Thief I: One of the greatest time-wasting sins consists of idleness or sloth.

Thief II: The next thief or time-waster is excess of sleep.

Thief III: The next thief or time-waster is an inordinate adorning of the body.

Thief IV: Another time-wasting thief is unnecessary pomp and curiosity in retinue, attendance, house furniture, provision and entertainments, together with excess of compliment and ceremony, and servitude to the humors and expectations of time-wasters.

Thief V: Another time-wasting sin is needless and tedious feastings, gluttony, and tippling. (Tippling – drinking)

Thief VI:Another time-waster is idle talk.

Thief VII: Another thief which by the aforesaid means would steal your time, is vain and sinful company.

Thief VIII: Another notorious time-wasting thief, is needless, inordinate sports and games, which are stigmatized by the offenders themselves, with the infamous name of pastimes, and masked with deceitful title of recreations;

Thief IX:Another time-wasting thief is excess of worldly cares and business.

Thief X: Another time-waster is vain ungoverned and sinful thoughts.

Thief XI: Another dangerous time-waster sin is the reading of vain books , play-books, romances, and feigned histories; and also unprofitable studies, undertaken but for vain-glory, or the pleasing of a carnal or curious mind.

Thief XII: But the master-thief that robs men of their time is an unsancitified , ungodly heart; for this loseth time whatever men are doing; because they never intend the glory of God;

 They are convicted that the Lord would not have His children educated by the government (Caesar) so they work to afford private Christian schooling for their children. From the outward appearance, this might not seem like such a big deal, especially if the mom is free when the children are out of school.

There are several considerations that must be given to this decision.

1) First all Christian schools are not the same. There are some that are no different from any other private school. Often a Christian School may even use the typical curriculum and just add in a Bible Class. The really good Christian schools tend to very expensive and/or small and hard to get into. Often they are both! One of the best Christian schools in Birmingham had such a long waiting list that once your baby was born you needed to call about being put on the list. See good schools limit the teacher / student ratio so as to insure a better quality education.

There are other Christian schools that really work like a group homeschool. The students use a homeschool like curriculum and teachers are just available to help if needed but not actually teaching. That is a lot of money to pay for something you can do better yourself.

2) One matter that using a Christian school does not solve is peer pressure and the influence of peers. See just because the school itself might be very high quality that does not mean that the home life of the children is any different. As we found, even children from church, regular church member’s children can share much more information than we would desire with our children. I remember a 5 year old several years ago that was about to explain ‘French kissing’ to some classmates at church. I nipped that in the bud real quick, and shortly thereafter eliminated much of our children’s group activities unless a parent could be right with them.

Christian school teens aren’t necessarily any different than the teens in an average  Christian youth group at church. If you don’t realize the issues with many Christian youth groups just volunteer to help teach and supervise the kids for a year. I think then you will be made aware of the problems with grouping large numbers of youth together. 

Christian Schools vs. Homeschooling 

“… I found that most (not all of course) of the students in the Christian schools I attended did not have a genuine relationship with Jesus Christ. Many had simply learned the art of looking churchy and saying the right things in front of the teachers.

The school I attended in sixth grade only went to eighth grade. Even at that age the students were involved in drug and alcohol use, pornography, satanic heavy metal music, lying, watching R-rated movies, and sexual activity.

Their parents, of course, would have defended them to the death, insisting that they were “good” kids. I don’t mean to imply that this behavior never happens in a homeschool family, but I do believe that homeschooling parents are more likely to know what their children are doing and could at the least keep their children from directly having these kinds of hoodlums as companions and role models….” Continue 

3) Another issue is that for some reason students educated in Christian schools often end up with a much lower Biblical worldview than students educated at home. Although Christian school students do end up with a more Biblical worldview than public school children, they fall quite a bit behind those who were homeschooled.

Data from the Nehemiah Institute.

