In Heaven’s Eyes

Posted on July 11, 2010July 11, 2010 by Scott Smith

Written by Phill McHugh and recorded by Sandi Patti

A fervent prayer rose up to heaven;
A fragile soul was losing ground.
Sorting through the earthly babel,
Heaven heard the sound.
This was a life of no distinction;
No successes, only tries.
But gazing down on this unlovely one,
There was love in Heaven’s eyes.

In Heaven’s eyes, there are no losers.
In Heaven’s eyes, no hopeless cause.
Only people like you, with feelings like me,
Amazed by the grace we can find
In Heaven’s eyes.

The orphaned child, the wayward father,
The homeless traveler in the rain.
When life goes by and no one bothers,
Heaven feels the pain.
Looking down, God sees each heartache,
Knows each sorrow, hears each cry;
And looking up, we’ll see compassion’s fire
Ablaze in Heaven’s eyes.

In Heaven’s eyes, there are no losers.
In Heaven’s eyes, no hopeless cause.
Only people like you, with feelings like me.
And we’re amazed by the grace we can find
In Heaven’s yes.

Giving Up

Posted on July 11, 2010July 11, 2010 by Scott Smith

Have you felt like giving up lately?

A growing number of pastors and Christian educators have been writing to me in recent months telling of their concern for folks who are simply giving up, including themselves. One pastor called and said, “I see my people trying so hard to cope with problems in their marriages and pressures in their personal lives. Just when it seems victory is within reach, they stumble and fall. Good, honest Christians are so often overwhelmed by guilt and condemnation it causes despair. And when they can’t live up to their own expectations – when they fall back into sin and get involved – they decide to give up. Few know how to pull out of a moral tailspin.”

Positive thinking won’t make their problems go away. The cup of pain, the hour of isolation, and the night of confusion were all part of the Master’s lifestyle. Paul said, “For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened.” (2 Corinthians 5:4)

I doubt we could even count the great numbers of Christians who groan in secret be- cause of the burdens they carry. If you pulled back the facade from every great preacher and every admired personality, you would find moments of deep depression. Doubt creeps in and Satan whispers, “Nothing works. Faith in God doesn’t produce results.”

Every Christian on this planet reaches that crisis point at one time or another in life. David, overwhelmed by the evil in his heart, cried out, “Awake, why sleepest thou, 0 Lord? Arise, cast us not off forever. Wherefore hidest thou thy face, and forgettest our affliction and our oppression.” (Psalm 44: 23, 24)

Christian – does it amaze you that great men of old faced the same battles you and I face today? The Bible says, “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: but some rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when His glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.” (I Peter 2:12,13)

The first absolute is – God really loves me (You).”…and one of them (sparrow) shall not fall to the ground without your Father.” (Matt. 10:29) The second absolute is-It is my Faith that pleases Him the most. “Without faith it is impossible to please Him.” (Hebrews 11:6) The Bible says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.” (Romans 4:3) What do I do when temptation rolls over me like a flood? When my inadequacies overwhelm me and I see the reflections of my weaknesses? Give up? Quit? Never! I bring to God all I’ve go left – my faith in Him! I may not understand why He seems to take such a long time to intervene, but I know He will. He will keep His word to me.

I am convinced Satan wants to rob you and me of our one thing – faith. He really doesn’t want our morals or our good deeds or our dreams. He wants to destroy our faith and make us believe God has forsaken this earth. He loves us and wants to have us keep on trusting. So we will accept that love and keep our faith strong. “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.” (Isaiah 26:3)

Dr Paul Cates

Don’t forget, We need your support

Dying to Self

Posted on July 11, 2010July 11, 2010 by Scott Smith

When you are forgotten, or neglected, or
purposely set at naught,
And you don t sting and hurt with the insult
or the oversight, but your heart is happy
being counted worthy to suffer for Christ,
THAT IS DYING TO SELF!

When your good is evil spoken of,
When your wishes are crossed, your advice
disregarded, your opinions ridiculed,
And your refuse to let anger rise in your
heart, or even defend yourself, but take
it all in patient, loving silence,
THAT IS DYING TO SELF

When you lovingly and patiently bear any
disorder, any irregularity, and impunctuality,
or any annoyance,
When you can stand face to face with waste,
folly, extravagance, spiritual insensibility,
And endure it as Jesus endured it,
THAT IS DYING TO SELF!

When you are content with any food,
any offering, any raiment, any climate,
any society, any solitude, any interruption
By the will of God,
THAT IS DYING TO SELF!

When you never care to refer to yourself in
conversation, or to record your own good
works, or itch after commendation,
When you can truly love to be unknown,
THAT IS DYING TO SELF!

When you can see your brother prosper and have
his needs met, and can honestly rejoice
with him in spirit and feel no envy nor
question God,
While your own needs are far greater and in
desperate circumstances,
THAT IS DYING TO SELF!

When you can receive correction and reproof
from one of less stature than yourself,
and can humbly submit inwardly as well
as outwardly,
Finding no rebellion or resentment rising
up within your heart,
THAT IS DYING TO SELF!

The Bondage of the Will

Posted on July 11, 2010July 14, 2010 by Scott Smith

“A Mighty Fortress Is Our God” Song by Martin Luther, to hear it, simply click the “play” button: [audio:mighty-fortress.mp3]

Book Review by Richard Engstrom

“If I profess with the loudest voice and clearest exposition every part of the truth of God except precisely that little point which the world and the devil are at the moment attacking, then I am not confessing Christ, however boldly I may be professing Him. Where the battle rages, there the loyalty of the soldier is proved; and to be steady on all battlefields besides is merely flight and disgrace if he flinches at that point.”

