Last evening a group from our church appeared before our local school board…
… concerned about their policy toward distribution of Bibles to the children which has been a long standing tradition in schools across our country. An educational system that in our country was founded on the Bible now wants nothing to do with God’s Word and they are paying the price on several fronts.
Schools are to be a place of preparation and yet the most important aspect of preparation (meaning to make ready) we overlook. That is the preparation of spiritual things which the Bible first addresses in Joshua 22:26 in the building of an alter as a place to show witness to God. For me that underscores a part of my cultural history where in communities churches were built in the heart of our towns and pastors were regarded as the highest authority or often final word on many if not most matters. Amongst the Amish and Hutterites that is still the practice but for most of us that part of life has changed.
For each of us what is key is to follow Ezra (7:10) and prepare our hearts for the law of the Lord. If not our hearing or reading of God’s word will fall on hard ground and never take root. In fact as God has a throne from which He will judge one day (Psalm 9:7) that He has already prepared so should we build such a throne for Him within us. This we do when we invite the Holy Spirit to take over our lives and having done so we await what God has prepared for us as spoken of in Psalm 23:5. For we who are born again that table mentioned in Psalms is set each and everyday.
The state of preparation is one we continue to build on during our time on earth and Christ Himself directed us in this regard in Luke 22:8-9 by establishing the church’s need to continue in the Lord’s Supper as begun in the moment’s before Christ was betrayed, died and resurrected. Doing so is symbolic of our becoming what Romans 9:22 calls prepared “vessels of (God’s)mercy” who are now prepared to carry out ‘every good work” (2 Tim. 2:21) for our Master.
It is time for each of us to BE PREPARED.
THOUGHT FOR TODAY: The power of God prepares us for the precious promises for we who are truly His people.
DEVOTIONAL VERSE FOR TODAY: Ezra 7:10 “preparation of our heart”.
PRAYER FOR TODAY: Lord may my heart always be prepared for all You desire of me.
QUESTIONS TO THINK ABOUT:
1. Should schools be a part of preparing a child’s spiritual heart?
2. Where is your spiritual alter to God?
3. How has removing God from the center of our lives and communities changed us as a people and nation?
4. How do you prepare your heart?
*** Gary Jerke *** Is a former State Representative, author and Life and Liberty News contributor
View Gary’s website, Encouraging Others in Christ
I appreciate your concern Jackson but were it not for the Christian faith there would be no education in this country. Our founding fathers understood this and the what we call the centers of quality education such as Harvard, Yale, etc. were all found on Christian faith and principles. For an additional reason on why the spiritual must be a part of the educational process read my blog today titled: I just don’t know. Have a blessed day.
Public school are not the place for spiritual preparation. Sunday school is that place.
You may not have heard of the New England Primer. It represents the perspective of our Founding Fathers. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_England_Primer
The purpose of teaching children to read and write was so they could study Scripture…
Good citatoin on the New England Primer. McGuffey Readers were also filled with Biblical allusions.
Consider also:
The only means of establishing and perpetuating our republican forms of government is the universal education of our youth in the principles of Christianity by means of the Bible. – Benjamin Rush, signer of the Declaration of Independence
You this day…have, by the favor of Providence and the attention of friends, received a public education, the purpose whereof hath been to qualify you the better to serve your Creator and your country. – William Samuel Johnson, Continental Congress, signer of the U.S. Constitution, framer of the Bill of Rights
To a man of liberal education, the study of history is not only useful, and important, but altogether indispensable, and with regard to the history contained in the Bible…it is not so much praiseworthy to be acquainted with as it is shameful to be ignorant of it. – John Adams
[The Bible] is a book worth more than all the other books that were ever printed. – Patrick Henry
Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. – President George Washington
The Bible is the best of all books, for it is the word of God and teaches us the way to be happy in this world and in the next. Continue therefore to read it and to regulate your life by its precepts. – John Jay, First Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court and co-author of the Federalist Papers
Our citizens should early understand that the genuine source of correct republican principles is the Bible, particularly the New Testament, or the Christian religion. – Noah Webster
The Bible…should be read in our schools in preference to all other books because it contains the greatest portion of that kind of knowledge which is calculated to produce private and public happiness. – Benjamin Rush, signer of the Declaration of Independence
Thank you Bob for these quotes as we are as a church presenting before our School Board our concerns about the absence of the Bible from instruction and they are seemingly open to some suggestions we have offered beyond just distributing Bibles by the Gideons. Have a blessed day.
That would be fantastic! I pray for inroads.
If public schools are not places of spiritual preparation, they will by default be places of preparation for criminal activity and/or eternal damnation.