Spiritual Growth

Just like a book needs revising as an author looks back and sees what he wrote years ago, so we felt the need to revise some things in this blog.  As we looked back on the things we wrote when we started the blog 3 years ago, we realized how many things God has shown us since then.  We realized our "vision" had changed, and we aren't really as excited about farming as we used to be.  Yes, we still enjoy it, but it isn't where we get our life from anymore.  We also realized much of our terminology was kind of funny - things like wanting more of the presence of God.  We know that God is with us everywhere we go.  Yes, we understand that God does manifest his presence in different ways at different times, but we aren't so much longing for a goosebumps experience anymore.  Its more about love, and out of that flows an awareness of God's presence.  We have realized that much of our focus was on self, "fulfill our destiny and discover God's love for us".  Yes, those things are all very important - but for what purpose???  If the purpose isn't also to share God's love with others, then we're nothing more than clanging cymbals.  We make a lot of noise, but that's about it.

In another 3 years, we will probably look back on this season and wonder, "what were we thinking back then?"  When I look back on where we were 4-5 years ago, I am in shock.  My wife and daughters could only wear skirts, we were "patriarchal", we thought raising good Christian kids meant conforming to the outward traditions of men. We thought your measure of spiritually hinged on how many "arrows" were in your quiver and if you could grind your own wheat.  My wife and I had no real relationship, we were just fulfilling our "roles".  We weren't listening to God's voice, we were just doing what seemed the right thing to do.  The list goes on and on.

Spiritual Growth involves change, and if we can't look back on our lives and see where God has adjusted or changed us in some way, something is wrong.  There were certainly seasons where I didn't change in my Christian journey.  Times where I was stuck.  That is a miserable place to be.  Some call it a desert season, some call it the wilderness.  Those are times where not much growth is happening.  If you are there, don't give up, keep going.  Turn to God and ask him to deliver you and restore your faith.  Cry out to him for help.  If you are relationally dry, ask Jesus to show you how to relate to him as head properly first, then ask him what to do so you can grow in those relationships in your immediate sphere.  Don't ask God where to go to church, ask him how you can be the church with whoever he connects you with relationally.  Allow the Cross to be applied to those areas of your life you haven't wanted God or others to touch.  John 12:24

Why we homeschool

When my wife and I started this homeschooling journey 11-12 years ago, we started out with many "good" reasons for homeschooling our children, and I am thankful for them.  When considering homeschooling, I remember a pastor at the church we attended giving us some wisdom out of the Bible.  He said,  "If you want your children to become fools, let them spend most of their time with fools.  If you want your children to be wise, let them spend most of their time with wise people".  That made good sense to me, and it still does.  Also, since most of the people in this church were homeschooling, it made it easier for us to decide to homeschool.   Furthermore, since the public schools are a haven for foolishness, bad behavior, bullying, etc. we wanted to protect our children, shelter them, and provide a Christian worldview for them to follow.  We wanted to be able to influence them more than their peers and protect them from the public school agendas of evolutionism, gay rights, sex ed, etc. 

A few years later, our family joined a very traditional, “family-integrated” church group. Our reasons for homeschooling stayed the same in some ways, but we became more legalistic and behavior-focused.  We wanted our children to grow up to be "good" people, who attend a "good" church, find a "good" spouse, get a "good" job(only if they are men :) ), be good citizens, have many children, dress nice, and do all the things we thought were best for them. We wanted our children to stay true to the faith so we would look like great parents, and our children would turn out to be model Christians who dress, talk, and act like a Christian. We figured that by sheltering them and keeping out all evil influences, we could achieve this goal. Our goal was to only allow them to associate with others who were "like-minded".  We have since left that church and many of the ideals they represented.

What we have been considering lately is this:  Are these reasons for homeschooling enough?  What are the main reasons why we homeschool?

After looking at the first three websites that popped up on Google search, I am convinced that most people are excluding God and any spiritual reasons from their decision-making process. Although practical reasons are good, they are not enough.
Reasons to homeschool web site 1
Reasons to homeschool web site 2
Reasons to homeschool web site 3

My wife was looking at a facebook post the other day that asked for a vote on reasons for homeschooling. She was amazed that out of 120 responses, only two of them said that God had led them to homeschool.  Most of the responses involve some sort of a criticism of the public school system, and the need to protect their children from it.  Other responses involved the superior education their children were able to receive at home.

