Family Freedom
“But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.” Jeremiah 31:33Archive for Home School
Real Christians Homeschool! vol. 6
Transcript of an encounter between a NASA scientist, attempting to explain “sublimation”, to a 9 year old homeschool student.
NASA Scientist: Do you think this comet is real?
Scientist points to a pile of junk on the table, which looks like a salt lick that the cattle have been working on too long.
Homeschool Student: No, ma’am.
NS: Very good! If we had the ability to actually capture a comet, we wouldn’t have to do so much fund raising! (Chuckles)
HS: (Silence)
NS: Well, a comet is made of carbon dioxide, dust, water, ammonia, dirt, and-
HS: Excuse me, ma’am.
NS: Yes?
HS: How do you know what it’s made of?
NS: Well, it’s made of carbon dioxide, dust, water-
HS: But how do you know what it’s made of?
NS: Well, (sniff) we use a spectrometer. It uses light to look at a cross-section of a comet as it’s millions of miles away in space, and the different light spectrums tell us what the different substances in a comet are. Anyway, through a process called “sublimation”-
HS: You don’t really know what it’s made of, do you, ma’am?
NS: Well, we could be wrong. (Grimacing) But that’s what we think it’s made of. Where do you go to school?
HS: I’m homeschooled, ma’am.
NS: Interesting. And how old are you?
HS: I’m 9, ma’am.
NS: Well, you have very nice manners. Let’s keep the line moving along. There are some other children here who want to learn.
Real Christians Homeschool! vol. 5
The current financial judgment that God is sending on the United States presents a great teaching opportunity. Debt-free living is the Biblical standard that the Lord wishes us to pursue. Indeed, He commands it in His Law Word, and every must strive to choose the blessing of a debt-free life, rather than the curse-filled life that a credit card and mortgage affords.
What better example than the current display of fiscal greed, death, and financial judgment that God is sending America could we ask for? The root for the word “mortgage” is “mort-”, by the way, meaning “death”. For an example of how much God hates mortgages, see Nehemiah 5:1-5, where the Israelites are selling their children into bondage to pay for their mortgages.
Proverbs has a number of verses that deal with the clearly-defined, God-hating sin of financial debt. For example, Proverbs 22:7 states that the borrower is a slave to the lender. If you owe money to a bank or credit card company for your house, car, or groceries, you’re enslaved to that lender. Now’s the perfect chance to start teaching your children about the blessing of a debt-free, Christian life, by getting out from under the curse of the loans that you chose to put yourself under.
With the recent passage of a $700,000,000,000 mortgage bailout, every adult in America over the age of 18 now owes the federal government about $542,000, if my math is correct. (Homeschoolers, check my answer for extra credit with your mom!) That’s $1.8 million dollars that you and your spouse owe! What a perfect example of enslaving a people, without giving them the opportunity to vote on it (or even debate it). And all they can talk about is “freeing up more credit,” and “We have to get more credit moving!” Talk about financial judgment! God will tear this whole system down until we are humbled as a nation. Don’t be surprised if those dollars in your bank account are more like pesos by next summer. Time to tighten up your belts!
===================================
Update: Daniel gets extra credit:
“You’ve got a few more zeros to cancel out. I received that email, too. With about 200,000,000 adults in the USA, $700 Billion divides into $3,500 per person. Still a lot of money, but let’s make homeschoolers look good by practicing good math skills.”
Yes, my math skills are pretty poor. Should’ve let our 9y.o. figure that one out! However, I shudder to think about the Biblical/ethical implications of “making homeschoolers look good.”
Real Christians Homeschool! vol. 4
Mrs. Mallory & I were discussing some homeschool history the other day. I was reminded that I actually met a family in a very rural part of my home state that was homeschooling back when it was illegal to do so. How soon we forget! A lot of people of my generation (mid-30’s) don’t realize the sacrifices and sufferings that people had to go through to be able to do something that we take for granted today. It was just 19 years ago that Pennsylvania’s draconian anti-homeschool laws were revoked.
We do realize, however, that our ability to homeschool our kids could be curtailed at any time. The United States has a tendency to glamorize and want to follow the failings of Europe & Canada, and so a political change could cause things to swing back in the other direction.
We give thanks to God for men like RJ Rushdoony, and for the folks at the Home School Legal Defense Association, and rightly so. But let’s also not forget the folks who stood up for Christ and broke the ungodly laws that tried to prevent them from carrying out the clear and pure commands of Holy Writ.
Here’s to every family that closed their blinds during public school hours, and carried on the movement underground! You fought a battle we can never repay you for!
“Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.” (2 John 1:3)
Family Freedom Adjustments
We’ve been blogging on a number of things here for the past year, and the tenor of things has obviously changed a lot since September of 2007. We started out this blog to point out the coming financial judgment on the United States, and indeed much of the western world. We were scoffed at for pointing out so many times that financial debt is stealing, and that the Bible firmly teaches against the believer running into debt to supply things for himself.
We also diligently pointed out the worldly and unholy teaching practices of Dave Ramsey and Crown Financial Ministries; even though these folks say that debt is sin, their teachings reflect a hushed “But it’s not like a real BIG sin or anything” tone, and they don’t expect anyone to not be in debt. The Ramsey and Crown apologists have attacked us numerous times, and yet Scripture has never been used by these people to refute anything that we’ve said on this blog. I’m also happy to say that “Crown Financial Plan” is the most common search term that sends people to this site (Now I laugh!). For the most part, we don’t listen to these programs any more because the hosts blaspheme too often, and we couldn’t stand it any more.
Since God is in the process of destroying the U.S. financial structure, as He promised to do in the Bible, our blogging work is mostly done in that area. We’ll still touch on it occasionally, but God is leading us to blog more in the areas of ethics, homeschooling and other topics at this time. Mrs. Mallory stirred up a hornet’s nest over the original “Real Christians Homeschool!” post, so I’ve decided to make it a regular series here on FF. (I think the exclamation point in the title gives it that extra flair, so that will remain in place as well.)
Real Christians Homeschool! vol. 3
Andrea at Chalcedon blog has a great blog on homeschooling, very salty indeed. Her husband had an email exchange with a pastor who threw out the typical, “We let our congregants decide based on their conscience and the leading of the Holy Spirit as to whether they should home school or send the kids to public school.”
Below is an excerpt of her husband’s response, but I’d recommend you go and read the whole thing, it’s very typical of the same arguments we’re always battling. (It’s the post dated August 6, 2008):
“I would think these remarkable parents who have been “led” to send their children to public school would likewise have incredible stories to relate as to how their child, often alone, took on the powers of Satan in situations where those in charge had a size, power, age, educational and legal advantage over them. What bravery to challenge those who by the grades they give can seemingly dictate future options for the child.
It must be awesome indeed to be young and in a situation where the “history” books have been revised to exclude, slander or belittle men and women of faith. To be in that position at a young age and to be taught (and graded and tested) as a FACT that we came from a great explosion and somehow life “occurred,” then evolved to our current state, and that the Living God had nothing to do with it. This is a challenge for which many graduate students and tenured professors pale.”
Real Christians Homeschool! vol. 2
“The List,” infamously compiled by World Net Daily:
Real Christians Homeschool!
This post may seem harsh to some, so let me start by laying out the biblical basis for my comments:
“Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets:
She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying,
How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?
Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.
Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded;
But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:
I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;
When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you.” (Proverbs 1: 20-27)
Faithful pastors throughout the generations have admonished the saints to disciple their own children, and to educate them at home as a primary means to do so. Have we listened? No. We’ve turn our itchy ears to hypocrites who have told us that we can decide (not God) what’s best for our children. We can have our own agenda for their education even if (or especially if) it’s contrary to God’s Word. Too many pastors are seeking “to please [their members and 'seekers'], and speak good words to them, [so that] they will be [their] servants for ever.” (2 Chron. 10:7).”
Many “pastors” , of course, have no light in them. It’s not merely the homeschooling issue, but if you also look at their stance on tithing, the Sabbath, their treatment of the Old Testament, their idolatry of their conscience, you’ll soon find out that you’re sitting under a hypocrite. But I digress.
It’s time to draw the line in the sand for the sake of the next generation whom we pray the Lord will show His mercy upon, to bring them out of the wilderness (the current state of the Church) and into a land flowing with milk and honey, where all the nations submit to Christ and the law of God.
So here it is: real Christians homeschool. Hypocrites do not.
Do you think that’s too strong? Well, no stronger than what Christ said Himself :
“But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.” Matthew 18:6
Here is an excellent commentary on this verse by Matthew Henry:
“Observe, First, The crime supposed; offending one of these little ones that believe in Christ. Their believing in Christ, though they be little ones, unites them to him, and interests him in their cause, so that, as they partake of the benefit of his sufferings, he also partakes in the wrong of theirs. Even the little ones that believe have the same privileges with the great ones, for they have all obtained like precious faith.
“There are those that offend these little ones, by drawing them to sin (1Co_8:10, 1Co_8:11), grieving and vexing their righteous souls, discouraging them, taking occasion from their mildness to make a prey of them in their persons, families, goods, or good name. Thus the best men have often met with the worst treatment in this world.
