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II Peter 1:2
2. Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord;
3. seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.
4. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, in order that by them you might become partakers of {the} divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.

Our family has received much spiritual wisdom from the writings of A. B. Simpson, who founded the Christian & Missionary Alliance denomination and from others who have remained true to Mr. Simpson's vision and teachings. We use his early 20th century daily devotional as part of our morning devotions in our home education with our children because it is very God-centered, gives spiritual edification, and is an excellent example of English composition that can be emulated. When we seek God's kingdom first, we discover we are also fulfilling an OHIO government regulation to teach "language, reading, spelling and writing." God's economy is always perfect, and obedience to Him as the HEAD MASTER of our home school always brings much REST, PEACE, and JOY.

As we read Mr. Simpson's short devotional for December 5, we realized that God wanted us to share it with others.

I Chronicles 12:38
38. All these, being men of war, who could draw up in battle formation, came to Hebron with a perfect heart, to make David king over all Israel; and all the rest also of Israel were of one mind to make David king.

Mr. Simpson asked the following questions based on this scripture:

1. What is the supreme purpose of our life? They (David's followers) were all of one heart to make David king.
2. Is this our purpose: to prepare the Bride, to prepare the world, to prepare His way?
3. Does it dwarf and dim all other ambitions, all other cares?
4. Does it fill and satisfy every capacity, every power, every desire?
5. Does it absorb every moment, every energy, every resource?
6. Does it give direction and tone to every plan and work of life?
7. Does it decide for us the education of our children, the investment of our means, the friendships and associations of life, the whole activity, interest, and outlook of our being?
8. Are we in it, spirit, soul and body: all we are, all we do, all we hope for -- OF ONE HEART TO MAKE JESUS KING.

We would propose to home educating parents that if the scope and sequence of our home schooling curriculum is driven by any spirit other than the Holy Spirit of the Lord to reveal JESUS CHRIST as KING, we are laboring in vain.

Psalms 127:1
1. (A Song of Ascents, of Solomon.) Unless the Lord builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; Unless the Lord guards the city, The watchman keeps awake in vain.

I John 4:1
1. Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

The compulsory public education system is a false prophet which tries to get us to bow our knees in allegiance to the kingdom of this world rather than to KING JESUS and the Kingdom of Our Heavenly FATHER. Its priorities and those of a truly Christian home educating family are not very compatible. Thus we must continually be reminded that we are in the world but we are not to be of it (John 17:18).

GOD'S POWER

I Corinthians 2:12
12. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things freely given to us by God,
13. which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual {thoughts} with spiritual {words.}

We will consider five priorities that most home educators have to regulate. We list them in the order in which they so often exist in our lives. As we compare man's priorities with God's priorities and expose demonic powers, we do so in obedience to Paul's teaching.

Ephesians 6:10
10. Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might.
11. Put on the full armor of God (1), that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.
12. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual {forces} of wickedness in the heavenly {places.}
13. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.

We believe that when we obey God's priorities, we will use His armor to stand firm and possess His power to overcome every scheme of the devil. However, if we only obey human priorities, we will be powerless against the kingdom of darkness that is the true force behind man's priorities.

II Corinthians 10:3
3. For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh,
4. for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.
5. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,
6. and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete.
7. You are looking at things as they are outwardly. If anyone is confident in himself that he is Christ's, let him consider this again within himself, that just as he is Christ's, so also are we.

1. Determines when during the day/year most homeschoolers do "formal" school;
2. Dominating spirit: a spirit of FEAR.
3. GOD'S POWER

II Timothy 1:7
7. For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.

Romans 8:14
14. For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
15. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!"
16. The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
17. and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with {Him} in order that we may also be glorified with {Him.}

WHOM SHOULD WE FEAR?

Mary, the human mother of JESUS, prophesied the answer to this question before His birth:

Luke 1:50
50. "And His mercy is upon generation after generation. Toward those who fear Him.

She was paraphrasing a verse from the following Psalm:

Psalms 103:17
17. But the lovingkindness of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, And His righteousness to children's children,

A PROPHESY and A PROMISE

These two verses reveal that we parents need to cultivate a true reverential fear of the Lord JESUS in our own hearts if we wish to experience the fullest measure of His mercy, but these verses also give a promise for our children and our grandchildren - HIS righteousness will become their righteousness!

When JESUS began to teach, heal and deliver, He said,

Luke 12:4
4. "And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.
5. "But I will warn you whom to fear: fear the One who after He has killed has authority to cast into hell; yes, I tell you, fear Him!
6. "Are not five sparrows sold for two cents? And {yet} not one of them is forgotten before God.
7. "Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear; you are of more value than many sparrows.
8. "And I say to you, everyone who confesses Me before men, the Son of Man shall confess him also before the angels of God;
9. but he who denies Me before men shall be denied before the angels of God.
10. "And everyone who will speak a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him.
11. "And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not become anxious about how or what you should speak in your defense, or what you should say;
12. for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say. "

Home educating parents must always remember that JESUS CHRIST IS LORD OF LORDS AND KING OF KINGS. Whether human governments acknowledge Him as such is not our concern. We, as Christian home educators, must always purify our own hearts and remind those within our own household that we belong to the LORD JESUS CHRIST.

Revelation 19:16
16. And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, "KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS."

When JESUS rode into Jerusalem as THE KING, He said,

John 12:15
15. "Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your King is coming, seated on a donkey's colt."

JESUS was quoting from Zechariah which states HIS KINGDOM extends from Jerusalem to the ends of the whole earth!

Zechariah 9:9
9. Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout {in triumph,} O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; He is just and endowed with salvation, Humble, and mounted on a donkey, Even on a colt, the foal of a donkey (2).
10. And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, And the horse from Jerusalem; And the bow of war will be cut off. And He will speak peace to the nations; And His dominion will be from sea to sea, And from the River to the ends of the earth.

After the victory of the cross and the power demonstrated through Christ's resurrection, Paul tells us the following truth that we home educators must daily remember,

Philippians 2:8
8. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
9. Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name,
10. that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth,
11. and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

When home educating parents teach their children by example and by the instruction of the Holy Spirit and through His power, we glorify God and declare to the unseen principalities who seek to deceive the whole world, that JESUS CHRIST'S KINGDOM IS SUPREME!

However, we parents must believe the word of God and allow it to abide in our own hearts continually. The following quote is an easy one to meditate upon whenever a "fear of illegal authorities" tries to hinder our obedience to the Lord to home educate our own children in the power of the Holy Spirit as He directs. We parents must believe what Isaiah 33:22 says,

Luke 12:31
31. "But seek for HIS KINGDOM, and these things shall be added to you.
32. "Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the KINGDOM.

Thus home educators need to receive our freedom from a spirit of fear, and cultivate the true fear of the Lord in our homes by humbly obeying the instructions of the Holy Spirit as He reveals what His will is for our homes (3). We need to submit to (1) what He wants taught, (2) when He wants it taught, (3) how He wants it taught, and (4) where He wants it taught. True freedom occurs when the Holy Spirit is in control.

II Corinthians 3:17
17. Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, {there} is liberty.

1. Determines what subjects most home educators teach.
2. Determines a home educator's success.
3. Dominating spirit: a spirit of intellectual PRIDE.
4. GOD'S POWER

II Corinthians 10:12
12. For we are not bold to class or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves; but when they measure themselves by themselves, and compare themselves with themselves, they are without understanding.

II Corinthians 5:11
11. Therefore knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are made manifest to God; and I hope that we are made manifest also in your consciences.
12. We are not again commending ourselves to you but {are} giving you an occasion to be proud of us, that you may have {an answer} for those who take pride in appearance, and not in heart.