– Martin Luther

BONDAGE OF THE WILL is about contending for the Faith once delivered unto the saints; it is about Spiritual warfare. NO! Not the kind of spiritual warfare like RECONCILIATION WALKS or national days of prayer and intercession. Those things are nothing more than religious hobby-craft carried out by the self-important purveyors of popular religion.

The kind of Spiritual warfare that we are talking about here is the kind where a man, simply and only because of his faith in God; simply and only because of what the Bible says: takes his life in his teeth and goes to war against everything and everyone around him that contradicts his Faith. If this means the loss of family affections: SO BE IT! If it means the loss of career and respect: I’LL COPE WITH IT! If it means ending up alone, rejected, misunderstood and hated by the men who once upon a time plied you with flatteries: REJOICE, AND BE EXCEEDING GLAD, FOR SO PERSECUTED THEY THE PROPHETS WHICH WERE BEFORE YOU!

The impact of Luther’s words and actions upon the history of our Faith is a well-known fact. Within months of nailing up his Ninety-five Sentences on the Church door in Wittenburg, conflicts had broken out throughout all Europe. Men in all stations of life took sides in the conflict and what was hoped would be a Reformation of the Roman Catholic Church turned instead to the disintegration of the Holy Roman Empire, as masses of people defected from the errors of Romanism. The axe laid to the root was THIS BOOK, in which Luther came against THE foremost scholar in Christendom: Erasmus of Rotterdam, the man who was responsible for the Textus Receptus, the text of our New Testament in the KJV, a tremendously valuable work that we all appreciate even to this day.

In this book, Luther utterly refutes Erasmus’s Diatribe on Free Will, which was the key and significant controversy of the moment. We will not know until the Judgement seat of Christ just how many Christians, from that time to the present, have been edified, encouraged, and instructed in sound doctrine by this book, but I am one of them. Luther’s Spiritual warfare against the foes of our Faith was successful because his warfare was REAL and consistent with the Spiritual warfare of our Lord. When He was tempted by the Devil, Jesus would not turn stones into bread, and neither did Luther serve mammon by keeping silent for want of a paycheck. Jesus would not bow down, and neither did Luther kow-tow to the enemies of the Gospel in his day, no matter who they were. So it is today, that those who are engaged in the fight of faith, are warring against real Lies and real enemies: We are Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ, in the knowledge that we shall be vindicated. God WILL revenge all disobedience, when [our] obedience is fulfilled.

The controversy in particular between Erasmus and Luther was the issue of the Sovereignty of God versus the “free-will” of man IN RESPECT TO SALVATION, but in this review I am not going to reiterate those arguments all over again: those who continue to preach the false doctrine of ‘free-will’ (in respect to salvation), but who have never been able to refute Luther’s evidence and who only pretend that this question has never been settled once and for all – are doubly guilty, and Liars every one. Instead, I will focus on the matters that are particularly relevant today. The writer of the Historical and Theological Introduction to this book introduces some of these pertinent issues:

“Has not Protestantism today become more Erasmian than Lutheran? Do we not too often try to minimize and gloss over doctrinal differences for the sake of inter-party peace? Do we still believe that doctrine matters? Or do we now, with Erasmus, rate a deceptive appearance of unity as of more importance than truth?”

UNITY!

Erasmus’s first mewing complaint was against Luther’s assertiveness. In the soft tones of a diplomat he begs Luther to have the reasonableness to consider that such dogmatism tends to be unnecessarily divisive. Oh, how reasonable this all sounds – just like the complaint we hear so often, “WHY CAN’T WE ALL JUST GET ALONG? WE ALL BELIEVE IN JESUS, DON’T WE?” We hear these complaints even from those whom we sincerely want to believe are our brethren. But I agree with Luther and I can say that he answers for me when he writes:

“What Christian can endure the idea that we should deprecate assertions? That would be denying all religion and piety in one breath – asserting that religion and piety and all the dogmas are just nothing at all. . . What Christian could talk like that? If you are speaking of doctrines that are unprofitable and uncertain, what news do you bring us?. . .Or perhaps you think that all Christians are people whose dogmas are useless things, for which it is absurd of them to quarrel and fight with their assertions!. . .In a word, what you say comes to this: that you do not think it matters a scrap what anyone believes anywhere, so long as the world is at peace. . . .” (pp. 67-69)

DON’T GIVE AN INCH to those ministers of Satan that would have us to discard our “divisive” doctrines and reduce our faith to little more than the name of Jesus – all in the name of unity. These Liars want to blame US for all of the Denominational schisms in Christendom and say that it is all OUR fault that the prayer of Christ, that we may all be one, has never yet been (they say) answered. Well, my friend, Christ’s prayer HAS BEEN ANSWERED, and all of the saints of God in Christ Jesus ARE One, even as we are one with Luther in his masterful defense of our Faith. The doctrines of our Faith, are ASSERTIONS of the Truth of the Gospel, and ANYONE who rejects the ASSERTIONS of our Faith is NOT our brother, and is NOT saved. These complainers against the exclusiveness and assertiveness of our Faith will clap their hands off when Jesus says, “I am the way, the truth and the life; no man cometh unto the Father but by me,” UNTIL, someone like us comes along and preaches that everyone who refuses to believe Jesus Christ is in danger of hell fire! WHY? Because to say such a thing might offend some other “sincere” and religiously devout folks who just do not “prefer” to yield to the name of Jesus Christ. This includes all of our Jewish Messianics who demand just the slightest concession that THEY be allowed to yield THEIR loyalty to Yeshua, because they are offended at the Jesus that the rest of the world has already heard of. All of you to whom Jesus Christ is STILL the stone of stumbling and the rock of offense should repent NOW, and pledge your allegiance to Jesus Christ our Lord and to His Church!

