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Bibleline Bibleline, here God’s word on Bibleline, here God’s truth on Bibleline. Welcome to Bibleline with Dr. Ralph Yankee Arnold, pastor of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida. Clearly declaring the gospel of Jesus Christ through the radio and the internet. Your regular prayers and monthly support make it possible for Bibleline to continue on the air. You can reach us toll-free at 1-800-576-3771. Online donations may be made by clicking on the donations link on the BibleLineMinistries.org homepage. We pray that you will enjoy our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ and that today’s first part of this two-part message will be a blessing to you and your family.

Anyway, I was given an opportunity to speak at the Uncle Convention over there on Saturday. Sometimes we wonder, well, what can I say to motivate the parents to send their kids to a Christian school? And I thought about all the reasons why the Bible college, why should I have to use human reasoning or philosophy and psychology on somebody, try to talk somebody into doing something? So I got to thinking, what does the Bible have to say? Evidently, the parents cared enough about their kids to go the extra mile and teach your children at home, they homeschool them.

And so it cost, they still got to pay taxes, but now they got to pay even more and then in their time that it takes to do it. And to prepare the time and studies and take and test. So there’s a lot of work that’s involved in re-tize it down. So it’s a sacrifice, a great sacrifice. And so they must do it for a reason because they must not be what they want in the public schools or they would send their kids to the public school.

But we often use what we call a tripod, but I couldn’t find a three-legged stool, so I got a four-legged stool. As you know, a four-legged stool is a lot stronger than three and it gets better balanced, But then a three-legged stool is better than two-legged stool. Would you like to sit on a two-legged stool? But what’s worse is if it was only one leg, that would really be fun, if it’s just a one-legged stool. But God has told us that we’re supposed to raise our children a right way.

And so whether it’s at home, you want them to learn certain things from the family. And then they go to school and even if you had in the home, you got school. But the school should teach the same thing that you teach by your life and the way you are and what you believe. Most people want to teach their children how to believe like they believe. Well, if you’re going to have them in school, it should be harmonious in agreement.

And then when you send them to church, well, the church should also teach exactly the same thing that you would teach them if you was at home. So you see those are the three legs whether it’s the family, the home, and then the school and church all teach the same thing. Well then after they get out of the family and out of the home and they’re gonna go someplace on their own, well if they go to college and you got four legs it should all teach the same thing.

But a lot of times parents make a mistake is they teach them at home they teach the same thing at church and then they send them off to some college so that they can get those final touches from some humanist educator that just really appreciate all the work that you did and you gave me this jewel at the end to train them in the way that I want them to go. Which I think is not the very best decision that most times parents can make.

Take your Bible, look in the book of Ephesians in chapter 6. Ephesians chapter 6. And notice in verse 1, the previous chapter is talked about, you know, walking the spirit and be filled with the spirit. It talks about the husband and the wife. And now he’s talking about the children. So in verse 1, children, obey your parents in the Lord for this is right. Analai Father and Mother. Which is the first commandment with promise. That it may be well with thee and thou mayest live long on the earth.

And ye fathers provoke not your children to wrath, but bring them up in the nurture and the admonition of the Lord. That means in the discipline of the Word of God. So we have the Word of God given to us and we should have an idea what God expects from us. So look there in your notes. And we’ll spend most of our time going right now. here, most of the scriptures are right here on the paper. And part of the reason is because there will be people that will be coming to the meeting and they won’t be coming probably bringing their Bibles.

But I want them to have a copy of the scriptures because I believe the scriptures has more power, more weight to it than any of the great philosophies that I might use about why I think they should come to for the Bible college in Tampa. So you look there at number one, children are a heritage of the Lord. Now we know from the book of Job that he says that he had granted us life. So we know that life comes from God and so God has loaned our children to us.

So children are on heritage of the Lord. They are on loan from God to be raised for God. So God is allowing parents to have a child to raise for him. They’re not for the parents. Children are not for the parents. Children belong to God. God created them. And whatever God creates belongs to God. So children belong to the Lord. But God loans them to us to do a work for Him. And once a person sees that and understand, they have a better idea what they’re supposed to do when it comes to children.

So number two, children are to be taught about the Lord. Psalm 78 verse 2 says, I will open my mouth in a parable. I will utter dark sayings of all. Now these things are things that many of the Proverbs were gathered collected by Solomon that were around for probably years and years and years and put them down. In a lot of the Psalms, David was involved in but he didn’t write all the Psalms but he says in 78 verse 3, which we have heard and and known and our fathers have told us.

So they’re reflecting back to what daddy told me, what grand daddy said. And they are wise saying they’re things that are principles from the truth of God’s word for us to know and to understand. Now look in the verse four, because verse four has something wonderful in here. We will not hide them from their children. We will not hide them from their children. You see, isn’t it true that most schools today are hiding from the children the very thing they need?

