The Gospel elites who transcend the age
1 Samuel 17:18 Take along these ten cheeses to the commander of their unit. See how your brothers are and bring back some assurance from them.
♬ Hymn for scheduled worship: Korean/English Hymnal #199 There is a Dear and Precious Book (# 234 in previous version)
Children who possess the covenant being born to parents who possess the covenant is God’s plan and method. Parents may lack the strength, but parents who possess the covenant are the beginning of the posterity who can save the age. This is why the family standing firm in faith is important, and the family ministry through parents is the beginning of the church which God has personally created. We must hold on to the following as the direction and prayer topic as we rear our children.
1. Relaying the parents’ experience of God and stories of heroes
When God revealed Himself before the Israelites, He often referred to Himself as the “God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” He desired for their descendants to learn of the God of their forefathers. The God of the parents must be seen, heard and engraved upon the children. This is the aspect that will determine the Christian walk of the children. We must also, as the Jewish mothers never lost hold of, read books of heroes and leaders to our children before they fall asleep and read to them the Bible, as well.
2. Discovery of talent and study of finances
We must teach our children the method and give them the strength to study as well as enable them to discover their talents. The Jewish people focus on family ministry before the transition to adulthood at the age of 13 through a coming-of-age ceremony. As we read to our children from different types of books, we will naturally discover our children’s talents. It is also good to begin the study of finances from the home. We must teach our children to neither be oppressed, nor waste money, and we must teach them to neither fear nor consider the world to be beneath them. We must teach our children to know accurately who the Lord of the universe is, and instill in them the Gospel-centered principles of finances as well as offering.
3. Study of society, interpersonal relationships and politics
Our children must grow into elites who are able to survive in society through politeness and etiquette, and develop into leaders of society. What we learn early on through our families become an important pillar of strength as we live in the world. But no matter how much we succeed, if we cannot win people, we will be utterly unfortunate. We must raise our children to remain in the hearts of leaders and evangelists alike. Just as they are beloved before God, our children growing into those beloved by other people is the blessing of blessings. Finally, we must instill in our children the Gospel-centered perspective of looking at the world along with the correct political astuteness. It is imperative that our children be able to look forth into the age and dream of success, answers and the seat of conquest.
- Look around you and examine who God has given to you as a person of blessings, channel of grace and a person to serve.
Prenatal/Infants Parents’ Retreat Lecture 2 / 2010.5.21