Mary, the human mother of Jesus, prophesied before His birth,

Luke 1:51
51. "He has done mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered {those who were} proud in the thoughts of their heart.
52. "He has brought down rulers from {their} thrones, And has exalted those who were humble.

The Greek word for "proud" in this scripture means "showing oneself above others." This is exactly what all human testing, grades, diplomas, awards, classifications, labels, etc. does to students and their parents. The spirit of intellectual pride continually tries to bring us under its dominion by causing us to compare ourselves, our children, our home education program with other home educators or with the world's system of education. It is "a spiritual wickedness in heavenly places" that must bow to the name of the LORD JESUS CHRIST and His delegated authority whenever it tries to disturb our peace.

This Greek word quoted by Mary, is used by JESUS only once, and no other writer in the New Testament ever uses this same word. The derivative, which Jesus quoted, means "haughtiness, disdain". It is found in the following scripture passage as "pride".

Mark 7:20
20. And He was saying, "That which proceeds out of the man, that is what defiles the man.
21. "For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries,
22. deeds of coveting {and} wickedness, {as well as} deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride {and} foolishness.
23. "All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man."

The "outward" appearance is a snare and a trap that we can all observe, but the real hidden danger for home educators is the temptation of our own thoughts within our own hearts. The Amplified Version of the New Testament describes pride in this scripture passage as, "the sin of an uplifted heart against God and man".

JESUS came to teach us and to show us how to walk humbly with God and with others. Thus HE calls us,

Matthew 11:28
28. "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.
29. "Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls.
30. "For My yoke is easy, and My load is light."

The yokes that "illegal authorities (compulsory attendance laws)" place upon all parents and the yokes of "standardized testing" that we home educators place upon ourselves will be destroyed by humbly coming to the Lord Jesus Christ and obeying His teachings as revealed to us by the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 23:1
1. Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples,
2. saying, "The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses;
3. therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say {things,} and do not do {them.}
4. "And they tie up heavy loads, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves are unwilling to move them with {so much as} a finger.
5. "But they do all their deeds to be noticed by men; for they broaden their phylacteries, and lengthen the tassels {of their garments.}
6. "And they love the place of honor at banquets, and the chief seats in the synagogues,
7. and respectful greetings in the market places, and being called by men, Rabbi.
8. "But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers.
9. "And do not call {anyone} on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven.
10. "And do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, {that is,} Christ.
11. "But the greatest among you shall be your servant.
12. "And whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.
13. "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from men; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.

This teaching of JESUS has a strong warning to home educating parents, if the Holy Spirit will open our eyes to see it. If we are studying certain things in our home to be seen of men and to receive their approval, we are not seeking the Kingdom of God. If we submit to the proud thoughts of intellectual pride and comparison, we will be just like the Pharisees who were shutting off the kingdom so others could not enter. When we parents are deceived by the spirit of intellectual pride, we are not "entering the kingdom" and we are preventing our children from "entering the kingdom" by setting a bad example for them. The "kingdom of God" is defined by Paul,

Romans 14:16
16. Therefore do not let what is for you a good thing be spoken of as evil;
17. for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
18. For he who in this {way} serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men.

Thus we see that "righteousness, peace and joy" are to be a daily demonstration within the confines of our own homes. This cannot be accomplished apart from the Holy Spirit, and it cannot be accomplished when we are striving to "gain human approval." JESUS taught us,

Matthew 25:14
14. "For {it is} just like a man {about} to go on a journey, who called his own slaves, and entrusted his possessions to them.
15. "And to one he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he went on his journey.
16. "Immediately the one who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and gained five more talents.
17. "In the same manner the one who {had received} the two {talents} gained two more.
18. "But he who received the one {talent} went away and dug in the ground, and hid his master's money.
19. "Now after a long time the master of those slaves *came and *settled accounts with them.
20. "And the one who had received the five talents came up and brought five more talents, saying, 'Master, you entrusted five talents to me; see, I have gained five more talents.'
21. "His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful slave; you were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things, enter into the joy of your master.'
22. "The one also who {had received} the two talents came up and said, 'Master, you entrusted to me two talents; see, I have gained two more talents.'
23. "His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful slave; you were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.'
24. "And the one also who had received the one talent came up and said, 'Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no {seed.}
25. 'And I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground; see, you have what is yours.'
26. "But his master answered and said to him, 'You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I scattered no {seed.}
27. 'Then you ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my {money} back with interest.
28. 'Therefore take away the talent from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.'
29. "For to everyone who has shall {more} be given, and he shall have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away.
30. "And cast out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

JESUS wants parents to understand that we are accountable to HIM, as KING, concerning the children HE has entrusted to us. HE expects us to obey HIS COMMANDS concerning their education, and we are to be concerned only with gaining HIS APPROVAL. When we receive the approval of our KING for our obedience to HIM, we enter into HIS JOY. This is one way in which the KINGDOM of GOD is established on the earth in our generation within our own homes.

The book of James is very instructional to us when we consider the demonic influence of the world's educational system which pressures home educators to test, compare, contrast and compete with one another.

James 3:13
13. Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom.
14. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and {so} lie against the truth.
15. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic.
16. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing.
17. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.
18. And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

Those who believe testing, comparisons, and competition are a necessary part of education are free to follow the dictates of their conscience. However, Paul teaches us that even though all things are lawful, all things may not be profitable or good for edification.

I Corinthians 6:12
12. All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything.

I Corinthians 10:23
23. All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful, but not all things edify.
24. Let no one seek his own {good,} but that of his neighbor.

We parents must be reminded continually and warned consistently that we are not to be deceived by such procedures. Testing, grading, comparisons, percentile averages, etc. mean absolutely nothing to our KING JESUS. If these things cause pressure and turmoil rather than edification, what is their merit? Even though they may be necessary for some professions, the James passage from the Amplified Bible helps us to be sure the thoughts in our hearts remain free from the demonic wisdom of the world.

Who is there among you who is wise and intelligent? Then let him by his noble living show forth his [good] works with the (unobtrusive) humility [which is the proper attribute] of true wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy (envy) and contention (rivalry, selfish ambition) in your hearts, do not pride yourselves on it and thus be in defiance of and false to the Truth. This [superficial] wisdom is not such as comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual (animal), even devilish (demonical). For wherever there is jealousy (envy) and contention (rivalry and selfish ambition) there will also be confusion, (unrest, disharmony, rebellion) and all sorts of evil and vile practices.

When the evil fruits of rivalry, envy, contention, bitter jealousy, confusion, disharmony, unrest, and rebellion are frequently occurring in the home, we have learned that the root problem is with the parents, and the parental problem must be corrected before the problems surfacing in the children can be fixed. If we parents have allowed something into our homes to steal our joy and peace and have neglected to believe in the promises of God by simply obeying the instructions of the Holy Spirit, we parents need to repent of our unbelief to experience the promise of refreshing rest.

Acts 3:19
19. "Repent therefore and return, that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord;

We are convinced that intellectual pride is the evil spirit that needs to surrender to the LORDSHIP of JESUS CHRIST. When the heart of the parents are yoked to Jesus, there will be righteousness, peace and joy in abundance!

But the wisdom from above is first of all pure (undefiled); then it is peaceloving, courteous, (considerate, gentle). [It is willing to] yield to reason, full of compassion and good fruits; it is wholehearted and straightforward, impartial and unfeigned -- free from doubts, wavering and insincerity.

