The Next 15 Minutes: Trick Play
It was time. Time to run the trick play we'd practiced every practice since late July. On this chilly, nerve-wracking November Saturday, it was time. It's the most assured play call I'd ever made. We were trailing by less than a touchdown in my first championship game as the head coach of the Riverside Knights. The players had begged and begged to run the play earlier in the season, but every time I denied their request. They were shocked when the play call came in, but they were excited. Now we had to execute. The deceptive HB Toss pass was a play that Ben and I had run in video games and in the backyard for 20 years. Alas, I was not playing in 2013, but I had no doubt it would work. Our quarterback (the best player on the field) would backward toss the ball to our 260- pound halfback in the play. Everyone (as you might imagine) on the opposing team would run up to try and tackle him because everything they saw was evidence of a run play. The left-handed halfback would surprisingly stop and throw it over their heads to our best wide receiver who would run into the end-zone, which is what happened. Our sideline exploded with excitement as did the purple and gold-clad RCA fans. During the celebration, my defensive coordinator walked slowly to my side and pointed to the scoreboard, which now read that we were leading but with almost 2 minutes left to play. Our opponent had a quick-strike offense and could wipe away our lead in seconds if the conditions were right. He respectfully went back to doing his job, attempting to help us hang onto the lead we had just acquired.
Athletics, just like life, bring out a lot of emotion in people. It is often however, the people who are able to maintain focus in the most chaotic times that are the most successful or at the very least able to endure it. I think of Jesus, who in the midst of the storm when everyone else (understandably) was emotional, stood, and calmed the storm. It's good to have those people in your life. I'm very thankful for Coach Sain and his wonderful work on our sideline as a coach and a physician.
For the next 15 minutes think of those people in your life who have a calming effect. Pray for them. Call them. Encourage them.
Travis Creasy
Adonai-Yireh
by: Travis creaSy
“On the mount of the LORD there is vision.” exclaimed Abraham in Genesis 22:14 when God brought his attention to the ram caught in a thicket that would be Isaac’s replacement. The Hebrew writer gives us more insight into Abraham’s thoughts on the sacrifice to be offered. The writer states that Abraham believed God could have raised Isaac from the dead. He also adds that Abraham did indeed receive him back. He was lost but the ram was found to take his place.
In verse 20 of Hebrews 11, Isaac’s faith is mentioned as a blessing to his sons. Isaac’s faith is one of the most underrated aspects of the Genesis 22 story. I grew up thinking that Isaac was a young boy when God commanded Abraham to “slaughter” him. Through recent study, I’ve discovered that the age of Isaac is not universally agreed upon but many believe he was old enough at the time to have fought his father and more than likely overpowered him if he had desired. If this is true, then not only was it Abraham’s faith but Isaac’s that proved a blessing. Isaac lived and therefore passed the covenant to Jacob and its blessings even to Esau (Genesis 33:10-11).
This week in chapel, Mr. Perry Gates made a connection between the previous story in Genesis 22 and the “Rich Young Ruler” story found in the Gospels (Mark 10:17-27). Jesus is asked about how to inherit eternal life and Jesus responds with the several of the ten commandments. The man who posed the question states that he has kept them since his youth. In Mark’s Gospel, it includes the detail that Jesus loved him (v. 21) and shared with him the one thing he lacked. “Go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.” In the ESV it says he was “disheartened” by Jesus’ reply and left sorrowful because he had great possessions.
Both of these stories include challenging statements from God. Both of these stories force a choice. God loved Abraham, Isaac and this man who questioned Jesus. God saw opportunity in all three but both stories’ outcomes were determined by the vision or lack thereof to see the eternal “treasures” and God’s trustworthiness. Abraham certainly questioned God on occasions. Sometimes in ways that might make us uncomfortable but he ultimately came back to a trust in God. It was a relationship that grew because Abraham (at that point, Abram) left everything He knew and trusted God to keep his promise. The man in Mark 10, trusted God to modify his behavior to keep God’s commands but didn’t trust Jesus to the point of monetary sacrifice. It is the temptations of all humans to focus more on the current but momentary circumstance rather than the eternal outcome. We are all at a different place in our journey. Maybe this man who questioned Jesus eventually found his way back. We can hope but we also have a lesson to learn from both of these stories. God has provided just as he did for Abraham, Isaac and the man in Mark 10. Are we looking for it, acknowledging and receiving its full blessing in our lives?
By investing in RCA, you show your commitment to the eternal outcome. We all have aspects of our lives that can be better and we are certainly no different at Riverside. We work hard to be the best school we can be for you and your kids. It is a privilege to educate them everyday and we appreciate your patience as we allow God to work on his own timing. Most of all, we appreciate your investment in the eternal outcome of trusting Jesus.
Better is Open Rebuke
The author of Proverbs 27:5 tells us “Better is open rebuke than hidden love.” This Proverb reminds me of Jesus’ words in John 14. In John 14, Jesus is comforting his disciples about the upcoming arrest, illegal trial, and crucifixion that will ultimately lead to his resurrection and the redemption of mankind. Jesus states in John 14:15, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” He goes on to tell them that the Spirit of Truth will come and assist them in understanding and helping others to understand his requirements for his followers (John 14:16-17). Many of Jesus’ commands concerning behavior would stay the same or similar to the ones the Jews had kept for centuries.
Our theme verse for the 2023-2024 school year, Micah 6:8 says “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” The phrase “He has told you” is so important to our relationship with God. The Bible is the Story of God reaching out to his Creation and instructing them on the thoughts and behaviors that lead to human flourishing in this life. We know very little about the afterlife, and I think it is on purpose. God is much more concerned with how we live in this life than the one to come based on how much information in the Bible is about this life compared to the afterlife.
Micah is referencing the previous books of the Old Testament where God had instructed the Jews how they should behave or what we might call “Ethical Monotheism”. One of those books is Deuteronomy where God through Moses reminds the Israelites what makes them distinct from the Canaanites. These distinctions did not earn them the Promised Land but would help them maintain an ethical, moral, and free society. These distinctions are outlined in Deuteronomy 4:5-6, “See, I have imparted to you laws and rules, as the LORD my God has commanded me, for you to abide by in the land that you are about to enter and occupy. Observe them faithfully, for that will be proof of your wisdom and discernment to other peoples, who on hearing of all these laws will say, ‘Surely, that great nation is a wise and discerning people.’” Dennis Prager says “Jewish achievements derive from those attributes which have rendered them distinct: chosenness, study of the Torah, and living by its laws.”
A theme in the Bible is God choosing the least likely of all to accomplish his will in the world. Over and over again God highlights this small group of people who he chose to do great things through so he alone would get the credit. He alone is worthy. This should sound familiar when thinking of your family, church and of course our school. Daily we see God’s handiwork in the hallways of Riverside Christian Academy and Riverside Church of Christ. Many of our students have gone on to do great things and just as important the small things with a focus on serving the one who gave them their talents, skills and abilities.
We believe the Bible to be the inspired Word of God and put an emphasis on it every day. From chapel to Bible class, we want our students to memorize and internalize the words of life. From the songs we sing on Friday to the memory verses, we want our students to have a good handle on the God-breathed Scriptures. We want them to know why they believe what they believe.
Then of course we want to give them all the evidence as to why they should live by those words so they will ultimately make the decision to commit their lives to Jesus Christ. It is not enough to know the commands but it also needs to be lived out. That starts with our faculty and staff’s conduct. We are not perfect and I’ve certainly made my fair share of mistakes but we have a perfect standard. It is a tremendous blessing to have co-workers who are living by the God given laws of the Bible. With great blessings come great challenges. We want our students to see genuine faith in us. A trust in God that even when we fail, He is not defeated. God has told us what is good and we strive to have his distinctness, even though it includes rebuke when we fall short. God’s love is worth it. So the Proverb writer is correct that “Open rebuke is better than love concealed.”
Travis
Thank You
“Thank you” to borrow a line from a movie of my childhood is a “wonderful phrase.” It doesn’t mean “no worries for the rest of your days” but it sure helps. It can be used sarcastically as is the case with much of the English language but today I mean it from the bottom of my heart.
