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VISITING PROGRAM TRAINING
CLASS
Twelfth Class
February 18, 1969
FORMAT:
1.
Open with prayer.
2.
World news discussion and drill (5 - 8 Minutes).
3.
Difficult scripture drill (30 Minutes).
4.
Sermonettes and evaluations (30 Minutes).
5.
Recess (10 Minutes).
6.
Lecture (one and one-half hours).
7.
Assgnments for next class.
DIFFICULT
SCRIPTURES
1.
Disprove: Infants should be baptized
(Luke 18:16-17).
A. This scripture does not even mention
baptism The parallel accounts
show that these children were
being brought to Jesus so that He would
lay hands on them and bless
them (Matt. 19:13-15 and Mark
10:13-16).
Baptism is more than just
laying hands on someone and sprinkling water
on his head. It is total immersion in water picturing
the burial of the
old man (Rom. 6:3-4).
B. There is no Biblical basis for the
doctrine of infant baptism. You
can't be baptized until you
first believe Jesus Christ is your Savior
(Acts 8:35-37) and then fully repent (Acts 2:38). Obviously, an
infant
is incapable of doing either
of these.
C. The word "as" in verse 17 does
not mean that individuals must receive
God's Kingdom while they are
children. Jesus was explaining that to
receive God's Kingdom a
person must be "as" or like a little child in
attitude--humble, faithful,
teachable, unpresumptuous--or God will not
accept him. Matthew 18:3-4 fully explains this. A Christian must
yield to and trust his
spiritual Father for everything as a small
child does his physical
parents.
2.
Disprove: Angels married women
and engendered a race of giants (Gen. 6:1-4).
A.
This scripture does not say that angels married women. It states that
the sons of God "took them
wives of all which they
chose" (verse 27).
These sons of God were not
angels. The fact is that angels cannot
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marry--it is impossible for
them to marry. Jesus said those in the
resurrection "neither
marry nor are given in marriage" but are as the
angels (Matt. 22:30 and Mark 12:25).
B. Angels cannot co-habit with women and
reproduce sexually. Angels are
spirit beings (Heb. 1:14). Women are human
beings. Here we have two
different kinds. God established a law that each kind
produces only
after its own kind (Gen.
1:11, 12, 21). This is made clear by
the
context as well. In Genesis 6:3-4 God states, "My
spirit will not
always strive with
man." God is speaking of mankind,
not angels.
Verse 4 shows that the
children of the sons of God and the daughters
of men were "mighty
men" not angels.
C. In the Bible the phrase "sons of
God" has three different meanings.
One refers to spirit-begotten
Christians (Rom. 8:14: I John
3:2).
Also, angels are called
"sons of God" (Job 1:7
38:4-7). But remember
angels "neither marry
nor are given in marriage." The
third meaning
refers to mankind in general
because all men are sons of God by
creation (Psa. 82:6; Mal.
2:10 Luke 3:38). Since these were obviously
not spirit-begotten
Christians, and could not be angels, it is evident
that these "sons of
God" were simply mankind in general who had forsaken
God and were intermarrying in
defiance of His law.
D. One final clarification--giants were not
exclusively the progeny of the
sons of God and the daughters
of men. Verse 4 shows that the giants
existed before the sons of
God married the daughters of women and~after-
wards, but does not state
that they were the result of these marriages.
3.
Should we answer a fool or not?
(Prov. 25:4-5).
A. First of all we need to realize the Bible
does not contradict itself.
God's Word is truth (John 17:17). The scripture
cannot be broken
(John 10:35).
B. These two verses are not
contradictory. They complement each
other.
The last part of each proverb
shows the set of circumstances under
which each is to be used.
C. Verse 4 tells us not to answer a fool
according to his folly lest we
be like him. In this situation, to answer the fool's
specific statement
or question you would be
descending to his level and end up in a
pointless argument.
An example of this is given
in Luke 20:1-8 where the Pharisees asked
Christ by whose authority He
did certain things. The Pharisees were
not there seeking to learn
anything. To avoid being like the
fools
they were, Christ didn't
answer their question. Rather, He
asked
them a question which they
couldn't answer without condemning themselves.
