kingdomeducationministries

Last year, the country experienced something that hadn’t taken place for quite some time. Parents became very involved in challenging what their children were being taught in school. Much of this outcry can be traced back to schools going virtual due to the Covid-19 pandemic. With students being taught virtually on their computers, parents started realizing some of the dangerous ideologies that were being pumped into their children’s minds.

Videos started showing up on social media that documented parents challenging public school administrators and board members and demanding that schools not teach these ideologies. Much of the attention was focused on what is referred to as Critical Race Theory or CRT.

This parent uprising became a political hot potato in the 2021 election cycle. Probably the most notable place this was seen was in Virginia’s gubernatorial race. It seemed like the entire nation became focused on the race between Terry McAuliffe and Glen Youngkin. In a September 29th debate, McAuliffe made a statement that some might compare to the “shot that was heard round the world” at the beginning of the American Revolution. His statement became headlines all across the country. He said,

I don’t think parents should be telling schools what they should teach.

Many people believe this is what turned the election into a major victory for the opposing party. When Youngkin won, he followed through with his promise to remove teaching of the CRT ideology in Virginia schools. This victory was seen by many as a victory for the family and a return to the belief that children belong to parents, not the state.

At the time this was happening, I wrote a blog in which I warned that, even if CRT was completely removed from public school curriculum, parents could not think that the war had been won. Since then one does not hear as much about CRT. I began to wonder if true change was taking place in secular education.

However, I am even more convinced that once the tree of education (especially schooling) becomes secularized, it becomes a bad tree. We know that Scripture teaches that a bad tree cannot produce good fruit. There is no doubt about it that public education in the United States has become completely secular in its philosophy of education. Unfortunately, this is also true in many, if not most, private schools and can also be seen creeping into Christian schools and home schools.

The philosophy of education will always produce fruit based on its beliefs and values. A secular philosophy of education can only produce bad fruit because the philosophy is bad. I have been intrigued by some “new” terminology that is being used in more and more schools. Instead of talking about Critical Race Theory, I am hearing a lot of talk about training in DEI. DEI stands for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

There is a second trend that I have witnessed in what is being taught in many schools today. It is referred to as SEL or Social Emotional Learning. One description of SEL states that it is a methodology that helps students of all ages to better comprehend their emotions, to feel those emotions fully, and demonstrate empathy for others.

I am not trying to provide a critique of CRT, DEI or SEL in this blog. What I am trying to do is call everyone’s attention to the fact that these emphases/programs have one thing in common. They have been developed out of a secular worldview and philosophy of education. As such, God and biblical truth have no bearing on their beliefs and/or values.

Once a school or school system becomes secular, you cannot reform it by simply removing certain dangerous programs/ideologies. Any educational effort based on a secular philosophy of education has become a bad tree and will only produce bad fruit.

Even though parents are right to go to their school leaders and stand up against false philosophies that show up in their schools, it will not make the school safe for their children. This is because the problem is in the worldview and philosophy at the root of the school.

If I had to state what is the major problem of a secular worldview and philosophy of education, I would put it this way. When God and His Word are removed from education, man becomes the definer of truth and meaning of life. Behind all secular efforts to educate children and youth are Satan’s two lies that he used to first tempt Adam and Eve.

1. God’s Word, therefore God, cannot be trusted.
2. You can be your own god.

I have had the privilege to preach at a church, conduct two parent seminars and provide staff training at a Christian school over the past two weeks. At each event, my focus was on the need for Christian parents, pastors and educators to develop a biblical worldview and embrace a biblical philosophy of education (Kingdom Education™). This is the only hope we have to raise future generations to become authentic disciples of Jesus Christ.

The response that I received from each of these groups was overwhelming. I could not believe the hunger that parents, church leaders and teachers have for truth. Even those from two strong Christian schools that I was at told me that these events were some of the most meaningful sessions that they had ever been a part of.

Two teachers from one of the schools I was at had attended last summer’s Kingdom Education™ Summit. They left the Summit different persons. One of these teachers told me, the Summit not only changed my teaching, it changed my life. This is why I am conducting two Kingdom Education™ Summits this coming June. We must unite the home, church and school by addressing the issue of education biblically.

I am encouraging every Christian school and church to be part of this summer’s Kingdom Education™ Summits. Click HERE for more information.

Over the past few weeks I have had the privilege of speaking in several different venues. Whether preaching in a church, conducting a parent seminar or performing professional staff development for a Christian school, there is one thing that I am more certain of than at any other time in my life and ministry. I am more convinced than ever before that the home, church and school must unite with each other and address the issue of education biblically.