Thank you for trusting us at RCA with your most prized possessions. Thank you parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles for investing in your kids through us and allowing us the privilege to serve God in this capacity. Thank you faculty, staff, volunteers, coaches and everyone who invests their time in our school community. Thank you to those who have donated in the past and are considering in the future. Thank you to the churches who make this ministry a reality. It is often a thankless job so thank you for letting me remedy that issue.
As a child of the 80’s I remember watching television shows and movies that sought out the meaning of life. I remember one particular cartoon where a man climbed to the tallest mountain to find a holy man to tell him the purpose of life. As a minister I’ve heard many conversations about the “will of God” for a person's life. I’ve contemplated it myself and will continue to do so as any follower of Jesus Christ should, but God has given at least a portion of the answer. In 1 Thessalonians 5:18, Paul through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit tells them (and us) what God’s will is in every circumstance: “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
The Hebrew writer picks up on this theme in Hebrews chapter 13. Verses five through six say “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” The Hebrew writer gives the remedy to temptation to make our life about money. The key to contentment is to remember the friend we have in Jesus Christ. When I have an attitude of ungratefulness I ask myself “When did Jesus become not enough for you?” It's a tough question to contemplate but a necessary one to reorder my priority list. The Hebrew writer then reminds us to be thankful for the ones who show us the way to God in verse seven “Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.”
To the Jews this would have reminded them of their daily prayers. They pray three times a day invoking the name of the patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac and Jacob). By doing so they remember the promises God made to them and then kept repeatedly throughout history. As Christians, we have a similar practice. By invoking the name of Jesus in prayer, we can come boldly before the throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16) and also be reminded to be grateful for what Jesus has done even as we share our heartaches and frustrations with the Almighty.
This week my daughter’s third-grade class is learning about the Old Testament judge Gideon. When the Israelites turned to idols they suffered for seven years before they cried out to the LORD. Through a prophet, God reminds them all that he had done in Egypt and how their disobedience led to their current situation. God wanted them to remember as he remembers. When you get a minute go to your favorite Bible website and search the phrase “God remembered”. When this phrase appears it is not that God forgot the situation and circumstance. The phrase is telling the reader that God is about to act. God wants us to remember “those in prison” (Hebrews 13:3) and “your leaders” (Hebrews 13:7) as an impetus to act as he would. -
We remember your investment in RCA. We don’t take your investments lightly and it moves us to action. Whatever your role at RCA is, understand that we are grateful for you. We ask that you continue to pour into us as we pour into the precious commodity of the lives of our students. May God bless you with an extra measure of gratitude today.
Travis
“Yes, there is a ‘secret to happiness’—and it is gratitude. All happy people are grateful, and ungrateful people cannot be happy. We tend to think that it is being unhappy that leads people to complain, but it is truer to say that it is complaining that leads to people becoming unhappy. Become grateful and you will become a much happier person.”
~ Dennis Prager
ONE COMMON VISION…OUR VISION
The 2023-2024 school year is a season of transition, vision, and planning for the future of Riverside Christian Academy.
RCA is well-positioned to make specific goals and build the plan of strategies and tactics to move toward a unified vision. That unified vision begins with the end in mind. Our product as a school is the graduates we send into the world, who we hope will glorify God with their gifts, talents, and abilities and contribute to human flourishing in a culture that seems to get darker by the day. But we realize that hope is not a strategy. We believe that God has given us minds to think and strategize, gifts and abilities to bring order to the world, and most importantly prayer to seek His will in all that we do.
Solomon, in all his God-given wisdom, wrote in the book of Proverbs, “Commit your activities to the Lord, and your plans will be established (16:3),” and “A person’s heart plans his way, but the Lord determines his steps (16:9).” So, as RCA moves forward, we pray and seek the Lord's vision and we plan and work for His glory.
With all of this in mind, our faculty and staff started the school year by creating a common, unified vision for our graduates, our “Portrait of a Graduate.” This exercise was the first step in our RISE Project. RISE is an acronym meaning “road map for innovation, strategy, and engagement.” This project will take place over the course of the school year.
The 5 Characteristics of an RCA Graduate:
- Christ-Like - RCA graduates will love God and love others. They will exemplify the fruit of the spirit-- love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
- Academically Prepared Lifelong Learners - RCA graduates will not only know the facts and information needed to be prepared for college, the workforce, and beyond, but will also have a love to continue learning and growing for life. They will have the wisdom to discern truth from lies and to think, feel, and choose based on truth.
- A Spirit of Excellence & Accountability - RCA graduates will operate in a spirit of excellence by going the extra mile, focusing on quality of work and relationships, and doing everything in word and deed in the name of Jesus while giving thanks to God the Father (Col. 3:17). RCA graduates will value constructive criticism and accountability; they will be teachable and coachable in all aspects of life, not just in the classroom or on the athletic field.
- Foundation to Live by Faith - RCA graduates will know what they believe and why they believe it, and will possess the courage to live by faith in Christ in a world that no longer believes in absolute truth.
- Effective Communicators - RCA graduates will have the social and emotional learning skills to communicate effectively through written and spoken word in public and interpersonal settings. They will be able to take in information, form logical conclusions, and articulate themselves in a way that is clear and understandable.
We covet your prayers as we embark on this strategic planning process this school year and as we continue to grow and make a difference...for life!
6 Mistakes to Avoid During your Senior Year + College Prep Checklist
Senior year can be stressful. You want to make the most of the time you have left with your friends and have a rich social life, but there are so many things that have to be done to prepare for college that life can begin to feel overwhelming. You’re worried you won’t make the right college decision or that you won’t enjoy your major.
TAKE A DEEP BREATH! Everything will be ok, I promise!
It’s my job, as the College and Career Advisor, to walk you through the college planning process step-by-step. Together, we will find answers to all of your questions and check each item off your College Planning To-Do List. One of the great advantages of being a senior at RCA is that you have a small class, so I am easily accessible to you and your parents for questions and concerns.
In this blog, you will find a College Planning To-Do List and a list of common mistakes to avoid. I have refined both of these lists over the last ten years to give you and your parents a road map that is broken down into manageable action steps for each season of your senior year.
We can do this...together!
Mistakes to Avoid during your Senior Year:
- Worrying about the Future/Not Being Present in the moment - Do not get caught up in worrying about your college decision, your field of study, scholarships, etc... Take this year one step at a time. Follow the College Planning To-Do List, give your maximum effort to everything you put your hand to, and pray for guidance from the Lord. Your two main jobs this year are to 1.) get ready for college, and 2.) make tons of great memories with your friends and family as you close this chapter of your life. Focus on present events. Worrying about the future can be hurtful because it causes unnecessary stress.
“Your Heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” ~ Matthew 6:32-34
-Senioritis - It happens to the best of students. Senioritis is an “affliction” that plagues students in their last year of high school. This “affliction” is characterized by a decline in motivation. Even the most ambitious students can lose interest in their studies and start a bad habit of procrastination as the year progresses. Keep your goals in mind. You can do this...finish strong!
“Lazy people want much but get little, but those who work hard will prosper.” ~ Proverbs 13:4
- Burning Out - Senior year can be stressful. You will have difficult classes, the ACT, sports, work, clubs/organizations, college applications, spring formal, the list goes on and on! You must prioritize and organize to keep from burning out! Begin keeping a planner now! Break your to-do list down into manageable chunks. Mark items off your list as you finish them; this will give you direction, and a sense of accomplishment!
“Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty.” ~ Proverbs 21:5
-Not Using Your Resources - Your teachers and I are willing to help you with anything! We want to see you succeed, but we don’t know how to help if you don’t ask. Don’t be afraid to ask someone to review your resume or scholarship application, write a recommendation letter, or help you understand a financial aid packet. Email me with any questions or concerns: whitney.creasy@rcaknights.org
-Lack of Attention to Detail - The small things matter! Pay attention to the details, from deadlines to instructions, spelling, grammar, and handwriting on all of your admission and scholarship applications. The small details are what make the difference sometimes between one scholarship application and another. Make a habit of checking your work before hastily turning it in.
“Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.” ~ Colossians 3:23
-Don’t Forget to Have Fun! - Your senior year will be packed with applications, deadlines, and other commitments. Work on managing your time. If you can master this skill, you will have less stress and more time for the fun things! It is your last year in high school; enjoy the moment, make memories with your friends, and get involved. Work hard, play hard!