Furthermore, this also goes for you professing Christians who applaud Jesus Christ while making all of your excuses for why it is not necessary to obey whatsoever He has commanded us. Be advised: Luther is not on your side; WE are not on your side; and God is not on your side!

YES, BUT WE HAVE MIRACLES ON OUR SIDE!

I’ll bet you thought that this was a new argument invented by the Revival Now crowd! No, Erasmus used the same ploy on Luther. He wrote, “The Apostles would not have been believed, had not miracles procured belief for their doctrine. . .When the Apostles shook off vipers, healed the sick, and aroused the dead, then at last they were believed; and yet hardly so. So paradoxical was their teaching. Now, though our opponents put forward teaching that is generally considered to be almost more paradoxical still, none of them has so far appeared who could even cure a lame horse!” (p.110)

Here we are: Do we deny the reality of the reported miracles? Perhaps you agree with the lying cessationists who assert that the days of miracles have disappeared with the death of the apostles, or upon the completion of our New Testament. Had Luther believed such a thing, here was a perfect opportunity to defend himself against Erasmus’s challenge by asserting that the time for miracles and the other supernatural gifts of the Spirit was past. But NO! He fully endorsed the possibility of miracles: “. . .God is wont to confirm His doctrine by miracles without respect to the carnality of the age; what moves Him is not the merits or demerits of a carnal age, but just mercy, and grace, and love of the souls that are to be established by solid truth unto their glory.” Take note also of the lyrics of Luther’s hymn, A MIGHTY FORTRESS, especially note his clear assertion that, “the Spirit and the gifts are ours!”

Oh, how I wish that I could see the faces of all those who clap their hands off for their hero, Luther, until they find out that Luther does not agree with THEM at all!

No, Luther didn’t deny the possibility of miracles, or that the miracles reported were real. What he (and we) deny is that these miracles are a confirmation of anything but the doctrine of Christ: Miracles do not confirm the man, as if everything that comes out of his mouth is inspired, and more to the point, miracles do not confirm doctrines that contradict the plain language of the Bible. Those of you who are tempted to think that the occurrence of miracles means that God is confirming one “gang” against another have ignored the warnings of our Lord Jesus Christ and His apostles:

(Mat 24:24) For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

(2 Th 2:9-11) Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, {10} And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. {11} And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:

YES, BUT WE SHOULD JUST STICK TO PREACHING THE GOSPEL AND STOP ALL THIS ARGUING.

Oh, yes! Erasmus resorts to the same dodge that so many do these days. In their scramble to find some common ground of agreement, all of these unity mongers try to reduce the cardinal tenets of our faith to nothing more than the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. They cite 1 Cor. 15:1-4 and say, “There’s the Gospel! That’s all of it!” as if the rest of the New Testament is nothing more than interesting though extraneous details that were only added for our entertainment. Those who say things like this are lying: They have no intention of discarding their own pet doctrines; they only want US to shut up and to stop raining on their parade! Luther answers this absurd and dishonest platitude.

He wrote, and we agree:

“And here, Erasmus, I invoke your own advice, given above, that ‘questions of this kind be left alone, and that Christ crucified, and as much as suffices for Christian piety, be taught instead.’ But this is what we have long been desiring, and doing. What else do we contend for, but that the simplicity and purity of Christian doctrine should prevail, and, that what men have invented and brought in along with it should be left behind and disregarded? But you, who give us this advice, do not take it up yourself; you do the opposite; you write Diatribes; you cry up the decrees of Popes; you vaunt the authority of men; you try every means of carrying us off into these strange pastures and foisting upon us things both unscriptural and unnecessary, so that we may spoil the simplicity and sincerity of Christian piety, and disorder it with man-made additions.” (p.117)

The “simplicity and sincerity of Christian piety” makes no concession to the ever-popular, long-winded bogus arguments against the plain language of our Bible. Such are the hyper-dispensationalists who use their convoluted logic to escape the teachings, commands and warnings of our Lord Jesus Christ – saying that His Words are just a part of the “Law” from which we have been delivered. Anyone who believes this is apostate! The simplicity of Christ is receiving, believing, and subsequently (because we believe) obeying the Words of Christ and his apostles – not inventing theologies that turn these Words into little more than suggestions, and the Bible into no more than a hint of what the will of God is.

YES, BUT THE BIBLE IS SUBJECT TO INTERPRETATION

Still trying to make his case, Erasmus sidles up to Luther with a suggestion that he knows Luther must agree with, in part. He writes, “Some [doctrines in the Bible] are ambiguous, whereas others are quite plain.” Of course, what Erasmus, and all those like him, mean by statements like this is that ANY doctrine that threatens the hegemony of popular religion shall ALWAYS be regarded as AMBIGUOUS. And today, Ambiguity has become the king of mischief: When any of the “inconvenient” teachings of our Lord are brought up, such as, “Give to every man that asketh of thee,” Ambiguity takes over and begins to argue for exceptions – explaining this simple command UNTIL, there is nothing left to obey. And woe to the man that brings up the apostle Paul’s injunction against women pastors: He will be derided as just another stupid male chauvinist, while it is explained to us “poor simpletons” how it is that the Bible doesn’t mean what it says.

