For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge,

and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness,

and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.

For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

II Peter 1:5-8, ESV

 

It's been almost a quarter of a century now, but sometime around the year 2,000, the boy's and girl's basketball coaches out our High School came to me and a few others with an unusual request: Would we begin a program to teach our elementary school children the fundamentals of basketball? The program they had in mind was one that would teach little kids the basics - such as the proper use of the pivot foot and ball handling skills. Their thought was if kids could be taught the fundamentals when they were young that these skills would assist them to be that much better of players when they got older.

 

Now this seemed like a great idea, but one that would be time consuming and require a great deal of thought and preparation. We who were approached with this idea jumped at this unusual chance all the same,  because it provided an important foundation for the kids to build on that would later to prove great benefits as the kids moved into Junior High and High School. I've mentioned twice that the request was unusual because it is rare for High School coaches to have the foresight to build a program for something in the future that they might not even reap the benefits of. This turned out to be true in this case because, as is so common in the world of basketball coaches, they had moved onto larger schools with greater opportunities for they and their families long before these grade schoolers were old enough to play for the High School team.

 

But the foresight of these two coaches (Gary and Jacinda) proved to pay great benefits for the basketball program they left behind. Several of these teams advanced to the state basketball tournament - a great accomplishment for a state as large as Texas! There were many reasons for their doing so, such as excellent High School coaches and the obvious natural talents of the kids, but it also had a lot to do with these two coaches' ability to see far enough into the future to understand that teaching athletes the fundamentals when they were young, would pay great dividends in the future.

 

It is a bit of a sad, sidenote to me that the school has discontinued this program in recent years. As it turns out, some of the other schools in the district had complaints that the half-time performances that the kids put on to display their newly acquired skills in fundamentals to the hometown fans was adding as much as four or five minutes to the High School games. And as we all know, time is valuable, so the program was scrapped. 

 

I wonder, now, what our future basketball teams will look like. The last of the kids who were in the program for seven years as grade schoolers will be seniors next year, After that, each successive graduating class will have been in the fundamentals program for one year less, until in a few years there will be none left that had even one year of such training. Now, I'm not saying for a moment that this will make all of the difference, for the year before this program was begun was actually a year in which the boy's team went to "State" for the first time in the school's eighty year history. 

 

But, I believe it will make some difference, because I have noticed through the years that teaching our kids the fundamentals when they are young has a way of accruing tremendous benefits when they are older. And, of course, it's the same way on a far more important scale with our kids when it comes to their service to God. This is why it is so important for we parents to make sure that our children are learning the fundamentals of faith while they are still young.

 

God knew. He saw the vital nature of adding to our precious faith the important elements of things like knowledge and virtue and love. By doing so, we would be helping our kids to become adults who would be more effective in their service to their Lord and Savior. 

 

But, as we all are well too aware, this does not always happen when we are young. Perhaps you were not blessed with parents who had the foresight to teach you these fundamentals when you were younger. Maybe you were a bit like me and the lessons just didn't take. Whatever the case, it is important for us to understand two things: First, it is not too late to start, even though you will have the handicap of not having these fundamentals of faith during your formative years. Second, since it is not too late, you must indeed start. It's too important for you to fail in this quest to grow in your faith - certainly, because it is commanded, but also because of this fact given at the end of the passage we started with above:

 

For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted and blind, having forgotten that he has been cleansed from his former sins. Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election,

for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.

for in this way there will be  richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

II Peter 1:9-11, ESV

 

Who knew that fundamentals could be so important? Who, indeed, but God!  

 

 

 

 

Yea though I walk through the valley of death, I will fear no evil; for Thou art with me.

Psalms 23:4, KJV

 

The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself.

Franklin Roosevelt

 

I wonder sometimes just how much we lose to fear. We lose sleep, certainly, but so much more. We lose precious opportunities due to a fear that sometimes paralyzes us into inaction. Men have lost their self respect, women their virtue, and nations have even lost countless battles before they even began - all because of fear. I don't know how many times I have heard someone begin a statement of defeat with the phrase, "I am afraid". We are afraid that we will lose our health, our wealth, our jobs, and our true loves... 

