85% of our Primary teachers also apparently without regret for using the cane again since Esther retired from being Headmistress in December. That Old Serpent had suddenly reared up his crowned head to snap and devour and put to flight.
We ended up reporting the departure of Mica and his wife Senge, and wondering if even others might have to leave. Saturday morning last week had been in fact a very harrowing time. But then came Sunday, and the Lord arose and gave us Light in the darkness, and we revived and rebuked the Devil and set our sights on a NEW Day and Week. Glory be to God. As Churchill once said ' Never, Never, Never, NEVER give in!' Yes,indeed, Rebuke the Devil and he WILL flee from you (in the Name of Jesus!).
We have now met with all our Houseparents, house by house, and on Monday we shall meet again. Initially all those who had in any way transgressed the Law in regard to physical discipline confessed their faults, and apologised. Even Mica and Senge returned to personally do the same, and are now back in Tyndale Cottage. All in all it has been an encouraging and hopeful week. We now are pledged to meet to discuss 'alternative Methods of Discipline' and feel optimistic that things will work out very well. Thereafter we shall meet all together with the Children to clearly advise them and inform them about how we will hope to deal with any misconduct in the future. We shall also put a printed confirmation of all that we say into their hands at the same time. Finally, at this time, we shall also ask our staff to sign a paper outlining the current laws and regulations and ask them to sign that they pledge themselves to obediently keep them or be given Notice. Generally this has brought back peace and stability, and the 'boat' has stopped rocking! BUT that is not to say that the Enemy has gone away, or given up on whatever strategy he commenced. We continue to be extra vigilant.
Some comment has filtered back to us since we wrote - some have wondered if now we will go SOFT and reject the exhortations of Proverbs where it relates to the ROD, and discipline?
You know 'Spare the Rod and spoil the child". Proverbs 13v21 in the Bible reads -'He that spareth his rod hateth his son;
but he that loveth his son corrects him in time.'
AND in Proverbs. 29v15 we can read again -
'The rod and reproof give wisdom;
but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame.
IN BETWEEN these two Scriptures we can read Proverbs 20v30 is something that appears to lend weight to the others -
Blows that wound cleanse away evil,
and strokes (for correction) reach to the innermost parts (of the heart).
FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS this advice has been almost universally acted upon and found to be good sense and successful policy when it comes to keeping order in the family, the School, and civil society generally. Am I now going to DEPART from this instruction and go for the NEW AGE teaching that seems to take the fear of strong reprisal away from the offender?
NO, I still believe that the Bible way is in fact the best, and together with the use of the rod for children, I accept capital punishment for those who murder as being still the recommended manner of correction. HOWEVER, 1.Peter 2v13 in the Bible tells us -
'Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake
whether to the King (President) as supreme, or to governors,
as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers
and for the praise of those who do good.
For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence
the ignorance of foolish men -
As free, yet not using your liberty as a cloak for vice,
but as servants of God.
Honour all people, Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the King (President).
THE WORLD HAS CHANGED AND IS CHANGING. Man sees himself wiser than God, and more enlightened than those who went before. He is making NEW rules of play in all the areas of life. We are to go along with the LAWS of our respective Countries - but NOT, in doing so, dispense with the foundational necessities and principles laid down by God. METHODS of doing things may and perhaps must be open to change, BUT the basic PRINCIPLES of human life are not open to change. RIGHT and WRONG remain as clear as black and white. We can never lose sight of that, or dilute our understanding of such concepts as we are now being encouraged to do. The NEED to bring up our children in the 'WAY they should go, with good advice and discipline REMAINS in place. Nothing has changed there - though the world around us might no longer appreciate the WAY they and their children should go. As Christians, Muslims, Hindus and others, we need keep the faith that we have, and thus there WILL be times when we will find ourselves at odds with the Secular World's values and opinions.
DO WE, as Christians, NEED to use a ROD, stick, cane, paddle, slipper or even our hand, to emphasise wrongdoing by the infliction of physical pain? Everyone feels a need to be LOVED and CARED about. When a child is used to receiving this from the parent, ANY withdrawal of that closeness and affection can be WORSE than any cane or beating. BUT there could be a strong reason for still upholding the use of the Rod if we take note of Proverbs 20v30.
