Here's an article regarding Taiwan having the lowest birthrate in the world.
Here's an article about the longest practicing pediatrician in the world who retired at age 103 years, Dr. Leila Denmark of northern Georgia. She turned 112 this year. Judy wrote an infant care book based on the advice of my aunt with 11 children and their pediatrician Dr. Denmark, and Judy's book is not only helping to reach families with the Gospel but also helping to encourage families to have more children.
Click on the following to hear the testimony of one of Judy's book readers who became a Christian and then joined our Taipei church plant in 2009:
PRAYER REQUEST: Please pray for Judy and me as we plan to write a follow-up child-training book later this year. (Many of these families have been asking for one, and so we plan to write a book explaining what God has taught in His Word regarding how to train your children.) There are almost no Mandarin-language books from a Biblical perspective on the subject whereas there are some helpful English books out there, among them, To Train Up a Child, which gives very good practical illustrations about how discipline and training work out in many real-life situations.
Here is my sermon on Proverbs 13:24. I recently preached this passage at a church in Alabama.
"Please, I ask you with respect and as a sister in Christ, consider the spiritual and theological implications of providing these materials within a missionary context. Is this the Gospel you want to communicate?" - TulipGirl
ReplyDeleteDear Tulipgirl, thanks for your concern. The Gospel -- has two parts -- Repent & Believe: Repent -- 1. A just and holy God cannot ignore your sin and so the just penalty is eternal death; Believe -- 2. Sin is so serious that Jesus had to take on human nature, live a perfect life as a record, and then drink the dregs of God's wrath over man's sin in our behalf. You can be saved by putting your faith in what Jesus did and submitting your will to Jesus Christ, the Lord.
Spanking done in a correct manner is instituted by God in His Word and is a particular blessing to children as it teaches justice and consequence for sin. It is also much more effective in ultimately having fewer discipline problems and a better relationship with children than other forms like time-out, etc. A spanking is quickly over.
Though I do not recommend Michael and Debbie Pearl as theologians nor offer them on pedestals as those to blindly follow, I do commend their understanding of human nature and their very good and practical explanation of how discipline works out.
Certainly anything God established, sin will pervert whether sex or spanking. But just as we do not condemn appropriate sexual relations because of the way it has been perverted, we also do not condemn appropriate use of the rod because of the way it has been misused by some.
I do want to communicate the seriousness of sin and therefore the overwhelming greatness of God's love that would go to such lengths to save despite the huge offense and injustice of creatures rebelling against their Creator.
When sin is downplayed, grace is also downplayed.
My concerns are not about spanking -- but the false theology and how easily the teachings of the Pearls lead to abuse.
ReplyDeleteI do not downplay sin, I do not downplay grace.
Please, do further research about what the Pearls teach and reconsider investing your time and energy in promoting the ideas of the Pearls.