 

"I think, therefore I am" says the philosopher. "I fear, therefore I accomplish not", says the one too afraid to even live. Of all the horrible diseases ever suffered by men from the time of the creation on, I believe fear is the greatest cancer that will ever be known. We have all observed so many people in our lifetimes who had incredible talent, only to watch them waste their gifts because they were simply too timid to use them. We have witnessed far too many people who were on the brink of great accomplishments, only to see them fail to realize them because they were afraid.

 

Maybe this is why we admire King David so much. Before he was king, he was a mere shepherd boy. But it would be wrong to think of him as lowly as that, because this shepherd boy would go on to fight and defeat both the lion and the bear because he was unafraid. He went on to defeat Goliath, a giant from who the armies of Israel fled, but not David. David realized that it was Goliath who stood opposed to God, and therefore it was Goliath who could not win. As it turned out, the only thing those who ran away really had to fear, was fear, but it was enough to leave them defeated.

 

How about you? What giants have you left unconquered for the simple fact that you were afraid? You were afraid that they would beat you, so you didn't even put up a fight. You were afraid that they would make you look foolish, so like a fool you fled from their presence. You were afraid of so many things, but you were not afraid of the only One, with Whose help you would never have to be afraid of anything else ever again. How could that be?

 

The Bible reveals the answer very plainly: "Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole of man."(Ecclesiastes 12). "The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom" is a truth repeated throughout the Word. If we could only learn the truth of these commandments, we would never have to fear anything else again in out lives. For these eternal truths have never changed: Fear God, and you will not have to fear anything else. Do not fear God, and you will end up being afraid of everything!

 

It's a truth we all need to learn, and we need to teach it to our children. This old world in which we live seems to have a fear for everything but the One that they should - God! It is when we learn the fear of God that we are able to put aside the unnecessary fears that grip so many. You know these fears, for they are the ones that keep you awake at night, fretting over things that God has promised to protect us from if we will but fear Him. Absent that proper fear of God we become an insignificant and small people who are ruled by their fears and cowardice. But, for those who fear God, belongs a new frame of mind. And this fearless mindset allows them to boldly stride through life, with a confidence that is reserved for the few who know that they can accomplish anything that God wants them to accomplish.

 

Which will we choose, I wonder? Will it be a fear that will relegate us to a subpar life of low achievement? Or will it be a fear of God that allows us to eschew the fear of all other things and that will allow us to live the life of excellence that God has called us to? The choice is ours! The wise will choose to fear God. The rest will just... fear.   

 

 

 

 

If you receive my words, and treasure my commands within you, so that you incline your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding;

Yes, if you cry out for discernment, and lift up you voice for understanding, if you seek her as silver, and search for her as hidden treasures;

Then you will understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. 

For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.

Proverbs 2:2-6, NKJV

 

Have you ever considered how wonderful the Bible is? Just think of it: we have the very words of God available at our fingertips! Within its pages, we have the secrets of the universe - God's universe. The Bible tells us where we came from and, more importantly, where we are going. It tells us exactly what God expects of us. It is a book of virtues, instructing us in every important character trait from honesty and integrity, to kindness and love. It gives us peace when everything around us seems to be filled with turmoil, and hope when it seems that all hope is gone.

 

A lot of modern day math books will have "solutions", giving the answers to the odd numbered questions to help you figure out if you are on the right track or not. The Bible, in a manner of speaking, also has the answers to the "even problems". It is like having the teacher's manual, a handy guide indeed for those who require the right answer for every problem. After reading through the Bible daily for over 40 years now, I have found that there is no problem in life that the Word of God has failed to give the correct answer for.

 

The Bible gives comfort to us when we are grieving. At our times of greatest loss, God's Word can lift up our spirits and give us the strength to continue. When we have departed from God's paths, it alone shows us the way back. It is like a map that never needs updating, for its destination never changes. Just think about that for a moment: God gives us the perfect route back to Him from wherever it is in this world that we may have wandered. Though we might occasionally become lost because we have strayed from His paths, His map will always allow us to find our way again.