This became evident when I attended an administrator roundtable hosted by Dr. Sonny Sherrill at North Raleigh Christian Academy. Dr. Larry Taylor, President of ACSI, presented the opening keynote address. He shared one of the domains of ACSI’s Flourishing School Model in his presentation. However, before explaining the model, he stressed something else that was critically important.

Dr. Taylor emphasized that the key to the effectiveness of the Flourishing School Model (illustrated by a tree) is the soil in which the model is planted. The soil, according to Taylor, represents the philosophy of education by which the school operates. Of course, the only philosophy of education that will allow the Model to flourish is a biblical one or, as Dr. Taylor said, Kingdom Education™. One of the main tasks of a Christian school administrator is to make sure the soil is properly prepared so that the school can flourish.

This is the same message that I have presented to parents, pastors and Christian educators for many years. This is why I developed my KEM Prime Member website, have written a three-book series on Kingdom Education™ and started conducting a Kingdom Education™ Summit. The most important thing that we must all do is to know and embrace a biblical philosophy of education in the home, church and school.

If we fail in this effort, the world will continue to capture the hearts and minds of the majority of our children and youth. We cannot afford to delay any longer in addressing the issue of education biblically. Dr. H.B. Charles, Jr made a profound statement in a sermon he delivered last week. He stated,

While you wait to teach your children truth, the world will not wait to teach them lies.

Every educational effort is based on some philosophy of education. The goal of any philosophy of education is the same — the discipleship of the learner. All education is aimed at making our children disciples of someone or something. This was clearly stated in Alan Bloom’s classic book, The Closing of the American Mind.

Every educational system has a moral goal that it tries to attain and that informs its curriculum. It wants to produce a certain kind of being.

Even our efforts to follow best practices in teaching or to develop the most up-to-date instructional designs and strategies are influenced, either for the good or bad, by the educational philosophy undergirding them. Becky Aniol recently posted that behind every form of education is a theology.

Behind every educational methodology is an educational philosophy; behind every educational philosophy is a theology of the nature of the child, the role of the teacher, and the aims of learning.

In an earlier blog, I wrote how there is only one way to develop a biblical philosophy of education. It requires every parent, pastor and teacher to take up daily residence in God’s Word. So often, I find Christians looking for a better program or technique in their efforts to educate the next generation. However, we must understand a truth that the late R.C. Sproul understood when he wrote,

I think the greatest weakness in the church today is that almost no one believes that God invests His power in the Bible. Everyone is looking for power in a program, in a technique, in anything and everything except where God has placed it: His Word.

Unfortunately, we sometimes lose our distinctiveness by trying to be “relevant” in our efforts to reach the world. Rod Dreher warns about the danger of trying to reach the world by looking like the world when he wrote,

Too many of our churches function as secular entertainment centers with religious morals slapped on top…The sad truth is, when the world sees us, it often fails to see anything different from nonbelievers. Christians often talk about “reaching the culture” without realizing that, having no distinct Christian culture of their own, they have been co-opted by the secular culture they wish to evangelize (emphasis mine).

This can also be true for Christian schools. In our efforts to keep up with the most up-to-date methodologies of teaching and learning we fail to keep our biblical distinctive that comes from operating from a well-developed biblical philosophy of education. We devote many hours to training our teachers on methods of teaching with little time left over to make sure every teacher has developed a biblical worldview and fully understands a biblical philosophy of education (Kingdom Education™).

I am all for Christian schools striving to use effective teaching strategies and incorporating today’s technology in the classroom. However, the first priority for every Christian school must be to prepare the soil biblically so that there is a firm foundation that allows the school to flourish.

It is my prayer that many more Christian schools will become KEM Prime Members so that board members, administrators, teachers and parents can use the resources available on the member site to develop a biblical worldview and philosophy of education. In addition to becoming KEM Prime Members, I am encouraging Christian school and church leaders to attend one of this summer’s two Kingdom Education™ Summits. At the Summits, we will work together and develop strategies to empower parents, engage churches and transform schools through Kingdom Education™. We can’t delay in doing this or else it may be too late!

As I follow the news of Russian troops moving into Ukraine, my heart is broken as I think back on my two trips to the Ukrainian capitol of Kiev. There are many believers in Ukraine today and they have been trusting God during this terrible time. I found myself broken and encouraged at the same time when I saw brothers and sisters singing praise to the Lord while sheltering in underground train stations that I once stood in.

It was encouraging to see a family singing He Will Hold Me Fast while their country was being invaded by Russia.

It was not always like this when Ukraine was under Soviet control. The church was primarily underground during this dark period of time. Then in the early 1990s, the Iron Curtain fell and God did some amazing things — especially within the state school systems throughout the former Soviet Union.

I remember well when three Russian education officials came to an ACSI convention in Anaheim, CA. These leaders included Dr. Alexander Asmolov, deputy vice-minister in the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation, Dr. Olga Polykovskaya, the Russian Ministry of Education Chief Specialist for moral education, and Dr. Alexei Brudnov, Chairman of the Russian Alternative Education Department.

