Archive for year: 2022

Author: Yolanda Watt | Student, Living Education – Charlotte, 2021-22

Estimated Reading Time: 3 min.

Mr. Strain began his Assembly lecture by taking a trip down memory lane to when he was in grade school.

When he was taught reading comprehension, he learned about the “five Ws and an H”—what, why, who, where, when, and how. If we are able to answer those questions, he said, then we understand what we have read. Mr. Strain proposed that these questions are of value when we are analyzing our life choices as well. For the purpose of his lecture, he only discussed two out of the six: what and why.

We have choices to make

Mr. Strain used the example of a man who was working for a company and decided that he no longer wanted to work there anymore, but instead to start his own business. If he was to do so, this man had to know what he wanted to do and why he wanted to do it. Mr. Strain then asked the students why they had chosen to attend Living Education. He mentioned that we had made a choice to devote this year to learning and immersing ourselves into God’s way of life. Mr. Strain challenged the students to think about what we do as Living Education students and why we do these things. He acknowledged that some things are decided for us, like participating in activities and living at the dorms with other students. These things are by design, for the students to learn and build stronger bonds. However, we also have choices that we make, for which we will have to give an account. Mr. Strain contrasted Living Education and Ambassador College with secular colleges, which often do not care about what students do with their time. Like Ambassador College, Living Education has been designed to teach its students principles that will guide us for the rest of our lives.

Dangerous comfort?

Mr. Strain encouraged the students to get out of the “danger zone” of our comfort zone. He gave the example of when he was a student at Ambassador College and was advised to join the chorale. He learned something new in the process of getting out of his comfort zone, and it helped him to become a more balanced person. 

Mr. Strain advised the students to think about what we are doing and why we are doing it whenever we make decisions. We need to tie our decisions to our overall purpose of being in God’s Kingdom. An example of that would be doing the Work of God. In order to accomplish the Work, we have to consider what we are doing and why we are doing it, keeping our minds on the overall purpose of getting the Work done. There are some things that are beyond our control—for example, when we are hired for a job, we could expect that we would have a supervisor determining what time the work begins and when it ends. But life should not only happen because someone else schedules it for us. 

Know why you’re doing what your doing

Mr. Strain added that not everything we do needs to have a deep spiritual meaning to it. We may choose to relax and watch television for a while, or listen to music—however, we need to balance our lives. In whatever we strive to do, we must understand what is being done and the purpose of doing such a task, especially if we are to make it into God’s Family.

Author: Ryan Price | Student, Living Education – Charlotte, 2021-22

Estimated Reading Time: 4 min.

Mr. Mark Sandor, pastor and former social studies teacher, began his forum address by asking the LivingEd students a question—why is history important?

His goal was to answer that question and to show the students how they can properly navigate the complexities of history.

Why Is History Important?

One of the reasons the topic of history is important to us in God’s Church is because it contains numerous examples of God’s hand in world affairs. Mr. Sandor made this point by referring to the book Undaunted Courage by Stephen E. Ambrose. The book covers the adventures of Lewis and Clark in their expedition across the western territory of the United States after the Louisiana Purchase. Many times, the expedition would have ended in disaster if not for what secular scholars deem “coincidences.” However, we in God’s Church can see that these seeming coincidences were God’s hand using imperfect human beings to guide a nation.

History also provides case studies in human behavior, showing us the cause and effect of the actions and choices made by those who came before us. Observing the lives of others can reinforce what we know and teach us examples of both what we should and what we should not do. Mr. Sandor used Abraham Lincoln as an example, who, despite not being called, understood the basic teachings of the Bible and used them to lead America through the Civil War.

Things to Keep in Mind

However, there are a few questions we should keep in mind while reading history. First, we should determine the author’s background and point of view. Mr. Sandor brought up Herodotus, “the Father of History,” as an example. He often wrote about the wars between the Greeks and the Persians. Being Greek, he portrayed the Greeks as stalwart heroes and the Persians as despicable villains. Every historian has their biases, and as we read history, we should remain aware of this.

Another thing to consider, although this applies more to ancient historians, is who the historian was sponsored by. A sponsor was often necessary to be able to afford the time it took to write in ancient times. This sponsor held much influence on what was recorded and often ensured that they would be portrayed in a positive light.

A third thing to consider is the author’s source. Mr. Sandor used the example of George McClellan, a general in the Union Army who was a bitter rival of Abraham Lincoln. He served under Lincoln in the Civil War and after a serious military blunder was replaced by a different general. McClellan went on to run against Lincoln for office and publicly insulted his appearance and name. However, Mr. Sandor read a book painting McClellan as a “God-fearing, good man.” Checking the source, he found that it was exclusively what McClellan wrote about himself! Often the subject of a story is painted as a hero, but the facts of history may not show them in such a noble light. It is nearly impossible to record every aspect of one’s life. In writing history, you have to choose a place to start and a place to end. So, whether by choice or necessity, things are often left out of historical accounts.