“A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength.” ~ Proverbs 17:22
College Planning To-Do List
FALL 2023 (AUGUST - NOVEMBER)
You should have a general idea what field you would like to work in, and then begin compiling a list of your top 3 to 5 schools that offer the degree you need to get a job. There are many free career aptitude testing options online that students can consult. I suggest that a community college should be on everyone’s top 3 to 5 school list.
Compile a resume that includes all of your extracurricular activities, work experience, community service/volunteer work, and awards and honors. Sometimes college applications will ask you to include a resume, but this will mostly be a huge time saver when you begin applying for scholarships. Most scholarship applications ask you to list all of these items; if you have your resume saved on your computer, filling out applications will be a lot less work...hello copy and paste! Click here for an easy resume template gallery on Google docs.
Create an account on www.fastweb.com to begin receiving notifications about national scholarships that you are eligible to apply for. Schedule time each week to check your fastweb account and work on scholarship applications. DO NOT GET BOGGED DOWN WITH FASTWEB. Just schedule an hour or so each week to work these applications.
Visit your prospective colleges to get a feel for the campus. All juniors and seniors have three pre-approved college visit days per year. Fill out a student leave request in the office before scheduling your college visits. Be sure to ask the admissions counselor about the application process, financial aid, admissions requirements, and deadlines.
Register to take the ACT! October is your last chance for many scholarship opportunities. Contact the schools you are considering enrolling in and ask if they require the writing test for admission. More and more colleges and universities are requiring the writing test for admission.
Pay attention to college application and scholarship deadlines! Deadlines usually begin around November 1; therefore, I encourage everyone to apply to the schools they are interested in attending by Halloween. Also make sure that all required documents (transcripts, letters of recommendation, etc...) for admission and/or scholarship opportunities are sent on time. REMEMBER, just because you are accepted to a school doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ve completed the scholarship application. Your admissions application makes you eligible for scholarship opportunities at some colleges, but others require separate applications for admission and scholarships.
All Tennessee residents need to apply for the Tennessee Promise! The application goes live today, August 1, and the deadline to apply is November 1. It is important to apply even if you do not think you will attend community college or technical school. TN Promise is the ultimate Plan B because it is FREE!
Fill out the FAFSA. The FAFSA is your application for all federal student assistance. It is also your application for the Tennessee HOPE scholarship. Be sure that you include all of the schools that you have applied to on your FAFSA school list. This is important because it will hold up your financial aid packets if you do not. All Tennessee Promise applicants must have their FAFSA completed by April 15, 2024. The 2024-2025 FAFSA application will open in December of this year.
Remember to STUDY!
WINTER 2023 - 2024 (DECEMBER - FEBRUARY)
Make sure the college admission process is complete (all required documents have been received, entrance essays have been written, and interviews have been scheduled).
All Tennessee Promise applicants will have to a mandatory “team meeting" led by TN Achieves. Failure to attend the mandatory meeting will result in loss of the Tennessee Promise scholarship. TN Achieves will communicate with each student the schedule of meetings. Keep an eye on the TN Achieves website for dates, times, and other important information.
Continue the hunt for scholarships through fastweb.
I will begin passing out applications for local scholarships as soon as I receive them (January or February). I encourage everyone to fill out all scholarship applications that they are eligible for. It’s a good idea to invest in a planner if you do not already have one to keep track of all of the local scholarship deadlines.
Remember to STUDY!
SPRING 2023 (MARCH - MAY)
Once you have received all of your responses from colleges, make your final decision. Accept the financial aid you’ve been offered and pay your tuition deposit (if your school requires this step.)
Continue applying for scholarships.
Meet your school’s housing deadlines.
Be sure to notify the College & Career Advisor of all scholarships that you receive for the Senior Recognition Day and the Graduation section in the newspaper.
Remember to STUDY!
Be fitted for your cap and gown.
Mail out your graduation invitations.
Have a blast at your last Spring Formal and on the Senior Trip!
Make sure there are no holds on your records. RCA holds transcripts and diplomas if you owe money, fail to turn in an athletic uniform, etc...
Before graduation, fill out a transcript request form for your final transcript to be sent to the college you are attending.
Participate in Senior Recognition Day (May 10, 2024), Baccalaureate (May 12, 2024), and Graduation (May 16, 2024)!
Three Tips and Three Goals for Back to School
It is my hope that you’ve all had a good Summer. Let me encourage you to soak up as much of the sun as possible as we approach the end of July with renewed excitement for a new school year. Yes, it is that time of year again as the stores fill up their displays with fresh, new notebooks, unsharpened pencils, backpacks and trapper keepers. Athletes wrap up their Summer workouts as their upcoming season seems to creep closer and closer. As a teacher and coach these thoughts bring some great memories to mind and also challenge me to be a better educator this year. I’d like to share with you some tips and challenges I’ve learned in my experience as we return to school. They are applicable to every day but especially school days.
Prayer, Meditation and Visualization
These are all amazing tools that I’ve used throughout the years. Some of them I am better at than others. Prayer/Meditation is a place we should all start. These activities help us to be mindful, connect with the circumstances we are in and remind us “this too shall pass”. Visualization is a tool I learned first as a Senior in high school playing football. The mind is still the most powerful computer on the planet and if we use our mind's eye to paint the picture of how we should react throughout the day’s activities we can be better prepared for when the difficulties of life reveal themselves.
Read Something Positive and Check Your “Self-Speak”.
As usual, there is an app for that. Several years ago I downloaded the Bible app on my phone and in the past few years I’ve made it a habit to open it first thing in the morning and read the “Daily Refresh” Verse of the Day. I can always tell the difference when I’m successful in that task. My family, students and coworkers can tell the difference too.
The world will always meet its quota of negative news and I’m not saying stick your head in the sand. You can’t ignore all of it but you can control how much you expose yourself too.
All of these contribute to the way we talk to ourselves. I grew up thinking that if you talk to yourself then something might be wrong but what I’ve come to understand is that how you talk to yourself influences how you speak to others. It is difficult to give affirmation and positive feedback to your family, students, teachers or anyone else if you can’t be kind to yourself.
Listen to or Read Something Motivating to Serve Others.
Something that helps with our self-speak is making sure our influences are positive and help us think of others. The first step is understanding that we are all influenced by something. From the music we listen to, books we read and people we pay attention to- all the way down to the food we eat, we are susceptible. Then we must decide if those influences are overall positives or negatives. Will they assist me in getting where I want to be? If not, can I change them and if I can make changes, how? One small, practical step I take in this process is to read at least 10 pages of a good book everyday. We’ve also recently discovered the Abide app in our home and it's great. Whatever avenue you choose it can be a game changer on how we view ourselves and those around us.
All of these tips can fall under the description of Jesus’ early life in Luke 2:52
“And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.” (NIV)
Regardless of our faith background as teacher or parents, we all want our kids to
Grow in wisdom
One of my utmost goals for this school year is to assist my students in discernment and using the knowledge given to them for their good and those around them. The number one way that I can do that is to model it for them everyday. Wisdom can be lived through the good, the bad and the ugly circumstances that accompany every school year.
Grow in stature
This may be the only area we do not want to grow with our students. Most of them will be growing vertically while most of us educators have a hard time not growing horizontally. Either way we can once again model good behavior. Exercise goes a long way with how we feel. Do what you can, when you can and take care of yourself the best you know how. It is hard to be your best for someone else when you are not the best for yourself. There is a reason they tell you to put the oxygen mask on yourself before assisting others on an airplane.
Grow in favor
Similar to the last point, we must put our best foot forward. As a Christian, my love for God (the greatest command) can be measured by my love for others (the second greatest command). My love for others can be shown by my willingness to serve others. Depending on what day it is, service to others can look very different. Some days it can be as simple as dressing our best and the next it is simply being present when someone is going through a difficulty. Whatever that looks like throughout the next year may our students know we are genuine in our expectations, appreciation and affection for them. They will not care how much you know until they know how much you care.
Travis Creasy
I’m currently teaching Revelation to my middle and high school students at RCA. I’m using a book by Eugene Boring as a secondary source. It is very easy to remember his unfortunate name. Interesting enough he presents a very boring (one I largely agree with)take on Revelation, in comparison to the others I’ve read. I’ve learned to love “boring” over the last few years.
