He will raise a signal for the nations and will assemble the banished of Israel, and gather the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. Paul talks about this in Romans 7, and he says, I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. The community? What are the steps in doing a word study? It is a strange irony that intelligent parents who have strong and good convictions in most areas often seem to be nonplussed as to what to do when their children disobey. And then verse 14 describes the divine response to this idolatry. It will be true a thousand years from now. We are never wasting our time when we are sharpening our ax. shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you that it is mighty, that you may fear the Lord your God forever (Joshua 4:2124). They usually will not hear and this does not help the present dilemma. We wont be dismissed or Were on a mission to change that. Proverbs 29:15, 17, "The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother . While its ultimately rise up.. after them who did not know the Lord nor the work which He had done for Israel. One in five Americans a matter of Gods grace that anyone is saved, God has given parents an immense If you want to know how much Jesus loves you, look at the cross. I learn from churches larger than Saddleback. In turn, they offer no helpful council to prevent this from happening in the future. Its people were brought out from the peoples and now dwell securely, all of them. brink of such a change right now! The CNN website defend the idea of evolution and history over millions of years, thus causing Ive read through John Wesley and through several other leaders. The first way you guard your heart and mind is in everything to pray. Thats a conviction. Every year I read through the complete works of a great thinker. You're your own man. 4 for everyone born of God overcomes the world. It is their property by inheritance. of which is determined by the hands which wield it.4. And when people say I dont want to think about this, what are they doing? More is needed. Within the Christian community the main link between what this generation knows and what the next generation will know is the link between parent and child. By the way, some people say, God hasnt called me to be successful. I have said it before, and Ill write it here again: we need another Reformation and this one needs to be about deeds, not creeds. For many will come in my name, saying, I am the Christ, and they will lead many astray. And none of the wicked shall understand, but those who are wise shall understand. Take a moment now and read Psalm 78:1-8. Character is the sum total of our habits. Its not one or the other. They saw the acts of God. As mothers and fathers, we must first save ourselves from this perverse generation (Acts 2:38-40) and then teach our children how to be saved from it We must meditate on God's word day and night to learn how to be godly and how to bring up godly children. What can be said about this? Second, a new generation arose who for some reason did not know God or his work for Israel. V 6:6-7; Eph. The word generation refers to the people alive in the future when the events of Matthew 24-25 take place. You may say, I believe in witnessing. Do you do it? Somebody has to imagine it first. There really is nothing new under the sun. I learn from people who totally misunderstand me. Friend, our lives do not change that much that fast. Rick Warren is the founder and senior pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California. As soon as a child is old enough to understand your command and has the physical ability to do it, he should be taught what is right to do and then punished for not doing it until he will obey at home and in public. The most important commandment in all of Jewish Scripture is: "Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God is one Lord; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might." Study and reflect. every day. The Bible refers to the fig tree some 33 times - 18 times in the Old Testament alone. Heres what I want to say to you, friend. And then I was to have a quiet time seven days a week, each with an application. What is your dream for you personally? Generations come, and generations go, but the earth lasts forever. And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and served the Baals. Geocoding Every generation has the same decision to make: Will I serve the God of the Bible or a false god? Proverbs 23:13, 14: "Do not withhold discipline from your child; if you strike him with the rod, he will not die. They have never taken another class since finishing school. Verse 4. Over and over again, the Jewish fathers were They saw the Red Sea split. If I thought that I was talking to a group of child abusers, I would say many other things. Unless otherwise indicated, all content is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License. Weve got All of the different -isms are mental strongholds that people set up against the knowledge of God. In 1965, Donald Grey Barnhouse wrote a book about it called The Invisible War. And may Christians be known for outthinking, outsmarting, and out-loving the rest of the world. Learning from your enemies is a way to be smarter than your enemies, because if your enemies learn only from themselves, but you learn from them, then you will know more than they do what they know plus what you know! Most people in the world have no experience of lasting joy in their lives. Verse 7 says, "The people served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great work which the Lord had done for Israel." Then you dont really believe in it. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Isaiah 26:3 says, You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Your mental state depends on what you think about. Repentance is changing the way you think. Many shall purify themselves and make themselves white and be refined, but the wicked shall act wickedly. Some parents whose children have gone the way of Balaam, honestly and critically look back on their child rearing days and see their mistakes. from generation to generation, but the basic challenge is always the same. So pray about everything. It doesnt say its dedication. I have noticed how the next generation values authenticity. Each generation needs its C. S. Lewises and J. R. R. Tolkiens, and G. K. Chestertons, and Tolstoys, and Dostoyevskys. And as I heard all these sermons, I would write over and over again as I was taking notes, YBH, YBH, YBH yes, but how? And how do you teach other people to do that? Jesus said that was the first and great commandment. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains. I think the politicians will follow that for votes. But what was the memorial for? Doing. First, I want to give some more biblical evidence for this admonition to parents, and then try to answer some common objections. We can only do the impossible if we see the invisible. "So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he gave them over to plunderers.". It is clear, then, that if we parents neglect this duty, we serve not only the ignorance and unbelief of our children, but also their destruction. What can we do to prevent it from happening again and again? When I look at my three sons in love, I say, "O Christ, let me not be delinquent in bringing them with me to glory.". Thats the oldest lie in the book, that we will be like God (Genesis 3:5). Daniel 4:3 Verse Concepts "How great are His signs And how mighty are His wonders! You can learn from anybody. I would like to speak this morning on behalf of the children: the children in our church families and the ones not yet born. Nevertheless, I speak to you all because it is crucial that what God has to say about children be part of our shared Christian view of life. Some churches are great at Bible knowledge but fail to teach their people perspective. In my family, four generations back gave their library to three generations back, who gave it to two generations back my dad who gave it to me. If I were to say to my wife, Honey, Ill be faithful to you twenty-nine days of the month, she knows, and I know, that partial faithfulness is unfaithfulness. And he said, Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. Why? reported, The fastest growing religious group in America is made up of people L Protect them from the Evil One. Even many leaders in Christian education have compromised Make it obedient. TopicalBible The average person can speak about 150 words per minute, but the average mind can understand about 350 words per minute that is a 200-word per minute boredom factor. will be able to separate us from the love of God (Romans 8:39). Despite the fact America has many megachurches and more Christian resources And I will make boys their princes, and infants shall rule over them. Are you kidding me? They think they can allow anything into their mind, and they will be just fine. And the Bible says that we are to tear them down. I believe in having family devotions. Do you do it? That is why you can put four people at an accident and each of them will see something different. It saves a lot of time and saves us from making the mistakes of others. I did my first study on the mind in 1977, working through all the books of the Bible. A second interpretation of this passage understands this phrase to mean "this type of generation," referring to sinful humanity. W Who has heard such a thing? a battle for their kids is raging around thema battle that is being won, at Isaiah 3:1-26 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful. Creeds must be turned into deeds. . We need to learn knowledge. Mark this. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.". And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. Now the people of Reuben and the people of Gad had a very great number of livestock. How are you going to be different ten years from now? We are taking notes and filling notebooks and thinking that because we are writing things down, we are really getting it. We only believe what we actually do. (2) What is the perspective Im teaching them in this sermon? For years I have been warning churchgoers about this danger in my presentations. 1) It goes counter to all the teaching of Scripture that parents are to teach truth about God. The way you work isnt the way I work. Obviously thats true! But store up knowledge because knowledge is far more important than money. I learn from guys older than me and from guys younger. Test every thought. Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations. They had knowledge, but Moses also had perspective. It is seeing from Gods perspective. Second, if we parents allow our children to grow up without this knowledge of God, we serve not only their ignorance and unbelief, but also their destruction. They dont teach wisdom. If you are reading 1 Samuel (like we are now) and you don't know what Ebenezer means in 7:12, you can say, "Let's stop at the church library and look it up in the Bible dictionary," and so teach your child how to use the library and communicate your own seriousness about answering his questions. Dont worry about anything, but pray about everything. train up the next generation. For 33 years, he served as pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota. It means a kind of revelation, a vision from God. Proverbs 30:1 I says, There is a generation that curses its father, And does not bless its mother. Why? Instead, the cry rings out "We did all that we could!" The Bible shows us we are the last generation on earth. God cannot bless your vision if you dont have his vision for your life. Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when the plowman shall overtake the reaper and the treader of grapes him who sows the seed; the mountains shall drip sweet wine, and all the hills shall flow with it. Blog, A And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting! Ask God to search and test your thoughts. Peter teaches that we must follow the Savior's example in enduring trials and persecution. We must spend time teaching our children. So we want to develop for ourselves, and to help others develop, the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:1416; Philippians 2:511). other well-established scientific idea, without caveats or apologies. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. I talk to God all the time. Read 25 percent of your books from the first fifteen hundred years of church history. In conviction we want the heart of God. Thank you for signing up to receive email newsletters from Answers in Genesis. are using the public schools, secular media, museums, and other outlets to do When Joshua dismissed the people, the people of Israel went each to his inheritance to take possession of the land. One of their arguments is that the word begat, as used in the time-line from the first man Adam to Abraham in Genesis 5 and 11, can skip generations. God to their children. Behold, Damascus will cease to be a city and will become a heap of ruins. And we need to know not only the Bible but also church history. In context, the fig tree is always a symbol for Israel. And America is on the Faithfulness is only half the equation. Bless their churches. in that group identifying as either atheist or agnostic, according to the new We also established that around 90% of those who leave church attended public this plan for conveying His grace, and we need to make sure were doing our We tell ourselves that things are better than they really are. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all has taken place. It is we parents who have the first and foremost responsibility to see that our children think correctly about God. I may be wrong, but my pastoral judgment is that among Christian parents in their 20s and 30s the tendency is to have expectations of obedience that are too low and too late, and discipline that lacks firmness and rigor and consistency. There is junk food, which is simple calories its not poison, but its just empty calories. Answer The Bible uses the term generation in some different ways. I am begging you: dream great dreams for God, and teach others to dream great dreams for God. Many parents seem to have lost their bearings when it comes to handling the disobedience of their children. C The definition of the gospel by which we I can think of two. These same two priorities (to your own heart and to your children) are also commanded in Deuteronomy 4:9: "Take heed and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things which your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life; make them known to your children and your children's children." For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction. You from the riverbed to build a memorial. For some pastors, this would mean going through a vacuum tube out to the pulpit, then preaching, and then taking the vacuum tube back to their study. The Christian life is not just knowing; its being and doing. A wide gap exists between knowing and doing in American Christianity and perhaps its cause is too much teaching. "Thus says the Lord God: If the prince makes a gift to any of his sons as his inheritance, it shall belong to his sons. Conviction is the third building block, as these build on each other. It will not happen. the Jordan River, the first thing He told Joshua to do was to take twelve stones The third thing we need is conviction. Faith in Christ isnt blind. Were telling ourselves its no big deal when it is a big deal. vast majority of these students were not taught apologetics (how to give a reasoned with evolution and earth history over millions of years. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. And they buried him within the bounds of his inheritance in Timnathheres, in the hill country of Ephraim, north of the mountain of Gaash. Once we start getting perspective, we begin developing convictions. In the latter years you will go against the land that is restored from war, the land whose people were gathered from many peoples upon the mountains of Israel, which had been a continual waste. You're your own woman. And what we need today as much as ever are men and women of godly, biblical convictions. Here are five things to remember in our own lives and to teach to others. And Jesus wants us to learn from him. Joshua died when he was 110 years old, according to Judges 2:8. - A wicked and adulterous generation. The Bible says that according to your faith be it done to you (Matthew 9:29). Psalm 139:2324 says, Search me, O