How Does God Tell History?

We can determine how to properly study history by looking at how God records it. One of the aspects of history revealed by the Bible is that there is more than one way to accurately tell a story. Mr. Sandor referenced the four gospels as an example of this.

Another thing we can see is that sometimes God leaves things out to get a point across. He tells us what we need to know, but doesn’t necessarily give us everything. Mr. Sandor used the dispute between the Archangel Michael and the devil about the body of Moses in Jude 1:8-9 as an example of this. This event is recorded nowhere else in Scripture, and while it would be very interesting to learn more about it, the spiritual lesson is what’s important in this account.

A third lesson we learn is that God focuses on the big picture and the legacies people leave behind. We can see this throughout the Bible. For instance, Mr. Sandor compared King David and King Ahab. Both men coveted something belonging to their servant, leading to the death of that servant, and repented. But, while they both went through a similar situation, one wouldn’t consider these men as equals based on their greater legacy. This same principle applies to historical figures outside the Bible. Focusing on the big picture gives us a greater view of the impact people and events have had on history.

This is the challenge of history: We must seek multiple sources on a subject, note the differences between them, and consider how the sources may reveal the full picture when examined together. By meeting this challenge, we can get the most out of studying history.

Author: Yolanda Watt | Student, Living Education – Charlotte, 2021-22

Estimated Reading Time: 3 min.

Mr. Frank opened the assembly by showing us an old photo from his time in Ambassador College when he traveled to Israel to participate in an archaeological dig.

He made the connection that a person’s youth passes by quite quickly and the older generation must pass their wisdom to the younger. The lecture was geared towards biblical instructions guiding the youth of Living Education and was largely based on 1 Timothy 4:12.

            Mr. Frank mentioned that the letters of 1 Timothy and Titus were written during the time of Paul’s evangelistic work while under house arrest in Rome. Paul placed Timothy as pastor of the church in Ephesus and Titus in Crete. During his final imprisonment, Paul wrote a second letter to Timothy, requesting a visit from his young protégé. Paul wrote both letters to help Timothy in his pastoral duties. 

            Mr. Frank explained Paul’s admonition to Timothy to not let anyone despise his youth, in word, conversation, charity, spirit, faith, and purity. Paul also charged the church that they should not despise Timothy (1 Corinthians 16:10-11). As Mr. Frank described, at the time of the early Church it was culturally unusual for someone under the age of thirty to be considered a leader, and certainly many of the other leaders at that time would have been older than Timothy. Paul charged Timothy to live an exemplary life so that no one could find fault in him. Mr. Frank stated that this does not imply that Timothy was careless in his prior behavior, but rather that Paul was encouraging him to continue being the good model that he already was. A young leader should take care not to commit youthful foolishness or sinfulness which would give reason for people to discredit him. 

            Youth should not be a time for sowing wild oats, for this is not the Christian way. Mr. Frank admonished us to flee youthful lusts and to remember to seek the Creator while we are still young. Once we graduate, no matter where we go, the brethren will view us as graduates of the Living Education program and we will be expected to behave accordingly. There are six areas Paul tells Timothy to consider—Mr. Frank expounded on these areas, which we too can think about in order to set a good example to other people in the Church, both young and old. 

Let no one despise you in… 

• Word – The Greek word logos, which means “divine word,” in this context can be translated as “correct doctrine.” It is essentially a warning against idle talk. We need to be extremely mindful of what we say, especially among Church members.
• Conversation – The definition of the Greek word translated “conversation” includes behavior, general conduct, and how we speak with others. 
• Charity – This word is translated from the Greek word agape, meaning “love,” “brotherly love,” or “benevolence.” We are to have godly love for others, whether they treat us well or ill. 
• Spirit – Translated from the Greek pnévma, this relates to governing one’s passions, as by the Holy Spirit, and being of a mild, meek, forgiving disposition. 
• Faith – The Greek word pistis describes a state of trust, conviction, fidelity, and unshaken confidence in God, in both good times and bad. The word is also used to describe faithfulness, implying that we should be faithful to our families, our Church, our work, the general public, and—most importantly—God.
• Purity – Paul cautioned Timothy that his interactions with others should be with purity, not giving into youthful lust. Mr. Frank used this opportunity to issue the same caution to the students and warned us not to engage in such behaviors that could tarnish our reputation. This type of purity is not limited to rejecting the sins of the flesh, but also includes rejecting wrong motives and thoughts.

As Mr. Frank discussed, these are not requirements for pastors only; rather they are meant for all of God’s people. We should consider the lesson given to Timothy and strive to build good habits in our lives, that we may be above reproach and give no man a reason to despise us in our youth.