Today we celebrate Ash Wednesday. This morning, most of the High School Bible students attended the 8:30 service at Epiphany Lutheran Church. According to Kelly Givens at Christianity.com, “Each year, Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent and is always 46 days before Easter Sunday. Lent is a 40-day season (not counting Sundays) marked by repentance, fasting, reflection, and ultimately celebration. The 40-day period represents Christ’s time of temptation in the wilderness, where he fasted and where Satan tempted him. Lent asks believers to set aside a time each year for similar fasting, marking an intentional season of focus on Christ’s life, ministry, sacrifice, and resurrection.”

At Elim Christian School, we do not endorse a particular denomination as we are an independent Christian school, however we do encourage students to seek God, set aside time to reflect and pray, and of course to immerse themselves in God’s Word. As most Christians world wide celebrate this time, it is fitting and proper to include it into our practice at Elim as we are in fellowship with all Christians world-wide. The observance of this season is not commanded by the Lord in His Word, but everything that is observed during this season is in fact scriptural and beneficial to the believer.

May the Lord richly bless you as we prepare our hearts to celebrate the risen Lord in 46 days. ... See MoreSee Less

At our latest chapel we looked at Matthew 7:1-11, which interestingly enough has become a controversial passage of scripture. The controversy only exists because of how it is interpreted by those who do not consider the context, namely verse 1, “Judge not, that you be not judged.” Unfortunately, this has become a blanket statement that is used to silence anyone who tries to point out errors, and this is not what Jesus is saying, actually, it is nearly the opposite.

Jesus is talking about our obligation to judge, but to do it properly and not be hypocritical in the process. Jesus tells us not to judge, but then goes on to explain that we need to make sure we are not committing the same error, as in jumping all over someone for stealing while we regularly steal. Jesus is saying to straighten up, then use your energy to help others straighten up. We are to judge/discern in order to correct and help, not embarrass and condemn. With Jesus, it always comes down to where your heart is, which has been thoroughly covered in the Sermon on the Mount (chapters 5 and 6) up to this point.

At Elim we are committed to learning God’s Word for our instruction and correction and our hope is to use what we learn to help guide others. If you need a suggestion for Bible reading, I would encourage you to read Matthew 5-7, as it contains the essence of all of the teachings of Jesus. It’s a wonderful guide for Christian living. ... See MoreSee Less

Getting off campus for field trips has been a challenge this year as we’ve had to cancel a really great opportunity because of weather and reschedule other opportunities for various reasons. But finally, last week we got off campus to enjoy some time with the people at the Houston Humane Society Wildlife Center, which is a part of the Texas Wildlife Rehabilitation Coalition. According to their website, “Since 1979, Houston Humane Society has been committed to providing quality emergency care and rehabilitation for injured, ill, and orphaned wildlife brought to us by the public.”

They are definitely not a zoo, they rehab animals with their wonderful, talented, and knowledgeable staff, who endeavor to get these animals well in order to release them back into their native habitat. Now, some of the animals that are on display in the center are there because they simply cannot survive in the wild, such as a box turtle with part of its shell missing, a one-eyed screech owl and a one-eyed possum. They have a beautiful duck that is uninjured, but they have had it so long that it has imprinted on the staff and would not do well on its own.

The students learned about our responsibility to ensure that wildlife is protected and cared for as we continue to encroach on their habitats. One only has to look at the first few chapters of the Bible to see that God gave us dominion over the animals and of course part of that responsibility is to protect and care for God’s creation. Our students learned valuable lessons on stewardship while enjoying the presentation and seeing these wonderful animals. Our field trips are made possible through generous donations and we appreciate that very much! Thank you! ... See MoreSee Less

In our most recent chapel, we continued our study on the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 6:16-24. Jesus covered the issues of fasting, storing treasures in heaven, and serving two masters. As in the prior points of this sermon, these are all issues of the heart. Christians are not commanded to fast, but if we do, don’t make a spectacle and brag, do it secretly. This ties in with the people who pray in public loudly to get attention. They are not doing this for God’s glory, but their own.

What does it mean to store up treasures in heaven? People pursue wealth and that is where their heart is, but one day it will be gone and/or worthless. What is the treasure we should seek? Jesus is our treasure, what he provides, our salvation, is the treasure, and we store up this treasure through service to him through the church. St. Paul tells us in Ephesians 2:10, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Our good works demonstrate that God has saved us, we are new creations as Christians and we should work to tell others the good news of Jesus Christ.

Finally, with another reference to money, we are taught that we cannot serve two masters. It’s impossible to serve God and money. I believe it is fair to substitute the word “money” with anything else. We cannot serve God and [fill in the blank]. The point? Pursue righteousness, not things that are temporary and fleeting. The prosperity and wealth we are promised is not material/physical, it is spiritual and eternal. ... See MoreSee Less

Merry Christmas, from Elim Christian School! ... See MoreSee Less