EDUCATED BUT IGNORANT

“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children” (Hosea 4:6).

The children of Israel did not lack in some types of knowledge. It was a particular knowledge that they lacked, a knowledge of God. They had knowledge of material things, secular knowledge, but they were ignorant of God. Thus they might be considered educated but ignorant. Their education that left them ignorant led to their ruin. Morality bears the same relationship to a nation’s life which the heart bears to the body. When the heart stops, we die. It does not matter how well we may look nor how prosperous our surroundings. Morality is the heartbeat of a nation’s life.

The symptoms of “educated ignorance” are found in the realm of morals. Israel was filled with lying, stealing, and killing. What better description could we find of this country? The annual crime bill of the United States is about seven billion dollars. The people of this country are better educated than any generation that has ever lived. There are more students in college today than ever before. It is difficult to get a job today without a college education and just about impossible to get one without a high school diploma. There has never been a generation of “educated ignorance” equal to this one. Education without God is indeed “educated ignorance.” What would we think of our schools if they planned their courses and ignored English, math, and other fundamental courses? What if they denied the principles of math and taught the student they had no need of math? What kind of education would that be? When a student graduated, would he not indeed be one with a diploma in ignorance? But the knowledge of God is far more fundamental in true education than math or any other subject. Yet the majority of our schools not only leave the knowledge of God out, they deny God. It is no wonder that in spite of all of our education, we are ignorant.

Knowledge to us is intellectual, the knowledge of things. Paul says that knowledge “puffs up,” (1 Corinthians 8: 1). We could well say that it “blows us up.” Knowledge produced the atomic bomb and all that we lack in being blown up by it, is for someone to pull the trigger to set it off. Unless we can put God back in our education, this may well happen. Education without God deals with facts, but ignores their meaning. Facts are one thing and facts properly understood are quite another thing. Without a knowledge of God, facts cannot have the right meaning. Education without God fails to provide facts about the one thing man needs most, information about himself. The education that increases man’s knowledge without instruction as to how to best use that knowledge, is an education in ignorance.

Destruction overtakes a nation, not because it lacks intelligence, but because it lacks integrity. Integrity, honesty, and uprightness in character can only come with the knowledge of God.
--Adapted from article by
Franklin Camp

TO SAVE OTHERS

Some have heard about Heather Christensen, the woodwind instructor for the American Fork, Utah high school band. They were returning from a band competition in Idaho where they had won first place, but celebration quickly turned to tragedy. Reports stated that the bus driver slumped over the wheel. Ms. Christensen quickly reacted and took the wheel, trying to avoid a crash. The bus ran off the road and turned on its side. Christensen fell out of a window as the bus rolled. While several were injured, she was the only fatality. The band’s director said, “She loved her students, they were her life. I know she died trying to save them.” She will be remembered as someone who died to save others.

What about Christ? He gave His life trying to save others. How much is He remembered? How well is He honored? There are some similarities between Ms. Christensen and Christ, but there are also some important differences.

First of all, look at what Christ gave up. Our greatest desire is to go to heaven. Christ was there and left it to come here! “who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men” (Philippians 2:6-7). I do not want to minimize this woman’s sacrifice, but she gave up no where near as much as Christ.

Second, think about who each one was trying to save. I do not know the relationship between her and the students. It was obvious she cared for them very much. Were there any strained relationships between her and any of the students? I do not know. However, none of them had hurt her the way we have hurt God with our sins. Nothing these students had done caused her to lose her life. Our sins put Jesus on the cross. “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5).

Third, from what were they saving people? Heather acted to save a few from physical death. Christ died to deliver all mankind from spiritual death. “And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world” (1 John 2:2).

Finally, the cross was no accident. When Ms. Christensen left to go on this trip, she had no idea she would be giving up her life before the day was over. I believe her efforts were simply a reaction to an unplanned, unforeseen emergency. She probably did not really even thing about it, she just reacted. Would she have acted differently if there had been time to think it through and plan her next step? We will never know. However, we do know about Christ. He knew His life would lead to the cross. He prophesied about His own death several times. After all, that was the plan all along. “Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death;” (Acts 2:23).

Heather Christensen will long be remembered and honored for her great sacrifice. Can we do any less for our Lord and Savior?
--Lamar

KEEP YOUR FORKS

A woman had been diagnosed with cancer and had been given three months to live. Her doctor told her to start making preparations to die (something we all should be doing all of the time). She contacted her preacher and had him come to her house to discuss her final wishes. She told him which songs she wanted sung at the service, what scriptures she would like read, and what she wanted to be wearing. She also told him that she wanted to be buried with her favorite Bible.

Near the end of the conversation she said, “I want to be buried with a fork in my right hand.” The preacher did not know what to say. “Does that surprise you?” she asked. He replied, “To be honest, I'm puzzled by the request.” The woman explained. “In all my years of attending church fellowships, potlucks, and other functions where food was involved (and let's be honest, food is an important part of any church event); my favorite part was when whoever was clearing away the dishes of the main course would lean over and say 'you can keep your fork.' It was my favorite part because I knew that something better was coming. When people see me with a fork in my hand and ask, ‘What's with the fork?’ you can tell them: ‘Something better is coming so keep your fork too.’”

It’s true. Something better is coming for the faithful Christian, and it is called heaven. Jesus says, “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. “In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:1-3). As we live this life, we face the difficulties and uncertainties every day. During the current economic difficulties, some have lost jobs and others are in fear they will. People living on retirement incomes have seen their lifestyles dramatically affected. Even in a good economy, there are still the other trials of life to deal with: sickness, death, job pressures, parents, children, aches and pains, etc.

In heaven, we will not have to worry about such things. “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4). Things will be better. “Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens” (2 Corinthians 4:16-5:1). Paul even goes on to say that we are pleased to be absent from the body and present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8).

Yes, something better is coming, so be sure to keep your forks.
--Lamar

THE POWER OF WORDS

“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me.” Many of you probably remember this verse from childhood. Perhaps you have used it when others were calling you names and in other ways using words to hurt you. When I was growing up, it was very popular. There is one big problem with it; it is a lie! Words do hurt and we need to be aware of the power of words. Words are the tools with which we work and for this reason we should learn to use them well. We should strive to become the master of our words as a carpenter does the ruler, hammer, and saw. What we build with our words is far more important than what the carpenter may build with tools.

James tells us in chapter 3 that the tongue is very dangerous. Our words can be used as powerful weapons or as effective tools. Every Christian should strive to be an expert in the use of their words. The person that is a master of words may be the master of any situation (James 3:2).

It has been said that thoughts are the children of your brain and words are the garments they wear. We must be careful not to dress our thoughts with words that make them look like tramps. Words are powerful. They can wreck homes, destroy lives, ruin businesses, and leave a congregation torn asunder. In most congregations that have had trouble, it was started by words that should never have been uttered.

Words can stir the human emotions and passions. Words can bring heartaches and tears. Some of the deepest wounds ever made in the human heart were slashed with biting and unkind words. Words can bring joy and cover faces with smiles. Many a soul that has lost the joy of living and sunk in the depths of despair has been saved from ruin and destruction by kind words. We admire the doctor that may use a surgeon’s tools to save a life and yet we have within our grasp tools that may not only save a physical life, but a soul from ruin and destruction.

Is it any wonder the Psalmist said, “Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips” (Psalm 141:3). We would do well to utter this prayer at the beginning of each day and of each conversation. Our words will justify or condemn us (Matthew 12:36-37). Our words are the revelation of what is in our hearts Matthew 12:34-35). The best way to control our lips is to control our hearts.
--Lamar