91猫先生

“If we don鈥檛 speak the truth, how can it be imparted successfully?” – Stephen Dement, Founder of 91猫先生

Last year, on August 14th, 2013, our founder, Stephen Dement, addressed the 91猫先生 faculty聽and charged them with a difficult but inspiring聽task. If you want to know what 91猫先生 is all about, then let these words from Stephen sink into your heart:

If I were to tell you this morning that I can give you an indisputable prescription for joy, would you be interested?聽 I know I am.聽 All we have to do is look to 3 John 1:4 for the answer.聽 Here it is:聽 鈥淚 have聽no greater joy聽(nothing better 鈥� this is it!) I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.鈥�

This year, if we can say that about the young people who are placed under our charge, we can be assured of having 鈥�no聽greater joy.鈥�

I want to take a moment and discuss what an incredible opportunity we have this year, and it鈥檚 only available to a very small percentage of educators. You are one of them.

Listen to this quote:聽 “I am as sure as I am of Christ’s reign that a comprehensive and centralized system of national education, separated from religion, as is now commonly proposed, will prove the most appalling enginery for the propagation of anti-Christian and atheistic unbelief, and of anti-social nihilistic ethics, individual, social and political, which this sin-rent world has ever seen.”

This chilling statement was made by, A. A. Hodge, a Presbyterian leader and principal of Princeton Seminary 鈥� in 1887.

Unfortunately, time has proven him correct.聽 And it is heart-breaking.聽Wally Dawkins was sharing with me just this week that when he was coaching at Whitehouse, he was called in one day and told to cease praying with his players in the locker room or be fired.聽 If you know Wally, that threat didn鈥檛 stop him, 鈥� and he wasn鈥檛 fired.聽 But, he was one of the lucky ones.聽 Had he stayed in government education and continued this practice, he most probably would have been terminated.

Christianity is out, and atheism and humanism and relativism are in.聽 Man, or the state, determines聽what聽truth聽is.

I think you would agree that all reality exists so that God鈥檚 name will be known.聽 Here, at 91猫先生, you are聽not聽forbidden, by law, from naming his name, you聽can聽proclaim Jesus Christ is Lord.聽 You are聽肠别濒别产谤补迟别诲听for doing so.聽 You聽can聽pray when and where you want.聽 You聽can聽teach ideas and lifestyles that align with Scripture.聽 You can teach that, yes, there聽are聽absolutes.聽 You聽can聽teach math and science and English and fine arts and history and athletics as they relate to God鈥檚 kingdom.聽 After all, all truth聽颈蝉听God鈥檚 truth.聽 You are among that very small number of educators in America that can do these things.

Matthew 5:13 says: 鈥淵ou are the salt of the earth.聽 But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?聽 It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.鈥�

We are to be the salt and light of the world 鈥� the salt and light in our students鈥� world.聽We don鈥檛 simply 鈥渄emonstrate our faith鈥� or 鈥渟et a good example,鈥� as our Christian brothers and sisters in government education are limited in doing, although that is important.聽 We have the privilege to and we must聽speak the truth.聽 Children don鈥檛 become a Christian or grow in their faith by osmosis.

Children have to be taught.聽If we don鈥檛 speak the truth, how can it be imparted successfully?聽 Well, it can鈥檛.聽 It is up to parents.聽It is up to us.聽 It is up to you.

On behalf of your Board of Trustees, I want to encourage you as we begin this new year and face the responsibility that lies before us.

Romans 1:16 says 鈥淔or I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes.鈥澛� Our children are with us for a very short time.聽 They are the only treasures we should hope to take to heaven with us.聽We must never lose sight of that.聽Everything else is secondary.

You can learn more about our Christian School in Tyler, TX and our educational philosophy at www.brookhill.org