I’ve spent a large portion of life equating “boring” with “bad” and avoiding it as such. My kids can not bear the thought of being bored and I certainly deserve more than my fair share of the blame for that. I was not a fan of boredom until I began getting my bloodwork done on a daily basis in my Cancer fight. I became a survivor who was fighting hard to get back to normal or in my oncologist’s words “boring bloodwork”. I was tested every day for a month, then every work day for four months and now every six months and boring is the goal. When I had a bruise show up in a familiar place over the weekend from playing basketball, my goal and prayer was to have a boring result on Monday (Thankfully the result I received). There are millions of people around the world right now with the same hope. The hope to be boring. To enjoy the mundane once again.
It can be a tremendous gift. You may be reading this in the midst of some kind of battle. If you are not, you can probably think of someone close to you who is. It might be a visible or an invisible struggle. Know that you are not alone and you don’t have to fight alone. There is a God who desires to battle alongside you on the mountain, in the valley and the mundane. He finds you highly valuable and has a purpose for your suffering that might be hard to see. He promises in his word that suffering has a purpose that molds us into the image of Jesus. Your mundane can bring you into a wonderful relationship with the Almighty as a trip to the well did in John 4. Jesus can take the same job you go to everyday and turn it into Kingdom business as he did to those guys on the boat in Matthew 4. He can take a place no one wants to find themselves like a cancer ward and shine a light so bright that the pain seems like a “light, momentary affliction” that is preparing us for a very out of the ordinary “eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison…” (2 Corinthians 4:17)
By: Travis Creasy
Easter Promise
I remember when my father’s spirit quietly left this world in the early hours of somber morning. My mother held vigil with him, holding his hand for hours as the waves of grief washed through her sore eyes. The nurse came in and ceremonially washed his body. In some sense, I was relieved that his suffering had ended but my life emerged with a never-ending emptiness in his shape. It wasn’t until my father’s passing that I truly realized just how much I looked to him for approval and motivation. A couple of months later, I defended my dissertation after years of doctoral toil. I longed to hear him say, “I’m proud of you.” I wept, as I looked at my phone, knowing his earthly voice was stilled.
Easter isn’t just about what happened 2000 years ago. It is a glimpse into the future through God’s greatest sign, the resurrection of His Son.
We have always struggled with the fact of death. It is the great equalizer and comes to all of us, whether we are rich, poor, intelligent, average, powerful, weak, healthy, young, old. It can be so unfair and take folks too soon or even too late. Tyrants and despots have wielded the power of death as a final control device over the masses, yet, it rules them too. Philosophers of antiquity gave us the phrase, memento mori, which means remember death. The modern mind remains distracted with entertainment and snake oil promises of staying young but death’s ominous darkness looms greater with each passing day for each of us.
The Scriptures begin with death from the very inception of life. It rose from humanity’s rejection of God in the garden. Our lives are characterized by brevity and declared to be like a “vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.” Then, we are forgotten. It is often said that we die twice, when we stop breathing and when our name is uttered the last time. These inalterable facts bring us to despair, absurdity and anxiety.
There is Jesus.
A teacher who came onto the historical stage without the usual credentials of riches or earthly power like other renowned actors. He came as a paradox. His unlikely austere and lowly life was crowned with heavenly miracles, wonders, and signs. His message was identical to his very person. I am salvation. Other teachers talk of the afterlife and ask for faith, but faith in what? Faith in faith? Faith in our dying selves? Jesus presents a divine demonstration of the power over that which has held claim over every sage, king, and peasant. Jesus says, “I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.”
If we follow Jesus today, we will follow him out of the tomb into eternal life. The future looks like Jesus for His people! The prevailing darkness has been dispelled by the begotten Word of God, “Let there be light!” History’s sway is not held by those who shed the most blood but by the one whose blood was shed for you. Repent, for the Kingdom of God is here! Rejoice! He is risen! He is salvation.
I will see my father again. I will hear his voice. Christ has made a promise beyond just hollow words or pithy sayings. He has given us an Easter morning with the full assurance of something much more. An Easter for His church and the world at his return. Lord, Come quickly, Amen.
“Communism is Still Evil”
It is indeed strange for someone who saw the last gasps of the Soviet Union fall to see naïve and amnesiac Americans of the 21st century begin to embrace Marxism again. A system so flawed morally and practically that it is almost synonymous with totalitarianism. Marxism is an utter failure in every context but seemingly continues to offer a glimmer of fool’s gold, utopia. It imagines a people’s economic activity as, "From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.”
Capitalism has its own vices and problems as the often-quoted adage goes, “capitalism is the worst economic system, except for all the others.” At least, it is rooted in reality. Marxism imagines a world in which people will be so eventually good that they will share everything, but they are so bad right now, especially the affluent, it must be taken from them by coercion and heavy taxation. Our neo-Marxist friends point to the current economic hierarchies and cry about the disparities, exploitation which can be egregious and malevolent. However, they forget that communism destroys every other hierarchy in favor of a monolithic, hieratical state. Which is worse? A world with diverse hierarchies, where one can find economic mobility or only one? A place in which all economic and political power is concentrated in the state absolutely.
So, forgive me, if I pass on a living wage from the government. It has enough power. I will take my rich freedom over measly bread. Obviously, there are needed exceptions to this rule like the aged or sick, who need financial assistance to live. But to treat everyone as inept is to deny responsibility and freedom.
Marxist love to claim that the “rich” are immoral. They never seem to find themselves in that camp, even though they are college educated and eating, drinking like the bourgeoisie on an Amazon spending spree. I have often remarked to sympathizing Marxists, that they should start a business and incur the risk and pay people the wages they think so entitled, if it is truly that easy.
It’s not.
A successful business owner works 60 hours a week and displays entrepreneurial courage and competence. This is exactly what has made America, America. A place where you can fail miserably and still win again.
Marxism robs people of the virtue and merit of generosity. No one really gives anything in a Marxist society. They are forced to share through the means of government intervention. What is virtuous about that? Absolutely nothing. It is theft on every level, materially and spiritually.
Marxism is a deadly ideology. It is responsible for more mass murder in the 20th century than any other ideology or system because it’s not about sharing or moral rectitude. It’s about power.
“Jesus Wins the Super Bowl”
The recent Super Bowl advertisements about Jesus with the tag line, “He gets us” brought debate and contempt. The ad even provoked the ire of a notable congressperson who brought up fascism of all things! No matter what you think of the recent attempts of evangelism through television commercials, Jesus is still controversial.
What is it about the name Jesus that provokes such emotion and disdain? Jesus forewarned that His name would cause division. Households would be divided, “For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother-in-law. And a man's foes shall be they of his own household” (Matthew 10:35,36).
Maybe, it was too much for people on America’s biggest night of entertainment to think hard about our existential crisis for meaning and salvation. But Jesus seems to be where He has always been needed the most. Between the popped tops of another beer and plate of hot wings. Among us sinners trying to escape our own preoccupation with mortality and self loathe. “For the Son of Man is come to seek and save the lost” (Luke 19:10).
Jesus is still relevant. The commercials prove that the original message of Christ is just as needed as ever and provocative. One advertisement encouraged the oft heard but seldom obeyed command to “love your enemies.” I wonder what our world would be like if we truly cared about those on the other side of an issue, border, or political spectrum. Jesus’ influence and contributions to the moral landscape are irrefutably beyond significant. W. E. H Lecky observed, “The character of Jesus has not only been the highest pattern of virtue, but the longest incentive in its practice, and has exerted so deep an influence, that it may be truly said that the simple record of three short years of active life has done more to regenerate and to soften mankind than all the disquisitions of philosophers and all the exhortations of moralists.”
Jesus once asked His disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” This question still comes to each one of us, quietly or with thunder, down through the Millennia of time. According to the New Testament, this is the defining question of everyone’s life. What do we do with the preacher from Galilee? We can’t just relegate Jesus to the “good teacher” status. He never merely claimed this and perhaps that is the greatest frustration for those that can't find respite from the difficult question of Jesus. C.S. Lewis famously presented the trilemma of Christ, “Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon, or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher.”
I don’t know what you make of the new advertisements for Jesus. But I do believe that the most important consideration is the question of Jesus Himself. If Jesus is the divine Son of God, vindicated by being raised from dead on the third day. We better listen up.
Jesus in His frequent eschatological severity and urgency proclaimed, “There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not receive my words: the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day. I have not spoken on My own, but the Father who sent Me has commanded Me what to say and how to say it” (John 12:48, 49).