One of the primary deceptions of compulsory attendance laws, home schooling regulations and standardized testing is the DOUBT that it places within the thoughts of home educating parents. The following are just a few of the whispering lies of the enemy that causes parents to waver, to be unstable, and to be insecure, and this then pressures parents to make decisions throughout the day that are based on unbelief, doubt, lies, and fear rather than upon the sure word of God's perfect will for the family as revealed by His Holy Spirit.

1. We aren't doing enough.
2. Our children aren't going to be "educated."
3. Our children are behind.
4. Our children don't know about ____________.
5. Our children don't have any friends their age.
6. Our children won't fit into the world.
7. Our children aren't learning anything.
8. Our curriculum isn't good enough.
9. Our family has made a big mistake.
10. Our children are lonely, angry, unloving.
11. Our children will never get a good paying job.
12. Someone else needs to teach and train our children.

GOD'S POWER

Romans 12:1
1. I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, {which is} your spiritual service of worship.
2. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
3. For through the grace given to me I say to every man among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.

James 1:5
5. But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
6. But let him ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.
7. For let not that man expect that he will receive anything from the Lord,
8. {being} a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

1. Determines a home educator's hectic schedule to provide "extracurricular" activities to "appear" normal and gain acceptance;
2. Dominating spirit: a spirit of PARTIALITY/REJECTION.
3. GOD'S POWER

I Timothy 5:21
21. I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of {His} chosen angels, to maintain these {principles} without bias, doing nothing in a {spirit of} partiality.

When home educating parents schedule any educational activity, academic classes, field trips, sports teams or sporting events, any extra lessons of music, ballet etc. without the direct sanction or guidance of the Holy Spirit, the spirit of partiality has taken dominion in this area and will cause much strife and rebellion.

Many home educators quote the last verse of the Old Testament (which prophesies the restoration of the hearts of fathers and children to one another) as a prophetic indication of the present home schooling movement (Malachi 4:6). The fathers becoming the priests and prophets within their own homes under KING JESUS is a valid ministry for every man. However, Malachi also reveals God's heart concerning the true instruction of a priest which both parents need to solemnly consider. It says,

Malachi 2:5
5. "My covenant with him was {one of} life and peace, and I gave them to him {as an object of} reverence; so he revered Me, and stood in awe of My name.
6. "True instruction was in his mouth, and unrighteousness was not found on his lips; he walked with Me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many back from iniquity.
7. "For the lips of a priest should preserve knowledge, and men should seek instruction from his mouth; for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts.

This passage teaches us that God desires to use our words and the example of our lifestyle to turn others from iniquity. When the spirit of rejection convinces us that we can join in similar activities of our relatives so they will "accept" us, we are not doing those activities because the Spirit of the Lord has directed us to do them. When we believe the lies that the spirit of partiality whispers, we compromise our faith and belief in the perfect will of God and move in unbelief because we think man's approval is better than God's approval.

John 12:43
43. for they loved the approval of men rather than the approval of God.

John 5:44
44. "How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another, and you do not seek the glory that is from the {one and} only God?

The reasons may be rational, logical, and acceptable to many, but they are the suggestions of an evil demonic spirit, and as we have learned from the book of James, demonic wisdom is the source of every evil thing.

James 3:15
15. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic.

Disorder, strife and rebellion will be a continual problem in the home, if parents listen to the wrong voice.

James 3:16
16. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing.

Even though we think that this partiality or compromise will cause our family members to accept us, the word of God in Malachi prophesied just the opposite would occur. Our bad example of "compromise" to please our family members actually causes them to stumble.

Malachi 2:8
8. "But as for you, you have turned aside from the way; you have caused many to stumble by the instruction; you have corrupted the covenant of Levi," says the Lord of hosts.
9. "So I also have made you despised and abased before all the people, just as you are not keeping My ways, but are showing partiality in the instruction.

The book of Psalms also reveals God's desire to see His own people free from the spirit of partiality that gives in to the ways of the world.

Psalms 82:1
1. (A Psalm of Asaph.) God takes His stand in His own congregation; He judges in the midst of the rulers.
2. How long will you judge unjustly, And show partiality to the wicked? Selah.

GOD'S POWER

The apostle Paul exhorts us to imitate God (Ephesians 5:1), and one of God's major attributes revealed in the Old Testament is His impartiality.

Deuteronomy 10:12
12. "And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require from you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul,
13. {and} to keep the Lord's commandments and His statutes which I am commanding you today for your good?
14. "Behold, to the Lord your God belong heaven and the highest heavens, the earth and all that is in it.
15. "Yet on your fathers did the Lord set His affection to love them, and He chose their descendants after them, {even} you above all peoples, as {it is} this day.
16. "Circumcise then your heart, and stiffen your neck no more.
17. "For the Lord your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God who does not show partiality, nor take a bribe.

When the Holy Spirit reveals God's truth, we discover that the New Testament and the Old Testament never disagree because "JESUS CHRIST is the same yesterday and today, yes, and forever." (Hebrews 13:8). Thus when we look at JESUS, who is the author and perfecter of our faith, we discover His testimony of always being impartial, and always fulfilling the requirements of a true priest of God. He is not like the religious Pharisees and Sadducees.

Matthew 22:16
16. And they *sent their disciples to Him, along with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that You are truthful and teach the way of God in truth, and defer to no one; for You are not partial to any.

Luke 20:21
21. And they questioned Him, saying, "Teacher, we know that You speak and teach correctly, and You are not partial to any, but teach the way of God in truth.

The book of Proverbs makes the clearest statement concerning the spirit of partiality. The outcome of our choice will determine our being blessed or cursed.

Proverbs 24:23
23. These also are sayings of the wise. To show partiality in judgment is not good.
24. He who says to the wicked, "You are righteous," Peoples will curse him, nations will abhor him;
25. But to those who rebuke the {wicked} will be delight, And a good blessing will come upon them.

We trust that the Holy Spirit will empower home educating parents to submit all their extracurricular activities to KING JESUS so that He may be able to flood their homes with His righteousness, love, peace and joy. We believe the spirit of partiality that causes "stressful" activity will have to flee when JESUS is truly established as KING of our hearts. We also believe the quiet witness of an alternative lifestyle will inspire extended family members to turn to their Creator and Redeemer.

1. Determines a home educator's hectic schedule to be "involved" in as much as possible;
2. Dominating spirit: a spirit of ERROR.
3. GOD'S POWER

I John 4:4
4. You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.
5. They are from the world; therefore they speak {as} from the world, and the world listens to them.
6. We are from God; he who knows God listens to us; he who is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
7. Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.
8. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

For some home educating parents the hardest test of their obedience to the LORD JESUS CHRIST and their commitment to educate their children at home comes from within their own church family.

Those churches, who do not believe in home education but simply "tolerate" it, often allow an undercurrent of mistrust and suspicion to exist between those who homeschool and those who do not. The evil spirit behind this undercurrent is a spirit of error that attempts to dominate and pressure the home educating families into conformity with the rest of the church body. Many home educating parents are not strong enough to withstand this demonic pressure and often will attempt to "submit" to every activity the organization provides to be "accepted" or "received" as members in "good standing". This submission to the domination of the spirit of error rather than being led by the Holy Spirit of Truth causes a lot of busy activity rather than peace and tranquility. The guilt and condemnation that comes from this disobedience to gain the approval of men also causes stress, anxiety, strife, and rebellion within the family members.

II Peter 2:18
18. For speaking out arrogant {words} of vanity they entice by fleshly desires, by sensuality, those who barely escape from the ones who live in error,
19. promising them freedom while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved.
20. For if after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first.