Since the Pharisees couldn't
answer His question the discussion was
dropped.
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D. Verse 5 tells us that under another set of
circumstances we must
answer the fool
according to his folly--by a foolish answer, which
exposes how
ridiculous his statement, claim or question is--or he
will be wise in his
own conceit. This case is well
illustrated by
Paul's example in II
Corinthians 11:23.
Certain men were at Corinth who claimed to be true apostles of Christ,
but they were false
apostles (II Cor. ll:13). For Paul to
have
remained silent at
the time would have given tacit approval of these
men who were leading
the Church astray. They would have
appeared wise
in their own
conceit. Therefore in Verse 23 Paul
said, "Are they
ministers of
Christ? (I speak as a fool.) I am more; in labours more
abundant, in stripes
above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths
oft." These men
had been boasting of their qualifications, and in this
epistle Paul was
exposing these men for what they were.
Paul answered
these false
apostles' claims so they would not appear wise.
These scriptures do
not contradict; but taken together they explain two
different methods if
handling the questions and statements of fools.
You need wisdom to
know just when and how to apply these principles.
And wisdom comes
from God.
THE BALANCED APPROACH
TO CHILD REARING
I.
AN AWESOME RESPONSIBILITY
A. A Commission to the Philadelphia Era
1.
There are numerous identifying marks of God's true Church. But there
is
one upon which the entire future
of mankind depends. It is so vitally
important that if we fail to
fulfill this commission, there will be no
world .
2.
This remarkable commission is recorded in Malachi 4:5-6: "Behold, I
will send you Elijah the prophet
before the coming of the great and
dreadful day of the Lord: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers
to the children, and the
heart of the children to their fathers, lest
I come and smite the earth
with a curse. This very Work -- our
Work --
has been given
this awesome responsibility. What God
is saying is that
unless we succeed in
restoring God's Government to the foundation of all
society - - the HOME --
unless we provide a trained nucleus of obedient
young people, who will be
the pioneers of the world tomorrow, there is
absolutely no use in
perpetuating physical, human life on this earth.'
What a commission.' We must NOT fail.'
B. The Importance of Your Example
1. You are the leading men in this area. You have, therefore, a definite
responsibility to set a
good example -- one that can be safely followed.
What kind of example of
child rearing are you setting? The
other members
of the Church are going
to be watching your children. Are they
good
examples or bad
examples? Are they a credit to God's
Church or a
reproach to God's Church?
2. As leading members, you can't afford to do
a slipshod job of child
rearing. In your case, there is even more at stake
than your future
and that of your children. Others are involved. You will either be
helping or hurting
them. What would happen if others
began to - - and
they most certainly will
-- follow your example? What if
others' children
started turning out just
like yours? These are questions you
must come
to grips with. Your examples are important, and they need
to be the
best examples of child
rearing in the entire congregation.
3. God specifically pinpoints this very area
as one of the determining
factors whether a man is
qualified to be ordained to any office in the
Church -- whether it be
that of deacon or an elder. "Let
the deacons
be the husbands of one
wife, ruling their children and their own houses
well" (I Tim. 3:12). There are some
deacons in God's Church who need
to do a far better job in
this respect than they are presently doing.
An elder must have
"faithful children not accused of riot or unruly"
(Tit. 1:6). If you hope to ever be a leader in God's
Church, you and
your children must meet
these qualifications.
II.
THE WRONG APPROACH - - TWO EXTREMES
A. Parents - - Trained Observers
1. The world has been deceived into believing
that children will somehow
evolve into decent,
upright, respectful citizens and members of society --
if given enough
time. The parents don't really have to
do very much,
which, of course, is very
appealing since most parents are looking for
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the easy way Out when it
comes to the rearing of their children.
Parents
become little more than trained
observers. It is the parents -- not
the children - - who
need to be trained so they can understand why their
children act the way
they do as they pass merrily through one stage of
behavior to the next
more frightening stage. To step in and
try to
alter their
"normal" behavioral patterns would seriously warp and
hamper their
development. This is the easy way out
for parents who
don't want to be
bothered with teaching) training, and disciplining
their children. This approach is doomed to failure. Children only
grow worse -- not
better.