Even though I happen to agree with many of these good reasons for homeschooling, they aren't the primary goal any more for us.  If our goal is to shelter, protect, and produce good behaving people who are well-educated, we haven't really gained much.  Yes, good character and being different from the world is good, but why?  If that's all we have, we are only going to produce Pharisees who look down their noses at those who are different or don't measure up to their standards. 

Philippians 3:4-9
⁴ though I myself have reasons for such confidence. If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: ⁵ circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; ⁶ as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless. ⁷ But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. ⁸ What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ ⁹ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in^[a] Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.

So, what is our goal now?  My wife wrote this last week, and I think it sums it up very well.

The world is and has been changing, the tide has/is turning….. It is time to rethink “Christianity” in our country. Who are we called to be? Why are we doing what we do as far as homeschooling/raising our children/discipling others?  Why has God called us to raise our children this way? Live this way?  Is it to protect? Shelter? NO! God is asking us to be and raise up a people that KNOW and LOVE Him in such a way that they will be able and willing to stand ALONE with Him in adverse circumstances. Yes, as Christians, we are a blessing to one another but the world needs Christians that won’t back down individually or in small groups, a people that don’t need or rely on a mediator and 100’s or even 1000’s of other likeminded people standing with them.  There is a time coming and has come in some countries, when there will no longer be the possibility of crowd following and still walking with God.  Our children and families may not have “beautiful” lives and futures by our homeschooling, “Christian” standards…they will need to have an intimate relationship with God to walk through adverse circumstances with Him. Our goal in homeschooling is not and cannot be to “protect, instill, groom, etc”. It is to raise up godly men and women that are willing to walk with God in a Holy Army that will require everything of them.

To summarize, we homeschool because we believe God has called us to raise our children up as disciples of Jesus:
1. We believe God has called us to this task of homeschooling(discipleship).
2. We want our children to know Jesus relationally, and love him with all their heart.
3. We want our children to love others and be a light to them, not judge them harshly.
4. We desire our children to have the ability to think for themselves so they won't follow the crowd.
5. We desire our children to be strong in the face of adversity, willing to follow God no matter what the cost.
6. We desire our children to be among those who do not love their lives even unto death.  Rev. 12

To wrap this up, let me share with you something I learned from watching the new Hobbit movie: The Desolation of Smaug.  In the movie, the wood elves are hearing reports about the evil rising in middle-earth.  They argue amongst themselves about whether they should just continue hiding in their safe place, ignore the suffering of others around them, and try to wait for the evil to pass.  Here is a quote.

Tauriel (female elf): When did we allow evil to become stronger than us?
Legolas (male elf): It is not our fight.
Tauriel (female elf): It is our fight.

Tauriel ends up defying the wishes of the leader of the elves(Thranduil), leaves the safety of their home, and helps those who need help.  First, by healing a dwarf, and second, by giving her assistance in the fight against evil.

I ask you this same question - When did we Christians allow evil to become stronger than us?

A word of encouragement and Blessing to Homeschoolers

 

Word of Encouragement and Blessing to Homeschooling Mothers, Fathers, and Children

If Jesus were speaking directly to you right now, and he is speaking to you, he would say: 

Thank you for choosing the narrow path, the difficult way. It leads to abundant life, great blessing, and eternal benefits and rewards.  I have called you to a Holy, set apart lifestyle and you have responded.  I know the way is difficult and you feel like giving up sometimes.  Come to me when you feel worn-out, tired, burned-out, stressed out, and heavily laden with many burdens.  I will give you rest and life.  Resist the pull to compare yourself with others and look to the right or the left.  Re-focus your gaze and your heart upon me.  Remember that your main purpose in raising your children is to teach them to love me with all their hearts and to follow me.

Homeschooling Moms, the Father is so pleased with your love and care for his children. Nothing escapes the Father’s notice.  Your purpose and calling as a mother and teacher during this season is valuable and significant beyond what you can see with your limited perspective.  You have sacrificed much to make the decision and accept the call to train up your children in the way the Father has created them.  The Father is pleased with you and proud of you.  Don’t grow weary in doing good, continue to fight the good fight of faith and finish the race.  Strength, wisdom, and energy will fill you.  May an increase of love, purpose, and vision come upon you.  Moms, resist the lie that comes and tells you your task is without purpose or significance just because nobody seems to honor or recognize you.  The First will be Last, and the Last will be First in my kingdom.  You may appear to be Last according to the values system of this world, but in the Kingdom of Heaven, you are first because you are a loving servant.

