Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Start A CHRISTIAN SCHOOL?? Not ME- I'm Waiting on the Rapture!

Many in the Evangelical community today have never heard the name, J. Gresham Machen. He was a scholar, a theologian, a Follower of Christ, and a visionary of the highest order. Machen was professor of New Testament at Princeton Seminary until 1929. He left the seminary in obedience to the Biblical command to seperate from unbelief, and he founded another. He was expelled from the mainline Presbyterian Church because he believed in such things as inerrancy, infallibility,Virgin Birth, and Salvation by Grace. Machen was a brilliant writer and his thoughts on education were prophetic,and profitable-for many reasons.

Machen taught that there were several reasons for Christian Schools, but the two thatwere the focus of his writings were American Liberty and the propagation of the Christian Faith. Machen warned us in 1934 that the government was seeking to monopolize the educational system.. and he warned that the centralized bureaucracy was dangerous.. and was against the ideals of the U.S. Constitution. Machen taught that parents have the RIGHT to bring up their children in accordance with the dictates of their conscience and NOT in the manner prescribed by the State!Many people in 2009 do not realize that in Oregon in the 1930s a law was passed making it mandatory that ALL children attend PUBLIC schools! In Nebraska, a law was passed forbidding the teaching of any language other than English,even in PRIVATE schools, until the child was too old to learn them well! No Latin,!!!Think about it Classical Education lovers- they could still do the Logic and rhetoric... a TWO-Vium????)No Greek, Hebrew- You get the Idea!In New York, a law placed private tutors under State control!! Machen believed that Christians should and would fight against these encroachments upon freedom.. He predicted that thousands and Thousands of students would be educated at HOME AND in Christian Schools.. and He was right .. it is happening.. but let me ask you to think about something, Dear Reader.. HOW did it happen?? The answer is very simple: Christians got INVOLVED.. ( dare I say it??) in the political/legislative process.. these laws were struck down because Christians hired Lawyers, "irritated" their representatives, and influenced the culture! They did not retreat.. they did not express the defeatest mentality that says," Hey, arent things supposed to get worse for Christians?? You know Jesus said that His kingdom was a"spiritual" Kingdom, we are'nt supposed to try to CHANGE SOCIETY.. are we??? I think the rapture's going to happen real soon- you do'nt polish the brass on a sinking ship! Brothers and Sisters.. because those Christian parents decided to take a stand,, we have young people who are being educated at Home and In Christian Schools - and they are learning that The Word of God is OUR starting point" for all discussion about EVERYTHING! There is NO neutrality. the Bible is the ONLY infallible Rule of Faith and Practice( all of Life)Those Believers left us a great inheritance that we enjoy today... and just think they could have sat in their Pews, behind the walls of their Churches, staying out of the political arena,arguing about whether Arch-duke Ferdinand was the Beast of Revelation, and waiting for the "rapture"...... but they did'nt!!!!think about that tomorrow when you drop your child off at your Christian school.. or start your homeschooling day.. just think about it...and oh yes... we are PROBABLY living in the last days... look at all the stuff on the news.. rapture probably soon.. what's the use of trying.. to do anything???

2 comments:

  1. Political activism...it is so easy to give up. Many thanks to the Lord for laying on the hearts of some so heavy that they were DRIVEN to act, they couldn't do anything else. Folks like that are often hard to be in the same room with they are so focused! But God is taking them and using them to bring about those conditions necessary for The Day. Thank you brother for your insight here.

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  2. Oh my goodness!!! You have so eloquently written was has been on my mind for so long> I too see this problem in the vast majority of Christians. I call it fatalism. I believe it is the devil's tool.

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