They were there to extend an unusual invitation. Speaking on behalf of the Russian Ministry of Education, they asked these educators to join The CoMission–a group of sixty plus evangelical Christian organizations formed to instruct Russian public school teachers how to teach Christian ethics.

When asked why this invitation was being extended to the CoMission, Dr. Asmolov said,

When discussing the possible contacts between Russia and the United States, we usually mention the economic crisis, but this is only part of the problem. The spiritual crisis is more important. It took 40 years to take the people of Judea from the desert. For 75 years we have been in the desert of communism…This philosophy resulted in tragic things for the souls of people. Today we are discussing new things for the souls of people…I want to emphasize that today Russian education is open for Christian values.

Russian Deputy Minister of Education, Eugene Kurkin had earlier made the following observation.

Seventy years ago, we closed God out of our country, and it has caused so many problems in our society we cannot count them…We must put God back into our country, and we must begin with our children.

I will never forget being at that convention along with over 8,000 Christian school educators. Over the next five years more than 150 four-day convocations ministering to over 42,000 teachers were held throughout Russia and the independent countries that once made up the Soviet Union. The theme for these convocations was Biblical Morality as a Foundation of Society.

However, the ACSI conference was not my first experience with the CoMission and teachers in the former Soviet Union. In 1992, I found myself settling into my room in Kiev, Ukraine. This was the first of five trips that I would take to the former Soviet Union with the CoMission. On this occasion, we conducted a convocation with over 400 state teachers in Kiev and then traveled by train to do another convocation in Minsk, Belarus.

These trips changed my life forever. My conviction that every child needs to receive a Bible-based, Christ-centered education was cemented firmly in my mind and heart for all time.

Today, my heart aches for the people in Ukraine, especially in the city of Kiev. My two translators, Helen and Svetlana, graciously helped me share the truth about God and His desire to have a relationship with all mankind through the work of Christ on the cross. I was privileged to witness hundreds of teachers receive the precious gift of God’s salvation. After a public showing of the Jesus Film, I was also able to share the Gospel with six young Ukrainian teenagers.

During the Kiev convocation, I led the group that was made up of Ukrainian school directors. The very first question I was asked made me realize why authentic biblical education was so important. One director asked me how these types of conferences would go in the United States. The man was shocked when I told him that they would not be allowed as it would be illegal to teach public school teachers biblical morality as a foundation for society. His response still reverberates in my mind today. He said,

Don’t your people know that education without God is empty?

These precious people knew the devastating consequences that resulted from a government that was driven by the false ideology of communism. They had personally witnessed the crumbling of their society as Christianity was banned and atheistic evolution was taught to the young people of the country. Even though the majority of these educators told us that they were card-carrying members of the Communist Party and atheists, they soon realized that the only hope one can have comes through redemption from sin by the blood of Jesus Christ.

Throughout the time when the CoMission was conducting these four-day convocations, the church-state issue was always being debated. One of the key leaders of the CoMission was Paul Eshleman who was the director of the Jesus Film Project and the International School Project. Eshleman had a prophetic voice in this debate when he explained his convictions.

The biggest lie in the whole world today is the separation of church and state. It is absolutely the most devastating, wrong thing ever perpetrated on mankind. The very first thing we ought to do is develop our whole educational system around the Scriptures. It’s the principles for how to live life. If you think you can raise children without Scriptural principles, you’re doing it exactly wrong. Every educational system ought to be shot through with the Scriptures…. We need to realize that educators are in a difficult position because they don’t know how to allow Christian principles to be taught and not have to give the same opportunity to people from cults and all kinds of other issues. So it puts them in a bad state. But they certainly can teach the moral teachings of Christ without turning any school into a worship center. (emphasis mine)

Eshleman went on to say,

Should it be open for every other religion in the world? No, I don’t think it should be. That’s because I’m a follower of God and His Word. And that’s why I think the Bible ought to be taught in the public school system.

We find ourselves in a similar situation that the Soviet Union found itself in the 1990s. It is true that we still have many of our religious freedoms in our country. However, it has been 60 years since prayer and Bible reading were removed from our public (state) schools. We are now living in a totally secularized culture where it is declared that there is no such thing as absolute truth. I see many of the same consequences facing us today that I saw the people of Kiev struggling with during my first visit there.

Even today’s Christian schools are no longer completely built around the Scriptures and very few classes are “shot through with the Scriptures.” I continually hear from teachers and administrators that a greater percentage of their parents do not have a biblical worldview and do not understand a biblical philosophy of education. Unfortunately, this is also becoming true for many of their teachers.

