big!

Why is it that Terry Jones is/was wanting to burn the Koran?  The reason probably rests in the desire to see some resolution to the inequity in the world.  Just recently I showed to my congregation the video, Obsession – Radical Islam’s War Against the West, in which there were multiple scenes of Muslims burning American flags, crosses, etc., and speaking publicly of how Christians, Jews, and anyone else that differs with them are just “cattle.” In one of the scenes there was an Islamic group standing in New York City, speaking English, proving their loyalty to the Qua-ran and Islam by walking on an American flag and saying, “Allah Akbar!”  Not one person did a thing to stop them.  But could you even imagine the opposite happening?  Death and mayhem would take place, not just on the streets of New York, but all over the world.  So it’s ok to burn a Bible, but not a Koran.  RIIIGHT!

Protesting in Afghanistan

Protests have taken place all over the world over the POTENTIAL burning of Korans at the Florida church.  Nothing had even happened, yet people were rioting, burning stuff, threatening to kill.  Where are the protests, the riots, the murders, the fires of destruction when crucifixes were dipped in urine (see picture at left) by Andres Surrano and called art?  Did Catholics march through Rome burning American flags?  Did Baptists burn art studios?  When Christians did speak out in this country over the funding of such art with tax dollars, the media accused the Christians of being bigoted and incapable of “understanding true art.”  What happens when a cartoonist just draws a picture of Mohammed? Oh, well, cutting his head off is the only logicgal thing for “peace-loving” people to do.  Just doesn’t seem too fair, does it?

So, you see, Pastor Terry Jones is feeling the frustration that comes with seeing others do things that offend you, but never being allowed to speak out.  If everything was fair, Christians should be able to burn Korans just as easily as Jihadists can cut of the heads of people they don’t agree with (Kaafir).

But let me be fair, there are, supposedly, Muslims who do not believe in what the so-called “radicals” are doing.  The don’t believe in terrorism.  They hate what happened on 9/11.  They say that the Koran is being misused in order to justify killing.  For example, here are some verses from the Koran:

(Qur’an 60:7-8):

“It may be that God will grant love (and friendship) between you and those whom ye (now) hold as enemies. For God has power (over all things), and God is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

God does not forbid you, with regard to those who fight you not for (your) faith nor drive you out of your homes, from dealing kindly and justly with them: for God loves those who are just.”

(I don’t want to sound like a pessimist, but really, does not the Muslim world consider us as those who “DO fight you for your faith, and DO fight you for your homes?“)

The fact is that most of the world runs in fear at the thought of offending a Muslim, but Christians can be made fun of at every turn.  Islam is on the rise, and it is primarily because FEAR that they are able to grow.  Even if there are “peaceful” Muslims around us, their sympathies still lie with their brethren, and few will stand up and condemn groups such as Hamas, the PLO, etc.  The average Muslim, whether he likes it or not, is benefiting from terrorism in its purest form.  The world, including America, is changing its habits, beliefs, and customs, not to mention the Constitution, in order to placate a TERRORIST religion.

Well, back to Terry Jones.  Does he have the right to burn the Koran? Yes, he does.  Should he?  I don’t think so.  The reason for not doing it should not be based in fear, though.  The reason for not doing it should be based on the Bible.  Not a Bible of milk-toast, wimpy, cowering Christianity; but a Bible filled with the courage of Christ.  Jesus was the MOST offended of all people.  He came to love and to save the lost, but they mocked and crucified Him.  He, of all people, could have poured out unspeakable horrors upon the earth in a matter of seconds, calling ten thousand angels to His defense.  However, He did not.  He knew that His purpose had to be completed, to die for sinful man, so that those who “know not what they do” could be saved.

Even though we have the right to be angry and demand justice, we should show Biblical love.

Ephesians 5:1-2 tells us to “be imitators of God, as dearly loved children. And walk in love, as Christ also loved us and gave Himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God.”   And as verse 15 says, we should “pay careful attention” to how we walk, “because the days are evil.”  Fact is, people of the world, including Muslims, are watching us.  Even though Satan would blind their eyes to the Truth of the Gospel, they can still see the love of Christ when it is expressed through the life of a Christian.  Admittedly, giving up our right to respond to injustice, as with burning the Koran, might seem unfair, but doing such things, just to make the other side angry, defeats the command of Romans 12:14, “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.”  Further more, verse 17 says, “Do not repay anyone evil for evil.”

Burning the Koran is either an act of revenge, or an attempt at justice.

I would say to all of those like Pastor Jones that I understand your frustration and pain, not to mention your anger at obvious inequities in what is considered fair and just.  But to intentionally provoke, knowing the consequences, would be stirring up unnecessary strife in an already troubled world.  There may come a time when one can no longer “turn the other cheek,” but Romans 12:18 tells us, “whenever it is possible, live at peace with all men…”  What is the reason for this?  Because as verse 19 says, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay.”   The best thing that we can do in this world to reach the lost, including the Muslim, is to love them.  Granted, that may be easier said than done.  On the other hand, consider God knows what He is doing, and He makes a promise that is found both in Proverbs and in Romans 12:20-21:

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him.  If he is thirsty, give him something to drink. For in doing so you will be heaping fiery coals on his head.  Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good.”

