WHY HOMESCHOOL?
God holds the parents responsible for the teaching and training of their children. Also the assembly is responsible for training parents and children in the ways of God. This is not happening in America today with the result that we have considerable violence in the home and public school. I have tried to keep this web site on the positive side, but at times it is necessary to point out the negative side of our society and what must be done to correct our problems. Therefore, please accept the negativism and let us make an earnest effort to correct the problems in our society.
I strongly believe that home school and the home assembly are necessary to teach parents and children the Christian way to live in this world. Some will say "Do we not have Christian teachers and pupils in public school who can and are doing a work for God?" The answer is that there are few teachers with a Christian background who are brave enough or know how to give a Christian witness in or out of class. Also, many of the Christian students do not have a lifestyle much different from the rest of the students.
If an assembly uses rock music in their programs to entice young people to their youth groups, you will find that some of their youth are sexually active and experimenting with drugs. Rock music is sensual, and rebellious, and the beat is used by Satan worshippers to call up the evil spirits. It must never be used in worship for it is music that God hates. Too often those who call themselves Christian are also the ones who make fun of the misfits and make them feel unaccepted.
The following article by Joyce Minor states the problem very well for the problems in public school.
I grew up in rural America in the '50's and '60's. On any given day, you could walk through the high school parking lot and observe that half the vehicles parked there were trucks with windows rolled down and doors unlocked. Most of them carried, as standard equipment, an FFA sticker (Future Farmers of America for you city folks) and a gun rack with at least one gun, usually loaded. You could make the same observation at any of the four high school campuses in our county. Amazingly, I do not ever recall reading or hearing about mass shootings in any of those high schools.
What has changed in America is not the accessibility of guns, but the character of man. On the wall in my parents home is a plaque awarded to my father in recognition of service for 27 years on the local school board. He told me that for years, a standard requirement on every Teacher's contract was membership in a local church. I remember starting every school day with the pledge and a prayer. I remember when girls who got pregnant in high school were ashamed, when abortions were illegal, when the divorce rate was not 50% because couples stayed together for the kid's sake, when there were no X-rated movies, when milk cartons didn't have missing kids faces on them, and I didn't know anyone personally who used drugs. I remember when kids were taught respect for authority and accountability to God. I hear people say that the good old days weren't always so good but please don't tell me you think these are better.
Last night I attended a high school football game that was covered by local and national news. The news coverage was not about the football teams, but about the defiance of a court order by one brave little Texas town to preserve the right to pray before a football game. The more this country struggles to free itself from religion, the more we become entangled in the consequences. If people are taught that they came from slime, the obvious questions and consequences must follow; What is the purpose of my existence [hopelessness], who made you the boss of me [lawlessness], why are your rules good and mine bad [relativism], what does it matter how I live if I came from slime and return to slime [immorality and inhumanity]? I realize that in any given poll, the vast majority of Americans claim to believe in God. I claim to believe that running is good for me but that does not make me a runner. Putting on my running shoes and running makes me a runner. The climbing abortion rate, murder rate, divorce rate, alcoholism and drug abuse rate, child and spousal abuse rate contradict that claim and prove that actions speak louder than words.
It is an observable truth that the best time you will ever make on any American City freeway is on Sunday morning because there are no traffic jams getting to church. For those who believe that separation of church and state is not enough, that the world would be better off with no church at all, ask yourself this question. How many hospitals, universities, orphanages, homeless and abuse shelters have been founded by the ACLU, NAACP, or American Atheist Society? It is the inclusion of the word Catholic, Baptist, Presbyterian, Christian, etc., in the name of so many of these institutions that proves by actions, not just words, who really cares for the suffering of mankind and desires to make the world better.
The question that people should be asking is not "Why does God allow tragedies?" but "When will we realize that no nation, in the history of the world, has ever separated itself from God and evolved to a better society?" Of course, to answer, you would have to know history. Most people, it would seem, prefer People Magazine.
