Say hello to Genesis Christian Academy, the new Christian high school here in Ashland.
Genesis is a metamorphosis of Veritas Classical, the former Christian high school that ended up closing its doors this past May. Many of the teachers and students associated with Veritas will be continuing to teach under the banner of Genesis this fall. Genesis came about much due to the hard work of Felicia Dupre, who's son attended Veritas. Dupre was grieved that the school was being discontinued because she thought it was such a great program. She then began talking to parents and teachers about the possibility of resurrecting the institution. Those talks turned into a giant summer push to solidify classes and a core of students. Finances were obviously a concern scrutinized during these discussions. The determined goal was to keep the classes as affordable as possible without compromising the quality of teachers. Now that Genesis has been officially birthed, Dupre & the GCA staff are inviting parents to check out how this new institution can serve their educational needs. The classes and their descriptions have been posted on the GCA website and questions can be pointed to Dupre. While students may enroll as a full time student GCA, classes are offered in buffet style. In sum, parents may opt their child(ren) in for as many or as few classes as they desire. Some of the classes include algebre I & II, Biology, Bible, Creative Writing, Chemistry, Latin I & II, and Western Civ. I & II. A complete list of classes may be found on their website. I will be teaching creative writing at Genesis this fall. In the spring I may teach two sections of a great books class, John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress and C.S. Lewis' Screwtape Letters. Deadline to enroll is August 14th and a parent teacher informational meeting will be held on August 18th. Parents who are interested in finding out more are encouraged to visit the website and send any questions to Felicia.
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I will be teaching a creative writing class this Fall as a part of the new Christian High School that is coming together here in Ashland. The class will be held for one hour each Friday morning for 12-15 weeks. It is a high school level course, but younger students could possibly be permitted if parents think they have the skill level. The tentative plan is that the class will start after Labor Day and run from 11:00-noon. We will meet at Southview Brethren Church. Contact me if you'd like to be a part, and be sure to check out the full course description too. I was asked to participate in today's Election Day Prayer event that is being held downtown. It is put on by Southview Church and the Coalition, a conservative political group here in town. My segment of prayer is to focus on the topic of families. Here is what I plan to say...
Almighty God, As we bow our faces before you we acknowledge that a renewal in our country requires a renewal in our marriages and families. We know that we cannot have the former without first having repentance and reformation in the latter. We confess that our nation is broken because our homes are broken. We suffer oppression from Pharaohs and Caesars because we have not first had godly mothers and fathers. So we pray that you would grant us renewal at the grassroots level. May there be a reformation in our land, where we take to heart what it means to be united in the covenant of holy matrimony. May we begin to see that there is nothing more patriotic than the fidelity of a husband and his wife. May you grant us fathers and mothers who, instead of slaying their children, will instead love them and cherish them all their days. May these parents then take up their responsibility to train their children them in the fear of you and not further the decay of our country by handing them over to schools where atheism and relativism are the rule. As we stand here today, we pray “God save the home.” But yet, we know that as the king goes, so goes the nation. And for this reason we pray not just for a grassroots revival, but we also pray for our leaders and the policies that they make. Lord, we ask that you would grant that those who would win out these elections would be restrained from instituting policies that further the destruction of marriage and family in our land. Instead, may they be made to do what is just and promote what is in accord with rule of King Jesus. We pray that policies that strike against godliness would be revoked. You know how our nation permits (and even encourages) things like divorce, sodomy, and abortion. Moreover, our leaders continue to wrap the chains of debt around us. They oppress our families with heavy taxation. They rip apart families with their welfare programs. All this leads only to death at every level. So we pray, like our forefather’s before us “God save the king.” Finally, We pray “God save the church.” Where is the light to be found for our families? It is not in the pure preaching of your word and in the revelation of Biblical Truth. Father, we know that families will only rise out of the ashes when you unleash the gospel and unveil the fullness of its saving power. So we pray that you would raise up godly men to preach your word and send them throughout our nation as heralds of Your eternal kingdom. All this we pray in the strong name of our King and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen. I'm a proud daddy. This is what my daughter wrote for one of her assignments.