Possibly Related posts:

1. Is Public School Cheaper Than Homeschooling?
2. Raising Christian Children? by Don Fortner
3. Alabama’s Tim Tebow Homeschool Bill
4. Alabama Tries To Increase Mandatory School Age to 18
5. Homeschoolers Ordered to Public School for Their Best Interest !?!

Today we’re going to look at the familiar story of David and Goliath. But since we’ve all probably heard that story many times, we’re going to look at it from a different point of view. We’ll look at the story as a foreshadowing of our Lord Jesus Christ, particularly the crucifixion, death, and resurrection of Jesus. In the elements of the story of David and Goliath, we can learn many valuable truths about Jesus and his work of salvation for us. Continue

Possibly Related posts:

1. Tabernacle of David – City of Zion
2. Did David Dance Before the Lord Naked?
3. Expositor’s Conference 2009 – Tuesday, Sept 28 Session 5 and 7
4. When A Donkey Speaks …
5. How Are You Advising Others?

(I know it is long but actually this is just a portion of the full poem, which can be found here.)

“Tirocinium”

Would you your son should be a sot or dunce,
Lascivious, headstrong, or all these at once;
That in good time the stripling’s finish’d taste
For loose expense and fashionable waste
Should prove your ruin, and his own at last;
Train him in public with a mob of boys,
Childish in mischief only and in noise,
Else of a mannish growth, and five in ten
In infidelity and lewdness men.

…

Ye nurseries of our boys, we owe to you:
Though from ourselves the mischief more proceeds,
For public schools ’tis public folly feeds.
The slaves of custom and establish’d mode,
With packhorse constancy we keep the road,
Crooked or straight, through quags or thorny dells,
True to the jingling of our leader’s bells.
To follow foolish precedents, and wink
With both our eyes, is easier than to think;
And such an age as ours balks no expense,
Except of caution and of common sense;
Else sure notorious fact, and proof so plain,
Would turn our steps into a wiser train.

…

There shall he learn, ere sixteen winters old,
That authors are most useful, pawned or sold,
That pedantry is all that schools impart,
But taverns teach the knowledge of the heart.

…

No nourishment to feed his growing mind,
But conjugated verbs and nouns declined?
For such is all the mental food purvey’d
By public hackneys in the schooling trade;
Who feed a pupil’s intellect with store
Of syntax truly, but with little more;
Dismiss their cares when they dismiss their flock,
Machines themselves, and govern’d by a clock.
Perhaps a father, blest with any brains,
Would deem it no abuse, or waste of pains,
To improve this diet, at no great expense,

…

To show him in an insect or a flower
Such microscopic proof of skill and power
As, hid from ages past, God now displays
To combat atheists with in modern days;
To spread the earth before him, and commend,
With designation of the finger’s end,
Its various parts to his attentive note,
Thus bringing home to him the most remote;
To teach his heart to glow with generous flame,
Caught from the deeds of men of ancient fame;
And, more than all, with commendation due,
To set some living worthy in his view,
Whose fair example may at once inspire
A wish to copy what he must admire.

…

The ostrich, silliest of the feather’d kind,
And form’d of God without a parent’s mind,
Commits her eggs, incautious, to the dust,
Forgetful that the foot may crush the trust;
And, while on public nurseries they rely,
Not knowing, and too oft not caring, why,
Irrational in what they thus prefer,
No few, that would seem wise, resemble her.
But all are not alike. Thy warning voice
May here and there prevent erroneous choice;
And some perhaps, who, busy as they are,
Yet make their progeny their dearest care

…

Now look on him, whose very voice in tone
Just echoes thine, whose features are thine own,
And stroke his polish’d cheek of purest red,
And lay thine hand upon his flaxen head,
And say, My boy, the unwelcome hour is come,
When thou, transplanted from thy genial home,
Must find a colder soil and bleaker air,
And trust for safety to a stranger’s care;
What character, what turn thou wilt assume
From constant converse with I know not whom;
Who there will court thy friendship, with what views,
And, artless as thou art, whom thou wilt choose;
Though much depends on what thy choice shall be,
Is all chance-medley, and unknown to me.
Canst thou, the tear just trembling on thy lids,
And while the dreadful risk foreseen forbids;
Free too, and under no constraining force,
Unless the sway of custom warp thy course;
Lay such a stake upon the losing side,
Merely to gratify so blind a guide?
Thou canst not Nature, pulling at thine heart,
Condemns the unfatherly, the imprudent part.

