Is It Time To Rebuild?

Years ago, when my wife and I were newly married, we bought our first house. That first house had some real problems.  The main one was that whoever built it did not take the time to put a footing under the foundation.  Therefore, the house had settled on one end.  The 20 foot living/dining room dropped about 12 inches from one end to the other. It took an incredible amount of time and effort to try to get that house back to level.  Eventually, someone had to come and dig out the old foundation, and put in a new footing and foundation, so that the house could be solid.

Today I see many families struggling.  They will say things like, “My kid is on suspension from school.”, “Our marriage is falling apart.”, “My kids won’t listen and obey me,.”, and the list goes on…

When you get a chance to talk with them and challenge them, you realize that their lives and families have a foundation problem.  They need to return to the Biblical principles, and teaching, and Jesus Christ in their lives and families.  Matthew 7:24–27 (NKJV) ²⁴“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: ²⁵and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. ²⁶“But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: ²⁷and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”

Some of you may think that you are fine, because the storms of life have not yet hit, but they will.  Many others are facing the storm and seeing their homes beginning to sink. and oOthers are seeing them collapse.  I want to let you know there is hope!  Remove the foundation that is allowing your life and family to fall apart, and start rebuilding on the Rock of Jesus’ teachings.  I am not here telling you it will be easy. It will be harder than rebuilding the foundation of our house, but it will also be more rewarding when you are done.  I also am not telling you to do it alone, in fact, I will work to help you in this process, or connect you to someone else who will point you to the Biblical principles that are needed in the life of you and your children.  Don’t put it off, because the longer you wait, the more difficult the job becomes.  If your children are young the job will be easier than if they are old, if you are working from multiple generations of the improper foundation your work is cut out for you, but don’t lose hope.  Do the job “one brick” at a time, then slowly and surely, you will see the benefits of your efforts as you submit to God’s Word in your life and family!

For assistance contact: First Baptist Church 309-257-2290 or littletonbap@mtcnow.net

Let Them Decide!

Some parents are so controlling! They make their kids learn so many things as they run their lives for them.   I’ve seen parents make their kids eat fruits and vegetables, instead of just putting them out with the Hershey bars, candy, and soda.  This seems overbearing surely they can decide for themselves, if we just expose them to all the food choices that are available.

Other parents are really hung up on academics they make their children learn colors, letters, sounds, numbers  and them expect them to agree that 2 x 2 =4.  These parents just want their kids to be boxed-in in life.  Surely we can just let them have a crayon, pen, pencil, and paper and they can decide for themselves if they really think a system of communication with symbols, or letters is necessary.  It is not like we as parents know everything.

There are even multiple parents I have seen that make their children take a bath, with soap, and even wash behind their ears.  This is just over the top!  How dictatorial can a parent be?   Any kid, given time, can find water, and some kind of cleaner to use, if they think it is necessary and important to themselves.

By now, most of those reading this column are really upset, or have figured out that I am being pretty sarcastic.  Yet, parents that are involved in their kids temporal lives giving all kinds of guidance from baths, to diet, to their education, never spend any time helping prepare them for eternity.  They say, “I am going to let them decide.”  Many of them do not realize that Jesus made this declaration, “I am the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes unto the Father but by me.” (Jn. 14:6, KJV)  They have not kept the command of Ephesians 6:4, to “bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.” (NKJV)

Many who are great parents academically, and physically, never put any effort into spiritually training their children.  They are not only disobedient to the Scriptures but send their children off to “decide” on their own without giving them any direction.  A parent who would never want any physical harm come to their child sends that same child off into a Christ-less eternity to suffer damnation forever!

The following six weeks on Sunday Mornings at 10:30 we will be studying the topic, “Dealing with Dysfunction”.  Principles will be covered that will help bring Biblical answers to everyday problems that parents face but seldom use, to “bring their children up in the training and admonition of the Lord.”

(This article was published in the pastor's column of the Rushville Times.)

Mean Teachers

Recently I heard a young student say to a teacher, “Kids say that you are mean.”   Thankfully this teacher was mature enough to not even be upset.

This student was using “mean” in the terms of “causing trouble or being a bother” as if this teacher gets joy out of harassing and giving students a difficult time.

What this student did not realize is that the teacher recognizes their responsibility to educate and that to fulfill their responsibility of education the students need to be disciplined.  Therefore, when a child is acting in such a way as to disrupt their own education and the education of the other children in the classroom a loving and concerned teacher will deal with this and bring consequences into the life of that student so that they hopefully learn to be disciplined in their life so that they and those around them can receive an education.