Luther answers, “If the words are obscure in one place, they are clear in another. What God has so plainly declared to the world is in some parts of Scripture stated in plain words, while in other parts it still lies hidden under obscure words. But when something stands in broad daylight, and a mass of evidence for it is in broad daylight also, it does not matter whether there is any evidence for it in the dark. Who will maintain that the town fountain does not stand in the light because the people down some alley cannot see it, while everyone in the square can see it?. . .”

Of course, the only people to whom the plain assertions of Scripture are obvious, are those who believe and have obliged themselves to obey whatsoever Christ has commanded us. As Luther asserts to Erasmus, “My good Erasmus, God’s church is not so common a thing as the term ‘God’s church’; nor are God’s saints so promiscuously found as the phrase ‘God’s saints.’ The saints are pearls and precious jewels, which the Spirit does not cast before swine; but (as the Scripture puts it) He keeps them hid, that the wicked may not see the glory of God! Else, if they were open to the recognition of all how could they be so vexed and afflicted in the world as they are? So Paul says: ‘ Had they known him, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory’ (1 Cor.2:8).”

Luther did not think that all those who call themselves Christians were members of the body of Christ, and neither do WE. You need to take note that the ongoing campaign to embrace everyone and every group as brethren, just because they favor the name of Christ, is a campaign against the Gospel of Christ. And don’t think for a minute that this campaign will stop with those who make some concession to the name of Christ. Already the rhetoric of Apostate Christendom is contriving to promote full acceptance as BRETHREN, the devout Buddhists, Moslems, American Indians who still embrace their paganism, and etc. Unity is the name of the game – the doctrines of our Faith, and those who are loyal to them, are the obstacles. There is no hiding from this conflict and you are a player whether you know it or not and whether you like it or not.

CONCLUSION

Want a primer on what Spiritual warfare in the public arena is all about? Read this book! For those of you who have gotten fatigued by relentless contradictions to sound doctrine from all of the so-called “Christians” around you, I suggest that this book will provide strong encouragement and fresh energy for the good fight of faith. Now is not the time to relent!

I conclude this review with Luther’s prediction concerning the final days of this age: “I foresee other, greater upheavals in store for a future generation, compared with which these present are but a whisper of a faint breeze, or the murmur of a gentle brook.” It looks like Luther’s prophetic impulse is being vindicated now, and the outcome is sure!

(Psa 2:1-5) Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? {2} The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, {3} Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. {4} He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. {5} Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure.

A MIGHTY FORTRESS, by Martin Luther

A mighty fortress is our God.
A bulwark never failing;
Our helper He, amid the flood
Of mortal ills prevailing.
For still our ancient foe
Doth seek to work us woe;
His craft and power are great,
And, armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.

Did we in our own strength confide
Our striving would be losing,
Were not the right man on our side.
The Man of God’s own choosing.
Dost ask who that may be?
Christ Jesus, it is He;
Lord Sabaoth is His name,
From age to age the same,
And He must win the battle.

Did we in our own strength confide,
And though this world, with devils filled,
Should threaten to undo us,
We will not frear, for God hath willed
His truth to triumph through us.
The prince of darkness grim
We tremble not for him;
His rage we can endure,
For lo! his doom is sure:
One little word shall fell him.

That word above all earthly powers
No thanks to them – abideth;
The Spirit and the gifts are ours
Through Him who with us sideth.
Let goods and kindred go,
This mortal life also;
The body they may kill;
God’s truth abideth still,
His kingdom is forever.

A Lost Art

Posted on July 11, 2010July 11, 2010 by Scott Smith

“Let the people know the facts and the country will be saved.”- Abraham Lincoln

THE LOST ART OF GOING TO PRISON

It was Peter and John who started it. A promise to “keep quiet” would have been enough; and there were other ways in which they might have told the excited crowd their story, without being provocative and standing up in the very Temple Square. But that wasn’t their way. Partly a sense of loyalty to the One who had so recently stood where they stood, before the Sanhedrin; partly perhaps an inner dignity which refused to be cowed by the threats of little men with much authority; anyway, their answer was given, and it remains a classic in the history of the fight for religious liberty: “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must be the judge; for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20).

Their example was catching. In many lands and among all classes of people – to bishops and servant girls, civil servants and school-masters and slaves – the choice came. Sometimes it was a demand that they should renounce their religion and utter blasphemy. Such must have counted themselves lucky: they were faced with a clear-cut issue of right and wrong. Often the demand was more subtle.

At the time the Government was organizing a great religio-nationalist festival, all that was asked of the Christians was that they should make a gesture to show their goodwill. The Devil was there with his familiar arguments: After all, a pinch of incense on the altar fire isn’t going to do any harm – we know that this is no god, and so the deed has no significance for us- this isn’t the right time to be provocative. The authorities expect it of a man in my position. It’s really an expression of patriotism more than anything else. What’s going to happen to the family if I lose my job? Some of them yielded, and they were given a certificate (a libellum it was called) to say that they had offered incense at the statue of Caesar and so proved their loyalty. (It is interesting that the word has been preserved in the English language; libel – the worst thing you could say about a man, that he had taken the libellum.)