2. Effective child rearing takes time -- lots
of time, and it is work --
hard work. There are too many members of God's Church
who know how to
rear their children
God's way, but are failing because they aren't
willing to pay the price
of success by meeting the required daily pay-
ments in time and
energy.
B. Parents -- Paddling Machines
1. Some members of the Church have worked
diligently at spanking their
children and feel that
they are doing a good job of child rearing.
However, such might not
be the case. It is absolutely true
that God's
Word teaches the
importance of spanking. In fact, no
child can be
successfully reared
without a good measure of spankings.
2. However, spanking and effective child
rearing are not synonymous. There
is far more to child rearing
than just paddling your children when they
are disobedient. Spanking is only PART of the answer! Spanking, of
and by itself, will NOT
produce a respectful, obedient, balanced child.
In fact, it may produce
the very opposite -- a child who is surly,
rebellious and who hates
his parents.
3. Too many parents have used spanking as a
quick, easy solution to their
child rearing problems
and as a substitute for the other necessary
aspects involved in
proper child training. Spanking IS
definitely an
effective tool when used
properly and in relation to all of the other
essential elements of
child rearing. You need to see the
overall
approach -- the BIG
PICTURE -- in order to make sure you are on the
right track to
successful child rearing, and to insure that the spankings
will produce the right
effect.
III.
THE FOUR KEYS TO EFFECTIVE, BALANCED CHILD REARING
A. Set A Good Example
1. Actions
do speak much louder than words.
Regardless of what you say,
your children will be
far more influenced by what you do an
are.
2. Your children's educational training begins
long before they enter school.
Your home -- the
environment in which your children live -- is their
first classroom. You, the parents, are their first
instructors.
3. Children learn by mimicking or imitating
others. Haven't you noticed
(sometimes to your
dismay) how your children gradually take on certain of
your characteristics --
usually, more times than not, the bad ones in-
stead of the good
ones. We are at times dumbfounded at
how they are
so much like we
are. They are little carbon copies of
their parents --
gradually being created
in our image and in our 1ikeness.
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4.
This is the very way God intended it should be. This is exactly the
same way He is creating sons in
His image and after His likeness. We,
as parents, are privileged to
witness an unfolding of the very physical
type of what is spiritually
taking place in our own lives. Jesus
Christ
was the perfect example of
this. He said, "The Son can do
nothing of
himself, but what He seeth the
Father do: for what things soever he
doeth,
these also doeth the Son
likewise. For the Father loveth the
Son, and
sheweth him all things that
himself doeth" (John 5:19-20). Jesus Christ
learned from His Father. He imitated or copied His Father in
everything.
He was so much like His Father
that He could say, "He that hath seen me
hath seen the father" (John
14:9).
5.
As children of God, we are learning by the same process by which our
children are learning --
imitating. "Be ye therefore
followers (imitators,
mimics) of God, as dear
children" (Eph. 5:1). God's
ministers, as a
type of spiritual parents, must
set the right example for the Church to
follow (I Cor. 11:1; I Thess.l:6;
II Thess. 3:7; Heb. 13:7; I Tim. 4:12)
6.
Small children naturally look up to and stand in awe of their parents.
To them, their parents are the
GREATEST. They view you in terms of
the
most fanciful superlatives. Daddy is the strongest man on earth, and
Mommy is the most beautiful woman
in existence. They believe whatever
you tell them is absolute
truth. There is nothing you don't know
and
nothing you can't do. They idolize you and want to be exactly
like you
when they grow up. All of this is a childlike form of WORSHIP,
for to
them you are a type of god.
7.
This should come as a frightening realization. Can you begin to grasp
the awesome responsibility this
places upon you as parents? Think of
the irreparable damage you could
inflict on your children by your wrong
example. Your example is a tremendous POWER --
either for good or for
evil.
8.
What kind of example are you setting before the plastic,
impressionable
minds of your children? What type of soil are you providing for
these
precious little lives to grow up
in? Do you want your children to grow
up to be exactly as you now
are? Let's discuss a number of vital
areas
where your example makes a ~
difference.
a. Are you setting a good spiritual example
for your children to follow?