As humans, we cannot see our destiny. That is one thing that God has not allowed us to do. If we could, we would probably live in fear of what would happen the next day. Some people claim to know what the future holds. They lie. Nobody can really see into the future. If we try, then we are disobeying the rules that God set out for us, and attempting to do the impossible. Think of a baby. A newborn baby; only a day old. What can that baby do? Nothing. What do you think would happen if that newborn started talking and walking around? That would be against the rules of human nature; just as trying to do what only God can is against the rules of Christian nature. I’m sure that if God wanted us to see our destiny, then we would be able to. But I also think that God doesn’t let us for our own good! If we could see into the future, just think of how miserable we would be! The only thing that I can safely say about my destiny is that I know that someday Jesus will come again, and save me from my sins. A truthful witness saves lives, but one who breathes out lies is deceitful. In the fear of the LORD one has strong confidence, and his children will have a refuge. Pro 14:25-26 Exegeting Scripture involves looking at all the different parts of God’s word. You whittle each line down and examine each and every word. Each phrase is scrutinized. But as you look at the individual trees (and even individual leaves!), you should never forget to step back and see the forest. Each of these proverbs contains good lessons. You can learn a lot from each line. But it is important to notice their juxtaposition too. We could talk about the excellency of a truthful witness. We could enshrine the bold advocate of Biblical truth as one who is a savior. And we could talk about how wonderful it is to know the fear of God and possess a good self esteem (confidence). But you have to understand that these ideas are not separate and independent of each other. They are intertwined and the first is absolutely dependent upon the second. A truthful witness saves lives. He is one who stands up against the tide of unbelief and is willing to be known as a kook. He’s not afraid to speak out against the issues of his day, despite being the minority—perhaps even the lone voice. But how is it that he has that boldness? His confidence comes from his fear of God. When you are not anchored in the fear of God, you will end up pandering and capitulating to the masses. Think of Athanasius. He was exiled three times for his standing against the rank heresy of Arianism. There is no doubt that there was the temptation to succumb to the falsehood that was becoming more and more mainstream. Life in exile was certainly not a pleasant thing. Yet, despite his persecution, he remained faithful to the word of God. Martin Luther is a good example too. We romanticize Luther’s life. We tend to forget that people didn’t much care for his speaking out against purgatory, the Roman establishment, and such. We forget that he cowered at times in his home, to the point of being almost mad. What was it that made these stalwarts so persevering? It was their fear of God. Or, on the opposite end of the spectrum, think of the Apostle Peter. He betrayed Christ three times. What was the grand pressure that he faced? It wasn't anything much. He got rolled over by a little girl. Why did he cave? Why did he lack the confidence to speak up? Because he didn’t know the fear of God. What about our day? What would it be like if you spoke up against the sacred cows of our day? If you dared to pipe up about feminism, and talk about things like Titus 2 or 2 Tim. 2:14. Or if you had a crazy thought like: You know, children are leaving the faith in droves and becoming atheists and agnostics almost en mass. Perhaps it is because they are going to schools that are atheistic and agnostic? Maybe we should do something completely off the wall and reconsider the way we raise and educate them. What would it be like if you attempted to broach these kinds of issues? Imagine the kind of blowback you’d get. I would suppose some of your jobs would be on the line. You’d likely be thought of as a kook. You might not be physically exiled like Athanasius, but you might experience an exile of sorts as people leave your church or say things like, “there goes Crazy Uncle Matt again!” That’s why the fear of the Lord must be your confidence. The best summary of what that is goes like this: The fear of God is when your biggest fear is breaking God’s command and offending him. God is so loved, so enjoyed, so reverenced, so enjoyed that His will, and it alone, is what matters. Only when He comes first will you be able to be a savior...and an oddball. Every culture has its temples. The are places of worship and learning. They are places where the gods of the age are enshrined and promoted. Above all, they are places where the priests and prophets promise a future and a glorious golden age of prosperity. Today's temples are the government schools. They worship the god of self and espouse the doctrines of Darwin, Rousseau, Marx, and Sartre. They posit that their tolerance, materialism, and existentialism will usher in a new era of peace and prosperity. Unfortunately, many Christians have believed the lie and been duped into thinking that these sacred places really are the key to the future. Instead of recognizing the importance of fearing God and building a world and life view on the basis of Scripture, they rally to the synagogues of agnosticism and atheism. But without the fear of God, they are temples of doom. Those who hate Him (as they demonstrate in their epistemology & metaphysics) love death. How can the hopelessness of existentialism produce a future? It posits that there is no future for which we live! Darwin himself saw the end of his worldview and slid into a despairing mental state! Without Christ at the center, there is no future. From time to time I'm asked about books that are "must read's". Just today I was asked what I would recommend for a high school home education reading list. There may even be an interest in doing a homeschool class on one/some of them. So, if you are a homeschooler, give it a think.
