A Voice in the Wilderness
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Issue 133 July, 2005
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" Childhood Disorders " - Page 3
Do we now begin to understand what Jesus said when He proclaimed that: "...narrow is the gate and distressing is the way which leads unto life, and there are FEW (few) who find it." (Mt7:14)
George Barna summarized his findings by saying, "Faith makes very little difference in their [Christians] lives: believers do not train their children to think or act differently [from the world]. It's no wonder that they [Christian children] grow up to be just as involved in gambling, excessive drinking, and any other unbiblical behavior as everyone else."
When you see a so-called "christian" rock concert going on, where thousands are in attendance, dancing and moshing their way into sensuality, and you are the 'lone' dissenter NOT in attendance...you are part of the "few". That mega church with it's thousands of members, where they are 'worshiping' and throwing doctrine out, and you 'alone' have come out...you are part of the "few". Remember, Jesus was not comparing the "few" to the world, but against those claiming, "Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many works of power in Your name?" to whom He replies, "I never knew you; depart from Me, you who work out lawlessness! (Mt7:22-23) When He speaks of the "broad way" going to destruction with "many" on that path, that is not the world; that is the overall 'church'!
Dear Reader: ARE YOU PAYING ATTENTION?
What is a disorder? If we tear this word apart we see:
dis == not or against
order == A condition of logical or comprehensible arrangement
among the separate elements of a group. Something
like: the ducks being lined up in a row.
God's Word is meant to be given to children in this fashion: "For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, there a little;" (Is28:10) And the precept from God, as God's Word is "hidden" in the heart, as the "young man" has "taken heed to God's Word" and now has a "lamp" and "light" for his path (Ps119:9-11,105) is: "And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, This is the way, walk in it, when you turn to the right hand and when you turn to the left." (Is30:21)
That is "order". Parents tell their children to "pick up your toys", or to "make your bed"; and ask, "did you brush your teeth and comb your hair?"
We are told that God is "not of confusion but of peace" (1Co14:33) When an older child is bombarded from every-which-way with the world's enticements to immorality and wrongdoing, on what basis can they make the right decisions and choices? Only if they have been trained up in the "way they should go". If they are trained thusly, "when they are old, they will not depart from it" (Pr22:6)
Horses that pull royal carriages in parades, past throngs of cheering screaming people, sometimes where fireworks are going off in celebration...how do they remain calm and under control? They are 'trained' -SPECIFICALLY- to handle such commotion. Several years ago I saw a special on TV about those who train the horses for Buckingham palace and England's royals. The horses are trained -systematically-, IN ORDER, for the task required of them.
Children are no less. If it is the desire to have children without disorders, they must be trained -in- order, systematically, consistently. If the parent commands, "Johnny don't", only once...and then when Johnny -does- it again, the parent throws their hands in the air in exasperation, and whines, "I told him...but he won't obey!" Well...the parent has not yet even -begun- to train Johnny!! Remember the Scripture: precept upon precept, line upon line, here a little there a little. Children must be trained in exactly the same way the robin trained my cat years ago, to not hunt robins. The cat, being young, was quite a jumper and 'lively'...and so, as the robin dive-bombed him, the cat would jump, paws/claws fully extended, hoping to snag a delicious robin meal (or at least, since he was always well-fed, a live plaything). Thing is, the robin was smarter and always divebombed -just- shy of kitty's claws. This process repeated for what seemed like 'hundreds' of times. Well, you know they say (whoever 'they' is!) that cats cannot be trained. Well, yes they can! After that robin was finished with his 'training', my cat -never- again pursued robins. The cat could be lying down napping in the sun, and a robin could be hopping around scarcely a claw-swipe away from him looking for worms, but the cat would pay him nary-a-mind.
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