How relevant is the Bible in today’s world? Some think it isn’t relevant at all. But I submit to you, that if the Bible is not relevant, then God is not relevant, because God cannot be separated from His Word! Thankfully, many millions of people, however, are still finding the Bible relevant to their lives and problems. That is one reason it is still the best-selling book.
It has been said, “The Bible has not been tried, and found wanting; it has been found difficult, and not tried.” How true that is. The reason some think the Bible isn’t up-to-date is because they dislike its answers. The answers work, but they aren’t always easy answers. For some, nothing is relevant unless it is easy, self-indulgent, and self-justifying.
Others just assume the Bible must be out-of-date because it wasn’t recently written. They forget that human nature, and human problems, haven’t changed at all. They also forget that God could foresee modern problems long ago, and give the world a message relevant to any age. Then there are many others who just do not know what the Bible really teaches. They listen to skeptics and others who misrepresent the Bible’s teachings. They see weird TV evangelists who exploit religion by perverting the Bible’s teachings. They may even have opened the Bible at random and unsuccessfully sought an answer, but they themselves really don’t know the answer. So, it isn’t surprising when someone unaware of the Bible’s true teaching doesn’t perceive its value and relevance.
The Bible is actually as up-to-date as tomorrow’s newspaper. Furthermore, it will still be relevant when tomorrow’s newspaper is forgotten! First Peter 1: 25 says the “Word of the Lord endures (abides) forever.” Isaiah 40: 8 says: “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God stands forever.” A bumper sticker reads: “God said it; I believe it; that settles it.” But it should read: “God said it; that settles it; I believe it.” When God speaks in His word that settles it whether one believes it is relevant or not! I recommend that you read God’s Word regularly, and live your life by it, and you will see its relevancy.
Think on these things.
Article by Dennis Abernathy.
Idealistically Speaking
Someone has defined the “expert on child-rearing” as the one who has no children. If that be true — then several weeks ago, during a series on marriage and the family, a group of young married “experts” met to study the subject of raising children. When we began to look at what the Bible has to say on the subject, it was sobering to learn of the awesome responsibility God has given the father. Yet, what was even more sobering was to realize how many fathers are not fulfilling their responsibility.
In II Cor. 12:14, Paul refers to the principle that parents are to provide for the physical needs of their children. However, caution must be exercised so that this obligation does not overshadow a much more important responsibility. A third grader wrote —”Dear Abby, My dad works all the time. He is never home. He gives me money and lots of toys, but I hardly ever see him. I love him and wish he would not work all the time so I could see him more. Signed, Jeff.” Too many fathers emphasize the physical care of their children to the neglect of spiritual upbringing. Paul admonishes, “And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but nurture them in the chastening and admonition of the Lord” (Eph. 6:4). Spiritual training takes time. Jeff’s dad, after reading his son’s letter, wrote —”I realized I was depriving my family of something far more important (than physical luxuries — ko), myself and my time I quit both part-time jobs and we adjusted our standard of living accordingly …I have learned that the greatest gift a man can give his children is himself and his time.” The Psalmist says that “children are a heritage of Jehovah; and the fruit of the womb is his reward” (Ps. 127:3). It’s sad that some fathers often complain about the burdens, anxiety, and heartaches associated with their offspring — and they seldom consider the blessings which are brought about by the same. As an older preacher told me, “Why, the education alone is worth the investment. My children have taught me more than I will ever be able to teach them — they have taught me to be patient, unselfish, sensitive to others, to live consistently with what I teach…” With this attitude, fathers can say, “As the arrows in the hand of a mighty man, so are the children of youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them” (Ps. 127:4,5).
The responsibilities of becoming a father are rapidly being placed upon my shoulders and my thoughts are turning in that direction. In writing about the relationship of fathers to their children, I can understand how some fathers would resent a younger man giving them his opinion on how they should raise their children (especially if he has no children). In Job 32:6, Elihu admitted, “I am young and ye are very old”— yet he went on to say, “the breath of the Almighty giveth them understanding. It is not the great that are wise, nor the aged that understand justice.” The key in striving to be the ideal father is to stick with the ideal. It doesn’t take an “expert” to read and understand God’s instructions to the father. May we continue to encourage each other to follow His will and may He help us all to be ideal fathers.
Article by Kevan O’Banion.