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Welcome
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Welcome
to the first issue of The Lamplighter. This informative, bi-monthly
issue has been designed to assist parents, pastors and teachers with
insights that will dramatically impact the lives of those whom God has
entrusted under their care.
Each
issue will focus on biblical truth, educational insights, literature
reviews, people to see and places to go, and excerpts from "Let
God's Creatures be the Teachers"(c) Bible nature curriculum.
The
newsletter is published by Cornerstone Family Ministries and Lamplighter
Publishing and is edited by Mark Hamby. It is my prayer that the insights
gained through these issues will help us guide His children skillfully
through life.
Please
call 1-888-AGOSPEL (246-7735) if you would like to receive a subscription
to this quarterly newsletter delivered to your home, church, or organization's
office.
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Wisdom
Windows of Opportunity
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The word skill in the Hebrew tongue carries the idea of wisdom. As one
of my seminary professors coined it, "Wisdom is negotiating life
skillfully." We certainly live in a day when a higher level of
skill is needed in order to be successful.
Throughout
history, those who acquired a mastery level of skill were looked up
to by society and sought after for their services or crafts. Prior to
the nineteen hundreds, the older were committed to passing down knowledge
and skill to the younger. Churches had not yet begun to segregate age
groups and youth watched, listened and learned from those who had wisdom
to share. Unfortunately, today there is a lack of wisdom as youth have
few role models to follow who have mastery skills to share.
Children
who were not going to follow their father's trade were trained through
apprenticeship programs. For centuries, they were the main avenues for
training youth until colleges began to develop. Young people actually
left home and began living with a mentor who would commit himself to
his new disciple. They sacrificed the comfort of their own homes, worked
extremely hard, and were paid little, if any at all. The reward of their
sacrifice, however, prepared them to live life skillfully and attractively.
I say attractively because when one has acquired a mastery level of
skill, others appreciate and admire a job well done.
We
live in a day when education is not much more than educating the
mind,
developing thinking skills, and providing recreational exercise. Even
Christian education is lacking in the area of "wisdom training".
Basically, we have modified the public educational approach, substituting
secular reading with Christian textbooks. We are preparing our young
people to enter college, but not to live life skillfully. That is
not
wisdom. Young people need to graduate from high school with a mastery
skill (or working toward one) that will provide financial support
and
security as they begin their new ventures in life.
It
is the responsibility of parents and teachers, however, to provide
a
broad spectrum of activities and choices in order to narrow the preferred "skill" that
a young person needs to develop. Parents and teachers who lack these
skills must relentlessly pursue a qualified
person to help. Even modified apprenticeship programs are better than
none.
Recently, I hired a young man (18 years old) who is basically self-taught.
Although his English and spelling need improvement, his mastery skill
of working with the computer has made him a successful employee. He
has acquired skills that make his services in demand by several companies
in our area. He develops our web site, works with the design and layout
of our catalogs, newsletters, and brochures, and occasionally accompanies
me at conferences. In exchange for his time and talents, I am providing
him with state-of-the-art computer technology, programs, and opportunities
to advance his skills. This, of course, takes time, energy, and insight,
but the trade-off has been worth it for us both.
Jesus
said the children of this generation are wiser than the children
of
light. Unless the children of light begin putting the ax to the grindstone
and persevere in developing their skills, regardless of the toil
and
sacrifice they must endure, the children of the world will continue
to be wiser. As I write this, I am reminded of King David when he
said, "I will not give unto the Lord that which costs me nothing."
King Solomon said, "Prepare thy fields outside, and then build
thy house." We have too many young people with unprepared "fields" of
interest. May we as parents and teachers exercise wisdom in preparing
His children to live life skillfully.
Future articles will address how parents, pastors, and teachers can
provide wisdom training for our young people.
Watch
for our "Wisdom Windows of Opportunity" in future articles.