Maybe, instead of burning Korans, we should be “heaping coals.”


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by | September 2, 2010 · 6:48 pm

If Hawking says it, it must be true…Right?

The following is an exerpt from Stephen Hawking’s new book, The Grand Design, due out next week:

 

“Because there is a law such as gravity, the universe can and will create itself from nothing. Spontaneous creation is the reason there is something rather than nothing, why the universe exists, why we exist...” (Reuters)

I may only be a moron, but how can something that does not exist create itself? How can laws exist without a Lawgiver?  At what point do sane people look at comments like this and say, “Excuse me, but you, my good man, are an IDIOT!”

Given the expanse of eternal time, and the fact, as Hawking sees it, that the universe did and can create itself, is there not then the possibility that there is more than one universe?  Is it not possible, also, to assume that anything at any time could just pop out of nowhere, right in front of us and say, “Here I am!”  If any matter can create itself out of nothing, then the intent of the thing not created must have existed before the thing that was made.  I am sure that there could be a great many other intents floating around out there that could all of a sudden explode into existance, maybe even taking this universe with it.  Who knows?

There has to be some way we can find out the truth…hmmm…I wonder where we could find it?

You know, it is sorta funny how that I was just reading Plato yesterday (no kidding), and he believed that Idea and Form came before substance.  He did not believe in a God who had the Idea, just that the Idea existed.  Hawking believes that the Law of Gravity existed before the universe used it to create itself.  Sorta reminds me of an account of some other Athenians…

Act 17:21 KJV – (For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.)
 
 
And while they sat around doing the things that philosophers did during those days, the same thing held true that is true today for Hawking…
 
 
Ecc 1:9 NLT – History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new.
 

Maybe Plato should sue for royalties?  Oh, better yet, since he doesn’t exist any more, he could just bring himself into existence again and go over to London and smack Mr. Hawking for not only stealing his Idea, but for being a fool (Psalm 53:1).

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by | September 1, 2010 · 11:55 am

“What do these stones mean?”

While driving my school bus just the other day, I happened to ask a couple of teenagers about their knowledge of the battle of Lookout Mountain during the Civil War. They had no knowledge that there ever WAS a battle on that mountain! I was completely dumbfounded. Every day we drive across the foot of Lookout Mt., right past monuments and markers, right beneath the cannon placements above, and yet they never even knew there was a battle there! Unbelievable!As I see it, somewhere there was a breakdown in the education these children were given. How is it even possible that teenagers could graduate from schools in Chattanooga and never know that one of the key battles of the Civil War, the very war that liberated their ancestors from slavery (they were African-American), was fought in their own back yard?

Was this information not considered important enough to teach in public school?

The Battle of Lookout Mountain

When I took just a few minutes to share some facts about what happened in and around Lookout Mountain and Chattanooga, making them look out the windows up to the low-hanging clouds that covered the bluffs, they began to understand some things. When I related how desperate the Union troops were, the seemingly invincible fortress that was Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge, and then used the clouds right in front of them to explain the “miracle” that took place, history came alive. I asked them to imagine how scary it was to a guy that may have walked all the way down from New York, just to look straight up that mountain and know that he was going to have to go up it with just a rifle and a bayonet.

Most American young people do not care about history because they have never been led to make a connection with the past. When it becomes personal, either by making it relevant or intriguing, they take ownership. We can’t just sit around and blame our children, or other’s, for not knowing what we do not teach them.  The very same thing can be said about our faith and what we believe. Consider the following Scripture:

Joshua 4:4-7 Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, out of every tribe a man: and Joshua said unto them, Pass over before the ark of Jehovah your God into the midst of the Jordan, and take you up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel; that this may be a sign among you, that, when your children ask in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones? then ye shall say unto them, Because the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of Jehovah; when it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever.

What can we learn from these verses?  What principles can we see that could help our youth better understand our Faith, not to mention our history?  Here are just a few observations.

  1. “When your children ask in time to come…”  If our children are not asking questions, they need to be.  We need to lead them to places and discussions that would cause them to ask the right questions that lead them to discover truth.
  2. “These stones…”  There needs to be stones of remembrance, monuments, memorials in each Christian’s life that cause others to ask “the reason of the hope that is in you” (1 Peter 3:15).
  3. “Then ye shall say unto them…”   Do we know what to say when they do ask?  We had better!  What a loss and a missed opportunity when a child, even an adult, asks “what does this mean,” and we have nothing to say.
  4. “Your children…”   It is our responsibility to teach our children, not the state, nor a stranger.  Ultimately, we will be held accountable for what they learn, and from whom.

I can’t be held responsible for all the children of America, but I will be held responsible for mine (that’s one BIG reason we homeschool).  You will have to answer for yours.  And when it comes to the others that ride our buses, or mow our lawns, or stand in line, or or sit in our Sunday School classes, or whatever, don’t waste an opportunity to explain the reason for the “stones,” even if it’s a big mountain.

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