God typically speaks to me through repetition of His word. I will see or hear the same scripture in different unrelated places.
In August of 2018, the scripture repeated everywhere I turned was Romans 12:12, “Be joyful in hope, patient in tribulation, and constant in prayer.”
I got a new prayer notebook that month to start a new school year, and hopefully keep my journaling habit on track with the busyness of the school year, football season, and raising two toddlers looming overhead. The notebook was a 7 by 10 inch spiral bound notebook with simple college-ruled white paper inside. I liked it because it had a folder pocket in the middle of the notebook. In the folder pocket, I kept my church prayer list, a prayer calendar for Travis, a prayer calendar for the kids, and a stack of notecards that had prayers written on them that I offered up to the Lord over and over. The front of the notebook was pale pink, like a baby’s girl’s blanket. I knew I wanted a theme verse for that season to write on the cover of the new notebook, so I prayed as I began looking for the perfect one. Romans 12 felt like the right spot to look. As I skimmed Paul's familiar words about the marks of a Christian, verse 12 jumped off the page, “Be joyful in hope, patient in tribulation, and constant in prayer.” I knew that word was for me, and that I needed it for the weeks and months to come.
I had no idea that the road I was journeying down was about to get even rockier than it already was. All I knew was that I was really spiraling downward into a pit of depression and anxiety over our kids’ future. Just a few weeks prior to buying my new journal, I sent an email to my coworkers asking them to pray that we would believe God’s plans for the kids were good, that we would trust in His goodness to our very core, that we would continually have passion for the assignment to care for Hailee and Daniel and to see the fruit in it, that we would run the race with endurance because we had never felt so spiritually, emotionally, or physically drained in all our lives.
In the weeks and months to come I would see how perfect Romans 12:12 was for the season of life. I would need to find my joy in the hope that only Jesus provides, and stand my ground there, where the hope could be found because as badly as I wanted a breakthrough right then on my timing and in accordance with my plans, the breakthrough didn’t come like I wanted it to. In fact, the world only got darker. I had to continually re-Gospel myself during those fall days, telling myself that even if everything collapsed around me, the battle had already been won on the cross.
I assumed the patience I required was for the tribulation of enduring the uncertainty of my kids’ future. I didn’t realize another major tribulation lay in wait for my little family just a few weeks down the road. My journals are full of impatient pleas for God to work miracles for the kids’ unimaginable good RIGHT NOW. My timeline didn’t line up exactly with God’s. I wanted what I wanted like six months ago, please God.
Constant in prayer. That is so much easier when your life is in the balance. You’re so very aware of your lack of control and smallness. Constant in prayer was Paul’s one bullet point that seemed a little more natural in this season of life for me.
I used a black Sharpie marker to write the scripture on the pale pink cover of my notebook, and then I wrote my name in a pale pink marker on the first page of the notebook along with a few more verses about God’s faithfulness to answer prayer in hopes that these words would keep me constant in prayer when I didn’t see the mountains being thrown into the sea.
The very next day my boss sent his daily email to the faculty and staff and the subject line said “constant in prayer.” The message was all about Romans 12:12. I continued seeing and hearing messages from scripture about persistence in prayer. Each time I would write it down as a reminder of what God was telling me.
One of our alumni spoke to a group of students about a summer mission trip to Africa, and she told the parable of the persistent widow and her continual pleading for justice.
My middle school Bible class was learning about the book of Acts. We read about how the Christians devoted themselves daily to prayer.
My friend Britney posted a verse from the Psalms on her instagram account that jumped out at me, “Every morning I will explain my need to him. Every evening I will move my soul toward him. Every waking hour I will worship him only.” That couldn’t have explained “constant prayer” any more thoroughly. The next day, I opened my Jesus Calling devotional to find the same verse on the day’s reading.
Over and over again, God was reminding me to stay close to him, to talk to him, to be with him. He knew the battle we would be facing. He knows my tendency to fret, worry, and expect the worst. He knew I would need to have the mind of Christ for the coming days, weeks, and months.
I have found C.S. Lewis’ quote about prayer to be true, “I pray because I can’t help myself. I pray because I’m helpless. I pray because the need flows out of me all the time, waking and sleeping. It doesn’t change God. It changes me.” Especially the part about prayer changing the person, not God.
The seasons in my life that have been marked by a consistent prayer life have been the seasons when I was the most gracious, compassionate, loving, and slow to anger. In short, prayer helps conform me to the character of God. Prayer also helps me trust God more, act in greater obedience, and walk in hopeful anticipation of seeing God’s power.
This blog is an excerpt from Travis & Whitney Creasy's book Reframing Hope.
"Promised but Unclaimed
During the pioneer era in America, a poverty-stricken old man found his way into a settlement on the western frontier. He had run out of supplies, so he was looking for food. As he walked through the camp, someone stopped to talk with him and noticed that he wore a small pouch on a ribbon around his neck. The old man explained that it was a charm given to him many years before. He opened it, removed a crumpled paper, and handed it to his inquirer. Upon examining it, the villager discovered that it was a regular discharge from the federal army. It was signed by General George Washington himself, and it entitled the man to a pension for life. How surprised the old soldier was to find out that all these years he had been carrying a bona fide promise that his needs would be met! Because he had not claimed it, though, he had been a wandering, hungry, penniless man. We too sometimes wander around in the wilderness of spiritual poverty while God's ample provision goes unused (2 Peter 1:3-4). We forget that God has opened to us "His riches in glory" through the work and merits of Jesus Christ (Colossians 2:3).
—P R. Van Gorder
“Everlasting Kingdom”
“For so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
Will it be worth it? Will living in self-denial and submission to Christ be worth the trouble? The answer is absolutely! Our true spiritual freedom comes not through the excesses of unbridled pleasure, pride, and power but through the truth (John 8:31-34). We see the beautiful virtues of Christ’s character growing within our relationships and lives and we also have a promise of the “everlasting kingdom.” The entrance to the kingdom begins with the new birth (John 3:1-5). Christ reveals that a man must be “born of water and the spirit” to enter the kingdom. Our lives must be regenerated through obedient faith and baptism to “walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:1-5).
The “everlasting kingdom” will be beyond anything imagined. The Apostle Paul reminds, “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” So, take heart, believer! As the old hymn says, “Often I’m hindered on my way, burdened so heavy I almost fall; Then I hear Jesus sweetly say, ‘Heaven will surely be worth it all.”
“Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent
to make your call and election sure”
The election of God is exclusively in Jesus Christ. All of history and the future are interwoven into the one truth, Christ- Sovereign over all creation. Our election and salvation are solely connected and contingent on our relation to Him. Our fate is dependent on our free choice of acceptance and reception of the elect Messiah of God. The Scriptures declare, “He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world.”
Salvation is personal and communal. The scriptures require that “we work out our own salvation with fear and trembling.” Yet, we find that God desires us to be his people. “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, holy nation, a peculiar people,” Our calling and election requires us to continually choose the elect of God by Christ living in us and us in Him.
“For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness,
and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.”
The Christian life isn’t just about forgiveness but repentance. The deliverance from sin through repentance has both temporal and eternal blessing. Our lives gain spiritual momentum and energy as we turn positively to the Christian virtues in growth away from destructive self-centeredness. The Apostle Paul writes as though Christians live with one foot in Heaven and another on earth. He describes our lives interacting with the “heavenly places” (Ephesians 1:3, 20; 2:6; 3:10; 6:12). It is because we are freed from the grip of sin and the despondency of death that we can confidently claim victory.
If we continue our worldly lives and reject the character of Christ as described in these attributes, then we become “shortsighted.” We place the emphasis the transient moment over the eternal. The Apostle Peter warns, “even to blindness.” Our cleansing from sin means we are delivered from its power over to the Lord, whose kingdom absolutely reigns in us.
“For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Christianity does not lack specificity. It is not ambiguous or ambivalent, lost in the ethereal or nebulous world of mere murky mysticism or spasmodic spiritualism. It is practical, relevant, and has real import to the daily lives of Christ followers. Christianity is about the present moment. We are to “take up our cross daily,” we pray for our “daily bread.” Today is the “day of salvation!” The Apostle Peter gives these specific virtues and characteristics for us to aspire and strive for in our everyday lives. “These things” are the mark of our Christlikeness and fruitfulness.