GOD'S POWER

Romans 8:14
14. For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
15. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!"
16. The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
17. and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with {Him} in order that we may also be glorified with {Him.}

Those who humbly submit to the Spirit of Truth by obeying the word of God concerning home education and also stay within the confines of a church organization are often treated as "outsiders" and are labeled as "strange" and "narrow-minded". Home educators who are called by the Lord to stay within this organizational structure need fellowship with other like-minded home educators, and spiritual support through intercessory prayer to be able to maintain a consistent loving testimony that glorifies the Lord.

I Thessalonians 2:1
1. For you yourselves know, brethren, that our coming to you was not in vain,
2. but after we had already suffered and been mistreated in Philippi, as you know, we had the boldness in our God to speak to you the gospel of God amid much opposition.
3. For our exhortation does not {come} from error or impurity or by way of deceit;
4. but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not as pleasing men but God, who examines our hearts.
5. For we never came with flattering speech, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed-- God is witness--
6. nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, even though as apostles of Christ we might have asserted our authority.
7. But we proved to be gentle among you, as a nursing {mother} tenderly cares for her own children.

The spirit of error will tempt in every way possible to quench the Holy Spirit of Truth that the home educating family is trying to obey. The spirit of error attempts to bring darkness into the hearts of many home educating families by getting them to walk in unbelief, deceit, suspicion, and anger rather than in faith, trust, forgiveness, and love. Those who are called to remain in these difficult situations need to be very sure that the Holy Spirit is guiding them and instructing them in this destiny. If righteousness, peace and joy are not prevailing, the Lord's will is not supreme.

The church is often called a family because the members are commanded to walk in faith and love with one another who are bonded together by the blood covenant of Jesus Christ. The home educating family who is called into this place of persecution and loneliness needs to always remember that "love never fails" (1 Corinthians 13:8) and that faith works through love (Galatians 5:6). It will be the loving example of CHRIST'S longsuffering and patience that may bring some members to repentance concerning their unbelief towards God's instructions to parents and the education of their own children. Jesus Himself teaches,

Mark 7:6
6. ..."Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, 'This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far away from Me.
7. 'But in vain do they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.'
8. "Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men."
9. He was also saying to them, "You nicely set aside the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition.
10. "For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother'; and, 'He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him be put to death';
11. but you say, 'If a man says to {his} father or {his} mother, anything of mine you might have been helped by is Corban (that is to say, given {to God}),'
12. you no longer permit him to do anything for {his} father or {his} mother;
13. {thus} invalidating the word of God by your tradition which you have handed down; and you do many things such as that. "

The context of this passage is the sanctity of the family unit, which is the first corporate cell of the church. The religious Pharisees were heeding a spirit of error when they taught the demonic doctrine of honoring "church" giving above that of serving and honoring parents. This spirit of error must bow its knee to the LORD JESUS CHRIST who set the example of loving submission to his earthly parents for all the world and the religious community to see.

Even though the Holy Spirit of Truth makes it very clear that the Kingdom of God is not the same as the human traditions of religious structures and organizations, home educators need to be very humble as they walk in their calling before others. Thus home educators who are tempted by the spirit of error to place their own family relationships and the priority of home education above the Kingdom of God need to be reminded of Jesus' teaching on true discipleship.

Luke 14:26
26. "If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.
27. "Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.

The cost of true discipleship when it confronts the spirit of error in the world, in the family or within the religious community will always be measured by our own denial of self to love Jesus more than anything or anyone else on earth and to obey His will His way.

1. Determines home educators' frantic activity to "find" an answer to their problems apart from the presence of God, apart from the word of God, apart from the will of God and apart from prayer within their own family unit.
2. Dominating spirit: a spirit of UNBELIEF.
3. GOD'S POWER

I John 3:23
23. And this is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us.
24. And the one who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And we know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.

Jesus said, "My house shall be a house of prayer" (Luke 19:46). If prayer is Jesus' first priority, and it is not the parents' first priority, then unbelief is controlling the home and all its activities. Believing in the name of Jesus is not something home educating parents can ignore because we daily face "impossible" situations that continually try to undermine our faith and love.

Mark 9:23
23. And Jesus said to him, "'If You can!' All things are possible to him who believes."

Believing in the name of Jesus in the midst of impossible situations is a command as strong as loving one another.

John 13:19
19. "From now on I am telling you before {it} comes to pass, so that when it does occur, you may believe that I am {He.}

When we believe Jesus, we obey what He teaches. When we do not believe Jesus, then we do not obey what He teaches. Faith (belief) and love actually have to work together to bear Kingdom fruit.

Galatians 5:6
6. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love.

FIRST STEP OF BELIEF - MADE IN GOD'S IMAGE

Parents must be very sure of their own response to Jesus as their loving Creator,

Matthew 19:4
4. And He answered and said, "Have you not read, that He who created {them} from the beginning \made them male and female\,
5. and said, '\For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and the two shall become one flesh\'?
6. "Consequently they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate."

The unity on earth between a husband and his wife is most precious to God because it is to be a reflection of the unity of God in heaven. Both partners in a marriage must commit to one another to seek God's face continually that the spiritual unity that causes them to be seen as ONE by Him reflects the mystery of Christ and His church (Ephesians 5:32), and also reflects the eternal unity that exists between the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit (John 10:30).

Because most parents have been trained in the demonic doctrine of evolution in their own education (whether in schools or through the media) and many have been taught theistic evolution through the church, most home educating parents do not truly believe that they have been made in God's image. There is much doubt and unbelief about our own personhood, about who we really are that must be exposed as unbelief. Even though we human beings can never be God, we must truly believe the truth about the wonderful God who made us and believe that we are made like Him so that we will come to Him to learn from Him who He is and who we are.

Genesis 1:26
26. Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."
27. And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
28. And God blessed them; and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky, and over every living thing that moves on the earth."

Whenever a human being looks into a mirror, he/she needs to remind himself/herself that he/she has been made in the image of God. For a person to be in agreement with God in the deepest part of the internal being he/she must believe and say "I have been made in God's image; therefore I am fearfully and wonderfully made." It doesn't matter how the person's eye perceives the image reflected in a mirror or what numbers are registered when the person steps onto a scale. What is important for unity and peace to prevail in a home is that the parents must first believe that God has created them in His image and that they both are fearfully and wonderfully made. According to the written word of God, this truth is known by everyone; Even those who do not even have the Bible written in their own language are without excuse

Romans 1:19
19. because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them.

Therefore A parent must continually be honoring God and thanking God for making him/her in His image; for making him, male, and for making her, female; for creating him/her in His likeness.

Parents who do not believe and understand that they themselves are made in God's image and in His likeness, male and female, will not be able to step into oneness in Christ as co-equals and co-rulers who are in loving unity and submission to one another to perform their God-ordained role of prayer.

John 15:7
7. "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it shall be done for you.

THE SECOND STEP OF BELIEF - THE NAME OF JESUS

Answers to parents' prayers are dependent upon each one's willingness to walk in harmony with Jesus, agree with His word, and walk in love and unity with one another. "Abide" meno(3306) means to "stay, abide, or remain". If we parents do not believe Jesus and love Him enough to submit to Him, then how can we possibly expect our children to love and obey Him and His word?

Amos 3:3
3. Do two men walk together unless they have made an appointment?

The Hebrew word for "appointment" in this verse is yachdav(3164a) which is most often translated "together". Its root word is yachad(3161) which means "to be united". There are only three Old Testament references to this particular Hebrew word. Genesis 49:6 has a context of "violence", and Isaiah 14:20 also has a description of violence that follows a portrayal of satan's ultimate defeat and punishment. In both these passages we are encouraged to "not be united" with this kind of violence because the Lord will not share his glory with this kind of behavior. However, the third passage tells where true unity begins.