Currently, Cornerstone Family Ministries is attempting to purchase
a
facility and/or land where the training of parents, pastors, teachers,
and youth would occur. Wisdom training in music, drama, art, and
vocational
skills for the purpose of ministry will be our focus.
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Angry
Parents Part 1
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"Whom
the Lord loves He chastens and scourges every son whom he receives."
Have you ever thought about the idea that God actually scourges His
children whom He loves? The act of scourging is a rather harsh method
of discipline that is related to both His love and His anger. When Jesus
made a scourge of small cords and cast the money changers out of the
Temple, He displayed anger, but did He display love? Yes, I believe
He did. Jesus' anger was not directed at the individual, but at the
offense toward God. One way to determine if your anger is righteous,
is to be sure it is not directed at the person, but at the offense.
This is one way that you can be angry and sin not.
Anger
is a topic that is seldom discussed today. It is essential, however,
to understand how to exercise godly anger. I believe there are many
angry parents who are blind to their anger. What usually triggers
your
anger? When is your anger usually triggered? Anger that is purposeful
and directed at stopping ungodly behavior will always be accompanied
with mercy. Does your anger last more than ten minutes? Thirty minutes?
Until the next day? Let not the sun go down upon your wrath," saith
the Lord! If your anger is directed at the person and not the offense,
or if your anger lasts until another day, it is time to seek help
from
a pastor or biblical counselor. In the multitude of counselors there
is safety. We will look at the causes of anger in the next issue.
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Let
God's Creatures Be The Teachers
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In the beginning, God commanded Adam to tend the garden and to name
all the animals (Gen. 21:15, 19). Did you ever consider why these two
tasks were the first given to Adam? God created, and man was responsible
to interact with creation to the degree that each plant and flower would
be cared for, and each animal named through its particular form, behavior
and beauty.
As
I contemplated Adam naming the animals and tending the garden, I began
to realize that creation itself is a master teacher. From every aspect
of creation, it speaks clearly of the character of God. Through the
simplicity of the sparrow to the unfolding of the petals on a rose,
creation reveals to the believer, the keys that unlock the mysteries
of life.
"For
since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly
seen, being understood by things that are made, even His eternal power
and Godhead." (Romans 1:20)
Seeking
truth through creation, however, is a life-long pursuit that must be
accompanied by prayer and a tenacious spirit that searches for hidden
treasure. Searching for treasure is exciting and rewarding especially
if it's found!
"You will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your
heart." (II Chron. 15:2)
I
can think of no other pursuit in life that is of more value or filled
with more life-changing experiences than one's pursuit of God. John
Piper, in his book, Desiring God, coined it well when he stated that "the chief end of man is to glorify God by enjoying Him forever." And
enjoying God requires knowing Him intimately. If you desire to know
someone intimately, you must spend time with them.
As
God's creatures become your teachers in the following excerpts, it is
my prayer that you may catch a glimpse of the beauty and majesty of
our great and awesome God. If you have not experienced the beauty of
the Lord, listen to hear the still, small voice that speaks from among
the birds, flowers, and the sky. Observe carefully as you see His hand
demonstrate His power during a sunset. As you begin to hear and see
His beauty, you will find the enjoyment so sweet, you will wish to hear
and see it again; you will love it more than can be told and will wonder
at your former blindness. May you seek Him with all your heart, and
He will let you find Him.
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Let
God's Creatures Be The Teachers
Curriculum Excerpt
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Introduction
Those who have heard this seminar live or on audio tape will have
an advantage in implementing the following ideas. I will endeavor,
however,
to write so that a newcomer will understand the "heartbeat" of
this approach.