…

Though wouldst not, deaf to Nature’s tenderest plea,
Turn him adrift upon a rolling sea,
Nor say, Go thither, conscious that there lay
A brood of asps, or quicksands in his way;
Then, only govern’d by the self-same rule
Of natural pity, send him not to school.
No—guard him better. Is he not thine own,
Thyself in miniature, thy flesh, thy bone?
And hopest thou not (’tis every father’s hope)
That, since thy strength must with thy years elope,
And thou wilt need some comfort to assuage
Health’s last farewell, a staff of thine old age,
That then, in recompence of all thy cares,
Thy child shall show respect to thy grey hairs,

…

Survey our schools and colleges, and see
A sight not much unlike my simile.
From education, as the leading cause,
The public character its colour draws;
Thence the prevailing manners take their cast,
Extravagant or sober, loose or chaste.

…

~ William Cowper ~

Possibly Related posts:

1. Your Parenting Decisions Matter
2. Homeschoolers Ordered to Public School for Their Best Interest !?!
3. What do they have to do to our children before we will leave? – Voddie Baucham
4. Alabama’s Tim Tebow Homeschool Bill
5. Who Have You Given Your Children To?

Proverbs 29:15 The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother. ESV

I would imagine that George Washington’s mother did not leave him to himself.

Are you reading through the average devotional book? The kind you can buy at the average Christian books store with a half a page a day and a verse.

Have you tried the harder and more deep books and given up in failure to understand?

Reading Difficult Books: A Personal Reminiscence by Rev. Steven Dilday

Shortly after my conversion to Christ, I became a regular listener to the radio broadcast of Dr. R.C. Sproul. Through Dr. Sproul I was exposed to Reformed theology for the first time, and, from the first, I was captivated. I was quite interested, of course, when he mentioned that he thought that Jonathan Edwards’ Freedom of the Will was the most important, most theologically formative, book that he had ever read. I ordered it immediately from Soli Deo Gloria and waited anxiously for its arrival. When the book arrived, I could not get the wrapping off fast enough. I started into it immediately, but was more than a little surprised by what I found. I discovered that I was not able to read it. Well, I was able to read and pronounce all the words, but I had never before seen a single sentence continue for a page and a half. By the time I reached the end of a sentence, I could not remember how it started. Moreover, he spent the first quarter of the book simply discussing the definition of the terms that he would be using (not the most exciting reading), definitions which were formulated through a sophisticated interaction with Puritan theology and early eighteenth century European philosophy (of which I knew nothing). Difficulties crowded in on every side, but my determination was roused. I had Dr. Sproul’s testimony that the reading of this volume would be profitable, so I prepared myself for the labor. It was hard work; sometimes I would spend a whole afternoon just trying to understand a single page. If memory serves, it took me the better part of a year to work through the whole. And what profit had I for my effort? Much in every way. First, I really learned to read; I have not since had that difficulty in reading. Second, I developed a love for the literature of the Puritans which has consumed most of my waking hours since that time. Third, the book did more to shape my general theological method than anything else that I have read. Fourth, I never forgot the contents of the book, Edwards’ striking harmonization of divine sovereignty and human freedom. In the final evaluation, the hours spent in the reading of that difficult book were among the most well-spent of my entire life. … Continue

Try plowing through a theologically rich book and see what it will do for your studies.

If you have never read it start with Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan. It will give you practice with the older English and even your children will enjoy it. After a reading through go back though the book and really read for the depth of theology.