God, and know my heart! We might be teaching people so much that they arent able to apply it. Nobody accuses a parent of prejudicing a child's cosmology because he tells the child the world is round, and the little stars at night are bigger than the earth, and the sun really stands still while the earth turns. Dont store up material possessions where moth and rust decay. They were instructed to pass on the knowledge and fear of True faith must be built upon a knowledge . humanism. Then I was supposed to come back to midweek prayer and Bible study and get another application. The moment you stop growing, your church stops growing. Because we know these things are so and can give evidence to a child eventually that will support this truth. So, if the children don't do what you say, you try to humor them or bribe them or pen them up. Psalm 78.4: We will not hide them from their children, telling to the generation to come the praises of the Lord, And His strength and His wonderful works that He has done. We do not know the day or the hour, but we do know that the world has to end at an unknown date befor. claims no affiliation with religion, and this category is even higher among You're almost done! So leaders must first be learners. If its held forth as new, then its not true, because truth is eternal. next generation for the Lordpassing that spiritual legacy along to the children, Here are what I call the five levels of learning: 1) Knowledge Second, Paul says that we should fix our thoughts. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on. And while some were speaking of the temple, how it was adorned with noble stones and offerings, he said, For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. Even when parents pull their kids out of public school, the anti-God message at the center of biology, and thus important to the success of medicine, biotechnology, All of our resources exist to guide you toward everlasting joy in Jesus Christ. How long does it take to lose a culture, from a Christian perspective? on the authority of Gods Word (Romans 1:16). But if you have a sharp ax, it doesnt take as much energy. But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. We must have the right skills. I said to him, Sir, you know. And he said to me, These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. The generation that Jesus speaks of "not passing" until He returns is a future generation, namely, the people living when the predicted events occur. Theyre kidding themselves. I dont want it. I preach on creeds with frequency. the way we should be teaching our kids in a hostile culture, and work together And as he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings! And Jesus said to him, Do you see these great buildings? The god of this world may shift his seductions slightly Teaching young people how Gods Wordrather than the atheistic worldviewmakes Q and to take the responsibility for training their children in spiritual matters. While statistics indicate So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he gave them over to plunderers, who plundered them; and sold them into the power of their enemies round about, so that they could no longer withstand their enemies. Do others see progress in your life? And behold, I am coming soon. And what can we do to stop the exodus? Jesse Galef, communications director for the Secular Student Alliance, 3) Conviction But then we need to add to the convictions that come out of knowing the mind of God. They never honestly ask the question, "Was it something I did or didn't do?" Parents cannot depend upon the babysitter or daycare to handle training their children, they must take charge of it We only have our children for a short time, there is not time to waste. Neither is it fruitful to seek their council on child-rearing. Parents cannot drop their children off for church and run off to do the things of the world and expect them to become Christians. Let us not lose another generation of our children to the world. Some people are so open-minded that their brains fall out. Because everything God says for the good of one group will shape the way all the others live in relation to that group. Anything that you make an idol in your life can be a stronghold fear, guilt, resentment, insecurity. Proverbs 19:18a: "Discipline your son while there is hope; do not set your heart on his destruction." . Philippians 4:68 gives us two ways to guard our minds from garbage: conversational prayer and concentrated focusing: Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. After his death, others of his generation lived on for a while, but then they too died out. In California you cant ride a motorcycle without wearing a helmet. May they be transformed by the renewing of their minds so that they may know your will which is good and pleasing and perfect. We need these in science. R Guard your mind from garbage is the second key. You lighten a load. Read Chapter All Versions Exodus 34:6-7 next generation (through the education system, media, etc. It is prideful to think that leaders from the past dont have anything to teach us. Jesus answered him, "Truly, truly, I say . You will leave all your material wealth behind, but a wealth of knowledge goes with you. of the gospel! Our natural state is selfish at best and pathological at its worst. Let no one deceive you in any way. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. A generation goes, a generation comes, but the earth remains forever. Volume 1, http://www.loc.gov/rr/frd/Military_Law/pdf/NT_Nazi_Vol-I.pdf, http://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/stalin/works/1934/07/23.htm, http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2012/10/09/survey-one-in-five-americans-is-religiously-unaffiliated/comment-page-3/, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steven-newton/creationism-mr-nye-and-dr-pepper_b_1934407.html, Two thirds of teenagers dont believe in God,. I grew up in the Southern Baptist Church. I think one of the saddest pages in the Bible is in Judges 2:1012, When all rash, deluded (Leviticus 5:4; Isaiah 32:4 NIV). Love wisdom. The church and parents must reevaluate their old assumptions about In this busy world, parents depend upon other people to raise their children for them without realizing it They are too busy to realize it! Jesus did not just begin building his church in the year 2000. Put on the helmet of salvation. They need I love you so much that every drop of blood falling to the ground says, I love you. Thats conviction. No? to understand why we know the Bible is true: the authority of the One who Then Paul says to think about whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise. Notice that he says to pray about everything. But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end. I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel, and they shall rebuild the ruined cities and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and drink their wine, and they shall make gardens and eat their fruit. A violent battle is raging around us twenty-four hours per day. 4) And, fourth, it is simply unloving and cruel not to give a child what he needs most. But if he makes a gift out of his inheritance to one of his servants, it shall be his to the year of liberty. It is only faithfulness if it is my habit to always be faithful to her. Make sure that you are growing and developing. One final area I would like to address before closing this chapter is the imagination. It showed clearly Jesus' point in His statement, "this generation will not pass away until all . the origin of sin and death in this world. indoctrinating them in evolutionary humanism. God says in Hosea 4:6, My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. When we dont know the Word of God, we can be destroyed. And so I close with a promise from Proverbs 23:24, 25. Everybody has a mental illness. They forsook the Lord, and served the Baals and the Ashtaroth. . Generations come and generations go, but the world stays just the same. Not to teach the infinite value of Christ is to teach that he is negligible. Rather than see this happen again with someone else, they urgently teach and warn young parents of these errors and stop the trend before it recurs (Tit. America is heading down the same path as Europe and England. Two-thirds of children will leave the church after they leave home. A goal is a kind of statement of faith. No? Thats why our church features each week on the back of the bulletin a figure from history, just a little bio. We all have blind spots. The Greek word aichmaltiz there means to control, to conquer, to bring into submission. We take captive. Anytime you sin, you are thinking that you know better than God. If we are going to learn, and teach others, how to fight the battle for the mind, we must learn how to let God stretch our imaginations. And heres Proverbs 19:8: Whoever gets sense loves his own soul; he who keeps understanding will discover good. We must make time to think. May God fill our families with this joy in the years to come. Joel 1.3: Tell your children about it, and let your children tell their children, and their children the next generation. It is important that old people know what God says concerning children, and that children know what God says concerning age; that men know the word to women, and women the word to men; that the rich know the word to the poor, and the poor the word to the rich; and so on. Nothing has changed in the nature of children to make the Word of God from Proverbs unwise. I'll tell you an encouraging secret from the minor workings of college life. Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff, and I was told, Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship there, but do not measure the court outside the temple; leave that out, for it is given over to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for forty-two months. Einstein also said that imagination, not knowledge, is the evidence of intelligence. I can outdo that.. The public schools have been teaching their own brand of apologetics: how to The only difference between an innovator and anybody else is not that the innovator sees more than what everybody else sees but that he asks questions that nobody else does. Sadly, in our fallen world we are born in a natural sinful state and can only be redeemed by our Creator. Christians must be ever vigilant. Which means your brain is telling you what you see. Joel 1:3 puts it in a nugget: "Tell your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children another generation.". Maintain a running conversation. Authenticity begins when you start by admitting that you are inauthentic. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom Most college students don't realize that when they take a course from a teacher who is teaching it for the first time, he often knows very little more than they do and is staying just a step ahead. Learn this old clich: God gave us two ears and one mouth, so we should listen twice as much as we speak.