Tell it to your children

         “Tell ye your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children another generation.”

         —Joel 1:3

In this simple way, by God’s grace, a living testimony for truth is always to be kept alive in the land—the beloved of the Lord are to hand down their witness for the gospel, and the covenant to their heirs, and these again to their next descendants. This is our first duty, we are to begin at the family hearth: he is a bad preacher who does not commence his ministry at home. The heathen are to be sought by all means, and the highways and hedges are to be searched, but home has a prior claim, and woe unto those who reverse the order of the Lord’s arrangements. To teach our children is a personal duty; we cannot delegate it to Sunday school teachers, or other friendly aids; these can assist us, but cannot deliver us from the sacred obligation; proxies and sponsors are wicked devices in this case: mothers and fathers must, like Abraham, command their households in the fear of God, and talk with their offspring concerning the wondrous works of the Most High. Parental teaching is a natural duty—who so fit to look to the child’s well-being as those who are the authors of his actual being? To neglect the instruction of our offspring is worse than brutish. Family religion is necessary for the nation, for the family itself, and for the church of God. By a thousand plots Popery is covertly advancing in our land, and one of the most effectual means for resisting its inroads is left almost neglected, namely, the instruction of children in the faith. Would that parents would awaken to a sense of the importance of this matter. It is a pleasant duty to talk of Jesus to our sons and daughters, and the more so because it has often proved to be an accepted work, for God has saved the children through the parents’ prayers and admonitions. May every house into which this volume shall come honour the Lord and receive his smile.

Spurgeon, C. H. (1896). Morning and evening: Daily readings. London: Passmore & Alabaster.

Did you have Hero's when you were a Child?

DID YOU HAVE HEROES WHEN YOU WERE A CHILD? WERE THEY REAL HEROES, SUCH AS FIREMEN, POLICEMEN, OR TEACHERS, OR WERE THE HOLLYWOOD VARIETY (Superman, Batman, or Marvel D.C. Comics' heroes)?

Kids don't know what a real hero is, if they don't know Jesus Christ personally! He has purchased eternal life for everyone who understands that they have sinned (Romans 3:23) and believe the gospel of Jesus' life (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).

Recently I've heard of "born-again" Christian kids idolizing Marvel Comics' heroes and the various forms of occultic powers they use for their strength.

First of all, are these kids in question truly saved? Once they were saved was there any discipliship program offered them to train them in the things of the LORD?

If not, win them over to Christ.

Proverbs 22:6 "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it."

God doesn't make promises that He can't keep, or can't be kept!

Teach the children the first two commandments and to fully understand what they mean!  

Deuteronomy 5:7-9 "Thou shalt have none other gods before me. 6. Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth: 7a. Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God..."

The first things that we think about when we awaken each day often become our gods! Adults set up their homes, vehicles, family and friends on a pedestal, often placing them before God Almighty.  

Children must be taught about being a godly example, starting with the life of Jesus Christ, His constantly giving of himself, His sacrifices including the Great Sacrifice of nailing our sins to His cross. Christ paying for our sins shows us his dedication, faithfulness and trustworthiness. These are just part of Jesus (God's) character! The four gospels provide plenty of material about the life of Jesus.  

When new believers realize that Jesus Christ is MORE real (than their fictitious heroes) and that once they are saved He hears their prayers, they can learn to depend on Him.

Also teach your children about wearing their spiritual armour (Ephesians 6) and that the battles of this life are initiated in the spirit world (Ephesians 6:12) "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."

Don't discount God's abilities to save and change lives, or our abilities in serving Jesus! Part of the problem with our children lies with us in that we fail to train them much past their receiving Jesus as their Saviour.  

They need to be taught to follow the LORD Jesus Christ, through our example. We must teach them to never compromise God's ways for the conveniences the world offers!  

James 5:16 "Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."

Pray diligently for your children, no matter WHAT their age! Unfortunately, we forget God's power to help us in our times of need and for those needs of others.

Some of us need to go back to the beginning!

Hebrews 5:12 "For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat."

As Christians we have immediate access to God's throne!

Hebrews 4:16 "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need."

DON'T WASTE TRAINING TIME!