There were many thousands who thought that perhaps Peter and John had shown a bettor way. A pagan writer has left a description of these people singing, with joy on their faces and in their hearts, as the soldiers conducted them through the streets on their way to the lions. Here and there chance has preserved a first-hand pen portrait of one or other of these people: the young bride with her new-born baby at her breast. She was 6nly a catechumen. The worst part of it, she wrote, was “when father came to the prison and begged me with tears to give in.” Another was the tough old Bishop of Antioch with a vast congregation in the new Colosseum at Rome to watch him be torn by lions. Others died without a name, and we wouldn’t even know of them if it hadn’t been for some pagan convert who later bore testimony that it was watch- ing their death that had brought him to Christ.

The time is inopportune.” How often we hear that phrase when we propose to do something which “they” won’t like. It must have been said to William Tyndale scores of times. Of course, it was a good thing to translate the Bible into English, but not now – not this year when the Government is carrying out their campaign against heretics. Wait till the old Cardinal is dead, then things will change – the time is not opportune; it will only arouse needless opposition. But William Tyndale was deaf to all their advice. He spent half a lifetime in exile, a hunted man. Finally they got him. “If they burn me,” said Tgn- dale,”it won’t matter. The translation is finished, and anyway it is only what I have expected.” They didn’t burn him; they strangled him instead.

In Ceylon we like to join with the noble army of martyrs in praising God, but we are careful not to join them in being martyrs. We don’t even go the first step with them: it is enough to suggest that such and such an action would be “provocative” for everyone to agree that it would therefore be inopportune.

We are well practiced in this art of being inoffensive. We preach a Gospel which is never provocative, and bear witness which we take care shall not be overheard. Some day a local Christian congregation will so far forget itself as to “declare the things it has seen and heard.” It may result in the parson going to prison and the church being burnt down, but at any rate “they” will know what we believe, and that we really do believe it.

IF THE FOUNDATIONS BE DESTROYED WHAT CAN THE RIGHTEOUS DO?

Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shall be fed. Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him, and he shall bring it to pass. A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked. The LORD knoweth the days of the upright; and their inheritance shall be forever. They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied. The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand. I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD: he is their strength in the time of trouble. And the LORD shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.
Psalm 37

A Christian Philosophy of Education

Posted on July 11, 2010October 17, 2017 by Scott Smith

by Dr. Paul W. Cates, Ph.D.

From a Christian philosophy of education, thoughts and actions can be derived, implemented, and defended. The elements to be considered in developing a Christian philosophy of education range from theological and doctrinal to social and educational. The first step is the development of a Biblical base. The Bible becomes the skeleton on which the practical application of our philosophy can be arranged.

Under consideration in this paper on a Christian school’s educational philosophy shall be the Biblical base, implications for the teaching-learning process of the school, the role of the educator, and the role of the learner.

The Biblical Base

The importance of having a sound Biblical philosophy of education cannot be overemphasized. In referring to the importance of developing a distinctively Christian philosophy, more Christian educators are beginning to realize that to be truly Christian, the curriculum must be Bible integrated in theory and practice. By this the Bible is to provide more than theoretical guidance and generalization. It is to be a vital part of the content of the curriculum and integrated with all subject matter. The Bible should be the integrating factor around which all other subject matter is correlated and arranged, and provides the criterion by which all other subject matter is judged.

A God-centered pattern of education demands that the Christian educator spell out clearly the processes involved in the total structure of the curriculum. This means all procedures and processes must be based on a definite theory of knowledge.

Since education deals primarily with the communication of knowledge, the defining of knowledge of truth becomes important. Knowledge may be defined as an understanding or a clear perception of truth. The Biblical view of knowledge presupposes a source of all knowledge, for knowledge is dependent on truth; and truth, in turn, is dependent on God. All avenues of knowledge stem from God. God, Himself, is truth, and has chosen to reveal Himself through natural revelation and special revelation.

The implications of having a God-centered theory of knowledge as a base for the philosophy of education are clear. Since god is the source of all truth, then all truth is God’s truth.

For the Christian, then, the seat of truth is God’s revelation, contained primarily in the inspired Word, but manifest also in creation, and this truth, though on its highest level received by faith, can also be known through our reason, enlightened by the Holy Spirit. Any adequate basis for Christian education must, therefore, include God’s revelation in creation as well as in His written Word. Our human understanding of the book of nature must not be made the norm for acceptance of the other book, the Bible. All the time, however, the ultimate criterion of truth is found in the revealed Word, the Bible.

Since God is central in the universe and is the source of all truth, it follows that all subject matter is related to God. Thus, the revelation of God must become the heart of the subject matter curriculum. The Bible itself becomes the central subject in the school’ curriculum. It, as God’s primary revelation to man, must become the integrating and correlating factor in all that is thought and taught at the school. It is the basis by which all other channels of knowledge are evaluated and used. Through the bible the inter-relatedness of all other subjects and truths is made possible.

We may conclude therefore that the function of the bible in the subject matter curriculum is two-fold. First, it provides content of its own. Second, it provides a service function to the other subjects. The principles of Biblical truth should be applied to and in all other subjects. Claim to truth from other areas should be tested and evaluated by the philosophical and theological truths of the Word of God.

God’s Christian Schools are built on the premise that all truth is God’s truth and that the Word of God is to be the key factor in the communication of knowledge. It is important to note that any and all education that is received should have the word of God as its foundation. This is not to imply that the Bible is a textbook on anything and everything; but rather, that the Bible is to be the point of reference from which we can evaluate all other areas and sources of knowledge. What one learns from God’s natural revelation must be in harmony with what He has revealed in His Word. Since God is the author of both revelations it is reasonable that they would not contradict each other.

