Who will speak for the children?

By: American Decency Staff

Who will speak for the children?  That was the title of a workshop that I went to early on in my stand against pornography.  The conference was held on the campus of Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI (not sponsored by the school). What a compelling topic.  Who will speak for the children? I have a two and a five year old hanging around me quite a bit these days. (Two of my grandchildren are living with us).  Having been out of the small child rearing aspect of life for quite awhile now, I am reminded of the immense effort and energy that it takes to do right by them.  Their need is so great and pressures and demands upon parents and grandparents are equally as great.  However, investing in these young lives is one of the most important things we can do. I can easily come up with a short list of what I don’t want for them: I don’t want them to be degenerates, fornicators, adulterers, homosexuals, bisexuals, lazy, godless, gamblers, dependent upon the government, sluggards, neutralized by gross financial indebtedness, self-centered, egotistical or self-righteous. Remember this is the short list.  You would have other things that you could easily add if you were developing a list. And I can just as easily come up with a list of what I want for them, including: to be Godly, followers of Christ, caring, compassionate, kind, studious, hard workers, having a servant heart, pursuers of holiness. Is there anything that we can do to guard, educate, train, model, teach that will help disciple our children into adults who are wholesome, healthy, spiritually sound, pursuers of truth and righteousness? Without a doubt there is a lot we can and must do.  But I believe that it involves first dying to ourselves, taking up our cross and following after the Lord Jesus Christ, the Author and Perfector of our faith.   As we seek God’s help and center our every thought and action around Truth – He can use us as parents and grandparents to mold these little ones into His own.   It boils down to:  “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart.  You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.â€Â Deuteronomy 6:6-7 However, the cultural and political climate in which these little ones are raised also makes a tremendous impact on their lives – often beyond our control.  And so it is also vital that we work to reclaim the ground we’ve lost in these institutions of influence. Who will speak for the children?  It won’t be Hollywood or liberal, agenda-pushing educators.  It won’t be those who are pro-abortion, pro-homosexual, pro-gambling, or a government that runs roughshod over the Constitution, expanding big government leaving a mountain of debt to the next generation. We don’t live in a bubble.  What others do around us has an increasingly significant impact upon us all as our world has become very small in recent years with the advent and intrusiveness of the Internet and the mass media.   We cannot be oblivious to the tugs and pulls that we feel each day between those who would pull for greater secularism (godlessness) and those who attempt to promote godliness. This upcoming election, is, I believe, the most important one of our lifetime. One that will have tremendous impact in the direction of our country and, as a result, a tremendous impact on our children and grandchildren – for either good or ill.  A reclaiming of lost ground or a continued slide into godlessness.  Make sure you are preparing for that significant day, November 2.  Vote on behalf of your children and grandchildren. John Adams, 2nd U.S. President, June 21, 1776. “Statemen, my dear Sir, may plan and speculate for liberty, but it is Religion and Morality alone, which can establish the Principles upon which Freedom can securely stand. “The only foundation of a free Constitution is pure Virture, and if this cannot be inspired into our People in a greater Measure, than they have it now, they may change their Rulers and the forms of Government, but they will not obtain a lasting liberty.â€Â =================================== Thanks for standing with us: Donate online: https://secure4.afo.net/ada/donate.php American Decency Association P.O. Box 202 Fremont MI 49412 American Decency Association is a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability. ———————— A classic resource available as short supply lasts: “The Holiness of Godâ€Â by R.C. Sproul. To order your free copy, email bjohnson@americandecency.org Many of you took advantage of our offer regarding the book “The Pursuit of Holinessâ€Â by Jerry Bridges. This is what Jerry Bridges has to say about this book offer “Every Christian who is serious about his or her growth needs to read ‘The Holiness of God.’ I profited greatly from this book.â€Â American Decency Association Bill Johnson, President P.O. Box 202 Fremont, MI 49412 ph: 231-924-4050 https://americandecency.org/ http://www.twitter.com/billwjohnson

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