A Matter of Life and Death

Moses is addressing a new generation of Israelites as they are about to go in and take possession of the Promised Land:

Deut.29:29 - "The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law."
Deut.30:19-20 - "I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, loving the LORD your God, obeying His voice and holding fast to Him, for He is your life and length of days..."

Our family has lived overseas since the late '90s, and are currently in the middle of a one-year furlough. Each time we've returned to the US, we notice big changes in technology, culture, religion, etc.

The Christian bookstores are still full of books - an overabundance of materials for helping people grow spiritually, of music CDs, biographies and fictional works. So many books about the Book. And there continue to be an overabundance of conferences, seminars and workshops.

We've had the opportunity to be in numerous churches across the section of the country we live in, and we've observed this time that pastors/preachers in local churches seem to fall in to one of two categories: They are excellent at teaching facts about the Scripture, but poor in being able to clearly communicate the application of Truth in a practical way for the equipping of the saints for ministry. Or, they have culturally relative points of application that are actually flawed and not according to Biblical truth because the points are not backed by sound doctrine (the most obvious and widespread of this type of teaching, for example, would be the "prosperity gospel" teaching so rampant in many US churches, and being vigorously exported overseas, as well).

More rare, it seems now, also, is the disciple who knows how to and seeks to study the Book for himself, for the purpose of life application, trust and obedience. Who has a hunger for His Word? (a question I must ask myself, continually). Who has been trained/taught to search and study God's Word and be changed by His truth daily?

Why is this a "matter of life and death"?

Teach and train up your children in the Word of God. No other tool is needed. We are definitely not against extra-Biblical resources/materials, but His Word is sufficient, and the Holy Spirit lives in you to teach you His truth. Your and your children will stray and be distracted from the Truth if you are not well-grounded in His Truth. This is spiritual death.

Secondly, suffering will come to those who follow Christ. The days are coming, if not here already in the US, when those who follow Jesus will be more severely persecuted than in times past. This is to be expected. This is what comes from following Christ and His Word. Christians who are not equipped to trust God's Word and apply it in daily life are in danger of losing the opportunity and the joy to share with Christ in His sufferings, thus Glorifying Him. Physical suffering and death which come as a result of following Jesus brings spiritual life ("unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies..." see John 12:24. Also note that wherever there has been a movement of God resulting in doctrinally sound churches being multiplied, there has been significant persecution happening simultaneously.)

We also now observe in the US more teachers/preachers who are tickling the ears of their listeners. This is to happen increasingly in the last days.

Around 80% of US churches are "plateaued" or declining, and the lack of equipping of believers in application of the Word is at least partially to blame, I believe. More will stray from the churches. More will be deceived. But the encouraging news is that His church will be persecuted, refined and purified, glorifying Him and enjoying more and more sweet fellowship with Him. Let's persevere, by His grace, and find ourselves enjoying this closeness with Him.