Highlights
of thie curriculum will be included in each newsletter to help you get
started. The completed curriculum will include over twenty units including:
The
Shepherd and His Sheep
The Potter and His Clay
The Rancher and His Horse
The Farmer and His Fields
The Ornithologist and His Birds
The Forester and His Trees
The Gardener and His Flowers
The Refiner and His Fire
The Vinedresser and His Vines
The Beekeeper and His Bees
The Maple Tree and Its Syrup
The Baker and His Bread
The Ant and Its Labors
The Orchard Keeper and His Fruit
The Owl and Its Silence
Each unit is designed to help you illustrate the meaning of the Scripture
as you and your children touch, taste, handle, see, and hear the very
same lessons that Jesus taught His disciples. Once you begin to experience
the Bible coming alive before your eyes, you will begin to understand
how His creation declares His glory!
So, set aside your agenda and roll up your sleeves as God's creatures
become your teachers!
LESSON
ONE
The first thing you need to find is a sheep farm! Contact a Cooperative
Extension Service, a Feed Store, a Veterinary College, or a veterinarian
to help you locate a sheep farm. There are two goals to keep in mind:
To
teach the Word of God effectively, and
To build a bridge into the lives of others (the shepherd, the rancher,
etc).
Prior to visiting the sheep farm you will need to prepare your children
with the following information:
*
Look through an encyclopedia and notice the variety of breeds and the
history of sheep.
*
Sheep are timid animals, therefore, it is best to be quiet around them
without quick movements.
*
Once arrangements have been made to visit a sheep farm, make sure you
find out when lambs are expected to be born, when they will be sheared,
and what time they are fed. Ask if the children can participate in any
way.
*
Remember to have the children personally thank the shepherd. Follow-up
letters of thanks are especially appreciated. Please don't forget that
a primary goal is to reach others for Jesus Christ.
Warning!
Rams can be very dangerous. Inform your children.
Certain breeds of sheep (like Dorsett) give birth twice a year, usually
during the late winter or late summer. Keep this in mind when preparing
your schedule, since it is very precious to hold a newborn lamb. Please
remember that "shearing" usually takes place a few weeks
before lambing (January, February, March are the typical months).
Lambing
Prepare your children in advance that they will have the privilege of
seeing one of God's most precious creatures. Build an excitement that
this experience will be something they'll never forget. If younger children
are afraid, remind them that the lamb is the animal God chose to represent
Jesus when He died on the cross.
Isaiah
53 states that, "As a lamb is brought to the slaughter and as a
sheep is dumb before his shearers, so he (Christ) opened not his mouth."
The other day when I brought one of our lambs to the butcher, it made
all kinds of noise. Even when sheep are sheared there is an occasional
baahhh. I believe the message that Isaiah is trying to convey, is not
the fact that Jesus did not speak when falsely accused, but that He
neither defended Himself nor resisted. Peter captures it poignantly
when he states, "When He was reviled, He reviled not again; when
He suffered, He threatened not; but committed Himself to Him that judgeth
righteously" (I Peter 2:23).
It
was only through a life of non-resistance to the will of God and
the
weight of the cross, that Jesus could be called "the lamb of God
who takes away the sins of the world". Non-resistance is a sure
sign that a believer is being transformed into the likeness of Christ.
An
excellent little book that I found from the 1600's entitled Let Go would
be an excellent resource for you to read on the subject of denying one's
self, taking up one's cross, and following Christ. It has ministered
to me immeasurably.
Oh,
before I forget, make certain you ask the shepherd if the children may
hold the lambs and hopefully bottle feed if there is an orphan. If there
is an orphan lamb, the shepherd may allow you to take it home during
the six-to-eight weeks of bottle feeding.
Feed
My Lambs
The most critical time for a newborn lamb is the moment it begins nursing.
Often, lambs are too weak to find the source of nourishment that is
essential to sustain their life. The nourishment that comes from the
initial sucking stage is called colostrum. The colostrum is a thick,
almost clear liquid that is produced prior to the milk. Lambs which
are weak and cannot get to their feet soon enough will die unless the
shepherd intervenes by helping the lamb receive this essential nourishment.
The watchful eye of a good shepherd is critical during this time.
