Changing Times—Unchanging Message

          As I go yet again to purchase eyeglasses, I’m reminded of my last visit to the optician’s.

          After my exam, I scanned displays filled with the latest fashion frames. I always have trouble making this decision, so I was glad hubby accompanied me.

          After about 15 or so minutes, I narrowed my search down to 3 choices. Then I spotted another! Oh, they were lovely! I laughed as I told Brian, “Looky here! These are a Sophia Loren design! I wonder if I’d be as beautiful as she is if I chose these!”

          The assistant at the fitting desk overheard me. “Who’s Sophia Loren?”

          I was surprised, not having considered anyone didn’t know who this mega-movie star was. “You don’t know who Sophia Loren is???”

          Nope, she didn’t. Then I considered her age. She’d likely lived about 1/3 of the years I’d been alive.

           So, I felt obligated to give her a brief education (which may have included the word bombshell). “She was a knock-out beauty of a movie star back in the…well, a long time ago.” I realized now I was defining my age, like my whitish hair hadn’t already done so?

          Brian searched for a photo on his phone and found one to show the girl.

          “Wow! She really was beautiful!”

          “Still living, I think. She’s even got her looks in her 80s.”

          Okay. This influencing the frames I chose, I settled on the Sophias! How could I not!

          When we went to the car, Brian and I chatted about the younger generations of today, all they don’t know, and how we sounded like a couple of…well, maybe like our grandparents did when they talked about us.

          Yet another “episode” took place between our granddaughter and me. While Avery and I cooked together during a visit, she broke into a country song.

          “You’re like a junior Trisha Yearwood!” I shared.

          “Who’s Trisha Yearwood?” my young granddaughter asked.

          “You don’t know who Trisha Yearwood is??? She’s a famous country music singer who also has a cooking show, and she’s got a great sense of humor too. A lot like you.”

          Avery just shrugged and chattered away. “I like Billie Eilish.”

          “Who’s Billie Eilish?” I asked.

          “Grandma! You don’t know who Billie Eilish is???”

          We both laughed and high-fived!

          These conversations reminded me of something else though—very much unrelated to Sophia Loren, Trisha Yearwood, or Billie Eilish—and INFINITELY more important—but on the same theme—youth now not knowing what we learned quite well when we were growing up.

          Startling examples of this have been visible over the decades we’ve conducted Bible clubs and VBSs in churches. Over the years, a large gap revealed to us that kids, for the most part, are either not grounded in their faith or have no or little knowledge of it. (This is magnified even more when it comes to secular kids.)

          I remember teaching the Christmas story in a Baptist church 10+ years ago. Most the kids grew up in that church although they weren’t regular attendees. When I mentioned Jesus’ mother…

          One of the boys asked, “Who was his mother?”

          I was shocked but tried hard not to show it. “Mary. Her name was Mary.”

          “Oh,” he said.

          I realized then, I needed to start over and cover much more territory.

          This isn’t an isolated incident. It’s happened repeatedly.

          The point here: Don’t assume the young can put all the pieces together regarding the Word of God because they might not be able to, lacking a firm foundation.

          Ken Ham of Answers in Genesis puts it this way (not just about youth but about all humankind): That we formerly lived in a Hebrew world—the one my husband and I grew up in—when, even if children didn’t know a lot about the Bible, they still had a knowledge of God and a respect and honor of Him. This may have been because our public schools still included Him in the start of our days. More children attended church then, and sound family still mattered.

          Teaching youth Bible differed. The kids had some basis of understanding of what may now be considered archaic or Christianese.

          But then times changed…

          …and we became, as Ken Ham explains, a Greek world where there are many gods and so much is foreign—literally like speaking a different language to those who are generations younger than us.

          The way we teach the Truth now differs, but the Truth itself—Himself unchanged.

          Maybe this post will be a bit of an insight to those of you who are trying to reach the younger generation and feel like they “just don’t get it” because maybe they just don’t. If you’re presenting Bible, try different ways of reaching them without compromising. It is possible to do but will require more time, work, and patience.

          But don’t give up! You can reach the youth in so many ways that don’t disregard honor and respect to God and don’t cross the line into anti-God culture.

          The young need foundation stones to stand on, just like we did. They’re slipping and searching for those but don’t even know what to call them, yet alone know how to stand firm.