Is it impossible to obtain the results given in this Scripture WITHOUT using physical correction? If the answer could be YES to that, then I should have no problem in submitting to the LAW that tells me to withhold my hand, my cane, my weapon................. WILL the world sink into anarchy and chaos WITHOUT the 'blows and wounds' of physical correction, retaliation? YES, I personally feel it MAY at least speed up the process, humanity being what it is. BUT it IS still possible to make sure that our children can be persuaded to grow up in the knowledge and persuasion of GOD's WAY by other methods. We now need to search out those 'ways'.
Reading about the childhood of Jesus in Luke the other day I was interested to read of the incident where he found himself forgotten in Jerusalem by his parents. Humanly he had a responsibility to remember them, and not to put them to distress by being too involved in his own interests. Mary and Joseph also had a responsibility to TAKE CARE of their son, Jesus, and to LOOK for him, having missed him, - both parties were at 'fault'. Mary actually CHIDED Jesus for (what to her was) his slack and careless behaviour. There is no record that she or Joseph did more than that. Jesus returned then with them to their home in Nazareth, submitting himself to them (was in fact 'habitually obedient to them'). As an apparent RESULT Jesus humanly increased in wisdom (in broad and full understanding), and in height and years, and in favour with God and mankind. He was habitually obedient - and without the threat of the rod? Joseph and Mary must have found another way to channel this child of God who sometimes must have distressed and worried them - since they did not understand him all the time; did not appreciate the powers and drives that drove him.
IN THE BOOK OF REVELATION 2v27 it is written -
'HE (the Believer) shall rule them with a ROD OF IRON,
as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, and his power over them shall be
like that which I Myself have received from My Father.
This ROD is also referred to as a 'sceptre' - an emblem of Justice, that is strong like iron, unbreakable, unbendable - surely this must be THE WORD OF GOD. In the days being spoken about in Revelation Men and Women, will rule others with and by the Word of God.
People will either OBEY or be cast out of society, separated, deprived, and seriously discomforted. No doubt there will be tears, perhaps even temper shown. It will be STRONG discipline, but no sign of the PHYSICAL 'blows and wounds'.
HUMANLY we are probably all more afraid of physical hurt or injury because we feel it immediately in the FLESH around about us. BUT there are perhaps even GREATER pains that the mind and soul of man can experience spiritually............The Word of God heard and understood has power like a sword to CUT us to the heart.....................
THUS Ephesians 6v4 -
'Fathers (Parents generally) do not irritate and provoke your children to anger,
(do not exasperate them to resentment)
but rear them tenderly in the training and discipline, and the counsel and admonition
of the Lord (the Word of God)
THERE IS A WAY - another way - of discipline apart from the hand held rod of wood - it is the ROD of God's Word wielded in tender training and discipline, and council and admonition. This way will not break their spirit, any more than it broke the spirit of the boy Jesus.
IT IS POSSIBLE THAT MAN HAS BEEN BLIND to this Way - not understanding that God OUR Father gave us all we needed in HIS WORD to successfully bring up our children and even ourselves in the WAY we should go. Perhaps our fallen, unspiritual nature fell prey to the need to HURT others. After all we see disobedience to ourselves as an offence to ourselves and we want those hurting us to feel hurt also.
YET we have SO hurt and offended God, each one of us, and He did not punish as we deserved, yet we have not gone without hurt or discipline..........Think about it.
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TODAY is our THIRTY NINTH Wedding Anniversary. LACE is supposed to be the appropriate gift for this particular year of Marriage - no precious stone or special flower - but could not find anything of that nature here. What did we give each other instead? A secret......well I guess I CAN tell you that we did tell each other we loved each other even more than the last time we said it. We have stuck together, as Esther recently expressed it - 'through thick and thin' and quite a lot of THIN. BUT Jesus, who brought us to each other, remained the adhesive that would not let go of each other. And here we are, and He is with us still, our ongoing guarantee of success and victory.
If you are NOT married go for it! If He is with you there is nothing to fear and everything to gain. If you ARE married and feeling things are thin sometimes, REMEMBER he is the One holding your both in His Hands, and he will keep you together if you turn to him and seek His help; and he will take you on and deepen your bond, and give you JOY. Esther and I thoroughly recommend Marriage for every lonely heart - as long as you share it with Jesus all the time as the altogether most important third strand of every marriage made in heaven.
For us the day will be quiet but happy, and this evening we are to be taken out to supper by Daryl and Carol together with their three children, and Manu. We thank the Lord for all his Kindness to us.
With our Love to you all
John and Esther
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