In summary some of the advantages of having a Biblical philosophy of education are as follows:

It co-ordinates the various spheres of life as a whole.
It relates knowledge systematically.
It examines the presuppositions, methods, and basic concepts of each discipline and group of disciplines.
It strives for coherence, the formulation of a worldview.
Its method is to consult data from the total experience.

The Implications for the Teaching-Learning Process

The implications of having a sound Biblical base for the educational process are many. The educative process is the process by which the communication of the foundational truth is accomplished, in other words, it is the process by which the Christian philosophy of education is implemented in the classroom.

A clear danger of not having a firm Biblical base is pointed out by lack of life and power and reality in some evangelical teaching. We have been content to borrow man-made systems of education instead of using God’s system. Secular educators do not give central place to the unique revelation of God’s Word. Our distinctive content calls for distinctive treatment.

The school’s foundation, the Word of God, reveals the characteristics of true Christian education as to purpose, method, and results. The purpose is to put the believer into right relationship with God, man, self, and his surroundings. The method is by the Spirit’s assistance in the appropriation of Biblical truth to the believer’s life. The result will be a maturing believer who is able to live a life that is in conformity with the Word of God. In essence, Christian education is a process of guided learning where the teacher and the Holy Spirit combine efforts to help the leaner to spiritually grow and mature, to more and more conform to the image of Christ.

The scope, or field of Christian education, though guided by Biblical truth, is not limited to Biblical exposition. A Christian School seeks to developing the learner a worldview, a perspective that enables him to understand, appreciate, and live a Christian life in the world in which God has placed him. The school’s education, hopefully, shall help the individual develop the ability to separate truth from error, not only in Bible doctrine, but also in the facts and issues of his everyday life.

The Role of the Educator

The Christian educator or teacher is to be a guide or resource person in the wonderful experience of learning. He is to be neither a drill sergeant nor a manipulator, but rather, a facilitator of learning. His learners must know that he cares about them. The educator must have experienced the reality of what his is attempting to teach or else he is just a blind man leading blind men.

“This is why the school or college that would develop a Christ-centered and Biblically grounded program must fly from its masthead this standard: ‘No Christian education without Christian teachers’, and must never, under any condition, pull its colors down. Compromise of this issue, always results in the progressive de-Christianizing of an institution.” 1

Footnote 1: (Frank Gabelein, The Pattern of God’s Truth , 1954, p 37).

The nature of the teaching process gives us some clues as to the function of the teacher. As a Christian educator the teacher must be both a Christian and an educator. As a Christian he has experienced the reality of God’s truth, and he has god’s Spirit to empower him and his teaching. As an educator he functions in accordance with the mandate of God to teach in accord with the educational principles contained in the Word of God. Educate means to change one’s behavior.

In the book of 1 Corinthians, Paul exhorts his readers to be followers of him as he is of Christ. This must be true of the teachers too, for as leaders they must exemplify what they are trying to teach. They must be sprit-filled men of God.

Six Qualifications for a Spirit-filled Teacher are:

The teacher is the communicator of truth, he must be openly and boldly a Christian.
Every teacher must know the bible. Because the Word of God is relevant to all subjects.
The Christian teacher must be committed in every aspect of his life and work, in all his being, to the truth.
The teacher must seek excellence. This is a seeking after intellectual excellence to the glory of God, and a Christian teacher should be content with nothing less than superiority in this area.
The Christian teacher must truly love his students, seeking their highest good even when at times the way may be hard. Not only should he love his students, he should genuinely like and understand them.
Finally, the Christian teacher should exercise complete submission to the one great teacher. Every teacher must listen to the Lord, and the Holy Spirit, for his lessons and never should he think that he does not need to be taught of Him.

A very helpful summary concerning the teaching role is give by Dr. Roy Zuck. His five points fairly well sum up what the Bible expects of its educators:

1. Remember that Christian education is a supernatural task.-The presence of God’s Holy Spirit in teaching takes Christian education beyond mere programming, methodology, and techniques.
2. A teacher is to rely on the Holy spirit.-Seen in light of the Spirit’s teaching ministry, Christian education demands you be submissive to the guidance and direction of the Spirit. Teachers must work with God, not against Him.
3. Teachers are to relate God’s Word to the pupil’s experiences.-A proper understanding of the work of the Holy Spirit provides Christian teachers with a balanced, blended approach to the question of content and experience.
4. Teachers are to rest satisfied with nothing less than spiritual results.-A teacher must constantly test his teaching to see if it’s resulting in spiritual growth on the part of his pupils.
5. Teachers must recognize that, in the final sense, God, the Holy Spirit, is the teacher.-It is God who does the teaching, a teacher is merely a channel of His grace, an instrument doing the planting and watering. The spiritual effectiveness of a teacher’s work rests ultimately with the Holy Spirit.

The Role of the Learner

The learner represents the challenge to the Christian educational process. Each believer brings to class a personal set of needs, wants, and goals. Each is looking for fulfillment and growth in his own personal and spiritual life. Every learner starts with his own basic needs, thus the educator must seek to motivate the learner to discover and apply God’s provisions to his life. In Christian education true learning comes as the learner experiences the wonder of God’s truth applied to his life.