These virtues come with a promise! It is through “these things” that we will not be barren or unfruitful. The promise of growth is growth! Jesus reminds us of this amazing organic power found in His very being. “I am the vine, and you are the branches. The one who remains in Me, and I in him, will bear much fruit” (John 15: 5). Jesus further describes our oneness with Him in direct terms, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples” (John 8:31). His word has commands, principles, and His life as a beautiful example for us to follow, this very day.
“Love”
The Apostle Peter concludes his list of Christian virtues with the summum bonum of agape love. God’s perfect and unconditional love- we share through the fellowship of His begotten Son. When examining our own relationships, we will find needs and desires and an urge for fair reciprocity. But, with God, He has no needs, desires, or ulterior motives but the purest of absolute love. A love without any reservation. The Apostle Paul reminds us, “God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything” (Acts. 17:24,25).
This perfect love of abandonment is fully revealed in Jesus. From the manger to grave, Jesus was living out unconditional love for us. It is in the sacrifice of self that we begin to express this eternal and transcendent love. It is not a natural feeling. It does not come cheaply or easy but requires a new heart and ethical consciousness. It is the bravest of all virtues or graces and only found in the life lived in the shadow of the cross.
“Brotherly Kindness”
The Apostle Peter builds our horizontal relationship virtues consisting of brotherly kindness and love on a proper vertical relationship with God. The second commandment of loving our neighbor is solidly footed on the first of loving God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength. The Ten Commandments, likewise, begin with the first four commandments all related to God vertically with proper worship. Our generosity and benevolent spirit to others are founded on the lavish grace of God. We also find that brotherly kindness and love are created through the disciple’s inner life of virtue, knowledge, self-control, and perseverance previously discussed.
The word for brotherly kindness is φιλαδελφία which connotes brotherly love and is transliterated Philadelphia. Let us remember the fraternal love of Christ in the incarnation by becoming not only a submissive Son but a loving brother to humanity. The Scriptures speak, “For both he that sanctifies, and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren” (Hebrews 2:11). Jesus is also described as “the firstborn among many brothers and sisters” (Romans 8: 29). How can we deny others this virtue of brotherly kindness when we have been so extravagantly blessed to become “fellow heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:17).
“Godliness”
God imbued humanity with His own image in creation. Our image bearing is the ontological basis for our everlasting dignity, rationality, morality, and freedom. “Let us make man in our own image” (Genesis 1:26). This is the very foundation of life as sacred, civilization, and jurisprudence. “Whoever sheds human blood, by humans shall their blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made mankind” (Genesis 9:6; Romana 13). However, humanity’s primeval and universal rejection of God in the fall has vitiated this holy image within us. Sin has corrupted our very nature and moral capacity. The Apostle Paul explains, “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned” (Romans 5:12).
The Greek word for godliness is εὐσέβεια, which denotes a veneration or reverence towards the things of God sometimes translated as piety. It is through Christ that our lives are radically transformed into a proper standing and capacity for relationship with a holy God. Christ bridges the infinite chasm between humanity and God to restore the perfect created image. “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified” (Romans 8: 29,30). We are called to live godly to honor the Father.
“Perseverance”
The spiritual virtue of perseverance is built upon the previous foundation of self-control. Perseverance is the prolonged capacity to control the self and to endure strenuous circumstances. Perseverance is vital in accomplishing difficult goals and to faithfully adhere to Christian values and principles regardless of temptation and trials. “Indeed, we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful” (James 5:11). Job endured tremendous loss of children, possessions, and health-remaining faithful to the Lord despite these horrific life events. It was through Job’s perseverance that God’s greatest work of compassion was revealed and fulfilled.
Life’s temptations and trials can be overwhelming. There are sufferings and traumas that are unspeakable. God has not exempted Himself from our pain but was crucified and is known in Jesus as the “Man of Sorrows.” Our Lord will redeem all suffering when He brings “all things under His subjection.” There is an amazing day coming! He will “wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no death, no sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4). Let’s continue to remember the words of Jesus, “But he who endures to the end shall be saved.”
“Self-Control”
The advancement of spiritual maturity involves ethical and pragmatic behavior. Our right conduct must be forged through faith and character development. We have all been in situations where we find ourselves, as our own “worst enemy.” We do and say things which sabotage and wound our spiritual lives and relationships. Our inability to control the primal impulses of appetite, emotions, and emptiness obliterate spiritual wellness and wholeness. We need self-control. The ability to subordinate powerful transient feelings to significant eternal principles and values.
We seek in so many instances to control others to console our ineptness with ourselves. But this endeavor is either manipulative or mostly unproductive. Jesus says that we must consider the “beam in our own eye” before considering the “mote” of another. Our power over the self is aided by the Holy Spirit if we acquiesce to the will of God. The Apostle Paul encourages that self-control is the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:23). One of the great temporal rewards of Christianity is that we find strength in every moment of life especially over the self which is one the last defenses against the enemy. “A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without wall” (Proverbs 25:28).
The Apostle Peter continues the progression of growth from faith, virtue, to knowledge. We must remember that there can be dangerous attitudes and pitfalls associated with learning or knowledge. The Scriptures explain some are “always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth” (II Timothy 3:7). Our love of learning new things must not be at the expense of truth. Those in Athens were curious to hear Paul, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting?” (Acts 17: 19) Yet they reject Paul’s instruction and the truth. Knowledge can also “puff up,” so a prideful attitude can be associated with knowledge (I Corinthians 8:1).
The Scriptures extoll spiritual knowledge found in the Scriptures and our experience of God. It is an expectation of believers to gain a fuller understanding and deeper appreciation of God’s redemptive plan. The writer of Hebrews explains, “Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. And this we will do if God permits” (Hebrews 6:1). We are to grow in the “grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (II Peter 3:18).
“Virtue”
“Add to your faith virtue”
Our lives in faith are dynamic, vibrant and to exemplify moral excellencies which is encapsulated by the word, virtue. Jesus’ life was of the highest caliber ethically and morally. The Scripture describes Him as sinless, pure, and holy (Hebrews 4:15, I Peter 2: 22). We are not to be “conformed to the world” but to follow the example of our Lord. The ancient Philosopher Plato described four cardinal virtues: wisdom, courage, moderation, and justice. Christian thought expanded to include spiritual virtues with the zenith, agape love (I Corinthians 13).
A virtuous life begins internally. First, we need the cleansing power of Christ’s blood (Ephesians 2:13, I John 1:7) which is appropriated in faith and baptism (Acts 22:16, Hebrews 10: 22, Ephesians 5:26). Secondly, our inner life must be transformed through discipleship and the Holy Spirit. The Apostle Paul encourages us, “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.” Thirdly, our behavior will follow our transformed hearts which will produce good works and virtuous living (Matthew 5:16, Ephesians 2:10).
“Faith”
God has chosen faith as the means of justification through every age and dispensation. “The just shall live by faith” (Romans 1:17). We share this kindred approach to God with even the great Patriarch Abraham. The Apostle Paul relates, “Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the nations by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham, beforehand, saying, In you all the nations shall be blessed. So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham” (Galatians 3:7-10).
Our faith is specific and dynamic. Our faith must be solely placed in Jesus Christ (John 14:6). The specificity of faith is in the teachings and example of our Lord. We know His will through the faithful witness of His apostles who preserved His commands and precepts for us to follow including baptism among others (Mark 16:16, Matthew 28:19,20). Our faith is dynamic because we obey and find relevance in every aspect of life. Christ has given us “everything that pertains unto life and godliness.” So, if you believe, you will “add to your faith.”
“Giving All”
“But also for this very reason, giving all diligence”
When Christ calls us to follow Him, it is in complete abandonment of all other allegiances. He has total claim as Creator on our lives, possessions, and purposes. It is in our complete surrender and submission that the power of God manifests itself within our souls. We must give “all diligence” or effort to our discipleship to Christ.
We can sometimes fall prey into thinking that our spirituality is something that is merely handed to us or self-pleasing. The Apostle Peter encourages, “giving all diligence.” Make the effort to follow Jesus! Think of how much effort we can put into our material things like houses, cars, and clothes but are we making an effort in the Kingdom of God? Paul reminds Timothy, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (II Timothy 2:15). Make all effort to know God deeply, to love unconditionally, and to remain faithful despite the trying circumstances of life.