Do you always show complete
respect for God and His laws by your
faithful, consistent example
of obedience -- even in the fact of
pressure to disobey? Or do you occasionally drop your spiritual
guard and compromise with
God's laws? Sit down and go over the
various laws of God and see
if your example can be safely followed
by your children. For example, do you always hold God's
Sabbath
Day sacred and
inviolate? Or will you occasionally
work a little
past sundown in order to
finish some job you feel just can't wait?
Don't be surprised if your
children follow your example. How
temperate
are you? Do you occasionally have too much to
drink? What about
gluttony? Do you overeat? Fat children usually have fat parents.
And, by the way, heredity is
seldom the actual reason. Some
families
practice gluttony as a way of
life. As the old statement goes,
"like
father (or, in this case, is
it mother?) like son."
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b.
Do you always show respect for and uphold the office of God's
ministers? Or do you sit around and criticize the
minister if he
doesn't do something exactly the
way you thought it should be done.
It is amazing how many brethren in
God's Church feature "roast preacher"
as the main course in their
conversational menu on the way home from
Sabbath Services. Don't expect your children to respect the
minister
or, for that manner, any figure
in authority whether he be a public
school teacher or the President
of the United
States -
- unless you
back up the offices of all those
in authority. Be careful you don't
speak evil of dignities (Jude
8). Some loud talkers take more on
themselves than Michael the great
archangel dared to do (Jude 9).
Show respect for all those in
positions of constituted authority.
Otherwise, be prepared to
discover that your children, in following
your wrong example, even talk
against you behind your back. This
shouldn't shock you since you
have taught them well. This is what
you are asking for.
C.
Do you wholeheartedly agree with all the doctrines and practices of
God's Church? Or do you have your own little pet theories
and sit
around discussing the way
"you look at it"? Driving
home from
services, do you evaluate what
the minister said and openly state
how you can't go along with this
or that. Have you forgotten the
big ears in the back seat. If you want your children to respect your
word and believe what you tell
them, you must do the same in relation
to God's ministers.
d.
Is your home a happy home -- filled with love and concern? Are you
and your wife happily married,
and do you express your love for each
other in such a way that your
children can see it? Or are there
disagreements and dissension
between you? Are your relations often
strained? Occasionally, does this even erupt into
open bitterness
and criticism? Many a child has lain awake in bed at night
in
stark terror as he has
listened to yelling and screaming coming from
another part of the house. A child's mind can't understand and it
shouldn't ever have to understand
why his parents argue and fight.
Children reared in such wretched
surroundings are often nervous,
unsure of themselves and are
forced to seek their security outside
the confines of the home. Do you "lose your temper" and
"fly off the
handle?" Your children will develop the same
volatile nature. If
a child goes around whining, you
will often find the mother does the
same.
e.
Dad, are you a strong, able leader of your family, setting the right
kind of masculine example? Is your voice a good, strong masculine-
sounding voice? Mom, are you a sweet, responsible wife with
a meek
and quiet spirit, setting the
right feminine example? What does
your voice sound like? Is it harsh, nasal, strident or
shrill? Or
is it warm, tender and
mellow? These are very important
factors which
will go a long way in determining
what kind of sons and daughters
you eventually produce. Research has even found that a major cause
of homosexual tendencies,
especially in men, can be traced directly
back to the home
environment. One such typical
environment was where
the father was a weak, insipid
dolt and the mother was a strong,
lantern-jawed woman who ruled the
roost. What a tragic legacy to
bequeath a son through your
failure to truly be a man or your wife's
failure to be the right kind of
woman.
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f. What kind of personality do you have? Are you friendly, outgoing,
personable, fun-loving --
with a real zest for life? Or are you
shy, backward, inhibited,
quiet -- with a negative outlook on life.
Your personality will be
indelibly stamped into your children's
lives. Friendly parents produce friendly
children. Quiet fathers
produce quiet sons. As much as we might hate to face the fact,
our
homes are just like a
factory producing products fashioned after
the master mold -- YOU.
g. One last disturbing item. Do you have any obnoxious little habits
like biting your nails or
cracking your knuckles or
(ad infinitum). Frightening isn't it. Well, enough said.
B.
Love Your Children
1.