Possibly Related posts:

1. Advice On Reading – Richard Baxter
2. Free Audio Books
3. Solid Ground Christian Books – Sale on Calvin’s Work
4. Twilight Review – Challies
5. Resource of Books and Tracts

As an addition to Ken Ham’s quote from his sermon Reaching A Lost World – Ken Ham, a quote from MacArthur.

“Evangelicals who are desperate to follow the culture

invariably lag several years behind anyway,

somehow managing to look awkward and clumsy

by always failing to keep in step,

no matter how hard they try.

But, then, the church is not supposed to ape the world’s fads

or court the world’s favor anyway.”

~ John MacArthur in The Truth War, page 48~

Possibly Related posts:

1. John MacArthur in the Washington Post
2. They Said WHAT !?!
3. Reaching A Lost World – Ken Ham
4. Grunge Christianity (Mark Driscoll Exposed)
5. John MacArthur Quote

An interesting story in the book of 1 Samuel is the story of Saul being tormented by the evil spirit.

1 Samuel 16:14-23

14 Now the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him.
15 And Saul’s servants said to him, “Behold now, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you.
16 Let our lord now command your servants who are before you to seek out a man who is skillful in playing the lyre, and when the evil spirit from God is upon you, he will play it, and you will be well.”
17 So Saul said to his servants, “Provide for me a man who can play well and bring him to me.”
18 One of the young men answered, “Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, a man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a man of good presence, and the Lord is with him.”
19 Therefore Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, “Send me David your son, who is with the sheep.”
20 And Jesse took a donkey laden with bread and a skin of wine and a young goat and sent them by David his son to Saul.
21 And David came to Saul and entered his service. And Saul loved him greatly, and he became his armor-bearer.
22 And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, “Let David remain in my service, for he has found favor in my sight.”
23 And whenever the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, David took the lyre and played it with his hand. So Saul was refreshed and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him. ESV

When Saul was being tormented what did his servants counsel him to do?

1 Samuel 16:15-16
15 And Saul’s servants said to him, “Behold now, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you.
16 Let our lord now command your servants who are before you to seek out a man who is skillful in playing the lyre, and when the evil spirit from God is upon you, he will play it, and you will be well.“

Listen to soothing music. (While the soothing music issue is a very interesting issue, it is for a later discussion.) But what did they not advise Saul to do?

• Pray
• Seek God
• Read the Scriptures

Was Saul ultimately helped by listening to David’s music?

No.

He was only helped temporarily. There was no lasting effect. Listening to soothing and even God centered music did not calm the torment in Saul’s soul. We can see that as we read further into the book of 1 Samuel. Saul was tormented such that he tried to kill David on several occasions and Saul suffered under paranoia and delusional attacks thinking David was trying to kill him.
The music only was a temporary balm, or band-aid, to his troubled soul. The true relief that Saul could have found in turning to God and his Word was not offered to him by his counselors.

It is a lot easier if we just stick band-aids on another’s soul than when we actually deal with the real issue, separation from God. How can we not direct another to the true source of healing from the torments they face?

I’m sure the servants that counseled Saul were concerned for themselves and they sought immediate relieve for Saul if only to make their own life easier. It would have been much harder to point out to Saul that his disobedience had turned God away from him.

1 Samuel 28:16-18

16 And Samuel said, “Why then do you ask me, since the Lord has turned from you and become your enemy?
17 The Lord has done to you as he spoke by me, for the Lord has torn the kingdom out of your hand and given it to your neighbor, David.
18 Because you did not obey the voice of the Lord and did not carry out his fierce wrath against Amalek, therefore the Lord has done this thing to you this day. ESV

Is it easier for us to seek the immediate relief when counseling another than to deal with the real issues and direct another back to the Lord?

You bet it is.

But temporary fixes do not work.

Despite the fact that Saul was soothed by David’s music, he was also more and more tormented as time went on. Throwing spears in the castle are not signs of a soothed soul. I’m sure that the servants suffered even more during Saul’s mental breakdown.

Oh that we would always encourage another to seek the Lord.

