We have been looking at issues that herald the days we
are living in, the last days. It is not just one or two
things, but many convergences that are telling us what
time it is.
But mark this: There will be terrible times in the Last
Days. People will be lover of themselves, lover of
money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to parents,
ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slander-
ous, without self control, brutal, not lovers of good,
treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather
than lovers of God--having a form of godliness, but
denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.
2 Timothy 3:1-5.
The skeptic will say, it has always been like this, but in
the last century there has been an explosion of every
single one of the wicked behaviors listed above.
So just how different is public school compared to the
mid-1940's?
Mid-1940's Mid-1980's
1 Talking 1 Drug Abuse
2 Chewing Gum 2 Alcohol Abuse
3 Making Noise 3 Pregnancy
4 Running in the hallways 4 Suicide
5 Getting out of place in line 5 Rape
6 Wearing improper clothing 6 Robbery
7 Not putting paper in the 7 Assault
Waste basket.
Many changes have been put into place through law
and the courts beginning in the 1950's. That was the
decade that I went through school and every morning
in high school we started out in Home Room where
we pledged the flag, read the Bible and prayed the
Lord's Prayer!
Congress US House Judiciary Committee 1854:
"Had the people, during the Revolution had a suspicion
of any attempt to war against Christianity, that Revolu-
ion would have been strangled in it cradle. In this age,
there can be no substitute for Christianity. That was the
founders of the republic and they expected it to remain
the religion of their descendants."
The first colleges formed in America (123 out of 126)
were formed on Christian principles
Up until 1900 it was very rare to find a university presi-
dent who was not an ordained clergyman.
The New England Primer, America's first textbook and
used for 210 years taught the alphabet like this: A--In
Adam's fall we sinned all. C--Christ is crucified for
sinners died. Z--Zaccheus he did climb the tree our Lord
to see.
The 107 questions at the end of the New England Primer
included questions like,
"What offices does Christ execute as our Redeemer?"
"How does Christ execute the office of Priest?"
"What is required in the fifth commandment?"
"What are the benefits which in this life do accompany
or flow from justification, adoption, and sanctification."
George Washington made it crystal clear that American
schools would teach Indian youths the "religion" of
Jesus Christ and Congress assisted in doing so.
In 1782, Congress had 10,000 Bibles printed for use in
public schools.
Thomas Jefferson wrote the first plan of education for
the city of Washington DC and adopted two textbooks,
the Bible and Watts Hymnal, and hired clergymen to
be the teachers.
The 1854 Webster's Dictionary--the first American
dictionary--had Biblical definitions, Bible verses,
and Webster's own testimony of personally receiving
Christ.
(We used the 1828 Webster's Dictionary in our home
when our children were growing up and it is still my
favorite.)
America's first school was Harvard, founded by
Reverend John Harvard whose official motto was
"For Christ and the Church."
Harvard had several requirements which students had
to observe, one of which was, "Let every scholar be
plainly instructed and earnestly pressed to consider well,
the main end of his life and studies is to know God and
Jesus Christ, which is eternal life."
Reader, as I write this down my heart longs for a return
of these days, but it will not happen. However, we, as
Christians, are called to an eternal kingdom with good-
ness everywhere which will greatly exceed anything
this nation has ever known. And, in the meantime we
are called to "walk out our salvation before men."
When these things begin to take place,
stand up,
and lift up your heads,
because your redemption is drawing near.
Luke 21:28
are living in, the last days. It is not just one or two
things, but many convergences that are telling us what
time it is.
But mark this: There will be terrible times in the Last
Days. People will be lover of themselves, lover of
money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to parents,
ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slander-
ous, without self control, brutal, not lovers of good,
treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather
than lovers of God--having a form of godliness, but
denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.
2 Timothy 3:1-5.
The skeptic will say, it has always been like this, but in
the last century there has been an explosion of every
single one of the wicked behaviors listed above.
So just how different is public school compared to the
mid-1940's?
Mid-1940's Mid-1980's
1 Talking 1 Drug Abuse
2 Chewing Gum 2 Alcohol Abuse
3 Making Noise 3 Pregnancy
4 Running in the hallways 4 Suicide
5 Getting out of place in line 5 Rape
6 Wearing improper clothing 6 Robbery
7 Not putting paper in the 7 Assault
Waste basket.
Many changes have been put into place through law
and the courts beginning in the 1950's. That was the
decade that I went through school and every morning
in high school we started out in Home Room where
we pledged the flag, read the Bible and prayed the
Lord's Prayer!
Congress US House Judiciary Committee 1854:
"Had the people, during the Revolution had a suspicion
of any attempt to war against Christianity, that Revolu-
ion would have been strangled in it cradle. In this age,
there can be no substitute for Christianity. That was the
founders of the republic and they expected it to remain
the religion of their descendants."
The first colleges formed in America (123 out of 126)
were formed on Christian principles
Up until 1900 it was very rare to find a university presi-
dent who was not an ordained clergyman.
The New England Primer, America's first textbook and
used for 210 years taught the alphabet like this: A--In
Adam's fall we sinned all. C--Christ is crucified for
sinners died. Z--Zaccheus he did climb the tree our Lord
to see.
The 107 questions at the end of the New England Primer
included questions like,
"What offices does Christ execute as our Redeemer?"
"How does Christ execute the office of Priest?"
"What is required in the fifth commandment?"
"What are the benefits which in this life do accompany
or flow from justification, adoption, and sanctification."
George Washington made it crystal clear that American
schools would teach Indian youths the "religion" of
Jesus Christ and Congress assisted in doing so.
In 1782, Congress had 10,000 Bibles printed for use in
public schools.
Thomas Jefferson wrote the first plan of education for
the city of Washington DC and adopted two textbooks,
the Bible and Watts Hymnal, and hired clergymen to
be the teachers.
The 1854 Webster's Dictionary--the first American
dictionary--had Biblical definitions, Bible verses,
and Webster's own testimony of personally receiving
Christ.
(We used the 1828 Webster's Dictionary in our home
when our children were growing up and it is still my
favorite.)
America's first school was Harvard, founded by
Reverend John Harvard whose official motto was
"For Christ and the Church."
Harvard had several requirements which students had
to observe, one of which was, "Let every scholar be
plainly instructed and earnestly pressed to consider well,
the main end of his life and studies is to know God and
Jesus Christ, which is eternal life."
Reader, as I write this down my heart longs for a return
of these days, but it will not happen. However, we, as
Christians, are called to an eternal kingdom with good-
ness everywhere which will greatly exceed anything
this nation has ever known. And, in the meantime we
are called to "walk out our salvation before men."
When these things begin to take place,
stand up,
and lift up your heads,
because your redemption is drawing near.
Luke 21:28
