Magyar Egyház, 1991 (70. évfolyam, 1-6. szám)
1991-03-01 / 2. szám
MAGYAR EGYHÁZ 11. oldal instructs parents to bring up their children in “the nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Eph. 6:4). A. Succesjul families are built on the word of God God instructed the Israelites to devote themselves to the Scriptures and to teach and instruct their children in the precepts of Jehovah. “And thou shah teach them diligently unto thy children, and shah 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. 6:7). This is the way it should be in every family. The careful reading of the Word of God and family prayer are essentials in building a successful family. B. Successful families result from godly parents The Bible says, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it” (Prov. 22:6). The Old Testament tells us about Absalom, the third son of David. This young man had every opportunity to be something, but he was petted and fondled by overindulgent parents. He became thoughtless and reckless. Law meant nothing to him. Self-gratification was the rule of his life. On one occasion, Absalom decided to kill his half brother for ravishing his sister. Then he conspired to overthrow his father, David. As David’s soldiers went out after him, David called, “Deal gently for my sake with the young man” (2 Sam. 18:5). Absalom followed in the footsteps of his father; he was a victim of the sins of his parents. It is a colossal sin to neglect one’s family. A man’s wife and children should not be forced to compete with the newspaper or television for attention. Rather, a father should give himself to the members of his family. “And, ye fathers,” writes Paul, “bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Eph. 6:4). To bring into this world an immortal soul is probably the greatest responsibility of life. The Christian father must be an example to his family. He must be what he expects his children to become. Tw'o boys were compelled by their father to go to church. When they became teenagers, they stopped. The father sternly reprimanded his sons and asked the reason. The older boy said, “Dad, we figure that if church isn’t good enough for you, it isn’t good enough for us.” All of us are examples for good or evil. Each one of us is a blueprint by which children build their lives. C. Successful families are church related The Church is important because it is the organization of God, built upon the foundation of Jesus Christ. And it will never pass away. Someone has said /‘Though the church has many critics, it has no ricals.” Despite the turmoil and tribulation it may go through, despite the neglect it may receive, the Church will remain. It will survive every onslaught and every attack, because it is God’s institution. Once a person has received Jesus Christ as Saviour, he needs to be built up in the faith. He needs to receive spiritual instruction and to share with other believers. He needs to have opportunity for Christian fellowship. The Church, through its ministries, is an instrument of training and provides an atmosphere for spiritual growth. I cannot overemphasize the importance of the local church in the formation of solid, spiritual, successful families. The familiar saying is true, “Families that pray together stay together.” If you have church in the home, you will always have your home in church. CONCLUSION What is your family like? Is it anchored to the rock of God’s Word, or is it drifting on the sea of uncertainty? Are you as a parent setting an example for your children to follow? Are you teaching them the Scriptures? Are you leading them into spiritual maturity? Have you guided them into a church that will encourage them in the things of God? “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” (Gal. 6:7). Special Sermons — George Sweeting WORLD COUNCIL OF CHURCHES GENERAL ASSEMBLY SPEAKS OUT FOR THE RIGHTS OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLE The Seventh Assembly of the World Council of Churches held in Canberra, Australia, on its February 20 session called for the strict observance of the rights of indigenous people. It should move beyond words to action especially to negotiate with indigenous people to determine how lands taken injustly by the church from them can be returned. It urged that church bodies declare the 500th anniversary of the arrival of Columbus in the Caribbean as a year against racism, with a specific focus on indigenous people. Wounds that had their beginnings 500 years ago with invasion, conquest, colonization, and missionary zeal are still hurting and must be healed. (EPS) + The celebration of the Columbus anniversary in 1991 was a hotly debated issue at the Governing/General Board of the National Council of Churches Pittsburgh meeting on May, 1990. A detailed reflection in this matter was presented by the Rev. Louis Illés, Ecumenical Oficer, in the name of the Hungarian Reformed Church in America. We shall return to these well received comments at the future discussion and debate later this year. ECUMENICAL REACTION TO SOVIET ACTIONS IN THE BALTICS Following the deployment of Soviet government troops in Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia earlier this year, and subsequent killings of civilians by Soviet army in Lithuania, leaders of the international church bodies, the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, the World Council of Churches, the Lutheran World Federation and the Conference of European Churches expressed “deep disappointment and outrage” on behalf of their members around the world.