 

And the Bible always has the right thing. It is a treasure beyond belief, but it comes with this caution: We must seek its instruction as earnestly as a prospector for silver or gold would seek their treasure. It comes with great responsibility, for God will hold those who fail to seek Him accountable. As Jesus said, "seek and you will find" so the possibility of not finding God's way is only there for the disinterested and the lazy. 

 

When you think about the wonder of the Bible, it should leave you in awe. It tells us everything that we really need, if we will just look, for God desires for us to be saved, not lost. And incredibly, He desires for us to be with Him, in this life and in eternity, and the Bible reveals how we can do both. 

 

It is the greatest love letter ever written, and it is written to us! But knowing all of this, yet seeing so many people in this world who are struggling and lost, begs the question: With such a treasure at our ready disposal, why is it that there is still so much sorrow and so much pain? And the only answer can be is because so many reject God's perfect direction and are seeking their own way.

 

It is because too many of us are wise in our own eyes and feel that we don't need directions. You men will understand, especially those of you who lived during the pre-GPS days. It is hard to admit that we do need direction, so we will often stubbornly circle the same lost path rather than ever admitting that we might be lost and in need of help. But this eternal truth becomes plain to all who have tried to find their own way: You cannot find the way home without God's direction! The good news is that we cannot be lost with that direction.

 

So, summing it all up: The Bible gives us strength when we are weary, encouragement when we are discouraged, a knowledge of being loved when we feel that we are unloved, and infallible directions when we are lost. It supplies our every need and gives us the answer to every question. 

 

It tells a lost world how it can be saved!

 

With all these treasures so readily available, why would anyone go without the daily daily counsel of the very words of God? That's a good question!  

"You cannot serve both God and money".

The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all these things, and they ridiculed Him.

And He said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly exalted among men is an abomination before God."

Luke 16:13-15, ESV

 

Our teacher in Bible class last night was talking about value and it started me thinking as to how I value things in my own life. It made me think of this incident where Jesus was trying to teach the people a lesson on true value. I say trying to teach, not because Jesus had any difficulty in making His points, but because some of the people had little interest in being taught. So they didn't learn much, though the lesson was both clear and powerful.

 

Just think about this point that Christ was making: "What is highly exalted among men is an abomination before God." 

 

Have you ever been in a situation with a close friend in which the conversation turned to religion, but you were hesitant to speak? Perhaps it was on a subject that you already knew that you disagreed on, so you didn't say what you wanted to. Now, if the subject was on a matter of opinion such as what version of the Bible is best, or what time we should meet on Sundays, then you were probably wise to avoid getting into a possible argument. But, if the subject involved the salvation of our very souls and you "ducked" the opportunity, then you would have to ask yourself why you avoided the topic.

 

All too often, the reason we avoid controversial conversations with friends is because we are afraid to lose their friendship. That's not an altogether bad line of thought in areas that are of little consequence, but what about those times where we are afraid our friendship might be strained because of a belief that they have that is in clear contradiction to the Scriptures? Could it be that we are placing too much value on our friendship and too little value on their eternal soul?

 

What's more, what if they are right about salvation and had some thoughts to share with us from God's Word that convinced us that we had been in error and convicted us to repent of that sin? Wouldn't we want to know if we were wrong? Wouldn't we consider the "risk" to our friendship to be worth it if the reward resulted in eternal life? Wouldn't you, if the positions were reversed, value the saving of your soul of higher value than avoiding a difficult and tense conversation with a friend?

 

The answer to these questions should be yes, for we should regard the value of our souls to be of greater worth than that of maintaining a friendship so fragile that we might lose it should we talk about important things. So, even though the specific context of the passage above was on our relationship with money, the lesson it can teach us on the relationship with friends is just as applicable. For what is highly esteemed in the eyes of men really can be of low worth in the eyes of God.

 

And we need to learn this lesson before it is too late! Do you value your friend's eternity more than you do avoiding an uncomfortable moment? It's something to consider, isn't it?