Lambing
is always the most exciting time around the farm, and one thing is certain,
lambs never arrive when expected. When we thought a ewe was ready to
lamb, my daughter and I would nestle down in the hay eagerly awaiting
the new birth. There is nothing more precious than watching a new born
lamb's progress, from it's awkward first steps to their joyful prancing
around their mother.
As
soon as a newborn touches the ground, the mother begins to lick her
baby. This serves four purposes: (1) It cleans the wet remainder of
the placenta from the wool. (2) It provides protein for the mother.
(3) It initiates bonding. (4) It stimulates the lamb to nurse. What
an awesome Creator! Did you ever realize that one lick could accomplish
so much?
As
Jennifer and I would watch this miracle, I could not help but think
of Jesus' words to Peter:
"Peter,
do you love me? Feed my lambs."
"Peter, do you love me? Feed my sheep."
"Peter, do you love me? Feed my sheep."
Notice who is fed first!
Like
newborn lambs, baby Christians, will die if not properly fed. The first
few hours, days, and weeks of a baby Christian's life often determine
his walk with Christ for the rest of his life. It is no wonder why Jesus
was so firm when He paralleled Peter's love for Him with feeding lambs.
Baby Christians are a priority to our Lord, and should be for us as
well.
In
I Peter 2, it appears that Peter understood our Lord's Word for he
writes, "As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the Word
that they may grow thereby: If so be you have tasted that the Lord
is gracious."
The
word for "sincere" in the Greek means without hypocrisy.
The range of meaning within its semantic field gives us the idea
of a pacifier
or the absence of one. Just as a newborn lamb tastes the colostrum
and is strengthened, so it is vital for the baby Christian to memorize,
meditate, and give himself wholly to the Word of God. All one has
to
do is taste, and he'll understand how wonderfully life-transforming
is the Word of God!
For
the newborn lambs that are weak, special attention may be required,
even if it means opening their mouths, and feeding them. On many occasions
that is exactly what had to be done. I would hold the ewe, and Jennifer
would hold the lamb next to the nipple. The next step was to squeeze
the colostrum into the mouth of the lamb. The results were usually immediate
and life sustaining.
Most
of the Bible verses that I quote in my seminars are verses that I memorized
during my first two months of being a Christian. Some of the verses
that I feel are essential for new believers to memorize are listed below.
It
is best if a new believer memorizes at least one verse per week, but
please don't drown them! Let them enjoy God's Word. As I look back upon
the last 20 years, I can say that His word has been a treasury of blessing
as well as a life-sustaining reservoir of nourishment!
Joshua 1:8
Jeremiah 29:11-13
II Chronicles 16:9a
Psalm 34:11
Psalm 19:1
Psalm 119:11
Romans 3:10-11
Romans 3:23
Romans 5:1
Romans 5:6
Romans 5:8
Romans 6:23
Romans 10:9-10
Romans 8:28
I Corinthians 10:13
II Corinthians. 5:17
John 3:16,17
John 3:3
I Peter 2:2-3
I Peter 2:23
I Thessalonians5:2
I Thessalonians5:9-10
II Thessalonians 3:3
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Places
to Go, People to See
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Places to Go: Last year my family and I attended our first presentation
of Noah at the Sight and Sound Theatre located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
I had learned that the production was excellent, but never in my life
had I expected anything so powerful. With over 200 live animals and
a 40-foot high hydraulic ark, you and your family will experience what
it was like to be on the ark with Noah and his family. This is an experience
the entire family will never forget. For more information, call Sight
and Sound Theatre at (717) 687-7800.
People
to See: During a ministry engagement at a church in Michigan, a pastor
friend of mine shared the events of the previous week that had greatly
impacted the life of his church. A Christian violinist from Bulgaria,
Dr. Margaret Nikol, came to play her violin and share her miraculous
testimony.
Possessing
only one page of the Bible (Gen. 18) because of the communist rule,
Margaret grew up under great persecution, torture, and divine providence.
After her mother and father were murdered because of their faith in
Christ, Margaret miraculously escaped to the United States.