We live in an age that is becoming more and more devoid of natural
affection (II Tim. 3:2). The tragic proof of this can all too often
be seen in the attitude of
parents toward their children -- yes, even
in God's Church. More and more parents do not really,
genuinely love
their children. And this lack of love can plainly be seen
in the way
they treat their children.
2. Children are fantastic blessings from
Almighty God. They are ASSETS --
not liabilities. And I don't mean merely at income tax
time. Loving
your children is more than
just providing for their physical needs.
Today, parents are giving
more and more things to their children and
less and less of
themselves. True love involves giving
of yourself.
There is no substitute.
3. Enjoy your children. David wrote about the "joyful mother of
children"
(Ps. 113:9) and "Happy
is the man that hath his quiver full of them"
(Ps. 127:5). Don't look on your children as a bother or
a nuisance.
Too many parents are trying
to find some way to "get them out from under
their feet" or "out
of their hair". Parents can
hardly wait until their
children get old enough to
send them off to school. Some parents
have
even succeeded in getting rid
of their children by the age of three or
four by sending them off for
a half a day of preschool training, not
realizing that the best
training they could possibly receive is at home
with their mother. But many mothers today couldn't care less.
4. Spend time with your children. Because of the many labor saving devices
available to the modern
housewife and the shorter work week for the
man, you have more free time than
any generation in the entire history
of mankind. How much time do you spend each week with
your children?
How much do you actually play
with your children? Playing with your
children will prove to be not
only an enjoyable experience but also
a teaching experience. First of all, you will learn a great deal
about
your children by playing with
them. You will also find that playtime
is
a valuable opportunity to
teach them some very important principles.
Children are naturally poor
losers. They will cheat in order to
win.
Teach them to play fairly - -
according to the rules -- and not to take
unfair advantage of younger
children. Teach them to play hard and
not
to give up and quit if they
are losing. A quitter will never win.
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Instill within them the right
kind of desire to win a winning
philosophy
or approach. We should always enter a game with the
desire and determina-
tion to win. However, if we put forth a 100 percent
effort and still lose)
we should not get into a bad attitude in
defeat. Teach your children to
lose gracefully - - that someone
always has to lose and from time to time
they will be that someone. Teach them to congratulate the winner.
A word of caution. While it is not wrong for a parent to get
down on
the floor and wrestle with his
smaller children) you should never stoop
to their level and let them treat
you as though you were another child.
This is absolutely wrong and should never
be permitted. They should not
be allowed to make fun of you or
hit you -- even in play. Never let
them
forget that you are their parent
and should always be respected even during
such fun times.
5.
Be expressive in your love to your children. Let them know you really
do love them. Tell them often how much you love them and
how much they
mean to you. Remember, true love is outgoing -- is
expressive. Our
children learn the meaning of
love just as we ourselves have learned what
true love is. We love God because He first loved us (I
John 4:19). He
set the example. He expressed love to us, and we responded
to His love.
You must teach your children how
to love by first loving them. Hug,
kiss
and fondle them. How ridiculous for a father to send his
little toddler
off to bed with a handshake. It isn't wrong for a father and son to kiss
--
regardless of their age. The parable of the prodigal son makes this
clear
(Luke 15:20). Little children enjoy crawling up into
their parent's laps
and being loved. The ticklings and piggy-back rides all go
together to
build a bond of love no force can
break.
6.
Get to know your children.
Unfortunately, as children grow older they
often pull into their shells and
become virtual strangers to their
parents. They claim their parents don't understand
them and many times
this is the tragic truth. Talk to your children, but don't make the
mistake of doing all the
talking. Let them talk. Find out what they are
thinking.
And make sure that you don't talk to them only when you need
to correct them. Continually keep the channels of
communication open.
7.
Know where your children are.
Don't get so involved in other things
you forget about your children. When in public places, keep your children
near you. Keep a watchful eye on them. It is amazing how frequently
children wander away from their
parents and become "lost."
How thankful
we are that God is a watchful Parent and
we never find ourselves "lost."
Because of the "perilous
times" in which we live, we cannot be too careful
about our children's safety.
8.