I am more determined than ever before that we must challenge the home, church and school to unite under a biblical philosophy of education (Kingdom Education™). We must empower parents, engage the church and transform schools through Kingdom Education™.

I am praying that many Christian school leaders and pastors will join those who have already registered for one of this summer’s Kingdom Education™ Summits. It is my desire to have more schools become KEM Prime Members like several Christian schools in Ukraine are. Through this membership hundreds and maybe thousands of Christian school educators can get the training needed to develop a biblical worldview and embrace a biblical philosophy of education (Kingdom Education™). A school’s membership also gives all enrolled families full access to these valuable resources.

We must grasp the truth that education without God is empty. As Eugene Kurkin said several decades ago, we must put God back in our country and must begin with our children. We must unite the body of Christ in a concerted effort to make disciples of the next generation that will impact the culture. We must have the courage and conviction that we are witnessing in the Ukrainian Christians today. Pray that God will protect them and bring peace to their country.

It is extremely important to define terms biblically. Unfortunately, many Christians have the tendency to use terms without clearly defining them. When this happens, each individual ends up giving his/her own meaning to the words.

This is especially true when it comes to the term education. It is a topic that is talked about all the time. Billions of dollars are spent annually on it. Everyone says that it is essential to one’s success. However, when people are asked to define education, one hears a plethora of meanings.

For many people the term education is automatically equated to schooling. There is no doubt about it; schooling plays a significant role in the education of a young person. However, it is only part of the educational process.

There are two aspects of education that one needs to keep in mind in order to understand the true meaning of the term. First, education is multi-faceted. By this, I mean that it takes place in more than one place. There are three main institutions that are involved in the education of children and youth. These institutions are the:

• home
• church
• school

Some would argue that the media and peers should also be listed. However, I strongly believe that the home should be monitoring the influence of both of these on their children. By listing them as separate influences in the educational process, it becomes easy for parents to say that they can’t compete with the media and their children’s peers.

The second aspect of education that helps us define it is the fact that all education is future-focused. Even when we teach our children history, we do so in order to learn from it and know how to live in the future. We teach our children to tie their shoes because we know that one day they will be on their own without Velcro.

With this in mind, I have used the following definition of education.

Education is the multi-faceted process of preparing the child for life and eternity.

The education a child receives at home, at church or in school must prepare them for life here on earth. However, it must also prepare them for eternity; and preparing them for eternity is the most important aspect of the future for which our children must be prepared.

Of course, everyone talks about the importance of educating the “whole” child. It is commonly understood that we must help every child grow physically, mentally, spiritually, socially and emotionally to be successful. In fact, Jesus developed all of these aspects of His life as He matured.

Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. Luke 2:52 (NKJV)

Here is the question that all of us must answer. Is knowing the definition of education, as stated above, enough to fully understand education? I believe the answer to that question is a resounding NO! As parents, pastors, church leaders and educators, we cannot merely know the definition and that it involves the total child. We must dig deeper if we are going to give the next generation a biblical education that will lead them to become disciples of Jesus Christ.

 

Here are some questions that I want to challenge you to ponder. These questions must be answered by parents. However, they must also be answered by every pastor and Christian educator.

1.  What is needed for a child to be prepared for life? This question must be answered for all aspects of the child’s life.

• • How do we prepare a child for life:
    • physically?
    • spiritually?
    • mentally/intellectually?
    • socially?
    • emotionally?

2.  What is needed for a child to be prepared for eternity? Again, we must answer this question considering the total child.

• • How do we prepare a child for eternity:
    • physically?
    • spiritually?
    • mentally/intellectually?
    • socially?
    • emotionally?

At first, you might think that preparing a child for eternity only involves the spiritual realm of life. However, does that mean the other aspects of life do not have any eternal value?

It is one thing to know the definition of education. It is another and more important thing to understand the definition and what it takes to truly educate a child biblically.

Riddles are intriguing. A riddle is a verbal puzzle that can be defined as a mystifying, misleading, or puzzling question posed as a problem to be solved or guessed.

Even Samson used a riddle when trying to outwit some Philistines. Samson’s riddle is found in Judges 14.

There is a riddle that, when solved, brings meaning to all of life. Can you solve it correctly?

What does every person have but few know that they have it or can identify it?

What is it that we all have but don’t know we have it? It is a worldview! The Disciple Nations Alliance defines worldview as the way people think about life. They go on to explain why most people don’t know what worldview they have because a worldview is made up of unconscious assumptions about who they are, what life is about and how the world works.

One’s worldview is extremely important because it shapes all of our beliefs and values and drives all of our actions. Yet, one cannot see his/her worldview nor the worldview of another person. We can say that all worldviews are invisible. Allow me to explain.