The pupil is to be considered as an individual, a person of worth, as god sees us as individuals. His personal experiences and knowledge have value. He is a responsible member of a learning group, having something to contribute and something to learn.

Footnote 2: (Zuck, The Holy Spirit in Your Teaching, 1963, pp 167-168).

The truth that is learned must not be finally imposed from without, but rather must be discovered by the pupil under the guidance and leadership of the teacher and the Holy Spirit.

To Summarize the Role of the Learner, LeBar states:

“A pupil’s growth is determined not by what he hears, but by what he does about what he hears. The important thing is what is happening inside the pupil. He may accept or he may reject whatever is going on outside. Learning is what the pupil does and what the outer forces do to him. Teachers can influence the inner factors only by properly using the outer factors. If a teacher will work with the Spirit of God, He can use him to effect the desired inner changes.”2

Therefore, it is the task of the teacher to help his pupils to know and to understand the principles of Scripture for their lines, and then to lead them to accept these principles as their own. The motivation would not remain outward, that is because the teacher says so, but rather, the pupil must be guided to the place where he can think through the issues and apply it to his life. Once the divine work of the Holy Spirit is accomplished, (John 16) God’s pre-determined principles become self-chosen goals.

The Place of Practical Teaching in the Philosophy of Christian Education

The Hebrew educational curriculum was amazingly balanced. True, the Law was the center of everything, but all other studies were related to the Law in parallel lines. For example, the agricultural system of the Hebrew society was an integrated part of the educational training of the child and adult. The planting of crops was correlated with the commandments of the Law; the sacrifice system was described by the Law. So therefore, the Hebrews not only were commanded to keep the Law, but also were taught by the Law.

Footnote 3: LeBar, Education That Is Christian, 1968, p. 136.

After the exile period, we noticed that there was a direct parallel between the secular studies of mathematics, astrology, etc., with the study of the Torah. They complemented one another. They were not separated, but integrated. From this emerges yet another educational principle: secular truth is God’s truth and should be integrated and seen as a cohesive whole.

Even within evangelical circles, the great gulf that often exists between the bible and everyday life and practice is all too apparent. A breakdown has occurred, intellectual schizophrenia if you please, with the result that business, science, and politics are almost totally unrelated to the Scriptures. As Schaeffer has so aptly put it:

“Today we have a weakness in our educational process in failing to understand the natural association between the disciplines. We tend to study all our disciplines in unrelated parallel limes. This tends to be true in both Christian and secular education. This is one of the reasons why evangelical Christians have been taken by surprise at the tremendous shift that has come in our generation.”3

To accomplish this integration is no easy task, but the Christian needs to understand that all truth is important and that Christian education needs to present a unified philosophy of life.

Footnote 4: Frances A. Schaefer, Escape From Reason (London: Inter-Varsity Fellowship Press, 1968); (page 12).

Biblical Foundations for Christian Education

1. God’s revelation is the basis for all truth. Luke 11:52; Proverbs 1:7
Parental responsibility is the priority control. Deut. 6; Ephesians 6; Genesis 18:17-19
The example of early Christians.-Acts
Significance of the Holy Spirit in the life of the teacher. John 16:13; 1 John 5:19-21
Christian Education is education for the whole man. Proverbs 22:6
God’s education is always in contrast to man’s education. Colossians 2:8
Biblical Education requires a submission of all intellect and will to the Lordship of Christ. 1 Cor. 1:18-31; 2 Cor. 10:5

I. What is Christian Education?
Acts 8:31:31; Jn. 16:13; 1 Tim. 4:6; Eph. 6:4; Prov. 22:6; Jn. 1:18; 2 Peter 3:18

A. Pattern of teaching involves:
1. Introduction: intrigues interest in investigation (Jn. 4-7).
2. Interpretation: defines in framework of known to unknown (Jn. 4:10-14)
3. Interaction: encourages participation deepening impressions (Jn. 4:15)
4. Integration: assimilates new truth into enlarged life (Jn. 4:29)
B. Manner of instruction is:
1. More than telling or showing; engaging in participation (Matt. 22:19).
2. Many times unconscious in effort as well conscious (Matt. 22:16).
3. Multiplied in various activities as worship, camp, play, etc. (Matt. 5:1; 21, 28).
4. Manifested by imparting, counseling, discussing, living! (Matt. 22;16)

II. The Student . . .
A. Personality with attitudes, desires, knowledge, skills, etc (Jn. 2:23-25).

Created in the image of God (Gen. 1:27).
Marred by sin (Rom. 3:23).
Adorned with mental, physical, spiritual, social interests.

B. Learner, follower, disciple, endowed with: (Matt. 5:1-2)
1.Mind to discover, understand, perceive truth confronted (Rom. 1:14).
2. Heart to appreciate, desire truth made attractive (Phil. 1:8-10).
3. Will to appreciate, respond to truth and opportunity (Jn. 7:17).

III. Through Experiences . . .(Will to do His Will – Eph. 1:17).
A. Education involves a teacher-pupil-subject-relationship
1. Teacher introduces, interests, explains, encourages (Jn. 4:7, 14)
2. Pupil investigates, appreciates, assimilates, acts (Jn. 4-15)
3. Subject is truth around which this interaction revolves (Jn. 4:26)
B. Education takes place only when truth is:
1. Understood in the mind, not mere mental assent or repetition (Acts 8:30-35).
a. Related to previous experience or fragmentary (Matt. 4:19).
b. Related to life situation or artificial (Matt. 4:20).
2. Believed in the heart (the entire being) (Acts. 8:37; Roman 10:9-10).
3. Actualized into life (adopted by will) (Acts 8:38; Prov. 3:6)

IV. Of Truth . . .(Jn. 14:6; 17:17)
A. All truth is God’s truth, but received in portions (Col. 2:3; Heb. 1:1-2).
1. Expressed in nature, providence, Scriptures, Christ (Rom. 1:20; 2:15).
2. Received by intuition, experience, authority, reason, faith (Heb. 11:3).
B. Holy Spirit illuminates, providing super-rational truth (Jn. 16:13).