Isaiah 55:6-7
6 “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near;
7 let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. ESV

Possibly Related posts:

1. Tabernacle of David – City of Zion
2. Did David Dance Before the Lord Naked?
3. Depression and Idols
4. Armored Sheep
5. I Have Called You …

We have been invaded by “Ladybugs.” We used to think that ladybugs were so cute and adorable. Both my daughters have had several different types of ladybug clothing. But several years ago we changed our tune with ladybugs. Now in the Fall we are invaded by Ladybugs regularly. One day we might see one or two and we will start to complain. Why? Because we have learned that within a day or two we will be invaded by thousands. They come in every door and window, even if closed. There is no keeping them out. They will be banging into every light fixture making constant noise with their hard bodies hitting the light. Our sliding glass doors will be covered inside and out. Not only do the ladybugs get all over the house, they will just fall into everything. Cooking and eating become a hassle. You learn to check your drink before drinking it.

We spent all day yesterday cleaning up. I cleaned the windowsills of ladybugs in the morning and by lunchtime they were all over the sills again. My daughter vacuumed the live ladybugs from the sliding glass doors. The clear vacuum canister was full of ladybugs but by the evening, they were replaced by more. When looking outside you could clearly see the swarms of ladybugs flying all over the place. If you ventured outside you would be dive-bombed by kamikaze ladybugs flying into you. The ladybugs also come with a surprising bonus – THEY STINK !!! For some bizarre reason they emit a horrible odor if you kill them or even if they fill threatened. My daughter said her school work actually referred to them as the skunk of the insect world.

I think I have an idea of what the Egyptians felt like in Exodus.

Exodus 8:16-24

16 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the earth, so that it may become gnats in all the land of Egypt.’”
17 And they did so. Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff and struck the dust of the earth, and there were gnats on man and beast. All the dust of the earth became gnats in all the land of Egypt.
18 The magicians tried by their secret arts to produce gnats, but they could not. So there were gnats on man and beast.
19 Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.” But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the Lord had said.
20 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Rise up early in the morning and present yourself to Pharaoh, as he goes out to the water, and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Let my people go, that they may serve me.
21 Or else, if you will not let my people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies on you and your servants and your people, and into your houses. And the houses of the Egyptians shall be filled with swarms of flies, and also the ground on which they stand.
22 But on that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, where my people dwell, so that no swarms of flies shall be there, that you may know that I am the Lord in the midst of the earth.
23 Thus I will put a division between my people and your people. Tomorrow this sign shall happen.”‘”
24 And the Lord did so. There came great swarms of flies into the house of Pharaoh and into his servants’ houses. Throughout all the land of Egypt the land was ruined by the swarms of flies. ESV

But then again maybe not.

Gnats and flies bite.

Thankfully, the ladybugs at least don’t bite!

Possibly Related posts:

1. Lord of Even Our Food
2. My Husband Wants Me to Work – Possibly Sinful Attitudes
3. For The Sake Of The Lord’s Name
4. What About a Single Woman?
5. Tabernacle of David – City of Zion

But we had read in the local newspaper a very interesting article just this week.

Medicine man blesses speedway

There have long been rumors of Talladega Superspeedway being haunted, but speedway officials took steps to “restore balance” at the track on Thursday.

Robert Thrower, a medicine man from the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, performed a traditional Native American blessing ceremony at the start-finish line of the 2.66-mile speedway on Thursday.

Then the article goes on to quote the Talladega Raceway President:

“It was a very moving ceremony,” Humphrey said. “It’s like Mr. Thrower said, sometimes things just need to be brought back into balance. With the controversy that surrounded Talladega when we first opened, it’s a possibility that there has always been some unbalance here. I’m confident in saying that after this ceremony however, we don’t have to worry about that anymore and we are looking forward to a great AMP Energy 500 race weekend.”

But after getting home and seeing the news headlines, I think that maybe the Talladega Raceway needs to look into something else other than Indian Medicine Men!

Another Talladega, another scary wreck-filled race

Might I suggest turning to the Scriptures and God.