Psalms 86:11
11. Teach me Thy way, O \Lord\; I will walk in Thy truth; Unite my heart to fear Thy name.

Thus each parent's first priority is to seek his/her own unity with the Lord as his/her loving Creator and then believe and agree to allow the Name of Jesus to have full Lordship within his/her heart.

John 1:12
12. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, {even} to those who believe in His name,
13. who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

I John 5:9
9. If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for the witness of God is this, that He has borne witness concerning His Son.
10. The one who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; the one who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the witness that God has borne concerning His Son.
11. And the witness is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.

Philippians 2:9
9. Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name,
10. that at the name of Jesus \every knee should bow,\ of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth,
11. and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Each parent needs to learn how to BELIEVE God and to cast off all personal unbelief as the Lord reveals His true character within the human heart. Then when parents make an agreement to walk together in heart unity with the Lord and with each other as He directs, their prayers will not be hindered as they truly believe together in the Name of Jesus. The following scriptural commands are given to those who have agreed to walk together.

HUSBANDS

I Peter 3:7
7. You husbands likewise, live with {your wives} in an understanding way, as with a weaker vessel, since she is a woman; and grant her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.

The husband is responsible before the Lord to love his wife as Christ loves the church, to give up his own desires, to sanctify her, to share God's word with her to cleanse her, to sever his heart ties with his own parents and give his heart ties to his wife, to honor her (Ephesians 6:25-33), to live with her in an understanding way, and to never be embittered or unforgiving towards her (Colossians 3:14).

If a husband does not believe his love for the Lord and his love for his wife are his major responsibility on this earth, then most activity that occurs within his home will be demonic, disorderly, divided, disruptive, distraught, distressed, disturbed, disgraceful and dsyfunctional.

WIVES

I Peter 3:6
6. Thus Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, and you have become her children if you do what is right without being frightened by any fear.

The wife is responsible before the Lord to submit to her own husband in everything with a meek, gentle, and quiet spirit and to resist the spirit of fear at all times (1 Peter 3 1-6; Ephesians 5:22). She is to love her husband, honor him, prefer him, and respect him above all others (Ephesians 5:33).

Because this passage on submission in 1 Peter 3 also exposes the spirit of fear, the Holy Spirit is revealing that there may be some times in a marriage when a spirit of fear will attempt to undermine the love between a wife and her husband. If a wife is dominated or controlled by a spirit of fear in such a way that she is not able to "do what is right", then her love for her husband is not perfected.

I John 4:18
18. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.

Perfect love is stronger and more powerful than fear, but the wife may need much encouragement to believe this truth contained in God's word. Jesus came as "perfect" love to cast out the spirit of fear that came into mankind when Adam disobeyed God.

Hebrews 2:14
14. Since then the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil;
15. and might deliver those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.

Romans 8:15
15. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!"

Galatians 5:1
1. It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.

II Timothy 1:7
7. For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.

Most wives love their husbands, and the spirit of fear may initially set up resistance to the concept that the Lord expects a wife to experience a refining and perfecting of her love for her husband. Love that is perfected has no fear at all! Thus perfect love has spiritual authority over the spirit of fear and can cast fear out of any situation.

Sarah is God's precious example of a wife's submission to her own husband when fear over a husband's decision or request has to be overcome. By faith Sarah went into another man's harem on two separate occasions and as "perfect love" overcame the fear, she won God's approval and His protection. Because Sarah's faith and love overcame the spirit of fear God rewarded her submission by openly giving Abraham much wealth.

Genesis 12:16
16. Therefore he treated Abram well for her sake; and gave him sheep and oxen and donkeys and male and female servants and female donkeys and camels.

Genesis 20:14
14. Abimelech then took sheep and oxen and male and female servants, and gave them to Abraham, and restored his wife Sarah to him.
15. And Abimelech said, "Behold, my land is before you; settle wherever you please."
16. And to Sarah he said, "Behold, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver; behold, it is your vindication before all who are with you, and before all men you are cleared."

After Sarah won God's approval in both these situations, the Holy Spirit reveals,

Genesis 21:1
1. Then the \Lord\ took note of Sarah as He had said, and the \Lord\ did for Sarah as He had promised.
2. So Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the appointed time of which God had spoken to him.
3. And Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore to him, Isaac.

Sarah has become well-known in history as a woman of faith because she received the power or ability to conceive a child when natural means were impossible and thus won the approval of God and the approval of men.

However, a wife's submission to her husband when there is disunity can not be mistaken for the perfect unity that is necessary for answered prayer according to the perfect will of God. Even though a wife's submission will be blessed by the Lord, God's good, perfect, and acceptable will is perfect unbroken unity between a husband and a wife. Isaac was conceived out of this perfect unity between a husband and a wife. Abraham's faith grew and Sarah's love was perfected, and even though it took twenty-five years, God's promise to them became a tangible reality. Isaac was the blessing given at the perfect time and received in perfect unity.

Psalms 133:1
1. (A Song of Ascents, of David.) Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brothers to dwell together in unity!
2. It is like the precious oil upon the head, Coming down upon the beard, {Even} Aaron's beard, Coming down upon the edge of his robes.
3. It is like the dew of Hermon, Coming down upon the mountains of Zion; For there the \Lord\ commanded the blessing-- life forever.

ONE BELIEVER

To walk in the Spirit, to walk in unity, to walk together in love, there must be a strong commitment to the Lord and each other to do so. There may be some very "difficult times" when only one member of a household is seeking to walk in the Spirit.

If a couple has not agreed to walk together in the Holy Spirit, then there are other scriptures for the solitary spouse who desires to walk in the Spirit to consider.

Galatians 5:17
17. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.

Jude 1:19
19. These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly-minded, devoid of the Spirit.
20. But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith; praying in the Holy Spirit;
21. keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.

Matthew 10:34
34. "Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.
35. "For I came to \set a man against his father\, \and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law\;
36. and \a man's enemies will be the members of his household\.
37. "He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.
38. "And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.
39. "He who has found his life shall lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake shall find it.

This is the cost of discipleship. Jesus must come first. He must have first priority before all other family members. Until Jesus is first in a heart, until the heart of a person is united to the Lord by a true fear of the Lord, the flesh will provoke strife, contention and division because there is an internal division within the person. However, when one member of a family is totally united with the Lord, is walking in the Spirit full of faith and intercession inspired by the Holy Spirit, then that one member is empowered to "BELIEVE" for the rest of the family members.

II Chronicles 16:9
9. "For the eyes of the \Lord\ move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His.

Jesus' desire is for whole households to believe in His Name through the power of His Blood and to walk in the unity, love and power of the Holy Spirit so that His will can be on earth as it is in heaven. However, He needs to find someone on earth in each household who will agree with Him for what He wants to do. He has to find someone who "BELIEVES".

GOD'S POWER

John 4:53
53. So the father knew that {it was} at that hour in which Jesus said to him, "Your son lives"; and he himself believed, and his whole household.

Acts 11:14
14. and he shall speak words to you by which you will be saved, you and all your household. '

Acts 16:31
31. And they said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved, you and your household."

Joshua 2:12
12. "Now therefore, please swear to me by the \Lord,\ since I have dealt kindly with you, that you also will deal kindly with my father's household, and give me a pledge of truth,
13. and spare my father and my mother and my brothers and my sisters, with all who belong to them, and deliver our lives from death. "

Joshua 2:17
17. And the men said to her, "We {shall be} free from this oath to you which you have made us swear,
18. unless, when we come into the land, you tie this cord of scarlet thread in the window through which you let us down, and gather to yourself into the house your father and your mother and your brothers and all your father's household.