Joyce Minor
Asst. Director of Development and Alumni Relations
University of Alabama School of Law
THE SOLUTION
A person, family or nation that follows God will be blessed while those who reject His great love for them will be severely punished in this age and also in the future judgment. Psalm 19:7-14 gives us a formula by which to live by.
Yahweh's law is perfect, restoring the soul.
God’s law is the total of His word to the world, the Bible. The word perfect means to be complete with nothing missing. The soul refers to our intellect, emotions, and will.
Yahweh's testimony is sure, making wise the simple.
"The testimony is this, that God gave to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has the life. He who doesn't have God's Son doesn't have the life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God." 1 John 5:11-13
Yahweh's precepts are right, rejoicing the heart.
Precepts are the rules of life. The Sermon on the Mount, Matthew chapters 5 through 7, gives us a number of good examples of these rules. "Everyone therefore who hears these words of mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man, who built his house on a rock. The rain came down, the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat on that house; and it didn't fall, for it was founded on the rock. Everyone who hears these words of mine, and doesn't do them will be like a foolish man, who built his house on the sand. The rain came down, the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat on that house; and it fell -- and great was its fall." Matthew 7:24-27
Yahweh's commandment is pure, enlightening the eyes.
"This is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, even as he commanded. He who keeps his commandments remains in him, and he in him. By this we know that he remains in us, by the Spirit which he gave us." 1 John 3:23,24.
The fear of Yahweh is clean, enduring forever.
Proverbs 1:7 The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of knowledge; but the foolish despise wisdom and instruction.
Proverbs 8:13 The fear of Yahweh is to hate evil. I hate pride, arrogance, the evil way, and the perverse mouth.
Proverbs 9:10 The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom. The knowledge of the Holy One is understanding
Yahweh's ordinances are true, and righteous altogether.
In the Bible the ordinances are the authoritative rules on how to conduct the religious rites and ceremonies. The assembly in Corinth was not observing the Lord’s Supper in a correct manner and Paul wrote them: "Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks the Lord's cup in a manner unworthy of the Lord will be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread, and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, if he doesn't discern the Lord's body. For this cause many among you are weak and sickly, and not a few sleep. For if we discerned ourselves, we wouldn't be judged. But when we are judged, we are punished
by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world." 1 Corinthians 11:27-32
More to be desired are they than gold, yes, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the extract of the honeycomb. Moreover by them is your servant warned. In keeping them there is great reward.
How love I your law!
It is my meditation all day.
Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies,
For your commandments are always with me.
I have more understanding than all my teachers,
For your testimonies are my meditation.
I understand more than the aged,
Because I have kept your precepts.
I have kept my feet from every evil way,
That I might observe your word.
I have not turned aside from your ordinances,
For you have taught me.
How sweet are your promises to my taste,
More than honey to my mouth!
Through your precepts, I get understanding;
Therefore I hate every false way.
Psalm 119:97-104
Who can discern his errors? Forgive me from hidden errors. Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins. Let them not have dominion over me. Then I will be upright, I will be blameless and innocent of great transgression. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, Yahweh, my rock, and my redeemer.
This prayer is one we should memorize and make a part of our daily life. "In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God." Philippians 4:6
CONCLUSION:
When we live according to the ways of God we have a relationship of faith, hope and love with our heavenly Father and also with all others who obey God. This lifestyle is so different from those who have no hope. When rejected we can go to Jesus who will never reject us. If no one loves us He will love us with a love so great it cannot be expressed. If we are frustrated and beaten down Christ will life us up to new heights of joy.
What does this have to do with home school and home church? Children, and often their parents, need to be nurtured, encourage and challenged to live this type of lifestyle. Unfortunately, peer pressure in many public schools and church youth groups pull down the children. They do not build them up to become like Christ. To become a mature Christian has great blessings not only for this life but also eternal treasure in heaven. When conducted in the right way, home school results in a superior education with better adjusted children and a home assembly results in a true relationship of love and care for one another.
But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we certainly can't carry anything out. But having food and clothing, we will be content with that. 1 Timothy 6:6-8
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Revised June 2000
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Scriptures used on this web page are from The World English Bible (WEB)
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