                Homeschooling Dads, support and love your family in more ways than just financially.  Encourage your wife and children, be genuinely interested and engaged in their day.  Your interest and encouragement will help pull them through difficult seasons.  You have sacrificed much to be a homeschooling Father, and the Father notices.  He is pleased that you work hard to support your family in many ways.  Your words have life and can encourage your family to be the overcomers I have called them to be.  You, as a Father, have the power to call forth and encourage the identity of your wife and children.  Your example of hard work, servant-leadership, self-sacrifice, love, and courage sets the tone for your family.  Come to the Father for your true identity and vision, do not go to the world for identity and their standard of success.  You are a true son of God, now go and call forth your children as sons and daughters of God.  Teach them to love this world with my love, and train them for war to defeat the darkness.  I didn’t call you to homeschooling so that you and your family would hide from the world, but I called you to homeschooling so you can raise up world-changers who will carry my love to the lost sons and daughters.

                I declare over the children clear vision, ears to hear, and teachable, tender hearts.  Let them have open minds that listen to their mother and father’s wisdom.  Give the children the Father’s heart for this world and his love for people.  Let the spirit of rebellion over this generation be broken and not touch these children.  Let the children choose wisdom and life that leads to blessing.  Let the children really come to know God in a deeply personal way.  Let them resist the world, the flesh, and the devil.  Let them avoid the snares of the enemy and stay on the narrow road.  Let them learn to hear the voice of God and obey that voice.  Let the Holy Spirit fill them and flow through them.  Show them who you really are, Father, and show them what you have created and called them to do.  You children are precious to the Father, you are his beloved.  Come to the Father through me and you will know true life.

Cessationism is Dead!

Cessationism is on its way out, but those like John Macarthur with his "Strange Fire" conference, are still trying to beat this dead horse.  Here are a couple links I would like to share regarding this issue.

AW Tozer states the issue very clearly when he says in the article I have linked to below:

"it will be seen how empty and meaningless is the average church service today. All the means are in evidence; the one ominous weakness is the absence of the Spirit’s power. ... The power from on high is neither known nor desired by pastor or people. This is nothing less than tragic, and all the more so because it falls within the field of religion, where the eternal destinies of men are involved.
Fundamentalism has stood aloof from the liberal in self-conscious superiority and has on its own part fallen into error, the error of textualism, which is simply orthodoxy without the Holy Ghost. Everywhere among conservatives we find persons who are Bible-taught but not Spirit-taught. They conceive truth to be something which they can grasp with the mind."

An open letter to John Macarthur from A W Tozer

Michael Brown appeal to John Macarthur

Link to earlier article on our Blog - Cessationism is heresy

"John Macarthur's Strange Fire" - from Stephen Crosby

Lawyers or Lovers

Loved this Post by Steve Crosby.  Right along the lines of what God has shown us these past couple years.

Lawyers or Lovers

The Prophetic Lifestyle

A post by Brian Harrison prompted me to begin thinking about the apostolic nature of our lives, and what it means to speak apostolically.  What does the Apostolic look like?

Brian mentions 4 things that are characteristics of apostolic statements/actions.
1. It's Heavenly and not Earthly
2. it is corporate and not personal
3. It is sacrificial and not self-serving and therein emits the aroma of Christ.
4. It is authentic and not fabricated

I was reminded of the close tie between speaking/living  prophetically and speaking/living apostolically.  Just a couple days previous to reading this article by Brian, I had read the preview for a book at Amazon.com that talks about what it means to live prophetically.  I love the way this guy writes.  I had stumbled across his web-site when looking at the openheaven.com forum.