When company comes over to your house, don't send your children
outside
or off to another part of the
house to play and never check to find out
what they are doing. Periodically look in on your children. Never let
them go into a bedroom and close the
door. Doors should always be left
open. Never let them feel that they are
"getting away with something."
Many times sexual experiment is
the tragic result.
God warns us that a child left to
himself brings shame to his parents
(Prov. 29:15. Don't permit your children to play
"house" or play
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"doctor," which also provide opportunities for
potential sexual explora-
tion. Neither should you allow children to bathe
together past the age
of three or four. A watchful parental eye can avert many a
potential
problem, and parents who really
love their children watch over their
children.
9.
Appreciate what your children do.
Children hunger for recognition and
praise from their parents. They will often spend a great deal of time
preparing some little gift for
you - - totally worthless in any way except
it is their way of saying,
"I love you.'1 It will crush them
if you belittle
it or overlook it. When they accomplish something worthwhile
in school
by bringing home a good report card
or winning a race on field day,
acknowledge it. Let them know you are well pleased. God wasn't neglectful
about expressing His
satisfaction in His Son (Matt. 3:17).
10.
Purchase gifts for them from time to time throughout the year as you
are
able to afford them. Don't stop buying gifts for your
family just because
you no longer are in bondage to the gift-giving
days such as Christmas,
Easter and birthdays.
However, a word of caution. Don't make the mistake of giving your
children
so much that they become
spoiled. Use wisdom and
moderation. Don't
give your child everything he asks
for - - even if you can afford it and
what he wants wouldn't be wrong
in itself. Teach your children this
vital lesson of life -- that
they can't always have everything they might
want. They must learn to take "no" for
an answer and not resent it.
Show them how they should
appreciate what they have and not lust after
what they don't have.
11.
Plan family activities. Do
things together as a family. Backyard
cookouts, picnics, an outing to the beach
or to the mountains, camping,
hunting and fishing trips - -
these are the things your children will
cherish in their memory
throughout the rest of their lives.
12.
Be tender and gentle with your children -- even as God's ministers
deal
with God's children (I Thess.
2:7). Too many parents address their
children only when they have to
correct them, and it is usually in a
stern, harsh, even hateful tone
of voice. Parents like this don't
really love their children. This isn't the way God deals with us. If
God thundered at us every time
we slightly stepped out of line, it would
be like living in a perpetual
thunderstorm. This is the atmosphere
in
which some children are forced
to live. No wonder they are nervous
wrecks. Of course, there are times to be stern with
your children --
but not all the time. Don't raise your voice in giving
instructions
in order to show them you mean
business. Otherwise, your children
will
never obey unless you scream or
yell, because they will think you don't
really mean business. Speak in a normal voice. A command or instruction
can be given in a friendly,
normal manner and should achieve exactly the
same results - - if you have
taught them that whenever you speak you expect
them to obey Don't yank or jerk your children around in
order to vent
your anger. Spanking is one thing. Abusing is another thing. Hitting
them on the head with your
knuckle, yanking them by the ear or belting
them alongside the head should
not be done.
13.
Be compassionate with them in their weaknesses and imperfections. Your
children are carnal. God created them that way. Therefore, they are
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going to act carnally. They are going to do many things that will
disappoint and hurt
you. You must resist the natural
reaction to strike
back and hurt them in
return. Our heavenly Father has set
the perfect
example in this. Notice what David was inspired to
write: "The Lord
is merciful and
gracious slow to anger, and plenteous
in mercy. Like
as a father pitieth (has
compassion for) his children, so the Lord
pitieth them that fear
Him For He knoweth our frame He
remembereth
that we are dust" (Ps. 103:8, 13-14). Learn to have God's attitude
in dealing with your
children. Hate the sin but love the
sinner. This
is not easy. In fact, it is impossible to a carnal
mind. With God's
help through His spirit, you
can do it.
14. Don't expect more of your children than
they can give. Remember, they
are children -- not
adults. Don't rob them of their
childhood by trying
to force them to grow up
faster than God intended. Notice
Paul's state-
ment concerning this: "When I was a child, I spake as a
child, I under-
stood as a child, I thought
as a child: but when I became a man (and not
before), I put away childish
things" (ICor. 13:11). Children
will be
and must be children. Of course, they are going to do childish
things.