          Teachers, pastors, youth leaders, parents—you are in my prayers!

A song relaying core beliefs as stated in the Westminster Confession:

Westminster Confession of God - Official Lyric Video

 

P.S.—I recently found this quote in a book about the British Broadcasting Corporation and the argument whether to change their approach in telling the Christmas story as it always had been broadcasted up until, during, and after World War II or to consider the other end of the spectrum—new territory—

“...where a large and most youthful public to whom the whole story of Jesus

is terra incognita—children who do not know the meaning of Christmas,

men and women to whom the name of Christ is only a swear-word—besides a

considerable body of agnostics and semi-Christians who accept some incidents

of the story and firmly disbelieve the rest…” –Dorothy Sayers to the BBC, 1941

 

Here are a few helps for reaching youth:

Celebrate Kids with Dr. Kathy Koch

Living Waters/The Way of the Master with Ray Comfort. Kirk Cameron, & Todd Friel

BCM Int’l, Inc. Mission Board—resources available along with teacher training information

 

#eyeglasses #cooking #youth #differentgeneration #biblicalfoundations

#KenHam #AnswersinGenesis #hebrewworld #greekworld #teachingmethods

#Truth #standfirminfaith #WestminsterConfession

#CelebrateKids #LivingwatersWayoftheMaster #BCMintlinc

 

Photo Credit: Pexels

Quote from C.S. Lewis in a Time of War by Justin Phillips

Free Stuff!

          Back in the 1980s we lived in New York City. Our kids ranked in ages elementary school level down to baby.

          It was during this time I learned people discarded things at curbs on garbage days. This may sound strange—that I didn’t realize this until then, but we had lived in a rural setting prior to this with a burning barrel and mission truck that collected our trash. We didn’t even have a curb until we moved into the City.

          I admit it. I liked finding furnishings and sometimes toys on curbs. Some of these were nicer than what we already had (or didn’t have).

          Our kids, however, hated when their mom exclaimed, “Oh wow,” swerved right, and hit the brakes. It didn’t take them long to learn what that meant, and they’d exclaim, “Uh oh! Duck!”

          What! My kids weren’t thrilled with their mother’s discoveries and savings? Hmph! Much to their chagrin, that didn’t stop me.

          I remember as a girl always wishing I had a canopy bed once I’d seen one. This carried over to the time when we had a daughter. If only we could get her a canopy bed! Dream on, Sarah.

          We pulled out of our driveway one day, turned the corner and my eyes spotted it! Lo and behold! It was beautiful! Okay. It wasn’t that beautiful, but it was better than anything I could’ve imagined. A white canopy bed head- and foot-boards!

          I had to get it, swerved right, hit the brakes, and heard my kids mutter, “Uh oh! Duck!”

          I didn’t care, and they needed to be unwilling partners in getting this bed home. It wouldn’t fit in the car, so I told the kids, “Roll down your windows, and, boys, you can help me get the two parts on the roof of the car.

          They wanted to die yet did help while making sure their faces weren’t turned in view of the oncoming traffic.

          We got the 2 large pieces up there yet lacked anything with which to secure them. So, I gave orders: “You’re all going to reach up outside your windows—me too—and we will drive slowly to get this home.”

          There were audible groans, but the hands went out the windows and held on tight. I turned on the flashers.

          Although very close to home, we were on a major 4-lane road and couldn’t turn around at that point. I needed to drive around the block which ended up being multiple blocks before one-ways went the right way to get us home.

          Our kids survived, and our daughter got her canopy bed—the one I dreamed of more than she ever did. Oh well. I cleaned it and gave it new life with a fresh coat of paint.

          A beautiful bed, and it was free!

          Another wonderful find happened when I was on my way to pick up the kids from school. I happened to glance down a side street and spotted an antique treadle sewing machine table, complete with sewing machine. My heart likely skipped a beat! I couldn’t stop to get it then because the silly school had a rule that parents were supposed to be on time to pick up their kids. (Imagine that.)

          I actually prayed that item would still be there by the time I collected the 3 kids and got the baby back into his carseat, etc. I told the kids, “We need to hurry! There’s something I’ve got to get! And I’m going to need your help. I think it’s heavy.

          They looked wide-eyed at each other and chorused, “Uh oh…”

           I pulled up to the sewing machine and table the same minute another person did. I admit, I wanted to dash over and grab hold of it! But my heart wouldn’t let me. Instead, I said, “What a find, huh?”

