PARENTING FOR THE FUTURE

HOW TO HELP YOUR CHILDREN GET TO HEAVEN

By Ada Brownell

One of the first things I learned about parenting was my husband and I didn’t have to do it by ourselves.

God calls others to help. Ephesians 4:10-12 says, “⁰He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fulfill all things.¹¹ And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.”

Our children had great pastors, youth pastors, Sunday school teachers, evangelists, as well as wonderful Christian friends who influenced them in the choice to give their lives and talents to Christ.

To help your children make the choice to “go to heaven,” here are a few things we did when our five offspring were young. They all made Jesus Lord of their lives.

·       Attend a full gospel church where the gospel is preached and rightly divided. Full gospel churches usually teach salvation comes only when we believe Jesus died for our sins, and resurrected on the third day. (John 3:16 and Romans 10:9) .Full gospel churches believe in the divine inspiration of the Bible as God’s Word, the baptism in the Holy Spirit with the evidence of supernatural speaking in other tongues. They also believe in Divine Healing, the Catching away of the church in the rapture, and the Second Coming of Jesus.

·        Scriptures for you to teach your children: “If thou will confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in thine heart that God raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (Romans 10:9). “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness “(1 John 1:9).

 Another: “But you will receive power after the Holy Ghost has come upon you. And you shall be witnesses unto me …” (Acts 1:8). “And while they watched, he was taken up and a cloud received him out of their sight. .. While they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold two men stood by them in white apparel who also said, ‘This same Jesus who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you have seen him go into heaven” (Acts 1:9-11).

·       Become a student of the Word of God yourself. “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15).

·       Teach them to become students of the Word. “All scripture is given by inspiration of God (God breated), and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16)

Hopefully your church has programs for youth like Royal Rangers, Missionettes, Bible Quiz, Talent contests, and services where young people can use their talents and ministries.

·       Expose them to great people—Bible characters and adults as well as teens who are living for God.

·       Go to missions services. When they’re just forming opinions and finding people to “worship” let them know the difference between fantasy, fiction, reality, and history. They may adore Spiderman and Star Wars characters, but they should understand they don’t exist, and when God enabled David to kill Goliath, David wasn’t a vegetable from Veggie Tales. He lived, loved God and did great things in His name.

* Teach your children God loved them from the beginning of their lives. “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb” (Jeremiah 1:5).

However, when Jesus was born as a baby in Bethlehem, he was different from any other baby because he is God’s son. Jesus was in heaven before he came to earth. Jesus was there when the world and people were created. Jesus, God’s only Son; and the Holy Spirit were there in the beginning. “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth” (Genesis 1:26).

 Buy them great books and go to movies that support Christian values.

 

MOST IMPORTANT; Pray for and with our children frequently. Ask God for wisdom. He promised to send wisdom to those who ask for it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

SCREAMING SIRENS

 

By Ada Nicholson Brownell

 

 A siren’s wail penetrated the early evening air. A young mother ran out of the house. She imagined her child lying in a pool of blood somewhere in the street. But she found her toddler playing happily in the yard.

Another mother parted the living room drapes, looking anxiously toward the street. Why was her teenage son so late driving the car home from the store? Was he now breathing his last beneath the wreckage of the automobile?

A father, just returning from work, heaved a sigh of relief when there was no fire truck in front of his home.

A young fellow coming out of a supermarket chuckled. “Somebody’s getting a ticket.”

Sirens can mean many different things. They make imaginations run wild. But their main purpose is to warn. They want motorists and pedestrians to get out of the way of a speeding ambulance, fire truck or police vehicle. Those who don’t give the emergency vehicle the right-of-way often cause serious accidents, creating an even larger emergency.

Other warning sounds are evident in our world—violence, war, revolution, famine. More important the rise of atheism from our schools, and churches that offer everything but the gospel and the Word of God.

Centuries ago a physician wrote a warning about these problems. Its theme: When these things encompass the earth, a great event is about to take place—and every person should prepare for it. Dr. Luke, more widely known as St. Luke, penned the Gospel of Luke in the New Testament and the book of Acts, relating the words of Jesus when he was on earth.

One of the warnings he delivered was about the second coming of Christ (Luke 21:7-36) that came from the mouth of Jesus.

Matthew sounded a similar warning. The warnings foretold about the destruction of Jerusalem in A. D. 40, but then Jesus connected events that would come to pass that would precede His Second Coming.

The Lord mentioned his second coming to his disciples several times, Here’s what he said in Matthew 24: “And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. ⁵ For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. ^“6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. ⁷ For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. ⁸ All these are the beginning of sorrows.

⁹ Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.

¹⁰ And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. ¹² And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. ¹³ But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

^“ And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come…”

According to the Scriptures, today’s world tensions are dovetailing into the Battle of Armageddon, described in the Book of Revelation.

Today’s warnings are largely ignored. Some people have heard about the Second Coming all their lives –and they say, “It hasn’t happened yet.”

They may end up like those who have had to run to storm cellars so many times without experiencing a tornado, they have become callous.

Are you ready for Christ’s return? Have you accepted Him as your personal Savior? ”He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life; and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him” (John 3:36).

Heed the screaming sirens of the times, warning you to get ready. Jesus is coming! Whether you are dead or alive when he bursts through the clouds with the sound of a trumpet, if you’ve repented of your sins and made Jesus Lord of your life, you’ll meet him in the air, and from then throughout eternity you’ll be with the Lord. (See 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18).

“Two men shall be in the field, one will be taken and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill. One will be taken and the other left. Watch therefore, for you do not know the hour your Lord doth come” (Matthew 24:40-41 KJ).

NEXT: More quotes from the Bible about the catching away of the church and Christ’s second coming. “Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.