God chose Abraham because of his diligent and obedient spirit. God knew Abraham would teach his family the ways of the Lord and that this teaching would extend for generations!

Gen 18: 17 And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do;18 Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? 19 For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.

Children are intended by God to be a great blessing to the believer. We have been deceived if we think otherwise. If your children are a curse to you, maybe it is because you have not spent enough time with them to even get to know them. They need you! Both to train them in the ways of the Lord, and simply to play with them! Your children need you more than they need a new fancy house or that new car. When you order your life with God’s priorities, He will provide what you need. 

Psalm 127:1 Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. 2 It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep. 3 Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. 4 As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. 5 Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed

Fear the Lord! Teach your family to fear the Lord! Be more concerned about what He thinks, than what your neighbor thinks. Walk in God’s ways! Through obedience to God you will be filled with great joy!

Psalm 128:1 A Song of degrees. Blessed is every one that feareth the LORD; that walketh in his ways.

2 For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee.

3 Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table. 4 Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the LORD.

God requires us to teach our children to love Him! If we do not do this we are forsaking our Christian duty as parents. We have left the fear of the Lord out of our lives.

Jer 5: 7 How shall I pardon thee for this? thy children have forsaken me, and sworn by them that are no gods: when I had fed them to the full, they then committed adultery, and assembled themselves by troops in the harlots' houses. 8 They were as fed horses in the morning: every one neighed after his neighbour's wife. 9 Shall I not visit for these things? saith the LORD: and shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this? … 22 Fear ye not me? saith the LORD: will ye not tremble at my presence, … 25 Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden good things from you.

We need to remember what God has done for us. We need to talk about what he has done for us with our families. What God has done for us should be on our minds constantly!

Deut 4: 8 And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day? 9 Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons' sons;

Deut 6: 6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:

7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

Deut 11: 16 Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them; 17 And then the LORD'S wrath be kindled against you, and he shut up the heaven, that there be no rain, and that the land yield not her fruit; and lest ye perish quickly from off the good land which the LORD giveth you. 18 Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes. 19 And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

EVERYONE gathered together to worship! The families were not split up in separate groups. A major key to peace in the home is instruction in God’s ways and instilling the fear of the Lord! 

Deut 31: 11 When all Israel is come to appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose, thou shalt read this law before all Israel in their hearing. 12 Gather the people together, men, and women, and children, and thy stranger that is within thy gates, that they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear the LORD your God, and observe to do all the words of this law:

13 And that their children, which have not known any thing, may hear, and learn to fear the LORD your God,

The reason God created the marriage bond is for the family to nurture Godly children!

Mal. 2: 13 And this have ye done again, covering the altar of the LORD with tears, with weeping, and with crying out, insomuch that he regardeth not the offering any more, or receiveth it with good will at your hand. 14 Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because the LORD hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously: yet is she thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant.

15 And did not he make one? Yet had he the residue of the spirit. And wherefore one? That he might seek a godly seed.  Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth. 16 For the LORD, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away: for one covereth violence with his garment, saith the LORD of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously.

Samuel spent his time judging the nation of Israel, being the prophet, yet he neglected teaching his own children God’s ways. They grew to be wicked men.

1 Sam 8:1 And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel.

2 Now the name of his firstborn was Joel; and the name of his second, Abiah: they were judges in Beersheba.3 And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment.4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah,5 And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.

It is our job as parents to teach our children God’s word. Start when they are VERY little. Let it be a continuous topic of discussion. Teach them to be doers of the word, and not hearers only. This needs to be by personal example, as well as with your words.

Psalm 119: 9BETH. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. 11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

Your children need your instruction, not just your discipline. Teach them, don’t just fuss at them. Help them to see that their actions today are planting a harvest they will reap tomorrow. 

Prov 1: 8 My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother: 9 For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck. 20 My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. 21 Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. 22 For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh. 23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. 24 Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee. 25 Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. 26 Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. 27 Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.

Prov 13: 24 He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.

Prov 19: 18 Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying.

Prov 20: 11 Even a childis known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.

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

15 Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.

Prov 23: 13 Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die. 14 Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell.

Daddies, your children need to be with you! They need to see your Godly example in the home. 

22 Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old. 23 Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding. 24 The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that begetteth a wise child shall have joy of him. 25 Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bare thee shall rejoice. 26 My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways. 

Your child needs You! Mothers don’t desert your children to the daycare, they will bring you to shame. Which is more important, to have peace and happiness in the home or to have a bigger home?

Prov 29: 15 The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame. 

17 Correct thy son, and he shall give thee rest; yea, he shall give delight unto thy soul.

God has a plan for our families that will result in rest and peace for our souls, but we have been decieved by the spirit of the world’s system. I want to point out the primary source of this spirit in our homes. It is the constant flow of television, computer games, and internet programming. Computer programming tells a computer what to do. Television programming, game programming, and internet programming tell people what to do. These programs are powerful and mind altering. It is like sorcery. This programming has poisoned the mind of the Church. Consider that the advertisers during the Super Bowl will pay millions to have their ads in that show. They wouldn’t do this if these couple of seconds of exposure did not change the habits of millions of people. So, what about the hours of internet, games, soap operas, sit coms, and even the evening news that are taking us away from our savior, and leading us into the arms of the antichrist. 

Stop and think about the content of these programs. They are destroying every Christian value. We have been desensitized to what is right, we have accepted the ways of the world as the way of the church. 

We have copied them, gone off after unimportant things, and deserted the primary duty God has given us; the raising of our children to know and love him! It is our job to lead our children to Christ by personal example, and family devotions. This cannot be delegated to the Sunday school teacher or the youth department. Our children need their mommies and daddies to be with them much more than they need a bigger home or a second car. We have chased after things, instead of after God’s presence. We have become intoxicated by the spirit’s behind the lies of the great opiate of the people, programming.

Isa 28: 28:7 But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment. 8 For all tables are full of vomit and filthiness, so that there is no place clean.

9 Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.

10 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little: 11 For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.

12 To whom he said, this is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear. 

If we need to change, we need to change now!

Ezek. 18: 30 Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord GOD. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin. 31 Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel? 32 For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.

What should we teach our children? The Fear of the Lord is the basis for all education!

Psalm 34:11 Come, ye children, We need to call our children to us.

hearken unto me: We need to get their attention.

I will teach you the fear of the LORD. We need to teach them the fear of the Lord!

vs12 What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good?

(Follow the teaching below! This is what we should teach our children!)

vs13 Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.

vs14 Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.

vs15 The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.

vs16 The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.

vs9 O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.

vs10 The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing. 

vs17 The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.

vs18 The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.

vs19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.