V. Into a Life . . .(Jn. 20:31)
A. Purpose of grace and truth is conformity (Jas. 1:22f; 2 Cor. 3:18).
B. Christ is not only truth but life (Jn. 10:10; 14:6)
C. Provision of truth is complete (Rom. 8;32)
1. Standard of measurement of maturity is Christ (Eph. 4:13).
2. Instructions are adequate in Scriptures (2 Tim. 3:16-17).
3. Power is provided in Gospel (Rom. 1;16).
D. Completed only when see Him and become like Him (1 Jn. 3:2)

VI. Of Service . . .(Rom. 12:1-2)
A. Meanwhile, God provides an outlet for love (2 Cor. 5:14).
B. And the world awaits its demonstration (Jn. 13:35).

VII. To the Glory of God! (1 Cor. 10:31)
A. That in all things He might have the preeminence (Col. 1:18).

All rights reserved. NO part of this article may be reprinted or reproduced, or utilized in any form or by an electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the American Association of Christian Schools or Dr. Paul W. Cates, Ph.D.

American Association of Christian Schools
6601 N.W. 167th Street
Hialeah, Florida 33015

About Faith Christian Ministries

Posted on July 8, 2010October 17, 2017 by Scott Smith

Not every child learns in the “normal” instructional method. God has created each child to be an individual, with a specific learning style. It is the job of home schooling and christian school parents to discover each child’s learning technique, what his or her gifts are, where his or her talents lie, and how to chose curriculum to best suit his or her needs. FCM offers diagnostic educational testing, documentation, remediation and enrichment curriculum recommendations. Let us help you understand your children and their specific needs. Then let us provide you with an Individualized Educational Plan and schedule to allow your children to develop their talents to the fullest potential.

WHICH HOME SCHOOLING PROGRAM IS BEST FOR MY CHILD?

The truth is, your child is unique. God has created your child with an individual learning technique and ability. Not every available curriculum is suited to the learning style. Whether it’s your first or fifth year in home schooling, choosing the best Curriculum for your child remains one of your biggest challenges.

How do you make sense of all the available programs? Certainly each has its merits, but which one is best for your child? Faith Christian Ministries offers a comprehensive testing service to help you tailor-make a school program to best develop your child’s talents and potential and to best meet your individual needs as well as your child’s individual needs.

The FCM staff tours to major cities in the United States to conduct one-on-one consultations with home schooling students and teachers. Your child’s abilities and learning techniques will be evaluated individually using key diagnostic tests. Many of these tests are taken orally or involve using manipulatives. What does the testing involve? Your child will be evaluated in six areas of the left brain, six areas of the right brain, 15 areas in reading including 5 areas to determine what they can do idependently, 5 areas with you teaching, and 5 areas of frustration. They are also evaluated in math, depending on age in up to 209 different areas. The testing takes approximately two to three hours.

What kind of follow-up does FCM offer? After the testing, a conference is held to help you understand your child better and know how best to deal with your child’s talents and weaknesses. You will also be assisted in selecting a curriculum and forming your schedule. Then, approximately two weeks after the testing, a report with specific materials and levels checked will be mailed to you.

Also, a schedule for daily assignments will be included. FCM will also help you in purchasing any/all of your individual specific curriculum needs. FCM sells all curriculum at current catalog prices. This will save you from having to contact 10-12 different publishers.

Who is eligible for evaluation? FCM evaluates all children –gifted, average, L.D., A.D.D. (Attention Deficit Disorder), Normal, Retarded, and handicapped. The testing is not to label your child or help your child be eligible for special public school programs. It is only to help you discover your child’s talents and gifts and to help them be what God intended them to be.FCM does not believe in labeling.

DO YOU KNOW…

…whether your child functions primarily with the left or right brain?

…how your child learns?

…whether your child is primarily an auditory, visual or kinesthetic learner?

…at what level your child reads and computes?

The answers to these questions are critical in choosing the correct home schooling program for your child’s individual needs. If these questions have you confused, bewildered, overwhelmed and frustrated, we can help.

FAITH CHRISTIAN MINISTRIES has a satellite school, Faith Christian Academy, for grades K-12. If you desire to enroll, please contact us. Enrollment is open year round.

FAITH CHRISTIAN MINISTRIES offers “free” seminars. There are two, one week seminars offered – one in June, one in November in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, on the “nuts and bolts” of home schooling. If you desire to come, please notify us early. Space is limited. An important aspect of these meetings is “Walk in The Spirit”, a Biblical approach to child training and discipline.

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN HOW FCM CAN BENEFIT YOUR CHILD… PLEASE VISIT OR SEND US MESSAGE ON CONTACT PAGE.

[Dr Cates holds a B.A.-Psychology; M.A.-Special Education: Teaching the Child with Learning Disabilities, and a P.H.D.-Curriculum & Instruction. He is available for meetings. Contact: Dr. Paul Cates]