Let your Light Shine - Ray Ashmore

Here is the the Amazon description for the book:

Jesus is The Prophet. Every word that comes from His lips is prophetic. Every expression of His will is prophetic. Every work of His Spirit is prophetic. The Holy Spirit is the conveyer of truth to the church both in words and deeds; and the church is to be a picture of that very truth to its community and world. Prophecy is far more than words or visions. Prophecy is a life lived individually and in a gathered community that bears testimony to God and His redemptive work. Prophecy isn't restricted to the simple understanding of the prophetic ministry that most charismatics espouse. True prophecy always, without exception and in every way, lifts up Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

and a profound excerpt from the book:
"By extension, as we steep ourselves in the word of God, we learn from Him, grow in Him, and become truly prophetic. It's not that we will be prophets, but we become prophetic in our living. How does this take place? It takes place by the Holy Spirit as He transforms our lives into Christ's likeness. As we grow into His image, The Prophet Jesus grows in us. He is put on display through us. His words and thoughts are expressed by us. Our words reveal Him and our lives display Him. Our actions, the events in our lives, and our responses to them are all symbolic of Christ's life and His will for us. We are prophetic in the truest sense of the word."
This got me thinking about how our lifestyle as Christians is to let the Life, Love, and Character of Jesus flow out of us in such a way that we become a prophetic statement to the world.  We become a testimony of what God and his Kingdom is really like.  The advancement of his Kingdom depends upon us entering into union with Jesus and living the life of the Spirit.  This is what living a prophetic life is all about!  I had always thought of prophecy as being prophetic utterances - but this has opened my eyes to the fact that there is much more.  Prophetic utterances flow out of our union with Christ and getting a hold of his heart of Love.  They do not flow out of our intellect, they flow out of deep communion and identification with Jesus, by the Holy Spirit. 

Old Testament prophets did not just pronounce "Thus saith the Lord", their lives also became prophetic statements of the Heart of God for his people.  They did not just pronounce judgment, their lives became so filled with God's heart of Love, Mercy, and righteous anger it drove them to do some fairly interesting things that looked quite ridiculous.

One of the problems with many Christians is this: We have a tendency to Know a lot of stuff, Say a lot of stuff, but are can be very deficient in the area of Doing much of the stuff.  Jesus said that we would be able to Do the same works he did, even greater works.  It is not enough to know what to do, even to talk a lot about what to do.  When we become Doers of the Word, and not hearers only, we enter into the true prophetic lifestyle.

I also believe that this strong disparity between what we Christians preach and what we practice has made us an object of scorn and ridicule from the world's perspective, and not in a good way.  Listen to this comment by Steve Crosby he posted on Facebook.

Many of you are not going to like this post because of how "broad a generalization" it is. I don't care, so please don't respond to me about how "every one is not that way." I won't post your comments if you go down that road. I am not talking about the EXCEPTIONS here. I am talking about the NORM. I am talking about the PUBLIC PERCEPTION of Christians and Christianity. My wife has worked for Sta...rbucks for 8 years. Her UNEQUIVOCAL, NON-NEGOTIABLE, REAL LIFE EXPERIENCE (not phony baloney-Sunday-morning-Wayne's world of Christianity) is that the customers who are the most vocal about their "Christianity," who come in for their "Bible studies," and their "fellowship groups," who "pass our their gospel tracts," are the nastiest, rudest, most inconsiderate, demanding, selfish, impolite, cheap, self-centered, and unthankful of all her customers. Nothing hinders the cause of Christ more than . . . "Christians." I understand why our culture despises "Christians and Christianity." I do too. I don't even use those terms any more when describing myself. They are hopelessly contaminated in the minds of the world. Lord, please deliver the world from your "followers."

I realized that if we focused more on letting our lives be so consumed with Jesus and his love, we would present a much different testimony to the world - the testimony of Jesus, the true spirit of Prophecy.  Didn't Jesus say they will know we are Christians by our love for one another?  They will not know we are Christians by our doctrines, how well we know our Bible intellectually, our ascetic lifestyle, faithful church attendance, good preaching, cutting-edge worship, or hyper-spiritual experiences.  They will know we are Christians by our LOVE. 

Sometimes, the Love of Jesus within us will compel us to say things that will offend people, but they will know we are speaking from Love - not self-interest, self-righteousness, or condemnation.  They may hate us, reject us, and kill us - but let it not be because we were too Religious.  Let it be because of our identification with Jesus Christ.  Let it be because "the" prophet Jesus is speaking through our life.