“Escape”
By: Dr. Laws Rushing
“By which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”
Hank Williams once sang, “No matter how I struggle and strive, I'll never get out of this world alive.” Our lives are subject to corruption because of our fallen nature. But there is an answer to this fateful conundrum of anxiety and despair. It is by receiving the “divine nature” which is immortal and incorruptible. We can escape but not while neglecting the gift of salvation. The Hebrew writer questioned, “how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him” (Hebrews 2:3).
We can escape corruption by rejecting worldliness and lust. The Apostle John wrote, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever” (I John 2:15-17). Jesus is the only answer to an afterlife and corruption. Jesus consoles us and the poet by revealing, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.”
“By which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature.”
God is wanting to instill in each of us a different nature. Our present nature which was originally made “very good” and in the “image of God” is fallen (Romans 5:12). The Apostle Paul commented, “in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others” (Ephesians 2:2,3). Our nature is dominated by selfishness, sinfulness, and corruption and needing redemption.
The great work of Christ is our new birth and regeneration. Jesus commands that we must be “born of water and the Spirit” (John 3:3-5, Titus 3:5,6). It is through our new birth that a “divine nature” begins to grow within us. First, God regenerates and imbues us with the Holy Spirit. We receive the “gift of the Holy Spirit” when we are baptized (Acts 2:38, I Corinthian 12:13). It is our submission to God through discipleship that this “divine nature” is expressed in our lives. We begin to follow the example of Jesus Himself and His divinity takes shape in our lives.
“By which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises”
There is hope. The world and our lives can seem blight and helpless. The darkness, devastating and overwhelming. But the promises of God are as sure as this very moment. The Scriptures tell us, “God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?” (Numbers 23:19) In a world filled with lies, half-truths, gossip, and deceit, the promises of God are true and incontrovertible.
Against all odds. The Scriptures are filled with people riddled with doubts, weakness, outnumbered and outgunned. But the promises of God stood true. Abraham and Sarah were promised a child and a nation yet struggling with infertility. The children of Israel were promised a “land of milk and honey” while slaves in Egypt. King David promised an eternal house and perpetual throne, then caught in the fiasco of adultery and murder. The list goes on. God remains faithful despite the circumstances and even faithlessness of humanity.
God promised a savior. The Old Testament is replete with the expectation of the Messiah. All promises are personified in His person. “For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen.” We can truly sing the words of the old hymn with total assurance, “Standing on the promises that cannot fail. When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail, By the living Word of God I shall prevail, Standing on the promises of God.”
“Holy Calling”
“His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue”
BY: DR. LAWS RUSHING
Our lives can only be divinely empowered if we have answered the calling of Christ. The invitation of Jesus is extended to every person. The Lord Himself requested, “Come unto Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” This “calling” of Christ is found in the very name of the “church.” The Greek word is ἐκκλησία (ekklesia) literally means, “a gathering of citizens called out from their homes into some public place.” The Apostle Peter emphasized, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” We have been called out of the world by the efficacious “glory and virtue” of Christ.
The calling is first by the glory of Christ. The Apostle John says, “we beheld His glory.” The disciples were able to witness the amazing miracles of the only begotten Son and a notable few, the sublime transfiguration (Matthew 17). However, the full glory is revealed and shared in the resurrection which will be ours at His coming. We are called by the magnificent virtue or goodness of Christ. We see the purity of His character and teaching in the Gospels. We are called by His eternal love for us “which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:18,19).
“His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue”
Not only is the power of God immeasurable but so is His beneficence or goodness. His divine power is demonstrated through unimaginable generosity and blessings. The world experiences common grace in every moment. “He makes sun rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the just and unjust” (Matthew 5:45). Not only is God’s goodness exhibited in creation but pre-eminently through eternal redemption in Christ.
The Father gave something far greater than the sum of all creation. Many have described this gift as “bankrupting Heaven” for our very benefit. The result is that we have “all things that pertain to life and godliness.” The mysteries and wisdom of life are known through “the knowledge of Him.” The gift of eternal life begins now in the experience of “life and godliness.” The Apostle Paul states, “godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.”
“Divine Power” (II Peter 1:3)
“His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue”
By: Dr. LAws Rushing
God’s immense power is beyond our comprehension. Just think of the vastness and size of the observable universe which is estimated to be 93-billion light years across. Just how big is that? One light year is six trillion miles! No wonder the prophet Jeremiah declared, “Ah, Lord God! Behold, you have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You.”
The Apostle Peter reveals that God is giving us a portion of this immaculate and immediate power. God begins through our very being and existence. The Apostle Paul quotes the ancient poets, “In Him, we live, move and have our being.” We derive life itself from the eternal Word, Jesus. The Scriptures say, “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men” (John 1:4).
Yet, there is more power for the believer through a knowledge of Christ! Christ empowers His followers to “glory and virtue”. Plugging into God’s power is creative and transformative. It gives us the strength to persevere faithfully. Trust in the “divine power” today!
“Add to Your Faith”
by: Dr. LAws Rushing
Our theme this year is “add to your faith” from II Peter 1: 3- 11. Faith is, undoubtedly, the foundation in beginning a relationship with God. Faith is a dynamic reality that consists of knowledge and trust in the nature and character of God. The Hebrew writer describes faith as “evidence of things not seen” and the impossibility of pleasing God without it (Hebrews 11:1-6). Our knowledge of God is more than a cerebral experience but a personal and authentic relationship. It consists of trust and confidence in His very person. Proverbs declares, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart!”
Faith is a powerful catalyst that moves the believer in the direction of God which is creative and good. The Apostle Peter counsels that our faith grows into beautiful expressions such as virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and charity. Please join us on our journey of dynamic faith. Our lives are not called to spiritual stagnation and mediocrity but transformative growth in sanctification. “Add to your Faith!”
Socrates famously exclaimed, “Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel.” Riverside Christian Academy is ready to ignite the hearts and minds of our students this year! Our school remains committed to our families, who have busy professional lives and prioritized faith. It is so exciting to welcome back all our students to RCA! We hope that everyone had a great summer with relaxation and fun. We look forward to seeing you for orientation on the evening of August 1st. We will be sharing important information and delicious ice cream! Our classes will commence August 3rd.
Riverside Christian Academy’s enrollment is up from last year and we have added a new pre-school class for two-year olds. We heard from many families needing this added resource in our community, and we have answered the call to assist in early childcare education. The High School has added a Rhetoric class, in addition to Philosophy, interjecting classical pedagogic elements into our curriculum. Rhetoric offers intentional opportunities for self-expression and speech to cultivate this needed skill in academia and future professions. The High School has also added a Cultural Studies and Geography class introducing students to the social richness and diversity within our world, enabling them for success in a global economy and higher education.
RCA is going to add a jumbotron to our beautiful gym. The school is so thankful for our initial sponsors, Bank of Lincoln County and Shoney’s and their major contributions to this project. It will be an amazing addition to the sporting experience and an audio-visual medium for assemblies and extracurricular activities. We will be offering advertisement opportunities for local businesses and community partners.
We have developed a program with Freed-Hardeman University that began with 32 hours of college credit during high school at no additional, out-of- pocket, expense for our families. We have now expanded the partnership to become a pilot program called “Pioneer.” RCA will be collaborating with the university on many levels creating new synergy for both schools to the benefit of our students. This will include, new teacher and administration resources and research through the Bobbie Solley Center of Excellence in Teaching. We also look forward to offering our students more resources and coaching in High School as they begin the journey to their professional lives.
Our theme this year is “Add to Your Faith.” It is taken from II Peter 1: 5-8, which states, “But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” We look forward to the many spiritual lessons expounding on cultivating a spirit of personal growth in the Kingdom of God.
We look forward to kindling the fire of intellectual curiosity and passion for Christ. One of the students’ favorite songs is “Light the Fire.” It is so heart warming and encouraging to hear young voices sing the lyrics to this pious song by William Maxwell.
I stand to praise You
But I fall on my knees
My spirit is hungry
By my flesh is so weak
Light the fire (light the fire)
In my soul (in my weary soul)
Fan the flame (fan the flame)
Make me whole (make my spirit whole)
Lord You know (Lord You know)
Where I've been (where I've been)
So light the fire, in my heart again.