Joshua 6:23
23. So the young men who were spies went in and brought out Rahab and her father and her mother and her brothers and all she had; they also brought out all her relatives, and placed them outside the camp of Israel.

In the Old Testament the Lord promised victory over the enemies of His people who were obeying Him.

Leviticus 26:7
7. 'But you will chase your enemies, and they will fall before you by the sword;
8. five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand, and your enemies will fall before you by the sword.

We find the New Covenant to be the same. The Lord Jesus looks for one person to agree with Him. The Lord looks for one who HOPES in God and refuses to put hope in any other. The Lord looks for one who BELIEVES in God and refuses to believe in any other.

Hebrews 11:1
1. Now faith is the assurance of {things} hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

Hebrews 11:3
3. By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.

Hebrews 11:6
6. And without faith it is impossible to please {Him}, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and {that} He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.

When that one person finds another person to "agree", Jesus then promises to visit the situation in a marvelous way.

Matthew 18:18
18. "Truly I say to you, whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
19. "Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven.
20. "For where two or three have gathered together in My name, there I am in their midst."

GOD'S POWER

BELIEVING UNITY

Once two people "BELIEVE" what Jesus says, all kinds of things begin to change. When Abraham and Sarah were both in agreement with God, things changed! It is the same with a husband and wife today. God has not changed. "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, yes and forever" (Hebrews 13:8). Some change is instant and dramatic; some change is gradual and steady. Thus we continually remember that HIS KINGDOM IS INCREASING! WE ARE GOING FROM FAITH TO FAITH and FROM GLORY TO GLORY.

Romans 1:16
16. For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
17. For in it {the} righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "\But the righteous\ {man} \shall live by faith.\"

II Corinthians 3:18
18. But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.

If parents say Jesus is the head of their house, then parents must find time alone each day to pray in unity and agreement about every issue within their home. Parents who do not pray together in agreement are never able to find God's love, peace, joy and rest within their own home because their unbelief and their disunity is setting a bad example before the eyes of their own children and before the unseen realm.

James 4:1
1. What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members?
2. You lust and do not have; {so} you commit murder. And you are envious and cannot obtain; {so} you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask.
3. You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend {it} on your pleasures.

GOD'S POWER

Philippians 4:6
6. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
7. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

This little outline makes this scripture very clear. Put a check mark on the cross when you know that your heart believes what it says.

Mark 11:22
22. And Jesus *answered saying to them, "Have faith in God.
23. "Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it shall be {granted} him.
24. "Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they shall be {granted} you.
25. "And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your transgressions.
26. ["But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your transgressions."]

This little outline reveals the simplicity of Jesus' teaching of "believing prayer". Put a check mark in the cross when you know the power of the cross in these areas of your life is overcoming the lies and unbelief of the evil one.

John 15:7
7. "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it shall be done for you.
8. "By this is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit, and {so} prove to be My disciples.

JOY

Thus home educators who make this a top priority in their daily schedule never have a problem with "boring" days! Everything that is submitted to God becomes a loving joyful, expectant prayer project.

John 15:10
10. "If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father's commandments, and abide in His love.
11. "These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and {that} your joy may be made full.

John 16:23
23. "And in that day you will ask Me no question. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you shall ask the Father for anything, He will give it to you in My name.
24. "Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be made full.

For those who do not know how to THANK the Lord when mountains press in on every side, we have two pamphlets to help. (1) THANKFULNESS is designed to help the reader thank the Lord for all things, thank Him in all situations and to thank the Lord for the things the Bible specifically commands; (2) NEW TESTAMENT PRAYERS presents prayers as revealed in the Bible.

I John 5:14
14. And this is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.
15. And if we know that He hears us {in} whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.

These prayers are the perfect will of God because the written word of God is infallible and indestructible.

Luke 21:33
33. "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.
34. "Be on guard, that your hearts may not be weighted down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of life, and that day come on you suddenly like a trap;
35. for it will come upon all those who dwell on the face of all the earth.
36. "But keep on the alert at all times, praying in order that you may have strength to escape all these things that are about to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man."

The best place to begin praying is with the known revealed written word of God.

A FATHER'S GOAL: KEEP THE LORD'S WAYS

When God chose Abraham, God said,

Genesis 18:19
19. "For I have chosen him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice; in order that the Lord may bring upon Abraham what He has spoken about him."

The Hebrew word "command" is tsavah (6880) which means "to lay charge upon; give charge to; command; or order." However, Abraham was not chosen because He would force his children and his household to obey him. Abraham was chosen because he BELIEVED God would do exactly as He promised, and he did not waver in doubt or unbelief.

Romans 4:20
20. yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief, but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God,
21. and being fully assured that what He had promised, He was able also to perform.

As Abraham followed the Lord wholly, his example would draw his household to do the same. Fathers in our generation face "impossible" situations in their homes just as Abraham did in his. God wants every father to grow strong in faith and to be fully assured that God will perform everything He has promised in His word. It is by the power of believing prayer that God receives all the glory; not by physical force, abusive speech or manipulative control inspired by the devil.

The New Testament reveals the same revelation. Fathers are not told to force their children to obey them. Fathers are given two instructions and three warnings.

Ephesians 6:4
4. And, fathers, do not provoke your children to anger; but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

INSTRUCTION

1. A father is to bring up his own children in the discipline of the Lord. This implies that the father is in a humble relationship with the Lord so as to be personally disciplined by Him so that he can share the Lord's discipline in his own life with his children. The word "discipline" in this scripture is paideia (3809) which means "the rearing of a child, training, discipline, to chasten, to correct, to be a teacher, one who disciplines, corrects, to educate." A father who does not believe the word of God concerning fatherhood will not be able to fulfill his God-ordained role as a teacher of his own children.

   Hebrews 12:4-13 uses the same word for discipline. This Hebrews passage reveals that the goal of the Lord's discipline in a person's life, father or child, is

   1. to learn endurance;
   2. to know the love of God as a son;
   3. to experience good or blessing;
   4. to share the holiness of God;
   5. to receive the peaceful fruit of righteousness.
2. A father is to bring up his own children in the instruction of the Lord. "Instruction" in the verse is nouthesia (3559) whose root word (3563) means "to lay, to set, to place into the mind, understanding, or reason." This implies that the father is to be in a humble relationship with the Lord so as to be taught by Him, to have his own mind washed and renewed by the word of God so that he is empowered to effectively share this instruction with his own children. A father who does not believe this truth concerning fatherhood will not be able to explain or discuss the word of God with his own children so that they will embrace God's truth with believing faith, love and power.

   It is through the writings and example of Paul that a father can begin to understand what it means to "admonish, exhort, to give instruction" to his own children. The goal of a father's instruction to his own children needs to be the same as that of Paul, relying upon the same power of the Holy Spirit to give the grace needed to accomplish God's perfect will.

   I Timothy 1:5
   5. But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.

   "Instruction" in this verse is paraggelia which means "an instruction; a command". A father who is not confident and secure in his own obedient responses to the Lord's commands to him concerning his own life will not be able to set a consistent example of loving obedience to God for his children. If a man is not under God's authority, it is very hard for him to walk in his God-ordained place of authority as the head of his own home.

   CHARACTERISTICS OF INSTRUCTION

   1. The goal of a father's instruction needs:
      1. to establish the love of the child to God the FATHER as coming from a pure heart;
      2. to establish a good conscience in the child;
      3. to establish a sincere faith in Christ in the child.