I believe the best way to describe a worldview is to think about it as a lens. I wear contact lenses. I take these lenses out of a solution and insert them into each eye. Once I put them on each eye, I no longer see them. That is because I look through the lenses, not at them.

However, when I look through my contact lenses, everything I look at is affected. The lenses cause me to see things in a way that is completely different than when I look at them without the contacts in place.

If the prescription for the lenses is not right, everything I look at is distorted from what it actually is. The problem is that I cannot see nor know that the contacts have the wrong prescription. I simply look through them and see things different than if I had the correct lenses in my eyes.

As I wear my contact lenses, protein deposits will build up on them. Again, I don’t see these deposits but they, too, will distort everything I look at. This is because I look through my lenses and not at them.

When I have an eye exam and the doctor prescribes the right lenses for me and I keep them clean, I am sometimes surprised as I look through them and see everything clearly. My whole world changes and I see things as they actually exist.

Your worldview is like my contact lenses. You don’t look at your worldview. You look through it and it affects how you interpret every aspect of your life. Think about your worldview as a lens on your mind that causes you to interpret and make sense of everything.

From the time we are born, our worldview lens is shaped by our educational experiences. Unfortunately, because we are all born sinners, we develop our worldview lenses with a worldly, faulty prescription. At the same time, our worldview lenses become increasingly corrupted by secular ideologies that bombard us each and every day much like the protein deposits that build up on my contacts.

We end up developing beliefs and values based on a faulty lens. Because we develop beliefs and values by looking through our faulty worldview lens, we make decisions that create a secular culture.

There is another thing that we must understand when it comes to one’s worldview. Because we don’t consciously choose our worldview and our worldview is personal, any criticism or attack on our beliefs and values is taken as an attack on our personhood. So we end up staunchly defending our worldview even though it might be faulty.

Here is the big problem. Studies show that the vast majority (93%) of adults in our country do not have a biblical worldview. This means that these adults have a secular worldview. When we view any area of life through a secular worldview lens, everything we look at will be distorted from reality. However, we will be convinced that the way we view life and make decisions is the correct view.

The only way that we can have correct vision when it comes to how we look at life and make sense of the world, is to put on correct lenses. This can only happen when we read, study and meditate on God’s Word. As I wrote in last week’s blog, we must take up daily residence in the Bible. Only then will we develop a biblical worldview lens through which we view all of life.

As we study God’s Word and renew our minds by taking every thought captive to it, we will be amazed when we begin to see and interpret life from an absolute truth perspective. Life will make sense like it never did before. When this happens, we will be equipped to give a biblical worldview education to our children and grandchildren.

It is time for an eye exam and be fitted with biblical lenses with which we will finally be able to see and interpret life correctly.

 

We live in a microwave world! Everyone is looking to see how they can do everything faster. Whatever the issue or problem is people want the easy 3 steps to its solution. Shelves are filled with books that tell us how to do anything and everything in some many easy steps.

Most Christian educators know that authentic Christian education requires that every subject be taught from a biblical worldview education. Christian accreditation standards require that teachers show their biblical integration objectives in their curriculum guides. However, the reality is that much of what takes place in Christian schools and homeschools fall far short of offering students a true biblical worldview education.

Why is this the case when there is so much emphasis on biblical worldview integration? I believe the reason there is such a wide gap between the theory of integration of faith and learning and it actually taking place is because we simply want so many easy steps to follow to make it happen.

I am often invited to come to a school and provide staff development to help teachers teach from a biblical worldview perspective. Of course, I will only have between 2-6 hours to accomplish this task. When I begin to lay a foundation for what is a biblical worldview, there is often an impatience to skip ahead and get to the “how to do it.”

Unfortunately, there are no shortcuts when it comes to offering a biblical worldview education to children and youth. One can know the definition and the various components that make up a biblical worldview but that will not guarantee that teachers will be able to teach from a biblical worldview perspective.

In fact, studies have found that the vast majority of Christian adults do not have a biblical worldview. Some studies indicate that only 4-9% of Christian adults actually possess a biblical worldview. If these statistics are somewhat accurate, it means that 91-96% of Christians are not equipped to teach any subject from a biblical worldview perspective. This is because one can only give what one possesses.

If you are thinking to yourself okay what do I need to do so I can have a biblical worldview, my response probably won’t be very popular. There is no quick and easy way to develop a biblical worldview. I can’t tell you that you will have one if you read certain books (even though there are some wonderful books out there that can certainly help) or if you follow these steps.

Here is what it is going to take to develop a biblical worldview and, hopefully, be able to teach every subject through a biblical worldview lens. You and I must know God’s Word! That’s it!

My friend, Dr. James Merritt, recently posted on social media the following.