They don’t allow them to have the Bible. They can’t pray and teachers can’t talk about God. Well, everything that’s valuable, they’re hiding it from them. They can’t get those things that really what education is about. Educating is really about teaching a person about the Lord and how to serve God. So you want them to read the word of God. So they have a purpose in learning how to read. They need to know what the word of God has to say.

And these things are so important. And get this, we will not hide them from their children, show into the generation to come the praises of the Lord. Now do you think God wants parents to teach the children how to praise the Lord? and about his strength and his wonderful works that he had done. God wants the children to know these things because see, the more they know about the Lord and who he is and what he can do, what he has done, they can trust him for their life.

They can trust him in the days ahead for themselves. Verse five, for he established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers. Now get this, that they should make them known to their children. So there’s things that God wants the children to know. So God tells the adults how to raise their children, but there has to be a purpose in what God wants accomplished with the children. So he says in verse seven that they might, and you ought to see this, are underlined it, and you get your Bible, but you need to mark these verses, set their hope in God, so that they learn how to depend upon the Lord and joyfully anticipate things from God, to see the value of serving the Lord.

Now. We’ll show you something in just a minute, but it is so important for the children to be taught the things about the Lord. And get this, and not forget the works of God, but to keep His commandments, to keep His Word. Now, this is what God told the nation of Israel what they were supposed to do, and they were to teach their children these things. Because the only way you can preserve a nation is to preserve the education of the children.

If you can’t preserve the education of the children, you cannot preserve a nation. Does it scare you just a tad to think that these kids that are coming out of our schools today are going to be running this country? Look at what we’re producing, and it’s a terrible, terrible thing. Because they lack the wisdom that they need, and the people that vote for some of these people, they don’t have a clue what’s going on. Now let me just say this because I just feel like I need to say it.

We hear an awful lot today about what’s going on in the eastern countries, you know, about the ISIS and, you know, all the wickedness that’s going on. To me, the greatest threat in America is what years ago they called communism. Everybody was afraid of communism and about, you know, Russia were going to drop the bombs and everybody had to have a bomb shelter and everybody was kind of scared and they even had the kids in the school running hard when they heard us staring at the duck underneath the tables and all that kind of stuff because they believed it was a good possibility.

Well now that that wall has been broken down and you know Russia has been separated from some of their little side-like countries. Well, it’s not as bad and communism is dead. Don’t believe it for a minute. Communism is simply the religion of atheist. Now, when we have our country today, especially America, the next step before communism is socialism and we are as socialistic as you can get. We’re not through yet, but we’re headed in the direction of total dictatorship and it’s right around the corner and it’s going to happen.

To me, the greatest threat to the freedom in America is not what they’re doing over there. It’s what we are allowing to take place right here. I believe the biggest threat to America is a Democratic Party. I do not apologize for what I just said. I just said it and I mean exactly what I said because it is wickedness. It’s destructive to our form of government. And it’s going to destroy our form of government. It’s ushering in all the socialist program that you can think of.

And it’s big government and people paying for it. And next thing you know, it’s going to totally bankrupt this country. Now that I’ve said that, let’s move on. I do believe that it’s important for people to know. Now look at the next statement. Verse 8, and might not be as their fathers a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation that said not their heart or right and whose spirit was not steadfast with God. But what do you expect from God for those children?

Once you understand what God wants the children to be taught, then parents will have a better idea of what their role is. What are they supposed to do? And so he says I don’t want them to be like their fathers a rebellious stubborn generation Well, let me ask you this how are we doing now? Would you say this is the perfect picture of our generation and we have kids that have no clue what? Decency is what right morality is?

It’s like it’s void of their mind It’s like without conscience. See, your conscience can’t be your guide or it can be if it’s been trained correctly by the Word of God, but if it hasn’t been trained by the Word of God, conscience is a bad guide. Look at number three. Children are to love, fear the Lord. We’re supposed to teach the children these two things. There are two of the greatest motivating factors in the world. One, to love the Lord is a very motivating thing.

To fear the Lord is also a great motivating thing. But look in Deuteronomy 6-1 here in your notes. Now these are the commandments, the statutes and the judgments which the Lord your God commanded to get this, teach you that you might do them in the land whether you go to possess He’s taking them out of a country, bringing them into his own land that he wanted to give to them. He wanted to make them a special holy nation that God wanted to bless more than any other country in all the world he wanted to bless Israel.

He says, now this is what I want you to do. This is what you got to teach the kids. In verse 2, that thou mightest, and those three of the Lord fear the Lord, thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou and thy son, and thy sons, son, all the days of thy life, and that thy days may be prolonged. You see, God has made some promises. And he wanted them to teach their children that teaches their children that teaches their children.

