Demolishing Strongholds

I have been asked when I will go back to teaching in public schools. I hope I never have to go back. Why? It’s not because of kids and families. Serving them was the BEST part of my job. But I simply don’t have the stomach for the indoctrination, the meaningless meetings, the red tape, and the group think. I despise the over-emphasis on data. People are not numbers! I abhor the way some liberal administrators treat Christian employees. If we really want to get down to a truth, many don’t want to hear….strong men are spurned in many public school systems.

I totally understand when Jesus calls the Pharisees a brood of vipers in Mark 12: 33-37…

³³ “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. ³⁴ You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. ³⁵ The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. ³⁶ I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, ³⁷ for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

I have such deep respect for strong, Christian men and women who are still serving in public education. Their numbers are RAPIDLY diminishing. I know the price they are paying. They are often mocked in every way imaginable. They work countless hours at the expense of their own families. They are looked over for promotions. They face intimidation. They are harassed. They face every kind of rudeness . You will find Christian educators are often spoken to in a harsher or haughtier manner than their colleagues. I think this is because Christian educators often are seen erroneously as meek or soft. In fact, they are simply responding in a Christ-like manner and won’t return rudeness w/ rudeness. (Be forewarned, I do not possess that gift of subtlety.) Like Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego, they refuse to fall down and worship liberal indoctrination. Often, only a few will come to their defense.

Why are great teachers and administrators so often on the radar of so many(and not in a good way)? I believe Christian men and women are a direct threat to Satan’s plans for public education. 2 Corinthians 10: 4-5…

³ For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. ⁴ The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. ⁵ We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. ⁶ 

Every day, followers of Christ in public education…they are confronting and breaking down strongholds. They demolish arguments set up against the knowledge of God. They take thoughts, and make them captives of Jesus. We must stand with them. We must make clear that Christian men and women who work in the classroom are going to be treated fairly.

When I left teaching eleven years ago, I made a commitment to myself to never let good educators face persecution alone. At times, that approach has had a price for my own family. But I don’t believe the Church is called to sit silently while others are mistreated. Come what may, we are gonna speak!

I have a great friend of mine who is strong in the spirit. He often quotes the following verse from Mark 3. Jesus is accused by the teachers of the law of casting out demons in the name of Satan. Jesus, who is often erroneously portrayed as timid and weak, most certainly has an answer for that. In Mark 3: 27 he responds….

 In fact, no one can enter a strong man’s house without first tying him up. Then he can plunder the strong man’s house.

Jesus is letting everyone know that he is going to bind up the strong man, and take control of his possessions. He is going to plunder Satan’s stronghold. In other words, Jesus is going to take back the souls that Satan has attempted to steal. Jesus is gonna take back what is His. And the truth is gonna stand! Amen!

I think wherever you find God’s people…when they carry out the mission of spreading the Gospel, they are destroying strongholds of the Evil one. When I look at the life of Jesus, he confronted teachers(of the Law) who were abusing their position of authority. But within the context of those confrontations, Jesus destroyed their strongholds. He bound up the strongman! I believe God offers us something similar to that power when the cause is righteous.