“Secondly, The punishment of this crime; intimated in that word, Better for him that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. The sin is so heinous, and the ruin proportionably so great, that he had better undergo the sorest punishments inflicted on the worst of malefactors, which can only kill the body. Note, 1. Hell is worse than the depth of the sea; for it is a bottomless pit, and it is a burning lake. The depth of the sea is only killing, but hell is tormenting. We meet with one that had comfort in the depth of the sea, it was Jonah (Jon_2:2, Jon_2:4, Jon_2:9); but never any had the least grain or glimpse of comfort in hell, nor will have to eternity. 2. The irresistible irrevocable doom of the great Judge will sink sooner and surer, and bind faster, than a mill-stone hanged about the neck. It fixes a great gulf, which can never be broken through, Luk_16:26. Offending Christ’s little ones, though by omission, is assigned as the reason of that dreadful sentence, Go ye cursed, which will at last be the doom of proud persecutors.”
I challenge any parent sending their children to the beast’s schools (public school), an Arminian “christian” school, or a dispensational church school, to explain how they are not offending their little ones, “by drawing them to sin (1Co_8:10, 1Co_8:11), grieving and vexing their righteous souls, discouraging them, taking occasion from their mildness to make a prey of them in their persons”. You are! And you’re happy to do so because:
1. You’re not saved; you’re a hypocrite and like the heathen, will willingly sacrifice your children to Baal;
2. Your conscience hasn’t told you to homeschool, because “your idol god conscience” doesn’t want you to put in the work (anyone following their conscience and not the law of God is deceiving themselves and building their house on the sand- Matthew 7:26); and/or
3. You’re covetous; your car debt, mortgage, family vacations, recreational activities, motor home, and shopping sprees mean more to you than training up your children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
So which one is it? Real Christians homeschool because they are truly saved. They are not slothful in training up their children (although there is always that temptation), and they choose everyday to live simple and not covetously, according to the God’s law so that the Word of God be not blasphemed. (Titus 2:5)
If you’re not homeschooling and you’re a professing Christian, take the time today to examine yourself. God’s Word is clear: YOU are to educate your children. You’re not to delegate it to anyone else, not even the Church. (See Deuteronomy 6; Proverbs 13:20)
If you’re having trouble (financially, or otherwise) there are faithful churches willing to help. Unfortunately, feminist pastors have given so many parents an “out” in their decision to not homeschool, that parents have become slothful in exploring the options. If you ever need help, write to me. Let’s go to the Word together and seek God on the matter:
“I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.” Psalm 37:25
Family Freedom, one year later!
We’re coming up on one full year of blogging on this site. Mrs. Mallory and I are truly humbled by the thousands of visitors who have come to the blog, read the material, and supported us through prayer. A faithful reformed publisher is now looking over the book I’ve written on what God’s Word really says about financial debt. It has been a bumpy road, with many slings and arrows, but as the economy begins to fail in this once great country, it seems that some churches are starting to rediscover the truth. Some are actually starting to refer to debt as a “curse”. They’re not ready to call it sin yet, but God willing, many faithful preachers will soon change their minds about that as well.
Even the secular world is catching up with the idea that debt is a curse. I haven’t seen it yet, and don’t know if I will, but there’s a new documentary out about the national financial crisis that is coming our way. I haven’t read any reviews of it yet, but a number of reformers are talking about the film, called “IOUSA”. I can’t recommend it one way or the other, but it does indicate that some people are starting to see the writing on the wall.
In addition to the book on debt, I’m now working on a historical fiction novel, and have plans for a second non-fiction project soon. We’re also going to be launching (Lord willing) a magazine in a few months, and we have plans for a business providing homeschool products in the Reformed tradition. It’s been frustrating to us as parents that there is very little “curriculum” available that actually lines up with Scripture, even from some of the seminaries, so we’re going to start publishing and providing as much as we can to help other faithful Christian parents.
Please be in prayer for the writing projects, the business, and that God’s church will be strengthened and blessed through the trying times that are coming soon.
Soli deo Gloria!
Teaching Through Proverbs
I began teaching through the book of Proverbs for our family worship about 13 months ago now. (We’re up to the 20th chapter.) I’ve often read that some fathers will read a CHAPTER of Proverbs per day and teach from that when they lead family worship. I suppose there is some worth in that, and yet I can’t help but imagine that such a shotgun approach has to leave much out. Read the rest of this entry »
Back to School
Our family watched the forum that Saddleback motivational speaker Rick Warren hosted with the presidential candidates last weekend. Warren said something that caught my interest at one point, as he was asking his questions:
“We’re 19th in the world in education, and yet we’re 1st in incarcerations.”
That statement reminded me, public school is about to start up again in our area. We don’t have any crops to harvest here in the middle of Anchorage, so we don’t take summers off from homeschooling. We go with a ten-weeks-on, two-weeks-off schedule year-round. That seems to offer us a lot more flexibility, and provides more learning time for our children. Read the rest of this entry »
