Most people don't have a clue as to how sinful people are anymore.
Let's start with the way we teach our children and what we teach them.
Proverbs 22:6
The Bible has a lot to say about rearing children. This series undoubtedly will be different from the normal thinking or perhaps even what you have ever heard before.
Folks, it is not my purpose to criticize anyone. God knows my heart; I want to help. Just as the Bible gives principles for other areas of life, it gives principles in
this area as well. I know there is a lot of confusion in this area. Parents are hurting. Children are hurting. We certainly are not seeing children grow up and serve the
Lord today. Why?
Most parents send their children to a public school.
The worse thing you can do to your child is to send them to a public school, public schools are an admonition to God and we should NEVER send our kids to them.
You can send your children to a private Christian school or do home schooling, and don't tell me that's impossible, there are plenty of affordable private Christian schools, and as for home schooling at this time there is an estimated 2 million children being home schooled in the U.S., and the number is growing. The question is what's more important to you your children or things?
Do you want your children to become one of the mindless programmed robots that are coming out of our public schools today that only believe in pleasing themselves?
It's not their fault; they are being taught that there is no God.
They are being taught that older people are worthless and know nothing.
They are being taught that making money is what life is all about.
They are being taught that it's ok to have sex without marriage.
They are being taught that if they get pregnant it's their choice to have the baby or murder it.
They are being taught that gay living is just fine.
Public schools are the root of most of the problems in society today in America.
If you love you children you will remove them from public schools no matter what you have to give up. Their very souls depend on it.
If you must send your children to a public school, then at least make sure you send them to Sunday school every week and teach them that what they learn in Sunday school
over rules what they are being taught in public school.
The Bible book of Proverbs is a book about a father instructing his son. Much of the teaching of Proverbs is by contrast. If you really want to know about the subject
of child rearing read the book of Proverbs
Notice here in the first half of this verse "Train up a child in the way he should go." This word training has to do with spiritual instruction.
So many parents are so concerned about the physical and social well being of their child that they are severally neglecting the spiritual well being of the child.
Most parents have the idea if they bring their children to church, send them to a Christian school, and pray at meals, it will turn out okay.
Notice it says, "Train." Like an athlete in training. Keep working at it all the time and do not let up. As parents, you need to set your mind to it.
The first part of this verse deals with a command. "Train up a child in the way he should go." Question? Who is the command to? Parents? More specifically, fathers!
Just for the sake of reinforcing this, look at Ephesians 6:4 "And ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition
of the Lord." How does a father provoke his children to wrath? By not bringing them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. The word "nurture" means training
with structure. In the home, God has given an order. The order for the home is Christ, husband, wife, and children. This order is given for that basis, order.
When God's order is violated, you have a problem. In fact, folks, I see this as being one of the biggest spiritual problems we have today.
The second part of the verse is "and when he is old." My understanding of the Hebrew meaning for this phrase is when the child leaves the house. Not when he is
seventy-five he will return. It means, mom and dad, when the child leaves the home he will not depart from the training you have given him. Remember that the word
training here is spiritual training. Remember this is a book of contrasts. Here is the principle. If he is trained right, he will not depart from it.
Folks, listen to me very carefully right now. The lie that many Christians have bought is that it is not their fault if the children turn out wrong.
It is good rationalization of sin, but it really injures the cause of Christ. The Bible says do it right, train him up right, and the promise of God is he will not
depart from living for God. My question: Is God a liar? No. Then what is the problem? I mean why are we having an epidemic of children who grow up in Christian
homes and do not serve God. Not only do they not live for God but many live like barnyard animals. Proverbs 22:6 is a timeless principle of God.
If the child departs then whose fault is it? It is the fault of the parents.
We have identified the source of the problem. The training is wrong. What is the correct training? I feel sorry for many parents. They have never been trained in
spiritual things by their parents or by their pastor. Many pastors do not know what it means to rear children for God. Consequently, it is like the blind leading the blind.
Alternatively, maybe you were saved as an adult. The answers are found in the Bible. I know someone is going to say, "I know where you are headed. You are going tell us to
attend services, read the Bible, pray, have family devotions and so on. We have done all those things and look what we have." Well, all those things are important, but they
can be done mechanically, in essence not with the right heart. They are not done with a real heart for God. You cannot teach a child to have a spiritual relationship if you
do not have a spiritual relationship.
2nd Timothy 3.1-5. States:
It's all about money for most adults these days, must adults would do anything to get a bigger house in a better part of town, or to get a newer or more expensive car.
They would hurt anyone that gets in their way, they feel that others doesn't mater; they think that they are the center of the universe.
Who thinks about God and what's right anymore?
Who cares as long as you get that money that's all that matters right?
Romans 6:23
Luke 15:10
Humans, deceived by the devil and charmed by their own pride and abilities, deny that our world is a rebel province in God's universe. They deny that human society has willfully pulled loose from God's rule and the
rest of God's domain.
In fact, they deny that men and women are the creation of God. They deny even that they owe any allegiance to God, their Creator!
The Bible is the record of how God deals with mankind and we can draw but one conclusion: all people are morally obligated to repent and to ask forgiveness of God.
Failing to do so, they will perish.
How rare it is in our day to hear of genuine repentance; We live amid a proud, selfish and self-sufficient people, Even in our Christian churches there are those who want
nothing more than to be known as "respectable church members!"
When repentance is real and faith is genuine, the atoning death of Jesus Christ is effective for pardon and forgiveness and regeneration.
This is your last change to wake up people and give you heart and life to Jesus, if you don't do it now you will regret it for eternity.
What's wrong with the world? How do we change?
Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
Now about adults.
1 - This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2 - For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 - Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4 - Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5 - Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away..
I am here to tell you there is a God and he is going to return to this sinful world very soon and the money hungry people who control this world will be destroyed.
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord
Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.
Rev. JR Seabolt
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