It is one thing to have a Bible. It’s another thing to believe the Bible. It’s a third thing to read the Bible. But it’s only when you obey the Bible that it truly becomes alive and you experience the abundant life Jesus promised.

I replied to this post by writing: unfortunately most Christians never get past the second point. How much time you and I spend reading and studying God’s Word is the only thing that will determine if we will develop a biblical worldview. Reading a couple of verses each day or a daily devotional about the Bible won’t do it. There are not shortcuts!

Jesus told some Jews who had believed Him (they were believers) If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. (John 8:31-32, NKJV). As Christians living in a microwave culture we look for shortcuts to being a disciple of Jesus. I cannot count the number of times that I have heard a Christian say, the truth shall set you free and think that this is all that Jesus was wanting us to know.

Jesus doesn’t give a one, two or three step process to being set free by truth. Instead, He is telling us that the only way to being a disciple and knowing truth that will lead to true freedom is to abide in My word. Some other translations use the word continue or dwell instead of abide.

How can you and I develop a biblical worldview and, therefore, teach from that perspective? We must take up daily residence in God’s Word! We cannot merely stop and visit God’s Word. No, we must move in and live there each and every day.

I wish I could tell you that if you follow certain steps, you will have a biblical worldview in 30 or 60 days. It will only happen when you and I are determined to abide in God’s Word every day and let the Word renew our minds. As this happens, we will see our subjects differently and we will give the next generation an authentic biblical worldview education.

As we do this, we must also avail ourselves of some valuable resources that are there to assist us in this all-important task. Some of these can be found by clicking on this link.

I want to encourage you to consider joining me for one of two Kingdom Education Summits this summer. One will be held in Winter Garden, FL and another one in Phoenix, AZ. CLICK HERE for more information.

When was the last time you thought about the reality that Jesus could come back any day now? I recently heard a sermon on Peter’s closing words in his second letter to the saints. In this passage, he assured them that God’s promises are certain. Because of God’s promises, Peter explains why it is important to be prepared for the future. Part of being prepared for the future is looking for certain things to take place.

Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. 2 Peter 3:13 (NKJV)

Peter was constantly looking for new heavens and earth where righteousness dwells. I have to admit, I long for a time when righteousness dwells. This is especially true when I look at the moral decadence that is all around us.

When I considered this verse of Scripture, I asked myself am I living my life looking for the time when all things will be made new? An even bigger question is, am I teaching my children to be looking for God’s promise for the future to become a reality?

Peter goes on to give several challenges to believers in light of the coming day of the Lord. He first tells us that we need to be diligent, blameless and spotless. But then he gives us a warning that caught my attention and I saw how it is impacting us as we educate future generations.

Starting in verse 16, Peter writes that there are things in Scripture that are hard to understand. This was true regarding some of Paul’s letters to the churches. Here is where I see a danger that is facing the church today.

…as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures. 2 Peter 3:16 (NKJV)(emphasis mine)

Peter is warning us that “untaught” and “unstable” people end up twisting Scripture and when this happens, destruction results. This word, “untaught”, doesn’t mean that the people didn’t know things. However, these are people who lacked learning that was imparted to them by the Spirit.

One commentary explains that humanly learned people have often been the most deficient in spiritual learning and this can lead to heresies. Another commentary went on to explain that one that is “untaught” is untutored  and ignorant of the Scripture.

The word, “unstable”, refers to a person who is not established in what he/she has learned. This type of person is easily deceived  and becomes shaken when facing difficulties. They end up adopting distorted views of God’s Word.

Christians who are “untaught” and “unstable” end up twisting or distorting Scripture.  The word “twist” means to torture on the rack or to pervert.

How does this apply to us as we try to provide children and youth with a biblical education? As Christians, we are to give our children and youth a biblical worldview education. However, we cannot give what we, ourselves, don’t possess. Every study that has been conducted over the past couple of decades shows that today’s Christian adults are “untaught” and “unstable” when it comes to their knowledge of God’s Word.

Our current condition, as it relates to our knowledge of Scripture, is dangerous as it can lead to us adopting distorted views of what God’s Word says. This condition requires immediate action. Fortunately, we can find what we need to do by looking at Peter’s solution to the problem.

You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 3:17 (NKJV)

We must be on guard so that we are not deceived and led astray. At the same time, we must grow in our knowledge of God’s Word. As Kyle Idleman puts it in his book ,gods at War, we must choose a biblical worldview and let it remake us. Warren Wiersbe commented on this passage by saying,

The stability of the Christian comes from his faith in the Word of God, his knowledge of that Word, and his ability to use that Word in the practical decisions of life.

As we grow in our knowledge of God’s Word, we must also teach the next generation to think and act from a biblical worldview. Otherwise, they will not be prepared for the future. I end with some more wisdom from Wiersbe.