I feel Your arms around me
As the power of Your healing begins
You breath, new life into me
Like a mighty, rushing wind
Light the fire.
Mountain Top Living ~ Part 30: By Their Fruits You Will Know Them
Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
False teaching was a prevalent problem in the primitive church. The Apostle Paul agonized about the Judaizing teachers who insisted on the Torah equivalently with Christ. If justification could be achieved through the law, then Christ was unnecessary. It was through Christ Himself fulfilling the righteousness of the Torah and prophetic witness that atonement could be achieved and thus justification before God. (Galatians 2:21) “I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.” The Church of Colossae was also threatened, “Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ” (Colossians 2:8).
We see historically that the church struggled early with articulating Christological doctrine in a faithful and Biblical way. The Arian heresy failed to see Jesus as fully divine in the same sense as the Father. Church Father Athanasius argued, “Jesus that I know as my Redeemer cannot be less than God.” False teaching continued with Docetism, Gnosticism, and many other unorthodox beliefs through the centuries.
Godly leadership is imperative for the prevention of false teaching. We see the echoes of Christ’s warning in the words of the Apostle warning the Ephesus church and elders. “Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears” (Acts 20:28-31).
The Scriptures are authoritative in beliefs and practice. The Apostle Paul boldly wrote, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (II Timothy 3:16, 17). God requires that we are discerning about the fruit of false teachers. This requires our knowledge and understanding of the truth. The noble Bereans “searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so” (Acts 17:11).
The church must strive for stronger leadership and increased Biblical knowledge. We are commanded to “test the spirits” and “prove all things.” May God help us in proclaiming His message faithfully and truthfully.
Mountain Top Living ~ Part 29: Enter by the Narrow Gate
Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.
dxBecause narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
There is an old saying, “50 million Elvis fans can’t be wrong.” It takes on the notion of consensus and whether something is true or not. This logical fallacy is called argumentum ad populum that we sometimes fall prey. Just because something is widely held as true or accepted, doesn’t make it so. Elvis is talented, regardless of his 50 million fans. The Bible implores us, “Do not follow a crowd to do evil” (Exodus 23:2).
We are tempted to imitate the groups that we find ourselves in, whether it is a peer group or the larger culture. Theologian Reinhold Niebuhr, went so far as to say, “Evil is not to be traced back to the individual but to the collective behavior of humanity.” Jesus unequivocally warns, many are on the road to destruction because of the universal problem of selfishness and sin. We are called not to live according to the many but the One, the Lordship of Jesus.
We also find a powerful motivation in what sociologists’ call “group think.” It is a phenomenon of when people can make irrational or even immoral decisions based on the social pressures of conformity. The scriptures speak of our peculiarity compared to popular culture, “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people'' (I Peter2:9).
One of the reasons that we find so many on the path of destruction is because of ignorance. People simply do not know a better way. Ultimately, it is the mission and responsibility of the church to remedy this through evangelism and teaching. The church is commissioned by Christ Himself to teach and preach throughout the world (Mark 16:15,16; Matthew 28:18-20). The Apostle Paul goes to great lengths to clarify that our knowledge of good and evil is what makes us culpable for sin through our conscience or the law (Romans 2:15, 3:9). It is only the Gospel that can save us from sin (Romans 1:16).
We also find so many on the path to destruction because of the love of worldliness. The Apostle John says, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world- the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life- is not of the Father but is of the world” (I John 2:15). We must not mistake this teaching for the material world as evil like dualists or the Manichaeans. It is rather the temptation to be ruled by the flesh, eyes, and pride which dominate the world value systems. We see so much of humanity ruled by insatiable flesh instead of the Spirit, trusting their eyes through only empiricism instead of genuine faith, and an artificial allegiance to prideful self instead of humbly walking with God.
Don’t be fooled by the crowd. “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:2).
Mountain Top Living ~ Part 29: Enter by the Narrow Gate
Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.
dxBecause narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
There is an old saying, “50 million Elvis fans can’t be wrong.” It takes on the notion of consensus and whether something is true or not. This logical fallacy is called argumentum ad populum that we sometimes fall prey. Just because something is widely held as true or accepted, doesn’t make it so. Elvis is talented, regardless of his 50 million fans. The Bible implores us, “Do not follow a crowd to do evil” (Exodus 23:2).
We are tempted to imitate the groups that we find ourselves in, whether it is a peer group or the larger culture. Theologian Reinhold Niebuhr, went so far as to say, “Evil is not to be traced back to the individual but to the collective behavior of humanity.” Jesus unequivocally warns, many are on the road to destruction because of the universal problem of selfishness and sin. We are called not to live according to the many but the One, the Lordship of Jesus.
We also find a powerful motivation in what sociologists’ call “group think.” It is a phenomenon of when people can make irrational or even immoral decisions based on the social pressures of conformity. The scriptures speak of our peculiarity compared to popular culture, “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people'' (I Peter2:9).
One of the reasons that we find so many on the path of destruction is because of ignorance. People simply do not know a better way. Ultimately, it is the mission and responsibility of the church to remedy this through evangelism and teaching. The church is commissioned by Christ Himself to teach and preach throughout the world (Mark 16:15,16; Matthew 28:18-20). The Apostle Paul goes to great lengths to clarify that our knowledge of good and evil is what makes us culpable for sin through our conscience or the law (Romans 2:15, 3:9). It is only the Gospel that can save us from sin (Romans 1:16).
We also find so many on the path to destruction because of the love of worldliness. The Apostle John says, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world- the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life- is not of the Father but is of the world” (I John 2:15). We must not mistake this teaching for the material world as evil like dualists or the Manichaeans. It is rather the temptation to be ruled by the flesh, eyes, and pride which dominate the world value systems. We see so much of humanity ruled by insatiable flesh instead of the Spirit, trusting their eyes through only empiricism instead of genuine faith, and an artificial allegiance to prideful self instead of humbly walking with God.
Don’t be fooled by the crowd. “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:2).
Mountain Top Living ~ Part 28: Do Unto Others
Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
One of the most significant and widely known teachings of Jesus is the “Golden Rule.” It has been taught in homes, schools, and churches to the benefit of all humanity for over two millennia. Many have remarked and preached on the progression of human history as envisioned through the iron, silver, and golden rules. The “iron rule” is one of sheer power, strength, and force. The story of Cain and Abel illustrates the iron rule. We see this rule played out among men and nations and stated as, “might is right.” This rule is the law of the jungle and has very little ethical considerations and sophistication. Nietzsche says, “this world is the will to power—and nothing besides! And you yourselves are also this will to power—and nothing besides!” The “silver rule” was stated by Confucius, "Do not impose on others that which you yourself do not desire.” One could say the chief strategy is to do no harm and characteristic of jurisprudence. The Rabbi Hillel likewise said, “that which is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow. That is the whole Torah; the rest is the explanation; go and learn." Most of the Ten Commandments would be a great example of the silver rule which is encapsulated by the phrase, “Thou shalt not.”
The “Golden Rule” is the call to active goodness. Christ challenges His listeners to “Do.” There is no limitation or restriction on this command. We are to extend our grace to all. It is through our “good works” that we glorify the father (Matthew 5:16). Our actions are the expression and manifestation of God’s eternal workmanship (Ephesians 2:10).
We are to pray for our leaders and all people. The Apostle Paul writes, “Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence” (I Timothy 2:1,2). Furthermore, we are to “remember the poor” (Galatians 2:10) and “as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith” (Galatians 6:10). We are to help orphans and widows (James 1:27, Acts 6:1-7). Even the stranger is considered a neighbor. The story of the “Good Samaritan” reminds us that a neighbor is anyone in need and thus subject to our love and mercy. Jesus proclaims, “Go and do likewise.” We are also to share the good news of the Gospel so that others can know God and find inner peace and eternal hope (Matthew 28:19, 20).
The “Golden Rule” includes self-love and care. The command insists, “whatever you want men to do to you.” It is through the lens of our shared humanity that mercy is found. God has gifted us with His image that gives insight to our ethical responsibility and reciprocity. We have the capacity to feel for each other through our self-awareness and imagination.
The “Golden Rule” is truly a sublime treasure and catalyst to a higher ethical consciousness. If only we would heed the wise words of our teacher.