Teaching Truth to Landon
After a wonderful Sunday School class on the 12 Great Feasts of the Church, one of my favorite ladies in our parish told me, “I have been in church all my life. I’ve raised my kids in church too. Here I am, in my 60′s, and I’m learning things that I never knew about God, His Church, the Church calendar…I’m so thankful for this information.” This dear lady had tears as she shared what was in her heart. I could see how hungry she is for the Lord and how eager she is to know Him more.
Jeremy and I have often felt the same in recent months. We have discovered the difference between getting Truth, and getting the fullness of the Truth. There is an enormous difference. So much so that, although we are extremely thankful for our upbringing, it is hard not to feel somehow robbed because there is so much we were not taught; so much we didn’t know. Our parents didn’t know either. And their parents didn’t know. Yet, the Bible commands that everything be passed on to our children so that they will know the glorious works of God….
Give ear, O my people, to my law; incline your ears to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings of old, which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children, telling to the generation to come the praises of the Lord, and His strength and His wonderful works that He has done. For He established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which He commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children; That the generation to come might know them, the children who would be born, that they may arise and declare them to their children, that they may set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments; And may not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation that did not set its heart aright, and whose spirit was not faithful to God. ~ Psalm 78:1-8
There are many commands throughout Scripture to pass on what we have been taught to our children. There are blessings if we do, and curses if we do not. In the New Testament Paul praised the Corinthians for “holding fast to the Traditions, whether by word or epistle”. He not only praised them for holding fast to the traditions, but he praised them for holding to them just as he delivered to them! (1 Corinth. 11:2) We reap blessings when we hold fast to the traditions of our early fathers, our first Church!
Then Paul warns the Galatians later, “But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.” (Galatians 1:8-9) I don’t know about you, but being accursed sounds pretty serious to me! It seems very important to find out the message that Paul and all the Apostles delivered to the Church, and find out exactly how he delivered them so we can imitate them! For Paul also said, “Imitate me, as I imitate Christ”. (1 Corinthians 11:1)
Our Lord and Savior gave a command in His Great Commission when He said, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you.” Note first of all that Jesus says right off the bat that all authority has been given to Him in heaven AND on earth. He then gives authority to His disciples and tells them to go into all nations and teach everything that He as taught them. Everything! What is everything? If we are to do what He said, we’d better know what everything is that He taught the disciples. And we can know.
Passing from Generation to Generation to Generation
Our God is faithful to us. We must be faithful to Him and keep His commands. He promises to be found if we seek Him with all our hearts. We must pass everything on to our children. That might mean the dark sayings of old, like the Psalmist wrote about. Sounds kind of creepy, I know, but if it’s important enough to include in the Bible, then we should find out what it means so we can pass it on to our children! It is not too late! Thanks be to God, our dear parishioner in her 60′s recognizes that it is not too late! She can still pass it on to her children even if they are fully grown with their own children. With the strength of God and His enduring mercies, we will diligently be passing these Truth’s on to Joshua and Landon. May God be pleased to open their eyes and their ears! To the praise of His glorious grace, Amen!