Those
who have heard her testimony, know for certain that we serve an AWESOME
GOD. To find out how your church can schedule Dr. Margaret Nikol, please
contact:
International
Impact
7 Switchbud Place, Suite 192-214
The Woodlands, TX 77380
(281) 355-9433
Another
Great Resource is the Elisabeth Elliot Newsletter. It is free and can
be received by writing to:
The
Elisabeth Elliot Newsletter
Servant Ministries, Inc.
Post Office Box 7711
Ann Arbor, MI 48107-7711
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Literature
Review
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By
now most of you are aware of the life-transforming literature which
we call the Rare Collector’s Series. This literature which was
found in Germany, France, England, and early America, stirs the soul
and can set the heart on fire for Jesus Christ. The Basket of Flowers,
Jessica’s First Prayer, Titus: A Comrade of the Cross, A Peep Behind
The Scenes, and Stepping Heavenward have been a rich source of blessing
to all who value literature that speaks to the heart. Many thanks for
all of your letters and kind words of support. If you haven’t read
any of the Lamplighter Rare Collector’s Series, you may call our
toll free number to place your order. (Recommended by Elisabeth Elliot,
The Basket of Flowers has been our #1 best seller.)
Lamplighter
Rare Collector’s Series For those who now possess this God blessed
literature, please consider using them to heal the brokenhearted, to
mend torn lives, and to reach the lost. Giving a book to read is a non-threatening
method of ministering—and it works!
Shepherding
A Child’s Heart Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth
speaks. When parents begin to focus on the heart of their child and
not on their
behavior, the child will begin to change from the inside. Too often
we as parents want to curb behavior without attending to the issues
of the heart. I give this parenting book my highest recommendation.
Christie’s
Old Organ A heartwarming story of a motherless little boy who has
nobody
in the world to care for him except an old organ grinder. This story
is guaranteed to melt even a heart of stone! I cried all the way
from
Michigan to Pennsylvania when I read this one!
Jessica’s
Mother This is the sequel to Jessica’s First Prayer, and I believe
it will be the best seller of the year. This is another classic for
the entire family
The
Lamplighter When I first heard about this book, I heard comments
like, “I value The Lamplighter second to my Bible.” When
I finally found it, it was as good, if not better, than what I had
expected!
Joel:
A Boy of Galilee
If you read Titus: A Comrade of the Cross and loved it, let me introduce
you to Joel. This is a story you will treasure and talk about for years.
You and your children will never be the same after you read this one!
Tales
of the Kingdom Recently Lamplighter Publishing was given permission
to reprint this awesome book! The first book in the trilogy of these
allegorical classics, Kingdom will bring you to your knees as you enter
a spiritual realm that is so vividly presented. We presently have less
than 100 Tales of the Resistance (second in the trilogy) which is also
out of print!
Presently,
there is a waiting list. Please call if you are interested in reserving
a copy of Tales of the Kingdom for your family.
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Teaching
Ideas
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Adventures in Odyssey Audio’shas been rated as one of the best
children’s programs ever to be created. The episodes that focus
on history or Bible are excellent mediums that will aid in a child’s
understanding of certain key historical events and figures. My daughter
has learned and retained more history from these than any other resource.
The volumes that focus on history are listed below.
Bonhoeffer
A new feature from Focus on the Family is their Radio Theatre which
features a dramatic retelling of historical figures. The first volume
is entitled Bonhoeffer. If you would like your children to understand
the events of World War II more clearly, you will not be disappointed.
Hero
Tales If you are looking for biographical literature that provides
role
models as well as exciting reading, I recommend Hero Tales Volumes
I and II. Each chapter focuses on character and offers outlined discussions
that relate to God’s Word.
Note:
Please allow students to listen to these resources in a leisurely posture
(not at a desk with folded hands)! To help you obtain these resources,
call Cornerstone Family Ministries toll free at 1-888-246-7735.
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