          “It’s great! I’ve always loved this type thingy,” she said, “but I’m going to pass on it.”

          I think I must’ve grinned ear to ear at that moment!

          “Can I help you get it into your car?” she asked.

          Oh, how happy our kids were—not!—as they sheepishly peeked over the edge of the car doors.

          I took that treasure home and gave it new life.

          Free! An antique t’boot!

          Many years later (while I still “honed” my curb shopping skills) I took a long walk with son, Stephen (the baby in the last find), who rode his bike ahead of me back and forth so it was sort of like walking together but totally not. We didn’t live in New York City anymore. Instead, we lived in upstate New York on a lovely hillside with houses spread far apart from one another.

          When we were about a mile from home, I spotted it! My heart skipped beats, I’m sure! Now, first let me explain what one of my weaknesses is (oh, I don’t have many—haha): Doll houses! Yes, I adore them and am sure if I was wealthy, I’d have a room in my house for all my dreamed-of doll houses. Good thing I’m not wealthy, but…

          …how could I leave this lovely Colonial on the trash heap? I went to grab it.

          “Oh no, Mom! You’re not gonna, are ya?” Stephen questioned, straddling his bike, rolling it a distance from me.

          “It’ll be prime real estate when I’m done with it, and someone will enjoy it!” I got it down. “I can handle it. You go ahead home.”

          “Then I’m outa here!” Stephen zoomed off to save his reputation from this affluent street where some of his schoolmates lived.

          I was only half way home when I tired from carrying my curb find and was perspiring like a water fountain.

          Just then a car pulled up. Our chiropractor! “Need a lift?”

          “Sure,” I replied, this time me being the slightly embarrassed one realizing our doc only bought his kids top-notch toys. “I couldn’t pass this up. I’m a sucker for doll houses, and it will increase in property value with a face-lift, etc.”

          “That was a good one in its day!” He said and dropped me home with my fantastic find.

          Free! And I so enjoyed that project as did our grandchildren who played with it for several years before I “put it on the market.” SOLD!

           We found other freebies over the years; but the canopy bed, sewing machine & table, and doll house? Prizes!

          Sometimes great things can be free. But there’s another “thing” that’s free that surpasses anything on earth ever.

          Salvation! New life in Christ!

          I “picked” that when I was 12 years old. I grew up knowing about God’s free gift, how Jesus died on the cross for my sins, how He rose again in 3 days proving He truly was God, and how He is preparing a place in Heaven for all who believe in Him as their Lord and Savior.

          Yes, I knew all that but didn’t accept Him into my heart until that fall day when I knelt beside my bed and told Jesus I was a sinner, I was sorry for the wrong I’d done, I believed He was Who He said He was, and I wanted Him to come into my heart and life.

          Free! The best thing ever ever ever! How could new life with eternal life included be anything less!

          I hope you who read this blog post know Jesus as your Savior and Lord. If not, I pray you’ll come to realize your need of His free gift and do as I did when I was 12. It’s not hard. In fact, it’s easy—the best, greatest gift!

          And it never comes with a price tag. Jesus paid that with His blood when He died on Calvary. There He cried out “Tetelestai!” It is finished. Paid in full!          

Jesus Paid It All

 

I hear the Savior say, “Thy strength indeed is small,

Child of weakness, watch and pray, find in Me thine all in all.”

 

(Refrain) Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe;

Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow.

 

Lord, now indeed I find Thy pow’r and Thine alone,

Can change the leper’s spots and melt the heart of stone. (Refrain)

 

For nothing good have I where-by Thy grace to claim;

I’ll wash my garments white in the blood of Calv’ry’s Lamb. (Refrain)

 

And when, before the throne, I stand in Him complete,

“Jesus died my soul to save,” my lips shall still repeat. (Refrain)

 

(from the hymn, Jesus Paid It All, by Elvina M. Hall, 1865, public domain)

 

Freely, Freely

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BS1ndKgU36I&list=RDBS1ndKgU36I&start_radio=1

 

#free #curbshopping #embarrassingyourkids #greatfinds #deals

#salvation #freegift #bloodbought #God #Jesus

 

Photo Credit: istock.com

(…and, yes, I think it’s funny there are FREE trash images!)