Because God said, I want to bless you. So there’s things that He says, I want you to do this. Look in verse three. Here, oh Israel, and observed to do it, that it may be well with thee. Raising the children to fear the Lord will bring blessings to the parents. That it may be well with thee. See that verse three? That it may be well with thee. In other words, you teach your children right and raise your kids, it will be better for you.

Isn’t it true that when children are disobedient and go astray, it brings a lot of heartache and grief to the parents and grandparents? But if they were to obey, aren’t you happier? So what the kids do does affect mom and daddy and grandparents. And look at the next statement. 6, 4, here O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord. Page 2. Verse 5, And thou shalt love the Lord. See there is to be a holy, high reverent, or respect for the Lord Himself.

You should understand the awesome power of God and what God can do. And if you know that God can chasten that ought to have a little element of fear in it, that I don’t want God’s chastening. I don’t want Him to whoop me. I know that God can take me out of here at any time. I know God is free to do whatever He wants with me. But I know that if I’m disobedient, I know what I can expect.

But I also know that love is a great motivating factor. If I love the Lord, it goes so far in helping you to do the things that are right. you want to please the one you love. So in verse 5, and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul with all thy might. Is this the description of your children? Is this what our children want to do? I’d like to say, boy am I a success.

No, I’m not even a success as a grandparent. But isn’t it something we pray for and we work toward and we strive for? Verse 6, And these words which I commande this day shall be in thine heart, and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sit in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou lieest down, and when thou riseest up. In other words, they’re supposed to see the Word of God living through the parents.

We’re supposed to be the examples of what we want our children to be. Number four, children are to be trained to serve God. This verse has caused a lot of heartache to a lot of people. Remember this, Proverbs has more principles than promises. These are simply principles but not guarantees that everyone, if you raise your children right, they will turn out right. That is not true. If it is true, God never raised any of his kids right. You ought to see the kids that God has.

You ought to read the first chapter of the book of Isaiah. He says, from the soul of your foot to the top of your head, you’re pathetic. You’re sick. And he’s only had them for five, six hundred years. And they were still as rebellious as he says it doesn’t do any good to whoop you anymore. I said that about my kids too. It don’t help. Sometimes they will just be set upon a course of action, but some say, well, this means to create a taste or desire.

You know, that will cause them to want to serve the Lord. And that’s good. If you can create that desire within them where they want to serve the Lord. Others say, well, it all depends on how they’re bent, you know, raise up a child and train them to go in the way that they’re bent. Well, if you’re talking about their all sense of nature, I don’t know if that’s a good idea or not. Because everybody is bent to go their own way.

That’s the natural bent. Go your own way. Sometimes you’re talking about, you know, their temperament the way they are, you know, whether or not they’re strong and hard-headed or soft and tweet and pliable. Some kids you can look at, and listen for a while. Other ones, you’ve got to threaten them with hellfire. and it does a new one-factor. So they said, well, you got to learn how to work with different kids. Well, have fun. And there’s always the experts that never have any children.

They can tell you how they’re supposed to do it. And you can raise some time. You can raise two kids the same way and one obedient and one disobedient. And you can’t stop it. But the key thing is train up a child in the way he should go. And when he’s old, well, Is that supposed to be a guarantee that if I train my kids right, they have to go row up to be old? That means they can’t die while they’re young.

If I raise my kids right, they’ll never die young. Because when they get old, they’re going to keep doing what they taught them when they were young. No, it’s a principle. In other words, generally speaking, this is what you do. But the Lord says that sometimes children will go astray. Do you know how they dealt with rebellious children in Israel’s time in the Old Testament? You got any idea? Or they didn’t live long. That would make them straighten up, wasn’t it?

They stoned them to death. You see, should we do that today? Well, I wouldn’t have lived. Probably none of y’all would have, too. But they taught, that’s why they had to teach them the law, because it was great consequences if they broke it. And even whenever somebody wants to do a little hanky panky on the side, if they were out there in the field, or something like that, they got to watch they didn’t get caught someplace where they shouldn’t be, unless something happened.

And you’re supposed to cry out, scream. And if you get caught, then they would stone both of them. But if you didn’t cry and you could have cried, you’re in a heap of trouble. You hear about all these people are they, all of you, they get raped. And I read about some of them. This man raped me. And you find out. She went to the bar, she had all these drinks, she left about 3.30 in the morning and asked this guy to go home with her and he goes to the hall in the eraser.

I’ll say there’s something wrong here. You’re showing he shouldn’t have done it. Duh. She should not have done what she did and he shouldn’t have done what he did. Sin is sin. And if you’re not going to do what God says, dude, there’s a price to pay. A serious price, but everybody covers it over and sin is not sin anymore. And so, you got to stay with what the book says, but look at this statement. I put it in front of, should the child develop the desire to serve the Lord, he will have the training.