Whether or not they realize it teachers with this view of discipline are actually reflecting the loving character of Jesus Christ.  In Rev. 3:19 in speaking to the Laodiceans Jesus said, “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten.”  (cf. Hebrews 12:5-6)

Parents are given many challenges in Proverbs in how to discipline their children.

-      Prov. 29:17 “Correct thy son, and he shall give you rest; yea, he shall give delight unto thy soul.

-      Prov. 23:13 “Withhold not correction from the child”

-      Prov. 29:15 “The rod and rebuke give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother.

-      Prov. 29:18 “Discipline your son while there is hope, and do not desire his death.”

-      Proverbs 13:24 (NKJV) ²⁴He who spares his rod hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines him promptly.

Unfortunately, if children like the one above are allowed to be the focus of the home and they are seldom if ever disciplined they will not realize their teachers’ actions as loving.  (Note: Discipline is giving loving consequences to an action to bring about God honoring behavior.  This differs from punishment – which is simply “payback” for a behavior.)  Therefore, if we as parents choose to hand over our God given right and responsibility to the government and our local schools, we must realize that we are asking these teachers to act “in loco parentis” that is “in the place of the parents”.  We should then expect them to be disciplining and training our children so that they can receive the best education possible.

In recognizing this we as parents out of love for our children, the other children in our community, and our teachers would do great help if besides just teaching numbers and the ABC’s to our children before they enter school we will also discipline and build character in their lives.   Every young person entering preschool should understand terms such as lie and obey and they should be disciplined and trained to consistently respond the first time they are told to do something.  When we get back to these ideals we will have a bunch of teachers who are less stressed and who can do a better job of teaching our children because they will spend less time training and disciplining our children what we should have already taught them.

In closing let me say thank you to the many teachers who are “mean” in the manner explained above.  Thank you for coming along side of us as parents to help educate our children, because no matter how good of job we do as parents we recognize that all people, including our kids, are sinners and will occasionally need a “mean” teacher!

Acknowledge God's Discipline

Proverbs 3:11–12 (NKJV) ¹¹My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor detest His correction; ¹²For whom the Lord loves He corrects, Just as a father the son in whom he delights.

The fourth principle we see in Proverbs 3 as we begin this New Year is “Acknowledge God’s Discipline.”  The writer begins verse 11 saying “do not despise the chastening of the Lord.”  God’s chastening was part of the promise to David in 2 Samuel 7:14 (NKJV) ¹⁴I will be his Father, and he shall be My son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men. For those he loved if they departed from God’s ways and walked in iniquity they would be chastened even the king.  The challenge goes on to not “detest correction.”  It may be important here to remember the difference between discipline and punishment.  Discipline or correction desires to bring back to the proper behavior and fellowship.  Punishment on the other hand is payback for what was done wrong. 

Discipline or correction is a sign of God’s love just as it is a sign of a Father’s love.   Proverbs 13:24 (ESV) ²⁴Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him. So rather than despising God’s discipline and correction we can be thankful for it rather than like a fool who “despises his father’s instruction” (Prov. 15:5; cf. Prov. 12:1; 13:18; Prov. 29:17).

Just as some children foolishly resist parental discipline, we are warned not to ‘reject the discipline of the Lord, or loathe his reproof’ (v. 11). Some professing Christians become bitter and even angry with God when they endure physical and emotional pain. Others are tempted to despair, wallowing in their misery. Instead, we should remember that we are children in whom our heavenly Father delights (v. 12b) and that he is sovereignly allowing us to suffer because he loves us (13:24). Thank God that he cares enough about us to discipline us as a father and doesn’t let us get away with much for long. Unlike that of our earthly fathers, God’s discipline is perfect (Heb. 12:9–10), which means that you can be sure that every trial that comes into your life is perfectly designed by your heavenly Father for your benefit. It has been said, ‘He will melt you in his furnace that he may stamp you with his image.’ The psalmist states, ‘Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep your word’ (Ps. 119:67).^[1]

The promise that comes with this principle is that God’s love brings maturity.  We are promised that we are being conformed to the image of Christ! (Rom. 8:29)

  May we all respond quickly and correctly to God’s discipline and correction.

The video version of this is available at www.youtube.com/user/churchoflittleton  FW # 60

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^[1] Jim Newheiser, Opening Up Proverbs (Leominster: Day One Publications, 2008), 64-65.