“Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you”—Jeremiah 29:12.
What has been the PUSH? For 40 days and 40 nights (November 13-December 22, 2019) a team, led by the Atlantic Union Conference Office of Education staff, knocked on heaven’s door, asking God to show them the way to engage their families to partner with them in educating their children, to prepare them to join them on a path to encounter Jesus, to depart to serve others, and to hasten His soon coming. The team included conference presidents, secretaries, treasurers, superintendents of schools, principals, and other educators in the Atlantic Union Conference, along with the members of the Board of Education, and many friends and family.
So what has happened? We rediscovered a prophecy. The servant of the Lord says, “When those who have reached the years of youth and manhood see no difference between our schools and the schools and colleges of the world, and have no preference as to which they attend, though error is taught by precept and example in the schools of the world, then there is need of closely examining the reasons that lead to such a conclusion. Our institutions of learning may swing into worldly conformity. Step by step they may advance to the world; but they are prisoners of hope, and God will correct and enlighten them, and bring them back to their upright position of distinction from the world”—Fundamentals of Christian Education, p. 290.
• The first part of this prophecy has been fulfilled. There are a majority of our church members, along with many church leaders, administrators, pastors, and teachers who choose to place their children and youth in the schools of the world. They see no difference between the Adventist schools and the other schools.
• What are we to do? We are closely examining why there is a sense that Adventist schools are no different from the world’s schools. We are studying. We are surveying. We will PUSH!
• The promise is that our institutions are “prisoners of hope,” and God will bring them back for His glory. God answers His promises. We have hope to PUSH!
We watch, along with the servant of the Lord. “I am watching with intense interest, hoping to see our schools thoroughly imbued with the spirit of true and undefiled religion. When the students are thus imbued, they will see that there is a great work to be done in the lines in which Christ worked, and the time they have given to amusements will be given up to doing earnest missionary work. They will endeavor to do good to all about them, to lift up souls that are bowed down in discouragement, and to enlighten those who are in the darkness of error. They will put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof”—Ibid.
We see many of our children and youth on fire for Jesus. Our schools are doing wonderful things to bless their churches and communities, but God promises more, so we PUSH. We believe there will be a day when our parents and leaders will PUSH to have their children in Adventist schools.
Prayer is the key that unlocks heaven’s door. When we are in crisis, we PUSH. When in sorrow, we PUSH. When we are happy, we PUSH. We PUSH, because God’s Word tells us to pray without ceasing.
Please keep praying. PUSH for our children. PUSH for our youth. PUSH for our schools. PUSH for our church. PUSH in God’s name and watch Him open the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing.
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