         Colossians 1:28
         28. And we proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, that we may present every man complete in Christ.
         29. And for this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me.

   2. The Old Testament (the people, the events, situations, and the outcomes) was written for "our instruction" (1 Corinthians 10:11). Thus a father is to be instructed by the Lord in the Old Testament so that he can share that information with his children, so they will flee idolatry.
   3. Paul in the New Testament teaches that instruction is to be done in a brotherly manner.

      II Thessalonians 3:15
      15. And {yet} do not regard him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.

      This means kindness, gentleness, and love must always predominate even when the father has to be firm and unwavering.

   4. Instruction sometimes comes in the form of a written instruction or correction.

      I Corinthians 4:14
      14. I do not write these things to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children.

      The father may have to write a note or a letter about the situation reather than have a discussion.

   5. Instruction sometimes comes with many tears and takes many years.

      Acts 20:31
      31. "Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears.

      The father must have much patience and longsuffering and not get discouraged, or weary or give up if he doesn't see an immediate repentance.

   6. Instruction sometimes comes in the form of music.

      Colossians 3:16
      16. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms {and} hymns {and} spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

      This means that the father's relationship with the Lord brings forth the father's singing, praise, worship and thankfulness. This can be in the form of songs that others have composed, but it also needs to be new songs that the Lord gives the father to bring edification to his children.

I Thessalonians 5:14
14. And we urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with all men.
15. See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all men.

A FATHER'S WARNING

Ephesians 6:4
4. Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

Colossians 3:21
21. Fathers, do not exasperate your children, that they may not lose heart.

1. A father is not to provoke his own children to anger. The Greek word for "anger" in Ephesians 6:4 is parorgizo(3949) whose root word (3710) means "to make angry." A father must realize that his own attitudes, words, and actions can cause his own child to become angry. A father will provoke his own children to anger if the father is not walking in BELIEF, FAITH, and LOVE. Perhaps the most common way for a father to provoke his own child to anger is to respond and react too quickly upon discovering a child's disobedience. A father will provoke his own child to anger if the father is demanding obedience to him rather than training the child to obey the Lord. A father will provoke his own child to anger if the father is not seeking wisdom, knowledge, instruction, discipline and admonition from the Lord in prayer to know what he is to share with each of his own children and how and when that is to be shared with each of his children.
2. A father is not to exasperate his own children. The Greek word for "exasperate" in Colossians 3:21 is erethizo which means "to stir to anger; to stir up." A father must realize that his own actions can cause his own child to be stirred up to anger. A father himself will cause this reaction in his own children if the father isn't desperately OBEYING the Lord's instructions to himself, and entering into REST and PEACE which comes by abiding in Christ and BELIEVING His word and trusting Him in all things. Jesus says,

   Matthew 11:28
   28. "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.
   29. "Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls.
   30. "For My yoke is easy, and My load is light."

3. A father is not to cause his own children to lose heart. The Greek word for this expression is athumeo (120b) and is only used in this verse. However, its root word is thumos (2372) which means "passion" and is translated as "angry tempers", "fierce", "indignation", "outbursts of anger", "passion", "rage", and "wrath". This is not a set of descriptive adjectives of the behavior of a child who is being taught by example to love and obey the Lord. When a household experiences fierce anger and violent rage in a child, the father needs to seek the Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit for repentance from unbelief in his own heart so that he may begin to correct the bad example he has set. However, the child who lashes out in anger may be overshadowing another child whose heart is just as discouraged by the father's refusal to do things in his home according to the Holy Spirit. The quiet child, the sullen child, the one who is stoically "silent" also needs to hear and see his/her father instruct in the power and love of the Lord Jesus Christ.

A mother is given one instruction concerning her children, and a mother must BELIEVE that God has given her His ability to love her own children with His kind of love.

1. Love her own children.

Titus 2:4
4. that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children,

"Love" in this verse is philoteknos (5388) which means to be "a beloved, dear friend." A mother's love can never resort to abusive words, manipulative tactics or out bursts of anger to force children to obey. If a mother is doing this, her behavior reveals something is out of order. She is trying to love her children before she is loving her husband as a friend, philandros (5362). A mother cannot love her children if she doesn't first love, honor and respect the father of her children. If a mother puts all her faith and belief in God towards her children and ignores or omits her role to intercede for her husband, unbelief is blinding her heart and her mind from seeing the truth in God's word and its perfect order. Human love that is tainted with earthly demonic wisdom will never bring the family into harmony and unity. It is only God's love that will never fail (1 Corinthians 13:8). Thus a mother must be a "friend" of Jesus to learn how to be a "friend" to her husband and a "friend" to her children.

To be a friend of Jesus a mother must forsake her friendship with the world.

James 4:4
4. You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

A mother who loves the world and the things in the world isn't cultivating her love of the Father.

I John 2:15
15. Do not love the world, nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.
17. And the world is passing away, and {also} its lusts; but the one who does the will of God abides forever.

Unbelief prevents a mother from seeing the truth of God's word. It is the Spirit of God, not the advice or counsel from the spirit of the world, that gives a mother God's thoughts, His wisdom, and His words concerning her husband and her children.

I Corinthians 2:12
12. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things freely given to us by God,
13. which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual {thoughts} with spiritual {words.}

Abraham is called the friend of God because Abraham BELIEVED God.

James 2:23
23. and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "\And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,\" and he was called the friend of God.

Thus if a women desires to be her husband's best friend and to be a friend to her children as the scripture reveals, she must first be a friend of Jesus by walking with Him in total BELIEF concerning everything she reads in her Bible. She must be a woman of believing faith and a woman of powerful sacrificial obedience.

John 15:13
13. "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.
14. "You are My friends, if you do what I command you.
15. "No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.
16. "You did not choose Me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and {that} your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask of the Father in My name, He may give to you.
17. "This I command you, that you love one another.

Jesus teaches a mother that she must do the following:

1. A mother is to lay down her own life for the life of her husband and for the life of her children. This means her own desires, her own goals, her own needs, her own thoughts, and her own emotions must be laid aside for God's perfect will first for her husband and then for her children. If a mother doesn't believe that she is dead in Christ, she will not experience PEACE with herself, with her husband or with her children. The following scriptures have to be believed and obeyed to be a friend of Jesus, a friend to a husband, and a friend to a child.

   Romans 6:6
   6. knowing this, that our old self was crucified with {Him,} that our body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin;
   7. for he who has died is freed from sin.

   Galatians 2:20
   20. "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the {life} which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me.

   A mother does not have to be a slave to the unbelief of her old self. Because Jesus died on the cross and rose in the power of the resurrection, a mother is free, as a new creation, to believe every promise of God for herself, for her husband and for her children. She is free to deny her old self of unbelief to lovingly believe and obey Jesus.

2. A mother is to receive revelation from Jesus concerning our Heavenly Father. This is the only way that the mother can receive wisdom and knowledge concerning the Father that she is to then share with her husband and her children. Only Jesus can show the mother how to share God's revelation with her husband and with her children, and when to share it with her husband and her children. If a mother doesn't believe that she can receive God's wisdom for every problem she faces each day, she will not experience the JOY and BLESSING of being a godly wife and a mother who sets the example of one who fears the Lord.

   Proverbs 31:28
   28. Her children rise up and bless her; Her husband {also,} and he praises her, {saying:}
   29. "Many daughters have done nobly, But you excel them all."

3. A mother is to lovingly embrace her divine appointment to love her husband and her children. If a mother doesn't believe this, she will continually look outside of herself and her own home for a human solution to her problems which will be tainted with demonic wisdom.
4. A mother is to take each burden concerning her husband and her children to the Lord before the throne of the Father so that the Lord can release His anointing within her to touch her family with kindness.

