Ezekiel 3:1-3 . . . Eat this scroll and go speak to the House of Israel. So I opened my mouth and He fed me this scroll. He said to me, Son of Man, feed your stomach and fill your inward parts with this scroll that I give you. Then, I ate it, and it was honey for sweetness in my mouth, and He fed me this scroll.
Know that when God calls you with a purpose, with an agenda, He will not be mocked. Other major prophets felt unworthy such as Jeremiah, yet God intervened in that case and spoke clearly to him with a clarion call, “ . . . Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.” Jeremiah basically said that he was no great speaker and still young, and God bluntly reiterated his calling with, “Say not, I am a child, for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. Be not afraid of their faces, for I am with thee to deliver thee,” saith the Lord. Then, the Lord put forth His hand and touched my mouth. And He said, “Behold I have put my words in your mouth.”
The Call to Be a Voice is Real
Obviously, the Old Testament prophet’s calling to speak to large people groups was ordained from God, and I am one to believe that a calling to different areas of the culture still exist today! It is critical that those who are experts in certain fields and have a call of God be a voice through policy, media, and higher education. For nearly 80 years, America has forced God out of the education of our children; while having a media that forces ungodly voices into their soul. In this short blog, I am picking up where my pastor left off in his outstanding 2005 work, Silent No More.
In 2005, my pastor and spiritual mentor wrote to the citizenry of the United States in his book, Silent No More, and stated, “I will be silent no more. I must speak, and I must speak now. Our time demands it. Our history compels it. Our future requires it. And God is watching” (Parsley, 2005, p.1). When absolute truths are being challenged by political reasoning, by scientists looking for a plaque, by philosophers trying to construct a utopia, or by a spiritual leader whose flesh has been drawn into the love of the world; who will draw a line in the sand, who will claim their stand on absolute truth, who will restore our Land? It is 2025 now, and the next generation of leaders must take the baton!!!
We, as members of the Church first and educators second, must trust the Lord that if He called us to be a voice in a specific arena, i.e. education, then He will equip us. In a sense He will put words in our mouth, He will lead us to the right people, He will have us deliver a Word in due season, and the Church will revive the culture of present-day America. As Pastor Rod Parsley was and still is, Who will be this next voice?
Worldview Defined
A person’s “worldview is the collection of his presuppositions or convictions about reality, which represent his outlook on life” (Hoffecker, 1986, p. ix). It may be true that many people go through life not thinking about why they believe what they believe, yet their worldview still exists and dictates many of the personal decisions in their life. Many times, one cannot step outside of their worldview and evaluate their own thinking processes and the underlying roots of what they say, think, and do (Hoffecker, 1986).
Furthermore, Norman Geisler (Noebel, 1991) defines a worldview as, “…a way of viewing or interpreting all of reality. It is an interpretive framework through which or by which one makes sense of the data of life and the world” (p.8). We can change ourselves in saying, thinking, and doing only after we locate, examine, and decide on the roots of our beliefs. Hence, the study of worldviews is of critical importance in one’s life as it is an “…overarching approach to understanding God, the world, and man’s relations to God and the world” (Noebel, 1991, p.8).
Biblical Worldview/Framework
The early record of man portrayed in the book of Genesis established the connection between God, His creation, and the disciplines (theology, philosophy, biology, psychology, ecological, political, economic, etc.) of this life. As the story of God unfolds, He is manifested on the Earth in the form of a man, Jesus the Christ, Who underlines the significance of these disciplines (Noebel, 1991). The Bible and the life of Jesus on the Earth, as well as the revelation of Him through the New Testament writers provides the Christian with a complete Biblical framework to life, called a Biblical worldview.
A Biblical worldview presupposes first and foremost that all of man was created in the image of God, that is Imageo Dei. This presupposition underscores that (1) man is moral through salvation, (2) man can recognize beauty, (3) man is spirit and chooses to have direct spiritual connection to God through the new birth, (4) man is procreative, and (5) man is intellectual (Norton, 2012). Second, it presupposes that God makes covenants with man. We, as Christians, must understand our image in Christ and our covenant with God. Third, a Biblical worldview not only has the above foundations but is built up within a Biblical framework. This will allow Christians to implement a Biblical worldview in their personal, familial, professional, and social lives.
Metaphysically, these themes would inference there is a spiritual reality more real than the seen realm. That is, information and truths do exist outside our physical senses (Braley, Layman & White, 2003). Furthermore, man is a triune being, having three compartments (spirit, soul, and body) of life in him (I Thessalonians 5:23, Hebrews 4:12). This spiritual “world” dictates the realms in the natural world which humans live in.
Epistemologically, God is the truth which all foundations of the world were created. He is the Creator; therefore, truth is found only in Him. According to Braley, Layman & White (2003), “Truth is not dependent on humans, though humans have the capacity to recognize truth, which is rooted in our discovery of God’s creation” (p.11).
The axiology for a Biblical worldview, as it relates to education, relates back to God as Creator, and His will being success for His creation. In that aspect God has placed value on His creation of man and is interested in the prosperity of his spirit, soul, and body (I Thessalonians 5:23).
The biblical and philosophical foundations of a Biblical worldview, as it relates to the purpose of schooling, could be summarized in the following core values (Braley, Layman & White, 2003). First, the written Word of God is authoritative in life; this includes the Christian school or a quality Christian education formed by the 3 C’s – which will come in the next blog. Second, Christian educators must ensure a biblical worldview/framework for their students. Further, parents and teachers are very important in the education of the student. Finally, a student is to be nurtured, trained, and equipped up as the next generation of Christian leaders.
