Godsloveandlaw's Blog

“Then were there brought unto him little children, that he should put his hands on them, and pray: and the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt. 19:13-14)

“And whoever shall cause to stumble one of these of the little ones believing in Me, it is better for him that a heavy millstone should be hung around his neck, and he be sunk in the depth of the sea.” (Matt. 18:16)

How precious are the children to the Lord. Yet few parents realize what awesome and solemn responsibility they have concerning their little ones and their eternal life! Let us look at what the word of God says about this very important subject.

What brought about this post this week is an experience I had a few weeks ago in church. As we know from learning the message of the Lord, abominations in God’s house should affect us. We can never take the “winking” attitude when we see them in our midst.

The Spirit of Prophecy warns us–

“He shows us that when His people are found in sin they should at once take decided measures to put that sin from them, that His frown may not rest upon them all. But if the sins of the people are passed over by those in responsible positions, His frown will be upon them, and the people of God, as a body, will be held responsible for those sins.” (Testimonies, vol. 3, p.266)

So about a month ago, during the time in service where the money bag is passed around by the elders and deacons, little children take their little basket and pass it around for collections. This in itself is a serious wrong to the Lord, but we have dealt with that issue many times already.

One little girl (about 7 or 8) came up to me as I sat in the pews and handed me the basket, I politely handed it back to her. But I noticed her fingernails were painted red, just as the worldly heathen women love to do. I was led to say something to her a short bit later. As she walked by me again, I reached over and motioned to her to come to me.

I began, ” you know young lady, see these fingernails?” She nodded. I continued, “In God’s house He wants His children to come to Him with their hands clean and not with polish, is that ok with you?”  She nodded again and went her way. I made sure to be soft and gentle in my remarks.

The next week I saw her passing the basket again and her nails were clean. As she came near me, I whispered, “God is happy.” And we both had a smile.

But that got me thinking–where are the parents?? Clearly someone was not doing their rightful duty. It was left to me, a stranger more or less, to do what was not done by the parents.

Anyway, a couple Sabbaths ago, the nice young girl had her friend with her and  they both were doing the basket routine. I then notice her friend was painted up just as the other girl had been before. I did the same polite warning to her little friend. But this girl definitely seemed not so agreeable to what I had to say. She didn’t say it but her face sure did.

Apparently the two later discussed what I had told them because I was to witness a charming thing the next Sabbath. Again while during the basket passing, the original girl came up to me and then motioned for her friend to come also. The little friend showed me her nails and had a big smile. The first girl was smiling too. We all felt a warm feeling inside and I gave them a big smile and said with my thumbs ups “Way to go girls!” They left knowing that they had pleased God because of what they had learned.

All we need to do as leaders and parents is bring the young ones up right and God will take it from there. His word says–

“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”(Proverbs 22:6)

This is just a small example of a very LARGE problem in our church. How important is this issue. The older teens fall into Satan’s snare so easy, especially in dress. The parents can  guide them with this simple counsel–

If you are asked to appear at the White House to meet the president of the United States, how would you dress? Would the men dress with a casual or sloppy apparel? Of course not , they’d be dressed in a clean suit and shoes polished.

Would the young ladies dress in a low-cut dress or mini-skirt with high heels? Or would they dress well-kept, neat and modest?

How much more important then, is it to us,  as we are going every Sabbath to meet the King of the Universe. Remember He is in our midst and is watching. Is He not worth our best efforts with clean modest apparel?

“And I want women to be modest in their appearance. They should wear decent and appropriate clothing and not draw attention to themselves by the way they fix their hair or by wearing gold or pearls or expensive clothes.” (1 Tim. 2:9)

Let us read what the Lord’s last message says that will impact every parent who has young ones —

“As to the salvation of infants and children whose parents are saved, the Spirit of Prophecy says:

  “Angels ‘gather together the elect from the four winds from one end of heaven to the other.’ Little children are borne by holy angels to their mothers’ arms. Friends long separated by death are united, nevermore to part, and with songs of gladness ascend together to the city of God.”-The Great Controversy, p. 645.

  “So was the faith of this woman rewarded. Christ, the great Life-giver, restored her son to her. In like manner will His faithful ones be rewarded when, at His coming, death loses its sting, and the grave is robbed of the victory it has claimed.

Then will He restore to His servants the children that have been taken from them by death. ‘Thus saith the Lord; A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping; Rachel weeping for her children refused to be comforted for her children, because they were not. Thus saith the Lord; Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears: for thy work shall be rewarded,…and they shall come again from the land of the enemy. And there is hope in thine end, saith the Lord, that thy children shall come again to their own border.’”—Prophets and Kings, p. 239.

  And as to the salvation of children whose parents are lost, the Lord commands: “Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark, and begin at My sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house.” Ezek. 9:6.

  “And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the garment, and the wedge of gold, and his sons and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had: and they brought them unto the valley of Achor. And Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us? the Lord shall trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them with fire, after they stoned them with stones.” Josh. 7:24, 25.

  From these inspired passages, we see that infants and children are saved only because of the faithfulness of their parents. What a solemn, wonderful, and dreadful responsibility!” (Answerer, vol.3, Q-69)

Parents are the ones who must guide their children right. Unfortunately little or no sermons are given to address topics such as this in our SDA church. Again SOP counsels us–

“When God was about to smite the first-born of Egypt, He commanded the Israelites to gather their children from among the Egyptians into their own dwellings and strike their door posts with blood, that the destroying angel might see it and pass over their homes. It was the work of parents to gather in their children. This is your work, this is my work, and the work of every mother who believes the truth.

The angel is to place a mark upon the forehead of all who are separated from sin and sinners, and the destroying angel will follow, to slay utterly both old and young.  God is not pleased with our inattention and trifling with His blessings placed within our reach. Neither is He pleased to have us place our children in worldly society, because this best suits their tastes and inclinations. If the souls of your children are saved, you must do your work. ” (Testimonies, vol. 5, p.505-506)

“And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem: When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning.”(Isaiah 4:3-4)

In closing, parents must take control in these last hours of our probation.Let them lead the children in the right way, in God’s way. Their eternal life depends on it!

“There has been altogether too little attention paid to our children and youth, and they have failed to develop as they should in the Christian life, because the church members have not looked upon them with tenderness and sympathy, desiring that they might be advanced in the divine life.” (Counsels to Parents, Teachers and Students, p.41)

This entry was posted on September 26, 2015 at 3:08 am and is filed under Obedience, Proper teachings, Witnessing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.