Train up a child the way he should go. As long as they’re in their root, you train them the way they should go. But they come to time when they have to make their own decision and God holds them responsible. God will hold him responsible, but if they wanted to serve the Lord they should know how to do it because they should have been trained. But that doesn’t mean that everybody has the desire to. So, train up a child in a way he should go and when he is old, and that means if he has the desire go who wants to serve the Lord at least he’ll know how to serve the Lord.

See this isn’t so much I promise and as I guarantee it is a principle in the Word of God this is what we should do. At least the person will know what to do and what not to do. The train. Number five, children are to be strong in their faith to stand on their own. And Colossians 2, 6, as you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord’s soul, walk ye in Him. You receive the Lord by faith, you are to live by faith, walk by faith, walk with your confidence in the Word of God.

So, here in Colossians 2 and verse 7, rooted and built up in Him. So, it is the will of God that God’s children are rooted in the Word of God. And chances are kids that are even trained at home are not really that grounded and rooted in the Word of God that they can stand against the wiles of the devil when they leave home. see sometimes even with hunch, they become very sheltered. And people say, well, when they get out in the world, when they get out in the world, well, I would prefer they never really get out in the world.

I am in the world, but I’m not of the world. And I’m talking about where you should still be under authority. And this is why it’s so important that you you have a good, strong church, a strong church that teaches what God’s Word says so that if you leave this place and you were to go someplace else in the country, first thing you ought to do is look, can I find me a good, strong Bible teaching church? That church will be very valuable to you.

It can hold you and keep you grounded in the truth. And it doesn’t matter how strong you are today. You get to where you stop coming to church and stop reading and stop studying and you You just, you’d be surprised how fast you can lose what you now know. You say, well, I’ll never forget, yes, you will. I’ve been doing this long enough and I’ve watched enough people. You can’t stay strong. Well, that’s staying in a good, strong church and studying this book and staying doing what you’re supposed to do.

Very important. Look at the next verse. Verse eight, beware. Let any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit after the tradition of men after the rudiments of the world and not after Christ. And a lot of parents will let their kids. go to secular universities and they have classes that are faith breakers designed to break your faith to get you to where you will be challenged on everything you believe and you’d be surprised the pressure and sometimes the pressure is you just keep quiet you just keep silent or you don’t let anybody know that you know what you believe and you just pass the grade so you can get through and at the same time you’re not the witness you ought to be because you’re afraid or the fear that you cannot accomplish what you want and somebody’s gonna say something or you’ll fail the class and there’s all kinds of

pressures so he says beware. Second Timothy 2 15 says study to show thyself approved unto God a worthman. This is what God wants his children to grow up and to learn so they can be a workman but a worthman for the Lord. I look at it this way as much as possible. Let the lost man do what the lost man can do and let God children do only what God’s children can do. But anyway as we’re moving right along here the next verse here 2 Timothy 2 16 but shun, profane and vain bablands.

Now get this, well they will increase unto more ungodliness and a lot of kids they go off to secular colleges and because of what they are taught it increases ungodliness and they do not maintain that purity, that holiness, that righteousness that they had when they were living under mom and dad. And a lot of kids can’t hardly wait until they get away from the authority of mom and dad so they usually they go wild. There’s always a few that won’t but majority of people go wild because now I’m free to do whatever I want to do and I want to see what my parents been keeping me from and I want to enjoy life and be surprised.

They thought they would never go that far and do this or do that and they wind up doing it all. Good Christians that came from good homes. It’s just that they were allowed to go to places that would destroy them and this is why it’s so very important. Are you a new listener to Bibleline? Do you enjoy the teachings of Dr. Arnold? Well if you’ve never contacted us before we want to give you, Dr. Arnold’s book, The Gospel Driven Man.

Every day we receive many emails from folks who have questions about repentance and salvation, about faith in works, and about how to share the gospel with friends and loved ones. This book, The Gospel Driven Man, covers all those topics, and we want all new listeners of Bibleline to receive a free copy. There’s no obligation, no donation necessary, simply call us at 1-800-576-3771 or write to us and request your free copy of the Gospel-Driven Man. The mailing address is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634.

Again, don’t forget to include your mailing address, and God bless you and thank you for listening to Bibleline. Thanks for joining us on Bibleline. If you are in the area, we welcome you to visit us. The address for Calvary Community Church is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. And now, a closing thought from Pastor Arnold. Friend, one day it will happen. The trumpet will sound. And we will be changed. Caught up to meet the Lord in the air. So live today and every day.

Believing that the Lord is coming soon, just keep looking up.