Nature of Learning/Learner
The psychological foundations charge the learner with moral development. That is, the learner should implement the lessons learned in their home, Christian school, and church into their lifestyle. Also, students are to become lifelong learners through the development of positive study and research habits. Students should understand the importance learning has in their lives, as this will allow them to carry resilience, creativity, and curiosity so they can continue to grow and understand the world God has placed them in (Braley, Layman & White, 2003). The nature of learning states that every individual learner is unique as it relates to memory, strengths, heredity, environment, temperament, gender, and intelligences.
Role of the Teacher
The teacher must recognize that the nature of learning in one student will be different than the one in another. Hence, the teacher works alongside the learner in developing character to carry through their lifetime. The expert teacher will understand that every student is unique, and one way of instruction may not work for all students. The students must receive, in a sense, an individual educational plan which teachers can pass on with the student as the student advances through the realms of education and learning. Finally, a teacher must be a spiritual leader, a role model, mentor, and academic leader for the students to grow properly when they are under the teachers’ care (Braley, Layman & White, 2003).
Purpose of Schooling/Curriculum
Instructional foundations for a Christian school with a biblical worldview would want to be sure that the curriculum stays within the parameters of the Word of God. Questions which must be answered when deciding on curriculum may be (1) Is the content faithful to Scripture? (2) Does it encourage students to commit to a biblical way of life? (3) Does it familiarize students with our Christian and western heritage? (4) Does it show the wonder of God’s creation? (5) Does it develop students’ diverse abilities? (6) Does it foster understanding and discernment of key trends and issues in society? (7) Does it relate back to state or national standards without compromising biblical integrity? (Braley, Layman & White, 2003).
Conclusion
In J.P. Moreland’s (2007) book, Kingdom Triangle, he focuses on (1) the recovery of the importance of the Christian mind, (2) the renovation of the heart and spiritual formation, and (3) the restoration of the power of the Holy Spirit at the center of the Christian life. Here, says Moreland, is an interconnection which is dynamic in its working. The connection of the mind of man, the spirit of man, and the Holy Spirit makes a powerful force to impact the Earth we live upon. The art of thinking must be restored to the people, and we must uphold our motto of being a nation of the people, for the people, and by the people (Anderson, 2011). We must invade enemy held territory. We must be a repairer of the breach. We must occupy until He comes; for we are the chosen generation, a remnant preparing for the coming of the Lord (Jacobs, 2008).
As the great educator Martin Luther stated, “I would advise no one to send his child where the Holy Scriptures are not supreme. Every institution that does not unceasingly pursue the study of God’s Word becomes corrupt…I greatly fear that the [schools], unless they teach the Holy Scriptures diligently and impress them on the young students, are wide gates to Hell” (Luther, 1966, p.207 (as cited in Barton, 2004, p.45)). This statement by Luther allows no honest Christian the ability to allow for relativity or situational ethics, as the parameters are established through the Holy Scriptures. The biblical framework of education, which Christians are to pass on to the next generation, has many themes in the perennialist philosophy of education because biblical truths will always rise back up in cultures where the Gospel has been proclaimed.
Postmodernism may be the antithesis of the biblical framework, as there are no absolutes. It makes everything relative to the students’ thoughts and life experiences (Blake, Smeyers, Smith & Standish, 1998). The students, in effect, construct their own truths and are allowed to teach and live by those “truths.” With this perspective permeating much of the major media markets, as well as education in Europe and North America, the population is being conditioned to accept lies outside of the parameters of Scripture. This will one day allow a biblically titled “Anti-Christ” figure to rise out of obscurity to propagate falsehood on the people through the media machines of the day. A New World Order will emerge, and the End of Days will come forth. However, the time at hand calls for Christians to be informed, be a voice, be a disciple, and pray for God’s will to be done on the Earth!
Resources:
Anderson, C.T. (2011). Will the real America please stand up: How the spiritual foundations of America can restore our country to greatness. Tulsa, OK: Harrison House Publishers.
Barton, D. (1993). Education and the founding fathers. Aledo, TX: Wallbuilders, Inc.
Barton, D. (2004). Four centuries of American education. Aledo, TX: Wallbuilders, Inc.
Blake, N., Smeyers, P., Smith, R., & Standish, P. (1998). Thinking again: Education after postmodernism. Westport, CT: Bergin & Garvey.
Braley, J., Layman, J., & White, R. (Eds.). (2003). Foundations of Christian school education. Colorado Springs, CO: Association of Christian Schools International.
Colson, C. (1999). How now shall we live? Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
Hoffecker, W. A., & Smith, G.S. (1986). Building a Christian worldview: God, man, and knowledge (Vol.1). Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian and Reformed.
Hoffecker, W. A., & Smith, G.S. (1998). Building a Christian worldview: God, man, and knowledge (Vol.2). Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian and Reformed.
Jacobs, C. (2008). The reformation manifesto: Your part in God’s plan to change nations today. Bloomington, MN: Bethany House Publishers.
King James Version of the Holy Bible.
Luther, M. (1966). Luther’s works: The Christian in society. Volume 44. Philadelphia, PA: Fortress Press.
Moreland, J.P. (2007). Kingdom triangle. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
Norton, T. (2012). History and Philosophy of Education Class Lecture. Oral Roberts University.
Noebel, D. (1991). Understanding the times. Manitou Springs, CO: Harvest House Publishers.
Parsley, R. (2005). Silent No More. Lake Mary, FL: Charisa House.
