Educate Yourself

Susan Myers

The need for prayer for our country cannot be seen by Christians as simply an annual event. We need to continue in vigilant watch for our nation all year long. One simple but effective way would be to continue using the National Day of Prayer's suggestion of praying for one of the seven important entities—government, military, media, business, education, church, and family— in our nation each day. The first of these is government. Our leaders are in dire need of the prayer God commands us to give for them (Romans 13:1–2). Personal knowledge of people and issues adds fervency to prayer time. Evaluate your understanding of local education leaders. Do you know the names of your local board of education? Do you know who your superintendent is? Do you have a local textbook committee, or is the instructional material selected at a state level? If so, are the members elected or appointed? Who is on your State Board of Education? What is your chairman's name? This week seek to educate yourself on government as it relates to public education. Find out when and where your school board meets. Follow issues in the newspaper or on their Web site. Attend meetings as a concerned citizen. Educate others in your area. Lead in praying specifically by name for these leaders. Ask God to grant them wisdom, both in seeing issues correctly, and in right steps of action. Support them where you can and give them encouraging feedback as well as helpful insights on issues. Public figures need affirmation and like to feel they are representing their constituency. If they only hear from liberal voices in their area, they feel pressure to bend to their agenda, feeling wrongly that it is the dominant one.

As you know, the federal government has increasingly insinuated itself into what our founders intended to be a local and state affair. Thus we need to realize their importance in leading the nation in education. I was encouraged to hear about H. Res. 397 submitted May 4, 2009 in the House of Representatives. This is something to read and cheer about. Perhaps this is a result of our national prayers on our leaders' behalf. How about calling or e-mailing the sponsors of this resolution "affirming the rich spiritual and religious history of our Nation's founding and subsequent history and expressing support for designation of the first week in May as 'America's Spiritual Heritage Week' for the appreciation of and education on America's history of religious faith." Take the time to look through this document and educate yourself and others regarding this sampling of ways in which the Christian faith has been acknowledged in our country's three branches of government throughout our history. Thank God for His hand in our past and praise Him by singing or reading the little-known last stanza of our national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner. "

O thus be it ever when free men shall stand

Between their lov'd homes and the war's desolation!

Blessed with victory and peace, may the Heav'n-rescued land

Praise the Pow'r that hath made and preserved us a nation!

Then conquer we must when our cause it is just,

And this be our motto: "In God is our trust!"

And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Intercede for our present and our future, threading a theme of trust and praise through your prayers. Encourage yourself and others in what the Lord has done for us as a nation. Pray that we all—citizens and government leaders alike—will be pricked in our hearts with the realization of how much we owe the God Who has been so minimized, vilified, and ostracized in our society today.

Education Matters!

Susan Myers

Abortion restraints lifted…sexual perversion promoted…financial bondage multiplied…terrorist nations placated! The news brings additional shock waves, it seems, every day—resulting often in a sense of paralysis. The importance of education issues, such as the struggles over science in Texas between the media, legislature, and the State Board of Education can easily be overshadowed. Why should we pay attention to the schooling of children when it seems we can’t draw a breath between cataclysmic attacks? As with all things, the Bible is our Guide in this matter. Let us see what Paul warns are two of the greatest dangers of the church in the last age—the falling away from truth and acceptance of false science. Surprising? Perhaps, but here it is. “O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called: which some professing have erred concerning the faith” (1Timothy 6:20–21).

What is this verse saying to us? Positively, we—like Timothy—are commanded to keep that which is committed to our trust—the truth (as seen in the preceding verses). God is truth and His Word is the absolute measure of it. On the other hand, we are not to accept profane and vain babblings and false “science.” Evolutionary teaching is just that. Profane and empty, it falsely labels itself science, is only supported by lies, and opposes God. Imbibing it puts a person in danger of erring concerning the faith, because evolution removes the basis for true learning. Proverbs 1:7 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.” Evolution’s claims of purely naturalistic causes deny God—damaging the faith and consequently the life of the unwary hearer. Allowing feelings, convoluted reason, and professed authorities who oppose God to guide us keeps us from true knowledge and costs dearly, on earth and in eternity.

Therefore, we cannot afford to ignore the creation/evolution issue in education. God holds us responsible for our young people. We must take action in our own children’s education. We must teach them the truth and shield them from evolutionary teachings. Furthermore, in America, we have responsibility, as “we the people,” to guard our country and its future. The majority of children in the United States are in public schools. Education forms beliefs about all of life, including church, family, business, and government. Those beliefs influence behavior which determines the future—our future, as now we see all too clearly.

At a pivotal time during probably the gloomiest hour for America’s revolutionary cause, Thomas Paine rallied the colonists with an article containing the words: “These are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.” Our days are no less critical. Let us determine to shake off any paralysis of soul and accept a commission of active duty.

In future articles we’ll cover specific educational impact and issues as well as actions that can be pursued. But first of all, let each of us decide that we’re going to do something—that we are going to work on what we can change—our thinking and our actions. Let us seek the resolve, courage, and insight we need from God.

“Lord, by Your grace I resolve to deepen my study of Your Word since it is the only source of truth. Teach me to love Your wisdom. Instead of fearing what is happening around me, cause me to fear You. In the days ahead, strengthen me to educate myself about the creation/evolution subject. Open my eyes to the specific actions You want me to take. Give me boldness to protect myself, my family, and all in my realm of influence from falling away from the truth and accepting science falsely so called. Awaken other individuals across the nation to do the same. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

Our Purpose

Whether we realize it or not, education affects everyone’s worldview. Statistics vividly show the correlation, and the Bible distinctly teaches this. What people believe about the creation/evolution issue is foundational to everything else they believe, and beliefs dictate actions. Since education— especially teaching about origins— is such a powerful influence in people’s lives and shapes the next generation and our country’s future, we want to make it easier to follow what is happening in that arena—giving impetus to our prayers and direction to our actions. Specific legislation and education news, state by state (as well as nationwide), need to be addressed. The new “Education Matters” column and blog written by Susan Myers, coming soon, is designed for this purpose. Gain access to this from CSE’s Web site. Links to news articles and laws under consideration regarding education will be posted. Questions and comments are welcome. Florida and Texas will be highlighted initially, with eventually each state having its own page.