PRINCIPLE 52
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at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”735 “My son, keep your father’s command and do not forsake your mother’s teaching. Bind them always on your heart; fasten them around your neck.”736 “Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live!”737 In countries with no persecution and especially in rich nonpersecuted nations the family unit has broken down. In most homes both parents work to keep up their wealth status. This leaves no time for the parents to teach their children. God seeks godly offspring.738 However, these children are now growing up as a godless generation. We are already reaping what we have sown. In the Book of Hosea it says: “My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. ‘Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as My priests; because you have ignored the Law of your God, I also will ignore your children.”739 May God have mercy on us. God always shows mercy where we genuinely repent and turn around. Parents, if you repent, God will help you. “He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents; or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction.”740
Deuteronomy 6:6-7 Proverbs 6:20-21 737 Hebrews 12:9 738 Malachi 2:15 739 Hosea 4:6 740 Malachi 4:6, Jeremiah 10:25 735 736