I have great concern that the children we take to church on a regular basis are not learning God’s truth at home. In Deuteronomy 6 (NLT) we are instructed how we are to learn, obey and teach the commands, decrees and regulations of the Lord our God:
A Call for Wholehearted Commitment
6: 1“These are the commands, decrees, and regulations that the Lord your God commanded me to teach you. You must obey them in the land you are about to enter and occupy, 2 and you and your children and grandchildren must fear the Lord your God as long as you live. If you obey all his decrees and commands, you will enjoy a long life. 3 Listen closely, Israel, and be careful to obey. Then all will go well with you, and you will have many children in the land flowing with milk and honey, just as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, promised you.
4 “Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. 5 And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. 6 And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. 7 Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. 8 Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. 9 Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
As New Testament believers that have experienced the Day of Pentecost salvation in Acts 1 & 2, are we relying on the church to teach our children about Biblical salvation and doctrine? We all have 168 hours in week. If we went to church 8 hours a week, slept 60 hours a week, worked/school 50-60 hours a week, we would still have another 40-50 hours a week with our family. As parents and grandparents, are we spending any of that last 40-50 hours a week teaching our children when we wake in the morning, walk along the way, sit down and go to bed at night Godly doctrine, morals and values?
If you research the Jewish, Muslim and Catholic traditions, you will find they all start teaching their children extremely young about their beliefs and doctrines. All of these religions will show by example that indoctrinating young children engrains in their hearts and minds a certain belief and they will remain strong in it.
I remember in grade school, Catholic students being released from class early one day a week to go to catechism. It’s been said, “Once a Catholic always a Catholic.” Thank God, as a young child I went to Sunday school and was taught God’s truth from the Old Testament through the New Testament. My father was my pastor/teacher, but we also talked about God and His truths in the home on a regular basis.
As young as I can remember, my parents shared the true story of God-loving me so much that He was willing to come to earth as a babe in the flesh and grow to a man to die on a cross for my sins. It touched my young heart and still touches my heart today. Nothing is more important as a parent than to teach our children their need of salvation!
At six years old, I begged to be baptized in Jesus name because I wanted the Holy Ghost so I would be ready to go when Jesus returned for His Bride. I knew I needed to repent of my sins. I was recently thrilled in my heart to hear the good news that my great-nephew received the Holy Ghost at a junior camp the week he turned 5 years old. His older brother of about 3 years had already received the Holy Ghost and both baptized in Jesus name. Their parents are pastors and teach and live God’s truth at home as well as at church.
We must teach our children God’s truth even before they learn to read. Tell our babies stories from the Bible about God’s love. Pray with them as newborns for God to touch their hearts, protect and guide them into His truth. We must tell them about God’s love, God’s creation, how Adam and Eve chose to disobey God and why we need a Savior.
Young children need to understand their need of salvation. We are all born sinners and we need a Savior. God was manifest in the flesh as Jesus Christ in a manger. He grew into manhood to become the sacrificial Lamb for our sins. I was taught as a very young child about the Tabernacle in the Old Testament being the ‘blueprint’ of New Testament salvation. Children can understand the simple truths of God when taught at their level. Parents, this teaching needs to come from you on a day-to-day basis. Children and adults can receive the Holy Ghost at home prayer times just as they can in church.
What made me hungry for my salvation experience as a child was how my parents lived God-centered lives. God was the center of our home. My parents allowed the Fruit of the Spirit (Gals. 5) to manifest in their relationship with each other and us children. I experienced the love, joy and peace in the home and wanted that in my heart. I heard about it at church, but saw it lived out in our home. God’s Word was the center of our lives. I saw my parents reading and studying the Bible daily. When we had visitors, the conversation would always center on godly subjects.
What do your children see daily in your home? Is it TV, DVD’s, movies, iPhone distraction beyond the use of phone calls? Do you teach the oneness of God, the need for salvation, the steps of salvation – repentance, baptism and the Holy Ghost, who is the Bride of Christ – Jesus our Bridegroom, the soon coming of the Lord for His Bride, living Holy as He is Holy, why we need to study God’s Word (especially the letters written to the church: Romans – Jude) telling us how we ought to behave ourselves?
Our children need to be taught about God’s soon return for His Bride – the Judgment Seat of Christ and Marriage Supper of the Lamb in heaven during the 7 years of the great tribulation on earth – Jesus’ return with us His saints on white horses – the devil locked up in hell for a thousand years of peace on earth – Satan loosed for a season – God’s final victory over the devil and all evil – casting the devil in hell forever – the White Throne Judgment – the renovation of this earth with fire – the creation of the new heaven and the new earth, us The Bride ruling and reigning with God over the new heaven and earth forever and ever and ever.
Our children need us to teach them about sexual purity from a very young age. We need to teach them godly morals and values. In California, children in kindergarten are being taught all the sexual lifestyles as being normal. I will say this again – nothing in life is more important than teaching our children daily about God, His love and His great plan for His Church, the Bride that is called out for His namesake!
This is how I was raised and how we raised our children. This spiritual legacy is the most important thing I can pass to my children, grand children and great grand children if the Lord delays His coming. I feel very strongly that Jesus’ return for His Bride could be any moment. I’m in the generation of actually seeing Israel declared a nation in 1948. When we study God’s Word, all that was spoken is happening before our eyes. Jesus said, “Look up your redemption draweth nigh.”
We should be living our lives daily with the urgency of living godly and desiring our families to know His truth because Jesus is coming soon! Our children should know deep in their hearts the plan of salvation from Acts 2:38 at a young age. We all will give an account to God how we spend our time. We will give an account to God what rules our hearts and minds. We will give an account to God if we lived in the expectancy of His coming hour by hour!
The Bible teaches that we should not set anything wicked before our eyes in Psalms 101:2 & 3 NLT – “I will be careful to live a blameless life—I will lead a life of integrity in my own home. I will refuse to look at anything vile and vulgar.” It also teaches in Psalms 119:37 NLT – “Turn my eyes from worthless things, and give me life through your word.”
Parents and grandparents – I pray what I’m sharing of God’s truth will ‘stir up the gift that lies within you.’ Our influence upon our children and grand children will determine the choices they make about their eternity. Help them to do this – “Thy Word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee!” JESUS IS COMING!
(c) Carol Clemans – July 2015
(Note: It was hard to find a stopping place for this article. I want to sound this ‘trumpet of truth’ to the whole world. Are we preparing our children for Jesus’ return for His Bride?)
I’ve been teaching from the Bible over 50 years. I love sharing God’s Word for churches/conferences. I provide confidential nationwide godly counseling by phone/Skype (636) 448-0121.
www.carolclemans.org: bio, 180+ articles, teaching CD’s, DVD’s, book: GOD’S DESIGN FOR MARRIAGE – marriage seminars – carol@carolclemans.org