   Romans 2:4
   4. Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?

   If a mother doesn't believe in God's word and spend time "listening to the Lord" in prayer, she will spend wasted effort complaining about her husband and her children rather than thanking the Lord for each one of them so that

   Proverbs 31:26
   26. She opens her mouth in wisdom, And the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.

5. A mother is to discern the Father's will concerning her husband, her child and the situation. If a mother doesn't believe God has a perfect solution to the present distress in her family, she will be an example of fear, anxiety, despair and confusion before her husband and her children. A mother must believe that the word of God has the answer to every problem she faces. If a mother believes this, she will be in the Bible continually discovering God's perfect will that she may (1) believe it; (2) pray it; (3) say it; and (4) obey it until it comes to pass (4)

   I Timothy 2:15
   15. But {women} shall be preserved through the bearing of children if they continue in faith and love and sanctity with self-restraint.

   Hebrews 11:11
   11. By faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him faithful who had promised;

6. A mother is to ask the Father for His will for the lives of her husband and children. If a mother doesn't believe she has the responsibility to pray the Lord's perfect will into the lives of her family members, she will never do it. Unbelief will keep her from speaking forth God's perfect will over her family; demonic earthly wisdom will be spoken by her instead. A mother must believe that prayer and prophecy is one of her main responsibilities as a loving wife and mother.

   I Corinthians 11:5
   5. But every woman who has her head uncovered while praying or prophesying, disgraces her head; for she is one and the same with her whose head is shaved.

7. A mother is to receive the answer to her prayer from her Heavenly Father. If a mother doesn't believe that she can wait upon the Lord for His perfect timing and His perfect solution in prayer, she will set an example of hopelessness and helplessness that denies the truth of God's word and His character.

A mother, whether young or old, is always to be warned that her behavior can bring dishonor to the word of God.

Titus 2:5
5. {to be} sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be dishonored.

II Timothy 3:6
6. For among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses,
7. always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

I Timothy 5:7
7. Prescribe these things as well, so that they (widows) may be above reproach.

But a mother is also to be encouraged that her pure and chaste behavior can bring repentance and change to her situation.

I Peter 3:1
1. In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands so that even if any {of them} are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives,
2. as they observe your chaste and respectful behavior.

A CHILD'S GOAL: HONOR and OBEY HIS/HER PARENTS

A child is given two specific instructions from the Lord that he/she is to BELIEVE and to obey.

Ephesians 6:1
1. Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.
2. Honor your father and mother (which is the first commandment with a promise),
3. that it may be well with you, and that you may live long on the earth.

Colossians 3:20
20. Children, be obedient to your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing to the Lord.

1. A child is to obey his own parents. "Obey" in this verse is hupakouo (5219) which means "to listen, to attend to." This means a child "hears" the instruction of his/her parents in "all" things, and he/she believes the word of God, and then he/she "does" that which is pleasing to the Lord - the parents are obeyed. The child must have a very close relationship with the Lord to do this. If a child doesn't believe his/her obedient behavior can bring pleasure to the Lord, the child has no motivation to deny his/her own will for that of the Lord and the parents.
2. A child is to honor his own parents. "Honor" is the Greek word, time (5091) whose root words means "value, or price." A child is to believe God and accept from God that his/her parents were chosen by Him before the foundation of the world as His way to bring him/her into the world. This is the only reason that is necessary for the child to esteem the parents as "valuable and precious": God used the parents to give the child life. The child gives honor and obedience to parents simply because God says to do so. If a child doesn't believe that God sovereignly gave him or her to the parents, the child has no incentive to forgive the faults, shortcomings, and sins that the parents may commit in the course of their shared life on this earth.

   The Greek word time looks very much like the English word "time." A child is to honor his parents with his thoughts, attitudes, and behaviors for his whole life. From the time a person is born until that person leaves the earth, the value and price that he is to give his parents is never to abate or to be aborted. From infancy to the grave a person is to give his own parents his respect, his honor, his love, his time, his effort and his energy as the Lord so directs. Obedience to this command will bring God's blessing for a lifetime. Disobedience to this command is the source of much strife and contention in families. Unbelief at this point, whether parent or child, needs to be confessed and cast out.

3. A child is to receive the Lord's blessing of a long, peaceful and prosperous life. Thus a parent, who is also someone's child, needs to be certain that he/she shows honor, love, respect and assistance to his/her own parents, the grandparents of his/her children. Even if the grandparents may no longer be alive or if there is an estrangement, the heart attitude needs to be adjusted to be in agreement with the word of God concerning "honor and respect" if God's blessings are to be received in His fullest measure.

I Thessalonians 5:12
12. But we request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction,
13. and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Live in peace with one another.

Hebrews 12:9
9. Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live?
10. For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He {disciplines us} for {our} good, that we may share His holiness.
11. All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.

The discipline of a human parent is only for a short time; whereas the discipline of God is eternal. He never tires; He never gets impatient; He never leaves; He never gives up; He never gets distracted; He never ceases to discipline us because He loves us with an everlasting love. Thus it is only the Lord that can show a child how to obey, how to honor, and how to live in peace with his/her own parents. No matter what the age of the child is, the Lord wishes to be pleased in this area of family life for this commandment crosses the generations, and obedience to it will break generational curses.

Luke 2:51
51. And He went down with them(his parents), and came to Nazareth; and He continued in subjection to them (his parents); and His mother treasured all {these} things in her heart.
52. And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

Jesus gives a child and its parents the greatest picture of what it means to be an obedient child of the Father.

Hebrews 5:7
7. In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety.
8. Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered.
9. And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation,

There will be continual role confusion within the home educating family if the security of one's own individual identity in the Lord has not been firmly established, acknowledged and appreciated. When God as Creator of all human beings, male and female, regardless of age is acknowledged, believed, honored, feared, loved and obeyed by all family members then that family begins to relate to one another with love, honor and respect and learns to rule correctly as God ordains; not "lording "over one another, but learning how to rule by submitting to the Father in believing prayer for every concern, and allowing the will of the Father to loving control all the members of the household. "Ruling" over our own will and then learning how to rule over demons, who are not made in God's image, is the only way to have peace within ourselves and peace with others.

The research of others and our own research survey in progress both indicate that when asked, Christian home educating parents would put #5 as the top priority; however, daily lesson plans and scope and sequence charts rarely has unity and agreement in prayer (5) as the number one "educational" activity! Our challenge is:

1. To allow the Lord God to truly shape the priority of unity (oneness in Christ) as #1 into a vibrant living conviction;
2. To apply that priority in all situations in life, such as those mentioned in which #1-#4 rise up to usurp top priority;
3. To attack unbelief and doubt as the #1 enemy in our homes and cast it out whenever it tries to control.

I Peter 3:10
10. For, #"\Let him who means to love life and see good days\ \Refrain his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking guile\.
11. "\And let him turn away from evil and do good\; \Let him seek peace and pursue it\.
12. "\For the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous\, \And His ears attend to their prayer\, \But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.\"

1. using God's armor is explained in the FHC booklet The Way Out of Anger .
2. A king riding a donkey? For an explanation and to discover a Biblical Method of Education, see the FHC booklet, Training Kings .
3. Teaching the Fear of the Lord is an FHC booklet which may help you.
4. A fuller explanation of this ministry for a wife and mother is found in The True and False Prophetess available from FHC.
5. For help in establishing unity and prayer into the daily educational schedule, see the FHC guide, DEVOTIONS: Examples for Christian Home Educators .