And now, without any further adieu...the list that I fully endorse:
“The education of children for God is the most important business done on earth. It is the one business for which the earth exists. To it all politics, all war, all literature, all money-making, ought to be subordinated; and every parent especially ought to feel, every hour of the day, that, next to making his own calling and election sure, this is the end for which he is kept alive by God - this is his task on earth." -- Robert Lewis Dabney (1820-1898) With the increasing secularization of the public school system it is becoming all the more imperative that parents take seriously their role in raising their children. One of the most important is seeing their children raised in the fear of God. One of the best ways to ensure your children are properly discipled is through home education. If you would like to learn more about home education, please feel free to email me. Or, if you would like to connect with other homeschool families in the area check out these links: Providence Church Ashland/Richland Homeschool Network Yep. That hits the bulls eye. If we just eat enough organics and stay away from the tabooed corporate processed foods, then we will enjoy eternal life. That what is being proclaimed in households (especially home school households) all across our land. Don't be fooled though. With each bite we commend ourselves to the care of God. This is why we pray before and after meals. We acknowledge that no matter what we eat, we are at the mercy of God. I always say, the same quail that fed the Israelites in the wilderness was the same quail that God used to kill thousands of them. It was the best bird, coming directly from God (and free range at that!). It is simply a reminder that even the most healthy carrot can be a poison to us if God does not add his graces to it. Likewise, the sugared cereal or the processed meat can provide health and satisfaction if the Lord would deem it to be so. The Bible tells us to beware of gluttony, and Christian prudence says that we ought to seek the best care of our physic. However, we would be fools to erect a system of uninspired food laws. Man tearing himself out of the rock Our worldview class will be examining humanism today. As the name indicates, it is the worldview that is directly opposite that of Christianity. It is holds an optimistic view of humanity, touting the greatness and glory of man. The motto of this system was best expressed by the ancient philosopher Protagoras. He said, "Man is the measure of all things." The great Renaissance artist Michelangelo provides something of a monument to the humanistic philosophy in his sculptures of men tearing themselves out of the rock. The point is that man does not need the assistance of God. Man will make himself; he can become anything by his sheer will and determination. A contemporary parallel may be seen on our television screens, particularly in those advertisements that seek to sell sports apparel.
Even some of the athletes look manly, a way of saying, "You can overcome the limitations of your femininity." The final shot in the advertisement says it all: A girl dunks a basketball over a team of men. She epitomizes the title of the commercial: "Throw-down." These 30 seconds preach a different view of femininity. It is definitely not the ideal Christian woman, who is meek and ready to submit to her husband (1 Peter 3:1-4). She is beyond woman--a new species of woman, who is able to throw down the current limitations and roles that define humanity. That is humanism. It is the view that man is evolved and ever evolving. He is the pinnacle of the evolutionary process, and there is still more greatness to be achieved.
Yet, it is only in his imagination. Lennon is a dreamer because he does not recognize that man's nature is inherently sinful. No amount of human effort will be able to transform the heart and overcome the defects that become him. The world he imagines can only be brought about through the supernatural working of Christ's redeeming grace.
A woman who is desperately seeking solace asks through sobbing tears why people have to die. The man responds with a trite, "To make life important." For all the supposed greatness of humanity, humanists are bound to admit that man's life is but a breath. Even the supposed super-humans of Nike will only achieve 100 years at best.
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