One of the greatest tragedies of evangelism is bringing “spiritual babies” into the world and then failing to feed them, nurture them, and help them develop.

Let’s make sure we are prepared for the future and then do everything possible to prepare the next generation for the coming day of the Lord.

 

Last week I wrote about the devastating consequences that we are facing due to the “me first” ideology that has permeated all areas of today’s society. I am reminded of what Puritan preacher and author, Thomas Watson, wrote in his treatise The Duty of Self Denial.

Self denial is the first principle of Christianity. It is the life blood which must run through the whole body of religion. Self denial is learned not out of topics of philosophy but the oracles of scripture.

This focus on “love yourself first” is simply part of Satan’s strategy to destroy the family. It also plays into his desire to control the state. All of this is Satan’s ongoing desire to be “like God.” In order to destroy the family and control the state, Satan continues to set his sights on capturing the next generation of young people. He has done this primarily through secular educational programs.

Christian parents and church leaders must wake up to these strategies and gird themselves to wage war against the enemy. We cannot delay or it will result in total defeat. This effort to capture the hearts and minds of our children and youth through the world’s educational system has never been made clearer than what was posted this past week by the Michigan Democratic Party. Please read this very carefully.

Not sure where this “parents-should-control-what-is-taught-in-schools-because-they-are-our-kids” is originating, but parents do have the option to choose to send their kids to a hand-selected private school at their own expense if this is what they want.

The purpose of a public education in a public school is not to teach kids only what parents want them to be taught. It is to teach them what society needs them to know. The client of the public school is not the parent, but the entire community, the public. (emphasis mine)

This belief that children do not belong to parents but to the state is not new. It can be seen throughout human history. Hitler declared that the youth of today belong to the Reich. Parents were responsible for what their children ate but the state was responsible for what every child believed.

This was also the mentality throughout the former Soviet Union and continues in Russia today. I saw this first hand in the early 1990s when I took part in several 4-day convocations where we trained teachers throughout the Soviet Union on biblical morality as a foundation for society.

Recently, I read an editorial that both alarmed me and broke my heart. Joe Mathews wrote a column on January 13th that began with these words.

If California is ever going to achieve true equity, the state must require parents to give away their children.

A few people commented that they believed this column was meant to be satire. However, there are some very dangerous ideas being presented whether or not this is satirical. The writer went on to explain how some parents give their children an unfair advantage over other children.

Fathers and mothers with greater wealth and education are more likely to transfer these advantages to their children, compounding privilege over generations.

What does Mathews suggest as a remedy to this problem? Here are his own words.

My solution — making raising your own children illegal — is simple, and while we wait for the legislation to pass, we can act now: the rich and poor should trade kids, and homeowners might swap children with their homeless neighbors…Today, a policy of universal orphanhood aligns with powerful social trends that point to less interest in the family. (emphasis mine)

Joel Abbott did a good job in breaking this column down to the key beliefs that are behind this type of thinking. He states that Mathews’ logic is:

1. The State is the ultimate authority.
2. The State is trying to teach kids to be better (AKA conforming to the things I believe is true and define reality).
3. Parents are standing in the way of what the State and I want kids to be.
4. Therefore, children must be removed from their parents.

Throughout my 54 years in education, there has been a hesitancy and even a militant resistance by Christian parents, pastors, church leaders and educators to admit that secular education is a threat to the family. This is proven by the simple fact that 90+% of Christian parents have and continue to enroll their children in secular public and private schools.

I am finding more and more Christian school leaders telling me that the majority of parents sending their children to their schools don’t understand what authentic biblical education is. What is more alarming is that it appears the majority of these parents don’t care or want to know how God wants them to educate their children and youth.

I remember the time when parents were required to attend all school meetings where a biblical philosophy of education was taught to them. I have spoken at many such meetings. However, these types of events are rare today and, if they do take place, attendance is merely optional.

Some school leaders have shared that they are fearful that they may lose families if they required such involvement by the parents. Since many families may be unchurched, they would not agree to required meetings where their biblical responsibilities are presented. As a result, there is a tendency for Christian schools to play down the emphasis on a biblical worldview and a biblical philosophy of education. In its place, the emphasis has shifted to highlighting the schools academic (or athletics, fine arts, etc.) accomplishments as the major benefits of a “Christian” education.

We are at a crossroads and we must choose the right path. There cannot be any hesitation when it comes to the church equipping parents with the truth about what the Bible says about educating future generations. Knowing, understanding and being committed to a biblical philosophy of education must be the hallmark of every Christian school.

Parents must be empowered, churches engaged and schools transformed by a thorough understanding of Kingdom Education™! We cannot delay another day! We must begin taking back our children TODAY!