What else would you
expect? And no matter how much you
discipline them,
they will continue to be
exactly what they are -- CHILDREN].:
HOWEVER) "even
a child is known by his
doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it
be right"
(Prov.20:ll). Therefore, what we are
striving to accomplish by
the proper kind of child
rearing is obedient, polite, respectful children --
not some kind of
"little men" or "little women."
C.
Teach Your Children
1. We have already seen how important your
example is as a teaching method.
And, while it is true that
"actions do speak louder than words", neverthe-
less, words are very
important. Teaching is also an
expression of your
love for your children. It does take time to teach your children.
Many
parents are just too lazy or too
selfish to spend time teaching their
children. Yet no program of child rearing is complete
without this vital
key.
2. What should you teach your children? The following is only a partial
list. There is much you can add to it if you give
it a little thought.
a. The Reality and Power of God
There are numerous ways
you can teach your children about God.
Armed with a basic
knowledge of the world around you, you can help
your children discover
the wonders of God's creative handiwork
(Rom. 1:19-20; Ps.
19:1). Take the many articles that
have appeared
in The PLAIN TRUTH
magazine on the various proofs of creation and use
them to teach your
children. Impress them with the
greatness and
power of God. Instead of having
your children look to the imaginary
heroes of Superman and
Batman, make the strength of God so vivid that
He becomes their
Hero. Vividly describe what God's
"strong arm" has
done (Ps. 78:4-7). Captivate your children's imagination with
God's
feats of strength in
Creation, the Flood, the miracle at the Red Sea,
the capture of Jericho,
etc. Graphically describe Jesus Christ
as
the powerful, masculine
hero they can rightly idolize. Since
war
excites the minds of
children, teach them about the successful battles
Almighty God has
won. Picture Christ as the mighty
Warrior returning
to wage war --
righteously. Show them why man's wars
have never solved
anything.
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b.
Make the Bible Relevant
Have regular family Bible
study. This is a command from God
(Deut. 4:9-10; 6:7; 2 Tim.
3:15) Use The Story of Man (formerly
called The Bible Story) to teach
your children. Not only read
from it but also stop and apply
the principles to their own,
everyday experiences. Show them how God's Word applies to the
playground, the classroom, their relationship with their friends
-- every facet and phase of
their lives. Explain God's laws
simply on their age level. Show them how it hurts to break God's
laws.
c.
Make the Sabbath A. Delight
Sell your children on the value
of keeping God's Sabbath. Make it
a very special day -- one they
will look forward to all week --
the finest day of the week. How can this be done? Well, remember
that your children are carnal,
and, therefore, whatever appeals to
them will be physical -- not
spiritual. Since God has commanded you
to rest from all your physical
work, you should be able to spend
a little more extra time with
your children on the Sabbath. This
will automatically highlight the
day. Not only could you have a
little extra Bible study with
them, but you could also read to them
out of certain books which
describe interesting facts about God's
great creation. Children love to have their parents read to
them.
You can also take them for a
walk on the Sabbath. Show them God's
hand in nature. You might even devise certain Bible games
you could
play with them -- at home and in
the car on the way to services.
Another way to make the Sabbath
a special day is to have your finest
meals on that day. It is a day of feasting, and you are
commanded
by God to use Friday as the
preparation day so the Sabbath meals
can be extra special. Ask the children for menu suggestions.
Try periodically to feature one
of their favorite foods. Get them
into the act by allowing them to
help prepare some part of the
meal. Occasionally, a special dessert might be
featured. If you
set your mind to it, you will
find many more ways to make the
Sabbath a very special day to
your children. Always take the posi-
tive, not the negative
approach. Present the Sabbath as the
day when
you can DO certain things you
can't do any other day of the week --
not as the day you can't do the
things you can do on the other days.
You might also find that a very
special toy-- which can only be
played with on the Sabbath - -
heightens their anticipation of the
Sabbath.
d.
Develop Their Intellectual Curiosity
Children have eager, alert
minds. They are continually filled
with
a vast assortment of
questions. Don't stifle or dull this
wonderful
curiosity. Certainly there will be times when a child
should be told
"that's enough questions for
now," or when you are legitimately un-
able to take the time at that
very moment. Answer their questions
for them. It is helpful to have a good set of
children's encyclopedias
or some type of "Book of
Knowledge" around to come to your aid when
you are stumped.
