Dear Julie,

I woke early this morning, slipped

into myoId terry-cloth robe and sat on
my front porch steps with my steaming
cup and Bible. The flowers in my
window-boxes were still nodding, not
even the mockingbirds were up
commanding the neighborhood yet. I
tried to inhale this quietness into my
hean. I will need it today. "Lord of the
morning," I prayed, "here in Your
garden, come and meet this day'sneeds
before I do. Nest in my hean the
weapons from your Word I will need
to fight today's battles."
As I read a passage in Thessalonians
reminding me of God's faithfulness to
us in the midst of an evil world, I
started thinking about how difficult it
is to "flee evil" today. We run into it
even in the institutions where we
should be "safe". Churches, homes,
schools-there isno place to hide from
the corro ption of sin.
You are going to college this week,
purponedly an institution of "higher
learning. n I remember that day [or me:
the panic and pain of leaving home
(when I came back would it really be
the same?); the dry-mouthed
anticipation of meeting new people
(will they like me? If they do, will I be
strong for Christ or "cave in" to get
along?); the heady hean-pounding
exhilaration at the thought of being "on
my own n -at last! Pan of me wanted
to fling my anns around my mother's
neck and beg her to take me back, let
me always stay your little girl! The
other pans, and the ones that won,
said, "Your day has finally come!"
What I didn't realize then and was
soon to find out, was that that day, the
first of many away from my parent's
nurturing circle of love, encour-
agement' and protection, was the
beginning oftests God would put into
my \lfe to strengthen my faith, make it '
"my own"possession, not just the "faith
of my fathers". The faith of my godly
father and mother had nunured in me
since the day I was born heeded a
work-out to make it stronger.
Untested, resting faith is puny faith.
When I was your age, I was a
mountain climber. No, I didn't have
all that fancy gear and dream of Everest,
I just love the mountains. Bynecessity,
if you want to see what's on the other
side (usually, more of what's on this
side!), you must climb. I realized with
surprise one day that I had developed
pretty strong leg muscles. I loved the
mountains, the challenge of getting to
the top and beauty and surprise of
nature along the way. Strong legs, a
calm spirit and a clear mind came to
me unasked, almost unnoticed, but
they came as a natural result of
climbing. Exercising your faith will,
according to God's economy ofthings,
strengthen it.
So it is when your faith is tested. As
you meet each sneering jab with a
parry ofTruth, the sword of the spirit
wielded even in weak hands, God will
strengthen the weak anus; thewavering
tongue will find the elixir of His words
powerful medicine for healing
hesitation, and a fire, the flame of your
parents, Christian friends and pastors
have nunured and guarded these 18
years, will catch in your heart and the
blaze will attract all those needing
warmth and light.
Julie, there's no escaping it. You
know too much to keep that truth
hidden in your hean for long! Colleges
are so crowded with people possessed
with gteat regard for their ideas and
beliefs and great disdain for yours.
Faced with so much "sifting" of
information through the sieve of God's
revealed Word, the Bible, how is it
possible to give a clear defense of our
faith?
The answer is simple, not easy.
Gary DeMarsays in his book, Surviving
College Successfully, on page 10, " ... a
cogently presented, comprehensive,
and consistent Christian worldview
can stand up to any hostile belief
system. But it takes work to understand
how skeptics think, believe, and
behave. And your job is not finished
until you are always 'ready to make a
defense to everyone who asks you to
give a reason for the hope that is in
you.'" (I Peter 3: 15)
Never forget that colleges, especially
the "Prestigious" ones, are peopled
with fools, calling themselves, wise.
More illegitimate sons of truth are
bandying about in truth's "clothing",
spouting high-soundingnonsense than
truth in the classroom. Always protect
your mind with thehelmetof salvation.
Satan's flaming missiles of falsehood
can only bounce off and fizzle to ashes
at your feetl In the twenty-something
September, 1992 THE COUNSEL of Chalcedon 27
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years that have passed since I was in
college, I have seen more young people
from Christian homes whose faith was
weakened and minds were raped in
college than those who emerged with
a stronger, more vital faith.
Shouldn't it work the other way?
Yes, as I have said in earlierparagraphs,
the testing of our faith should cause us
to go to God's Word for our defense
and thus emerge stronger for The
Cause. But it doesn't just "happen". I
can't get to the top of the mountain by
wishing I were there. Soon, unless I
stan climbing, digging in with my
toes, stretching to reach the next hand-
hold, 100 king carefully before I put my
hand out to be sure I'm not shaking
hands with a copperhead, I'll start to
feel content with where I am, at the
foot of the mountain, looking up. In
fact, I may even get a little critical of
those who are passing me as they begin
the climb-wrong shoes for climbing,
stupid looking jeans, "unorthodox'
methods. We do tha,t as Christians,
criticizing others for "doing or saying
it wrong". Yes, there are "right" ways
of defending your faith. Stay in God's
Word every day to find out what they
are and encourage and share those
biblical defenses with your Christian
friends. Read Gary DeMar's bookl
Listen regularly and often toloe's taped
sermons, write and caII us so we can
pray intelligently for you.
But climb, lulie! Exercise the legs
of your faith in defending it. Watch
out for the copperheads on the ledges
and always keep the top of the
mountain in your mind. And don't
forget to look for the ladyslippers and
ginsing along the way-thase continilal
surprises God sends our way to assure
us of His love!
I love you honey; you, Stephen,
Anne, Nicole and all my young friends
who are experiencing theunrepeatable
adventure of college life. I commit to
holding you all up before the Lord
each day. Let me hear from you. The
thought of you in full bloom, becoming
all God meant for you to be when first
He thought of you, is precious tome.,Q
WCA, continued from page 24
To charges that these results are
obtained by testing predominantly
white, middle class students, Stout
replies that "we could get these results
if we had 80 percent minority."
He says that the structured
cumculum teaches the principles of a
good work ethiC, beginning with
students learning in kinderganen to
do their homework.
"By establishing a good work ethic
early, it makes it so much easier in
junior high and high school," Stout
said. "We're not elitist at all and we
don't cry to convey that air. You'll find
us wearing shorts and carrying
hammers, doing whatever it takes to
get the job done, and that's the general
spirit of the faculty."
The school, which recently
completed a 22,000 square foot
gymnasium, does more than just
emphasize athletiCS, for Stout helped
develop and was charter president of
the Acadiana Soccer Association.
"Our school is grounded in the
Bible. In whatsoever ye do, do it
heartily unto the Lord and not unto
men," he says, quoting from Paul's
letter to the Colossians. "It means we
are going to seek in everything we do
to honor Jesus Christ.
"We're going to teach our kids to
work hard and to honor the Lord, tlot
because it pleases men, but because it
honors and pleases God.",Q
APPALACHIAN CONFERENCE
TO REBUILD AMERICA
IIReclaiming Our Christian Heritage"
Speakers:
Dr. John Eidsmoe
Rev. Steve Wilkins
Friday PM: Home School Workshop
Saturday 9AM--4PM, October 3, 1992
Sheraton Plaza Hotel
Johnson City, TN
$35/ couple
$25/ individual
For more info phone: 615-928-1401 or 615-878-5560
or write: ACTRA, P.O. Box 1473 Bristol, Tn 3762J.J473
28 THE COUNSEL of Chalcedon September, 1992