The title for this week’s blog is taken from Psalm 136. The New King James version translates this phrase, His mercy endures forever. Today is Sunday, January 16, 2022 and I find myself sitting in a small country motel room in Northwest Georgia in the middle of a winter storm warning. It also happens to be my 75th birthday.

When I think back over my life, I have to echo the Psalmist when he writes that God’s lovingkindness is everlasting. His mercy endures forever is found at the end of every one of the 25 verses in this beautiful Psalm. As I sit here and reflect back on 3/4 of a century, I am absolutely amazed at God’s wonderful mercy and lovingkindness.

As I started my day in His Word, I read about God’s lovingkindness and mercy as He led His people safely through the Red Sea and, then, destroyed their enemy that was in hot pursuit. Exodus 15 is Moses’ song of praise to the Lord after seeing God’s lovingkindness. Moses began his song by declaring the awesome power of God.

The Lord is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation; He is my God, and I will praise Him; my father’s God, and I will exalt Him. Exodus 15:2 (NKJV)

When I think about how God has led me throughout my teen years and my adult life, I must declare the same thing that Moses did when He realized who God really was.

Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like You, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? You stretched out Your right hand; the earth swallowed them. You in Your mercy have led forth the people whom You have redeemed; You have guided them in Your strength to Your holy habitation. Exodus 15:11-13 (NKJV)

I can say this about my life when I think of how God redeemed me from sin and brought me into His holy family. He has shown His wisdom and power as He has led me over the years. There have been so many wonderful examples of how He has blessed me beyond measure that I cannot count them.

When I continued reading about God’s lovingkindness for Israel, I was struck by how He provided for every one of their daily needs. He made bitter water sweet (Exodus 15), gave them manna for bread, meat when they complained and rest after six days of labor (Exodus 16), and gave them fresh water from the rock (Exodus 17). Once again, I have been blessed to experience every one of these blessings in my life.

After God did all these amazing things on behalf of Israel, one finds a wake up call to what it is like living in a fallen world.

Now Amalek came and fought with Israel… Exodus 17:8 (NKJV)

Of course, the record shows that God strengthened Joshua and he defeated the Amalekites. At the end of the battle, God made a very strong prophecy concerning Amalek.

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this for a memorial in the book and recount it in the hearing of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.” Exodus 17:14 (NKJV)

Even though Amalek’s days are numbered, God told Moses that He would have to battle Amalek throughout the rest of human history.

…the Lord has sworn: the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation. Exodus 17:16 (NKJV)

One finds the Amalekites being a thorn in the side of God’s people throughout the Scriptures. Saul lost his kingdom because he spared Agag, the king of the Amalekites. In fact, it was an Amalekite that killed Saul and took the crown off of his head and gave it to David (see 2 Samuel 1:1-16).

Amalek represents the flesh, our fallen human nature. In reflecting on my years, I have seen that I have had to battle the flesh each and every day since becoming a Christian. This has been especially true after experiencing many of God’s blessings. My flesh is constantly waring with my spirit for control. I am thankful that God’s indwelling Spirit strengthens me to win the battle with my flesh as long as I daily surrender to Him. I look forward to the day when Amalek, my flesh, is completely blotted out.

One final blessing came to my mind today as I thanked God for giving me these 75 years to know and serve Him. That blessing is in the form of the people God has brought into my life and continually uses to conform me into the image of His Son. Fifty-three years ago, God gave me my wonderful wife, Sharon. I don’t know how I could have made it through the daily grind of living for God without her at my side.

He also blessed me with three precious children and six grandchildren. The older one gets, the more he or she realizes the importance of family. As my children texted me birthday wishes today, I responded by telling them that God has blessed me beyond measure.

I am also grateful for the people who have helped me fall in love with God and His Word. Paul Kienel, Roy Lowrie, Jr, Gene Garrick, Tony Fortosis, and many more helped me develop a biblical philosophy of education that I have termed, Kingdom Education™.

Being blessed to sit under the teaching of such giants as John R. Rice, Francis Schaeffer, B.R. Lakin and Josh McDowell, to name a few, played a significant role in helping me understand the importance of thinking biblically about all of life. These men taught me that God’s Word is not only true but is applicable to my everyday life.

One of the greatest blessings that God has given me is the privilege of sitting under the preaching of godly pastors. Jerry Falwell, James Merritt, Glenn Weekley, Michael Catt, Mike Lewis and James McMenis are some of the pastors who have faithfully preached the whole counsel of God and shaped my life in significant ways.

Finally, there are thousands of believers, like you, that I have had the privilege to connect with over the years. It has been an unbelievable joy to have been able to talk with, teach and counsel faithful followers of Christ who are in the trenches each and every day.

I don’t know what the future holds but the one thing that I know is this.

God’s lovingkindness is everlasting. His mercy endures forever. Praise the Lord!