Who is responsible for the raising of your children? Some in our society will point to the government. Others will tell you the public schools must take the lead in molding the lives of chil­dren. Some Christians will suggest "the church" has a major obligation in the rearing of children. I would like to suggest a rather novel answer, i.e. that parents are responsible for their own children! There, I said it, parents are to be responsible for their own kids!

This seldom heard viewpoint has an­cient origins - the Bible. "And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord" (Eph. 6:4). We live in an age when sa­cred duties are often pawned off to . public schools and government pro­grams. Parents are responsible for all aspects of the development of their children. The area I would like to focus on in this article is the entertainment of children.

Personally, I have grown weary of par­ents who expect other people to enter­tain their children. This philosophy is prevalent, not only in secular society, but in "the church" as well. Too many parents are so "busy" with other activi­ties that they "just don't have the time" to fulfill this aspect of parental respon­sibility.

Over the years I have had a lot of par­ents tell me that "the church" needs to provide more social activities for "the youth." I have tried to kindly remind these people that Jesus Christ died on the cross so that we might have the re­mission of sins, not so your teenager could learn to play basketball!

I realize that association with good friends is very important for kids, but when did the church inherit this respon­sibility? Several months ago I had a preacher tell me why he would not allow his own daughter to go to the “youth group” meetings at the church he works with. He said the problem was that the parents who were pushing for the "youth group" had already failed in the upbringing of their own children and now wanted "the church" to try and straighten them up. This preacher told me the “youth group” had an assortment of kids with major problems, like drinking, smoking, use and pre­marital . These were the very kids this father was trying to keep his daughter away from! The goal of the other parents was to have their unruly kids associate with the good kids, thinking that would make everything turn out fine. Their intentions might have been good, but the reality of the matter is that "evil company corrupts good habits" (1 Cor. 15:33 ). I want to make it clear that the church where this man preached was opposed to all of these sins, but the sad fact remained that many of their young people were morally corrupt.

Our oldest son, now 21 years old, has been deaf since birth. About 15 years ago one his teachers suggested that since our second child could both hear and use sign language we should put him into preschool class with deaf children so he could help them improve the speech and language skills. This sounded like a good idea at the time, but it turned out to be a disaster! 

Our hearing son went into a class with about a dozen deaf children. Their lan­guage and signing skills did improve, but our son had to spend the next six years in speech therapy to overcome the effect of being surrounded by children with severe speech impairments. If you are really concerned about the develop­ment of your children, then you must take the lead in providing for all aspects of their development. Our youngest son plays soccer in high school and as a result my wife and I spend a lot of time at soccer games. To say that soccer is not my favorite sport would be an under­statement. To be honest, it ranks right up there with a root canal. However, we go to the games not because we love the sport, but because we love our son. We want him to know that we support him and will cheer him on.

Parents, you are responsible for your own children. They are not going to be in your house forever,  so enjoy the time you can spend with them. - David Padfield, Reflections on Truth 

 

 

 

No, we are not thinking of the gaudy, sensational person whom the world considers a real "go-getter." Nor are we considering one who attracts at­tention to himself. But Christians may attract men to Christ! Why are not people drawn to the Lord? It may be that they haven't been told about the gospel, God's power to save (Rom. 1:16 ). And certainly that is what must save them, but the disciple of Christ may also play a part in this. How can we do this? how can we move them to obey the gospel?

First, people must be made to feel something. No, not the popular "heart felt religion;" that never saved anyone. But men need to be made to feel the awfulness and burden of sin. Only when sin is felt is its destructive power realized in the lives of men. Firmly but kindly, men need to be told of sin and its terrible effects. When they feel this need, then they will seek forgiveness.

Then people need an anchor; a moor­ing place in the storms of life to keep them from drifting aimlessly. In a word, they need something to trust in. People seem to trust in everything but the right thing! It may be a reliance on self, other men, or even materialism. Such trust is in a "broken reed;" it will not do. Instead, men need to be shown that real trust is in the living God (1 Tim. 6: 17 ). How are these feelings produced?

Not by cold, hard formalism; merely "going through the motions" as some do in religion. The heart is not in these; they will not draw men to any­thing. Social activities in religion wilt not do it. But folks may be drawn to Christ as they see Christ living in us. We must change the hearts of men before we can change their lives. Can we do this if our own lives are not what they ought to be? We know the answer to that one. What then do peo­ple see in us? Do they see folks who "say and do not?"

We must teach men the gospel, for that is the only thing that will save them (Rom. 1:16 ). But one way to do this is to let them see that the gospel means something in our own lives. Brother Robert Turner once told of a "personal worker" who said: "Why convert them? they will probably turn out just like me." If that's the case, we need to get "me" straightened out! - Bill Moseley 

 

 

 

Black cats, broken mirrors and opened umbrellas indoors - and on we go! Su­perstitions are like the books the wise man spoke of - there is no end of them (Eccl. 12:12 ). And so I get a kick out of it when some who believe in such foolishness gets their "come­uppances."

I had one friend, who if a black cat ran across the road in front of him, he would turn around, take another route. Must be something to it - he never had any wrecks or anything. Only late for appointments.

Another friend I once had really took the cake. As we walked down the street one day to an appointment, en­joying the visit and talking away, there it was - horrors of horrors! Somebody who was painting a build­ing dared leave his ladder leaning against the building, with the foot of it across the sidewalk! Here I was, to­tally ignorant of such things, walked under the ladder, little knowing, ac­cording to him, the terrible fate that awaited me - but to his surprise I got by safely. Then I missed him; no way he would walk under said ladder. But where was he? It seems the only way he could go was to walk around a parked car, into the street. Next sound that came to my ears is the frantic honking of a horn, and the screeching of brakes - of a guy who almost ran my friend % Well, at least he didn't have to walk under the ladder! - Bill Moseley