[今日經文 Today’s Reading: 申命記 Deuteronomy 11-13]
28 你要謹守聽從我所吩咐的一切話，好讓你和你的子孫可以永遠得福，因為你行耶和華—你 神眼中看為善、看為正的事。
申命記 Deuteronomy 12:28
28 Be careful to obey all these words that I command you, that it may go well with you and with your children after you forever, when you do what is good and right in the sight of the Lord your God.
整本聖經我們都看見，神是關心下一代的神。 上帝希望我們的孩子和我們這一代人得到祂的祝福。 摩西多次囑咐以色列人：“你們要謹守他的律例誡命……好讓你和你的子孫都得福。”
不幸的是，教會被世界所欺騙，認為兒童不能與成人一起敬拜。 我們認為他們只能通過單獨的面向兒童的服務來敬拜。 我們成年人已經從一代人——我們自己的一代——的角度來看每一個事工。 難怪我們一直在失去下一代！ 在教堂裡，我們經常看到成年人忙於事工，而孩子們則在其他房間玩電子遊戲。 在我們家裡的小組聚會中，大人忙於參與聖經的學習，而孩子們則在看錄像帶 。
為了為兒童和青少年提供相關且適合發展的教學和團契，我們將孩子與教會其他成員隔離開來——我有意但並非輕率地使用了這個動詞。 這種隔離導致孩子們擱置他們的信仰。
黏著的信仰 Sticky Faith
願我們考慮我們所做的一切都是為了我們孩子的屬靈祝福，而不僅僅是為了我們自己的利益。 如果父母不直接門訓孩子，世界很樂意24*7為我們“門訓”我們的孩子。
禱告：親愛的天父，願我們的父母和我們的教會看到您對下一代的心意！ 幫助我們遵守祢的誡命，使我們和我們的後代永遠蒙福！
Throughout the Bible we see that God is a God who cares for the next generation. God wants our children as well as our own generation to have His blessing. Moses charged the Israelites numerous times: “So you shall keep His statutes and His commandments…, so that it may go well with you and with your children after you.”
Unfortunately the church has been deceived by the world to assume that children cannot worship with adults. We think that they can only worship through a separate child-oriented service. We adults have come to see every ministry from the view of one generation – our own. No wonder we have been losing our next generation! Too often in church we see adults busying themselves in ministry while children are in other rooms playing video games. In cell group meetings in our homes, adults are busy participating in the study of the Bible while children are given a video to watch.
In an effort to offer relevant and developmentally appropriate teaching and fellowship for children and teenagers, we have segregated — and I use that verb intentionally but not lightly — kids from the rest of the church. And that segregation is causing kids to shelve their faith.
~ Sticky Faith by Powell and Clark
May we consider everything we do for the spiritual blessing of our children and not just for our own good. If parents do not directly disciple their children, the world is very happy to “disciple” our children 24*7 for us.
Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, may we parents and our churches see Your heart for the next generation! Help us to obey your commandments, so that it may go well with us and with our children after us forever!