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Another excellent method
of making your children aware of their
surroundings is to ask
your children questions. Ask them such
questions as what makes
the lights go on when the switch is thrown
or what makes the leaves
move, why does it thunder. These will
only
serve as a starter. By working with your child in this way, you
will improve his ability
to learn and even help to raise his I.Q.
You will find that not
only will your children profit from this
home educational program
but so will YOU.
D.
Punish Your Children
1. Punishment plays a very important place in
child rearing, but, as you can
now see, it is only part of
the answer. Many people in the world
oppose
punishment because they do
not understand the PURPOSE for punishment~
Many in God's Church do
punish their children but have never really
understood ~ punishment is so
essential.
2. In order to understand the reason for
punishment, let's go back and see
how God dealt with His
children -- the Children of Israel.
God set two
diametrically
opposite ways before Israel - - the way of obedience which
leads to blessings and life
and the way of disobedience which leads to
cursings and death (Deut.
30:15,19). Furthermore, God showed in
great
detail just how different the
RESULTS are from these two ways of life
(Lev. 26).
3. The lesson God was trying to teach the
children of Israel is that it
PAYS TO OBEY and it HURTS TO
DISOBEY: In the long run, it never
pays
to sin. It always hurts to disobey. Solomon was inspired to write:
"The way of the
transgressor is hard"(Prov. 13:15).
The children
of Israel are living proof
that this is true. Israel learned the
hard way that it hurts to
disobey.
4. As parents, you must teach your children
this very same lesson -- that
whenever they disobey they
are hurting themselves. However, much
of
the time the damage they are
inflicting upon themselves is not immed-
iately discernable. Very few acts of disobedience carry an
obvious
penalty the child immediately
feels the moment he has disobeyed.
However,
there are a few such acts of
disobedience where the penalty is painfully
apparent. For example, touching a hot stove, sticking
a fork into an
electrical outlet, running
out onto a busy street. But acts of
dis-
obedience such as not coming
when called, refusing to finish a meal,
being messy or not going to
bed when told Do inflict damage to the child
but it is not immediately
noticeable to the child.
5. Here is why punishment is necessary. Whenever your child disobeys, YOU
must provide the pain. Of course, the brief, momentary pain you
supply
is not the only, nor is it
the worst, hurt your child receives when he
disobeys. The worst hurt is that which he has
inflicted on himself
whenever he disobeys, whether
or not you ever learn about it and punish
him. The hurt you provide is but a physical type
of the damage he is
doing to himself. As the child grows older, this must be
continually
emphasized in the teaching
that must accompany the spankings.
14 -
6.
Also, you must equally stress the positive side -- that it really
does PAY to be obedient. Teach them that all of the wonderful
blessings and treats they receive
from you are only available when
they are responsible and obedient
members of the family. Don't allow
them to take everything for
granted. In addition to spanking,
another
very effective method of
punishment is denying them certain privileges
or the use of a certain favorite
toy or pastime.
7.
Sell your children on the value of obedience not only to you but also
to God. Explain why the world is in the tragic mess
it is in. In
every instance, it can be traced
back to some broken law of God.
Remember
that your children are
carnal. So in selling God's way of
life, don't
stress the spiritual benefits --
emphasize the PHYSICAL BENEFITS. This
is what will appeal to a carnal
mind. And it does pay to obey God - -
even in the physical letter of
the law. Since they are selfish, show
them what they can GET out of
obeying God. This is how God Sold
physical
Israel on the benefits of
obedience. He revealed to them all the
physical benefits they could
gain. (Lev. 26).
8.
Make the world tomorrow really come alive by graphically describing
all the physical blessings,
opportunities and challenges that will
be awaiting them. Instill within them an aggressive,
PIONEERING
SPIRIT. Inspire them with the challenges of
BUILDING A NEW WORLD.
Make them long for -- not dread -- the
glorious future God has in
store for them.
ASSIGNMENT
FOR NEXT CLASS
No assignment except to practice
in earnest what you have
been given this
class period.'
A
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